Some key dates:
12/12 -- Re-Entry Draft Stage 1
12/18 -- Re-Entry Draft Stage 2
1/16 -- SuperDraft
3/8 -- Opening Day
3/11-3/13 -- CONCACAF Champions League QF 1st Leg (SJ vs. Toluca, KC vs. Cruz Azul, LA vs. Tijuana)
Coaching Carousel:
The big (but fairly expected) news tonight is that NYC FC has hired Jason Kreis to be their manager, ending a seven-year tenure at RSL. Kreis is a proven success in MLS and he builds teams that play quality soccer, so he's a great hire. NYC FC doesn't start play until 2015, so he'll be on the sidelines next season.
Other departures from late season or the early offseason include Schellas Hyndman (Dallas, "resigned"), Chivas USA (Jose Luis Real, left for Chivas Guadalajara), Vancouver (Martin Rennie, fired), Chicago Fire (Frank Klopas, fired), Columbus Crew (Robert Warzycha, fired), San Jose (Frank Yallop, fired). This is more turnover than usual, but from a neutral's perspective it's a pleasing purge of deadwood.
Chicago has hired Frank Yallop, Columbus hired Gregg Berhalter, and San Jose removed Mark Watson's interim tag. RSL, Dallas, Chivas USA, and Vancouver are still in the hunt. Eric Wynalda is one of the finalists for the RSL job; he'd immediately become the league's most entertaining manager, at least in the post-Chelis era. Meanwhile, Vancouver is rumored to be chasing Bob Bradley, who would likely be significantly more effective and significantly less entertaining than Wynalda.
Signings, Trades & Departures:
We're mostly at the stage of the season when teams are clearing house. Salary cap considerations mean that teams decline options on quite a few decent, but overpaid-by-league-standards players, who either renegotiate cheaper deals or are selected in the Re-Entry draft process by another team willing to pony up.
Some long-time players have retired, including the last active player from the league's inaugural season in 1996, Ramiro Corrales. Long-time guys like Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Ching, Kevin Hartman, Matt Reis, and Chris Albright are also done. KC's Jimmy Nielsen announced his retirement the other day. Eddie Gaven has retired before his time as well.
On the acquisition side, some notables:
* Columbus signed 23-year-old Costa Rican left back Waylon Francis from Herediano. They also signed ex-Crew academy defender Matt Wiet, out of UCLA.
* Dallas traded Brazilian DF/MF Jackson to Toronto for money and a draft pick and finally signed last year's draft pick Ryan Hollingshead. Hollingshead fell in the draft because teams knew that he wanted to spend the year helping his brother build a church....I guess he's ready to play now.
* DC picked up veteran midfielder Davy Arnaud from Montreal.
* Seattle acquired Stefan Frei from Toronto. Once well-regarded, Frei was hurt in 2012 and into early 2013, which allowed Joe Bendik to steal his job. The Sounders apparently like him enough to replace Michael Gspurning, who was released a few days ago.
12/12 -- Re-Entry Draft Stage 1
12/18 -- Re-Entry Draft Stage 2
1/16 -- SuperDraft
3/8 -- Opening Day
3/11-3/13 -- CONCACAF Champions League QF 1st Leg (SJ vs. Toluca, KC vs. Cruz Azul, LA vs. Tijuana)
Coaching Carousel:
The big (but fairly expected) news tonight is that NYC FC has hired Jason Kreis to be their manager, ending a seven-year tenure at RSL. Kreis is a proven success in MLS and he builds teams that play quality soccer, so he's a great hire. NYC FC doesn't start play until 2015, so he'll be on the sidelines next season.
Other departures from late season or the early offseason include Schellas Hyndman (Dallas, "resigned"), Chivas USA (Jose Luis Real, left for Chivas Guadalajara), Vancouver (Martin Rennie, fired), Chicago Fire (Frank Klopas, fired), Columbus Crew (Robert Warzycha, fired), San Jose (Frank Yallop, fired). This is more turnover than usual, but from a neutral's perspective it's a pleasing purge of deadwood.
Chicago has hired Frank Yallop, Columbus hired Gregg Berhalter, and San Jose removed Mark Watson's interim tag. RSL, Dallas, Chivas USA, and Vancouver are still in the hunt. Eric Wynalda is one of the finalists for the RSL job; he'd immediately become the league's most entertaining manager, at least in the post-Chelis era. Meanwhile, Vancouver is rumored to be chasing Bob Bradley, who would likely be significantly more effective and significantly less entertaining than Wynalda.
Signings, Trades & Departures:
We're mostly at the stage of the season when teams are clearing house. Salary cap considerations mean that teams decline options on quite a few decent, but overpaid-by-league-standards players, who either renegotiate cheaper deals or are selected in the Re-Entry draft process by another team willing to pony up.
Some long-time players have retired, including the last active player from the league's inaugural season in 1996, Ramiro Corrales. Long-time guys like Pablo Mastroeni, Brian Ching, Kevin Hartman, Matt Reis, and Chris Albright are also done. KC's Jimmy Nielsen announced his retirement the other day. Eddie Gaven has retired before his time as well.
On the acquisition side, some notables:
* Columbus signed 23-year-old Costa Rican left back Waylon Francis from Herediano. They also signed ex-Crew academy defender Matt Wiet, out of UCLA.
* Dallas traded Brazilian DF/MF Jackson to Toronto for money and a draft pick and finally signed last year's draft pick Ryan Hollingshead. Hollingshead fell in the draft because teams knew that he wanted to spend the year helping his brother build a church....I guess he's ready to play now.
* DC picked up veteran midfielder Davy Arnaud from Montreal.
* Seattle acquired Stefan Frei from Toronto. Once well-regarded, Frei was hurt in 2012 and into early 2013, which allowed Joe Bendik to steal his job. The Sounders apparently like him enough to replace Michael Gspurning, who was released a few days ago.