[scott47a]

I didn't do one of these threads last week because I was in LA on vacation. It was awesome to see that road game in person and be part of the supporters that brought it all night long in Carson. Last night's game was hardly worth the drive, though. Actually, my ratings probably be kinder than some of the comments on the game P/I/P thread. I thought we played reasonably well. But if you can't finish you can't win.

Jaqua: 3 - painful outing. too many missed shots and too many giveaways.
Montero: 4 - blew a couple golden opportunities.
Zakuani: 5 - he was the best player in LA. And then he came out and added very little at home. disappointing.
Alonso: 7 - his best game since coming back from injury. MOTM
Vagenas: 5 - Pete wasn't terrible, but his "safety first" style kills me.
Evans: 6 - On the positive he tries to get into the attack, which Alonso and Vagenas do not. On the negative, he left the right flank often, leaving Riley alone out there with few options for moving the ball up the field.
Gonzalez: 6.5 - a breath of fresh air in terms of adding to the attack, but he had problems staying with Nyassi.
Ianni: 5 - average
Hurtado: 6 - beat the taller Jankauskas on nearly every header.
Riley: 6 - another solid game. Mansally was a non-factor on his side.
Keller: 4 - Revolution had two shots on goal and one went in.

subs:
Le Toux: 4 - At some point work-rate only takes you so far. He needs to start finishing in MLS games or he will be gone by next year. I'm sure they will expose him to the expansion draft.
Nyassi: 4 - what good is pace if you have no touch?
Scott: didn't play long enough for a rating

[Seaball]

I agree with these ratings minus 2 exceptions.

Gonzalez should be co MOTM with Alonso. Nyassi like our Nyassi is fast and not much else. No one is going to stick with him and Leo's ability to get forward and create some of our best scoring opportunities was probably the silver lining to this match.

Vaginas deserved at most a 3. It was his mark that blew by him and scored. While not all his fault, the fact is he's always "safety first" and always a day late and dollar short. In other words too f****** slow!

Also, am I only one that though Keller could have done better with that goal? I don't know after watching the replay just seemed like something Keller normally saves.

[Main Man]

I wouldn't rate Alonso that highly. He won some balls, but didn't control the midfield. In fact, after Vagenas went out, we more or less lost the midfield. I can't believe I'm saying it, but Pete was actually doing really well out there.

Montero: Goat of the match. Shanking a PK and getting an epic stupid card.

[Main Man]

And Keller should have saved that. The guy FELL DOWN and it hit his foot.

[guelch27]

Originally Posted by Main Man

And Keller should have saved that. The guy FELL DOWN and it hit his foot.

Yet if you read the New England Boards it was an absolutely beautiful goal created by a guy they feel deserves national team duty.

I second the vote for Gonzalez for MOTM. He really covered the whole field and was pry the only one that didn't earn a card for being an idiot from either side. (I won't get into how I thought Nyassi was fouled more than him committing dissent)

[Mateofelipe]

Originally Posted by guelch27

Yet if you read the New England Boards it was an absolutely beautiful goal created by a guy they feel deserves national team duty.

The fact that the finishing was, shall we say, unorthodox, does not take away the brilliance of the pass by a future very-deserving hall-of-famer (though one past it for USMNT purposes to more neutral observors than Revs fans). Ralston is truly Mr. Assist.

I have mixed feelings about player ratings. It's so English. And Mark Whatsit, the San Diego soccer writer guy never did them, except he suddenly decided to do them after a game we lost in the '98 World Cup so he could give everybody 0s and 1s in a little schoolboy tantrum.

But that bad association is not y'all's fault.

Carry on.

[guelch27]

I wasn't saying the passes weren't a thing of beauty, just the finish was rather lackluster but they were making it sound as if it was like Alonsos goal a few weeks ago when he drilled it from 25 or so out.