footyfan1
20 Feb 2006, 01:56 PM
I'm back! Seriously, guys, thanks for tolerating me here. I saw the Dortmund game this weekend. I watched the first 60 minutes fairly closely; I concede that I was sometimes distracted in the last 30 minutes, and may have missed something.
Odonkor as a diver: he fell and someone got a yellow card (I forget who; Schulz?). The replay was inconclusive. One could make the argument that the Bremen player's feet got tangled up with Odonkor's legs (although that was not clear), and one could also make the argument that if that was the case, it was nowhere near enough to cause Odonkor to fall rather spectacularly (although that was not clear). On balance, I don't think the incident reasonably supports my position, in large part because I thought he played fairly at other times in the game.
Odonkor as a player: again, I saw a very limited player. His sole repertoire consists of running quickly after balls kicked down the wing, and then attempting to get in a cross. I did not see him add anything else to the Dortmund game plan. What makes him a useful player is that he does do the kick and run stuff effectively. One thing I noticed (and I can't believe I didn't pick up on this before, because the evidence is stark) is that he falls down on every single cross. He never stays on his feet. What kind of technique is that? Whatever it is, I consider it a total breakdown. His crossing is acceptable now; imagine if he'd ever learn to cross without sliding/lunging/tripping at the ball. I can't imagine that he can be as accurate as he wants to be with this technique.
A few comments on some actual plays that I saw. He had a gift wrapped opportunity in the first half where he went alone on the GK with Smolarek as an option on a square pass, and his skills totally betrayed him and he essentially toe-poked a cross right to the keeper. On one play, he put in a cross and went sliding out of the play; the ball was cleared right to him, but because he was on the ground, the defender was able to easily gather and clear. And this might seem small, but on a throw, the Dortmund player clearly wanted to throw the ball to Odonkor's feet, and Odonkor did not want the ball at his feet; he just kept on pointing, presumably to say, "Throw it down the field and I'll chase it down." It's like he doesn't trust his ability to trap and hold a ball.
100% correct. Again, I never said he was star, I said he was a hell of a lot better than he was when you labeled him.
Odonkor as a diver: he fell and someone got a yellow card (I forget who; Schulz?). The replay was inconclusive. One could make the argument that the Bremen player's feet got tangled up with Odonkor's legs (although that was not clear), and one could also make the argument that if that was the case, it was nowhere near enough to cause Odonkor to fall rather spectacularly (although that was not clear). On balance, I don't think the incident reasonably supports my position, in large part because I thought he played fairly at other times in the game.
Odonkor as a player: again, I saw a very limited player. His sole repertoire consists of running quickly after balls kicked down the wing, and then attempting to get in a cross. I did not see him add anything else to the Dortmund game plan. What makes him a useful player is that he does do the kick and run stuff effectively. One thing I noticed (and I can't believe I didn't pick up on this before, because the evidence is stark) is that he falls down on every single cross. He never stays on his feet. What kind of technique is that? Whatever it is, I consider it a total breakdown. His crossing is acceptable now; imagine if he'd ever learn to cross without sliding/lunging/tripping at the ball. I can't imagine that he can be as accurate as he wants to be with this technique.
A few comments on some actual plays that I saw. He had a gift wrapped opportunity in the first half where he went alone on the GK with Smolarek as an option on a square pass, and his skills totally betrayed him and he essentially toe-poked a cross right to the keeper. On one play, he put in a cross and went sliding out of the play; the ball was cleared right to him, but because he was on the ground, the defender was able to easily gather and clear. And this might seem small, but on a throw, the Dortmund player clearly wanted to throw the ball to Odonkor's feet, and Odonkor did not want the ball at his feet; he just kept on pointing, presumably to say, "Throw it down the field and I'll chase it down." It's like he doesn't trust his ability to trap and hold a ball.
100% correct. Again, I never said he was star, I said he was a hell of a lot better than he was when you labeled him.