Jan
12
DC Make-Over Continues, Peralta Leaves
With Gonzalo Peralta leaving, only Gonzalo Martinez is left from this crop of winter signings in 2008. (Getty Images)
Last year all the talk centered around DC United and the slew of international signings. The club brought in a hand-full of guys only to see most of them not pan out with the club. Now only a couple of those international signings from last winter are even still with the club as United announced over the weekend that Gonzalo Peralta would not be rejoining the club in 2009.
This coming from the desk of Steve Goff yesterday about the departure of Peralta:
D.C. United General Manager Dave Kasper has confirmed Argentine media reports that central defender Gonzalo Peralta has left MLS and returned home to continue his career with second-division Union de Santa Fe. United did not exercise the option on Peralta’s contract, which guaranteed him $199,000 last season. DCU had expressed some interest in re-signing him to a lower salary. He made 17 league starts and had 18 appearances, scoring once. Hernia surgery and other ailments sidelined him for much of the summer and fall. (Gonzalo Martinez next?)
Its not a shock really to see these moves not work for the club. I always thought Peralta was one of the worst signings the club made last year (though Franco Niell may take the cake for that nod). From a defensive standpoint I didn’t think he matched up well with most strikers in MLS.
The questions now are, will the club go after more international signings this winter? Will they continue to search in South America or will they look somewhere else this time?
Defensively they have to get better for 2009. We all know that to be true. Peralta may be leaving but the club is re-sigining key players like Clyde Simms, Devon McTavish, and Marc Burch to name a few. The make-over continues but keeping core players like these on the roster should help out in the coming year.
What do you think DC will do this winter? Hope for the best in the draft this week? Scout like crazy abroad and hope it works out this time around? Let’s hear it.
