Hindsight is 20-20. Not many here disagreed that Opara was injury prone and seemed to be another broken foot waiting to happen. Though we recognized his athleticism and potential, there was not a huge outcry when he left. And most here thought we could improve on Baca and Cronin, saying they were too limited in their game and that we needed more versatility from a central midfield pairing. Our FO was thinking the same thing. Remember JPB? Who was supposed to be our box-to-box/attacking mid savior. Beita and Morrow are obviously the biggest FO mistakes regarding losing players, and young ones at that, who were playing well for the team.
Besides Beita and Morrow I think Baca was also a big mistake. I think Doyle underrated him badly and fundamentally didn't "get" him. Cronin not so much but he's the one guy we held onto for a while, i. e. precisely the wrong guy to hang onto.
The original MISL did continue for a number of years after the old NASL folded, providing a home a substantial number of NASL players (Paul Child had an extended career in a couple of cities, including Pittsburg, where he finally settled for good). The MISL was in business at the same time as the NASL too, with both leagues competing with each other with simultaneous seasons for a couple of years, then there was one season when a couple of NASL teams played as "guests" in the MISL (including the Quakes). Sometime in the 90s (I think), the original MISL folded, but there has been at least one resurrection of it since. There have been other indoor leagues along the way, including the "Continental Indoor Soccer League" (CISL), which is the league in which the San Jose Grizzles played in the 90s. That league included a team in Monterey, Mexico. The current indoor league is known as the "Major Arena Soccer League", with teams all across the US (including familiar teams from the old MISL like Tacoma Stars, San Diego Soccers, Kansas City Comets and Baltimore Blast....most just don't play in the same venues anymore), plus three teams in Mexico, and several in smaller market cities in the states. It is true that the original idea for the Arena Football League came when NFL executive, Jim Foster, scribbled a rough draft of the idea after watching a MISL game.
Yeah I spoke to the former Quakes and NY Arrows coach Don Popovic once and I told him I didn't like indoor soccer. He told me the MISL was a good league but even he acknowledged he preferred the outdoor game as well. I guess watching indoor soccer was fun but after the NASL folded, it was nothing like the traditional game. To have gone from seeing so many fans watching outdoor to indoor in a span of 4-5 years was heartbreaking...
Sadly, had they all remained, just like everyone else who has worn a Quakes uniform with the exception of maybe Wondo, neither player will have progressed. Not unless someone had a magic wand.
Opara was given his chances and there was no regret at the moment of his leaving. Cronin and baca played well together, but Cronin had no creativity and was almost a non-existent player. Beita and morrow were players we should have kept, along with baca but he wanted to leave to Mexico.
I wonder if whatever desire he had to play in Mexico could have been countered just by "Hey Rafael we appreciate what you bring to the team; we want you to stay and here's a $75k pay raise". I don't think he heard anything remotely like that. Instead Doyle clearly did not value him and thought he was "upgrading" the position with the JBP signing. I happened to like JBP (one of the few) but he was not as good as Rafael was as a #8 and in fact was more of a #6 I think.
JBP was a defensive minded player that we expected to play both ways, Baca was a two way player just not very flashy. You are probably right on his wages, similar to beita and morrow(?)
That sounds about right. Thing about Baca is that he was very quick - not fast as in a sprint so much but quick in smaller spaces, and he could help you move the ball thru the center of midfield and also press on defense. He rarely fouled but with tight marking "harassed" players into hurrying passes and turning it over. If Doyle didn't like how Baca played, then he probably didn't really "get" all of that. Baca was not a scorer and if Doyle thought that Baca should be a CAM, then again, he didn't really "get" him.
Doyle likely saw Baca as many here saw him. What he did he did well enough, but, Doyle (and many here) wanted more. Baca was a small player that was good at link up play and possession, but, was not a defensive stalwart, nor was he the type of player to crack in a shot from outside the box. He was a 1/2" box wrench when the team was looking for a crescent wrench.
Saw Chris Dangerfield last night and we talked about older and current Quakes.... The bottom line about Rafa Baca, he just wasn't big enough for Doyle's style.
Baca was a 1/2" box wrench when the team needed a 1/2" box wrench but went looking instead for a crescent wrench. He is average sized for a soccer player (5'8"), though slight of build. But it shouldn't matter anyway. He was quite possibly the best #8 the Quakes have ever had in the MLS era. He fit great into the 4-4-2 attack down the wings system. Buzzing around midfield, winning the ball, and spraying passes to the flanks. He didn't have much of a shot, but it didn't matter. He was not a #10. He didn't play defense with a lot of "bite", but it didn't matter. He was not a #6 and I would argue that his defense was just as effective in a very "clean" way because he marked guys so tightly and his work rate was so high. Matthew Doyle doesn't always get things right, but he got this one exactly right. And take a look at the recoveries and pass distribution map of that game in early 2012. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2012/04/27/armchair-analyst-baca-mexicos-missing-olympic-piece Baca has been a mainstay in midfield at Cruz Azúl for the last 3-4 years. John Doyle is out of professional soccer. Game, set, and match, Rafael Baca, in a rout. Coincidentally I went to the Cruz Azúl page and Baca is featured on the front page, having scored a goal in their recent match, and a Mexico nats callup, which Matt Doyle had suggested in that mlssoccer article, is still in discussion. Baca is now 28. http://cruzazulfc.com.mx/2018/01/15/lo-principal-es-hacer-las-cosas-bien-rafael-baca/ Sad. The Quakes could have had this guy for the last 4 years, in his prime, and he's got some years left too, at only 28yo.
story of Godfrey Ingram - Cardiff City's forgotten record signing 12 JAN 2018 http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/...s/story-godfrey-ingram-cardiff-citys-14145627 The victory over Preston would prove to be his last league game in a Cardiff shirt and, just a few days after an FA Cup first round replay win over Wokingham Town, he was walking out of the club for the last time. City had agreed a deal with San Jose to take Ingram back to the States for roughly the same price Cardiff had paid for his services in the first place. Confused fans labelled the whole process as a glorified loan move. Three decades later, the player himself is still in the dark over what actually happened. "I'm more or less retired now myself, spending most of my time between the States, the Bahamas and also Jamaica."
Once again, just because a player is successful in one league or club doesn't mean he would do the same the other. Andrea Pirlo was one of the best midfielder's Juventus and Italy has seen in the last 10-15 years and even at an advanced age and then he stunk it up in NYC. Baca is probably successful in Mexico because they play more of his style. I've yet seen many Mexican teams emulate or play a style similar to any MLS clubs or the Earthquakes, for that matter.
Skill translates, regardless of size. I'm sure there's an Italian in the league who can prove that point. Pirlo stunk it up in MLS because he should have never been signed; just like lampard.
Well Baca's been successful in both MLS and in Mexico. His skill translates just fine in both leagues and he has been a regular starter in both leagues. Not a star really, but a good, solid player. Baca, 22, now has secured a work visa and a starting job for the Quakes this season. He is expected to be counted on to control the midfield Saturday when San Jose faces the surging New York Red Bulls and strikers Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper in Harrison, N.J. With his citizenship status in order, Baca has been able to concentrate on soccer. “He never stops running,” coach Frank Yallop said. “When he plays, we seem to play better.” https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/04/11/rafael-baca-providing-clutch-midfield-play-for-the-san-jose-earthquakes/ Frank figured it out, if only by "empirical data". Hey, what do you know, we play better when he plays. Oh, and how'd that game in NY against Thierry Henry and company turn out? MLS Team of the Week Honors for Baca with Henry citing him as one of the players that gave NY "a lesson in soccer" that day. MF: Rafael Baca (SJ Earthquakes) -- When you get singled out by Thierry Henry, you're doing something right. If SJ gave NY a "lesson in football," it's because Baca was head of the class. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2012/04/17/team-week-wk-6-mls-road-warriors-take-bow
The reason Pirlo did poorly was simply because he couldn’t play with the players he had around him. Same can be said for the other players trying to play his game. He was the man of the match in the World Cup against England at 35 years of age and started in the champions league final only weeks before setting foot in nyc. Obviously there was a disconnect somewhere. Clubs would likel to sign him even today girl his skills and experience and I’m betting he would bel successful if he signed. That still doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be the same in mls but different. Comparing juventus to nycfc is like comparing apples and oranges. I guarantee you had Baca stayed here he would halve been the same as everyone else. Looking at tone clubs history, no evidence proves otherwise.
Baca was ok but not as good as you make him out to be. Doyle specifically said he was not defensive enough and wasn’t cutting the mustard physically. There isn’t anything wrong with that. The league is very physical and athletic so I’m sure more finesse players will have trouble. There have been more failures from this type of player with even bigger names since 1996.
We should not take what Doyle says at face value. In this case he was wrong. And now he is out of professional soccer.
Now that Tim Hanley is no longer employed by the Quakes, he's giving his bad opinions on USMNT goalkeepers: Best American GK? Tim Hanley should know (the original interview on Soccer America) Tim Hanley's Top U.S. goalkeepers of all-time 1. Kasey Keller 2. Brad Friedel 3. Bob Rigby 4. Arnie Mausser 5. Tony Meola 6. Tim Howard 7. Marcus Hahnemann
Yeah well I don’t think Doyle was totally involved in the decision. Shea Salinas is still here for a reason but Baca isn’t. Mostly because he is a runner. Bottom line is they like Shea but not Baca.
What?! No love for The Joe? Two-time MLS GK of the year? I like Tim, I really do. However, I notice that most of his GK pupils lacked a bit in the distribution department. Of course, I blame a fair bit of that on the coaches he worked for, but still ... It's a trend. On the other hand, Tim's analysis of other teams and the Quakes needed to do to win sounded pretty on the money to me. Go Quakes!! - Mark