So Cooper's not good enough for the Nats because the service he would get on that team isn't as good as he gets from Henry???? If that's the argument shouldn't we be arguing less about the quality of Cooper and be looking for better support play?
He's got 55 goals and 13 assists in 116 games worth of minutes at MLS level, and 4 goals in 4 games worth of minutes at international level. What do you think is being exaggerated?
get Cooper some decent service and he'll score goals. Simple as that. Put him on a poorish team (Portland ?) and he'll struggle a bit (just like everyone else they've tried) Give him chances vs Mexico, Costa Rica etc and he will take them,IMO.
He's been one of the few bright spots for the Timbers. He hasn't touched the ball much as he'd like, I'm sure, but there's no question Boyd causes all sorts of havoc inside the 18.
Good point. Boyd has 3 goals in 6 matches. It took Cooper all the way till the 7th match of the season to get his 3 goal with the Timbers.
If Cooper keeps his form going into late May, Jurgen will have to call him up. We have very few options up top. Altidore and Dempsey are really the only two strikers we can for sure say will be called up. Then we have Gomez, Wondolowski, Cooper and Buddle who are all in the mix. Buddle's form has dropped so I'd really just say 2 out of those first 3 will get the call. Sadly I think it will be Cooper and Gomez. Wondo has had multiple chances now and hasn't utilized them. Gomez and Cooper both have scored for the national team and both are on good form.
LOL. That guy overdoes it with the 'Kenny Cooper didn't play like a true 9' schtick. Unless the coach is stupid or running some kind of agenda against Cooper the player will get called in on the merit of a forward which is primarily scoring goals which in turn is what he has done at club and international level when healthy.
The man was clearly no stranger to playing in the box: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfDpmUcdJwo"]Kenny Cooper Goal Compilation - YouTube[/ame]
I think a lot of people have forgotten how good Kenny Cooper can be. Before he went on his "European vacation," Kenny was inarguably one of the best forwards in MLS. If he's regained his confidence and form, there's no question he should be in the USMNT forward pool. Whether he plays or is a contributor is another matter. That depends what Klinsmann and staff are looking for.
His play against DC United last weekend was abysmal. He had several chances in the first half which he wasted by trying to be "too cute", trying to force passes to Henry inside the box, pretending to receive the ball and then letting it go by him, passes to nobody, etc. He's too unselfish a player - he needs to be more of a "me-first" striker who takes a shot at goal when he has them. I'd prefer Pontius to Cooper at this point.
The guy did his homework From the games I've seen of Cooper, which is quite a few, I'd definitely agree. Dude, that was his problem before. He was WAAAAY selfish. The play basically ended when it got to Cooper. At least he's focusing more on link-up play and actually getting involved in the build-up to the goal rather than being the end-all-be-all.
The way the goals were scored don't back the guy's article or the his comments here in BS. I do agree Cooper has improved more in playing as a cf. Not atypical for a big forward; see for example Altidore, Jozy.
The Red Bulls were lousy in general, and given the 'midfield' it's probably not the best game to take the measure of a forward. Yeah, I've read a fair amount of Matt Doyle, and he generally does his homework quite well. Doyle vs "guy who lols at Doyle" is usually going to be a Doyle win. I have pretty distinct memories of him just abusing MLS defenses. Problem for me is that he's basically had three opportunities to translate that into performance at higher level (before he ever got here, the "European Vacation" and with the National Team) and never has. Each of those episodes individually was somewhat short, but collectively they added up. I've always chalked his relative lack of NT career down to two factors: 1) He doesn't have great first step quickness/agility (big guys, ones who have a good top-out speed, seldom do), and 2) He doesn't do the 'little things' that make you an effective player when you're not posterizing people. That includes playing better with your back to the goal (even if you're never going to be an aerial threat-type forward) and absorbing some physical pressure, and making more of the runs into strong positions that pull defenders so that others can score. Kenny always liked to receive the ball facing goal, fairly far away (ie well outside the box), and then 1v1 his way to goals. That sort of play, unless you complement it with some of those other qualities, usually ends up with an all-or-nothing player. This year, I've seen some improvement in point 2. Even in the DC game he showed flashes of some hold-up-build-up play. He's often started his possessions in stronger position to score (how much of this is a byproduct of playing with Henry and how much is the maturation of his game it's hard to say). Point 1 is what it is. It's why he needs to diversify his game. He will never be able to start 35 yards from goal and be a top goalscorer in a high-pace league. His attempt to be that is why he's back here.
Cooper was injured a number times when call ups were available among other things and then there was the alleged bust up with Bradley. He's also been stuck in reserves and had a peripatetic career. Young forwards like to run at people or to try and get in behind the backline. Developing a center forward's game takes time whether the forward is Altidore, Drogba, or Kenny Cooper. Cooper when healthy has demonstrated an excellent scoring record at international and club level. And he has shown some facility to play in the box as the video has shown, which is why in the end arguments of authority stating otherwise don't amount to hill of beans.
I agree with pretty much everything here. Rep incoming. I think point two draws some comparison to a guy like Brian Ching, the way the two seemed to way back in 2009. Even though Brian Ching wasn't a fantastic goal scorer at the time, he was still useful because he could hold-up the ball, link up with midfielders, draw fouls, work hard, win headers. When Cooper isn't scoring, he's almost invisible. Ironically, Ching and Cooper made a fairly good pairing, in my opinion. Ching was great for looking to link up with the midfield and help create chances, which left Cooper to simply get open when the time came. Hence this goal: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn8Wx4ubvLU"]Stuart Holden & Brian Ching assist on Kenny Cooper's goal vs. Honduras (7-23-2009) - YouTube[/ame] Simply put, Cooper, for me, needs/needed a team built around creating chances for him, and him finishing them. You cut off Kenny from the midfield and vice-versa, and you've got no threat.
Your bolded, underlined premise is wrong (and we've gone through why). Everything about why that might be, is theory. (And the 'argument from authority', wasn't an argument from authority, it was a rebuttal to your dismissiveness, which appeared to be based on [lack of] authority.) Your theory here Could be right--although I'll note it invokes a pretty hefty role for extended bad luck (he's been a professional for nine years now). But the mere fact you offer explanations shows us that implicitly you don't really accept the premise that Cooper has a proven goalscoring record at a level that's relevant to the National Team. Even as you say he does, you're playing the 'why doesn't he' game.
I've already posted his numbers and the only rebuttal is aesthetic nonsense that he doesn't play a certain whay. The argument was an argument from authority. More nonsense. Life circumstances can affect career trajectory. His numbers at club and international demonstrate he merits more opportunities however.