Thumbs up on all these players. Dragon will probably be the end of his career, but I do enjoy seeing a right back who has some moves and can actually complete a pass. EZ definitely stands out among our crop of mediocre players. He is fun to watch which has not been too common for Burn players since Ronnie O'brien went down. Ali Curtis has been quite a surprise for me. I thought he would come in and just be competition for the 3rd forward spot, but after only 1.25 games, I'd start him anyday over EJ. He is big at 190 pounds, fast, and is excellent at holding off physical defenders. The knock on him from DC is that he just doesn't produce, but hell, we had that anyway. This guy is at least exciting to watch. Dunseth, on the other hand, was invisible in his first start. And that's the way I like my backs, thank you very much. No Roberto Carlos runs forward, no desperate last second tackles in the back. Just taking care of business and letting the mids do their jobs. Plain old vanilla defense is just what we need. I know a lot of people are enamored with Thomas, but his inexperience has hurt us several times. If Dunseth can just give us dependable performances in the middle when Bonseau comes back, he could be the most influential pickup of the bunch. Really there are a lot of (don't think about Jeffries...) positives to take out of the last few weeks. If DC could just collapse and gift us the top two picks in the draft, we might have a lot to look forward to (don't think about Jeffries...) next year.
Ali Curtis is a great guy and he plays his heart out in each and every match. He has great speed and can hold the ball well up top..the knock on him is that he sometimes holds the ball too well (too long) is indecisive in his passing, sometimes tries to take on 3 defenders by himself..and his goals per number of chances/minutes wasn't spectacular. If Ali can work on his finishing and become a little smarter with the ball and add that to his athletic ability he will be a great player in MLS. EZ I never really saw as a great defender or an offensive threat. He's lazy sometime getting back on D after his runs forward...his only offensive move is the give and go which when he gets the ball back his crosses are nothing spectacular.
I'll predict it here: Curtis will be one to watch. I've followed his career and this season, beginning with DC, it's as if a light switch seems to have turned on with Curtis and he's learned how to play intelligently as a forward. He doesn't receive the ball and think about what to do; he receives the ball knowing what he's going to do. With Davis and Vaca behind him, we could be in for some great games for the remainder of the season. Still a Burn fan!
I agree. These 3 players have been a pleasant surprise. We still may be losing, but at least now we're losing with a bit of style and the losses aren't so predicatable. I feel the faint illusion of hope before games where a month ago there was nothing.
i was very impressed when he had his first shot on goal for dallas. he had his back to goal, did the quick one step with his plant foot and spun to fire a rocket on net. i think this is a much under-used talent that should be pursued by curtis. ezra is too full of himself and lacks positive support for younger players. he doesn't fit on the burn. i miss broome. too bad jeffries ruined his attitude.
Quite frankly, the only veteran players I want to see on the Burn next season are the younger players like O'Brien. Bringing in a seasoned veteran like EZ that came from a championship team is a mistake. Commit to youth and develop for the future. The only veterans we need are those that take the young players under their wing. There will never be any productive team chemistry combining veterans and youth on Dragon. Better to make a total committment to youth development prior to Frisco.
And yes, Curtis is a great addition to the Burn youth. Fast, talented and a work-horse. Just what the other young players need to bond with. I could see him playing 60+ and EJ coming on for him every game. Good way to pressure both players into busting their azzes.
That reminds me of a quote that cracked me up during the LA game. The LA announcers said after one of his charges, "He only had 5 players to beat, and he beat 3 of them!"
People forget just how much disarray the TB franchise was in during the 2001 season (Ali Curtis' rookie year). Diallo was hoging the ball (trying to get points so he'd get his bonuses), Mondelo had the team spend most of their preseason jumping over boxes (to be the best conditioned team in MLS). Curtis was just totally lost--got a few early starts and then nothing. So, in effect, 2002 was his rookie year. He showed great heart, athletic ability and decent skills in countering situations. He's continued to grow this season (doing a better job holding the ball, using his body better, showing he can be a factor for 90 minutes). And frankly, I really have to give a lot of credit to ANY player who seizes the opportunity (and Curtis--not at archetypal target man--on a DCU roster surrounded by withdrawn forwards and A-mids, stepped up and earned his PT). And you're already finding out he's a hard worker and a great kid. Dunseth and Hendrickson were probably smart acquisitions just in terms of "it ain't working so let's shuffle the deck." At least EZ is better at doing (attacking down the right sideline) what Suarez was determined to do (regardless of whether it was the right time or not). Ultimately though, I think a really huge factor for Dallas this year was the lack of a major force on the team, a truly dominant player. Don't get me wrong--you've got guys who are keys to your team (like Pareja). But most MLS teams have a player or two that gets mentioned by outsiders as being the best at their position (or one of the 2-3 best) in MLS. If that person is in a key role (like Tim Howard or Carlos Ruiz or Taylor Twellman) than they can carry that team at times. I'm convinced that the failure to work something out with Tyson Nunez was (in retrospect) a killer for the Burn this year. The Burn has a very deep team with a lot of good talent. Last year, some guys (like Martinez and Deering) had outstanding years. Maybe this year is a slump for them (or maybe last year was their career best--who knows). But who would Dallas point at and say "our guy at this position is one of the 2-3 best in MLS" or "this guy will decide a couple of games a year for us". The closest I can come to on this is Countess (and, to be charitable, as great as he is, most folks would say that given his youth, there are a couple of MLS GKs ahead of him at this point. That may not be true in another year but for now it's hard to argue he's one of the 2 best GKs in MLS). So acquiring Dunseth, Hendrickson and Curtis aren't bad deals. Ultimately though, I think the team needs to acquire something other than good depth or players that raise the talent level at one position a notch.
If Curtis developes (maybe with some help of teammates because it won't come from jeffries) he has the ptenial of becoming the next Jason Kries but with speed to boot. He has the same work ethic and gritty style. Maybe Buffet Toni can give him some tips for making goals!
I was very impressed with Ali, meeting him after his first game with the Burn. He promised me to bring his top game, every time. And he made it sound like a personal promise to me, not just a stock answer or response to fans. Very well mannered young man, very enthusiastic, and a pleasure to watch play. I still miss Ronald tho. Wonder what would have happened if we'd traded EJ to DC to play with his buddy Santino, in exchange for Ali?
If I remember correctly, I think Curtis came into the league as a defender and when people figured out how fast he was - they moved him up top. With a bit more control on the ball and his shots, he will be very good. If not, then....I don't know, it just won't be as good.
Actually, Northside, Ali came in as a forward from Duke I believe, the 2nd pick of the draft (behind Carrieri?). But the guy at Tampa Bay actually started him at left back 2 or 3 times in his rookie season for reasons unknown except to the most obscure parts of the universe. He was horrible when he played there, and was clearly out of position. He started to come on the 2nd half of last year for DC. One reason he's accused of holding the ball too much is because DC played a 4-5-1 which was more of a 4-5-0-1 and he had no one to pass to when he received the ball. I don't think that part of his game is a problem. What he really needs to work on is his finishing and once he bags a few and regains his confidence in that area, he could be a force to be reckoned with in this league for a long time to come.