Pearce: Rostock v. Nurnberg, 8/18 (R)

[BuffloSoldier]

Heath starts--scoreless in the first half.

[BuffloSoldier]

N'berg strikes for two quick ones. 0-2.

[new_skin]

2-1 in the 62nd minute.

[BuffloSoldier]

Ended 2-1 to the visitors.

[sidefootsitter]

81 min: Riesenchance für Pearce. Saenko sieht da nicht gut aus, lässt sich austanzen und Pearce zieht ab. Der ging sehr knapp vorbei.

71: Glück für Nürnberg: Schied kommt nach einem Zweikampf mit Glauber aus zwei Metern frei zum Kopfball, trifft aber nur das Außennetz. Jetzt ist Hansa im Spiel.

http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/bundesliga/spieltag/spielereignisse/object/807577/liga/1/saison/2007-08/spieltag/2/naviindex/6

On the 81st min, Pearce ripped a hard wormburner from about 25 yards that just missed the goal. On the 71st, his cross (off an "in-lap"), found Rostock's forward (Cetkovic, I believe), who headed into side-setting from 2 meters, albeit at an angle.

PS. How Wächter manages to stay in Bundesliga, I'll never know.

[ami-berliner]

Watched Bundesliga Pur on DSF this morning and the reporter praised Pearce for his match performace. Mentioned something about him being capped 7 times for the US. So far I've seen the highlights from the first 2 matches Pearce has played in. He looked better in this match than he did against FC Hollywood (Bayern), but then again he didn't have to worry about Klose, Toni, etc. Hopefully he`ll keep improving. His passing is good, and he sees the field well. Good option for the LB position for the the US.

[golazo68]

Watched Bundesliga Pur on DSF this morning and the reporter praised Pearce for his match performace. Mentioned something about him being capped 7 times for the US. So far I've seen the highlights from the first 2 matches Pearce has played in. He looked better in this match than he did against FC Hollywood (Bayern), but then again he didn't have to worry about Klose, Toni, etc. Hopefully he`ll keep improving. His passing is good, and he sees the field well. Good option for the LB position for the the US.

After watching Bayern Munich crush Bremen AT BREMEN, the spanking that Rostock took a week ago doesn't look so bad any more.

BM is scary on paper, but they are already scary on the pitch as well. One of the best teams in Europe, I would say.

Its very exciting to see Pearce start off well in the BL. We really need to strengthen our left back option for the US Men's team, so we are all certainly rooting for him to continue. His crossing/offense a real extra +

[Ceres]

Strange ?....

I wonder what happened to the Pearce-bashers ?... Where have they all gone ? ;)

[Deimos]

I'd like to know what happened to Pearce.

He bulked up? ;) (As everyone knows is the key)

European traning methods?

He finally drank the Euro-Kool-Aid?

He was that good all along?

[Martin Fischer]

Strange ?....

I wonder what happened to the Pearce-bashers ?... Where have they all gone ? ;)

Are you issuing an invitation to a flame war?

Anyway, I have seen nothing from Pearce to indicate that he is as good a left back as Bornstein or Spector and the fact that he is playing regularly for an apparently bad Bundesliga team doesn't mean anything in that regard unless it leads to better play by Pearce for the USMNT.

[golazo68]

Are you issuing an invitation to a flame war?

Anyway, I have seen nothing from Pearce to indicate that he is as good a left back as Bornstein or Spector and the fact that he is playing regularly for an apparently bad Bundesliga team doesn't mean anything in that regard unless it leads to better play by Pearce for the USMNT.

Have you seen anything from Pearce in the last 6 months?

Ah, the famous 'if I haven't seen it, it doesn't exist'.

I think it goes without saying that going from a lesser league and earning a starting spot in one of the top 5 league in the world at 23.....is an indication of progress.

Its simply too early to know who our real left back is going to be. It could be any of the 3 mentioned (or even someone else). We should all be happy that Pearce is progressing (even if you are not seeing it)

[seanie blue]

I agree with Golazo. Might not be obvious, but Pearce stepping up like this is the best YA story so far this season. I have been a Pearce basher, but I will eat my words right now. I think he's always had good timing, but from the highlights I browsed through it seems like his anticipation and positioning has really improved. But why?

You hve to rate Spector first, but Pearce is right there in my book, both of them ahead of Bornstein. And I like Bornstein, he's very effective even if he commits too many mistakes for my liking. Does the small stuff well.

But a starting Bundesligaman who will play 35 games, and a starting EPLer who might put in the same? Wow. Rich.

[Tonerl]

I hate to be a bother, but did he play left back or left mid in this game? It seems like he played left mid versus Munich, yeah? Or am I mistaken on that count? (I didn't see either game, I just think I remember reading that.)

[flux82]

Are you issuing an invitation to a flame war?

Anyway, I have seen nothing from Pearce to indicate that he is as good a left back as Bornstein or Spector and the fact that he is playing regularly for an apparently bad Bundesliga team doesn't mean anything in that regard unless it leads to better play by Pearce for the USMNT.

As opposed to playing for a mediocre MLS team and having one good performance for the USMNT while Pearce rarely gets a look, and doesn't even get called into a friendly in Europe? I just want a fair competition, and Bradley seems to be acting like Bornstein is the only option he's got when that is simply not true.

[Martin Fischer]

Have you seen anything from Pearce in the last 6 months?

Ah, the famous 'if I haven't seen it, it doesn't exist'.

I think it goes without saying that going from a lesser league and earning a starting spot in one of the top 5 league in the world at 23.....is an indication of progress.

Its simply too early to know who our real left back is going to be. It could be any of the 3 mentioned (or even someone else). We should all be happy that Pearce is progressing (even if you are not seeing it)

JRI -- I never thought that failure to be able to read a calendar was one of your defects. Copa America was last month. My point was that -- contrary to your stated position -- going from a decent Danish team to a poor Bundesliga team for a few games is indication of nothing. When and if he plays well for the Nats, I will note his progress [P.S. Flux, Pearce has a fair number of caps for the USMNT, none of them indicating much ability to succeed at that level, unlike, IMHO, Bornstein.

[new_skin]

Bradley has put Pearce in the doghouse because he (Pearce) claimed to be the best left-back right now in the US system. Is it true? Not sure, but he's definitely better than Bornstein. I'll never forget how he scored the easiest goal of all time against Denmark, only to run all over the place like he just beat Maradona's 1986 goal vs. England, totally ignoring Justin Mapp who did every bit of work on a brilliant run to get the ball in the box. Even Wynalda made the comment 'Hey Bornstein, go over there and hug the guy who gave it to you.' Never did though. Anyway, the point of this was that Pearce deserves a serious look over Bradley's golden boy.

[Maitreya]

I hate to be a bother, but did he play left back or left mid in this game? It seems like he played left mid versus Munich, yeah? Or am I mistaken on that count? (I didn't see either game, I just think I remember reading that.)

I didn't see any of the Nurnberg game, but Pearce definitely played significant minutes at left mid in the Bayern match. He likes getting out of posit...I mean getting forward.

Ah the fate of the USMNT fan: debating the relative merits of players for relatively small clubs in major European leagues vs the merits of players who perform well in MLS. I agree with the idea that play for the full national team, when opportunity has been dolled out fairly, should be the ultimate basis for judgment. Pearce deserves more chances than he has received so far, but neither he nor Spector has performed better than Bornstein yet.

[sidefootsitter]

JRI -- I never thought that failure to be able to read a calendar was one of your defects. Copa America was last month. My point was that -- contrary to your stated position -- going from a decent Danish team to a poor Bundesliga team for a few games is indication of nothing. When and if he plays well for the Nats, I will note his progress [P.S. Flux, Pearce has a fair number of caps for the USMNT, none of them indicating much ability to succeed at that level, unlike, IMHO, Bornstein. Pearce received "4" for his effort vs. Bayern, which was the second highest of all Hansa players and that was despite being played out of position in the second half.

In the first half, he went against Basti Schweinsteiger and Philip Lahm (you may have heard of those players) and more than held his own.

By comparison, Jonathan Bornstein was the weakest link in the US defense by being responsible for about a goal a game at Copa Anerica against a much lower level of talent than has been assembled by Uli Höneß for this season at Bayern.

[golazo68]

JRI -- I never thought that failure to be able to read a calendar was one of your defects. Copa America was last month. My point was that -- contrary to your stated position -- going from a decent Danish team to a poor Bundesliga team for a few games is indication of nothing. When and if he plays well for the Nats, I will note his progress [P.S. Flux, Pearce has a fair number of caps for the USMNT, none of them indicating much ability to succeed at that level, unlike, IMHO, Bornstein.

The list of both players that were so-so with the Nats at first (but then later good), alternatively great with the Nats at first (and later so-so) is rather lengthy. Your logic doesn't seem to hold up all that well in this regard

Maybe another way to state your argument is: "I'll accept that Pearce can be a good player for the US National Team when he is (already) a good player for the US National team".

Under those terms, no one would ever get a chance with the US National team.

You also leave out a crucial bit of information: Pearce didn't just go from decent Danish team to a poor German team. We have received reports from sources saying that he is playing well or well enough vs. good/great BL teams. That's not everything, but it is something.

Why be such a stick in the mud? Its good that our guy seems on track here. Nothing definitive. But certainly nothing is definitive with the left back position anyway, and we are 3 years from a World Cup, so its all about our prospect pool growing and receiving good reports at this stage.

[FirstStar]

JRI -- I never thought that failure to be able to read a calendar was one of your defects. Copa America was last month. My point was that -- contrary to your stated position -- going from a decent Danish team to a poor Bundesliga team for a few games is indication of nothing. When and if he plays well for the Nats, I will note his progress [P.S. Flux, Pearce has a fair number of caps for the USMNT, none of them indicating much ability to succeed at that level, unlike, IMHO, Bornstein.

I think the bigger point with the USMNT is not whether Pearce is better than Bornstein (not a big hurdle in my mind, but JB's young yet) but whether he's one of the top two options. If all we do is play Bornstein over and over and over again, we are going to be in pretty bad shape when he breaks an ankle in 2009.