Ralston- Simply not good enough

[dcole]

I just finished re-watching the game and, wow, Ralston was just plain terrible all day. I didn't see one good touch from him. He had several opportunities to take the ball forward and was forced to stop and pass back because he's just too damn slow. He was bad on defense and absolutely unexcusably bad in transition and around the goal. He simply can't start for the US, and I would be surprised to see him ever start another game. I actually thought he played very well against Guatemala, but he was terrible against England and the Ticos. He really demonstrated the Ralston line on Saturday.

[SUDano]

I just finished re-watching the game and, wow, Ralston was just plain terrible all day. I didn't see one good touch from him. He had several opportunities to take the ball forward and was forced to stop and pass back because he's just too damn slow. He was bad on defense and absolutely unexcusably bad in transition and around the goal. He simply can't start for the US, and I would be surprised to see him ever start another game. I actually thought he played very well against Guatemala, but he was terrible against England and the Ticos. He really demonstrated the Ralston line on Saturday.

Yes he can start. You just answered your own question. When we play Guatamala and Pananamas he is a viable option but against better competition his skills, and speed should not be an option.

[dcole]

Why start Ralston as a "viable option" against teams we know we are going to beat? Why not experiment and give experience to someone who might actually be able to play against a decent opponent?

[PSsoccer123]

Why start Ralston as a "viable option" against teams we know we are going to beat? Why not experiment and give experience to someone who might actually be able to play against a decent opponent?
I agree, but that young talent is Gaven, and he's unavailable. Bease would play on the right if Eddie Lewis was available, but he isn't, so he'll play on the left. Dempsey is an option, but I'd rather see him in the middle, especially because I didn't think Zavagnin was very good. Basically, we have no right sided players, and Ralston is good against weak teams. Hopefully he won't play anymore after the Panama games as Gaven will hopefully be available, but it is an important game so I'd rather not give Gaven his first start in this magnitude of a game. I know we are likely to win, but if we win we are almost qualified, while if we lose it could lead to that uneasy time we had 4 years ago after a strong start.

[scaryice]

He's like Chris Klein: Good against Concacaf, but not good enough for the World Cup.

[m vann]

I won't say Ralston is or isn't good enough. But I will say that he is a player that will shrive is some systems and not in others. He's not necessarily a player that's multifunctionable. For one he's a player that I rank as a link player. He links the midfield to attack. Not a playmaker, but a player that can spring a pass forward and puts that recieving player into a situation where he can pass to an attacker on goal. Much like he does for NE. While he's used primarily on the wings for the US he is typically better when he pinches in a allows himself to hit a pass to a cutter or to a player overlapping. His crossing is decent he not to the level of Lewis or Beasley. The style that the Revs plays untilize his skills to the max. He can fit into Arena's plans but he must recongize how and when to use him effectively. Defense is also decent but he's much better if he's assigned to primarily close down an opponents attack. He gets into trouble if he's constantly trying to recover after being envoloved in the attack.

[Heathens '87]

He's like Chris Klein: Good against Concacaf, but not good enough for the World Cup.


....and there's nothing wrong with that. Steve can certainly help us qualify, and having depth has been key to our emergence as a team. He's getting time because we've consistently had midfielders out over the past 9 months, he's a crafty veteran, and he looks to attack.

He's limited, and that shows if the competition is better. Let's take him for what he is, and if he's on the pitch against Mexico in September, I'll be concerned. If he's out there against Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, etc.., he is more than serviceable.

[BenC1357]

Chris Klein is the answer to the right wing question. Klein is great against Concacaf. As far as a World Cup, we haven't figured that one out yet since he missed out on the last one due to injury. The man has been injury prone, both his ACL's were blown, and he is back. I promise come this time next year we will be seeing Klein in the Nats jersey preparing for the world cup.

[Heathens '87]

Klein is exactly the kind of player that could benefit from the Gold Cup and some playing time. He was with the nats a couple of time in '04, but it's a lot to ask of Arena to use qualifiers as an audition. The Gold Cup roster will be very telling..........

[kamikazepilot42]

Ralston might be fine in qualifiers and gold cup, but I'd rather see Arena trying some others, because I'd rather not see Ralston starting when World Cup rolls around a year from now.

[BlackLotus]

Klein is exactly the kind of player that could benefit from the Gold Cup and some playing time. He was with the nats a couple of time in '04, but it's a lot to ask of Arena to use qualifiers as an audition. The Gold Cup roster will be very telling..........
yeah, send klein and ralston to the gold cup.

honestly, i agree with the original post of this thread - ralston just doesn't cut it at the next level of international play. sure he has SOME skills, but every professional soccer player does. playing for the country demands more than that.
it's probably better off to let ralston enjoy his career with the Revs and just try to be a great MLS player, because that may be the most of his potential as a player

[TRUEAGGIE]

Reyna played very well on the right wing for Man City when SWP was injured.

[joe]

Having Ralston on the field made the first 35 minutes of the game almost unbearable to watch, after awhile acceptance finally set in...

[GOOOOOLZ]

I think Steven McBrown is the best option for that position, i hope Bruce will call him next time.....

[PaulGascoigne]

Reyna played very well on the right wing for Man City when SWP was injured.

Claudio is not going to be the RM for the USA in Germany. You will only be wasting your time if you suggest this as an option.

[PaulGascoigne]

I think Steven McBrown is the best option for that position, i hope Bruce will call him next time.....

Is this a McManemin reference?

[AShotByBalboa]

If Keller wouldn't have made that heroic save off the Costa Rica header, Ralston would have been punished for one of the largest defensive mistakes since Jeff Agoos and Mike Burns. He simply did not even go up for that header and let the guy from Costa Rica go right over him. That isn't even accepted in the MLS, but tolerated - and it is inexcusable for international soccer, especially when we're trying to qualify for a World Cup.

During the game, my brother and I thought of about 10 guys we'd rather see instead of Ralston - which includes Adu.

[GOOOOOLZ]

do you'll remember when he scored against Guatemala ? aha you must've been forgotten that ..... :o

[Eliezar]

I think Ralston is the actual Ralston line.

Currently he is first choice, but we have to get an improvement over him before Germany. I think he is a perfect example that you can be a premier MLS player and have players that do not perform as well in MLS be better options for the Nats.

[geordienation]

Chris Klein is the answer to the right wing question. Klein is great against Concacaf. As far as a World Cup, we haven't figured that one out yet since he missed out on the last one due to injury. The man has been injury prone, both his ACL's were blown, and he is back. I promise come this time next year we will be seeing Klein in the Nats jersey preparing for the world cup.


If we were playing a flat-4 midfield, I'd agree. But we're not and as a result Klein won't see the field in Germany. He won't even be on the squad.

Assume for a second that Beasley, Lewis and Donovan are healthy, then the midfield configures like this:

---------------------------Beasley (free role)

Lewis ------- Donovan

--------- Ballwinner/Stopper (Mastro, for example)


The key for Klein is Lewis. If Lewis is healthy, he's on the field. He's got 65 caps to Klein's 16.

Which brings us back to Ralston. He's got the exact same problem. He played in Guatemala (and even scored), but if Beasley were available, he'd have been on the bench.

When Bruce wanted more offense, he pushed the LB up into the midfield (Convey). But realistically, on a neutral ground in the World Cup, he's gonna play more defensively, so that LB slot is going to go to someone bigger who's a more natural defender (hence the substitution of Heydude when we got up 2-0).

My guess is that either Ralston or Klein could make the roster, but neither would see any significant time. And there's a decent chance that the development of someone else or the healthy return of other players (see JOB) means that there's simply not a place for either one of them on the squad.

If the last World Cup taught us anything, it's that speed kills. Goodnight Ralston and Klein.