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Simek on trial at D.C. United

FrankSimek1 (TeamTalk)

By DAN KARELL

Since Frank Simek’s release from Carlisle United, he’s been looking for an opportunity to play. That chance just may end up coming in Major League Soccer.

According to D.C. United, Simek took part in the club’s training session on Tuesday morning as a trialist, opening a possibility for the American international defender to play in MLS for the first time.

The 28-year-old played in 38 matches for Carlisle this past season in League One, helping the side out of relegation with a 17th place finish out of 24 teams. He previously played for Sheffield Wednesday, Queens Park Rangers, and AFC Bournemouth after graduating from the Arsenal academy.

Simek also made five appearances for the U.S. Men’s National Team, with three of them coming in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He was last called up for a friendly against the Netherlands in 2010, though he did not feature.

What do you make of this news? How do you rate Simek as a defender? Do you believe Simek can help the ailing D.C. United defense?

Share your thoughts below

Comments

  1. Frank simek was seemed destined to be released, we have an England u19 right back who seems to have displaced him and a talented youth right back coming through. I have seen better i have seen worse but he has ha good times with us including two cup final an one win. Good look he was always a nice person around Carlisle.

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  2. Simek was in & out of Carlisle’s lineup toward the end of the season and he can’t seem to shake the injury bug. That said, just b/c a player once donned the MNT jersey, that shouldn’t mean has to go thru the allocation process for all time. Even when the US had few defenders to pick from in the last group of games, Simek wasn’t even an afterthought. He’s not a current MNTer and shouldn’t be treated as such. The MLS allocation rules are complete crap (cf, Herc’s exchange w/ Don Garber of a few weeks ago…).

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  3. Simek is a little small but he’s a good defender, a solid marker and experienced, he used to be fairly fast though after injury im not sure about that any more, I never saw him play for Carlisle though I caught a few of his games at Wednesday and QPR, he seems the kind of player who can do well in MLS, a good solid full back.

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  4. Anyone is better than the Korb/Woolard dynamic fullback combination that has led DC United to the top of the worst teams in MLS. But even though Simek has pedigree, he has a history of injuries. So, he will fit right in with DC United. I’m just glad they are focusing on increasing the attack…

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  5. Steven Goff ‏@SoccerInsider
    If he comes to #MLS, Frankie Simek would have to go thru allocation process, #dcu officials say

    So there’s that.
    DC can use any vaguely skilled defender at this point.

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      • Anyone know what the current allocation order is? If Chivas is #1 and DC nowhere near then maybe they have to make a trade to ensure acquisition — if he’s up to snuff — but if DC is high enough up the order maybe they could assume Chivas won’t pick him on a heritage basis, and just wait for him to fall. But you could only do that if you were #2 or the top few.

      • Good. It’s not like Olsen plans on using Ruiz anyway, much like he didn’t plan on using any other striker he’s brought in not called Pajoy.

  6. I’m not sure RB should be the biggest priority for DC at the moment. Would be happy to have him back in MLS so I can watch him on a regular basis.

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    • Our fullbacks have not been good. Simek would be a huge step up, if he’s healthy. My guess is he would not push Korb out of the lineup, but rather force him to LB. The LBs have been our weakest link…and that’s saying a lot. I liked Korb there last year. This year, he seems to have regressed mightily. Maybe a change of scenery back to the left side will help.

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      • i agree with all of this. korb did a great job at LB last year, and our we really need another decent fullback.

      • I am happy he’s coming so long as this doesn’t derail any moves for the positions we are desperate to fill: CB and striker being the obvious, CM and winger being two other like-to-haves.

        However, this reeks of the Front Office admitting their mistake in trusting old players over youth. Russell and Riley are not defenders we can depend on. The others are barely adequate either.

        If Simek remains injury-free (no turf) than he’s much needed. He won’t offer the attack Najar did, but he’ll be more attack-minded than what we have. If he’s a free agent, let’s do it!

    • I felt like Houston kicked DC’s tail up the wings all game, and the very fact DC is shopping this back suggests their discomfort. I don’t know what Simek looks like these days, but a trial can’t hurt anyone.

      Now, from his perspective, once you’ve slipped down to Carlisle in League Two, I can’t imagine DC is either a competitive or salary comedown.

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  7. He clearly not a MNT player, so hopefully he won’t be subject to allocation. But this is MLS so you never know.

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    • He’s “not a MNT player” in the same sense that could be said of Lichaj (or Davis until recently), who had a few caps in a Gold Cup then more or less disappeared.

      I don’t know how you can say “clearly” the opposite when a cap is an on/off switch he once flicked on for a bit. There are arguments to be made about whether the allocation rules should be adjusted to include a time limit looking backwards, or maybe some sort of evaluation standard, but some of that could get subjective…..is Zizzo a MNTer? Nguyen? Donovan? Dempsey? A 1 cap rule may be goofy but it’s also clean and objective.

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    • His contract was up. Ankle injuries derailed such as promising career that had the likes of Everton and Aston Villa casting an eye of him. Simek played well for Carlisle but still was a shadow of his former self. However, at 28, he still has plenty left to give. Someone in MLS will have a chance to get a good RB. I hope it works out for Simek. My question is, since he has made appearances for the US — last coming in 2007 — is he subject to a allocation?? Or is their a statute of limitations?

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      • To be subject to allocation process, Simek would needs to be officially listed in the USMNT Player Pool ( 2011 Player Pool ) Rogers was and played recently for the US. I don’t think Simek was listed in the Player Pool, so he won’t be subject to returning USMNT player allocation.

      • He WAS included in the 2010 Player Pool so will probably be allocated. Not sure how far back MLS goes with this…

    • Carlisle released him because they are broke. End of story. They can’t pay their players. And no one comes to the games.

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      • We had offered Frank Simek a 1 years extension to his contract.

        After the end of his contract he had 10 days to register himself as an international playing in England so he could activate the 1 year extension but he never did.

        So Carlisle United released him as he could not play for that particular club anymore.

        What you re talking is rubbish, yes attendances are down but we still attract good players through our network of scouts.

        For a team that has one of the smallest budgets in the 3rd tier of english football, they are doing ok.

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