I am reluctantly optimistic about our new aquisition. We've heard enthusiastic endorsements and we've heard things that cause concern. In the "concern" column: 1) He can be classified as an "aging" international. He's no spring chicken. He's 33 - - or 35? A lot of folks would call him a "has-been" who may be looking forward to an American vacation. That would put him in the Mattheus class. 2) There is a lot of evidence that he was at the top of his game in 1996. That scares me. He last played professionally last Spring. In the "cautiously optimistic" column: 1) His experience and field presence could be very valuable until someone like Memo 1.0 comes into his own. In the meantime, Memo 1.0 gets to learn from the best. Of course, he had that in Cien, too. 2) The example of Peter Nowak. He was about Herzog's age when he played for the Fire in 1998 and led the team to a championship. He was good for about 4 years. Unfortunately, Nowak has been the exception when it comes to aging Europeans coming to MLS. 3) Simon Elliott is no longer on the Galaxy. This doesn't have much to do with Herzog, but helps prop up my "cautiously optimistic" column. Topper
Just gonna throw some names out there, in terms of aging Europeans...I'm not judging whether they were good acquisitions or not, just throwing some other names out there: Richard Gough Mo Johnston Hristo Stoichkov Lothar Mattheus Sasa Curcic Steve Morrow Jerzy Podrozny Roman Kosecki Alain Sutter (I feel like he was on the older side...) Ronnie Ekelund (Not really old...) Roberto Donadoni Nicola Caricola With that sample, I would say MLS hasn't done nearly as bad as people like to recall in terms of bringing over aging Europeans. Some were very bad (Mattheus and Curcic), some were quite good. Given that one bad apple shouldn't ruin the harvest, consider me in the 'extremely optimistic' column. Or maybe I'm just happy Simon is gone...either way...
I feel he'll be more like Nowak than Lothar. He may have heard about Lothar's flop and wants to prove naysayers wrong by being committed & showing that he still has skills. I'm concerned about his age like most people, but I'm cautiously optimistic that he'll be a good addition. "This is a club that has the talent to make another run at the MLS Cup in 2004 and I hope to be a major part of that." He sounds sincere in this statement and will do whatever it takes to help the team win and maybe the fans' approval.
My hope is he will be more like Nowak..he may be less effective..but if he is even close to Nowak then he is a good acquisition.. I think Lothar was the exception. One of the main reasons that Lothar came over was to play in the US and NYC. He never hid that..he was always upfront that he wanted to part of the high-life..playing soccer was just a means to get to NY. Herzog still seems to be interested in playing soccer..at least i hope..but what is good is that I have not heard Herzog talk about wanting to live in Hollywood..( at least not publicly)
i havent seen herzog play in over a year, but the guy is capable of some magic and probably instantly becomes one of the 3 best FK artists in MLS
Re: Re: Andy Herzog: The Next Nowak, Or The Next Mattheus? Honestly, except for Mattheus no one else was a HUGE bust. Curcic don't forget ripped his knee apart, but from what he showed for the Metros, he was incredibly talented. I love this urban myth on these boards of old euros coming here. Listen, if they come, and they don't play well, it is the fault of the coaches for picking them, that's it.
Most of us who are familiar with Andi Herzog agree that this is a very risky acquisition by the Galaxy.
You know, the league is very different now than it was in 1998. I don't have any idea whether or not Nowak would be successful if he were to join the league in 2004 (at 34 years old), but I certainly don't think he'd be as successful as he was in 1998. It's a good thing Herzog seems motivated, because I doubt he'll be having a whole lot of on-field success this year; I'd imagine that his main impact will be on Gonzalez, Arzate, and Grabavoy.
Re: Re: Andy Herzog: The Next Nowak, Or The Next Mattheus? Added one more to your list, but here's to The Duke proving all the naysayers and fencesitters wrong about his impact on our team...
Herzog will be about 35 1/2 years old when he debuts in April. Nowak was 33 3/4 years old when he played his first game for the Fire. That's an age difference of a bit less than two years. At the late stages in the careers of soccer players, the curve can decline pretty quickly. I'd say an age difference of 21 months could be considered pretty significant-- certainly they're not "about the same age." But then again, Nowak played really fine soccer up through the 2002 season, when he was 37 and 38. He had a great work ethic and superb fitness.
What's more, Preki was MLS MVP at what, 40 years of age? Unless Herzog is a player that solely relies on his speed (often the first to go for older players), there is definitely a chance he can still make an impact.
He didn't suck during his last stint with Rapid. He showed flashes of brilliance and an ability to take things into his own hands (er, feet) near the goal when he felt like it. His problem I think was that he didn't gel very well with a team that had been losing for a couple of years and wasn't used to doing so. Rapid had been dismal under Matthäus, and there was a sense that Herzog would turn things around on his own when they signed him from Bremen. They placed extremely high expectations, and thus a lot of pressure, on him. He also seemed frustrated that the young players around him (whom he was expected to mold and lead) were not yet at his level, and that resulted in some discontent. I also remember that toward the very end of his stay at Rapid, he expressed some regret that he hadn't instead signed with (our main rival) Austria Vienna, who had offered him a lot more money to join them from Bremen than Rapid had. I can tell you that that didn't sit well with Rapid's fans and management. So he's a guy who can become frustrated and then readily show those emotions because he's used to winning. Remember though, Rapid was in turmoil before and while he was playing for them this last time around. If he joins a relatively stable environment at LAG and the expectations on him aren't unfairly high, he can be a very productive player.
LAG mid-field was such a disaster last year that big risks are required. And, believe me, he can't be much worse than what we watched for a full season in 2003.
UT OH !!!! As the Marquee club in MLS and being our starting #10... expectations are very high, at least at my end. Sigi fats is completely different... he doesnt mind mediocre play for at least a couple of seasons.
MLS may not be a league with a fast pace of play, but it is definitely a physically demanding league, that requires very high levels of fitness and flexibility....and durability. Peter Nowak came into this league at age 34 in top physical condition. He proceeded to demonstrate to all of his Fire teammates an incredible work ethic that included grueling post practice fitness training. That allowed Peter Nowak to continue to be very productive whenever he stepped on the field. For example, at Soldier Field in 2001, I saw him competely torch Nick Garcia -- 15 years his junior -- blowing by him on the dribble and scoring far post. But the caveat here is "whenever he stepped onto the field." Durability became a problem for Peter as he aged, missing more and more time to injury as the process of aging took its toll. So I think an older player has to be very dedicated. Preki, for example, had done some extremely demanding and rigorous off season flexibility training. As a result, I think Gal fans ought to ask the question, "Is Andy working VERY hard to keep himself physically ready?" If he is, he should be fine. If he isn't, and is simply practicing and playing, well....I think his acquisition might be questionable.
I just started another thread here about his interview on Austrian TV a few minutes ago. He said he has been training with a Viennese club in the Austrian third division and that he knows he needs to work hard training on his own to be fit enough to master this challenge.
Well, at least he's SAYING the right things. That's gotta be one check in the Nowak column. Lothar didn't even bother to do that.
One other thought here about the comparisions to Nowak: Nowak was truly a unique individual and situation. He went into a team where he and Bradley and extensive conversations upfront. Nowak was very interested in MLS and had a lot of energy around the league. No slam on Herzog but that's just not the same with him. Nowak got in at the start of the team and played a big role in bringing in the talent (other than Campos) like Kubik, Kosecki and Podbrozny. Those 4 guys all understood each other perfectly, were credible with each other, tactically were compatable. And Nowak was the off-the-field leader as well (berating teammates for not putting socks in the dirty clothes hamper correctly, leading the team's kangeroo court). It's probably a real unjustice to compare anyone to Nowak (who was expected to be more than just a good A-mid). None of this means that Herzog won't be a good addition, only that the comparisions with Nowak are probably unrealistic and unfair.
Mattheus, a great player from Germany, was hyped when he signed & was allocated to the Metrostars. He was supposed to bring in fans and help the Metrostars win but fell short. I guess what really miffed some people was that he claimed to be injured during the season but was caught vacationing on a beach somewhere. He only lasted for one season.