Well, when I’m wrong, I’m really wrong:
Not an internal hire. Not more small-town small-time small-ball. Instead of the business-we’ve-seen-as-usual the Bhathals reached out and hired:
An experienced general manager with national and international connections, and
Two data analysis specialists.
I’m impressed with both.
Jeff Agoos is a former Nat, a smart, tough defender with over 100 caps. He played in MLS for some time among other professional gigs. But for our purposes the important work came when he hung ’em up; New York Red Bull hired him, first as Technical Director in 2006, then “Sporting Director” in 2008. Three years later MLS poached him to be “Technical Director of Competition”….until today.
Experience in a selling league, as well as connections through the Nats with the international soccer community. Not WoSo, so we’ll see if he can run that up to speed quickly.
The data staff are Lucy Rushton and Angus McNab.
Rushton worked for Atlanta United and is well thought of. She was GM at Bay FC. McNabb has done analytical work for Canada (there’s the maple leaf mafia connection – you knew there’d be one, right?) and Motherwell in the Scottish PL.
One thing that’s bugged a stats geek like me for years is how the Peregrine organization never seemed to run analytics. I’m not a complete stathead, but c’mon. There’s a place for this stuff, and smart organizations can pick and choose how much they use.
So this is the first time since the sale that the Bhathals have really knocked my hat off.
This is good, But…(and you knew there’d be a but, right..?)…it has to be the beginning.
We still need better roster management and tactical management on the pitch. That means a better head coach.
We still need a top-flight starting centerback.
We still need a top-level forward – preferably a right winger – and some depth.
Now we have some mental throw-weight in the GM’s swivel chair?
Let’s get to work.
- Goose - January 7, 2025
- Now what..? - January 5, 2025
- The Last of Kling… - December 30, 2024
Yes, this is way better than I hoped. His experience, his homage to Clive Charles, the data experts, I am pretty well sold. Yes of course, I would like him to clean some house and maybe they already have and maybe they have a CB coming. But for now I am just going to bliss out with high hopes for this season.
The Clive thing is…okay, I get he’s a Timbers (and UP) legend. But that was twenty years ago. Not sure I get Agoos feeling he needed to name-check Clive to establish his Portland cred.
The problem with “clean house” is the short timeline. Camp opens next week? There’s no hope to get a new HC. Mike Smith seems fine, as does Martinez-Gloria. Norris? Yeah, kinda needs to take a hike. But I think we might see Ken in March and April. Need to hope for better work, then.
My “hopes” will be on pause until we see what ends up on the pitch. Goose has already signed a young midfielder (Pietra Tordin, Princeton and USWNT U-20’s attacking midfielder, Top Drawer ranked #32 nationally) so hopefully he’s working the fuck out of the phones to get those CBs and more midfield/winger support. We’ll see.
But…good beginning, after I was about ready to go Full Eeyore.
Bingo Time: Agoos? Anyone? Anyone?
Well, he certainly doesn’t scream, “Worst case scenario lowest common denominator we were only joking about restoring the Thorns as an elite club.”
My one—minor, and discardable based on performance—hesitation revolves around the USMNT leaning on the legacy of that 2002 World Cup team to fill spots for too long. And pony-tailed center back Jeff Agoos was one of them. I admit, it’s more of a superstition than an actual reservation.
On the other hand, his post-playing career path has not involved the USMNT, so I may well lower my eyebrow and explain it all away later as an errant hair that needed trimming. Color me genuinely and pleasantly surprised.
Hope I feel the same way about the incoming players.
He was generally considered a solid international defender, hairstyle and all. He was part of the DC United glory years, too. So as a player? Pretty good!
I’m REALLY ignorant of MLS in the early Oughts (I was following the Timbers in USL…) but the Drinks were decent – made the 2006 playoffs, and were runners-up in 2008. Then they were shit in 2009 and 2010 before having a decent 2011…but they also made some big name signings; Thierry Henry, Rafael Marquez…so maybe Goose was doing that? If so, there’s some soccer smarts under all that hair.
What he was doing for the league for fourteen years? NO idea.
But let’s see what happens now. Like I said; this needs to be a beginning.