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D.C. United will head into Thursday's MLS Draft with one less need to address after signing one of its top defenders.
D.C. has signed right back Bryan Namoff to a new contract, sources told SBI on Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not available.
The signing, coupled with the signing of left back Mark Burch, will allow D.C. to focus on other areas with its two first-round picks, No. 6 and No. 7. Central defense is the club's biggest area of need and the club could move up in the draft in order to try and take Maryland's Omar Gonzalez, the top central defender in the draft.
What do you think of the news? Are you starting to feel better about D.C.'s chances of fielding a better defense in 2009? Can you see D.C. going after Gonzalez?
Share your thoughts below.
Who says this need was addressed? These same guys were awful last year. Re-signing the same crew for the most part will have the same result. I would still take a defender if the chance came up. This back line will be weak again.
Check the history. DC drafts best when they draft the youngest players available: Convey, Santino, Mapp, Freddy, even Bryan Arguez. On the whole, DCU is not as good at drafting college players, with Nelson and Gros being a couple of hits among many misses.
After the disasterous scouting overeas that they did with Peralta and Martinez last year, I don’t want them to settle for someone who is also big and slow, but younger and American. Been there. Done that. Let’s try something else.
I’d like to see them draft people who can play regardless of position.
1. A.J.Delagarza – I don’t care how tall he is he can play soccer (and New England will take him if we don’t because they do have an eye for talent)
2. Stefan Frei – I am just not convinced that Crayton is the answer, and I am sure Wells belongs in the USL.
We need a central defender badly. Peralta wasn’t bad when he wasn’t sleeping on the bench, but he costed too much, just like Gallardo. The last couple years the front office has made some poor decisions. I’d like to get back to the winning ways, let’s get some young defenders, and Frei on our roster.
Nice. Good to hear that. Makes me feel a lot more confident about our next season.
The one sure thing of the back line is Namoff. Janicki could be good but we havn’t seen him over a full season. That means we need to draft as many good defenders as we can – on the left (maybe Wallace) – in the middle (maybe AJ Delagarza if we can’t move up to get Omar or Marhall if he falls to us) and even on the right for some depth (Alston or Angus). Even with a good draft, a veteran center back would still be needed if we want to win anything in 2009. Our defense was really bad last year!
still love the old uniforms, need to have a throwback night
What DCU really needs above anything else is a couple of speedy outside mids.
They need Gonzalez after all the goals that went in last year. . .Although I remember Zach Wells being out of position so many times. . .argh it doesn’t look much better this year.
BarraBrava!
Some of the stuff I’ve read (I’ve never seen him play) make it look like Gonzalez is still going to need some grooming at the MLS level. I remember hearing that about David Stokes as well. I’d rather keep the two picks and get the best available players. I’m glad we have a little bit of continuity in the back with Namoff and Burch. If Janicki earns a starting spot that only means one new guy that will have to adapt to a new team.
Yawn.
Is Omar Gonzalez a player that can come in and make an instant impact in year 1?
Would be nice to lower that goals against this season.
Random thought — I wonder if D.C. could go after Greg Berhalter. Although in his mid 30s by now, he’s still solid enough and healthy enough to play in MLS. He could step in for a year or 2 while one of the draft picks takes time to develop. Unless one of these guys can immediately be a Michael Parkhurst, they will need some time under their belts.
It’s a step in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done. Unlike Joe, I see a back four of Namoff – Janicki – McTavish – Burch and still see goals flying in at an alarming rate. McTavish is a utility man, not a center back, and until we sign an actual center back to replace him I would expect us to be looking at another season of 40+ goals against. I like McTavish as a player, but he should be playing wide or as a defensive midfielder more often than center back.
I can see DC drafting Gonzalez if he falls to them at #6, but that is very unlikely. I don’t think he’s worth trading up for (and I’ve seen him a ton at Ludwig), so I don’t see it happening. I think DC’s first round picks will be from a pool of Alston, Lahoud, and Frei. I have a nagging hunch that this group might also include Jeremy Hall, but that’s all gut feeling and nothing more.
Agreed. I was actually disappointed that Namoff didn’t get a sniff from BB this January, thought he earned it last season, even playing as part of such a porus defense. WIth Burch, Namoff and McTavish all under contract, and Janicki too (I think), DC can afford to draft a CB and let him develop a year or two.
If they take an outside back, I’m guessing it’s Goodbye, Mr. Martinez also.
i want gonzalez and marosevic, doesnt matter how we get em, but theyre the best, also we couldnt go wrong with frei,
Thank God…he is our only reliable defender….hope he got Perralta’s salary!