Cumberland Athletic Club had an excellent inaugural draft. Bringing in proven veterans and youngsters with excellent potential. CAC took an unusual path by drafting Bill Hamid, veteran goalkeeper in the first round. That was followed by defensive midfielder, Michel. The number of defenders and defensive midfielders taken was unusual for the league's offensive orientation. The philosophy, according to the owner and General Manager Edward Braddock (aka, "The General"), was "get the best athlete possible, the best scoring potential, positions are not the primary concern." Particularly fitting this philosophy is Jamaican defender, Demar Phillips. He possesses flying speed going forward and recovering with ease and a motor that will take him through the full 90. Combine that with devastating crossing abilities and he could be a league leader among defenders in assists. Omar Gonzalez should provide many 'snap headers' on goal (thanks, Dunny!). Lining up alongside forwards Robbie Keane and Charlie Davies will be veterans Max Urruti and Chad Barrett. Young forwards with tremendous potential to nurture are Pedro Ribeiro and Mark Sherrod. Filling out the midfield foundation of Michael Bradley and Lee Nguyen will be veteran (a strange word to use with such a young player) Luis Gil, Chris Tierney, and Michel. Youngster Andy Rose will be nurtured in this position. Coach Ellinger was quoted, "This is a team that can go places! Let's get to work!" Andy Williams also expressed pleasure in the selections, "Teams with versatility in the midfield are difficult to keep out of the net. I'm excited to begin building this into a team."
Ladies and Gentlemen, we proudly present your 2015 Cumberland Athletic Club Wild Marys!
Goalkeeper: Bill Hamid
Defender: Omar Gonzalez
Defender: Demar Phillips
Midfielder/Defender: Michel
Midfielder/Defender: Chris Tierney
Midfielder: Michael Bradley
Midfielder: Lee Nguyen
Midfielder: Luis Gil
Midfielder: Andy Rose
Forward: Charlie Davies
Forward: Robbie Keane
Forward: Chad Barrett
Forward: Mark Sherrod
Forward: Pedro Ribeiro
Forward: Max Urruti
I thought Hamid was a strange pick, but I think this is one of the best newcomers squads we've seen. One thing to pay attention to regarding Tierney and Michel, I was always confused as to when a SOG counts as a point, because these players can start as midfielders and defenders. May make sense to get clarity on that from Commish.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment and comment. I think I may have screwed up on the Michel and Tierney picks... but, it's too late now. As I later found out, I get the SOG points only when they start as defenders... so, it will be an interesting season.
ReplyDeleteOh, and the Hamid pick was seriously me looking at goalkeepers and knowing there were two clear top picks and a bunch of others who were incrementally indifferent from each other. Given the overall quality I saw among the field players, Hamid looked to be the best opportunity for consistent points. If DC's defense doesn't show up, it's game over.
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