I can't help but think about Dempsey's lack of pressuring when I read this. I've never really understood why JK rates Dempsey so highly when he doesn't really appear to be the type of player he would normally value.
Different players improve at different rates (and at different times for different reasons), which is a no-brainer. I think it's perfectly fair to question one player's ability to improve--especially Jozy, who (as far as I can tell) hasn't really improved much in the last few years (and not just based on his goal-scoring production). Zardes looks to have improved greatly in some critical aspects of his game over the course of his brief professional career. They are both still fairly young players and either or both could make big improvements yet. Time will tell, but at this point it seems to me like Zardes has greater potential than Jozy.
Jozy is what he is. He's been through Villareal and AZ. Klinsmann a world class striker in his day has worked with Jozy. Jozy can be extremely effective in a two-striker system. He doesn't read the game well enough and his trapping technique isn't good enough for him to excel otherwise.
I can't think of a single instance in which JK said anything close to negative about Dempsey's game, but he is clearly not the kind of forward who puts pressure on the back when playing defense. To be honest, he's a pretty lazy player on defense, and that might have a little something to do with his ability to score so many goals. And before the Dempsey folks arrive with pitchforks in hand, let me say that I like Dempsey and absolutely wanted him on the field during pretty much every game of this past cycle.
Oh whatever will the USMNT do if their 2nd leading goal scorer of all time doesn't track back enough on defense? Maybe, in JK's 2012 and post Altidore WC formations, the defense could be handled by the 8 other nominally defensive players on the field? I understand you aren't saying this, but unless you want our NT to go full Greece, criticism of a forward for lack of defense is just meatballery. Note: Dempsey, one missed mark in Jamaica aside, is usually the guy clearing corners out of the area. So that's pretty useful defensively, no?
NT record. Similar slapdashery in the Prem. Altidore has the 1 goal across 8 games of WC and CC action. EJ has his Copa goal...
I wouldn't go that far. He's playing with two field players on the Galaxy who are better than any field player for the USMNT.
Some of these comments are completely overboard. Zardes has a chance to establish himself as a part of the USMNT going forward if he keeps this up, but no he isn't better than Jozy yet and no he's not going to be our best striker right away. Some of you need to chill out. He's earned a call up, but he's got a long way to go before we start crowning him with anything.
I agree with the sentiment that there may a bit of overreaction going on here (but isn't there always?? haha). Currently, I would not say Zardes is better than Jozy. I need to see his level of play, aside from scoring, continue with some consistency. That said, he has improved ten-fold, and the exciting part is not the finishing for me. Yeah, he is on a ridiculous tear, but the key improvement has been his movement, and his hold up play. He went from Keane gesticulating after damn near every play, to being a very key component to the Galaxy's success.
I would certainly prefer Zardes over Wondo... I don't see Zardes ever overtaking Altidore though, if he does i'll be surprised, but I won't completely write him off, he has had a great season in MLS so far. (15 goals in 19 games atm, 3rd most goals in MLS)
I don't really care about the Altidore v Zardes convo, but why do so many of you guys rate Altidore so highly? He is a step down from the likes of Mcbride and Wynalda even(who both have never had (over a) year long scoring droughts).
That season, Cooper had 15 non-PK goals in 2505 minutes. Zardes currently has 15 non-PK goals in 1786 minutes. There might be some flukiness involved, but Zardes' scoring rate this year has been exceptional - by any standard, and regardless of supporting cast.
Partly because the role he plays for the NT is quite important, and not easily replaced. Also, he's got 23 goals in 70-something caps at age 24. He'll end up outscoring both Wynalda and McBride before he's 30.
After posting this, I went back to the MLS statistics to see who else has managed a non-PK goals/min ratio better than Zardes' thus far this year. Based on a very quick pass over the numbers, it looks like the last MLS player to do better over a full season was Carlos Ruiz, in 2002. The only American player I found with a better non-PK scoring rate was Cobi Jones in 1998 (a very different era - that same year, Stern John scored 25 non-PK goals in 2170 minutes). I don't expect Zardes' goals/min to be quite so gaudy when the season ends, but that should help put in perspective just how productive he's been recently.
Zardes is maturing in front of our very eyes, for those of us following MLS. He used to be too hasty, to shoot before settling in the play, and his positioning was not as good. Now he's much smarter with the chances. He makes better decisions, keeps his head, detects open spaces. In one year he's gone from a promising kid to a top MLS forward. Not just striker, but forward, creating spaces, combining, even holding up play. I feel very happy to have been there to see this growth.
His timing was off, he was holding the ball too long in the box before finishing. He changed and now their are goals. It's the classic learning what to do and then making it instinctual.
I think that Jozy's problem is his body. It is easy to injury and also limits your movement if you are over. Also when you rely on strength to overpower a defender than you may not focus on smart runs.