Getting a Cup of Joe: Gyau in Sweden

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by FirstStar, Feb 8, 2012.

  1. Ironkick14

    Ironkick14 Member+

    Sep 29, 2011
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm confused with what you are trying to say with the link to Beasley's wikipedia page. I knew all that. All you showed me was that by the time Beasley was 2 years older than Gyau is now, he was a solid contributor for a team that made a Cinderella run into the CL semis. They were not able to replicate that success, which likens them the FC Kobenhavn from a couple years ago or APOEL from this Spring. So, if Gyau can become a productive starter in the next two years, he will be, at the very least, in a similar place to Beasley. But Hoffenheim is better than Kobenhavn and APOEL, and as such I would say they are better than most if not all Cinderella teams the the Champions League.
     
  2. dsnipes1

    dsnipes1 Member

    Aug 12, 2005
    Those PSV teams under Hiddink that Beasley was a part of were far more than "a Cinderella" CL team. Did you watch PSV much from 2004-2006?
     
    wsmaugham repped this.
  3. Ironkick14

    Ironkick14 Member+

    Sep 29, 2011
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They were really good for the Eridivisie in 2004, still the league winner in 2005, not that great in 2006. Kinda like Kobenhavn in 2009-2011. APOEL was a little harsh. Maybe FC Basel is a better example of their 05 CL campaign, while 2009 Kobenhavn is a good example of thier 04 semifinal appearance.
    By Cinderella I don't necessarily mean a team like Gatt's Molde club making the semi, I mean they weren't a favorite to make it to that stage.
     
  4. JG

    JG Member+

    Jun 27, 1999
    Except for the making the semi part, I guess.

    I don't see how anyone could look at PSV's 2004/05 squad and compare them with the current Hoffenheim team (or some Copenhagen team) with a straight face.
     
    Hararea repped this.
  5. Deeneaus

    Deeneaus Member+

    Aug 29, 2007
    America/Deutschland
    Club:
    Arminia Bielefeld
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hiiiiiilllarious.
     
    wsmaugham, BarcaLover and ImaPuppy repped this.
  6. la torre

    la torre Member+

    Dec 27, 2008
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Wasn't Beasley starting for us in some of the world cup games in 2002? He was about the same age then as Gyau is now.

    Beasley was a dominant force for the national team when he was healthy and in form. It's a shame he was so fragile. It would be nice if Gyau ever gets to that level but he's got a long ways to go IMO.
     
    ImaPuppy repped this.
  7. BimmerBenz95

    BimmerBenz95 Member+

    Feb 24, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't know if Beasley at 19 would make it in a Bundealiga first team. Gyau just made the first team at Hoffenheim and he is just 19, I don't know if he will be as good as a healthy Beasley but Gyau has been developing in Germany and Hoffenheim will help him develop into his true potential he has a bright future ahead of him.
     
  8. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    On the one hand, that PSV side was quite good. Their semi-finals finish might not have been totally reflective of their talent level -- they had one of the easier paths to the semi-finals that I can remember, in terms of opposition that they had to finish above or knock out -- but there were some talented players on that squad. And Beasley scored some key goals and had some top notch performances for them.

    On the other hand, Beasley was never really much more than a role player/super-sub for them, and my recollection from reading through PSV forums at the time is that their fans didn't really project him as anything more than that or value his contributions at a similar level that they did the club's regular starters at the time. Which is partially to say that while I rate that PSV team higher than I do this Hoffenheim side, I wouldn't necessarily compare Gyau's club accomplishments unfavorably to Beasley's were he to earn a regular spot in Hoffenheim's lineup within the next two years.
     
  9. chalaron

    chalaron Member+

    Aug 15, 2006
    Baton Rouge, Louisia
    if anyone is bashing Beasley they are using CC '09 revisionist history. He has been an excellent player the vast majority of his career. Gyau has a lot of potential but Beasley's accomplishments at around the same age far surpass anything Gyau has done. Not knocking him, it's just fact.
     
  10. Matrim55

    Matrim55 Member+

    Aug 14, 2000
    Berkeley
    Club:
    Connecticut
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He was their leading CCL scorer that season, and was brought in as a direct replacement for Robben.

    We have to be the only fanbase that revises our own history downwards.
     
    Deeneaus, wsmaugham, BarcaLover and 4 others repped this.
  11. BimmerBenz95

    BimmerBenz95 Member+

    Feb 24, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  12. usry723

    usry723 Member+

    Aug 14, 2008
    Georgia, USA
    Club:
    Atlanta
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With all the PT he's getting this Summer he has to be at least a consistent sub this year right?
     
  13. BimmerBenz95

    BimmerBenz95 Member+

    Feb 24, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, especially if the rumors are true that Ryan Babel might leave.
     
  14. sakibomb523

    sakibomb523 Member+

    Oct 13, 2009
    Orange County
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What is his position vs Usami's. Who I think will have an edge over him when he gets back from the Olympics
     
  15. BimmerBenz95

    BimmerBenz95 Member+

    Feb 24, 2012
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gyau is a Left Winger.
     
  16. Balerion

    Balerion Member+

    Aug 5, 2006
    Roslindale, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In the past, I have seen Gyau do absolutely anything to avoid using his left foot. He is not going to become the player we hope he can be if he does not develop any ability to use his weak foot at all. I would like to see him improve in that regard this season. His explosiveness will always make him at least somewhat useful, but if he becomes a glorified one-trick pony, good teams will be able to contain him. No matter the physical ability, all attackers need to be able to keep defenders guessing at least a little bit.
     
    FirstStar repped this.
  17. KALM

    KALM Member+

    Oct 6, 2006
    Boston/Providence
    Believe me, I followed his spell at PSV and trotted out this stat plenty of times in defending him from criticism. And I knew I was going to get killed on here for "rewriting" history. But, take comfort in the fact that this is only one person's opinion based on memory, and as far as I can tell the weight of opinion on this forum is still on your side. Moreover, I do think Beasley played very well at PSV that season and deserved all of the praise he received at the time.

    But, the way I see it, whether or not Beasley was brought in to replace Robben, he never really earned that role. He only started a third of PSV's Champions League matches that season and started less than half of their league matches, for reasons unrelated to injury. The preferred front three were Jefferson Farfan, Park Ji Sung, and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, although Beasley wasn't too far behind in the rotation. After Park left, Beasley saw a bit more playing time the following season but still never really settled. People in this forum linked to PSV forums at the time and from what I could gather their fans were appreciative for some of the important goals he scored and valued his play, but they never really saw him as a key player and much preferred Farfan and Park in the lineup.

    Also, yeah Beasley jointly led the team in Champions League goals with 3 that season along with Philip Cocu (and one more in qualifying/play-offs for the tournament probably putting him ahead of Cocu, although I can't find a site that combines those two tables), but it's pretty rare for a leading scorer on a Champions League semi-finalist to score that few goals. It's a feather in his cap, but I wouldn't go overboard with that stat.

    Sorry for that detour, I'll bow out now.
     
    Hararea and Namdynamo repped this.
  18. robdawgie

    robdawgie Member

    Jun 1, 2009
    Indianapolis, IN
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Balerion, you're underestimating Gyau's speed and quickness. That in itself will give defenders fits.
     
  19. Scotty

    Scotty Member+

    Dec 15, 1999
    Toscana
    It's a bit of a surprise for me to read this.

    I haven't seen much of Gyau at all, but I never would have guessed this would be the case. Especially after reading all about the personal training that came from an ex-pro father and grandfather, and the stints at academies in Brazil starting from a young age:

    http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=575144&sec=us&root=us&cc=5901
     
  20. Ironkick14

    Ironkick14 Member+

    Sep 29, 2011
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good post. I would like to take this route too. I do not remember him or PSV as being as good as some are saying they were, but I could very well be wrong. Just my opinion. Regardless of any comparisons to Beasley, this is a Gyau thread, and he is currently in a very good place for his future.
     
  21. Ironkick14

    Ironkick14 Member+

    Sep 29, 2011
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Admittedly, I have only seen him in YNT competitions as well as 2 preseason friendlies this year, but I do distinctly remember this from the Olympic qualifying warmup game against Mexico. However, I did not see the same habit when I watched him in preseason this year.
     
  22. WondoSoWonderful

    May 3, 2012
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Yeah, so Van Bommel, Gomes, Ooijer, Park, Cocu, Affelay, and Farfan make a cinderella team? That cinderella team sounds like it would win a CL spot outright in a lot of leagues. Are you aware of what a cinderella team is?
     
  23. Ironkick14

    Ironkick14 Member+

    Sep 29, 2011
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Looking through 2012 eyes, sure. But none of those players were who they are today, which is why they were at PSV, and not clubs like Schalke, Man U, Barcelona, and Tottenham. Also, Cocu was already past his prime, which is why he was at PSV. But I already posted that cinderella might have been a little harsh, and that I meant they weren't a favorite to make the semis, not that it was a miracle they were even in the CL.
     
  24. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Hard to say.

    He got plenty of playing time last summer too.....................
     
    Martin Fischer repped this.
  25. Balerion

    Balerion Member+

    Aug 5, 2006
    Roslindale, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Gyau's speed is great and his quickness is even greater and yes, that's enough to give him fits. To be a game-changer at the highest levels, though, you need more than that. Fortunately, Gyau has technical skills -- he just has to keep developing the mental side of his game. His physical gifts can be a double-edged sword in terms of development. It is very tempting to rely on physical advantage when you have that kind of ability. I'm not someone who thinks that every single player is better off in Europe, but I think Gyau benefits from being abroad more than all but a few players.

    None of us get to see Gyau all that frequently, which is why I didn't make a definitive statement. Players at his age are inconsistent and can make big improvements in short time frames. He's good technically, so it's not like he's a Johann Smith or Quavas Kirk or anything close. But he loves to cut to his right and when defenders know that, they can compensate. He's so quick that he'll still beat guys, but he won't beat guys as often as he would if he kept them guessing.

    The good news is that Hoffenheim isn't handing him anything just because he's lightning quick. Gyau's going to have to earn it and I think he in particular will benefit from that situation.
     
    robdawgie repped this.

Share This Page