U.S. Cruises Behind Boxx - LA Times (CAUTION: European results in here) 5 Fire players on the spot - Chicago Tribune Wizards are still waiting for injured Simutenkov - KC Star Meeting details Fire stadium plans - Chicago Tribune (already posted?) Alums in MLS The lure of potential - Gwinnet Daily Sorry-- can't get the below to work Catz reach title game - REGISTER-PAJARONIAN
Amado Guevara, ejemplo de lucha dentro y fuera de cancha: http://www.ocvive.com/deportes/newswires/0225_de_wr_guevara_soccer.shtml
Check out the Kovalenko quote from the Adu article: Added midfielder Dema Kovalenko: "He's for real. We still have to see him in a real game, when things are more competitive and much faster, but he did well. He works hard and has a lot of talent. Every day he progresses." Kovalenko also noticed Adu trying to adjust to playing against much bigger and more mature players. "It's a little physical for him right now," he said. "He took a couple hits, but he got up. I know we're going to have to protect him. If someone hits him, we're going to have to be there for him because he's still only 14. But he'll be fine." Don't have to worry about anybody making a statement against Adu now
Good Stuff. That attitude should allow him to provide us some magical moments as well as highlights on more than a few sports' shows.
In an ideal world, I wouldn't suuport behavior like that, but this isn't one, and Kovalenko's basically doing what he has to. If your goal is hard fouls against Adu, then my goal is to take your head off.
Well, when a player with a history of recklessness gets a grand total of two games for two broken legs, then it was pretty much bound to happen.
Haven't we seen this movie before...? (If I'd had PhotoShop and a web site, I'd have done it more justice - Joey Franchino in for Matt Dillon, Dema and Freddy on the bike). Except this one ends with an bleeding player, writhing in agony, getting carried off in a stretcher. Kinda gets me all warm and fuzzy...
This is a more apt comparison than even you may think. There was an article last year in the Wash. Post which said Dema was one of the most well-liked and well-mannered D.C. player ever off-the-field according to management types, etc., in contrast to some of his on-the-field behavior. The same can be said for McSorley, who was beloved off the ice by just about everone, but who on the ice was capable of almost anything.
Speaking as someone who watched Dema play for years, he's just 'too' intense on the field and loses control. He's not deliberately evil like some people think.
Re: Dema quote Freddy is such an exception that it wouldn't surprise me that guys don't take him out. A truly legit super star would/will bring in so much more revenue/ interest/ press that it is in the benefit of every MLS player that he succeeds, b/c it will raise their paychecks in the long-run.
Re: Re: Dema quote post of the year. following your logic, the goalies will let freddy's shots slip in so they, and their fellow team mates, can make more money? no point in playing fellas, adu has to raise the cup.
Re: Dema quote Uh following his logic? Look, if you play the game, you play hard against everyone-- even your best friends. But then there's guys you can't stand... you're definitely not trying to injure them, but you don't mind if you cause them pain. You're not playing them tougher-- but you're playing them with a little bit of malice. Adu will get some of that-- players that are jealous of his salary, fame, etc. But I think uclacarlos is mostly right-- the players with a half a brain aren't going to be trying to "take him out". Who's gonna want to be known as the guy that ended the US's "first potential superstar's" career? Of course they're going to play him hard and take advantage of his size, but they aren't going to leave their legs in just a little too long...
following your "logic"... how is a goalie giving up a freebie goal going to increase his value as a goalie, and hence lead him to greener paydays? FYI, I was addressing the need for "enforcers" on DC. We were talking about guys going after Freddy and attempting to take him out.
Sad fact is the DCU needs Dema to protect Freddy because Dema certainly isn't the only hack in the league.
Additionally, anybody who never touches Freddy & says nice things about Freddy will also suffer a similar fate.
Yeah, I don't like Dema anymore than anyone else. But I think someone's gotta do it, and it might as well be the biggest a-hole in the league.
Re: Re: Dema quote Hooooey. Lets not start importing "Jordan Rules" into MLS. Maybe we should let Freddy go a little bit offside, because people are watching to see him score. Maybe we should let him get away with an occasional handball. I mean, what's the integrity of the game compared to more revenue? And as to who is likely to take him out? Name any slower older defender, who has gotten burned by Freddy once, and is not going to be around for the happy days when all the salaries go up as a result of the Freddy effect.
Signs of things to come? The kid hasn't a single minute in MLS, and fans are: A) anticipating that he's going to be abused B) using this to justify reckless behavior by Dema Kovalenko. Could be a long year...
Integrity? How many players pull shirts and committ "professional" fouls? I don't think many defenders have much integrity left.
OK, point taken. But if one could assume A), then what would one do about it? Spread the word that MLS will give out disproportionate fines to protect him? Is that any better? Because only a naif would believe that soccer's traditional penalties would be enough to do the job if defenders started getting that notion in their minds.