Rumor: Alvaro Sanchez to the Dynamo
by Zach Woosley on Jul 14, 2011 8:45 AM CDT
in Signings, Trades & Transfers
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PrintMLS Rumors is all over a story from the wee hours of the morning all about Costa Rican forward/midfielder Alvaro Sanchez coming to the Houston Dynamo. According to the website and their contact with Fox Sports Deportes commentator Jorge Caamaño, the deal is done and Sanchez is on his way for a trial.
Various outlets are picking up the story including Al Dia in Costa Rica and Univision.
Sanchez has been in MLS before, with a short loan in 2009 with FC Dallas. He made only three appearances and never seem to fit in to Schellas Hyndman's system.
Sanchez is 26 years old, having spent all of his career with San Carlos, making 72 appearances with 22 goals. Sanchez was capped by the Costa Rican national team for the first time in 2009 and has seven appearances and two goals.
Now we wait and see if anything official comes out from the Dynamo in the next couple days. In the interim, what do you think about the potential signing?
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What's the notion, bench wood or potential starter???
Seems to be a question on whether this would be a week trial or signing.
Would love to read the FC Dallas final report after his loan in 2009. He got cut in the transitional yrs?
Are we looking for starting help or depth? From what I read, a maybe starter, like Watson with potential to take the spot but little more @ present.
Don’t see this guy significantly improving the team. Guess we need depth @ attacking mid?
I’m digging around looking for stories about Sanchez’s time at FCD but there isn’t much. I’ll keep looking though.
I do know a lot of people were high on Sanchez when he signed there and consider him a talent.
--
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Douglas Adams
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Yo si le voy, le voy al naranja!
by Zach Woosley on Jul 14, 2011 9:11 AM CDT up reply actions
Thanks
I’m really curious as Dallas was sooo bad that yr and they didn’t sign him then…
by playtherapy on Jul 14, 2011 10:46 AM CDT up reply actions
Grain of salt...
But yeah, I’ve been reading around on some of their team sites (somewhat analogous to our Beloved DT site here), and the impression I get is that it was a bad year, adjustment for him + injury. By the time he was recovering they had signed Heath Pearce and felt Sanchez was redundant. But when he did play apparently he was quite nice, but I guess it can only go so far when you’re having a bad year.
I’m hoping that he has more experience and is injury-free this time around, if that’s the case I think he could be a very nice addition to the team. If I can project here, I’d say he might be a very nice improvement over Watson
Sorta
I don’t think we need depth at attacking mid, we need a true attacking mid. Cameron is talented but I think best suited to centerback or a holding midfield role, I’d love to see us bring in a true playmaker to create in the center of the pitch. Don’t know if Sanchez is that guy or not.
As for the signing itself, at this point I almost just want to sign SOMEONE. After missing on Cruz for a reason we may never know (which is also really frustrating) it feels like we’re the only club in the league incapable of signing a player.
No Cruz???????
What happened to Daniel Cruz I thought he liked it here when did he leave?
by Justin Garza on Jul 14, 2011 10:38 AM CDT up reply actions
I can’t find a straight answer or reason for Daniel Cruz leaving, but apparently it was his decision. Guessing his valuation of himself didn’t line up with the team’s valuation of him…but that’s just my specualtion.
--
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Douglas Adams
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Yo si le voy, le voy al naranja!
by Zach Woosley on Jul 14, 2011 11:57 AM CDT up reply actions
the limited reports I heard on him weren't all that encouraging
The general feeling I got from the reserve match was that he made a few nice passes, but overall wasn’t that involved and didn’t impact the game. Maybe I misinterpreted, but that was the feeling I got.
as for him leaving the quote I saw led me to believe that the Dynamo wanted more time to evaluate him, and he felt like they had seen enough to know what he could do so he moved on.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Yawn
I appreciate Dom/Cani building for the long haul and from the ground up, but didn’t we get green lit by AEG to get an impact DP. If they want to add depth up top, do it by bringing in a guy that will leave no question that he displaces Watson/Cameron/etc. at CAM.
Hmmm
Well, at worst he seems like he would keep pushing Watson to improve play as he could be a potential upgrade at CAM…perhaps not a HUGE impact, but if its an improvement we’ll take it. Plus he’s younger so he could definitely be in the long-term plans.
A legit question I have for the Naranjariat: what are realistic expectations for an impact CAM (or impact player) for us? I mean, do we think we’ll find an impact, DP-worthy CAM from Central or South America? Europe? Africa? If so, I’m just curious what everyone’s different ideas are. For me, its not so much nationality but I’m looking for:
*Relatively young age (mid-to-late 20’s)
*Relatively good club and international experience (CL or EL experience if European, ACN if from Africa and Copa Lib experience if from South America)
*Reasonable wage (so basically, no one from a top-flight European club or no one looking to be signed be a top-flight European club). If you’re asking for a number, I’d say 3-yr/$4million type deal (so just over $1MM/yr). This is probably the most “tricky” aspect as my definition of “reasonable” may differ wildly from AEG’s
Now, I realize these are my criteria and expectations for finding that impact, DP-worthy player that we all hope can be that “star” to help pull us into a force to be reckoned with, and it may color my own hopes and disappoints with what our FO has or hasn’t been doing. /run-on
All of that being said, who’s available, realistically, from the different parts of the world that we could beat out the MLS competition to sign AND could be an impact player for us?
Agreed
Does this mean out of contract players or include players where a transfer fee is included?
Copa America is full of lesser known impact players playing in South America. Could we pay better wages than a top flight SA team? Clearly, none of this would be contingent on the “tryout loan” deal we seem to demand.
Would we be willing to belly up to the bar and pay a transfer fee for an impact player? Doubtful…
I agree with the above, but often wonder what the FO’s “search parameters” are.
Nothing quite like no info, eh?
by playtherapy on Jul 14, 2011 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Exactly!!
I’d say we have to consider the spectrum of out-of-contract players and ones w/transfer fees, unless those are prohibitive
Yeah, I’ve been trolling the CA lately to see if we can find some diamonds that we can pluck out that may not pique the interest of larger European clubs but would certainly make an impact for us. And in some cases I do feel we could be competitive with some of the better SA teams in terms of matching salary, but of course it’d have to be a DP-salary.
But you hit the nail on the head: we as fans are kept in the dark about strategy or plans. Sure, we’re given vague ambitions about improving and “getting the green light” but all we have to go by is historical searches and signings, and to be honest they’re underwhelming. Are we looking just in the Caribbean? Central America? Mexico? South America? Africa? Europe? It just seems like we’re trawling the Second-Division teams of Central America and the Caribbean and closing our eyes and hoping for the best. Oh, and making them agree to one-week trials. Come on guys, surely we can do better than that
Nationality doesn't mater much to me either
but I think it matters to the front office as they not only want an impact player on the field, but also one that will get non-dynamo fans into the stadium. So we’ll keep looking for a latin american player. I can see why everyone is frustrated with not having made a signing, but I’m actually glad we’re not just throwing money at the first potential taker. We can’t just expect that one player will make or break us and we should take this into consideration: Would we be clamoring so hard for a DP or a big signing if our season was going better? I’d rather wait to find the player with the right fit.
I think it's only natural that we focus on Latin American players
It’s not like we are going to be able to lure some young up and coming player away from Europe (and I have no interest in an over the hill player on a retirement tour). A young player from Central or South America is more likely to be willing to take the opportunity to play in the states and use that as a springboard for Europe IMO. With our limited scouting resources it makes sense to focus on Latin America. If that player can help the team tap into a new demographic so be it. Although that should be just a bonus and not a determining factor.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Btw
…here’s my preliminary list of midfielders/CAMs. They’re all early-to-mid-to-late 20’s, some club & international experience (along with higher competitions) and salaries around the range of an average DP signing:
European player:
Borja Valero (Villareal)
Javi Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)*
*Milan Badelj (Dinamo Zagreb)
South American:
*Matias Fernandez (Sporting Club de Portugal)
*Marcelo Estigarribia (Newell’s Old Boys)
African:
*Sulley Muntari (Internazionale)
*Anthony Annan (Schalke 04)
Also, I’ll re-iterate that they Sanchez signing** may turn out to be much better than expected. If he does turn out to be a clear upgrade over Watson (though maybe not a “premier” upgrade) it relieves some of the pressure and maybe puts us in the hunt for playoffs. Mind you, first-round fodder but still, not mid-table mediocrity. But that’s wild conjecture at this point. Let’s see how this new trial would go
Just read he signed an extension until 2016 and his buy-out clause is EUR40MM. Carry on.
*Assuming, of course, that he does in fact sign
Here's one
Jhasmani Campos Dávalos has been a starting MFer for Bolivia is is currently a free agent…
I would like to see a signing, but I would rather them wait to find the right player then get into a "we have to do something" mindset
Sure, it’s frustrating, but I don’t want to get into a situation where we have a ton of money locked up into the wrong player. As bad as things look now, it would be worse if we found ourselves with no resources to work with because we tied too much up on a DP that isn’t working out.
As annoyed as I was by the Koke situation the contract was structured so that the Dynamo could have cut ties with him this summer without much damage. It was sort of an extended trial. That was a smart move. The front office might be painting themselves into a corner with their conditions in the current search, but if that helps to make sure they get the right player then I am all for it. I would rather keep waiting, then make a move just for the “splash” and have it back fire.
As far as the fans being in the dark, what do y’all expect? I mean I would love to sit in on all their meetings and know what is going on behind the scenes, but the team has no reason to give out details of what they are trying to do.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Disagree with you, Papa
Perhaps it would be okay if we weren’t told they were looking into signing a Gold Cup standout. Or if swomething, anything emerged about Castillo or Cruz.
We hear rumors, some players even come for trials.
Then they leave.
And that’s all we know.
I found the news about us NOT signing Watson the first time gratifying cuz his agent wanted DP $$$- which was preposterous. That info helped cuz I agreed- hell no!
What would the team gain by commenting on failed negotiations/trials?
Anything beyond the normal PR talk of saying something without really saying anything risks offending the player and hurting your chances with that player(and players he may be friends with, and other players with the same agent) down the road.
I just don’t know what you expect to hear from the team itself. Trials happen all the time and the large majority of them never amount to anything. If the teams doesn’t think a young player is good enough there not going to say that publicly. That player might develop and you might want him badly a few years down the road. If the player wants too much money it’s easier to give the PR answer about the timing just not being right or some other non-statement because his price might come down (Watson). In most cases the best case scenario is to tell the agent/player just enough to keep the door open if you change your mind and that’s it.
What good does it do the team or the league for the Dynamo to say we really wanted player x and made a big offer, but he thinks the league is shit and doesn’t want to play here?
There’s also the competition factor. I’m not really an expert on MLS rules when it comes to player acquisitions, but if I’m Canetti or Kinnear and I find what I think is a diamond in the rough no one knows about I don’t want to bring any extra attention to the player if I don’t have to.
I’m not saying I don’t want to know what’s going on. I’m saying i can understand why the team mostly keeps quiet.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Understand
Good points.
Gotcha, but just get frustrated when they leak the potential signings and then we hear nada. To some extent, they want us to know they’re working at it, but @ another point they don’t want us to know they’re working at it (or the how).
That’s where i get confused.
The team isn't always the one doing the leaking
A lot of the leaks first appeared in foreign media first. Someone like Zach finds them and they get spread around the internet. Most of what we hear isn’t coming from the team. If I had to guess it’s coming from agents trying to gain leverage or to drum up some hype on their client.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
Since when are MLS or the Dynamo "hype"?
I think it’s more or less just random names that get mentioned. It’s like name-dropping at a party, it’s all about trying to get some action.
-- "...I was sick, napping, and then woke up and came to the computer to read a note from the Gingered Angel of Doom..." Martek - Dynamo Theory Blog
Hype's probably the wrong word
People want what they can’t have. If the agent makes it look like his player is going somewhere else that might spur another club into action.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
A bit after the fact
But after reading JJdO’s piece in the Chron this morning, Dom gave an explanation as to the Cruz trial…they invited him to stay longer but apparently he felt his time was up, plus Dallas had dibs on him and we’d have to ask their permission so apparently it was felt best for all that he go ahead on to Dallas for a trial with them. Whether that’s true, partially true or whatever I’m glad they said something about it
it appears not
from what i heard on Glenn Davis’ show on Tuesday night, Cruz and Castillo could potentially feature against Bolton. It did not seem as though they had left the team yet. But i may be wrong as it is now 2 days after the radio show where i heard that info.
You are correct sir
Well, almost. Cruz is gone but we still have Castillo and Sanchez on trial
Also, JJdO reported earlier in the Chron that they also have an “unnamed” European on trial right now as well, and that all 3 (Castillo, Sanchez and Euroboy) could feature against Bolton, that would be fantastic!
12 goals last season
this guy is pretty good, i hope we sign him. no matter how bad the defence, some of those goals in the you tube video are pure class. especially the last one.
Update
Cruz is gone, probably to trial at FC Dallas…so he’s dead to us.
Sanchez is indeed here with the Dynamo on trial, we should know more in the next week or so.
--
"You live and learn. At any rate, you live." -Douglas Adams
Managing Editor of Dynamo Theory
Yo si le voy, le voy al naranja!
I said a few years ago that he should come back to MLS
He would have been better off here getting plenty of playing time than bouncing around second tier leagues in Europe and riding the bench. He was still young enough where he still would have had the chance to go back to Europe. He managed to get some consistent playing time with his club at the end of last season. That helped get him to the gold cup, and with his performance there he will likely have opportunities in europe so I don’t see it happening. Plus, I’m guessing RSL would have his rights and get first crack at him if he did come back to the MLS.
"If my hips had pockets, I wouldn't wear pants at all." @NotBurtReynolds
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