On one of the channels I think it is ITV or BBC 2 (london news) over here, they are using a new computer OPTA index to rate players in london and then they name the Opta index player of the month and the final rankings for August are: Thierry Henry 3rd. KASEY KELLER 2nd Wiltord 1st. The announcer stated that Keller's good form was the reason why that other London team was top of the league. this will hopefuly be the only time that team will be top.
Not really, Sullivan is a good keeper who is the Scottish number one and was Spurs first choice when Keller arrived. I also think Keller is good and has done well so far this season.
Just a clarification,but I wanted to get this straight in my head so they are using the OPTA system but are solely evaluating players that play for clubs based in London (ie. all divisions, etc.)?
The Opta stats are basically really detailed fantasy football stats -- points or deductions for things like passes, fouls, shots, tackles, etc., etc. They're interesting, but hardly definitive. Still good for Kasey. You can see more at: http://www.planetfootball.com/optamizer/totw.asp?PID=1&CPID=8&title=English+Barclaycard+Premiership FWIW: I think players on possession teams, plus the good players on mediocre teams, seem to get extra credit b/c they have a lot of touches -- see John Collins at Fulham who was rated very highly -- even if they don't accomplish much.).
If you think these OPTA ratings mean anything........ http://www.planetfootball.com/optamizer/totw.asp?PID=3&CPID=8&SID=3&LID=317&article=59477 Sullivan was 6th in goalkeepers, Friedel 10th. (Keller not mentioned, probably because he didn't play enough games) Keller came in towards the end of last season because Sullivan had a few bad games in Spring, eg international v France, FA Cup 1/4 final v Chelsea. Until then Sullivan had been a pretty good keeper for Spurs and Scotland, so this is why Keller and Rab Douglas had to wait for their chances respectively.
Re: Re: Kasey Keller Well of course, an American has to get in line behind a Scotsman given Scotland's glorious record of making the World Cup quarter finals numerous times. Seriously, Sullivan was the incumbent and Hoddle, like many coaches, is conservative and waits longer than those of us with no responsibility would like to try new things.
Just because Scotland are a bad team as a whole now, doesn't mean that they have bad players in every position. Equally, just because USA are a good team as a whole now, doesn't mean that they have good players in every position. Other examples: 1. Would you say that there is a better American left winger than Ryan Giggs? Yet Wales haven't qualified for anything recently despite having Giggs in their team, so he must be a bad player, using your logic. 2. Would you say that there are better American strikers than Andrei Shevchenko? Yet Ukraine haven't qualified for anything recently despite having Shevchenko in their team, so he must be a bad player, again using your logic.
Sullivan isnt even our number 1 anymore, Rab Douglas has shown himself to be a better keeper at a better level.
(I do hope that that question was a joke) Examples three and four: Neither George Weah or George Best qualified for an international tournament in their careers. They must have been really bad players as well, .
Re: Re: Re: Kasey Keller funny. not many were screaming for keller to play during the WC but now all of a sudden it's "hoddle is a lunatic! look now! what a moron that hoddle is! playing sullivan over keller last season! keller is having top marks!" that's rediculous. sullivan was one of the reasons they stayed midtable instead of the dumps of the league and keller hadn't exactly been guns 'a blazin' as far as when he came in. morale of the story. if it ain't broke don't fix it. in the friendlies hoddle tried something new and it worked. don't say hoddle doesn't know what he's doing. it's his calls (picking up redknapp, making sure his players are very healthy before putting them in, using sherringhams experience to help davies make opportunities.) that have us strong. keller is a quality keeper and he's going to have strong marks. lets just hope it isn't a fluke, eh lads?
On the other hand, goalkeeping is, arguably, the US's best position. Certainly it is the possition in which American players have recieved the most recognition. That of course says nothing about the quality of scottish netminders.
Hey cowboy, that isn't my logic. Most would notice that my point was of the tongue-in-cheek variety. On the contrary, I was jokingly critical of the previous poster who argued that because Sullivan was the Scottish Number 1 he would automatically get a place ahead of the US Number 1. My point was that that is illogical -- not only for the reasons you state but because if you were going to go on the strength of the National Teams, the advantage would go to Keller not Sullivan.
Irishfs1921 There was controversy about who was between the pipes all the way through the first round and people were raiseing opinons on the issue. Keller is the MAN!!!! Washington DC
This all reminds me of this clip I downloaded that has Keller receiving a backpass in a USA vs. Mexico(?) game. After waiting a sec or 2 and getting pressured, he kicks the ball into the head of a Mexican forward and it bounces in. This is when he still had some hair so it is probably quite old. Does anyone remember this?
i've been trying to forget ....... but everytime there's a backpass in any game I watch, I always pay a little more attention now.
It was a qualifier for WC 98 in Foxboro against Mexico; the offending head was Hermasillo. That may be Kasey's low point in his national team career. Nice comeback by the US, though. When people cite Friedel's superior distribution(and I agree), that moment must play a dominant part in their opinion.
US-Mex,WCQ,Foxboro 1997,2nd minute. The forward is Squarehead Hermosillo. Actually,the goal highlights one of Keller's weaknesses,distribution.
I was there - I remember the shock of such a screw up in a big game. A loss and we may not have qualified. As bad a the clearance was, Hermosillo really got up for the ball. He headed it down and it bounced over Keller. We came back to tie it at 2:2. One thing this game showed was that Sampson was an idiot. I remember that the team that was on the field that day was much different than the team that choked in France '98. Played a 4-4-2 with Lalas and Balboa at the center defence.