What it sounds like then is no.. noone really knows anything about these two players as players. Santa Cruz is the face of Paraguayan football... I don't know much about Paraguay and know that. And "most" people know Ivanschitz from a video game? Howso? Trolling Mainz for cheap transfers? or for some reason playing as Austria in Tournament mode?
I'm looking at it pragmatically, and in the player's brought in. I won't pretend to know anything about the two players more than I've read and seen (a little of Valdez, nothing of the Austrian) I guess I'm confused as to what the "core" of this club even is. It wasn't addressed properly in the off-season, and now the club is supplementing its off season failures with moves for "experienced" vets on low minimums in the hopes of maximizing the one, maybe two good seasons Dempsey has left? And in doing so found players that take up both Martins and Dempsey's better positions... and offering nothing to help the not so distant reality of a team without both of them.
Still haven't added to the deep midfield... and not a lick of pace or experience out wide (where MLS games tend to gravitate possession and attacking channels). Best summary anyone has offered thus far was Sgt. Largent's "help on set pieces"... and that's just, well...
The team maybe got somewhat better.. but reading this thread it seems as if the Sounders are bottoming out.
Dos Santos, Gerrard, Keane, Villa, Pirlo (Pirlo!?), Drogba (sort of), Lampard, even Kaka are signs of intent from clubs willing to take advantage of closing windows.
Let's not mask what this is... cheap moves of desperation. And because this isn't the shack I won't offer any metaphors of cheap and desperate.
