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Agree with everything you have said, Z.I.P. Adopting FIFA rules, including official clock management, would eliminate this kind of stuff. Go over to Big Soccer.com where the debate is raging.

Wow. And to think I do this for free. I will be sure to use the schpell cheque from now on. @ UZ Soccer has room for shorter than average athletes like Lionel Messi. It has room for taller than average athletes as well like Peter Crouch. That is one of the many beautiful aspects of our sport; it takes all kinds, so long as they are fit. When too short Dillon Serna hammers the ball into back of the net with his heavy left foot, no one mentions diminutive stature. When he deftly eludes two defenders with quickness and grace to deliver an incisive through ball, we scratch our heads and grin at each other. His technical prowess is unquestioned. His futbol acumen is beyond his 19 years. But when he gets pushed around and regularly knocked off the ball by MAC opponents, one might say he is not yet strong enough to be effective, while that small. When he gets knocked out of five matches due to injury, all during his freshman season, one might conclude that he is not quite ready for the (even rougher than MLS) MLS Reserves. I have attended a handful of MLS Reserve matches. Each one was poorly played, poorly officiated (often 2 officials without linesmen), and exceedingly, even criminally physical. Each exhibition match quickly deteriorated into a hack fest. That is the best place for Serna to turn 20? At what salary would he sign? Dillon Serna is unlikely to grow more than an inch maximum at this point in his life. I was exaggerating. But he definitely needs to get sturdier and tougher. Akron is the perfect place for that to happen, practicing and competing against other future pros. And get this: He can go to college while developing his soccer! Imagine that. Has anyone paid tuition lately? Mr. UZ of the Burgundy Wave is completely ignoring this fact. I take the minority opinion that players should stay in the minor leagues (NCAA) until the right time. Drawing analogy to Baseball, development is often a fragile process. There is indeed such thing of going pro too early.

A man of your means goes wherever he wants to go.

Good job. This is the sort of shtuff I want hear. This will be an active message board this off-season; I personally guarantee it. I am most interested in hearing from Coach Embick. It is time for him to "preach to the choir," as it were. We need it. Yes, you are correct about NCAA rules and NLI. I did not mean to insinuate that Embick would or could publicly speak about specific recruits. But in past years there were always rumors on the street on who was coming next season. I hear none of that now, which bothers me. Why should I be so patient? I do not want a rebuilding year where we fail to reach the NCAA Tournament. That is no longer acceptable at Akron. Any criticism will be harsh but fair. The bar has been raised. Please introduce yourselves at the Porter farewell. I already know Zip_ME87.

When will Jared Embick speak? He needs to reassure us, because some of the faithful are beginning to flat out panic. All indications are that 8 of our starting 11 (uh, not to mention the coach), are leaving for the pros. Who are the new recruits I AM SURE he must be landing? How are we to back-fill such losses? What is the plan? Please tell me there is a plan. A burning hot spot light turns on Embick immediately following Porter's farewell party, @ 8:05 pm 12/12/2012.

Porter seems to have a knack for going to the hottest, hungriest soccer locale of the moment.

Right. If a club can trade homegrawn status, then the rights to a player are just another commodity. There ceases to be anything "homegrown" about it. I would not have thought such a deal possible. Per usual, the MLS is (seemingly) making up the rules as it goes along.

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2012/1...nge-defender-ko Gallego must be gone. Otherwise, this would not have happened. Porter is pulling the strings now in Portland.

Agreed. This year I had the opportunity to watch all teams making it to the Final 8. Of all the teams I watched this year, and I watched at least 20 of the top 30, Maryland is the only one that scared me. We would have given the Terps a better run for their money than Bluejays will.

Contrary to last week, best team won today. Zips really missed an opportunity of a lifetime with ND and UNC out. Not to insinuate IU are a pushover - far from it.

+1

Regular season play differs slightly from the post season slug fest.

Wow! I hope Koroma overcomes this condition; it is nothing to trifle with. We catch a break that Brenes has not been able to keep healthy, and also that he is an excellent student. I think he stays. Gallego lacks the speed for flank play, but he will do nicely where he is. Afsarifard is next up at CB; I think he is underrated. Stevenson..........Brenes...................Koroma Portillos................Foldesy.......................Quinn Derschang...Gallego...Souders.....Abdul-Salaam ...........................Pina....................................

Well, that explains some things. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemierre%27s_syndrome

I share your concerns. As far as I know, we have this guy, who looks to be a pretty good one. I know of none else. http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-player...jem/pid-1005091

And here we go....... Dillon Serna is the one that really confounds me.

What is the minimum number of programs necessary to secure a conference automatic bid to NCAA Tourney?

OK. I will come in from the ledge. But we cannot sustain a wholesale donation to the MLS. Not this offseason. Most detrimental would be transfers to other programs. That simply cannot happen this year. If it does, that is when I will freak right out.

You are very right. If defections start, then look out! This can all unravel pretty quickly. Your first sentence troubles me mightily. The rationale behind hiring Jared Embick is continuity within the program. What are these players uncertain about? If everyone not graduating stays, Zips will undoubtedly be in the top 5 preseason. God as my witness, I am prepared to pounce on Tom Wistrcill with a holy vengeance should this transition be anything other than seamless and smooth.

Agreed. I did not offer Dillon Serna because he was not on the original posting to which I was responding. I truthfully do not know much about the Rapids. I like Serna's play quite a bit. He has a good offensive mind and quick feet. The turning point last match was his injury and departure. But that is the knock on him. He has struggled to remain healthy this, his only, season. He will need to be much tougher and durable. Or grow 6 inches. The MLS will chew him and spit him, and not think twice about it. He is less ready to turn professional than the three super sophomores listed above. Serna needs at least another year, just to acquire a man's physique. Compare Serna to Michael Nanchoff. I hope these players are getting good advice. What is the league minimum salary? edit: http://www.mlssoccer.com/2012-mls-roster-rules $33,750 in 2012

Priceless!

Very well done, Joshua. My vision is almost too blury to hit the keyboard. You speak for the family. I will write something about this subject eventually; I just cannot do it yet. It is too fresh. Good job, Mike.

Right. And as a BIG team, expect to see Maryland here soon and often.

23-0-2

Well, that did not take long at all. It is time for some tough love here. Are these three really getting pushed to turn pro? By whom? Do the MLS clubs really have these players’ best interest in mind? At this point, we know what pros look like up close. We have seen them come and go. Though our super sophomores are likely future pros, I suggest none of the three is ready yet. I address them in order of readiness, IMnsHO. I would compare Wil Trap to Ben Zemanski, who improved each of his 4 years at UA. Ben struggles to get into the first 11 for a very bad Chivas side. Is Trapp better than Zemanski? Same type of player. The most apt comparison is DeAndre Yedlin to Kofi Sarkodie. They share the same skill set, pace and style. I would like to clock a foot race between these two! Sarkodie noticeably improved every year at UA. By his junior season, Sarkodie did everything Yedlin now does - better. He became more offensively polished during his 3rd year. And yet Sarkodie has only recently become a regular for Dynamo Houston. (Good Luck Kofie!). Yedlin is not yet a Sarkodie. I compare Bryan Gallego to Zarek Valentin and Perry Kitchen, each of whom left very early. Is Gallego as good as either of these two? He has neither Valentin’s speed nor Kitchen’s strength. Hell, is Gallego even equal to Chad Barson? Not yet, I say. I love these three players, so perhaps I am biased because I hate to let them go. God knows I will root for them when they make the inevitable jump. But I sincerely believe they will develop further at UA than they would on the developmental squad of their respective MLS clubs. This belief is contrary to prevailing opinion throughout the general soccer community, the ones who think we need to advance the European way. I disagree. College Soccer is still relevant to creating international class players. Moreover, what can we as a Zips Nation do to “re-recruit” our current roster? If everybody but the seniors returns, UA will be ranked among the top three pre season. Pina replaces Meves, Souders replaces Barson, Foldesy replaces Caldwell, and Koroma replaces Schmitt. Lock and load! I was lead to believe that everybody was on board with the Jared Embick program continuity project. That plan does not work if players leave.