MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition [MLS R's]

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by schrutebuck, Mar 14, 2011.

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  1. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    I figure we need to resurrect a thread to talk about in-form/out of form MLS players who happen to be eligible to play for the US. Here's the thread from last season:

    https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1474970

    MLS finally kicks off the 2011 season tomorrow as Seattle hosts Los Angeles, while Real Salt Lake have a huge match against Saprissa in the CONCACAF Champions League.
     
  2. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Preseason Flavors

    ****this is simply based on what i speculate the BigSoccer community feels about American players in MLS. this is NOT a post stating who i favor and who i do not.****

    In the "cool club" now:
    GK Johnson, Rimando, Hartman
    DF Shea, Gonzo, Loyd, Ream, Anibaba*, Kitchen*, Sarkodie*, Valentin*
    MF Donovan, Najar
    FW Agudelo, Mwanga, Bunbury, Salgado*, Nagbe*

    Doghouse:
    GK Seitz, Hesmer, Perkins
    DF Marshall, Ward, Cameron, Alston, Wynne, Davies, Ianni
    MF Rogers, Gaven, Pontius, Zizzo, Quaranta, Mapp
    FW Casey, Wondolowski (strange considering he's the Golden Boot winner), Lenhart, Cristman, Barrett

    *to be on the doghouse list there has to have been some bashing of the player or in the case of players like Cameron and Marshall has to have radically fallen off the radar of most BS posters for unknown reasons. basically, the belief that the player either is the worst soccer player ever &/or is not living up to their potential.

    Indifferent but notabale:
    GK Hamid, Pickens
    DF Opara, Pearce, Wallace, Hall, Harrington, Freeman, John, Franklin, Borchers, Veeder, Moor, S. Williams, De la Garza, Purdy, White*, Soares*
    MF Convey, McCarty, Tchani, Avila, Alexander, Smith, Salinas, Larentowicz, Carroll, Pause, Beckerman, Cronin, Sturgis, McDonald, Okugo, Stephens, Gavin, Cruz, Duka, Gil, Navas, Nanchoff*
    FW Cooper, Magee, Davies, Schilawski, McInerney, Bowen, Braun, Agorsor*, Bruin*, Hertzog*, Meram*
     
  3. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    the big reason guys like Perkins, Seitz, and Hesmer fell off the map is because they well.....sucked. Really....really bad last year
     
  4. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    didn't say it wasn't deserved.
     
  5. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    So, if Josh Saunders could deal with crosses, he may warrant a call-up.

    Big guy, great reflexes.

    Bruce probably won't play him enough though.

    Sean Franklin did OK.

    Chad Barrett is a really poor version of Wayne Rooney ... you know, like a flophouse type.
     
  6. RalleeMonkey

    RalleeMonkey Member+

    Aug 30, 2004
    here
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    What's the name of the guy who was a rookie midfielder for the Gals last season who had a good 1st half of the season?
     
  7. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    juninho?
     
  8. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Stephens, who is only 21. He came on in the 2nd half for LA today.
     
  9. DIMITAR BERBATOV!

    Aug 2, 2010
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    I thought Franklin played pretty well. Probably my pick for MOTM.

    Saunders had a couple nice saves, but also got bailed out a few times. He would've looked VERY foolish for coming off his line to complain while play was still live if the Swede's goal had gone in on that great chance in the first half.

    Seattle was a bit unlucky not to score a goal or two. They had chances.
     
  10. Maitreya

    Maitreya Member+

    Apr 30, 2007
    Providence, RI
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Michael Stephens. He came on as a sub near the end. Got the ball in a one-on-one situation and showed that he's still not fast :D. He may get more playing time if Arena decides to play Donovan up top, which looks like a good option, especially when Angel doesn't play.

    Franklin played fine in this game, but it's going to be tough for him to compete with the younger, more technical rb's abroad. At this point, I would still rate him the best American right back in MLS (narrowly over Loyd), but I'm looking forward to seeing more of Sheanon Williams as well as the debuts of Sarkodie and Valentin.

    Not only did Seattle play poorly, they managed to do so with no American players who could possibly be of interest to the national team. Keller has a better chance of becoming USSF president than any Sounder who played tonight has of getting a US national team call-up. [FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
     
  11. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Franklin's a cb at international level.
     
  12. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    BTW, to cross this with the "possession" thread - tonight both teams were awful with it.

    There was no combination play to speak off - just boot it to anyone and run.
     
  13. beamish

    beamish Member+

    Jul 6, 2009
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Saunders has been capped for Puerto Rico.
     
  14. DestroyerDaMarc

    Dec 8, 2005
    New York
    Club:
    Newcastle Jets
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    All I'm going to say is I TOLD YOU SO with Chris Seitz. I saw him at UMD about 5 years ago and was not impressed he was just a big body with a D in front of him.
     
  15. papermache16

    papermache16 Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Yeah... I was in class but was able to watch it in mute on the computer... didn't seem impressive to me. BUT it is the first week of games, hopefully that tactical awareness picks up later (I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of play last year)
     
  16. Altidore_Adu_Fan

    Sep 30, 2007
    Hammond In
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Man Barrett really sucked last night i think Dunivant did well as LB Flankin did good also
     
  17. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    individual eleven, why would you say Franklin is a CB at the international level? i like him at RB. he's quick, fast, and covers a lot of ground on the wing, but what he's not is big and strong which is normally (not always) needed at the international level.
     
  18. Eleven Bravo

    Eleven Bravo Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    Jul 3, 2004
    SC
    Club:
    Atlanta Silverbacks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Barrett played? lol. the only play i remember from him is when he shanked a pass to beckham.
     
  19. OWN(yewu)ED

    OWN(yewu)ED Member+

    Club: Venezia F.C.
    May 26, 2006
    chico, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    this is true you didnt.

    thats fair, completely deserved too :eek:. crow humbly consumed.

    Hopefully MacMath proves to be better
     
  20. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    CB is where he won rookie of the year. And he was phenomenal. His strength, pace, passing, and tactical awareness were outstanding. He did make MLS Best XI as a fullback but his play outside was not as impressive imo, certainly not from the standpoint of international play. He didn't impress in his cap at fullback either.
     
  21. arsynic

    arsynic Red Card

    Jan 2, 2007
    Santa Barbara
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    If Saunders could deal with crosses, maybe he would start for an MLS team.
     
  22. lurking

    lurking Member+

    Feb 9, 2002
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Seitz took sucking to another level, Perkins and Hesmer were just ordinarily bad.
     
  23. DestroyerDaMarc

    Dec 8, 2005
    New York
    Club:
    Newcastle Jets
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Wow, what a zing there. He's capped tied to Puerto Rico however, so he is our's.
     
  24. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    That's what happens when you play on a giant green slip & slide.

    I'll reserve judgements on certain players until I see them play an actual soccer game........and not pinball.

    The most interesting game of the MLS weekend for me will be in Dallas. It looks like they'll indeed be starting Brek Shea at centerback against Chicago. Going into the season that's one of the more intruiging stories from a USMNT perspective. He'll be playing in the backline with two other guys that were called into camp cupcake: George John at CB, and Loyd at LB. As for Chicago........I'm really interested to see what Anibaba can do. It looks like he's gonna start right out of the shoot.
     
  25. Skevin

    Skevin Member+

    Aug 9, 2009
    Colorado
    Club:
    Aston Villa FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Czechia
    Re: MLS flavors of the week: 2011 Edition

    Josh Saunders reminds me of brad guzan. He is an excellent shot stopper but his weakness is corners. He tends to go after every ball played in which almost cost LA a goal in Seattle. The guy deserves his own team though. Also Omar Gonzalez will be playing his first game for the galaxy Sunday.
     

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