With the July 1st salary guarantee date looming just a week away, that is the question that we ask about two players: Jose Carvallo and Franco Niell. Both were brought to this country in the offseason that saw the additions of five new South American players. Three of those players (Gallardo and los Gonzalos) have earned regular roles in the starting XI. Two of those players haven't played with the first team since Niell's last 10 minute appearance on 5/17 against Chivas.

Now I don't want to turn this post into a Payne-bashing party. Because it would have been a huge stretch to assume that all five of these new players would work out for the club. Arguments about Gallardo's salary aside, I think we can all admit that 60% of Payne's foreign acquisitions have been worthwhile to the team. So I don't want to crucify the guy for being wrong on a couple. A 60% success rate is probably right on par with the rest of the league.

The question here is whether or not you think we should keep Niell or Carvallo past next Tuesday, when their salaries will become guaranteed for the remainder of the year. And I think the answer to THAT question comes in the form of ANOTHER question. Who would we replace them with? The international transfer window isn't far away. Releasing Niell and/or Carvallo would give the team room to move. Exactly how much room? Let's double check the roster breakdown one more time, since it's been about three months since our last reset.

18 Senior roster players:
1 Emilio, 2 Moreno, 3 Niell, 4 Doe, 5 Gallardo, 6 Fred, 7 Olsen, 8 Quaranta, 9 Mediate, 10 Dyachenko, 11 Simms, 12 Martinez, 13 Peralta, 14 Namoff, 15 Burch, 16 McTavish, 17 Wells, 18 Carvallo.

10 Developmental roster players:
1 Cordeiro, 2 Stratford, 3 Barlow, 4 Kirk, 5 Murphy, 6 J. Carroll, 7 P. Carroll, 8 Zaher, 9 Thorpe, with one spot remaining.

8 International players:
1 Emilio, 2 Niell, 3 Doe, 4 Gallardo, 5 Fred, 6 Martinez, 7 Peralta, with one spot remaining.

So with the transfer window opening, DC can afford to add two senior international players. But unless Payne has got his sights set on some other new South American talent, that doesn't necessarily mean that we SHOULD cut them both. Niell is suddenly lighting up the Reserve division, but to me, he's the first choice of players to go. Frankito now sits behind Rod Dyachenko and Francis Doe on the depth chart, and at $152,500, Niell's departure instantly becomes the most useful.

I'm a little bit more hesitant about letting go of Carvallo. James Thorpe doesn't appear to be ready for action yet, so if Wells were to get injured by second guessing himself three times, we need a semi-competent backup. So unless DC has some other keeper in mind waiting in the wings, Carvallo probably needs to stay.

That's enough out of me. Should they stay or should they go?