Article on Brian West

[keller4president]

Good article at espn.com on the resurgence of Brian West in the Norwegian League.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=361308&root=americansabroad&cc=5901

Turns out Arena was interested in inviting him to camp in January, but unfortunately he wasn't healthy enough at the time. I would have liked to see how he stacked up against Wolff and Twellman as far as the forward position goes. If I remember correctly, Jen Chang had West on her initial 23-man roster last October.

Does anyone know anything this guy's game?

[VTSoccerFan]

Thanks for the notes on the article. When I first saw the article yesterday I saw the "Updated: Sep. 19, 2005" at the top and decided not to read it. I figured that ESPN had made a mistake and reposted an old article.

by the way, Jen Chang is a man.

[VTSoccerFan]

Here are some Yanks Abroad articles on Brian:

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=yax&id=000271


http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=000996

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=000310


http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=000297


http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=000259

Hope this helps. You can probably find even more on yanks-abroad.com

[tab5g]

Good article at espn.com on the resurgence of Brian West in the Norwegian League.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=361308&root=americansabroad&cc=5901

Turns out Arena was interested in inviting him to camp in January, but unfortunately he wasn't healthy enough at the time. I would have liked to see how he stacked up against Wolff and Twellman as far as the forward position goes. If I remember correctly, Jen Chang had West on her initial 23-man roster last October.

Does anyone know anything this guy's game?

His game is highly reliant on his speed. Had he been born 10 years earlier, you could have considered him a less-skilled Cobi Jones (and you really still can think of him in that way if you want to).

And for his career he's never done anything to truly warrant a spot with the USMNT, as the competition and level of skill required for success at the international level has passed him by, or never really was in West's arsenal to begin with.

West was passed last cycle by a handful of players, chief among them the quickly emerging DMB in '01-'02. (Beasely was busy tearing it up with the Fire, while West was having a difficult time making a great and strong impression with the Crew). sort of how a player like Kyle Martino is getting pipped this cycle by a guy like Clint Dempsey.

[ursula]

If we made an unholy combination of West and Noonan, I'd be happy. And he'd be really really rich. :)

I'm all for unholy combos.

[Bill Archer]

Nothing like an unholy combination.

Look, it's simple: Westie's problem was largely the same as Martino's: he came out of college and was tossed out on the pitch by an idiot who had no clue how to help him develop or teach him what to do.

Indeed, in Westies' last couple of years in CBus, he was part of what the President of Everton said, in relation to how the Crew used McBride, was "an appalling scheme" run by a coach that Ante Razov famously called "an idiot" to his face.

Westie is a good right side player who is tougher than DMB and can actually play a little defense. I think the main problem now, in terms of USMNT consideration, is that he's not exactly playing in the Bundesliga. I'm not surprised that Arena keeps in touch.

Westie is a class act.

[ussoccerFan12358]

i'm a pretty serious usmnt fan, but i'd never heard of this guy 'till i saw the article on soccernet. Could he still make the team?

[Zeppelin]

Will he be called-up for the Germany friendly ?

[Sandon Mibut]

[CENTER]I'm all for unholy combos.Everyone knows pig and elephant DNA just don't mix!

[BED-STYPUNDIT]

Nothing like an unholy combination.

Look, it's simple: Westie's problem was largely the same as Martino's: he came out of college and was tossed out on the pitch by an idiot who had no clue how to help him develop or teach him what to do.

Indeed, in Westies' last couple of years in CBus, he was part of what the President of Everton said, in relation to how the Crew used McBride, was "an appalling scheme" run by a coach that Ante Razov famously called "an idiot" to his face.

Westie is a good right side player who is tougher than DMB and can actually play a little defense. I think the main problem now, in terms of USMNT consideration, is that he's not exactly playing in the Bundesliga. I'm not surprised that Arena keeps in touch.

Westie is a class act.

He is, but don't discount Beasley's toughness and ability to play defense himself. It is a little strong to call Gregg A an "idiot", but you know, why the way he handled West, Martino and lastly Danny Scetala in the last few years, I am leading to that belief.

[Scoobs]

Unfortunately for West his league is a summer league like
MLS and so he won't available for the stateside camps.

On a personal note I'm really impressed that he used
his Generation Adidas(or whatever it was called when
Nike sponsored) education stipend to pick up a
comp sci degree while at Ohio State in his spare
time.

[BED-STYPUNDIT]

Unfortunately for West his league is a summer league like
MLS and so he won't available for the stateside camps.

On a personal note I'm really impressed that he used
his Generation Adidas(or whatever it was called when
Nike sponsored) education stipend to pick up a
comp sci degree while at Ohio State in his spare
time.

Nike Project 40, and yup, depsite this, his league is going to on simutaneously, so sadly, he may stiil never get that second chance with the Nats team like he is trying to fully earn now.

[Scoobs]

He is, but don't discount Beasley's toughness and ability to play defense himself. It is a little strong to call Gregg A an "idiot", but you know, why the way he handled West, Martino and lastly Danny Scetala in the last few years, I am leading to that belief.

Adrulis did win a Supporter's Shield with the Crew, but as
with Barry Switzer of Dallas Cowboys fame, the skills
needed to run a sophisticated professional program
long term were lacking.

And that was the weakest Supporter's Shield team ever.

[BED-STYPUNDIT]

Adrulis did win a Supporter's Shield with the Crew, but as
with Barry Switzer of Dallas Cowboys fame, the skills
needed to run a sophisticated professional program
long term were lacking.

And that was the weakest Supporter's Shield team ever.

Agreed, the only real good coaching development he made was the development of Jon Busch.

[TrueCrew]

I agree w/ Bill. West is a good two way right winger. He's short and VERY fast. I mean, very, very, very fast. He hustles and will get back on defense.
He's not overly tall, (5'9" ish?), so not much good in the air.

In response to earlier posts, I don't really see how DMB passed him by, as one plays on the left, the other on the right. Clearly, DMB has developed faster and is the better player.

I would like to see him get called in for the Germany game. The article seems to say he is healthy now, and the Norwegian league does not start untill April, so why not? It's not like we have a glut of right wingers. Especially if Noonan can't go, let Dempsey start on the right, and let Westie get a late run on.

[Sandon Mibut]

Look, it's simple: Westie's problem was largely the same as Martino's: he came out of college and was tossed out on the pitch by an idiot who had no clue how to help him develop or teach him what to do.Are you calling Tom Fitzgerald an idiot? Because he was West's coach for the first three-plus seasons of his pro career

Fitzgerald may very well be an idiot, but I'm just pointing out that West's development can't be all blamed on Anclueless, because he only played for him for slightly less than half of his MLS career.

Granted, it was under Anclueless that he lost his love for the game, but the developmental issues aren't all on Greg.

[Tony in Quakeland]

...you could have considered him a less-skilled Cobi Jones ...Ouch! What he ever do to you?

[Bill Archer]

Yes, and in 2000, as a 20 year old who should have been in college, Fitz last full year, West scored 6 goals and had six assists. In 2002, Zippy the Pinhead's first full year, as a 22 year old with four years professional experience, West scored one goal and had two assists in about the same number of minutes.

[ursula]

Yeah, under Andrulis, West's career went backwards. Fitz wasn't Einstein but West was developing under him. It would be very cool if he plays in the Germany game and we see the dynamic player we thought was developing but didn't in Columbus blow us away as he earns a spot on the team.

As a side note once again, it's just amazing what happened to our right winger depth. Unlike left back it's not like we haven't seen some mighty promising youngsters. We SHOULD be set at the position but Olsen ruined his ankle and West got Andrulised. Two of the brightest young talents at the end of the 90's... if those two had stayed on course we wouldn't be talking about Ralston or Klein or Noonan, taking a flyer on Quaranta, wondering if Reyna or Donovan or Beasley could play the position. We wouldn't even be wondering if Dempsey were ready. These two would have been seasoned Euro vets and we'd be arguing about which of them was better. No other position has suffered misfortune like right wing.

[scaryice]

If I remember correctly, Jen Chang had West on her initial 23-man roster last October.

That's because she's crazy. He's not good enough.