http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2009/07/united_trialists_arrive.html The first two of what might be several trialists are in town for training with D.C. United: *Jean-Francois Bell, a 28-year-old defender from Cameroon who has played at various levels in Switzerland. *David Habarugira, a 20-year-old defender from Burundi's national team who came through the Anderlecht system in Belgium. Both play in the middle but have experience on the corners. They will train with DCU all week. I'm told that others of perhaps greater prominence are also on DCU's radar.
Okay, commence normal trialist protocols... You, hit the Wikipedia. You, hit the Google. You, search all of Big Soccer. You, friend them on Facebook. You, search their previous team forums. You, ask their moms. Break!
That was Phase One Phase Two consists of the following: a) praise their speed, scoring and tenacity and expect them to compete for starting positions immediately b) bemoan the fact that we have the worst Cameroon and Dutch/Burundi players ever c) repeat ad infinitum
Baseless assertion! conjecture conjecture conjecture conjecture. Hypothesize? Fantasize end result! Vehement proclamation!!
We'll need one or two posters to volunteer now to be that one guy who won't let go once these guys are released from the team. Responsibilities include: Lament that United let them go; start arguments with anyone who suggests it was a good decision to let them go; follow the player's every move with future clubs; and start new threads in this forum every time one of them does something remotely postive with their new team ("was subbed in in the 82nd minute and DIDN'T FALL DOWN ONCE the entire time he was on the pitch!")
Well I know for a fact that HavaNagila has never once put his shorts on backwards and run around the field all game.
Bell played for FC Vaduz in the recent past (in 2005 at least), located in Lichtenstein but a part of the Swiss League and one of the league's stronger team -- they're in the UEFA Cup pretty much every year, but don't do much once they get there. Before that, he played for AC Bellinzona, another Swiss team. I haven't found anything that indicates he's had a sniff of Cameroon's national team.
In the context of Cameroon's national team, this makes sense. Other defenders on the team play for teams in the Prem (well, Newcastle used to be...), France's League 1, Turkey's 1st division, and the Dutch Eredivisie, all of which are more highly regarded than the Swiss leagues.
I haven't made up my mind on these guys yet but can I pre-emptively claim that I'm right and everyone else is completely wrong? Seriously, most of you have obviously never watched a soccer game in your lives!! HavaNagila should be a pretty good pickup but why didn't we try to get Joseph Desire Job - that guy's been looking for work for ages. Is Francois a boy's game or a girl's name???
In order to qualify for UEFA Cup, Vaduz FC have to beat .... all the other high-caliber teams in Lichtenstein. It is sort of like Puerto Rico Islanders and the CONCACAF Champions League.
Do either of these guys have an American uncle or brother-in-law or something? I can't believe Bob Bradley hasn't capped them yet.
Well, Steve Sampson would have. Sight unseen. Any 30 year old plying his trade in a Geneva regional league must be better than any MLS player.
Out of curiosity--does Monaco only need to beat all the other teams in Monaco (assuming there are any), or does it qualify through Ligue 1? It just seems like an odd loophole--I guess because it's a UEFA competition, you qualify through your national FA, not whatever league/division you play in? This is about as OT as I can get while still talking about soccer. Unless you all want an update on my son's new U12 team.
Oddly enough, the latest news about my son's new U12 team is that David Stokes has joined the coaching staff.
To do what, help them with ball skills???? Think the only way your son will improve is if he goes to Europe.
hey take that shit to the Alumni Forum! That's kinda cool, actually. When my ex-GF's daughter used to play at the U12 level, Lyle Yorks was one of their "visiting" coaches. The girls loved him. The same drills they whined at me and the real coaches about doing, they were all like "sure, Coach Lyle, no problem"
So Bell is gone, and we're in negotiations with Habarugira: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/soccerinsider/2009/07/dc_united_news_notes_4.html