I'd have said Clint myself, but I was worried I'd sound too Revs centric. Nearly every best player in MLS thread I answer Reis, Joseph, Dempsey or Twellman depending on the job the player's being asked to do. Dempsey really looked the part taking on some of those Italian defenders last night in addition to all the other work he did.
Jeff Cunningham bitches. You can take Martino off of that list. You need to be able to stay on your feet to dribble.
...I always thought Jeff Cunningham as a tricky dribller but he looks down too much. I would (at this moment) will say Clint Dempsey.
Right now Clint Dempsey but in the future it is going to be Freddy Adu. Maybe Freddy really is as young as he says because it seems like he is getting a little bigger.
Dempsey is definitely up there with dribbling but I would say he is more of a creative dribbler. His stepovers and tricks actually are effective. Mapp and Donovan have some of the best ball control at full speed though. Those would be my top three.
The kid hardly plays, hell I dont even know if he has yet but .... David Arvizu......great tricks, spins, step overs, and does them at full speed....against the italians in the U-17 WC he was unbelievable on the ball!!
If we are counting the WC game last night, then Dempsey looked very good on the ball. And Donovan wasn't bad last night or last year in the MLS. But in the league this year I have liked Cunningham and Ballouchy when I have gotten a chance to see them. Can't think of anyone else off the top of my head.
I agree that Dempsey is currently the most exciting dribbler in the league, and that Freddy may claim that title over the next couple of years. But for my money (and I know I'm gonna get ripped for this), I say that Pat Noonan has the best on-the-ball skills of any American in the league. He's not gonna win many foot races at all, but he is extremely deceptive on the dribble. He is definitely one of the best in the league at giving himself space for a shot or cross. If Noonan and Twellman could both be 100% at the same time, we might see more of the Revs side that steamrolled everyone the first half of the 2005 season.
Arvizu has the potential but lets wait till he plays in the MLS first. I'd actually go with, in order: 1) Landon Donovan (his vision and ability to control the midfield, while not his biggest strength, is second only to Christian Gomez in MLS) 2) Freddy Adu (it's his biggest strength) 3) Clint Dempsey 4) Pat Noonan 5) Edson Buddle Eddie Gaven at one point would be on this list, and could be again, fwiw. Mapp is all speed, no moves. Cunningham, Rolfe, and Martino are probably both top 10. Matt Reis? You might as well throw Kenny Cooper and Eddie Johnson on the list...
I don't think you'll find many here who will rip or even question Pat Noonan's skill with the ball. Most of the criticisms of him stem from his athleticism, health, and haircut.
His skills are of a different sort from Dempsey's, probably because his lack of speed means he has different, um, goals when dribbling. But I agree. I would have taken Noonan, if healthy, ahead of the 5th central defender. And I think he would be an effective late game sub for us. His lack of speed is less of a problem going against some poor guy who has been playing for 85 minutes.
The best American dribbler? My Top Ten: 1) Noonan 2) Dempsey 3) Mapp 4) Landon 5) Cunningham 6) Martino 7) Davis 8) Adu 9) Razov 10) Ralston Honorable Mentions: Will John Eddie Johnson Sacha Kljestan John O'Brien Arturo Alvarez Chris Rolfe Brian Mullan Ned Grabavoy Tim Ward
Noonan lack of speed? Hmmm. I don't think so. Noonan is plenty fast. In a straight up race Noonan will match Dempsey stride for stride.
perhaps, but his first step (which is what really matters when trying to beat someone 1-v-1) is glacial.
Great pick! Buddle has put on some sweet moves this year with Red Bull NY. Sometimes, it's almost like watching any one of the top Brazilian players. Trouble is, it rarely leads to anything. Jean Phillipe Peguero is another RBNY player with great moves, dribbles, step-overs and assorted little tricks. We've not had a chance to see Arvizu play. Hopefully, he'll get his chance soon as I'm dying to see what he's got.
Justin Mapp. Hands down. He almost seems lackadaisical on the field, but he always seems to outrun the defenders and get off a cross. Great technical skill.
It's Donovan, easily. There are several good american dribblers but nobody keeps the ball glued to their foot at his pace. He just chooses not to go one on three very often.