"Local product Steven Beitashour hopes to make his mark with San Jose Earthquakes" (Saturday, 4/17/10) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Beta was great on Saturday. He looked very cool and composed the whole match. He's not perfect, got a ways to go, but he deserves more minutes and he's only going to get better. Wow! I thought he was a decent signing when we picked him because he plays RB and RM, where we need some help. Also, we knew that Frank and John were high on him, so I was hoping that they knew he was good. He's way better than I was hoping or expecting. Good on ya Beta!! Go Quakes!! 2-1-0 so far!!! - Mark
after the last game vs NE, BETA is now my favorite player!! I hope it isn't too late to jump on board!! FY/JD, job well done in getting young guys that can compete with last year's starters.
I'm high off Beta. He's playing so well. Unfortunately, he will probably have some dry spots in his Quakes career just like everybody, but let us not forget how well he's done in the beginning! He's quality!
I have been critical of many of FY and JD's decisions since '08. Their drafting Beta was not one of them. Many others on these boards were very critical of the choice. I thought that he played a position of need, and that they had seen him play and requested that he be in the draft. So I was pretty sure that he wouldn't suck. Frank and John had a good draft, no a Great Draft, this year. Opara and Beta are ready to start now, Morrow at least provides some depth. Ring will be ready to go in the next few weeks. Sure they drafted him the year before, but they didn't give up on him, to their credit. Thomas has gone to Scandinavia, but clearly, he had some skills or he wouldn't have caught on there. (They couldn't have known that he would get a call from a Scandinavian club after they drafted him.) So I was hopeful before the start of the season. But then in the last few preseason games I saw that Sanchez was on the bench, that we were starting Corrales at left back, that Convey remained in the starting eleven. So I became concerned. Then we really stunk up TheShaw on opening day. So I feared the worst. This past Saturday gives me hope, but I still expect a terrible season with lots of crazy, head-scratching moves by Frank and JD to come. Go Quakes!! - Mark
Go Beta Go!!!! Team of the Week: Goalkeeper: Bouna Coundoul (Red Bull New York); Defenders: Steve Beitashour (San Jose), Wilman Conde (Chicago), Omar Gonzalez (L.A. Galaxy), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado (Seattle), Roy Miller (Red Bull New York). Midfielders: Stephane Auvray (Kansas City), Chris Birchall (Los Angeles), Lovel Palmer (Houston). Forwards: Edson Buddle (Los Angeles), Brian McBride (Chicago Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/steve_davis/04/19/davis.mlsweek4/index.html#ixzz0lfkpgObG
It's good to see Beta getting some love from the press. Zaher, Mike Zaher. And we should still have him because he plays Left Defender, whilst Beta plays Right Defender! It was Jamil Roberts we dumped for Beta. See, Beta's so good, you even forgot who we had ditched for him. Go Quakes!! - Mark
What are you talking about?! Where do we come up with this stuff?! Jamil went to SCU. He was drafted by FCKD, then traded to us. What Academy?! We don't have an academy! Not yet anyway. Go Quakes!! - Mark
Id have a hard time with it if he represented Iran at this time (or the foreseeable future). Not out of any hate for Iran, or Iranians, but because he would be representing a ruling regime that is incredibly repressive. It would just bother me, if someone in America could look past that. Again, it would be a different story if he came over at like 10 years old, or if there was a more moderate regime in charge. And I certainly wouldn't begrudge him of feelings kinship and solidarity or being proud of his Iranian heritage. But sport is often used by nationalistic movements for its own ends, and I'm not sure how as an American you could look past the state of political life in Iran at this time.
In the abstract, I dont think its weird. There is probably a strong ethnic link in the family to the old culture, and playing for the national team is an expression of that. As just an idea with no action, I have 0 problem. I am disappointed with anyone who actually makes that choice and suits up for another, but c'est la vie. I'm ok with Arturo playing for El Salvador, even if he was (more then he was at the time) in the US picture. Just in this case, given the current ruling regime and its record with its own civilians (and Im completely setting aside US-Iranian tensions) I just have a hard time accepting such a decision as one I can respect.
The change of Beta getting a call up from the Iranian Nats is probably very close to zero. They have their own professional and developmental leagues. They have guys playing in Euro leagues. They won't be looking at Steve, sorry. This really isn't an issue, so let's not make it one. The big question here is how will Beta do this weekend? My guess is that his speed helps us on the backline, he combines better with Gjoey and André Luiz than last week, and cements his place in our starting eleven even more securely. I am so looking forward to this match!! Go Quakes!! 2-1-0 so far!!!! - Mark
I didn't want to make it seem like it was likely. And I totally understand why Steve and his family would at least toy with the idea. Again, I have don't problem with the nation and its people (just its government). I just found the idea of losing a player to Iran under its current regime a discomforting one, and just shared the thoughts regarding that. Just playing with a hypothetical, and your right, there really is nothing to see here, and things should probably move on. Edit: On a play related note, I think you could make an argument that Beitashour would have been able to prevent the second and third goals RSL scored in the home opener, as well as avoided a red card. More then once in the last two games Ive seen him use his speed to dip in behind the centerbacks and beat the forward to the ball. I think you could argue that had it been Beta at right back, he would have beated Espindola to one or possibly both through balls.
Well, he's still a fairly young guy, and it's not out of the question that he might be playing in Europe one day. But if his career is really going to wind up on that kind of trajectory, it's more likely that he'd get a call-up from U.S. Nats, and he'd probably not want to turn that down.
Lets see if Beta can stay up w/ Kevin Alston of NE as we go forward. IMO, Alston will be a good measuring stick for Beta.