Feilhaber leaves AGF Aarhus for MLS(5) [R]: Come give Ceres positive rep and say goodbye

Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

You seem to forget that AGF (on paper) is a Superliga team playing 1. Division. So it makes no sense comparing AGF with a USL-1 team...The AGF training sessions are as good as they were last season when the same players were playing in the Superliga.
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

I was only trying to be realistic about the level in the Danish 1. Division, which is comparable with top-flight level in Finland. Though AGF of course has better players and a much more expensive squad in compare with the clubs you find in the Finnish league, just as it is the case in the Danish 1. Division, but the general level in the Danish 1. Division would be about the same as top-flight level in Finland...

I'm sure we can all agree that it would be better if Feilhaber and AGF were playing Superliga, but ther are probably between 23 and 25 leagues in Europe that has a lower level than Danish 1. Division, so it is perhaps not quite as bad as some ppl may think :
http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2011.html
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

Training without playing is of course not good, because you dont become match fit, but players improve their skills and become better players by training with other good players... It simply nonsense to think it doesnt make any difference if you are training with other internationals at AGF, a USL-1 team or (like Babajide Ogunbiyi) with Viborg at the bottom of of the 1. Division...

This summer AGF sent Anders Nielsen on loan to SønderjyskE in the Superliga, because he was only 3rd pick , so ther was little chance he was going to play 1. Division for AGF. He has now played 4 Superliga games for SønderjyskE, which should tell you something about the general quality of the AGF squad and the quality of their training sessions.
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

Nothing seem to be wrong with Feilhabers "senses" at the moment. Perhaps you should take another look at that match-winning free kick against HB Køge.. and some of his assists of lately..
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

According to the official AGF website, then Feilhaber has been picked for the 20-man roster for the USMNT friendlies against Poland and Colombia:
http://www.agf.co.dk/news.asp?id=8044

...at the same time also Davit Devdariani has been called in by the Georgian NT coach for the Euro qualifiers against Malta and Latvia, while Kasper Povlsen is to play for the Danish U21 NT in a friendly against France on 12. October. (The Euro U21 Championship will btw be hosted by Denmark in 2011).
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

1.Division 2010/11, round 9 (of 30) :

Næstved v AGF Aarhus, 0-0 (0-0)
Attendance: 1,320

AGF lineup (4-4-2):

....................... Steffen Rasmussen (C)

Jerry Lucena.. Jens Gjesing.. Mark Howard.. Adam Eckersley

Stephan Petersen.. Kasper Povlsen.. Martin Jørgensen.. Benny Feilhaber

..................... Sanel Kapidzic... Dennis Høegh

Subs:
Dennis Høegh / Casper Sloth (69')
Kasper Povlsen / Aron Jóhannsson (83')
Jens Gjesing / Dan Thomassen (87')

The AGF squad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarhus_Gymnastik_Forening#Current_squad
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I was not able to find any highlights from this match, but then it was hardly a match worth remembering. AGF were missing their two top scorers Graulund and Davit Devdariani and since Feilhaber also did not play one of his better games, AGF simply became toothless in attack, though having most possession and also producing a few good attempts, but Næstved defended well and most of the play stranded in central midfield.

AGF have had 3 free agents on trial this past month. The 21-yo Georgian international Revazi Barabadze was not found to be good enough to get a contract, while AGF on the other hand found that the former Fulham talent King Gyan Osei and the 19-yo German keeper Daniel Strähle both seem quite interesting, but need to prove their worth. So Daniel Strähle has not been offered a contract straigh away, but has happily agreed to stay at AGF for the rest of this year to earn himself a contract in January. He has won the German Junior Championship, playing for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, but did not get his contract extended at the German Bundesliga club, so now he is trying his luck at AGF. King Gyan Osei has shown promise, but he has recently recoverd from a broken leg, which has kept him out for more or less a year. So he is far from being match fit and need to show more before he gets a contract, so he has also been offered to stay until January, so he can earn himself a contract.. and he is now considering the offer.
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

1.Division 2010/11, round 10 (of 30) :

AGF Aarhus v FC Hjørring, 3-0 (1-0)
1-0 Sanel Kapidzic (21)
2-0 Sanel Kapidzic (49)
3-0 Dennis Høegh (67)
Attendance: 5,054

AGF lineup (4-4-2):

....................... Steffen Rasmussen (C)

Jerry Lucena.. Jens Gjesing.. Dan Thomassen.. Adam Eckersley

Stephan Petersen.. Kasper Povlsen.. Martin Jørgensen.. Benny Feilhaber

..................... Sanel Kapidzic... Peter Graulund

Subs:
Dan Thomassen / Anders Kure (12')
Jens Gjesing / Arthur Sorin (25')
Peter Graulund / Dennis Høegh (64')

The AGF squad:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aarhus_Gymnastik_Forening#Current_squad
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AGF still have the usual trouble with their centre backs being injured. It's seems like they are taking turn and this time it was Mark Howard missing this match, while Dan Thomassen was back playing from start. Unfortunately it didnt take long before he got injured and was replaced by Anders Kure and as if this was not bad enough also the other AGF centre back Jens Gjesing got perhaps seriously injured in the 25th minute, so the AGF coach was forced to use his very last option, French Arthur Sorin who is a right back by nature and was selected as the second best full back in the Swedish league in 2008, though he has not played much after he signed with AGF and mostly warm the bench. But he actually looked very good playing in central defense in this match. So no goals to the visitors and yet another win to AGF who are still undefeated after the first 10 rounds.

As for the opponent FC Hjørring, then it's their very first season ever in the Danish 1st Division, but they have actually done surprisingly well so far, perhaps because they have signed some experienced defenders of Danish Superliga quality. Unfortunately they are also troubled by injuries and were missing two of their biggest "names" in defense, the former Danish Champion Bora Zivkovic and former AGF, Viborg and OB Odense defender Jesper Andersen. So I guess they were as badly struck as AGF in defense, though they still had an experienced and well-playing Mikkel Rask who has played in both the Danish and Turkish league in the past, while I also think Buster Munk (great name btw ) did a good job for them on the right flank, so it took some time for the AGF players to break down their defense and the visitors did try to keep the ball on the ground and play some fairly good football in midfield, though they never really managed to become a real threat in attack, except for a good attempt in the first 20 minutes it didn't amount to much for them. In the 2nd half AGF were totally dominating in midfield and it was only really a matter of how big the victory was going to be, but AGF hit the breaks the last 15 minutes or so, perhaps thinking of the injuries and a tough schedule with two midweek games that await them.

Like it was the case in round 9 against Næstved, we didnt see all too much of Feilhaber in this match either. He no doubt has lots of qualities and is the kind of player who really is able to make a difference, but sometimes he just seem to more or less disappear and become "invisible". He did have a few good moments in this match, but they were few, while you cant help to keep being impressed by Peter Graulund, who perhaps didnt score any goals this time, but was involved in the first goal and made a brilliant assist as you can see in the highlights below. He just never give up, no matter if he is fouled and probably also would have earned AGF a penalty, if Sanel Kapidzic had not made use of the opportunity and scored. Also good old Martin Jørgensen should be praised for his assist and an excellent 2nd half, while AGF left back Adam Eckersley made yet another assist and really has become one of AGFs better and more reliable players after the first few terrible games he played, when he was newly signed.

Highlights:
TV2 Sport
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Re: Feilhaber at AGF Aarhus (5) [R]: Ben and Jerry make like a banana and...

Feilhaber no doubt has some real Star quality, but also lack the expereince and consistency that makes the difference between the really big Stars and the more "average" players ... Still, he is the best and most skilled American who has played in the Danish league so far (not counting Brad Friedel because he is a goalkeeper).... As we also saw at the WC-10, then Feilhaber is the kind of player who can make a difference no matter how good the opponent may seem to be, which I guess is why he is highly rated by Bob Bradley...