D.C. United Approval Ratings: Santino Quaranta

On paper, all the reasons you listed would seem to point to United wanting to keep Quaranta on the team.

But I think Olsen and the front office are looking at this offseason differently from how we are. They aren’t grading each player approve/disapprove. They’re just cutting the bottom third of the roster. They’re cutting ties with the Soehn regime (McTavish, Simms, Burch, Quaranta). They’re cutting the guys who have missed the playoffs the last four years. They’re trying to eliminate the culture of losing that has taken over the team.

Tino referenced “chasing $100,000 across the country” when he talked about considering the RED. That would have been a cut of just $17,000 from his 2011 pay, which would still have left him at too high a figure to be what he was on this team, which is a useful but turnover-prone sub who struggled with finishing but also usually worked harder than most. You don’t pay $100,000 for that in MLS, especially when you’re looking at adding a 2nd Designated Player.

I certainly would have preferred that United make him an offer commensurate with his MLS value rather than outright end his time here, but I also have strong doubts about whether he’d have accepted that figure.

Reports were that Tino was contacted by 5 different MLS teams to gauge his interest in joining them (teams generally don’t select willy nilly in the reentry draft – they want to know the player is interested). He almost certainly would have been picked up, possibly even in phase 1 of the RED. But he retired instead. He’s always been a Baltimore guy, and given the choice of grinding out another few years or focusing on repaying the good fortune he feels he’s received, he chose the latter. That said, if United had picked up his option or offered him a lower salary, he might have chosen to play for another year or three, but I really think he was just ready to move onto the next phase of his life. I don’t think there’s much more to it than that.

One idea that popped into my head recently when reading MLS’s new Rumors section came from this rumor involving several Alajuelense players. At the end of the piece, they mention Allen Guevara as another player from Alajuelense headed to MLS.

Guevara is small (Wikipedia lists him at 5’ 3.5", but I think that’s inaccurate based on seeing him in the CCL; more like 5’6"), but he has the same hard-working, high-energy approach that Tino did. Just from the CCL alone, I saw him play on both wings and up front, so he has the versatility. He’s also got really good speed, to the point that he reminds me quite a bit of Dane Richards.

I have no idea if we’re the MLS club pursuing him, but it would not be the worst idea I’ve ever heard. Maybe Benny called Bruce Arena, who saw Guevara up close twice in the CCL, and got the tip from him.

Extremely high degree of difficulty.

Too bad we went all house of cards immediately following it.

I was always happy to see Tino come in – much happier than seeing Da Luz. He seemed to bring an energy that lifted those around him.

But I wonder, given what’s transpired, if maybe his heart wasn’t quite in it. He should be hitting his stride at 27, but maybe given his story and his off-field interests, he was just ready to move on. Maybe Benny saw this better than anyone.

Can’t say, of course, but It seems maybe he lost some love for playing as he grew more interested in helping and developing other kids in Baltimore. It’s uncommon – and pretty damn respectable – for a professional athlete to have a serious passion lined up after retirement.