We've been through this many times but you ignore what is said to continue your delusions about the MLS. Its a tough league because its a shit level, full of running and little footballing skill or understanding. Pirlo would come back to Italy and perform well. Many here had said he would struggle around such garbage before he kicked a ball. Technical players perform around other players capable of reading them.This really isn't rocket science but it sure seems to confuse you, on a daily basis.
I'm not delusional about the league and I know exactly the level its at. I'm just saying if its a s crappy as perceived, these guys should excel on a weekley basis but they don't. I had former pros playing in my Sunday League team who were always the best players on the field and men of the match. That doesn't always happen in MLS but they should be tearing it up. David Villa who is a teammate of Pirlo in NYC has scored 60 goals in 90 games. By the same reasoning shouldn't he be doing just as crappy so why is he staring and scoring? I mean is it only a crappy league for midfielders and not for goalscorers or rather for some players and no others? It's a complete contradiction and I still don't see or believe how anyone who has skill or played at the same level of many of these players, can't shine or at least outperform and/or improve the level of everyone else in what is a minor league..
Its not a contradiction at all. Villa is a tricky forward with excellent control who plays close to goal. Get the ball up to him near the box and he can make something happen against weak defenses. Totally different story for Pirlo on the pitch whos game is built around the build up phase of the game. Here he needs the intelligence of his teammates across the pitch so he can help orchestrate. It should be easy to see this is a false comparison. Again, You're still not getting it and will just continue to repeat this. Why? Pirlo was never going to look good in MLS. Its why you posting clips of Pirlo losing the ball after being closed down and the comments on the clips complaining about how bad he has got now don't stand up. They dont have a clue that Pirlo was always a player who was weak under pressure and actually played worse against weaker opposition who had less respect for him and who happily chase him down. It is simply not the case that every top player can play well in a lower level league.
Ok I get it but the conditions and level are the same for a lot players and not just Pirlo. Many players with lesser names (Giovinco for one) have had success and many others haven't. I just don't believe all these generalizations. I watch the league week in and week out and I see some incredible plays , players and good teams as well as many failures , breakdowns and lesser skills just like every other league on earth. You can say the scheduling is nuts , the traveling is grueling and the tactics and techniques are not up to snuff and playing during the hot summer months , no relegation or promotion doesn't help the skill level. I still do not believe in all these narratives however or the superstars keep failing because everyone else is crap or all these other excuses.
Lesser names? Again if they're hard workers they're going to fit in better. Its all to do with the style they play. Lets switch out Pirlo with Riquelme as an example. Riquelme is another high level player but he could have imo adjusted more so than Pirlo simply based on his composure under pressure. He didn't lose the ball when he has 2 or 3 players hacking at him. If anything it fired him up and he enjoyed making them look stupid. Pirlo was a flawed genius, he could only ever play at the top. In the lower leagues players like him dont have time to exist.
Giovinco and Villa have a common trait: speed. Pirlo's game is cerebral. He has connected well with Villa and other players who understand the game, not so with those who do not. Even in the old NASL days, there was a difference between the Cosmos and the rest of the league. While others had a star or two, the rest were working bunch of lower English side players. The Cosmos was a team of stars where an American with some talent would shine whereas it would not be the same elsewhere. Bottom line is that Pirlo's characteristics are not a good fit for MLS. Too bad that NYCFC and the league were not able to adjust.
Another reason why I hope the league stops going after these overaged, overpriced superstars. I'd rather they continue to sign no names like Piatti, Valeri and Almiron. These guys will probably end up playing longer, do a lot more and may even end up being sold for a profit. You can't do that by signing Gerrard, Lampard and Pirlo.
Falvo cmon buddy. Pirlo is a technical player that was never built for speed or dirt. MLS is all about speed and dirt. But you put fans in the seats with them.
I don't think so. Maybe in the short term but I don't think these guys have much of a following if they end up failing. I've read many posts and tweets where fans are upset about their performance. By now fans are sophisticated enough to know who is or looks good , who is in form and who isn't. Regardless of how you want to spin it, lower league level, lesser skill or whatever, I don't think many are buying tickets to watch Pirlo. Same goes for many other fans. Seattle and Atlanta don't have any superstars and they are drawing over 40,000 fans a game. Anyway, more power to them if they can milk $15 million for doing nothing but I hope this kind of signing stops.
How about this, last year MLS was 7th in the world behind the Serie A in attendance. With Atalanta this year, they may surpass them... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_attendance
These teams are run for profit. They don't pay these guys just for the initial pressers. Of the few games I've attended, and around the country mostly when I'm traveling to be honest, most fans are as "sophisticated" as the typical English fan. Nothing more.
Yeah but they aren't losing money. If they were the league or teams would fold and they wouldn't keep paying these guys what they do and
Yeah. On the other hand, I believe the New NASL will be folding soon. It was a bad concept from the start and there was only one NASL! I don't think any of those guys other than maybe Carlos Alberto were over 38 years of age. I can't remember too many GK's that age other than Kevin Keelan.
The old NASL though had maybe 1 or 2 Americans on the field and most of them were left or right backs and GK's. There were many English , Scottish and some Irish English first division players. This coupled with a lot of Dutch, German, a few South Americans and many Yugoslavs.The skill level for the time was very good. There were also many English 2nd and third division players as well who excelled in the NASL. At that time though, like I posted, there were no players 38 years of age. I still don't think Pirlo getting burned the way he did against Portland has anything to do with "the level of the league" but more for lack of trying. I mean why didn't he move and try to grab the guys shirt, kick and foul him or at least back track and make a run? All he did was complain and stood there watching saying that he was fouled when there was no foul. He still has the touch , nice passes and free kicks but his defensive abilities are lacking and that has nothing to do with the league but its has everything to do with the player.This isn't coming from me , just look at the play.
That shit happened to him at Juve too. He has a tendency to hold onto the ball a bit long. Difference is that at Juve, look who he had for cover behind him. It has nothing to do with his age or being past it.
Yeah and he had quite a defense at Milan as well. I remember he played the same way when he was at Reggina and Brescia.
Gattuso collected, Pirlo distributed. No complex tactic. Obviously he was younger and the defense behind him was better than the one he had at Juve, so those make an impact too. If you're going to make use of Pirlo's skills, you need a runner and some grit nearby.