Okay, I have to admit that I didn't follow MLS as closely back when Dante Washington was with the Burn. I don't remember how or how well he and Kreis worked together, but by the stats I'm assuming he was Kreis' strike partner during most of his MVP 1999 season before Graziani joined the team. What I remember of Dante is an impression that a lot of the time he seemed to be playing alone up top, and that he was good at holding up the ball and was relatively fast (though not a speed-dependent player like Lassiter). How well did he and Kreis play together? What did he have in common, if anything, with Kreis' current favorite strike partner, Bobby Rhine? What does Dante have in common with Ali Curtis? What does Rhine and Curtis have in common, if anything? How much has Curtis and Kreis played together? How well did they play together? Or how well do you think they'd play together? In what ways does Curtis surpass Dante, if any? In what ways does Rhine surpass Dante, if any? Finally, between Curtis and Rhine, which do you think is (will be) a more effective or valuable player for the Burn? Would it change your decision if Kreis was traded during the off-season? Thanks in advance. alansl
ughhh, so many questions, heres what I know... I don't remember Dante's style that well (kinda sad since I've been watching him since he came here), so I can't really give you very accurate comparing. The reason Kreis likes Rhine is becuase Rhine knows how to feed Jason the ball just the way he likes it (I'm glad I didn't post that sentence on the Rivalries board). Curtis and Kreis never played together. The problem with Curtis is that he can't seem to put the ball in the net. He runs like hell and has good moves, he just doens't have any goals that makes all those other points mute. Rhine was pretty low on goals this season, but I blame that on poor service, poor conditions and lack of Jason. But I've always been a Rhine supporter, I think he did well in 2001 and 2002. Most people think he should go to the A-League. The forward situation next season is kind of unknown. On one hand you have the huge potential of Curis-Nhelko-EJ, which looks very exciting. Then on the other hand, you can't argue with results, so you have the classic Rhine-Kreis parring up front. So what will happen? I guess it all depends on whether we keep Kreis, I think we should, I think he'll always be an asset to this team, and he needs to break the record on this team. He deserves a championship, but I think he could get it on the Burn especially if he wouldn't fizzle out at the end of the season. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
How about we trade Jason and put Toni and whoever up front with Bobby as super-sub off the bench?? I think it's time for Jason to move on to other oportunities..He still should have some trade value except for his big contract..
Dante was a pure striker, a natural born killer. He had a good shot, but he did often miss sitters. That was always all right though, because he jsually scored after that. He was effective on set plays, and when the Burn had the ball on the other team's end for long periods. That happened when Big Dave Dir was the coach. Where Dante turly excelled was on the counter attacks. His style was to stroll around the middle, looking for a little space. He never looked dangerous. As soon as the defenders went a littel too wide, a touch too far forward, oor left the half line to get to a lose ball, Dante was truly ferral. A long pass to him, and his first touch was amazing in this situation, and he was gone. Two or three fakes would put the 'keeper on the ground, and he put the ball into the empty net. And that was just the beggining. He could score by the bundle, and won games by himself. Points for Big Dave here. Dante had a few caps, but by the time the MLS came around, he was out of soccer, and not that interested in getting back in. He hung around Columbus for most of the first year, and Dir traded for him. Dir's style was to show absolute confidence in his players, and Dante rediscovered his love for the game, and he thrived. Though he did not work with Jason, their styles were complimentarty. Dante as the striker, Jason as the forward who could score from 30 years out. Let me mention that Dante was a fan favorite. He always came over to the Inferno, back in the corner of the Cotton Bowl. After he socred the second hat trick in Burn history (or was it the first?), as per tradition, we handed him our hats and caps. He put them on one at a time, signed them, and handed them back. He also came to one of our watching parties. I am not a Rhine fan, but I will give him his due. He has also won games by himself, and has the latest Burn hat trick. He works well with Jason, but is the same type of player. A true forward, not a striker. As I wrote above, he has some amazing games, but they are few and far between. He often sends the ball to the other team with his first touch. If he is going to stya in the MLS, he will need to be able to create on his own. As we saw early in this season, teams would try to mark Jason out of the game (no easy task), and make Rhine beat them. This did not often happen. As mad as I got at Bobby watching him give up the ball time after time, it is impossible to stay angry with him. His oft mentined work ethic, and his occassional great games, make him hard to dislike. Ali has disappointed me. I thought he would tear things up in the MLS, and he has not done so. He is still young, and he could very well grow into his potential, or maybe he just needs the right system. He has great speed, and work ethic to rival Bobby's, or so I have heard. He has not played with Jason, though I see them as complimetary players, like Dante. I expect to see him up front with Jason next year. Which leaves EJ on the bench. I am not happy about this, because I really like EJ, and he might be ready to play to his potentail, at long last. He has not shown he can work with Jason, but I am not sure this is such a problem. Remember, that Jason did not work so well with the G Man, and that was perhaps the most ferocious front line in the history of the MLS.
Boy, you sure remember Dante alot different than I do. Hey Buzz!! How about some stats on this guy?? I seem to remember that he COULDN"T finish much. Real fast, but not a huge goal scorer..
Dante Washington '96 6 gms 2 starts 1 goal 0 ast 2 pts '97 30 gms 25 starts 12 goals 6 ast 30 pts '98 28 gms 21 starts 7 goals 5 ast 19 pts '99 21 gms 10 starts 4 goals 4 ast 12 pts but frankly that fact he is out of the league should tell you something. BUt maybe after expansion he will be back. Certainly worth a camp invite.
Dante scored his fair share of goals and he also missed (blew at times) his fair share of goals. But Dante's speed and athleticism always had him with plenty of opportunities every game. Whenever you went to a Burn game, and you saw that Dante was starting, you knew the Burn where going to get their fair number of chances. Whether he put them in or not is another story.
Remember, Dante scored 30 poitns and was an all star one year. After that, he was injured often. Dante has said he is happy in Virginia and will not return to the MLS. A qulaity of life issue, mainly, but he is also getting paid well in the A League, better than he would get in the MLS. This is the reason we will not see him in the MLS again, no matter how much the Burn need somone who can score.
I might have preferred Dante to the other 2, but when Dante left it was the right thing to do. The guy deserved his chance to start in MLS on a regular basis, and it appeared he was not going to get a chance in Dallas. I liked his effort, and he played a very physical game. Like Andy Cole, he created a lot of chances and missed a lot--so many moon balls shot into the stands from close range. IIRC his early caps were not as a striker, but as a defender. Rhine--great team player, great work ethic. I saw the game where he got his hat trick a couple of years ago. But in my mind, if this guy is starting, you are not going to win the MLS cup. Not enough goods to be a star at this level. I like him personally, and he is better than I initially gave him credit for, but not THAT much better. We have still got to hope EJ develops. It's not too late yet.
It's not going to be too late for a good long while. I know everyone thinks of him sort of a veteran, since he's been here three years and he's the fifth longest tenured player on the team, but the guy is still only 19 years old. And immensely talented Just saying.
As a neutral observer... 1. Now that the league is improved (over where it was 4-5 years ago), Dante Washington would be a role player. In the right role, he'd be superb. A bull, strong and comfortable in traffic, hard to ride off the ball, a decent target man and poacher. As a primary goal scorer--no. I was very bitter that he did not end up with United this year (despite approaching the team after he was let go by Columbus). 2. Ali Curtis has improved the past 2 years. I think right now, his best role is as a late-game sub or as a counter-player. He has a poor touch in front of goal, isn't a good distributor (to be a good target) and has too many holes in his game. But you've got to love his attitude, his work, his physical ability, his accleration (especially when given space) and in an open-field he makes you think he's the next great American striker. Maybe--with time--he'll get better. It's tempting to write him off but he was a waste as a rookie and he's come so far. 3. EJ--I think has the most upside of any of your front-runners. Fast, skilled with the ball at his feet, physical, capable of quick turns in the penalty area and capable of being dominant in the air. But like a lot of young players his age, his game doesn't show up most of the time. I'm of the opinion that you really don't know for sure what you have with most 16-17 year-old soccer players for 4-5 years. Look how long it took Buddle to strut his stuff. 4. Rhine--a fine roleplayer. The problem with a Rhine is that if he starts fulltime, you either need a dynamite withdrawn forward (someone who's going to get you 15 goals a year--and goals in the run of play, not off set plays) so Rhine can do what he does best--distribute, fight for balls in the air, be a target, draw attention to free up the real goal scorer. I think you could be successful with any of those guys starting. But unless EJ has a breakout year in 2004 (and it could happen), they really need to be in a support role to a "big gun." That's my take anyway.