Squad limits force de Almeida, Estridge decision; full back situation even brighter

After getting our first bit of mid-season transfer news yesterday, I've once again been forced to wonder about the efficacy of the MLS squad limitations. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a "reform it all now!" sort of guy. I've got my issues with things, but by and large, I really am not concerned about other traditional things. I'll leave you to wonder about what those sorts of things are, but the longer you follow this rambling blog, the more you'll know about that.

So as Chris Estridge, a young full back from Indiana, came into the squad — he was cut by Vancouver, though nobody's quite sure why (except, maybe, Vancouver — and that's a pretty solid "maybe" there) — it meant that if he was to stay, somebody was going to get cut. We have a self-imposed squad size of 26 because it affords us two separate opportunities to supplement salaries with allocation money, and Estridge put us up over that limit. Additionally, as we already had four full backs in the squad, we knew one of them would need to depart for the signing to be finalized.

It was fairly obvious from the get-go that the intent was to sign Estridge. It meant we'd lose one of our full backs, and from this list, it's reasonably obvious who it would be: Tony Beltran, Chris Wingert, Terukazu Tanaka, Diogo de Almeida. Two of them are first-teamers, one is highly rated, and one has been described as more of a project player.

We shouldn't be surprised that it's de Almeida that left, should we? I hardly think so. I admit, I'm a bit frustrated by it all, as it's once again illustrated that there isn't  a lot of room in this league for player development over the long-term. We're left with a massive gap between academies, colleges and first teams. I absolutely cannot blame our front office for saying goodbye (perhaps temporarily) to Diogo, but it's clear that college play had not prepared him entirely for professional play. It's something I perpetually hark on, but you know, I think it matters, so that's what you get.

At any rate, it's a bit of a blow for Diogo, who seemed to be getting on well at the club and was learning well from players like Nat Borchers and Chris Schuler. Watching him at reserves match did show that his positioning was at times suspect, and he was constantly being shouted at by those around him — but as a young player just out of the college system, that's to be expected — let alone as he was an attacking full back, and straying from position is sort of the name of the game.

But the arrival of Estridge means we've got genuine backup for Chris Wingert, and, if Jason Kreis is right, he could be challenging for time in as little as two weeks to a month. Estridge can reportedly also play on the right side and in the midfield, though there remains much to be seen if Kreis sees him there at all. It was a bit interesting that Jason mentioned that they scouted Estridge in the combine and "weren't quite set on what position he could play" — or even which foot was his dominant foot. Perhaps that versatility has played into the decision making.

With Tony Beltran's good form from last season translating into more minutes and further improvement this season, the odds of the right back winning a national team call-up seem to be increasing. If he is called up, alongside Kyle Beckerman and Tony Beltran as representatives from Real Salt Lake and Major League Soccer, it'll be because he's a great player with great mentality. He battles for every ball, he attacks well, he's got a killer right foot, and he can play on both flanks. If Tony is indeed called up, having a recognized full back on the bench will be essential, and if Chris Wingert is ever injured, we might be able to keep some positional continuity and give a young guy some minutes.

While it's always tough to lose a promising young player because of squad limitations, bringing in a new guy who seems ready and even more promising sort of balances it out. Losing a player shouldn't lead to any bitterness over the arrival of a new player, and while we might rue what we missed out on some day, we're planning both for the future and for the present. That, after all, is essential.