Wynalda

[kingkev]

I know Wynalda has some fans out there, but the only thing he has to his credit is that he's not afraid to criticise people or speak his mind. I respect that. However I don't think he is a good commentator and doesn't know much about the game. For example there have been several games where its clear he doesn't know the players, names, which very unprofessional.

Plus in the LA Chelsea game he made reference to Vickie Beckhams shades 3 or 4 times, and well it wasn't funny either time.

[Heartofmid]

My six year old is not afraid to criticize people or speak his mind. Come to think of it, he does sound like Whinealda.

He always thinks he's right, too.

[jammybastard]

The impression I get is that ESPN soccer bcast staff think that he's a first class twat.

[Cheltenham]

Eric "I would never be marking anyone" Wynalda...he's actually the best announcer since Seamus Malin...in my view, by far the weakest display of "we're in over our heads" came from Alexi Lalas. When did that guy become so JV? His comments at halftime and in the press afterwards about Beckham have all been bush league in style and in content. The game on Saturday was like watching David Vanole eat pizza at Italia 1990. I was young and relatively clueless in 1990, but I knew that something was a little off when a member of our squad was complaining about the quality of the pizza in Italy...similarly I saw about 60 cameras standing within 10 feet of the bench on the field side of the bench when the Galaxy sat down: how did something so absurd come to pass? It was a grotesque spectacle that made me embarrassed for U.S. soccer

[AndSomeAreAngels]

I agree that he doesn't sound like he knows the players, teams, etc. I really don't think he does.

Sure, he knows a lot about the game from a tactical/technical perspective, but he doesn't sound like a fan of the game. He doesn't sound like a soccer junkie that watches 3 matches a weekend and could tell you the backup keeper for Portsmouth. In fact, I don't think he could name the starting striker on Portsmouth.

Contrast that with a guy like Bretos (who I realize irks a lot of people), who may not be the most technically/tactically savvy guy out there, but he certainly knows the game well enough to call it. And he could tell you the reserves center attacking mid on Independiente. The guy is a walking dictionary.

Ray Hudson is great b/c he's a combination of the two - he's played and coached at a high level and he's an absolute junkie of the game. You hear the passion in his voice.

Wynalda comes off as a whiny, pompous prick who doesn't even sound like he enjoys watching the game. He rarely shows passion or excitement and would rather tell you how so-and-so needs to take a better touch. I cringe when I hear him call a game, mostly because he reinforces the negative stereotypes non-fans have about the sport and the people who watch.

Bottom line, for me, is that he just doesn't seem like a fan of the game, and it comes across when he can't even reference a player's club or give any sort of context about the player. Hell, even O'Brien sounds like he watches more soccer than Waldo.

[saabrian]

I know Wynalda has some fans out there, but the only thing he has to his credit is that he's not afraid to criticise people or speak his mind. I respect that. However I don't think he is a good commentator and doesn't know much about the game. For example there have been several games where its clear he doesn't know the players, names, which very unprofessional.

Plus in the LA Chelsea game he made reference to Vickie Beckhams shades 3 or 4 times, and well it wasn't funny either time.

Yea, a guy who was, until last month, the all-time leading international goal scorer in US history doesn't know anything about the game.

The LA-Chelsea telecast had nothing to do with the match on the field. It was Entertainment Tonight. Sadly, Wynalda got sucked into that as well, but that was pretty atypical of him.

Sometimes, he sounds like the insufferable know-it-all that's always trying to impress people by showing off how smart he is. He's obnoxious at times but I'd never accuse him of being unknowledgable.

[AndSomeAreAngels]

Sometimes, he sounds like the insufferable know-it-all that's always trying to impress people by showing off how smart he is. He's obnoxious at times but I'd never accuse him of being unknowledgable.

Wynalda is obviously very knowledgeable about how to play the game - you can't play soccer at a high level without knowing the ins and outs of the sport.

But he doesn't seem like he's familiar with the modern game - who's who on the pitch, where they play their club (or international) football, etc. When you hear him call a U.S international game, you rarely hear an insightful peep out of him, whereas good commentators can reference past games and accomplishments of the player. E.g, if the U.S were to play Argentina, I doubt Wynalda could talk about the missed PK by Riquelme in the CL semi-final, whereas a first-class commentator could reference that.

Just because you know how to play the game as an international-caliber forward doesn't mean you know how to call the game for the fans or put the game's big moments in context. When you hear Wynalda talk, it sounds like he doesn't spend weekends on the couch watching games. It sounds like he spends that time looking in a mirror and adoring himself.