Galaxy Sign Four Players
Sloooow news day and I've been busy with other projects, but have time to note that as expected the Galaxy finalized contracts with:
*Likely backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who played three games for the Galaxy last year while on loan from Miami FC of the USL.
*Second round draft pick and defender A.J. DeLaGarza out of Maryland.
*Undrafted rookie defender Yohance Marshall from the University of South Florida.
*Midfielder Kyle Patterson, the 2007 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year with St.Louis and a former West Bromwich Albion youth player.
Patterson and Marshall signed developmental contracts, joining Izzy Sesay, top draft pick Omar Gonazalez and Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen as five developmental players on the roster.
That leaves only veteran Tony Sanneh unsigned.
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Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
hmm interesting
so we decide to go with 5 instead of 4 developmental players and just 19 seniors instead of 20.
Muchos Gracias Nick!
Hey Nick-
What are your thoughts on Sanneh's situation? Why do you think the team is holding out on "officially" signing him? It seems kinda strange...
Nick replies: I don't think a 37-year-old starter at central defense is Bruce Arena's first choice for a lengthy MLS season. But the Osman Chavez deal fell through, Arena didn't think Leo Bautista was good enough and he's running out of options. Are Sanneh's wage demands an issue? I haven't had the chance to talk to Tony lately. Stay tuned.
Nick-
(1) Can the Galaxy sign more than 4 players to the salary-cap-exempt dev roster? I had thought teams could only exceed 4 due to carrying over previous GenAd players (e.g. FC Dallas).
(2) If they can have 5, does that mean they are limited to 19, rather than 20, senior roster players? Buzz at 3rddegree indicates that FCD is limited to 18 senior spots because they have 6 Dev roster players.
(3) If they do sign Sanneh or some other CB, that would put them at 24 players now + Beckham in the summer. So they'd have to make a cut at that point, yes?
Nick replies: (1) Yes. There's flexibility on MLS rosters this year because of the decrease in the roster size to 24 players. Teams can have between 18-20 senior players with up to six developmental; the Galaxy have 19 senior roster slots and five developmental currently.
(2) Yes.
(3) Yes. When they sign Sanneh - and it's when, not if (they're waiting for him to clear waivers because he sat out last year) - and when Beckham returns, it's at that point they must cut someone. Becks doesn't count as a roster player until he returns.
I get the impression that a lot of stock was put into the potential signing of Chavez.
It stands to reason that Sanneh is being kept around as part of a contingency plan, but now that Dan Gargan is in camp, do you think Bruce would revert to sticking Sean Franklin back in central defense?
Sanneh hasn't played in the league since 2007. It would be surprising if wages demands were an issue.
Definitely staying tuned....
Nick replies. Neither Bruce nor Franklin himself see him as a central defender. I've just learned the Galaxy is awaiting Sanneh to clear waivers before signing him. You are correct. Wages are not an issue.
Good stuff Nick!
Thanks for the update.
With that said, I'm not feeling very optimistic about the prospect of having the central defense anchored by a rookie and 37-year-old comeback player.
Nick replies: You are welcome. And I agree with you about that combo in the heart of the defense. But then football fans are supposed to be fatalistic, huh? We'll soon find out whether the two can complement each other.