Contents: Team Rating Team Roster Team Summary Get through the First SeasonTeam Rating
Offense: 53 Defense: 50 Goalkeeping: 52 Average Age: 27Team Roster
G-Mark Dodd-350K-31 years old-0 offense/420 defense G-Jeff Cassar-200K-23-0/310 D-Diego Sonora-300K-27-50/120 * (denotes international) D-Mark Santel-300K-28-30/130 D-Tom Soehn-225K-30-10/140 D-Wade Webber-200K-30-10/130 D-Eric Dade-175K-27-10/110 M-Alain Sutter-575K-29-140/90 * M-Daniel Peinaldo-350K-29-60/120 * M-Jason Kreis-300K-24-110/50 M-Jorge Rodriguez-250K-26-80/70 * M-Brian Haynes-200K-34-80/60 M-Richard Farrer-175K-26-50/80 F-Damian Alvarez-375K-24-150/30 * F-Dante Washington-300K-26-130/30 F-Gerell Elliott-225K-26-120/20 F-Ted Eck-200K-30-130/10 F-Temoc Suarez-175K-21-110/10Team Summary
The Burn are an average team. They have a good backline, a good midfield, and a strong starting keeper. There are, however, some glaring weaknesses with the Burn. Number one is lack of a front line. Aside from Alvarez(or just Damien, as he wants to be called), there is nobody that is helpful. Only their offensive-minded defenders make them a 51 on offense. Number two is the lack of trading prospects. Kreis, Sutter and Alvarez are the only standout players. The Burn need a stronger foundation to build a great team. The old players are only average, and the lack of quality youngsters means a lot of work on your part to build a consistant winner.Getting Through the First Season
Cut Eric Dade, Brian Hayes, and Temoc Suarez. This will add points, but also(suprisingly) decrease your average age. Next, pray that you get some forwards in the USISL! This is where your team needs the most immediate help. In a game I recently played, I was fortunate enough to find a 20 year old who was a 124/37 and a 21 year old who was 121/30. The chances that this will happen every game are incredibly slim, but usually there should be a guy to replace Ted Eck. This will lower your age even more, which is great for any team, but is a reason for jubilation with the aging Burn. In this game I also cut Dante Washington. Balanced players are always nice, but I like the more offensive forwards. I'd take a 150/20 over a 120/50 every time. Next you have to make a decision. Do you want to win right now or suffer a few tough seasons for an awesome team? If you chose the first, there isn't much more to do. Try to get a young defender whenever possible, and you should be set. Just keep in mind you'll have to revamp every 5 or so years. There are some trades you can work out if you selected the second answer. You will give up more than you need to win immediately, but given time, the team will rise. Here's what to do. Go to a team and look for the dynasty players on a team. Columbus is my favorite for the three Americans(McBride, Maisoneuve and Salcedo.) Trade Alain Sutter and the second forward(11) for Brian McBride and Brian Maisoneuve. You now have 4 dynasty players in the starting lineup! Give these guys 5 years and get ready for championships. Some other possibilities are Miles Joseph and A.J. Wood from NY/NJ, Steve Ralston/Frankie Hedjuk and Roy Lassiter from Tampa Bay(Lassiter is not a dynasty player but a nice addition to the team), and Greg Vanney/Martin Machon and Edward Hurtado from the Galaxy(Hurtado is also not a dynasty player). One other combo is great, but is much harder to obtain; that of Eddie Pope and Jaime Moreno from D.C. Once you have the two dynasty players from a trade, try to work another trade for Mark Santel. You don't have to get younger, just get someone with a higher defensive rating. You may have to wait a couple games, as I found no one worthy of a trade at the commencement of the game. During the season, stick with direct and passing. You may be able to play with all-offense, but only at home against a weak opponent. Make sure that the players you are developing play every game possible. Even if they are in a slump, it will be more beneficial in the long run to stick with the prospects. You may be able to get to the conference finals with some luck, but don't expect anything past that in the first season. During the off-season, get some offense. If you were fortunate enough to find some good USISL players, get a young defenseman instead. The Burn can develop into a strong contender in the West if you stick with the development plan. Choosing the alternate route may force you to rely too much on outside help for a winning season.