MLS Best XI: GK: Troy Perkins D: Bobby Boswell D: Jimmy Conrad D: Jose Burciaga Jr. M: Christian Gomez M: Clint Dempsey M: Dwayne DeRosario M: Ricardo Clark M: Justin Mapp F: Jaime Moreno F: Jeff Cunningham I would have chosen Reis over Perkins, and am surprised but approve of Justin Mapp's selection.
I would have selected Razov over Moreno. Other than that no real complaints. (maybe another CD deserved it over Conrad?)
Senior team caps for the US players: GK: Troy Perkins - 0 D: Bobby Boswell - 1 D: Jimmy Conrad - 17 D: Jose Burciaga Jr. - 0 M: Clint Dempsey - 23 M: Ricardo Clark - 1 M: Justin Mapp - 1 F: Jeff Cunningham - 10 Anyone think some new blood has earned some looks from the national team with their club play?
I am a big Jimmy Conrad fan but he missed over half of the season due to the WC and injury. Someone who played more minutes should of gotten that spot. I also dont think Jose deserves a spot either. Yeah, he scored a lot of goals and had a few assist but he is a defender that cant defend worth a damn.
I would have selected Eddie Robinson over Jimmy Conrad. And Ching vs. Cunningham is a 50/50% proposition.
Cunningham was much more consistent over the course of the season than Ching. Ching has a better case against Moreno, who I don't think deserved to be there. Cunningham was a no-brainer best XI. He was number 1 in the forward ranks this year.
Ching went to the World Cup when he was on a really hot scoring streak. And, if you take the PKs out, their scoring was rather similar anyway. And RSL finished last in the West. The above would be the pro-Ching arguments.
And the Pro Cunningham arguments would be 16 goals (most in MLS) and a tie for 2nd in assists with 11, which by the way means he had a hand in 2/3 of the 3rd best offense in the league (45G), an MVP finalist, and lets address your team argument which has nothing to do with an INDVIDUAL award. SURE RSL was tied for last in the West (tied for 8th overall), but based on his output as a forward I think that means that it has less to do with him and more to do with the fact that he isn't god and can't do everything.... Sorry to give you such a hard time, but if you want to defend your argument you should at least take in to consideration both players. 50/50? more like 67/33
Was Mapp really a top XI player this year? Wasn't he better, but still somewhat up-n-down? (I woulda put Bornstein).
Totally agree. LA had the best defense in the league. At least one of their guys should have gotten a shout.
NE actually had the best defense this season and LA's was second. And neither team had a defender in the best XI.
Yeah, that's kinda weird. I'd a put Parkhurst or Albright in over Conrad, based on what they did in MLS this year.
I'm very glad that Ricardo Clark got some run. He is a monster for us, and I think he definately deserves a run in the NT based on his performances.
Parkhurst was definitely better than Conrad. I also agree with Razov over Moreno and [ugh] Reis over Perkins.
I was pleasantly surprised that Justin Mapp made the cut. He was a very dangerous attacking player for the second half of the season. I'm disappointed to see Moreno on the list. It's just further evidence of the league's love affair with DC United. Both Razov and Ching were more deserving than Moreno.
I don't think Dempsey deserved to be in this list for the same reasons that Conrad and Ching did not deserve it: He only played 21 games, and had just 8 goals and 4 assists. Heck, Andy Dorman deserved it more than Duece this year. I would have taken the following guys: Cunningham Razov DeRo C. Gomez Mulrooney / O'Brien / Cooke (pick 2) Clarke / Joseph (pick 1) Albright Boswell Burciaga Reis
I agree. I'd like see playiners in the first XI who have been on the pitch than away from it. I'd axe Ching, Conrad and Dempsey from it for that. And Mapp is definitely starting to show some quality in the league but I'll be damned if I could figure out why he's on there above guys like Terry Cooke. Oh wait, that's right, the Best XI is a marketing tool, not something to acutally acknowledge the best starting 11 for 2006.
I'm guessing they consciously chose a left footed midfielder. When it comes down to it, Mapp may be the best choice for that subcategory.