Perkins will be one of MLS’s best keepers. He’s grown a lot as a keeper under the higher pressure in Norway. We also know, for certain, that he’s very good (unlike signing a foreign keeper and hoping it works, which burned us with Crayton). This will improve both our play in the box and our defensive organization as a whole. Adding a keeper of his quality should have been our most urgent priority, and now we can move on to our other issues.

Is losing Fred a negative? Sure. He was our best existing option as a replacement for both Quaranta and Castillo, and Onalfo was also looking at him as a central playmaking option (not that I was enthusiastic about that). So we’re thinner on the wings, obviously. The #7 pick probably would have netted us a contributor as well, and that allocation cash could have been very handy. However, Fred was vastly overpriced to be merely a regular sub/occasional starter, and my gut feeling about this draft is that it’s being overhyped.

Bottom line: You rarely ever get away with highway robbery. Philly demanded value, and we gave it up to get value. I suppose that the amount of allocation cash could make me want to reconsider this, but ultimately we acquired a top-end starter at a position we sucked at in exchange for a backup, a draft pick, and some money. I have absolutely no problem with that.

It’s interesting how DCU has sort of alluded to the fact this would happen for a few days now.
So: Wicks or Kocic? And what do we do with the one we don’t pick?

Wicks is a bit of a headcase IMO. Let Kocic and Hamid battle it out for #2.
Perkins is a world class #1.
Fred was ok but won’t be missed too much.
The biggest loss in this is the 1st round pick. And of course, the money.

Unless we get someone overseas.

… at RFK has held back the team over the last couple of years. Onalfo et al were smart to address it straight away. I guess you could say that Perkins fell in their lap, but they did take bold steps to get him. It’s a good move.

Nice policy. Have to consider finding myself a ringer without season tickets to throw a bottle at Keller when the Flounders return to RFK perhaps… Hmmmmm.

You’ve probably got bigger questions for your own front office on your mind than what DCU is doing with their players don’t you Bedir? Like: Are Drew Carey and the club really going to give the Alliance any power at all?

On Topic: Stoked to see Troy back.

DCU blew it when they dumped Rimando after the 2005 loss at Chicago in the playoffs, he helped win a cup in 2004 and you haven’t won one since he left. I thank you for that, since with him we have made two straight Conference Finals, oh and have this nice trophy sitting in Bill Manning’s office.

Uh. My last comment, was lame. Sorry about that, had too much to drink at dinner last night. Just meant to confirm that I was aware of Sounder at Heart being on the Alliance.

Big United fan.

Not a bad pickup, nice to see Perkins back in the black and red.