Beasley, Bocanegra, Donovan: 2004 Honda Player of the Year Finalists

Actually, I was reminded on another thread about LD's performance vs. Mexico earlier in the year. Quite possibly the best performance ever by a member of the USMNT. Plus the fact that he leads in scoring and assists... gonna have to change my vote (as if I had one!) to Donovan.

{As my own aside note - I don't concur that Bocanegra was ROBBED last year; yes, it would have been valid had he won, but it's just as valid that Donovan won last year as well - which was later confirmed, I think, by his winning the Chevrolet Player of the Year as well.}

 

I am gonna have to give it to LD. The performance against Mexico's pretty much A team was amazing. We were playing with many players who haven't been thrown into a game like that before. Great performance in a spot where "the real #10", Captain America Claudio would've normally been...

 

Beasley deserves it, like Boca last year...but like last year Donovan will win it.

Just like for the women Wombat deserves it but Hamm will win it.

 

yup, because as mom always said two wrongs make a right.

 

Don't forget:

"In a friendly match."

 

Yes, let's not overlook the fact that it is incumbant upon us to take every opportunity to discredit any performance that fails to meet our own individual criteria of what is "good" football and what is not.
Look at the facts, friendly, world cup, practice, you name it, Donovan HAS produced and deserves any recognition he gets.

"friendly, or no friendly.

 

Chill.

When someone starts saying 'the greatest game ever played by a National teamer', I'm going to put more stock in McBride's against Portugal, or Reyna's against Germany and Mexico, or Clint against Mexico in C-bus than a friendly match that almost finished 0-0.

I'm sorry if you don't see the difference.

 

Okay. Yes, it was a friendly. But it was still an awesome performance - as I recall, the Mexican press called him "our worst nightmare". And I also didn't say it was the greatest game ever played by a National teamer; I said it was quite possibly the best performance ever, because I figured there would be those who said oh, but it's only a friendly.

So I'll also mention his dominating performance vs. Panama in a WCQ (to meet your standards) - excellent leadership for the team, as well as scoring 2 goals to put the game away. Oh, but it was only Panama. And alas, it was at home.

He still gets my vote.

[And with that, I'll bow out now because this thread is gonna get ugly real soon, as is usually the case on BS.]

 

Could you enlighten me as to what the difference between "greatest game" and "greatest performance" might be?


And yes, it was just Panama. We beat them 6-0 fcol. We are SUPPOSED to do that.

You're mistaking me for someone who doesn't think Landon is any good. He did show everyone that he can play in Korea - with anyone. I just don't think friendlies and games against Panama should be grouped with WCQs against CostaRica in Saprissa, or against a World Cup darkhorse favorite when we're evaluating greatest all-time performances.

Don't get all bent because I see a huge difference between those two types of games, or pretend that it is I who hath pissed in your wheaties.

 

no match against mexico is friendly

 

Did you think that up all by yer lonesome? It's pretty clever, 'cause they're like, our rivals and stuff. Yep, no love lost between our two sides.

What was I thinking using the word friendly in the same context as a USA-Mexico match?!?! [farley interview guy]stupid, stupid, stupid)[/farley interview guy]

 

you must be the same type pf person who would say sure EJ scored a hat trick but it was against panama, we're supposed to do that.

 

I'm sure all of you guys are more educated in Nat soccer than the next guy, but the threads intent is not to determine who knows more. My vote is Beasley.

 

Donovan for the threepeat

 

I have to go with DMB. LD second, Boca third. However, all are massively central to the USMNT's success.

DMB with the exception of one game, was always a nasty threat.

 

Actually this is the intent of all threads.

 

since when did that matter in these parts?

my vote goes to DaMarcus Beasley. Who has been our best, and most consistent player in the matches that matter. Just sitting here, I can only recall one bad half from him in those matches. And that was the first half of the very first Grenada match

reason I didn't pick Landon is that he dissapeared far too often in important matches. But his play in spurts of brilliance seems to overshadow that. IMHO Donovan has had a very inconsistent year with the Nats.

 

Okay. You win. I'm throwing in the towel. [the key words you missed were "quite possibly" not "greatest game/greatest performance, by the way]
So I'll just say it was the "greatest game performance by a USMNT player eyewitnessed by myself live and in person at the Cotton Bowl."
I've actually forgotten what the point was anyway.

I just hope that either Donovan or Beasley or Bocanegra win it. That's all.

 

well put

 

DMB is the player who deserves the award most this year. Both Donovan and Bocanegra don't seem to "show up" every game. Beasley has played every game, and has clearly been the most dominant midfielder. DMB is the one player that I feel other teams have the most trouble preparing for. There are other forwards out there with the finishing and goal scoring record of Donovan. I know he does more than that for the team, but he is the kind of player you expect to play against. Beasley's pace, vision, and finishing set him apart from all other wingers in CONCACAF, and most in the world.

 

I dunno--maybe it says more to the lack of finishing of other players, but Lando has the most goals and/or assists for the Nats this year, correct? I agree that Beas' pace on the wing is trouble for everybody in our region and much of Europe, but at this point he will still at times let teams take him out of the game by marking him tight and making him get up off the ground constantly. Lando on the other hand will also run at you given the chance, but will create opportunities first and has learned to expect the fouls (w/o the calls) and his vision will make you pay. This is the reason most everyone agrees he is our next captain.

 

Actually he has the most goals AND the most assists, and thus the most points.