Dear Seth,

1 … Brian Ching – Ha ha!! Montreal stuck it to Ching and Houston. He said he was retiring after this one, now we will see if he values his word over his career, or if he over played his hand entirely… doubt I’ll be laughing when they pick Seth, I hate expansion drafts …

I remember when we signed you. Almost immediately before we did we released Mike Jones who I liked, maybe not as a player because we hadn’t really known him but as a guy I’d spent some time with. I wasn’t really happy. It wasn’t personal, but I didn’t really want you here, I didn’t really care that you were from KC, and … I’d never heard of you. I’d had BBQ with Mike Jones. Sinovic who?

2 …Zarek Valentin …

How good could you have been? I mean seriously the heralded Stevie Nicol dropped you like about as deliberately as he would a cup of hot steam shit and piss if I handed him one. All for a player he then turned around and dumped. Forgive me if I was cynical, even more so when I had heard the Real Salt Lake took a look and sent you packing. Then you signed with us?

3 …Justin Mapp ….

You got your debut finally, on a tiny field, against a fifth string New England Revolution team in the US Open Cup. I am sure you remember. Many of us do, the 1,300 who stood in the soaking rain saw you working hard, hustling, actually impressing while so many of our lads were coasting. Did you have a point to prove or was that just the way you played the game?

4 …Bobby Burling ….

It turned out to be the latter. Which is why Seth Sinovic, is a name all Kansas City Soccer fans know today. It is why you were the value pick of the Expansion Draft. It was why we knew you were probably gone, and why we hoped you would not be. Unprotected as you were? What were we thinking right? But with eleven players to protect and more talent than that in the squad we were always risking somebody. Still by the time the 9th pick had come around, I didn’t think you’d be off – but then you were. 10th pick, Seth Sinovic, proving that it wasn’t just Sporting Kansas City fans that valued you but the Montreal Impact.

5 … Jeb Brovosky …. half way through and Seth is still not picked. Maybe he won’t go? He will.

24 games was all it took for you to become a favorite. 24 games of unrelenting effort, of ceaseless work and no shortage of skill and tenacity made you one of the few players on our team that never had off days. I respect you, I respect the no thrills brand of football you play, I respect that when 8 or 9 of our other guys are ball watching you are hustling down the flanks getting free, I respect that more often than not given a ball in the final third you’ll beat your man and put in a good cross and I loved that that never changed, and you earned every last cent of your playing time and your salary in the Sporting Blue.

6 … Collen Warner….

This simple efficiency and sadly, your low wage isn’t why your no longer a Sporting Kansas City player but don’t think for one second that we don’t appreciate you. 2011 was a memorable season, that helped turn this team from little into something to be hugely proud of and you played more than your part. 24 games for you … and 4 defeats. Not bad Seth .. not bad at all.

7 … Josh Gardner …..

Montreal beckons, its not so bad up there – better than playing in the Kansas City rec leagues. It is still Major League Soccer, even if its going to be cold enough at times that you might wish for a Kansas City winter. Of course we’ll see you again at Livestrong in an Impact shirt, but your still part of Kansas City and always will be, you were born here after all. You still represent us, and if you continue in Canada as you did this year we will continue to to watch follow and call you one of our own with regret that your no longer a ‘Wizard’, but the pride and knowledge that you still are one of us.

8 … Sanna Nyassi … Still not picked … nooo they won’t leave him will they?

9 … James Riley …. Wow! … he’s not going ….

10 … Seth Sinovic ….

That didn’t suck at all.

So long kid, and thanks, seriously thanks for everything.

James

Sporting Kansas City and the remainder of MLS released their protected player lists this afternoon in preparation for Wednesday’s Expansion Draft. There were no major surprises in the Sporting Kansas City lists however the process, unpopular with fans leaves a couple of fan favorites unprotected. Designated player Omar Bravo has been exposed, as has the ever popular Seth Sinovic and the guy he has kept on the bench Michael Harrington.

Will any of them be selected? The smart money is on Seth Sinovic being picked. The local lad come good after being released by New England Revolution earlier in the season arrived with most Sporting KC fans wondering who he was, and why we had signed him and quickly answered those questions becoming the starting left back at the expense of the out of form Harrington within a matter of weeks. What made Sinovic possibly the shrewdest bit of business this season in terms of trading makes him a commodity for any team building a squad. He is hard working, talented, has a fantastic work ethic, is still only 24 years old and he will only cost Montreal $42,000 a year while he is subject to his current contract. He is cheap.

Michael Harrington, plays the same position, is roughly the same age and at $136,000 a year against the cap offers less than Sinovic both in terms of value but also consistency. The simple efficiency of Sinovic when contrasted with the more flashy but less productive Harrington ultimately means that if the Montreal are shopping for serviceable left back then Sinovic represents the better target provided they believe he can play within their system. Harrington, at least in my mind is fairly safe.

This leaves Omar Bravo out there. If you had asked me a few weeks ago if Omar Bravo would be protected I would have said without a doubt yes. Maybe the expensive Davy Arnaud would be unprotected to make room, or Jimmy Nielsen or Julio Cesar. Goalscorers are a commodity, and beyond this Omar Bravo also captained whenever he started and Arnaud didn’t. He was in no way expendable, at least until we hit the playoffs. While he was injured he was also unhappy to be sidelined and there is a growing hint of friction as Bravos attempts to play off season soccer in Mexico appear to have been foiled by Sporting KC. We can speculate the the salary of well in excess of $1m a year (yes that is sourced), might be enough to scare off Montreal however if they are in the market for a DP Omar has proven he can get the job done in MLS but the question I want to ask is this: Did we leave him unprotected because we think Montreal won’t take him or did we leave him unprotected in the hope that they would? Either way it would not surprise me if he went, I don’t expect it at all but I would not rule it out entirely either.

Protected

Davy Arnaud, Matt Besler, Teal Bunbury, Julio Cesar, Aurelien Collin, Kevin Ellis (home grown), Roger Espinoza, Kei Kamara, Jon Kempin (home grown), Chance Myers, Jimmy Nielsen, CJ Sapong, and Graham Zusi.

Unprotected

Korede Aiyegbusi, Omar Bravo, Daneil Cyrus, Birahim Diop, Jeferson, Michael Harrington, Eric Kronberg, Scott Lorenz, Lawrence Olum, Peterson Joseph, Craig Rocastle, Soony Saad, Luke Sassano, Seth Sinovic, Milos Stojcev, Shavar Thomas, and Konrad Warzycha.

Who else is out there?

The Monteal Impact get ten picks on Wednesday, and we in many instances have decided we are destined to lose a player but Sporting Kansas City are not the only team letting some talent go. Young or old, expensive or cheap, there are some quality signings out there. Kosuke Kimura, Ned Grabavoy, Freddy Adu, and Julian de Guzman can’t hurt the interests of any new team. Older veterans like Brian Ching that can still play will be tempting. In this company Seth Sinovic, while an admirable performer does not necessarily appear so attractive. I don’t expect the Impact to pick for their roster entirely, if a player like Adu does not fit, he will have decent trade value and may get Montreal a piece or two that they do not currently posses. If they do go for trade able picks a player like Adu may command a couple of quality players.

A final thought

I hate the expansion draft. The goal of any team is to field a competitive first team, and to have a depth behind it to supplement that starting eleven when players get injured, get called up for international duty or lose form. Doing so with the small salary caps we are dealing with requires more than just opening a check book, players needed to be scouted, brought in on the cheap, often developed, and once all the hard work is done teams are forced to give these guys up like it hasn’t cost them any effort or time to turn them into players that are desirable to whatever team happens to be next in line for a franchise.

I would much rather the expansion team get give a couple of million of extra allocation money for the first season and then enter the MLS market not poaching players because teams have no choice but to give them up, but to make offers, to wheel and deal and make things happen. That way if Michael Harrington or Seth Sinovic is wanted, Sporting could in theory turn around ask to see some cash, get something they can use rather than an empty roster spot that needs filling.

#MLSProtectedPlayerListsAreLate

I started it, it was Mike Kuhn’s idea (sort of) … but while MLS was dragging its feet prior to releasing the lists we got some Twitter sillyness going. (I think) that there is some funny stuff in here. http://twitter.com/#!/search/realtime/%23MLSProtectedPlayerListsAreLate

Ryan Smith burst back onto the Sporting Kansas City headlines as Sporting managed to trade him to Chivas USA for two picks in the 2012 Supplemental Draft. The deal for 1st and 3rd picks ended an year long saga with Smith during which time Smith fled back to England twice sighting family issues, the second time time just six appearances into the 2011 season having just regained fitness following surgery.

A couple of weeks ago Robb Heineman broached the topic of Smith as a conundrum that needed solving while he spoke to Mike from Downthebyline.com and I. “We need to figure out what to do with Smith” was the surprising line at the time and this was followed up with “he keeps calling and wants to come back”. Releasing him outright was not an option, this was stated more than once by Peter Vermes during the season however picking up two draft picks represents remarkably good value for a player who has a proven track record of not sticking anywhere he has played in his turbulent career. With the shortening of the MLS SuperDraft to two rounds, the picks acquired for Smith equate to an extra third and fifth round pick.

Late draft picks being what they are Chivas USA should also feel like they have done fairly well. Smith, as flawed as he may be has an abundance of talent and if they manage to tap into that and keep him happy he is a hell of an acquisition and certainly not a player that I want to see playing against Sporting Kansas City and LIVESTRONG Sporting Park any time soon. The trade is essentially a win-win that ends a difficult situation for Sporting and Smith and gives Sporting Kansas City the opportunity to evaluate a couple of extra players in pre-season or trade the draft picks for an established player on the fringes of his current situation.

The 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft will be held on January 17th.

Without waiting until the close-season was officially here Don Garber and MLS delivered the news that was not news at all today. Major League Soccer is moving to an unbalanced, conference focused schedule in 2012 – it seems to have unhinged a lot of people, Twitter has featured a rolling torrent of irate MLS fans it seems. I’m not sure why this this is such an emotive issue, especially in a nation where unbalanced schedules are the norm.

“But the rest of the world…” seems to be the counter argument from many people. It is ironic, given the scorn poured on the likes of Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake in certain quarters for having “Europoser” names however this isn’t the rest of the World. It is the United States of America and MLS is still in its teenage years, its going to be a bit different from the leagues that are formed over 80 years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my balanced schedules. I like the idea that with 19 teams each team could play every other team home and away resulting in a 36 team regular season but that is about as much as I can imagine an MLS Regular Season schedule containing. Why? There are realities to running a professional soccer league in the USA that differ from the norm in England or Spain or Italy.

First and foremost – the damned geography. We have teams in places like Chicago, Toronto, and Colorado. These places tend to not be so warm in March and November, and early and late season attendances are not great, and historically haven’t been in other Midwestern cities. As much as we hate to admit it – when it gets cold and shitty outside, the casual soccer fans, the 60-70% of us that DO NOT go to every game do not show up. Stretching the length of the season to fit in extra games is really just not that much of an option, we don’t need a month or two of games with nobody showing up at either end of the season. It doesn’t serve the business of MLS very well.

If we cannot lengthen the season, then these games become midweek games. Throw in CONCACAF Champions League and USOC games, the odd money maker friendly, the FIFA International Dates MLS has finally started to honor and it gets to the point where there are simply too many games. Fixture congestion is an anathema to quality soccer. Tired players don’t play well, tired players get injured, and its all somewhat moot because the biggest hindrance to midweek soccer in the USA is once again the fans, who have proven for more than a decade and a half that they love soccer, but not enough to be tired on a Thursday at work to watch it. When the league focus is on improving the quality of the on field product actively cultivating an environment where fixture congestion is rampant would be counter productive to say the least especially when that quality also in itself drives ticket sales. Do so at times when fans don’t actually want games makes it doubly stupid.

Lengthening the season is out, and so is playing ever more games within it and so the alternative genuinely becomes does MLS stick with the balanced schedules of recent years or does it stop expanding? We all know that isn’t going to happen any time soon. What happens when we get to twenty one teams? Twenty two? Twenty five? Are we going to play a 48 game regular season? The unbalanced schedule might be unpopular in some quarters but it is also a reality if this league is going to expand and its better if MLS and MLS fans embrace that as a fact now rather than bemoaning what can and never will be if this league is going to continue to expand and prosper.

Who knows, maybe sometime in the distant future we’ll wind up with Eastern and Western conferences big enough to have balanced regular seasons within them, and wait for the big money East-West games in Cup and Playoff competitions until then we’ll just need to deal with it.

It has been growing for weeks, this little knot of doubt that has blossomed from meagre beginnings to a bulbous throbbing tumor in my psyche.  It is the confidence cancer.  The Terror. And chances are you have a pretty good case right now.  The causes are well known and documented, it comes from being vested in something, pinning your hopes and dreams on 90 minutes of football, and the men that get to dual on our behalf.  These men, will enter the arena on our behalf, as our Champions and when it is done … when it is all done there will be tears of joy or sorrow.

At stake today is a spot in the MLS Cup Final, a spot in next seasons CONCACAF Champions League, after an entire season we find ourselves 180 minutes from the glory of ‘winning it all’.  This is the biggest game in our history.  Bigger than the finals of the past, because from once the eyes of Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas are squarely focuses on the upstart team with the new name, the shiny stadium and the media attention.  While the team has always represented the city, for once the city is truly watching.

Will we make it?  Will we let them down? Will we get to travel to LA? Should I really have bought that plane ticket?  Will we get the Galaxy in the final? Beat Donovan and Beckham in the final on their own turf?  I will we be forced to watch the Houston Dynamo take our place? Watch them pathetically collapse and lose OUR trophy?

Will we win today?

We should.  We are the Eastern Conference Champions.  Over the course of 34 league games we drew with Houston at their place and crushed them 3-0 at ours, and they only managed two regular season wins on the road.  They are coming to our place, to LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, to play in front of our fans, our oh so loud fans in a stadium then resonates victory as much as it does style.  We are the favorites, we should be the victors and yet …

The Terror … what if?  What if their wily old veterans and their terribly good coach, the guy with the MLS Cups and the ability to setup a game plan for a single game almost unparalled in MLS manages to do so today?  What if Teal Bunbury has his lead boots on? Espinoza comes unhinged and gets the red card there is always potential for him to get?  What if Jimmy Nielsen comes wildly off his line and fails to get the ball?  What if they camp and defend and catch us with a counter in the 90th minute? What if it goes to penalty kicks …

The Terror.

It is what this game is all about.  Without the dreams of being in LA and hoisting a trophy, and getting to see a defeated David Beckham trading shirts with Matt Besler, the game winning scorer and defensive talisman, the goosebumps and sheer delirium of the victorious waiting for us … there is no counter punch, no doubt, no fear that this glorious journey of ours might come to a late but ultimately premature end.  It can’t end, it is too soon, not before I find myself a tearful snotty mess in LA hugging some random Sporting KC fan while Davy Arnaud or Omar Bravo hoist the trophy over their heads and announce to the world that Sporting Kansas City have won it all.  I want that, you want that … we need it, and yet without the possibility of defeat and the long winter that will follow, there can be no victory.

The Terror

As soon as my eyes opened this morning, my mind was on the game.  I forced myself to eat a breakfast that was too large and that I really had no appetite for.  I managed to burn myself on the wrist and it is throbbing like only a burn can, irritating, not quite painful but consistent and unrelenting.  The burn is my friend .. it is taking my mind off the knot in my stomach that a dozen cigarettes have failed to remove.  A distraction, yet I go to the game in an hour.  I’ll drink with my friends at LIVESTRONG one last time, celebrate or commiserate, hand shake, hug, and for the vast majority I’ll not see them until the season returns to Kansas City in March.

What a year huh?  What a fantastic and glorious path our boys have taken from the pits of the table to the brink of the Championship?  You couldn’t write it better … now its all about the cherry on top.

No matter what I am proud.  But it isn’t over yet … right?  ……

Enjoy the game.