I find it really odd that he is not on the NT radar. He is only 23 and doing big things for the Dynamo this season. I expect him to move on to Europe when December comes. Reminds me in many ways of the young Christian Vieri at Juventus. Thoughts?
how many goals does he have? I mean this guy is older than Boyd and Altidore. He could be our 4th or 5th string guy I suppose.
Older than Boyd by a year and 4 months, and older than Altidore by 2 weeks. Is his age really working against him?
yeah. it is. he has lesser abilities than those other two players. he is already behind 2 other players. I mean doesnt mean he wont get called up. He could get a chance.
It will be interesting to follow. So far he is the best striker in the Playoffs. If he can help eliminate SKC and then do something in the Eastern Conference Finals... ...that may open some eyes even more.
Can we all agree that the Austria League is below the MLS? Also, I disagree with the lesser abilities. He seems to be a better finisher actually. And I am not entirely convinced scoring goals in MLS is that easy (or easier than say in Holland) judging by how Di Vaio and Henry performed.
I think the Austrian league is on par. I think the top two or three teams would do very well in MLS. But I think MLS teams are on par with the austrian league.
Nesta could not keep up with the MLS this season. He said the players are "beasts" athletically speaking.
It's tough to judge MLS by looking at some of the superstars who have played here. Some have been outstanding, others distinctly mediocre. I mean when he's been fully healthy, Thierry Henry is hands-down the best player in MLS without any question. But Nesta on the form he's shown this season would honestly not start on half the clubs in the league. (And the management of Montreal seems to have gone completely gaga for names and style and seemingly disregards substance, a syndrome which will haunt them for some time if I'm right.) Back to Bruin: He's been one of the better forwards in the league this year. Certainly one of the best American forwards this year. He's athletic and has a real nose for goal. I do consider him a good candidate for the Gold Cup squad next year if he keeps up his level of play, as well as the January Camp if Klinsmann holds the "traditional" Camp Cupcake (though he's hinted that he's looking to change that).
Bruin came into the league as a big, strong kid who was good in the air and has great goal-scoring instincts - witness the chop-step he took before the finish yesterday. That's not taught. What he lacked was any sort of passing ability, an understanding of center forward tactics (where to be and when), and strength with his back to goal. He's improved the first aspect immensely, the second sufficiently, and the third a bit. So yes, lots of natural ability and an apparent willingness to work on his weaknesses. Lots to like about him. (This summer I drunkenly predicted he'd score 200 pro goals, by the way. He's got 178 to go...)
I honestly think the golden Mexican generations will do wonders to raise the bar for MLS teams competing in CCL. Dynamo will play Santos Laguna in March (Peralta and Gomez). And I would not be too surprised actually if Monterrey goes all the way in the FIFA WC if they can get Jesus Zavala back from injury in time. They also have NT players Severo Meza, Reyna, De Nigris, Mier, Orozco and Chavez. I think they can beat Corinthians and have their own against Chelsea with a bit of luck. Mier was the central defender at the Olympics capable of keeping Neymar out of the game.
It's the 15th ranked league in UEFA, two spots behind Cyprus: http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2013.html You could debate the finishing, but Bruin certainly looks to have a better first touch. In fact, I still have a lot of doubt as to whether Boyd's technique is going to be good enough at the international level
I don't see him moving as he is not a NT player and Europe does not have a strong record of buying non-NT Americans out of MLS. He has the best technique base of the young American, MLS center forwards--Sapong, Bunbury, and McInerny.
The salaries of the Austrian league are about the same as those of MLS. Given the integration of the Austrian league into UEFA allowing for appropriate pricing and easier movement of labor, MLS is probably of a somewhat higher standard. Bruin looks to have the better technique.
Indeed I rate Bruin above all three at this point, though it's worth noting that Jack Mac is about 3 years younger.
I don't understand why. His salary is currently $90,000/year. Any team in Europe could get him on the cheap while they rather wait for his price tag to rise. Europe is full of mediocre South American players (I can't count how many Brazilians and Argentineans), but top North Americans, including top Mexicans, are greatly overlooked.
Bobo Vieri has not been known as the brightest bulb in socket. Will should be aghast at the comparison. PS. UEFA national rankings are based on clubs participating in the UEFA events. As such, Red Bull, Austria, Rapid spend somewhat to a "lot" more than an average A-BL club.