U23 Players in MLS this week 10/12 [R]

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Nutmeg, Oct 14, 2003.

  1. Nutmeg

    Nutmeg Member+

    Aug 24, 1999
    Code:
    [size=2]
    [u][url=http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10102003_CLBCHI&version=recap]Friday:  Columbus 0-2 Chicago[/url][/u]	
    Player Name	Minutes	Goals	Assists
    Beasley   	90	0	0
    Gray       	90	0	0
    Pause       	90	0	0
    Jaqua       	90	1	0
    
    Martino   	18	0	0
    Buddle       	90	0	0
    Akwari       	90	0	0
    
    [u][url=http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10102003_SJCOL&version=recap]Friday:  San Jose 0-0 Colorado[/url][/u]	
    Player Name	Minutes	Goals	Assists
    Donovan   	90	0	0
    Walker       	19	0	0
    Alvarez       	23	0	0
    
    Borchers       	90	0	0
    Trembly       	20	0	0
    Becks       	70	0	0
    
    [u][url=http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10112003_DCNE&version=recap]Saturday:  DCU 0-1 New England[/url][/u]	
    Player Name	Minutes	Goals	Assists
    Convey       	90	0	0
    Warren      	90	**6 Saves
    
    [b]Warren named Man of the Match[/b]
    
    
    [u][url=http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10112003_DALMET&version=recap]Saturday:  Dallas 0-0 Metrostars[/url][/u]	
    Player Name	Minutes	Goals	Assists
    Johnson      	95	0	0
    Countess      	90	**5 Saves
    Salyer      	5	0	0
    Stone      	90	0	0
    
    Gaven   	90	0	0
    Regan       	90	0	0
    Magee       	5	0	0
    
    [b]Countess named Man of the Match[/b]
    
    
    [u][url=http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10112003_LAKC&version=recap]Saturday:  Los Angeles 1-2 Kansas City[/url][/u]	
    Player Name	Minutes	Goals	Assists
    Lewis   	90	0	0
    Memo    	75	0	0
    Hercules   	**Extra Time
    [/size]
    
    And the goalkeepers square off. Warren has a very nice game against New England, only to see a PK ruin his shutout. Countess counters by shutting down two PKs. Nice.

    Other than that, it was painfully obvious that the season has wound down, and the sandbagging has begun. Some highlights for the week were Memo getting his first start, and setting up the sequence that led to Ruiz's PK goal. Borchers played another solid week in defense, as did Ricky Lewis for the Galaxy. The Columbus U23 contingency has to be bummed right now, as they are pretty much out of the playoffs despite so much talent on one squad. Why Andrulis insisted on benching Martino in lieu of APC is a question we'll probably never get an answer to, but I for one think a sacking is in order immediately following the regular season.

    I'll give my own personal player of the week award to Nate Jaqua, who looked like the player I know from the University of Portland when he rode off a couple of Crew players, played a beautiful 1-2 with Razov, then rode off another tackle, and in full sprint chipped the keeper for the first goal scored in the new/old Soldier Field. Easy Goal of the Week pick.

    Good stuff coming up this week - a U23 USOC final between Chicago and NY, and of course the U23 friendly versus Haiti in Florida.
     
  2. voros

    voros Member

    Jun 7, 2002
    Parts Unknown
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The only issue is that I think Jaqua's shot was going wide until Clark chested it into the goal. It might have gone wide, it might not have, but Clark knocked it right into the net.

    Also, Countess was out of his mind all night. Two PK saves and a brilliant save of a header at point blank range.
     
  3. Nutmeg

    Nutmeg Member+

    Aug 24, 1999
    Watch the replay. Jaqua called glass.

    Also forgot to mention that while Memo has been oft-criticized for his lack of work in the defensive department, it was a quick read and reaction that allowed him to steal the KC pass and start the PK sequence. Good stuff.
     
  4. voros

    voros Member

    Jun 7, 2002
    Parts Unknown
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah, I was wondering, why doesn't he get an assist for that?
     
  5. ChrisE

    ChrisE Member

    Jul 1, 2002
    Brooklyn
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    Penalty kick statistics are arbitrary and worthless.
     
  6. ChrisE

    ChrisE Member

    Jul 1, 2002
    Brooklyn
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    American Samoa
    I thought the header was by far his best save of the night. With the pk's, you guess right, you're in pretty good shape (only 70% or PK's go in, I believe). When I saw Regan go up for that header, I could imagine absolutely no way that the ball was not going into the net. D.J.'s save was stunning.
     
  7. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    FYI, Dallas' Mandi Urbas, who has come in at the end of the last two games, is both a U23 and a US citizen.

    (He was born in Germany in 82 and has an American parent.)
     
  8. Karl K

    Karl K Member

    Oct 25, 1999
    Suburban Chicago
    I'll second the choice of Jacqua as U23 of the week.

    This is the first time I had seen him for an extended period of time, and I was particularly impressed with his ability to hold the ball and his extremely quick feet which allowed to him to turn well on the ball and dance out of some tight spots. On a couple of occasions, Clark had no choice but to hack him to the ground.

    All the Fire 23s had a very good game. With some significant playing time under his belt recently, Kelly Gray's aggressiveness and confidence really seem to be rolling.

    (As an aside, I think the Fire are odds on favorites to win the whole enchilada; the entire group seems to be hitting on all cyclinders, but that's for another thread).

    I thought the Crew was really at sea without Martino. Buddle looked good, and worked hard, but the last pass/finish wasn't there. I am just not all that impressed with Akwari. He seems stiff and unathletic, though he is strong and tough on the tackle.
     
  9. Cavalier

    Cavalier Member

    Sep 9, 1999
    While not involving a U23, the play that stood out the most for me in the Dallas/NY game was the nearly first play of the game when Gbandi gave up a horrible ball that lead to the first NY penalty kick.

    As we talk about all these young players, more and more I am reminded of all those who have come before them who we thought had such promise, and might one day make an impact on the full Nats, only to see their arch fall quite a ways short such as Gbandi, Suarez, Vagenas, Victorine, Albright, Dunseth, etc.
     
  10. Nutmeg

    Nutmeg Member+

    Aug 24, 1999
    I am pretty sure that Gbandi has been playing hurt, and this being his first year in a horrible environment, I am a bit more reticent to put him in the "has been" category.
     
  11. voros

    voros Member

    Jun 7, 2002
    Parts Unknown
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I gotta go with Countess. He won player of the week on MLSnet.

    Countess has saved 40% of the penalties taken against him this year (4 of 10) which is a pretty impressive number.
     
  12. lurking

    lurking Member+

    Feb 9, 2002
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    10 is a pretty small sample size, 1 save more than youd expect really (about 70% has been the league average on penalty conversions).

    I still will go on record in saying that I agree Countess has potential, I think his play is inconsistent with a tendency to give up soft goals. I think he will probably be the starter, but I suspect it will be because of decisions made in the past, not because of what he has been doing in the present.
     
  13. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I think the performances of DJ and Dougie ought to be remembered the next time the overage debate starts and folks start saying how we need to use an older 'keeper.

    These guys are good and they are only going to get better the more they play in MLS. While Warren may not be a full time starter next year unless there's expansion, he should still get some minutes while DJ will clearly be the No. 1 in Dallas.

    I expect both keepers to be even better next year after they apply the lessons of this season.

    Finally, as to DJ's soft goals, he's gonna mistakes. He's not only the youngest GK in MLS, he's the youngest fulltime starter in league history. (Howard didn't actually take over fulltime with the Metros till 2001 when he was 23.) You're gonna get mistakes with such a young 'keeper. But at the same time, the kid is also capable of making game-breaking saves, the kind that keep you in a match and the kind that make you shake your head.

    And, Warren is almost as good as Countess!
     
  14. beineke

    beineke New Member

    Sep 13, 2000
    For the trivia fans, this isn't quite accurate.

    Nick Rimando became a full-time starter in May of 2000, while he was still 20. DJ Countess was three months beyond his 21st birthday when he took over in Dallas at the start of this season. For his own part, Tim Howard had just turned 22 at the start of the 2001 season.

    And to be truly nit-picky, DJ isn't the youngest keeper in MLS, either ... Clint Baumstark is.
     
  15. lurking

    lurking Member+

    Feb 9, 2002
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Last point first, Warren right now I think looks to me like the better keeper from what I have seen. But I hate soft goals, and i think DJ has given up more than his share at the near post this year. I look at his save%, and dont see the mark of a good keeper. You may not agree with that assessment, but thats just what I see.

    As for DJ's age, if drafting a potential keeper that would be relevant. We arent. We are talking about a competition in less than a years time. And right now, I think you could make a strong argument that Warren is the better keeper.

    Ive never said that Countess doesnt have a ton of potential, just that he isnt as good as everybody seems to think he is right now.
     
  16. SgtSchultz

    SgtSchultz Member

    Jul 11, 2001
    Parts Unknown
    How can anyone claim Warren is a better Keeper than Countess when Warren has played so little this year. Let's be realistic about Countess. He has played on a team that is horrible defensively and part of setting up the defense is his responsibility. Although he has been burned(pardon the pun), he has gained valuable experience. With confidence, I can gaurantee DJ will have a much better year next year.
     
  17. dred

    dred Member+

    Nov 7, 2000
    Land of Champions
    Yeah, where's the respect for this guy? He comes and gives without taking and we send him away!
     
  18. lurking

    lurking Member+

    Feb 9, 2002
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Rimando is a heck of a lot better than Jeff Casser. How can you hold the fact that DC has a quality first keeper against Warren?
     
  19. Cavalier

    Cavalier Member

    Sep 9, 1999
    That may be, but of course on the other hand, he really isn't that young either and doesn't have much more time to start proving himself. I just remember Bullwinkle (over on SAG) raving about him just before he won the Herman award as a write in for the Nats left back position in a few years. Needless to say that doesn't look likely right now.

    Oh and what the heck happend to Nick Downing, another promising youth national team defender? It just seems to me that easily our weakest position from the U23-full Nats (after Pope and Boconegra) is defense. I just really hope that a Whitbread or such pans out to the point of being a full nat candidate within the next 2 years.
     
  20. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    Regarding Gbandi, I think he still has potential with the national team.

    In evaluating him, you have to remember a few things:

    *This was his rookie year. And, it was the first time he'd played since the fall of 2001. And, since winning the Hermann as a junior in 2000 and the star of this season, he'd only played in about 10 games that counted as he missed the first part of his Sr. year with an NCAA suspension and the last 8 or so with the knee injury. So, there was going to be some rust.

    *He was coming back from a very serious ACL injury. These things often take time for a player to be 100 percent.

    *He played on a dysfunctional team and on a miserable playing surface. Hard for anyone to look good playing there.

    *The last third of the season he's had a nasty ankle injury that has inhibited him.

    Gbandi's shown flashes this season, especially going forward. The kid has skills. But, he also has a lot to learn about the mental aspects of defense as he can't dominate physically the way he did in college. If that catches up with his physical ability, he can still be a national team player.

    But, I don't see him being an overage player in the Olympics though I could see that slot being used on Todd Dunivant.

    As for Downing, he was never that good in college or the youth national teams. He was good but I don't think anyone every projected him to be a future youth national teamer. He's not big enough to play centrally or pacey enough to play wide.
     
  21. Karl K

    Karl K Member

    Oct 25, 1999
    Suburban Chicago
    On Gbandi, I agree with Sandon.

    He still has potential, and the time (though not much of the latter) to become an international level player. There is no doubt he is both a tremendous athlete and has tremendous skills.

    The next leap is mental. This is a guy who has dominated at every level he's played. Different kettle of fish now. So it's up to him to get in gear mentally so he can take the next step.

    I put the odds at around 40% he can make the leap.
     
  22. SUDano

    SUDano Member+

    Jan 18, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Brad Davis

    Another Burner people often overlook is Brad Davis. I think he is better at central midfield but the praise often goes to Convey and Martino. I have watched them all and favorably put Davis in their class. In 26 games he has 6 goals 5 assists. Convey in 17GP has 2/0 and Martino in 20GP has 2/3. I think Davis had better numbers last year also.
    He has a great corner and free kick curve on his ball and has nifty on ball skills. He's weaker off the ball and on defense than Convey/Martino. He also is taller and sturdier than those 2 at 5-11 165. Hope he comes back soon from his groin pull.
     

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