Best striker in CONCACAF?

[Liverpool_SC]

Even Onandi Lowe is better than Ricardo Fuller, and I am a US fan!

[SABuffalo786]

Radzinski.

[Bruce S]

Landon Donovan

[themodelcitizen]

Tomasz Radzinski. Unlike a large number of the mentioned players, he's a Premiership quality striker.

[Saeyddthe]

If, as I think, you meant forward...I think I'd honestly have to go with Donovan...With Wanchope, McBride and Radzinski a close 2-3-4...
If I had to pick a guy strictly for striker, I'd have to vote McBride...

[LA Aztecs OG]

McBride.


simple easy answer.

Scores in MLS, EPL, for USMNT.

[Danks81]

Landon Donovan.

[fatmaradona]

Originally posted by Daniel from Montréal
Call me a homer, but having Onandi Lowe and not Radzinski is a bit odd.

McBride will have to score a few more in the Premiership to prove he's not a flash in the pan.

yeah, I was surprised not to see him there. I think I would have voted for him.

[gohb]

If they're all healthy, Wanchope, followed by Donovan and Radzinski.

[plissken666]

radzinski far and away is the best striker.he has six goals in the premiership this season and is on pace to score 12-15 goals.there is nobody in concacaf better over the last couple of years.

[Bizzo]

Radzinski.
Proven scorer in Premiership & in Champions League.

[Crazy_Yank]

Onandi Lowe is crap and shouldn't be mentioned with players who have proven themselves at the top levels. Lowe scored a grand total of 3 MLS goals during his one season. He's nothing journeymen MLS defenders can't handle. So what if he can score in England's 4th division. Donovon, Radzinski, and Borghetti and top 3.

[Jeffrey S]

With this list, you can only pick Other: Radzinski.

He is the only Concacaf striker who has been scoring regularly in a top flight league, with the recent exception of Dely Valdes. Add to that the fact that his team has a lot of strikers and even then are not a scoring power.

People who pick Landon Donovan deserved to be derided, not because he is not a fine player, but because if you are really so convinced about Landon you'd be ridiculing his immature fear of taking the next step, which is the only possible way you could be proven right. I would bet on Landon Donovan for maybe a 8-10 goals year on a good top flight team in Spain like Betis or Mallorca, but until he decides to prove his worth he is not even in the top ten for me.

[Saeyddthe]

I think Donovan needs to let go of mommies nipple, but unfortunately, I also think he's the best player in Concacaf. *shrug*
And I would be harping on him to go overseas, but he's already stated his intention to stay in the US one more season...And I prefer live horses you know.....

[chuckinca]

Agreed - Donovan is the best player in the region

Best Striker has gotta be Twellman

[Hecho en Mexico]

Originally posted by chuckinca
Best Striker has gotta be Twellman
Who? :confused:

:D

[Martin Fischer]

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
With this list, you can only pick Other: Radzinski.

No, you have lots of choices.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
He is the only Concacaf striker who has been scoring regularly in a top flight league, with the recent exception of Dely Valdes. Add to that the fact that his team has a lot of strikers and even then are not a scoring power.

Dely Valdes is playing in Uruguay. The question is not who is playing the best in a top-flight league. The question is who is the best striker. There are a lot of ways to prove that -- at the interntational level, by dominating a lower league or by succeeding in a top flight league. Sure a star in a top league beats one in a lower league, but Radzinski is a mediocre forward in the EPL. Donovan is a great player in a weaker league. It's a judgment call, and based on the fact that Donovan is better than McBride who succeeded nicely in the EPL, Donovan is my choice.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
People who pick Landon Donovan deserved to be derided, not because he is not a fine player, but because if you are really so convinced about Landon you'd be ridiculing his immature fear of taking the next step, which is the only possible way you could be proven right.

I would deride couch warriors like you who think they can tell Landon Donovan how to live his life. Landon's life is not about making you feel good.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
I would bet on Landon Donovan for maybe a 8-10 goals year on a good top flight team in Spain like Betis or Mallorca, but until he decides to prove his worth he is not even in the top ten for me.

Well that says a lot more about your issues than it does Donovan.

[Jeffrey S]

Originally posted by Martin Fischer
No, you have lots of choices.



Dely Valdes is playing in Uruguay. The question is not who is playing the best in a top-flight league. The question is who is the best striker. There are a lot of ways to prove that -- at the interntational level, by dominating a lower league or by succeeding in a top flight league. Sure a star in a top league beats one in a lower league, but Radzinski is a mediocre forward in the EPL. Donovan is a great player in a weaker league. It's a judgment call, and based on the fact that Donovan is better than McBride who succeeded nicely in the EPL, Donovan is my choice.



I would deride couch warriors like you who think they can tell Landon Donovan how to live his life. Landon's life is not about making you feel good.



Well that says a lot more about your issues than it does Donovan.

Ooh, aren't you touchy. Look, you cannot judge how good a forward is unless you look at where he is playing and how good the opponents are. Style of play is also a factor.

This is why I rank Dely Valdes. For about 4-5 years he was scoring 15 a year in top flight Spain, first Oviedo then Málaga. Radzinski does not have as good numbers in England, though should score a dozen this year. That is not "mediocre", that is "good". Ruud and Shearer and Henry are in the excellent category. In Belgium Radz was scoring champ (plus 20) apart from scoring in Champions (like in that famed Anderlecht win over Man Utd).

Can you honestly tell me that my assessment of Landon is unfair? Do you really think he'd score more than 10 in England or Spain? The only basis to think that he could be a top striker is by looking at his scoring for the US vs. good competition, which does suggest he'd be okay. (Mind you, Radzinski has scored, in away friendlies, vs. Scotland, Czech Republic and Finland in the last year, apart from missing about 4 clear chances in Canada's last friendly in Dublin).

If you have ever watched good 2nd tier leagues like Holland or Portugal, you'll see that the defences are not as tight, that players have more time on the ball, more room to run, and that the top clubs can dominate the weaker ones more easily. I feel the same about MLS, where Landon is a top player (though don't you want to attribute part of his success to be on a championship team, where service is better and goal scoring quite well balanced?). Put him in a tougher competition and he would surely be one of what you call the "mediocre" players, and if he worked at it he may even end up being good. But that is just speculation.

After all, don't you Landon-lovers really want him to prove his worth on a stellar stage? And doesn't he want to make 5 times more money? Listening to this illusive talk is like listening to those odd basketball fans in Europe -there are really few of them, mind you- arguing that the top players on the continent are as good as top NBA players. But 95% of knowledgable basketball fans know that you could never argue the worth of Bodiroga, best player on the last World Champ team in Indianapolis, unless he makes the jump to the NBA. It is a question of not letting your status as a fan lead you to ridiculous conclusions.

[jd2084]

Originally posted by Bizzo
Radzinski.
Proven scorer in Premiership & in Champions League.

Champions League? I'm not sure when that was. Everton haven't been in the CL in any of the years I've watched (last 4 or 5).

[Martin Fischer]

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Ooh, aren't you touchy.

Not really. It's just that at times I like to respond in a direct manner to posts that I think are stupid.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Look, you cannot judge how good a forward is unless you look at where he is playing and how good the opponents are. Style of play is also a factor.

Of course, you can. It's what scouts and managers do for a living. It's what fans can do too, just without the credibility. And yes, the quality of the league is a factor. It's just not the only factor. My reasoning is that a great player in a decent league is being compared to a decent player in a great league. I resolve this by going with the guy that has the better international record and who my eyes tell me is better.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
This is why I rank Dely Valdes. For about 4-5 years he was scoring 15 a year in top flight Spain, first Oviedo then Málaga.

Actually, Dely Valdes scored 9, 9, 10, 17, 11 and 10 goals in six seasons in Spain -- at least in league matches. But if your math tells you that is 15 per season for four years, OK, whatever.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Radzinski does not have as good numbers in England, though should score a dozen this year. That is not "mediocre", that is "good".

Your opinion, not mine. Statistics are not the only thing in soccer and for me, Radz is in the middle of the pack for EPL forwards. Which is not a bad thing.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Ruud and Shearer and Henry are in the excellent category.

Good we agree that Radz is not "excellent."

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
In Belgium Radz was scoring champ (plus 20) apart from scoring in Champions (like in that famed Anderlecht win over Man Utd).

Yes, Radz was a very good player in a mediocre/good league.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Can you honestly tell me that my assessment of Landon is unfair? Do you really think he'd score more than 10 in England or Spain?

Donovan could ride pine or he could be a star. I honestly don't know. Obviously, I think he will be closer to the star end of the spectrum, but I could be wrong.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
The only basis to think that he could be a top striker is by looking at his scoring for the US vs. good competition, which does suggest he'd be okay.

You could try watching games.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
(Mind you, Radzinski has scored, in away friendlies, vs. Scotland, Czech Republic and Finland in the last year, apart from missing about 4 clear chances in Canada's last friendly in Dublin).

WOW!

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
If you have ever watched good 2nd tier leagues like Holland or Portugal, you'll see that the defences are not as tight, that players have more time on the ball, more room to run, and that the top clubs can dominate the weaker ones more easily.

Fair enough.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
I feel the same about MLS, where Landon is a top player (though don't you want to attribute part of his success to be on a championship team, where service is better and goal scoring quite well balanced?).

They didn't win anything until Donovan showed up.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Put him in a tougher competition and he would surely be one of what you call the "mediocre" players, and if he worked at it he may even end up being good. But that is just speculation.

Yes, it is speculation (yours not mine) but that's what the question calls for -- speculation in comparing players who play in different leagues and are rarely on the same field together.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
After all, don't you Landon-lovers really want him to prove his worth on a stellar stage?

Sure, I do, but it is not my life but HIS. And I think there is a very strong argument that his development as a player at this stage of his career has been helped immensley by being the MAN at San Jose instead of a squad player at a Euro squad.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
And doesn't he want to make 5 times more money?

I don't know if he would and I don't care if he does and I care even less whether he wants to.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
Listening to this illusive talk is like listening to those odd basketball fans in Europe -there are really few of them, mind you- arguing that the top players on the continent are as good as top NBA players.

I thought we agreed that Radzinski is not a top EPL player. If that is the case, your analogy is wrong.

Originally posted by Jeffrey S
But 95% of knowledgable basketball fans know that you could never argue the worth of Bodiroga, best player on the last World Champ team in Indianapolis, unless he makes the jump to the NBA. It is a question of not letting your status as a fan lead you to ridiculous conclusions.

I would look at it differently. All the people that predicted Dirk Nowitsky would be a star before he came to the NBA are lot smarter than guys like you who said lets wait and see. Anyway, forgetting about bore ball, it is not ridiculous to argue that a top player in a mediocre league is better than a mediocre player in a top league. It's a reasonable opinion, the type that this board was designed to air.