Offseason chatter

[AkronZip54321]

More speculation.

http://www.burgundywave.com/2012/11/17/365...megrown-signing

I like Serna's game and think hes a big talent but I just dont see him being MLS ready yet.

[akrowdygirl8]

I hope Fred (as he told me he likes to be called) has a full recovery.

ill pass this along to him...he really appreciates all the support the akron family has given him even though he was sick and he wants to do better next year. thank you from myself for the support

ps...he approves of the nickname AK47

[Zip_ME87]

ill pass this along to him...he really appreciates all the support the akron family has given him even though he was sick and he wants to do better next year. thank you from myself for the support

ps...he approves of the nickname AK47

Thanks. I look forward to seeing Fred back on the pitch this Spring.

[Blue & Gold]

ill pass this along to him...he really appreciates all the support the akron family has given him even though he was sick and he wants to do better next year. thank you from myself for the support

ps...he approves of the nickname AK47

Then could you please tell him that a bunch of us are praying for him and pulling for him and are very excited to watch him play next year?

Thank you!

[fknbuflobo]

Then could you please tell him that a bunch of us are praying for him and pulling for him and are very excited to watch him play next year?

Thank you!

+1

[Valpo Zip]

Then could you please tell him that a bunch of us are praying for him and pulling for him and are very excited to watch him play next year?

Thank you!

+2

[akrowdygirl8]

+2

will do guys thanks for the support!!

[bigsix0]

It looks like Gallego is probably gone. Portland just traded for his homegrown rights. Maybe Caleb will tell him that he's better off staying at Akron for a year.

[fknbuflobo]

It looks like Gallego is probably gone. Portland just traded for his homegrown rights. Maybe Caleb will tell him that he's better off staying at Akron for a year.

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.

[Zip_ME87]

Very interesting who reads Zipsnation (more discussion about Dillon Serna and Rapids' homegrown possibility)...

http://www.burgundywave.com/2012/12/4/3722...kron-rapids-mls

Edit: In my opinion, the sad thing in the article linked above is that the writer is only concerned with Dillon as a soccer player. A Generation Adidas deal is one thing, but giving up a college scholarship (or even a partial scholarship) to pursue a professional soccer career with no guarantee of making the first team is not necessarily better than staying at Akron or making a lateral move and continuing to work toward a college degree while playing soccer.

[fknbuflobo]

Very interesting who reads Zipsnation...

http://www.burgundywave.com/2012/12/4/3722...kron-rapids-mls

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.

[UZworm]

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?

Hi there.

Indeed, I've seen Serna play with the Rapids reserves a couple of times, but it was far from the hackfest you describe. (In my many years of watching MLS reserves games, I've never seen two officials without linesman, or any games that weren't any more chippy than your average college game.) Indeed, Serna looked far more pro-ready than either Davy Armstrong or Shane O'Neill, both homegrown signings by the Rapids in the past few seasons. Staying in college could help him physically, but the Rapids have plenty of rough and tumble names that can help his growth with the big league club, as well. Could you ask for better midfield mentors than Pablo Mastroeni and Hendry Thomas when it comes to being shifty and strong as a player?

On the salary point, I assume he would make the same $55,504 that both Armstrong and O'Neill made last season.

[yazan07]

Well, looks like Trapp is probably gone

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/12/report...-mls-offer.html

[Crew8]

Well, looks like Trapp is probably gone

http://www.soccerbyives.net/2012/12/report...-mls-offer.html

Shouldn't really surprise us, he's ready to move on. Best of luck to Wil and hope he signs with the Crew.

Columbus Dispatch: Trapp Leaving Akron

[fknbuflobo]

This one hurts, but it is not even remotely surprising. I hope he starts with the Crew before taking on a European club so that I can watch him regularly.

Whoever gets this guy receives a rock solid player, fundamentally flawless.

Wil Trapp is my favorite player from the past 2 seasons. He has the skill set and mentality to make the USMNT someday.

Thanks for the memories, Wil. Best Of Luck!

[Z.I.P.]

From the comments -- and not mine, but right on:

If I were a young player in the Crew system, I'd be worried about how Aaron Horton and Ben Speas have seen precious little time on the field. Is Trapp going to see much time on the field?

[72 Roo]

Trapp, and possibly other Zips, but especially Trapp, are making a mistake. Signing with the Crew is a dead end as long as Warzycha is the coach, Brian Bliss is the technical director and McCulloughs is the President. None of those three know how to develop talent. Just ask Ben Speas or Kurt Grossman, two great talents who are buried on the bench. In the coaching circles I move in Warzycha is considered one dimensional and incapable of handling the creative aspects of the game. Bliss has yet to develop any local talent and has seriously misjudged international talent. McCulloughs is a former stadium manager who does not know soccer or marketing. His main asset is he keeps things running smooth so owner Clark Hunt and Hunt Sports Group can make money elsewhere. They have no plan to invest in the Crew. I live in Columbus and the Crew is slipping in sature every year in MLS. It is not a good place for a young talent, who needs nurturing, to start a career.

Trapp and Serna and Yedlin would be better off staying another year. At least Gallego will be under Porter's wing. That's a good thing.

[yazan07]

Didn't really want to start a new thread so I just threw this here. Kinda just came across this article from a month ago that I think we overlooked. There were questions about where Saad Abdul Salaam came from since it was apparently out of nowhere, and this kinda sums it up.

http://www.ohio.com/news/top-stories/marla...r-team-1.350581

[yazan07]

http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/featu...-take-next-step

[Zip_ME87]

http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/featu...-take-next-step

Congratulations to Scott Caldwell!

[fknbuflobo]

Congratulations to Scott Caldwell!

+1

Barson, Caldwell, Meves and Schmitt are the best Zips class in the history of the program.

Best of everything, Scottie! We will be watching.

[TennZip]

http://www.gozips.com/sports/msoc/2012-13/.../20121217csmyrs

has been a great week for Scott. Outstanding person as well as a very savvy and talented soccer player

[Zip_ME87]

http://www.massivereport.com/2012/12/24/38...ome-grown-class

[Ando]

looks like Tommy didn't get named among the initial round of combine invites - Any thoughts? Maybe scouts just don't rate him I guess, but I've always thought he was a solid player. More direct than a lot of other Akron guys for sure, but so was Ben Speas.

[Z.I.P.]

http://www.massivereport.com/2012/12/24/38...ome-grown-class

"Of the three Home Grown signings the Crew are likely to lock down this season, Barson is the one most ready to step in to MLS. He reads the game well, is good on the ball, and overcomes his lack of physical presence (under 6-feet tall) to clean things up well."

Couldn't agree more!