Player Profiles: Deep Reserves

These three outfield players all found different paths to Seattle Sounders FC. Andrew Duran and Ashani Fairclough both played/trained at Starfire after being cut while Blair Gavin is seeking to re-discover the once promising career.

#34 Andrew Duran

A couple of years ago Andrew Duran was drafted. He was loaned a couple of times. He was injured a couple of times. He plays a couple of positions. This year he played in the Reserves a couple of times. This year he was waived. After being the anchor of a very good college defense Duran never became the player Sounders FC needed him to be.

When Duran did play he was a good ball control CB that could slide into a flattish right back role. The thing is he didn't play enough.

Best Case 2014: Duran needs first to be healthy and second to find a pro team that will give him a chance. That will not happen at the MLS level. He's not fast or large, so his chances at being an MLS regular revolve around reading the game and being a stable force on the ball.

#31 Ashani Fairclough

Senior national team and hot MLS prospects by the age of 20 are a pretty big deal. Then something happened. Ashani was gone. But not really, he stayed around training and the Reserves after being cut.

Fairclough has a lot of the makeup of a great MLS centerback. He's pretty darn fast. He's quite tall. He mixes it up in the air well. While he does misread plays a bit, he's quite young. He's not a great passer at any distance and not really a threat on set-plays even though he's large. There are plenty of reasons to think he's a pro caliber centerback.

Best Case 2014: Ashani probably has the talent to be a 4th CB in MLS and a top 2 in the lower divisions. He's too old for the next U-23 cycle, but could make a resurgence and appear on the radar for Jamaica. His chance comes down to getting a chance. That may mean one of the better teams in the Caribbean. It also would not be a surprise to see him back in training camp come January.

#30 Blair Gavin

How often can you get a #10 draft pick and GA player on a free just a couple years later? Not often, but with Gavin Seattle did just that. It helped that his his first two teams were some of the worst in the league (the Revs aren't anymore). After some time in the PDL Blair brought his 'stache to Seattle, except he left the 'stache in a drain somewhere.

Gavin is a creative midfielder who is best on the wings but can play a bit in a CAM role as well. He's been a decent short passer. Not a great crosser. Does the defensive work but not an adept ball-winner. Not fast, nor quick.

Best Case 2014: He was brought in for the future and he may just have one. He has all the talent that got him drafted so high and some youth National Team experience. He could fit into a B2B wide mid or a winger role or as a back-up CAM. This is classic reclamation project stuff for Seattle and there's a chance it works. If not he was a free.