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The lottery was scheduled for 10:00 AM EST, but it wasn't until around noon that sources began to leak the results of the eight-team sweepstakes for the services of Hermann Trophy winner and former Houston Dynamo draft pick Marcus Tracy. MLSsoccer.com has finally confirmed what we all have known for about an hour and a half: the New England Revolution, despite holding a 33.2% chance in the lottery process, will not be welcoming Marcus Tracy to Foxboro.
In fact, Tracy is now a member of Major League Soccer's own Goonies. The San Jose Earthquakes, despite boasting only a 4.6% chance of winning the lottery, managed to snag the Wake Forest standout. Tracy will join an already-loaded attacking corps that includes MLS's leading goalscorer (Chris Wondolowski) and red-hot strikers like Steven Lenhart and Alan Gordon.
The immediate reaction to losing the chance at this guy has to be negative. The Revs have two open roster spots and a major injury at striker. Furthermore, the 2012-2013 offseason is going to be one of rebuilding, and probably rebuilding that will be nearly as striking and dramatic as what was experienced in 2011-2012. Marcus Tracy represented a (likely) affordable, very low-risk acquisition that could theoretically pay big dividends in the future. If not, he wouldn't be a major burden on the club and could probably be jettisoned fairly easily.
Related: Revs Chances To Get Tracy | Like The Bent Musket on Facebook | Follow @TheBentMusket
However, let's keep in mind exactly what Marcus Tracy is. For three years now, he's been battling knee tendonitis. As Brian Sciaretta told my colleague Scott Kessler, Tracy was a physical freak who based his game off of his tremendous athletic ability. It's difficult to imagine that deteriorating and weak knees make it any easier to play that way. Could he convert his game into something a little more cerebral and a little less based on speed and explosiveness? Maybe, but that's a really big question mark.
Regardless, the Revs now stand at the status quo. Rosters are set to freeze on September 15th, and it is unlikely another weighted lottery will come around before then. Barring some unexpected moves (signing of a free agent, for example), it would appear that the squad you see today is the one you will get until the end of October.