There’s been a lot of news surrounding the Hounds this week following their press conference on Tuesday. All of it very is exciting. It seems like every news article has a new nugget of information. So we’re going to consolidate the news from all over the web in a couple posts on here to make a one stop shop. It looks like it’s going to be a busy off season so we’ll do this periodically so that everyone is up to date.
I’m going to break this week’s news into two posts. on the field news, and off the field news.
To the on the field news!
They’re Baaaaaaaaaack
The big news this week leaked out late Monday that Jose Angulo and Matt Dallman were coming back to the Hounds. This came as a surprise as most of us figured at least one of them would’ve been picked up by an MLS team. At the press conference on Tuesday Kutney announced they both signed two year deals with the Riverhounds. Even just the contract length is a big deal from a USL perspective. Most player contracts are only for a season. But hey I’m not complaining. Having the league MVP and league leader in assists is a great thing to have. The suspicion Angulo and Dallman would be picked up by MLS teams wasn’t unfounded. Per Matt Grubba of the Trib, both players had offers from MLS teams. But the Hounds, with a larger player budget, was able to provide an enticing counter offer.
It’s completely different for us now. Before, you had Charleston, Orlando and Los Angeles where, I could come in and make an offer to a player, and the next day, one of them would double it,” Riverhounds coach Justin Evans said. “Now we’re able to really go after who we want and make some decent offers where guys will say, ‘Yeah, I like what you guys are doing. I like the offer, so let’s move forward.’ That’s massive for us.”
By resigning Angulo and Dallman the Hounds are showing their commitment to long term success, and that they aren’t afraid to drop the cash to do it.
Per Ian Thompson at theSoccerObserver.com, Angulo and Dallman are going to be in town year round helping out with the Academy. This is great for the Hounds in two ways. Most players skip town during the off season. By having players stick around they can begin to train earlier, and just being around in general, will lead to better cohesion at the start of the season. It should prevent another slow start like last year. Secondly having the USL MVP, Golden Boot winner, and league assist leader as part of the academy system is going to be a big draw from a marketing perspective. Any boost in the Academy is only going to help the Hounds with exposure, future player development, and not to mention financials.
One final note on these two:
Couple quick notes from the @PghRiverhounds press conf. today: Angulo signed for 1 year w/club option for 2015; Dallman signed for 2 years.
— Matt Grubba (@Grubba_Trib) October 29, 2013
Angulo’s club option for 2015 is something to keep in mind.
MLS Affiliation
One of the big questions this off season is whether the Hounds would become affiliated with an MLS team like Harrisburg, Richmond, Rochester, and Orlando. Per the article at theSoccerObserver.com mentioned above, it looks like the answer to that question is no.
“Discussions have also taken place with the directors of player personnel from two MLS clubs this week although a formal affiliation is not forthcoming.
“It’s something we’ve entertained,” Evans said. “We’ve looked into it, but it’s not anything right now that’s completely on the horizon for us.”
There’s been a lot of discussion pro and anti affiliation among the Army in the last couple months. There’s still a ton of time for the Hounds to change their mind, but it looks like we’ll have at least another season as an independent club. This may be a statement by the Hounds that they feel they can compete for talent, and on the field, without the help of an MLS team.
More Player Signings
We’ll probably hear more player signing news in the coming weeks. One of the nice things about most USL contracts only being season long, and that the Hounds have the cash and drive to go after quality players, is they can poach guys from other teams. It looks like the Hounds did just that. I don’t want to spoil their announcement, but I will say according to sources the Hounds will be signing an international player with a lot of experience. This player was a key part of another USL team’s midfield last season. I only know of this one signing, but I’m sure there will be more to come.
Starting Earlier
I mentioned above Angulo and Dallman will be here year round which will help with training. The Hounds look to make this the norm and not the exception. Per the Pittsburgh Sports Report–
“If we can start signing guys now, in November and December, it’s going to make a world of difference. We’ll be able to go into the preseason with a solidified roster,” said Evans.
…
Not only are the Riverhounds looking to have a set roster early, they will also be planning their first-ever extended preseason training in March, most likely in a warm weather environment. They are looking to schedule some friendlies with other pro teams that are training in the south at the same time.
“That’s never happened before. Never even close,” said Evans. “Usually we go for about 2 to 3 weeks preseason here in Pittsburgh with what guys we have and we jump right into the season.”
Check back tomorrow for the Off the Field news recap.
