Yeah, he went from Houdini to the Invisible Man. I'm still trying to figure out why that change happened because after Week 10 or so he just wasn't impressive anymore. Maybe Bradley needed room for Lisi and Williams and was unhappy with his right mid situation. Still, can't put him ahead of Mulrooney, Armas or Mastroeni yet.
Curtin def. deserves a call up. He has been pretty consistent throughout the year. I just want to see us get some friendlies in, why is it taking so long? I know this is for another thread but jeez. Euro I would say is way ahead of us in terms of this, and so is mexico, they have probably played five or more friendlies this year. To me its just frustrating to see.
I hate to drag this further off topic, but this isn't true. Mexico I can't say for sure since my almost non-existent spanish was not able to guide me to a full list of fixtures and results, but picking two Euro squads at random (Netherlands and England) we've played more friendlies/matches this year than either of them. The KNVB's website only shows them playing 7 matches this year, all of them ECQ's between June and Wednesday. A little more digging turned up two more ECQ's (4/2 and 3/29) for a total of nine matches. England played 11 matches this year 6 ECQ's and 5 friendlies. Given the fixture congestion in Europe I'd bet most teams played a similar number of matches given the limited number of international dates available to them. The US on the other hand has played 16 matches this year: 8 friendlies, 5 Gold Cup and 3 Confed Cup. It just seems like longer because while the Euros spread their matches around we jammed all of ours in early and haven't played since the end of the Gold Cup in July, which given MLS' schedule I can't blame.
I think all the guys mentioned will see some camp time this offseason (except Justin Mapp). Bruce has always been very inclusive. I don't want to diss Mapp though -- I think Mapp has the potential to be at least as good a player as DMB. He seems much more natural in the final 3rd. Maybe not quite the pace of DMB, but he's got enough pace to break down a defense. And, he seems particularly quick with the ball at his feet (vs. running off the ball). As a Fire fan, I hope DMB stays, but I also would like to see Mapp playing 90 minutes next season.
If Jeff Agoos gets called in again and Jim Curtin doesn't, I shall burn my 94 World Cup US jersey. I hate the Chicago Fire almost as much as I hate the Quakes, but Curtin and Eddie Robinson deserve a chance to make the national team. Curtin is the steadiest back I have seen in a long time. Robinson is a decent back as well. Hell if Arena can get midgets like Richie Williams into camps and matches, he sure as hell can find room for Curtin and Robinson. I am not so sold on Mullan yet because I watched him stink in LA for two years. I would love to see some camps and friendlies set up with no players over 25 called in.
I am a Fire fan, and honestly don't think Curtin has what it takes to deal with some of the best strikers in the world, and thats what the USMNT team's goal should be at this point. Thats not to say he couldn't have a role on the squad. The apparent lack of quality depth at the CB position might allow someone like Curtin to claim a role. To me Curtin is an improved and taller version of Berhalter. Not something I would want out there against Ronaldo, a player who takes most of his chances with his feet. But against a player like Borghetti or the next generation of almost completley head oriented players I think Curtin could be a very useful tool on the squad. I know NE fans won't like it but I don't think Ralston is the answer at RM. I have no problem with giving younger players like Noonan, EJ, or Mullan getting chances but I want something explosive from the outside midfielders and as solid as Ralston is I don't think he is explosive. Eddie Johnson remains my hope for RM, now that a new coach is in Dallas it is my hope he will begin to live up to the hype we have heard about for all too long now....his recent performances give me a lot of hope.
---- LOL. I heard Bruce was calling them both in for a friendly on April 1st. All joking aside, Pierce is a hack. Is he sometimes useful to his team? Yes, but the Revs have made some incredible strides from the midfield forward the past two years - It's time to address players like Rusty. Heaps - Pierce - Llamosa - Franchino are the most hackity hacking backline in the league. You've got a great coach. Expect continued upgrades starting with the center of all hackness called the Revs defense. Hack the planet!
Re: ---- Pierce was on Arena's list for camp, but couldn't make it because of scheduled surgery. Well, what do you know...?
Re: ---- That's f'ing funny, and true. I wonder if Rusty hacked himself, leading to the groin injury?
Guys, look. The Pierce bashing is getting a bit old. He's a tireless and gritty marker who plays with an edge. He's not malicious; he makes frequent sporting gestures to his opponents. He recognizes his limitations which is nice because I for one am a bit tired of the Agoos-Sanneh cutsiness that polluted that back four (Sanneh made up for it but...). He is willing to learn. He communicates well. And he's not an easy touch. My only beef with him is that he grew his hair long, put a headband on and started wearing white tart shoes. But he continues to play with ferocity and guts. Who the hell do you want at right back? Glenn Hoddle or Ossie Ardiles?
Don't forget Pierce threw an elbow on Landon Donovan on purpose a month ago, which wasn't caught by referee. That shows he is volitile and stupid. We can't risk having players like that on national team if we want to finish every game with 11 players.
Who do I want at right back? Cafu, Thuram, Zanetti, Salgado, Puyol would do. Ok, Tony Sanneh and Steve Cherundolo are OK. But the point is that if you want to compete, you need some skill along with some grit at the outside back position if you are going to play a 4-4-2. Which is why Rusty Pierce may get invited to a camp with Chris Albright (who actually has a much better chance of playing at right back for the Nats for the reasons above) but will never play outside back for the Nats in a 4-4-2 in a meaningful game. He could make it in a 3-5-2 or as a center back, but I doubt it.
Well, obviously you have forgotten that Sasha was INJURED during both the Confed Cup and Gold Cup runs, so he couldn't have been played for that reason, and NOT because Bruce necessarily thinks that he's used up his shot. if he wasn't injured, he may well have gotten his chance on those squads as well, so i would say that it's far from certain that the notion of Sasha is over.
I remember criticizing Rusty Pierce in a thread a couple months ago, but when I looked up the statistics, he has been carded less than the average MLS defender - even on a per minute basis. He has only gotten one red card in his career and he doesn't even commit many fouls. For instance, he was below Carlos Llamosa and Jay Heaps in both fouls committed per game and caution points per game. I ran the numbers for a lot of other players who had reputations as hacks and Rusty really wasn't near that status. Note that I am mentioning per game stats to accommodate for the time he missed due to injury. If one of you Revs fans can provide a link to the thread on this topic - it would be great (I don't want to have to re-run the numbers) but it was pretty conclusive. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/show...ge=40&highlight=Rusty AND Pierce&pagenumber=2 (Look at the bottom of this thread for an analysis of hacks. Though Rusty's numbers superficially appear higher in fouls committed per game, look at how he has done in every year since his rookie season - when he had an inordinate amount of fouls. In the years since, he has really cut down on fouls committed per game). As far as the criticism of his pace, in watching Pierce - he seems to have more pace than the average centerback in MLS. He does sometimes seem to lack coordination (especially at high speed), which does not bode well for his effectiveness at the international level. All of you who criticize the Revs backline should not do so reflexively. Their discipline record this season was one of the best (may have been the best) in MLS. I know their team record (caution points and fouls committed) led the league (at least for most of the season). Just because they have some guys who are involved in high profile hacking (odious Joey Franchino) doesn't mean that they make a living off of it.
Rusty - Rusty - Rusty OK - Since I was in on this at the begining, I'll bite: Defenders or DMids you listed and compared him to are Petke, McKinley, Richie Williams, Heaps, Llamosa and Franchino C'mon man - if being a Hacking Defender in MLS is like belonging to the Satanic Church, these guys are listed as bishops in the Necronomicon. (Although in all fairness, I will add that Llamosa - for service to our World Cup team and being smart enough to know the difference between a tactical foul and a hack - has a warm place in my heart) One of my favorite games to skip over in my MLS Shootout package is Quakes - Revs. It's almost the same game every time: Landon walks his dog Rusty around the field for 70 to 80 minutes. And sure, every time they go for this jog that little dog bites at Landon's heels - jumps back - and whines a little. And for a while (maybe out of sympathy, maybe because he likes playing with his food) Landon lets it go, and the little dog gets braver. He bites harder. Doesn't jump back quite so far. Rusty starts barking instead of whining. And then, in the 85th minute, when the dog is getting ready to bite once again - Landon turns around and kicks Rusty as hard as he can (in the gut, proverbially, because he has just scored the winning goal). And Rusty slinks away back to his doghouse, head held low. While Landon runs around playing in the grass with his shirt off. The funny thing about this game is it can never really change because Rusty the dog has yet to notice that he's on a leash. See this is part of the problem. It's not that I have a personal dislike for players like Rusty Pierce, it's just that I recognize him for what he is: An antique. A relic. A thing of the past. The old way of doing things. Of course, if someone's going to be a good defender he's got to be a hard, sure tackler and have a little edge. But I also expect him to be smart, under control, able to dribble and this is a must: be able to pass the ball acurately (over distance as well as playing it short). And I don't need to go to Europe or list a Brazilian to find an example, I can look in MLS. Repeat after me kids: Bocanegra. That's what I expect from now on in defense on the National Team. No less. The players are out there. And Rusty Pierce is a Hack.
Re: Rusty - Rusty - Rusty Apparently you skipped those games the last couple-o-years, because Landon has not scored goals against Pierce in memory. You see, sometimes you actually have to watch the games to find out if your blustering harangues have even a shred of basis in fact. The guy got a call-up. You can never be completely sure how someone's going to perform at the international level until you give them a crack at it - assuming they have the talent. Pierce does - it's mainly the mentality he needs. Whether his lack of size will eventually rule him out remains to be seen. My we are full of ourselves, aren't we? Yeah Carlos Bocanegra is a very good player. Thanks for contributing that much to this thread. I'm sure you're the first person to come to that conclusion. As far as Pierce is concerned, there seems to be some disagreement about his being a hack. Apparently though, Arena thinks he deserves a look. Perhaps you should contact Bruce and straighten him out...(tell him the story about the dog, and the leash, and the kicks, etc. - I'm sure he'd find it illuminating - I know I did)
Re: Re: Rusty - Rusty - Rusty Fine. You're right. Every time Rusty has played Landon 1 v. 1, it isn't obvious what is going to happen. 8.16.2003 -From MLSnet San Jose drew first blood in the 23rd minute of play, as the visiting Earthquakes punished New England for a Rusty Pierce foul on Landon Donovan. Now Ronnie Eklund scored the goal on the free kick. But I think you see where I'm going with this. 9.07.2003 - From MLSnet Corrales whipped a cross to Landon Donovan at the far post, who snapped a dangerous header on net from close range. Brown dove to parry the shot away, but the Quakes overpowered the Revolution in the box, allowing Donovan to drive the loose ball into the back of the net. Landon scores and it was the last game you guys played them - some memory you got there sport. But, in all fairness, there's probably a reason you forgot this one. And I think it's because Rusty got thrown out of this game. It was traumatic for you, and you blocked it out. Fair enough. LOL - and you accuse me of not watching games. Landon and I just call it walking the dog.
Re: Re: Re: Rusty - Rusty - Rusty Now this sounds surprisingly...well...relevent. So Pierce was not on the field. And this was the only time in four years of professional leage play that he's been ejected. Hmmmm...a bit lower on the relevence scale. From your incomplete understanding of what took place, I'd say I was pretty much on base. Right.
Re: Re: Re: Re: Rusty - Rusty - Rusty See now that's all I'm looking for. Goal in the 52nd minute - ejection in the 83rd. Now this is normally where I just continue to point how once again I'm right, and you're just a little wrong - But I'm not, and I'll tell you why: I think you understand my point, and get that I know what I'm talking about. And it's obvious that we both are pretty into soccer. So I'll just let it be. Best of luck to the Revs in the upcoming draft.
Wouldn't 1 v. 1 play be the only relevent reason for mentioning Donovan at all? Hey I try to be just a hair over 50% on the right/wrong thing. Since most of what's expressed on BS is either conjecture or opinion, that's not such a difficult thing. The main thing is A) Trying to know the difference (fact versus opinion). B) Try to express your point in such a way that people won't ignore it regardless of it's content. To be honest, I don't even know what you're point is - except that you don't like Pierce. Fine. But thanks for going easy on me.
Arena in 1999 here speaking about NT candidates....interesting too, grades himself and says he gets an A if we get to the 2nd round og the 2002WC http://www.soccertimes.com/usteams/1999/jun12a.htm