Ever Alvarado, Harlinton Gutierrez To Trial With Seattle Sounders

by Dave Clark on Jan 17, 2012 9:05 PM PST in Sounders: Trades, Transfers and Rumors

UPDATE: Sounder at Heart has confirmed that Alvarado and Harlinton are both on the Sounders' Discovery List. We don't expect them to be training with the Sounders just yet, though. That will likely have to wait until Arizona if it happens.

Reports this morning out of Honduras were that two Real Espana players would be on trial with MLS teams. This evening Goal.com's Spanish language MLS subsite reported those two players are Ever Alvarado and Harlinton Gutierrez who will be with the Seattle Sounders. Alvarado, as previously noted, is a young left back who Diez.HN recognized as one of the breakout players in the Honduran league this past season. Gutierrez Harlinton is also a teen defender, but this time in the center where he played with the Real Espana Reserves. That link indicates the two will be at training this weekend.

Even on a day when the Sounders added five other players to its options through the Supplemental Draft, including two internationals, the team continues to find players who may be able to add that little bit extra. Competition throughout the lineup will be as tough as ever. There are now 38 players who are reported to be coming to preseason training at some point.

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doesn't look good for draft picks

these guys are good it’s going to be a fun training camp

by alexyepz on Jan 17, 2012 9:19 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Why are these guys good?

What more do you know about them?

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by Dave Clark on Jan 17, 2012 9:21 PM PST up reply actions

I've seen them play they are decent players for mls not stars but good players

by alexyepz on Jan 17, 2012 9:23 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Note that the subheading of Goal.com article says "Ever Alvarado y Harlinton González"

and in the body of the article it’s “Ever Alvarado y Harlinton Gutiérrez.” Wonder if the first name is even Harlinton???

by ballardiana on Jan 17, 2012 9:31 PM PST reply actions

the Real Espana Reserves link says "Harlinton Gutiérrez"

by ballardiana on Jan 17, 2012 9:33 PM PST up reply actions

I think the order got messed up by the translator

thanks for the find

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by Dave Clark on Jan 17, 2012 9:44 PM PST up reply actions

Report on a Honduran U-20 game last spring

http://www.spain-football.culturespain.com/tag/ever-alvarado/

by seabryan on Jan 17, 2012 9:48 PM PST reply actions

I don't know much about these guys (never seen them play)

…but, the high amount of competition will bring the best out of everyone and should be great for our team! Furthermore, some of these guys are very young. Nothing wrong with lining them up for the future.

by bakerbri on Jan 17, 2012 11:00 PM PST reply actions

...also

We already have 3 LBs on the roster. I am not sure that we can afford to add one. If we pick up someone like Alvarado, then I assume Tetteh is gone for now (maybe he goes to Orlando and we try to “Neagle” him). If, instead, we let Leo or Burch go, then I assume that the FO is extremely confident in the one that remains.

by bakerbri on Jan 17, 2012 11:08 PM PST reply actions

There's also the chance...

… that the Sounders just put Tetteh at left mid and call it a day. His developmental path currently looks a lot shorter there than at fullback.

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by c_dowley on Jan 18, 2012 7:18 AM PST via Android app up reply actions

Also, my phone wants to autocorrect Tetteh to Gertrude

I find that way funnier than I probably should.

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by c_dowley on Jan 18, 2012 7:19 AM PST via Android app up reply actions 3 recs

Plus with Tetteh being a GA player no reason to cut him

I know GA’s are salary cap exempt but are they roster exempt as well?

by Neem on Jan 18, 2012 8:58 AM PST up reply actions

Not roster exempt

They fit into spots 21+ based on how many of they and HGPs there are. He does take an international slot, but that could change if he gets a Green Card.

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by Dave Clark on Jan 18, 2012 9:25 AM PST up reply actions

Sounders are probably

Going to use Tacoma Tide as a U-23, and then the roster doesn’t seem so over-crowded.

by python6114 on Jan 17, 2012 11:18 PM PST via mobile reply actions

Sweet Loooooooopehole

Back in the 90s, Lou Pinella used to use the minor league teams to hold players and since they were so close to Seattle, he would change the roster almost daily, calling up players and sending down players.
Can the Sounders do that in MLS ? Help fund a u-23 team and use them as a farm system, which acted more like a deep bench ? Someone posted that they are NOT funding the Tacoma team, but does anyone know if they could do that if they wanted to ? Maybe they would lose protection of the players rights everytime they moved him down ?

by Charles J on Jan 18, 2012 6:34 AM PST up reply actions

Well, no, you can't do that

I believe that once a player has been called up, the take up a roster spot. But they can be with the U23 team before getting called up, I think.

by Adnan Ilyas on Jan 18, 2012 7:01 AM PST up reply actions

Probably not

I don’t think PDL players can be paid, so unless they’re willing to hang around for free, it seems unlikely.

by Derek Young on Jan 18, 2012 7:02 AM PST up reply actions

They won't.

If the Sounders set up a relationship with or take over the Tide it will be as a youth program team. Players will continue their development there but they will not be paid, as they will intend to maintain their college eligibility while staying in the Sounders system. Guys like Cato, these two trialists, or any of the sup. draft picks would not play for the U-23 team even if they were age qualified.

by DerekB on Jan 18, 2012 11:57 AM PST up reply actions

Supplementals could

PDL has a ton of those types in it. They work another job or two and still play, hoping to get a last shot at a pro career.

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by Dave Clark on Jan 18, 2012 12:48 PM PST up reply actions

CharlesJ's comment above provoked this thought

I know MLS previously had a reserve league, but I don’t know exactly how it functioned. Was it a separate league with players that didn’t count against the first team’s roster, and the players could be called up? So in a modern day example, we’d have our roster of 30, plus a reserve team of however many (15? 18?) that could be called up to play on any given day? Sorta like his baseball example?

The thought of that seems pretty exciting. Imagine not having to drop all these players who are young and raw, but work them up through the reserves or youth teams or whatever and have them graduate, kinda like in Europe. It would certainly help solve the situation we’re in, with 2 or 3 slots left with 7-9 competing? (I don’t remember exact numbers)

by chrisperry1983 on Jan 18, 2012 8:44 AM PST reply actions

MLS' previous Reserve League was even less formal than it is today

Players were either on the roster or basically unpaid, oftentimes paid so little that coaches and staff would play.

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by Dave Clark on Jan 18, 2012 8:53 AM PST up reply actions

Sigi for reserve league TF!

by nimajneb on Jan 18, 2012 9:10 AM PST up reply actions

What are the green card status of current Sounders

I know last year we had a number of Sounders qualify for Green Cards opening up international roster spots. I know our 3 new international signing won’t have green cards but are any of our other Internationals on that path?

by Neem on Jan 18, 2012 9:03 AM PST reply actions

At the end of the season

Alvaro said he was close. Tetteh should be the next closest, but that’s just a guess.

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by Dave Clark on Jan 18, 2012 9:27 AM PST up reply actions

It would be great if Alvaro could get his card before the season

With all of the international trialist coming in it would give Sigi and Adrian a lot more flexibility to keep one or two.

by Neem on Jan 18, 2012 9:42 AM PST up reply actions

Where are the center mids?

Are we only capable of drafting/scouting defenders, wingers, and forwards?

by dc13 on Jan 18, 2012 10:12 AM PST reply actions

center mids

Alonso, Evans, Fernandez, Carrasco, Seamon, Rose

maybe Rosales, Sivebaek, Ianni

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by Dave Clark on Jan 18, 2012 11:44 AM PST up reply actions

It's Just a Trial

I believe the Sounders are noted and known for their scouting around the world. Given the age of these two players, its likely, that the club is just looking at their potential. The cost of flying them in and putting them up to see if they are good enough or potentially in a year, could be a low risk for a club of the means of the Sounders.

Like most investments, there are risks. This seems a lower risk in finances, where a club is somewhat held back because of salary caps, they can spend resources to keep looking for hidden gems??

by Shoreline Sounder on Jan 18, 2012 10:24 AM PST reply actions