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November 29, 2007
Quakes pick first in today's waiver draft
As we near the end of November, there seems to be some important news about the Quakes every day.
On the heels of yesterday's news that Ian Russell would be hired as an assistant coach — the Mercury News has a story here which includes some quotes from the new coach himself — it was announced late yesterday that MLS will hold its waiver draft today, beginning at noon Pacific.
In all, 45 players have been waived by 13 MLS clubs. Chivas USA have released a whopping 10 players, nearly 40 percent of their roster, which seems surprising considering they were contenders for the 2007 Supporters' Shield. You can find the full list of available players at the link above; here are some names that jumped out at us:
- David Arvizu, F, Chivas USA - Arvizu, 19, is a Generation Adidas player who has seen time with the US U-17 and U-20 teams, although he did not make the roster for last summer's U-20 World Cup. Spent '06 with the MetroStars before Chivas USA acquired him last February, but he has yet to see MLS action. Is Arvizu a diamond in the rough or just rough? 2007 salary: $40,500 (from the Washington Post)
- Laurent Merlin, F, Chivas USA - Merlin, 23, is a French forward who has played for his country's U-17, U-18, and U-19 teams. He started at age 10 in Olympique de Marseille's youth teams and appeared twice for the senior side in 2002. Since then, he played for AJ Ajaccio and Châteauroux before joining Chivas USA this spring. A player with an interesting pedigree to be sure, but would a player named Merlin be a better fit for the Wizards? 2007 salary: $17,700.
- Ramón Núñez, M, Chivas USA - Núñez, who just turned 22, was projected by some pundits as a likely choice for the Quakes in the Expansion Draft. A Honduran midfielder, Núñez is a four-year MLS veteran, having logged 47 starts in 79 appearances for FC Dallas and Chivas USA. Four caps with the Honduras National Team. He's a green card holder, so he wouldn't count as an international for the Quakes, but does he have what it takes to wear blue? 2007 salary: $118,000.
- Zach Thornton, GK, Colorado - Thornton is 34 and his glory days are behind him. We still remember being impressed that he beat out the much-lauded Jorge Campos for the starting spot in Chicago back in 1998, when the Fire won the double. We're mentioning him here because he inspired a great chant from the Casbah: "Zach got back, Zach got back" (a la Sir Mix-A-Lot). We also note that his Wikipedia entry says that his nickname is "The Beast." Sacrilege! There is only one player in MLS history to deserve that nickname and his name is Dayak, not Thornton. 2007 salary: $57,600.
- Marshall Leonard, M/D, New England - Leonard, who turns 27 next month, can play at left back or left midfield and was a consistent starter for the Revs in 2005. In 2006, he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in April, spent the rest of the season in rehab, and did not appear at all for the Revs in 2007. Ouch. Considering Steve Nicol's sharp eye for talent, it's possible that Leonard is done. 2007 salary: $47,500.
- Chris Brown, M/F, RSL - Brown played in 11 games for the Quakes in 2004, but he'll be 31 by the time opening day rolls around. Scored five goals in 1,084 minutes for RSL in 2007, which is impressive considering the team's woeful offense only managed to score 31 goals all season. Could Brown lend a calming, veteran presence to the Quakes, or is he past his sell-by date? 2007 salary: $70,000.
We have a couple other items to pass along today. Tuesday's Boston Glob featured a commentary on what soccer contributes to the American professional sports scene. Highly recommended.
Finally, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that construction is set to begin next week on Red Bull Park.
Red Bulls managing director Marc de Grandpre said the construction timeline is 18 to 20 months, with a target date to open in the summer of 2009.The final design has been modified to become a soccer-specific facility, which will seat 25,189. The plans with AEG included a concert stage built into one end of the stadium and a cantilevered roof that would have covered the majority of the crowd. The Red Bull version eliminates the stage, reduces the number of luxury suites from 50 to 30 and features a translucent polycarbonate and aluminum roof that will cover every seat.
OK, we are now suffering from roof envy — it's amazing! Have a look for yourself. Oh, and enjoy the waiver draft.
Posted by Jay at November 29, 2007 06:32 AM
Comments
Merlin's salary is actually $60,000. Chivas gave him a raise in the middle of the season. He proved not to be worth $60,000 and I'll be surprised in the Quakes pick him.
Posted by: Anny at November 29, 2007 12:56 PM