Now, Martin, I think you're guilty here of not saying what you mean. At any rate, it seems safe to assume from the terrible Kicker rating and olag's reports that Sanneh didn't exactly cover himself with glory in that game. He's 31 years old now, no room for mental errors at that age ... but overall the Sanneh story is a happy one, in that just about every U.S. fan will remember him primarily for his triumphant World Cup moment. In stark contract with Goose, who erased years of strong MLS play with three poor games. Tony sure did pick his spot.
Olag writes well in English but I have no idea if he has any ability to evaluate what is going on on the field. As for Kicker, I have watched too many games and then looked at the Kicker ratings and gone What?, to put much credence in them. And the original comments of JRI implied more than Sanneh anyway.
Terrible Tony? Well, OK. I did not see the game and it is possible that Sanneh actually played respectably. That said, the circumstantial evidence is not attractive. I would be surprised if with this much smoke there is not some fire.
Dunno, but if I'm telling you about his game first and say that it wasn't too good what Sanneh was playing, if I'm then quoting kicker saying quite the same, if I'm then quoting the goalie saying the same, and if I'm then quoting the head coach also confessing the same - then there might be some probability that our version is not fully unrealistic I think. In general I got to say that about twenty years of following soccer gave me a slight clue of what's going on. I'd be a bad coach, but I'm a pretty good analyzer of the games. However I've got to admit that I'm just seeing excerpts of most of the games - and in excerpts you often don't see how situations come to exist, e.g. if someone just comes to help out or if it was his responsibility to clear a situation. Due to that I also can't say whether Sanneh made many easy mistakes as the coach claimed (and obviously kicker as well as otherwise you won't be rated 6), but in a situation like the 1-4 where he had a comfortable gap to Ailton and lost the sprint duel - there was no other player involved who could be blamed for that goal. Regarding kicker I've got to admit that sometimes I can't understand their ratings as well. That's always something subjective, but nobody doubts their general competence. Have in mind that all GM's, all coaches and all players who understand German read it and consider it as THE soccer magazine in Germany.
keep up the good work Olaf. Every soccer journalist or fan has their own view, but yours are helpful since we can never see most of these games. But I have a question for you: of all the young Amis playing in lower divisions, is there someone/ones who you think is/are very good and will move up to prominence?
This depends on definition: what are lower divisions (starting in D2 or D3) and what is prominence (D1 level, national team, superstar)?