Seagroves...If you have coached in your days. Or understand coaching soccer, you would understand basic stuff: Ante is a great, great player. Yet, he is what coaches call a classic head case. At his age and level..he has got to focus and not let the lack of team chemistry...etc. etc...change his game. Screw injuries (look at McBride..get on with it). It is obvious he isn't happy in Chicago...whether it's not getting on well with some of the other strong headed egos...or what...it doesn't matter. he has control over this. And if the team has crummy chemistry....that's a very tough job for any coach. and Ante doesn't help. Chicago may have more talent than the Crew. But the entire team respects and actually like each other. They are friends. You guys just don't look that way. Brass tacks...he isn't happy = play and act stupid at times. he is his worse enemy by far...and he can't blame anybody else.
LOL...oh lord. It is now official: You have absolutely NO IDEA what you are talking about. Ante will ONLY play here. He's tried other places. He doesn't like them. He likes it here, he likes his coach, and he likes his teammates. He LOVES his club. The very idea of us trading or dumping Razov is ridiculous and it's something opposing fans who are jumping on the still-smoldering remains of the Fire's 2002 season are taking advantage of. Razov deserves to be punished. He will. Severely. But he will remain in Chicago. It occurs to me a lot of this is similar to the discussion that came after the Kovalenko incident in 1999 against Dallas. Now, Kovalenko, another hardworking player who loves his club was punished far less severely for a much worse outcome than Razov probably will, and produces a damn sight less than Razov. There were several calls for Kova's head immediately after the incident by both Fire fans and others. But at least the Fire fans' calls became near-nonexistant over time...Razov has to put up with it all thae damn time? Why is that? This player who, when he came back to the league could have gone to any club (and any club would have gladly taken him and his goals) instead showed loyalty and devotion to HIS club, the Fire, and came back here. He's Ante Razov, good and bad, for better or ill. But he's always a Fire player. He deserves punishment, not malice and expulsion.
ratface I could give a rats ass how he "looks" if you were talking about razov, his appropriate name is ratface, not rats ass.
...and just imagine how much louder people would be yelling if Razov's intended target was someone other than Heaps the Hack.
He didn't retaliate against Heaps, he just attacked him. I'm sure he only attacked him because he was on the ground, never would have if Heaps was standing facing him. Just doesn't seem like it would be his style to handle it like a man.
Ante attacked him because he was on the ground? Is that like Ante's signature move or something? Find a player on the ground and step on them? Heaps knows how to tackle with his studs down or up. He now knows how it feels to receive the studs rather than dish them out.
Thought it was pretty common knowledge Ante only goes after people who are down, or from behind. What was unique about his attack on Heaps was he did it with the official watching. I've always loved the Fire right after my Revs, just can't stand Ante.
Today the Daily Herald had the final stats and Ante through 9/23 had 14 goals, wolff had 5 goals and no one else had more than 3 goals. So I guess it shows how much we need Ante.
So he only had 9 goals in non-Revs games? You deserve a lot better from that position (and salary). I hope Fire managemnet adresses that for you fans next year.
Hala, to clarify my post, FOR THE MONEY, I'd rather have a player who produces in congruence with his salary. At or near MLS's maximum, Razov's numbers do not justify this team having to lose Wynalda, Gutierrez last year, and likely Whitfield and other quality players this year. I do have team loyalty, and I think Razov is a SERVICEABLE MLS forward, not a star, as his salary would suggest. At least with Jamar, the club would not be forced into their annual Salary Cap Giveaway Extravaganza to accomodate the obese salaries of underperformers like Razov and Stoitchkov. (I like both Ante and Hristo, but not at their prices.) Why pay Mercedes Benz prices when you're getting a Volkswagen? For the league maximum, that's the correlation one may draw between Razov's salary (Mercedes) and Razov's point production (Volkswagen). Cheers!
If Ante is a great player with his below 50% shots on goal, his inability to win anything in the air despite his >6' tall stature, and his poor work rate, what are Twellman or Ruiz? Footballing gods? I'd trade 10 Ante Razovs for one Twellman, with Twellman's work rate, strike rate, and friendlier salary number. Razov is the most overrated player in MLS. Look at the stats, and given the midfield he's had to serve him, the number of shots he's taken, and the team he's been on. Clearly the numbers, and the stories behind the numbers don't lie. If Diallo or Twellman or Ruiz were on Chicago, they'd easily score far more goals than they did this year. Yet in Chicago, there's this "Good enough is good enough" attitude towards all the sports teams and towards certain players, including Razov. What Razov did in the match underscores that he's not worthy of a maximum salary. His performance (or lack thereof) and his professionalism (Or lack thereof) demand greater outcomes than he's given hereto fore. Cheers!
14 goals in a World Cup year! 14 goals from 115 shots attempted! 14 goals in a year when the top MLS players were in the Far East for part of the year. 14 goals for the league maximum salary! That's my gripe. Razov is not a bad player, but he is also NOT A STAR, not worth the money, and not worth losing other players in the team. To those who complain about seeing too much of Walsh and Vaudreil and Perez, thank Ante Razov's obese salary when Gutierrez had to sacrificed to the salary cap gods. When Chicago loses Whitfield or Beasley or Curtin, thank the league max that keeps Mr. Low Work Rate in Chicago. Cheers!
It's been posted previously that had there been a thread beside Ante, it would have alleviated some of the defensive pressure. Instead, most teams knew they just had to take Ante out of the game and our offense would stutter.
To all the readers out there: Don't let Mr. Khan fool you with his garbage he is repeating in all of his posts here. Pretty much everything he says is nonsense. His statements only prove his lack of understanding the game. He relies on statistics which are pretty much meaningless in soccer. The three myths he is using in his reasoning are: Myth #1. Statistics in soccer are accurate. Myth #2. All shots on goal are better than misses. Myth #3. Shots on goal win soccer matches. He failed to admit that Razov was 11th in the league with 8 assists, ahead of everybody in DC, Columbus or Fire; that he was 13th in the league with 5 primary assists, ahead of everybody in Columbus or Fire. He is making a schmuck of himself by saying that putting half shots on goal is a bad thing (56 out of 115 is 49% or half of shots, if you stop utilizing myth #1 in your thinking). Nobody on Fire comes even close to him in this department (Wolff--40%, Kovalenko--32%, Nowak--39%, Beasley--46%). By overcoming myth #3 we all know that this percentage is pretty much meaningless anyway. Anybody sane prefers a player (Razov) miss (even pretty badly, not very badly) that virtually pass it to the keeper of the opponent (Beasley). Therefore, for example Beasley's ratio may be higher but it does not mean that he is a more dangerous scorer. Another thing may be all the woodwork hit by Razov not taken into consideration in this kind of statistic. Soccer is like poker sometimes. You may go for the grand slam (a distance volley shot) or leave a mere single pair in your hand (pass the ball to somebody else and see what he can do with it). That is why when somebody tries to feed me with such statistic thrash, I immediately know that I am dealing with a soccer cretin. On the other hand, Khan feeds us with some other nonsense, which, I am sure, even he knows is far from the truth. He mentions that Razov does not put enough effort during games (we all know that he is a gamer and would never ever let go--examples?--last game in Columbus, last game in NE; hell, every game is an example!). He compares Wolyniec or Jamar Beasley to Razov, when the former players are not even in the same class; they are in a different league! To be honest, I don't understand what makes all of you who are against Razov hate him so much?! He certainly has a fantastic style, that is unique in MLS and certainly very rare in the world. He is a goal poacher and he is a risk taker. The more shots he takes, the more beautiful the game becomes. Numerous times he manifested his love and loyalty to the club; his pride and satisfaction of wearing the Fire jersey. It seems to me that those who question the stardom of Ante Razov have as little understanding of soccer as the little kids who just started playing: sometimes you can be great, even if you have some physical shortcomings. Ante has an outstanding soccer "brain" and that is why he belongs to the best. Note #1. This post has nothing to do with the latest incident that happened at the end of the match in NE. Note #2. This is only a shorter version of a much better writing I produced last hour; however, the devils of Internet decided to hide it somewhere away from me.
He started manifesting his love and loyalty when he couldn't cut it Europe. If could have played there this thread wouldn't exist.
So what about Wolff? Razov was the one scoring the goals this year, just doesn't make any sense to rail on him while Wolff is once again injured and eating up large amounts of cap space while returning nothing. I like both Razov and Wolff, but would rather have the one that is least injured if I had to choose. Why stop at Jamar? Just low ball every position and then we can have a team that completely sucks, but at least they wont underperform. Still using this tired old metaphor? Quit fixating on Razov, and look at the other players that aren't scoring or even playing while they take in a big check. Give me a break.
Sometimes you realize what you really love and what you identify with when you miss it. Just ask any of the so many immigrants out here in America feeling this way.
After a few years on BigSoccer and thousands of posts read, I was granted with an utterly nonsensical and illogical piece of garbage that is just a too perfect example of soccer idiocy to be missed and not reread again for another good laugh. After all this garbage above, your greeting at the end sounds like a request for change from a street clown. I think Khan's post may very well qualify for a Guiness record in the most untrue and illogical statements in a short fan opinion. I would be willing to prepare it for submission, if you would like, Khan. Even though such outstanding cases of lack of logic and interpreting facts to completely opposite findings are extremely rare, it does not mean that there is nothing that can be done about them. May I suggest going or coming back to special school. Sometimes there might exist some age related obstacles but one can always find at least "10% good" people who are willing to help. Until the problem is alleviated, however, at least partially, I would refer from posting anything on the Internet unless thoroughly thought over and checked by another sane adult. See how others do it, think, consider and only then maybe post. This is the rule by which you cannot go wrong.
Cinek That was a very good post. However not even that will change my mind. I hope he is not on the FIRE next year.
I dont think service is being brought up too much...What midfield did we have? Nowak out most of the year, Stoichkov too...when they were in they were in it just painfully reminded us how far theyve fallen because of age and injury....Beasley, gone for most of the year as well and when Bradley limits his offensive production, he's not utilitzed fully...sure he can play defense well but he can beat people one on one most of the time. let him attack...Kovalenko with a massively disappointing season. Enough said..Armas out injured. Vaudreil? Walsh? Unproven rookies like Gray, (not bad) Sleeth? Wheres the supporting cast? This has been a very frustrating season. And no one approves of his actions and he should be fined and suspended for a few games next season if it hasnt been given out already.