Knave
03 May 2005, 10:49 PM
Week 5 saw some exciting events including what might possibly be the greatest “goal” call since Andres Cantor hooked up with Sofia Vergara and blew out a lung. So in honor of Ray Hudson’s ability to turn, nay swirley a phrase, this weeks All American XI will be called the Absolutely 24 karat, put it on a silver plate, tie a yellow ribbon ‘round it…ah my grandmother in her rocking chair could ‘a put this one away edition.
The ‘Absolutely 24 Karat’ Award this week goes to Amano Guevara for scoring the hat trick (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_metcor_guevara_3goals_384.wmv) to get the Metrostars their first win of the season. While some think there is more to a good game than just goals, you’ve got to tip your hat (or throw it at his feet) to the Metro captain for getting his team back on track, maybe.
The ‘Put it on a Silver Plate’ Award is actually a tie. The services from Brian Mullan (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_sjersl_moreno_goal_384.wmv) and Marshall Leonard (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_cdcner_dempsey_goal_384.wmv) were perfect; and the goals resulting from them proved to be extremely important for both their teams. Check out the services and the goals on the MLS Sights and Sounds page and see for yourselves what truly great assists look like.
The ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round It’ Award goes to Justin Mapp for bringing his game home after a hiatus lasting since the end of last season. Mapp has proven himself to be a very promising youngster, but he has moments when everyone questions just how far he could go, including himself. This weekend saw him return to the “promising and talented” side of the argument with a very solid performance topped off with a great run and subsequent goal (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/partner/043005_smgotw_mapp_384.wmv). Fire fans hope he stays on that side for a long, long time.
And finally the ‘My Grandmother in her Rocking Chair Could ‘a Put This One Away’ Award goes to a build up that took almost as much imagination to put together as it must have taken to conjure up the above phrase. The build up leading to Jeff Cunningham’s goal in the dying minutes vs. the Metrostars was far more impressive than the actual finish. We hate to send you back to the MLS S&S page again, but it is definitely worth a look (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_metcor_cunningham_goal_384.wmv).
This Week’s AAXI :: 3-5-2
”El Guzano” (1)
You know that little worm at the bottom of the mezcal bottle? That’s right, the one you ate that night back in college because you thought it'd impress that blonde girl, only to realize the next day that you must have been really drunk to think any woman would be impressed by you eating an alcohol soaked worm. It's called a gusano. So it's one letter off. No matter. Brad Guzan will forever be known as The Worm, El Guzano. This week El Guzano makes his first appearance on the AAXI. Something clicked for this young man last week during the second half of the LA Derby. Since then his play has been superb. He deserved a clean sheet against the Revolution after again and again holding his ground and robbing his opponents of goal after goal. It was only in the closing minutes of the match that New England finally mustered the strength to beat El Guzano.
Michael Parkhurst (1)
They grow them right down there at Wake Forest. Last week it was Riley, and this week it's Parkhurst's turn in the list. The distinguishing characteristic of a good defender is his ability to read, anticipate, and react to the game faster than the players around him. As a rookie, Parkhurst is already ahead of his defensive teammates in this aspect of his game. He also has enough athleticism and skill to apply his smarts effectively. The Revs may finally have found themselves a defender.
Ugo Ihemelu (1)
Admit it. When Steve Sampson picked this guy you said “here it is, the 3-6-1 circus has come to town!” It’s a long way from that to the AAXI, but this week the Galaxy rookie from made the cut with his fine performance against Dallas. The dual citizen of Nigeria and the USA (Bruce, cap him now!) held down the center of defense with the help of the experienced Marshall, and sent one of the most potent offensive lines in MLS home without a goal. The performance also left many of us with the uncomfortable thought that maybe Steve Sampson actually knows what he’s doing.
Tim Regan (1)
We at the AAXI are suckers for rookies who get thrown to the wolves and still manage to play a first rate game. Okay, so the Colorado Rapids aren’t exactly wolves, more like Scottish Terriers or some other similar but equally annoying breed. Nonetheless, Regan won this week’s "playing over his head" award by stepping into a decimated, inexperienced group of Metros defenders (who almost certainly had never played as a unit before, perhaps not even in practice), and helping to hold the Rapids to a single last minute goal. With his steady and composed play Regan distinguished himself as the best of the group. He even made the highlight reel with a truly wacky goal-line clearance.
Clint Dempsey (2)
Is this guy gonna be listed here every week? In the midweek he had a typical Dempsey game: tracking back on defense, finding his teammates to give them the ball, pressuring Chicago players, making surging runs right up the field (both with and without the ball), scoring goals, and setting up his teammates for goals. Then in the weekend match, with a signature Clint Dempsey diving header, he stole the game from the otherwise indomitable Guzan. It all comes down to this: unless you’re a Revs fan, Dempsey can kill your dreams in so many different ways.
Justin Mapp (1)
Long considered one to watch, last week the Fire midfielder put in two performances that suggest he’s finally made the transition to one to watch right now. Mapp figured dangerously against the Revs, and should have had at least one, perhaps even two assists. That effort was, unfortunately, unsupported by the rest of his Fire teammates. But on Saturday he lifted his team to a victory against Columbus with his pinpoint passing and electric runs. His finest moment of the night was firing off the game winning shot at the end of an amazing slalom run to beat half a dozen Crew defenders. And he should have had a second one, but it just nicked off the post. Once again, the Mapp has shown the way. (Yeah, bad pun. Won’t happen again. Sorry.)
Cobi Jones (2)
The ageless midfielder. I’m telling you now, he’s the New Preki. A dreadlocked Preki. That’s what he is. He’s even got those cut-back shenanigans going on every once in a while. Perhaps it’s that Landon Donovan voodoo, but Cobi’s been playing his best soccer in years the last few weeks. Against Dallas he set up Landon’s game winning goal and he should have had a few more assists if not for poor finishing by his teammates. Rumor out of Carson is that the Dallas left back showed up at a local hospital for burn treatment after being torched so often by Old Man Cobi.
Brian Mullan (1)
In the 80th minute of the match Brian Mullan went racing down the right side of the field, and with three Salt Lake defenders in front of him, slotted a perfect cross to Alejandro Moreno for the game tying goal. No other wide midfielder in MLS scares defenders like Brian Mullan. As the Real Salt Lake defenders learned the hard way, Mullan breaks down his mark over the course of a game to the point where all a defender can do is give Mullan space and hope (often in vain) that he isn't made to look like an ass.
Eddie Gaven (1)
Guevara can keep his hat trick. Gaven's early passing won the game for the MetroStars. A perfect through ball to Magee led to the penalty and Guevara's first goal. A dangerous low cross made it through to Guevara to set up his second. Gaven missed his own golden chance for bit of glory when his low curling shot hit the near post. The Metros were a completely different team with the young player feeding passes through the midfield. He reads space well and for some reason always knows where his opponent’s defense is vulnerable. As it is right now, he's still rusty and not quite match fit. Just imagine what he might do to your team's defense when he's firing on all cylinders.
Landon Donovan (2)
Early in the match Donovan set the tone for the Galaxy by creating several dangerous chances before neatly putting one away before the tenth minute ticked off the clock. He could have had a second goal if not for a chintzy foul that ultimately had no bearing on the play, and probably could have had an assist or two from his excellent free kicks. With his speed and composure he's simply a little too much for most defenders in this league. Just ask Clarence Goodson.
Jason Kreis (1)
Look up wily old veteran in the dictionary. There he is. The MLS all-time leading scorer did exactly what he had to do, and that made all the difference. Without Jason Kreis on the field Real Salt Lake would have lost its game. He is precisely the kind of player that an expansion team needs, and without his example and leadership Real would be half the team it currently is. There will be complaints that his penalty kick goal was nearly saved, and that the other bounced around like a pinball before finding net, but Kreis has shown over his MLS career that such goals aren't accidents when he's the one shooting.
Plus One
Referee Ben Jones (1)
Anytime you praise a referee you’re probably going to confront some dissenting opinion. That’s just the way it goes with referees. So it wasn’t unexpected when one of the AAXI contributors called the Real – Earthquakes match one of the worst refereed games he’d ever seen. The dissenter even voiced the opinion that Ben Jones shouldn’t referee another MLS game ever. Nonetheless, the consensus opinion was that Ben Jones handled his first ever center assignment in MLS with great aplomb. The game was full of wonderful one-touch, flowing football with attacks and counterattacks coming fast and furious. Jones let the players play, and refrained from calling niggling, inconsequential fouls. He was consistent and spot on with his penalty call. When Mathis and Clark tried to get in his face and intimidate him late in the game, he stood his ground and kept control. MLS refereeing has got a bad name and it's not surprising with the performances we've seen from some of the guys in the center so far this season. But if Jones is representative of a new batch of young referees working their way into the mix, then perhaps the future of MLS refereeing is looking up. But just maybe that dissenting AAXI contributor has one thing right. Perhaps Jones shouldn’t referee another MLS game. It’s a rare day that people heap praise on a referee, and after the high praise Jones received this week you’ve gotta wonder if he’s not better off quitting while he’s ahead.
__________________
The AAXI Week 4 contributors are andrewt14, Casper, Chicago1871, fidlerre, jasoncox, Knave, Nutmeg, ur_land, voros, wjarrettc, and zcgf02.
Header by Chicago1871
List compiled and edited by Knave (with input from all the AAXI contributors).
The ‘Absolutely 24 Karat’ Award this week goes to Amano Guevara for scoring the hat trick (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_metcor_guevara_3goals_384.wmv) to get the Metrostars their first win of the season. While some think there is more to a good game than just goals, you’ve got to tip your hat (or throw it at his feet) to the Metro captain for getting his team back on track, maybe.
The ‘Put it on a Silver Plate’ Award is actually a tie. The services from Brian Mullan (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_sjersl_moreno_goal_384.wmv) and Marshall Leonard (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_cdcner_dempsey_goal_384.wmv) were perfect; and the goals resulting from them proved to be extremely important for both their teams. Check out the services and the goals on the MLS Sights and Sounds page and see for yourselves what truly great assists look like.
The ‘Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round It’ Award goes to Justin Mapp for bringing his game home after a hiatus lasting since the end of last season. Mapp has proven himself to be a very promising youngster, but he has moments when everyone questions just how far he could go, including himself. This weekend saw him return to the “promising and talented” side of the argument with a very solid performance topped off with a great run and subsequent goal (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/partner/043005_smgotw_mapp_384.wmv). Fire fans hope he stays on that side for a long, long time.
And finally the ‘My Grandmother in her Rocking Chair Could ‘a Put This One Away’ Award goes to a build up that took almost as much imagination to put together as it must have taken to conjure up the above phrase. The build up leading to Jeff Cunningham’s goal in the dying minutes vs. the Metrostars was far more impressive than the actual finish. We hate to send you back to the MLS S&S page again, but it is definitely worth a look (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1503/11504/v0001/mlbmls.download.akamai.com/11504/2005/open/topplays/archive04/043005_metcor_cunningham_goal_384.wmv).
This Week’s AAXI :: 3-5-2
”El Guzano” (1)
You know that little worm at the bottom of the mezcal bottle? That’s right, the one you ate that night back in college because you thought it'd impress that blonde girl, only to realize the next day that you must have been really drunk to think any woman would be impressed by you eating an alcohol soaked worm. It's called a gusano. So it's one letter off. No matter. Brad Guzan will forever be known as The Worm, El Guzano. This week El Guzano makes his first appearance on the AAXI. Something clicked for this young man last week during the second half of the LA Derby. Since then his play has been superb. He deserved a clean sheet against the Revolution after again and again holding his ground and robbing his opponents of goal after goal. It was only in the closing minutes of the match that New England finally mustered the strength to beat El Guzano.
Michael Parkhurst (1)
They grow them right down there at Wake Forest. Last week it was Riley, and this week it's Parkhurst's turn in the list. The distinguishing characteristic of a good defender is his ability to read, anticipate, and react to the game faster than the players around him. As a rookie, Parkhurst is already ahead of his defensive teammates in this aspect of his game. He also has enough athleticism and skill to apply his smarts effectively. The Revs may finally have found themselves a defender.
Ugo Ihemelu (1)
Admit it. When Steve Sampson picked this guy you said “here it is, the 3-6-1 circus has come to town!” It’s a long way from that to the AAXI, but this week the Galaxy rookie from made the cut with his fine performance against Dallas. The dual citizen of Nigeria and the USA (Bruce, cap him now!) held down the center of defense with the help of the experienced Marshall, and sent one of the most potent offensive lines in MLS home without a goal. The performance also left many of us with the uncomfortable thought that maybe Steve Sampson actually knows what he’s doing.
Tim Regan (1)
We at the AAXI are suckers for rookies who get thrown to the wolves and still manage to play a first rate game. Okay, so the Colorado Rapids aren’t exactly wolves, more like Scottish Terriers or some other similar but equally annoying breed. Nonetheless, Regan won this week’s "playing over his head" award by stepping into a decimated, inexperienced group of Metros defenders (who almost certainly had never played as a unit before, perhaps not even in practice), and helping to hold the Rapids to a single last minute goal. With his steady and composed play Regan distinguished himself as the best of the group. He even made the highlight reel with a truly wacky goal-line clearance.
Clint Dempsey (2)
Is this guy gonna be listed here every week? In the midweek he had a typical Dempsey game: tracking back on defense, finding his teammates to give them the ball, pressuring Chicago players, making surging runs right up the field (both with and without the ball), scoring goals, and setting up his teammates for goals. Then in the weekend match, with a signature Clint Dempsey diving header, he stole the game from the otherwise indomitable Guzan. It all comes down to this: unless you’re a Revs fan, Dempsey can kill your dreams in so many different ways.
Justin Mapp (1)
Long considered one to watch, last week the Fire midfielder put in two performances that suggest he’s finally made the transition to one to watch right now. Mapp figured dangerously against the Revs, and should have had at least one, perhaps even two assists. That effort was, unfortunately, unsupported by the rest of his Fire teammates. But on Saturday he lifted his team to a victory against Columbus with his pinpoint passing and electric runs. His finest moment of the night was firing off the game winning shot at the end of an amazing slalom run to beat half a dozen Crew defenders. And he should have had a second one, but it just nicked off the post. Once again, the Mapp has shown the way. (Yeah, bad pun. Won’t happen again. Sorry.)
Cobi Jones (2)
The ageless midfielder. I’m telling you now, he’s the New Preki. A dreadlocked Preki. That’s what he is. He’s even got those cut-back shenanigans going on every once in a while. Perhaps it’s that Landon Donovan voodoo, but Cobi’s been playing his best soccer in years the last few weeks. Against Dallas he set up Landon’s game winning goal and he should have had a few more assists if not for poor finishing by his teammates. Rumor out of Carson is that the Dallas left back showed up at a local hospital for burn treatment after being torched so often by Old Man Cobi.
Brian Mullan (1)
In the 80th minute of the match Brian Mullan went racing down the right side of the field, and with three Salt Lake defenders in front of him, slotted a perfect cross to Alejandro Moreno for the game tying goal. No other wide midfielder in MLS scares defenders like Brian Mullan. As the Real Salt Lake defenders learned the hard way, Mullan breaks down his mark over the course of a game to the point where all a defender can do is give Mullan space and hope (often in vain) that he isn't made to look like an ass.
Eddie Gaven (1)
Guevara can keep his hat trick. Gaven's early passing won the game for the MetroStars. A perfect through ball to Magee led to the penalty and Guevara's first goal. A dangerous low cross made it through to Guevara to set up his second. Gaven missed his own golden chance for bit of glory when his low curling shot hit the near post. The Metros were a completely different team with the young player feeding passes through the midfield. He reads space well and for some reason always knows where his opponent’s defense is vulnerable. As it is right now, he's still rusty and not quite match fit. Just imagine what he might do to your team's defense when he's firing on all cylinders.
Landon Donovan (2)
Early in the match Donovan set the tone for the Galaxy by creating several dangerous chances before neatly putting one away before the tenth minute ticked off the clock. He could have had a second goal if not for a chintzy foul that ultimately had no bearing on the play, and probably could have had an assist or two from his excellent free kicks. With his speed and composure he's simply a little too much for most defenders in this league. Just ask Clarence Goodson.
Jason Kreis (1)
Look up wily old veteran in the dictionary. There he is. The MLS all-time leading scorer did exactly what he had to do, and that made all the difference. Without Jason Kreis on the field Real Salt Lake would have lost its game. He is precisely the kind of player that an expansion team needs, and without his example and leadership Real would be half the team it currently is. There will be complaints that his penalty kick goal was nearly saved, and that the other bounced around like a pinball before finding net, but Kreis has shown over his MLS career that such goals aren't accidents when he's the one shooting.
Plus One
Referee Ben Jones (1)
Anytime you praise a referee you’re probably going to confront some dissenting opinion. That’s just the way it goes with referees. So it wasn’t unexpected when one of the AAXI contributors called the Real – Earthquakes match one of the worst refereed games he’d ever seen. The dissenter even voiced the opinion that Ben Jones shouldn’t referee another MLS game ever. Nonetheless, the consensus opinion was that Ben Jones handled his first ever center assignment in MLS with great aplomb. The game was full of wonderful one-touch, flowing football with attacks and counterattacks coming fast and furious. Jones let the players play, and refrained from calling niggling, inconsequential fouls. He was consistent and spot on with his penalty call. When Mathis and Clark tried to get in his face and intimidate him late in the game, he stood his ground and kept control. MLS refereeing has got a bad name and it's not surprising with the performances we've seen from some of the guys in the center so far this season. But if Jones is representative of a new batch of young referees working their way into the mix, then perhaps the future of MLS refereeing is looking up. But just maybe that dissenting AAXI contributor has one thing right. Perhaps Jones shouldn’t referee another MLS game. It’s a rare day that people heap praise on a referee, and after the high praise Jones received this week you’ve gotta wonder if he’s not better off quitting while he’s ahead.
__________________
The AAXI Week 4 contributors are andrewt14, Casper, Chicago1871, fidlerre, jasoncox, Knave, Nutmeg, ur_land, voros, wjarrettc, and zcgf02.
Header by Chicago1871
List compiled and edited by Knave (with input from all the AAXI contributors).