While D.C. United used the MLS re-entry draft to add veteran forward Josh Wolff and historically overpriced and underproductive forward Joseph Ngwenya to its locker room last year, it stayed on the sidelines for both phases of the modified waiver mechanism this year, deciding against making any additions during the second phase on Monday.
However, former United players Marc Burch and Clyde Simms were both claimed by other MLS teams, with Burch being claimed with the first pick in the draft by the Seattle Sounders, who switched with Vancouver to move up from the 14th pick, and Simms going in the second round of the draft to the New England Revolution.
By getting selected that early, Burch, 27, shows that a left back with a sometimes lethal left foot always commands some sort of value on the open market. However, he has been plagued by injuries the last two seasons, in which he’s appeared in only 21 MLS games (15 starts).
Simms, 29, was overtaken in defensive midfield toward the end of this season by rookie Perry Kitchen, thus hastening an end to a seven-year tenure in Washington that in part came about after Simms was a scab for the striking U.S. national team and was plucked by D.C. from the Richmond Kickers as a discovery player.
Despite his brief international stint (one cap) and the two MLS Supporters Shields he helped D.C. United capture in 2006 and 2007, Simms has always been limited in his contributions with D.C., focused solely on winning balls in the midfield but never very effective going forward with the ball at his feet or as a threatening passer or scorer. However, he could thrive in New England for a team that is notorious for is defensive-minded approach – though the Revolution also have a new coach heading into 2012, former defender Jay Heaps.
What is most interesting about the D.C. departures of Simms, Burch and Santino Quaranta last week via retirement is that United no longer has a single player on its roster who has been in Washington for more than three years. In fact, the longest-tenured D.C. player is Chris Pontius, who was acquired in the 2009 MLS draft, in January of that year. Dejan Jakovic was signed in the ’09 preseason, and United’s third-longest tenured player is none other than Bill Hamid, who was officially added to the roster in September ’09.
