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D.C. United preseason depth chart: Who do we think will make the final roster?

In what will become a running feature over the course of the preseason, who go through the players that D.C. United currently has and try and figure out which ones will make the final roster.

By Ben Bromley
Mike Stobe

While D.C. United's roster is quickly settling into place, not all of the pieces are finalized. As D.C. United beings its preseason at the end of this week, there will undoubtedly be more players who come to camp than the club has roster spots for, with its draft picks and expected trialists from the lower leagues in the United States and abroad. Also, Dave Kasper has made it clear that the club is still looking for a left back option to compete with or supplant Chris Korb there, so another move may be in the works there as well. And while the incumbent players start with an advantage to make the team over the unsigned players, there is also a chance of some movement near the end of the roster.

With all of that in mind, we decided to start a series that will run throughout the preseason, giving our guesses as to which players are likely to stick and which players are on the bubble to be cut before the season begins.

Goalkeepers

  • Locks: Bill Hamid, Joe Willis, Andrew Dykstra

There is no question about D.C. United's slate of goalkeepers coming into the 2014. Only a surprise transfer or long-term injury could change any of this.

Defenders

  • Locks: Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Jeff Parke, Chris Korb, Steve Birnbaum, Nana Attakora, Jalen Robinson
  • Bubble: Taylor Kemp, Conor Shanosky, Travis Golden

The locks should be no surprise; the first four are the presumed starters coming into training camp, plus our already signed first-round draft pick, the third center back, and a Homegrown player. Taylor Kemp leads the bubble players only because the team has no better left back options at this time. Golden and Barnes start with the most difficulties to a roster spot, and both of them will be competing against each other and against Kemp. Shanosky chances are mostly economical, but he is the third longest tenured player on the team and has still yet to stay in DC on a regular basis, often being loaned out.

Midfielders

  • Locks: Perry Kitchen, Chris Pontius, Nick DeLeon, Davy Arnaud, Jared Jeffery, Luis Silva, Collin Martin, Lewis Neal, Kyle Porter
  • Bubble: Victor Munoz, Zach Barnes

The midfield is fairly locked down going into the season, with little movement expected between the locks and the bubbles. There will be some midfield trialists as well, and probably only one out of this group will actually make the team. I am excited by Munoz's potential and pedigree, so I think he starts with an advantage over whomever they might bring in. Barnes has been a midfielder for most of his career, but likely won't find any success against this group; breaking in against Perry Kitchen, Davy Arnaud, Jared Jeffrey, and Lewis Neal seems difficult. His hope, as we discussed on the last episode of Filibuster, is to make a conversion to let back.

Forwards

  • Locks: Eddie Johnson, Fabian Espindola, Conor Doyle, Michael Seaton
  • Bubble: Casey Townsend

Casey Townsend has become somewhat of a forgotten man, and if United acquires another forward (perhaps Christiano Francois?) then his position on the team becomes even more tenuous.

Current status

  • Roster spots available: 30
  • Current number of players in camp: 29
  • Number of players released from camp: 0

Was I too kind to any player? Too harsh? Let me know in the comments who you think the bubble players and locks are!

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