Why are'nt there any good american playmakers? There is not one American player that plays like etcheverry, valderamma, cienfuegos, nowak. And please dont mention no stupid ass names like massiouneve or Martino. I mean a real good player! I like reyna, but he is not a true playmaker that will dribble or do through passes. The american player is just not as creative as foreigner players. Even though the USA has a kick ass squad, they dont have one player that will try to dribble down the line or try to do a pretty play. (maybe Beasley) BUT THATS IT! The only american player in mls that I see try to be creative and dribble is Cunningham, beasley,and Buddle. You hardly see a nutmeg or nice play by an american ever! Dont get me wrong MLS is doing great, but to go to the next step the americans need to be way more creative!
You want American Playmakers? Well your going to have to wait for players that you've totally dismissed to get playing time and fully develope. Players like Kyle Martino, Bobby Convey, Kyle Beckerman, and Guillermo Gonzalez. Your right that none of those players are the playmakers that you mentioned earlier. But, were Etchevery, Valderama, Nowark the playmakers they became at U21. I don't think so.
This is a good thread - and home-grown creative midfielders have been in short supply in MLS. I think that's changing - Kyle Martino is a case in point. MLS has spent its $$ on foriegn playmakers - Etch, Cien, Nowak, Valderamma.
Well, considering that he is several hundred years old, and can still score goals, this may be true....
I've always figured that God probably has a lethal left foot... I'll have to run that by the padre this Sunday.
Whoa whoa whoa. Playmakers are NOT fancy dribblers. They are guys who can organize a Midfield and connect them with the offense. I for one believe that a playmaker will pass before he will try and juke a player. A playmaker is defined by his ability to see passes that will set up a play two or three passes ahead. Now, there are creative players. They are the ones who are willing to go one-on-one and be selfish. But that is completely different than a playmaker. As for playmakers we have O'Brien and Reyna who are bother extremely good playmakers. Creative players... I'll agree. We don't have too many of them. DMB is an extremely good dribbler, but he isn't extremely creative. Donovan is the same. But they're both fast as a bat out of hell and can keep the ball within a foot's touch which defines them as great players. (The more I see Donovan play, the better he gets at his playmaking skills. Had you asked me during Korea/Japan if he would ever play a Central Midfield role, I'dve called you an idiot. Somehow, I see him shaping into a very good playmaker.)
Alright, after watching Kyle Martino play today, I'd like to call you an idiot for not thinking he is a creative playmaker. The kid friggin transitions his team in an instant (he had 50-50 balls that he turned into through balls) and also had some pretty sweet stuff (mainly when he split two Revs defenders). I've never thought highly of Martino, but you can gurantee I do now.
well, as an american living in portugal, in Porto to be more precise, i have no doubt that what is needed is to give more chances to american players to "play" in the MLS teams. F.C.Porto, in fact, has 9 portuguese in the principal team- and the other two are elegible to the Portuguese National Team. In a country like the United States there are probably cents of talented youngers - they only need to be discovered and given a chance to compete at the highest level
He has been all kinds of fun to watch so far this season. If he ever finds a pair of shooting boots I could see him as one of, if not the best, player in MLS. His passes have been "Mathis 2 years ago."
I'd say that Convey, Martino, Memo and Freddy are all going to be quite good playmakers. Donovan isn't bad at it either. You should remember that to be a great playmaker takes an incredible array of top notch skills. Rarely do players get that unless they have grown up playing the game and honed their skills at a very young age against excellent competition. Then, they just have to have the knack as well. Now that MLS and the USSF are helping elite players develop, we're beginning to see American players capable of becoming international playmakers. But I think the Donovan generation (kids that turned pro around the same time or after Landon Donovan did) are going to be our first golden generation. From them will come our first true playmakers, like Convey, Martino, Memo and Freddy. -digital
reyna was never that great of a playmaker in my opinion. obrien is not a playmaker. mathis when at his best is an extremely creative passer. donovan's athletic ability allows him to make something out of nothing. martino is promising.
Because foreign kids grow up playing soccer in the streets, the meadows, the beaches, wherever they are and have a ball they play soccer. No coaches or oversealous parents around, just the kids having fun. In our country they only play at practice in the intramural leagues and at the YMCA where they are coached (usually poorly). The creativity comes when a kid can experiment with the ball and with his friends in a not so competitive environment. when kids love to play soccer in this country and go to the park and play soccer instead of hoops, football or baseball then you'll get creative playmakers out the whazoo.
I agreed at first, but then I realized that Logan Pause is actually on the Chicago Fire now, so it looks like we have our playmaker. Crisis averted