I'll concede that "athletic" is a subjective term and varies depending on what we're valuing. While Gonzo is certainly taller and arguably better in the air, I see no reason to concede he's got more hops than Cameron. I guess because the size difference is marginal [6'3 190/6'5 205] from a CB perspective and because Cameron is decidedly quicker and more versatile, I am inclined to give him an edge in athleticism. But, again, subjective. Would be interesting to see OPTA stats for headers won during years they were both healthy.
I think someone posted in the Cameron thread that he has won 100% of his headers this season. So there's that...
Check out the slow motion/every angle video of Gonzo's goal in the final. He gets up pretty freaking high for a big dude. I'm not sure i've ever seen Cameron do that. THe good thing is that it seems we have options going forward. Hopefully GOnzo will actually get a cap or two in the near future to show us what he's got.
He had 2 defenders tracking him but he was still able to beat them, he is a nightmare to defend on set pieces.
He is a nightmare to defend and attack against. He is so dominate in the air. I don't recall Omar getting beat once ever in the air. It might have happened but I honestly cant think of one instance. We need a guy like omar on the national team. The opposing team will be forced to attack down the middle where we have 3 CDMs because of jurgen.
Just like Alexi Lalas said in halftime of the LA vs. SJ second leg playoff game "When the opposing team tries to get the ball into the box, Omar just eats them up with a cigar and a cup of coffee."
IIRC, he scored a header on Real (not Salt Lake) during a friendly a couple of years back. On the other hand, when Bob called him up for the 2010 post-WC Brazil friendly, he was undressed by the likes of Pato and Neymar. If it wasn't for Timmay and El Guzano, that could have been a debacle.
Yeah I remember him losing a header to Neymar for a goal. That should never happen. The game has slowed down for him tremendously since then. He's competent on the ball for a CB now.
That was also Omar's first ever cap (and he'd only been a pro for about 18 months then), in front of 80,000 people vs. Brazil.
He was also involved in LA's only goal (starts at 2:52) in the friendly against Real Madrid back in August.
Honestly you cant blame Omar for doing poorly against brazil 2 years ago. As mentioned, he was barely a pro and it was his first ever call up. Omar was going up against Pato when he was in the best form of his life and Neymar who was proving to be an amazing young talent. Omar has gotten so much better since then.
Omar is more of a pure defender. Cameron can be a great stopper (for you football manager enthusiasts). The two could compliment one another very well. The sky is the limit for Omar as long as he stays away from Chandler! Kidding of course.
What's astonishing at this point - and yes I'm aware of the interruption caused by injury - is that Gonzalez hasn't been more fully integrated into the MNT by this time. Yes, he's better and more experienced now than he was 2-3 years ago, but that's the whole point of projecting forward. We can't afford to wait until all of our players are 'ready.' With our flawed player pool, one could argue that none of our CBs are ready. At this point, we need to make some educated guesses. The right move abroad now might push Gonzalez up another level or two by 2014 - another season in MLS won't get the job done.
I am interested in seeing omar play in games against teams that move the ball on the ground rather than in the air or teams with speed at a center forward position. I believe a lot of his MLS dominance has been due to the fact he wins everything in the air as he is so big. He hasnt really played against forwards who are quick or play on the ground. He is a very different player than 2 years ago. He has progressed nicely.
No, I don't believe so. For that reason, I'd like to close this thread and we can absolutely revisit it (or start a new one) when something concrete arises.