One Mystery Trialist Identified - Andrew Vanzie

by exSlacker on Jan 22, 2012 11:23 AM PST

Dave's Note: bumped to frontpage for trialist discussion.

One of the unfamiliar faces at Sounders Training belongs to one of the newest Reggae Boyz. The articles linked below claim that 21-year-old center midfielder Andrew Vanzie of Jamaican top-side Portmore United FC (currently 5 points clear at the top of the table) left last Tuesday for a four-week trial with Seattle Sounders FC. A comparison of his facebook photo to the training photos show that he is definitely one of the players at Sounders training.

Vanzie received his first (and only) cap for Jamaica in September in a 5-2 loss in to Ecuador in Ecuador. He has also represented Jamaica at the U20 and U23 levels. Some sites seem to list him as a defender. However, it appears he plays center-mid for Portmore United. The Jamaican Football Federation link below describes him as "a lynch pin in Portmore United’s midfield". He lists Cristiano Ronaldo (and only Cristiano Ronaldo) under "Favorite Athletes" on his Facebook page.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/Portmore-duo-set-for-MLS-trial-stints_10610591

http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Vanzie/100001535641172

http://www.jamaicafootballfederation.com/v1/2012/01/19/portmore-duo-on-trial-stint-with-mls-clubs/

http://ssfc-rumors.blogspot.com/2012/01/jamaican-midfielder-andrew-vanzie-to.html

http://www.jamaicafootballfederation.com/v1/teams/national-teams/national-under-23-mens-team/

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Nice detective work

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by 253Sounder on Jan 22, 2012 2:55 PM PST via Android app reply actions

I can take credit for the research, but not the discovery...

Antoine Furet posted regarding him at ssfc-rumors (which is why I included his link above). I worked from there as a starting point. He’s actively trying to ID the trialist of Asian (Korean?) descent as well. His page is fun. He posts every rumor that is floated, from del Piero to Drogba. It is, after all, called ssfc-RUMORS. I posted here because it was confirmed in multiple other sources, all of which were publicly available. I would NEVER want to undercut the Sounders before they could evaluate a player and decide to / not to file a Discovery claim.

by exSlacker on Jan 22, 2012 3:22 PM PST reply actions

Nice work!

by chrisso on Jan 22, 2012 4:57 PM PST up reply actions

Thanks

Thanks for posting a link to SSFC-Rumors (and for the comment). Didn’t take a long time to find Andrew but his information (DOB and position) took a while. Linked is where I found his DOB…

http://www.worldcup.tribalfootball.com/page/PlayerProfile/0,,12952~168533~1319,00.html

by SSFC-Rumors on Jan 22, 2012 5:26 PM PST up reply actions

That's one that lists him as a Defender...

Thanks for the link. That’s one of the sites I was referring to that lists him as a Defender. However, I can assure everyone that he plays CM for both Portmore United and for the U23 Team. The U23’s got bounced from qualification after a very contentious tie vs. Suriname in which Suriname was awarded a penalty in the 89th minute resulting in a 2-2 tie which vaulted Suriname to a goal differential qualifying advantage. 3 Jamaican players got red carded and Suriname fans flooded the field with apparently no effort by security to stop them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFpjVFl1ME0

Comments from Head Coach Alfredo Montesso: ""I am really satisfied with how we played today. We stuck with the plan and shut down their players. We regret that Malcolm didn’t take that chance, but I think Vanzie played really well. He marked very well, controlled the game with his passing and created that balance in midfield and I was very pleased with him."

by exSlacker on Jan 22, 2012 5:38 PM PST up reply actions

WOW! ... Thanks for the Bump Dave!

by exSlacker on Jan 22, 2012 4:41 PM PST reply actions

You found everything I could find

good job

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by Dave Clark on Jan 22, 2012 4:57 PM PST up reply actions

Another CDM in camp

Starting to wonder if they think Ozzie will get bought this summer.

by blakec on Jan 22, 2012 5:34 PM PST reply actions

Or that they are trying to replace Sanyang

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by Dave Clark on Jan 22, 2012 7:38 PM PST up reply actions

Cover

Between age and the possibility of being bought and moving on, you would have to say CDM and CM are both positions you are going to want a lot more depth. Doesn’t mean they are moving on, just says they want to be prepared.

by brokejumper on Jan 22, 2012 7:41 PM PST up reply actions

In addition, Sigi really like competition in camp...

and Abbott detailed in his excellent piece:

http://www.sounderatheart.com/2012/1/18/2715375/sounders-roster-competition

How CM was the position at which competition seemed lightest. Having guys come in and challenge the status quo is a good thing…even when you’re pretty stinking happy with the status quo. If you bring in a guy who surprises you and beats out a guy you expected to have on your roster, you’ve improved your team. If the invitee challenges a guy you expected to have and pushes him in training, but doesn’t beat him out for his spot, you’ve probably had a more effective training. That player is probably more prepared. Lastly, if you bring a guy in and allow him to find his place and then you’re forced to dig deeper by injuries or departures, you’re more prepared to do so. I don’t expect this guy to make the team…but he could. The more talent, the better.

On that note, I’d like to re-ask a question asked under another post. Is there a trialist (not Sivebaek or a guy who has a contract) who has stood out these first few days? How have Darwin Jones, Andrew Vanzie, Jonathan Prieto, the Asian Trialist, etc, looked? Anyone stand out? Anyone look particularly out of their depth?

by exSlacker on Jan 22, 2012 7:58 PM PST up reply actions

I only watched day one of the early sessions

As I said in that days camp report, Estrada looked the best of that group.

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
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by Dave Clark on Jan 22, 2012 8:01 PM PST up reply actions

This guy might be a CM prospect

We know he plays in central midfield. He’s listed in some reports as a defender. He might one of those versatile guys Sigi loves that can play across the field.

by Dizzo on Jan 22, 2012 9:31 PM PST up reply actions

i really don't think this has anything to do with a possible alonso move

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by Jeremiah Oshan on Jan 22, 2012 8:37 PM PST up reply actions

So,

I was linked to this article by Kurt Schmid’s twitter. Is it just me or is he a little annoyed at this getting out? And if this somehow hinders their getting a player they wanted (like this guy) don’t you think they might start closing training sessions or limiting access? I will say though, this isn’t exactly anyone here’s fault. The original article came out of Jamaica if I’m not mistaken.

by Adam Waltering on Jan 23, 2012 8:17 AM PST reply actions

Yeah...

I certainly NEVER want to do anything to hurt the Sounders in their quest to improve….and that includes costing them in the discovery/scouting process. This one, however, was published in a Jamaican newspaper and on the Jamaican Football Federation’s website. The former came up on page 1 as the sixth link if you google “MLS trial 2012”….so….safe to say it’s public knowledge?

If, for example, I happened upon the “mystery Asian trialist” in a school/club/national team photo somewhere, I would keep that one to myself.

by exSlacker on Jan 23, 2012 8:36 AM PST up reply actions

He seemed more amused, I thought

Like exSlacker said, he merely found publicly available information.

Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.

by Jeremiah Oshan on Jan 23, 2012 8:49 AM PST up reply actions

My fault?

Oh gosh I hope the Sounders FO don’t blame this on me and close training. I’m just a guy trying to post everything I found (rumor wise) with the Sounders.

SSFC-Rumors
http://ssfc-rumors.blogspot.com/

by SSFC-Rumors on Jan 23, 2012 2:31 PM PST up reply actions

You don't need to sweat that...

As long as you’re just relaying information publicly published elsewhere, there is no reason to worry. If, for example, someone wrote to you and ID’d the remaining mystery trialist saying that he/she knows him from gradeschool…you might want to hold off on that info…but even then, that’s your call. Your side has “rumor” in the name…so that’s implicit. Here was Kurt’s twitter response to Jeramiah, who tweeted making it clear that this was in the public domain before it appeared here:

“Yeah, I know. Nothing we can do about a Jamaican report. I don’t fault you guys at all. I’m happy we have passionate fans.”

I personally enjoy your constant scouring and rumor-mongering. :-)

by exSlacker on Jan 23, 2012 7:02 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs