November 19, 2008 by f4denz.

The image is a hyperlink to the announcement site. You can see the video of the link there.

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November 19, 2008 by f4denz.

Well the expansion draft is just days away and Real Salt Lake will likely lose a player to the Seattle Sounders FC, the question is who will we lose? I am going to break down the 11 players I would protect if I were the head coach, and see what you think and what happens next week. There are a few players that we do not have to protect because they are part of the Generation Adidas program; they are Tony Beltran, Nik Besagno, Alex Nimo, and Chris Seitz. This means that RSL will be protecting 15 of 28 players, here are my choices:

The good

There are a couple players that are just too good to let go, remember that Seattle will be a team we face off against as part of the Western Conference:

1. Yura Movsisyan- if anyone has proven that they deserve to be on the team it is Yura, while his touch still isn’t the greatest, he has shown as much heart as anyone and if he can get the diving out of his blood (something he picked up in the last few weeks), then he has a chance to be a top level striker in MLS and a good start next year will probably get him a chance with the USMNT. He is young and talented, his base pay is under $50,000 and total compensation is under $60,000.

2. Javier Morales- we have made him one of the poster children of the organization and signed him to a long term deal, Javi is a legit contender for MLS MVP, he was second in assists and in the top 20 goal scorers in the league with 6 goals. While expensive, when Javi is on RSL is very tough to contain and even harder to beat.

3. Kyle Beckerman- Along with Javi, Kyle is one of the faces of RSL, as the captain of the team he is simply the spine of the team when they are on the pitch. His move from most hated rival, to one of the fan favorites is a remarkable feat, but his effort on the pitch is second to none.

4. Nick Rimando- Once again Nick was in the top 7 in GAA, only 4 keepers had more shut outs, he had two of the top ten longest shutout streaks and played every minute of every MLS match for RSL, Nick is just 29 years old and has several years of top level performance left in him. He does have to work a bit with the back line to prevent some of the communication problems that cropped up several times this season.

Young Guns

With one of the youngest rosters in the league RSL will need to protect the players that will likely make up the future of the team

5. Will Johnson- Of all our midseason pickup, Will is a future MLS All Star, and already getting time with the Canadian National Team. His base pay is just $39,000 with total compensation just under $53,000 a year, at just 21 years of age Johnson could be a real cornerstone of the new RSL. His speed and work rate are as good as anyone on the team and Will seems to understand the difference between a shooting chance and a chance to create. I hope to see him in a RSL kit for a long time to come.

6. Fabian Espindola- Despite a rash of injuries Fabi has shown a great potential to be an offensive threat for RSL, his 5 goals in under 650 minutes of playing time gives him a one goal every 128 minutes if he had played half the 2700 possible minutes that would have had him scoring 10-11 goals for RSL. He is just 23 years old and his $75,000 a year is a great price for a quality striker and overall offensive play maker.

7. Nathan Sturgis- Injury plagued over the last two seasons, but with enough skill to deserve another chance. Given that Sturgis has had a good 4 months of recovery time and has 2-3 more months before the preseason starts, if he is willing to listen to Jason and the trainers about how he needs to develop his body to be able to withstand the rigors of the MLS style of play, then I say we protect him. His ability to play in both the midfield and on defense makes him a valuable asset and at just 21 years old he could be a real part of the new RSL core.

Pure Heart

8. Andy Williams- Andy needs to be protected he needs to be given the chance to finish his career as part of Real Salt Lake. Emotions have a lot to do with my choice, but too many people will agree with the common quote “when Andy is on the pitch, good things happen”. Andy is 31 and his fitness level was top notch this year and helped him get back into the Jamaican National Team as they try to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The connection with the fans has always been strong but given the struggles the Williams family has faced this year, exposing Andy to the expansion draft is a move that I don’t think should be allowed to happen.

Wildcards

9. Chris Wingert- Chris has been rock solid for RSL on the backline this season, but his attacking efforts lack finish. His speed and mobility allow him to get forward often, but his final passes and crosses are often off target resulting in lost chances. His work ethic is what might pull him into the protected list, but I believe only two of our 4 backline starters will be protected so this one could be a battle.

10. Jamison Olave- Depending completely on if we can sign Jamison to a long term deal, if so then I believe the 27 year old Columbian could be the cornerstone of the RSL defense for the next 4-5 years. His size and physical nature make him an opposing force, it is unfortunate that the overly wet pitch against New York caused him to lose his footing and miss the tackle on Wolyniec which eventually led to the New York goal. The fact that Olave was able to get to an onrushing attacker at the far edge of the pitch in trying to provide cover for other out of position players, speaks to his speed and understanding of the game. This spot like Wingert’s would be two of four that I would protect on our backline, knowing we can only lose one and that we have some great young defenders in the wings.

11. Robbie Findley- I am not sure what to make of Robbie, he is just 23 but I didn’t put him with the young guns simply because I get a sense that he isn’t happy here. Not sure why, he is a young guy who is getting a chance to compete for a starting spot, but his finishing has been spotty at times over the last two seasons, just like every other striker that RSL currently has on their roster. His speed and creativity make him a potential All Star, but his inconsistent efforts hurt him not only on RSL’s roster, but kept him from a earned spot on the 2008 Olympic team. I would love to see him stay, but his heart has to be in it.

Exposed

• Nat Borchers-Depending on the status of the wildcards, Nat would be the next player I protect. He has to figure out the communication issues with Rimando, that cost us points this season.
• Kenny Cutler- There are too many players to protect and Kenny simply isn’t one of the 11, he is a RSL original who shows up each day and does what is asked of him and a hell of a nice guy.
• Kenny Deuchar- 3 goals and 2 assists, I still hold out hope that someone will figure out how to use Kenny in a big way as part of their offense. I think he is capable of Kenny Cooper type numbers, but I just don’t know if it will happen with RSL.
• David Horst- A big, physical center back but he simply isn’t at the level of Olave or Borchers, maybe in time, but can’t spend a spot on him.
• Ian Joy- Aside from Andy Williams, does anyone have the heart as big as Ian Joy’s? Don’t think so, but the injuries worry me and knowing I can only lose one player in the expansion draft I have to protect others first.
• Dustin Kirby-3 minutes of first team action, simply can’t spend a spot here
• Dema Kovalenko- I would have loved to put Dema on my protected list, but at 31 he is slow to recover from injuries that plagued him midseason. He is a passionate player and I love his attitude, I hope he is here next season.
• Clint Mathis- I think the work ethic Clint showed after joining RSL is praiseable, but I simply can’t use one of 11 spots to protect him
• Tino Nunez-Too many strikers, but I love the effort and energy that Tino brought when he got first team time.
• Kevin Reiman- Can’t protect reserves
• Kyle Reynish- Ditto
• Robbie Russell- Robbie might just make the protected 11, his ability to play so many positions and to play them at a top level make him valuable, after Nat and depending on the status of Olave and the other wildcards, Robbie is a real talent and one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
• Brennan Tennelle- Can’t protect reserves

Well that is my list and I am thankful that we can only lose one player to Seattle, but you have to wonder about the trade status of players like Seitz, and Findley. This off season is going to have a lot of action and with RSL not really having any draft impact in the Super Draft our moves are likely to come from trades or finding a few more gems from overseas.

OFF MY SOAPBOX

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