"For you to assert that the teams listed above collective boast at least 60 players more talented than THE youngest player to score in the most recent WC is completely irrational" The youngest player to score in this WC wasn't Donvan. Maybe he was the youngest player to score two goals, but not one.Agahowa is 19, and he scored for Nigeria against Sweden.
The player that DMB most reminds me of is Kieron Dyer, a fast wing who now and then has to line-up in a slot behind the strikers. The key to both of their success (Dyer is a year or two older, so he has a jump) is whether they develop the ability to be game changers because of their ball skills, to be the primary focus of the offense rather than a dangerous second or third option. I think MLS is particularly good for allowing players to learn how to take over games, to become go-to guys rather than being a role-player on Bayern Munich (even Dyer doesn't play for one of the 5 biggest teams in england, though Newcastle is pretty good and was very good last year). Defenders, I think, can learn a lot in europe, but I have no problem with having the attacking stars of the USMNT playing in MLS....
Dyer plays on one of the five top teams in England. Dyer plays for Newcastle, and Newcastle finished fourth last season. Also, if Beasely, went to Europe, he would not go to Bayern!!!!!!!!!!! He would go somewhere like Perugia, Espanyol, West Ham, Hertha Berlin, or a team in that calibre.
if better players=better team then wouldn't of seen argentina, italy, france, holland, colombia, etc of done better then they did in qualifying and in the WC? its players plus team work.
Re: Re: Beasley still lacking in some basics... Milan's Andriy Shevchenko is more talented than any MLS player. He is from Ukrania, how did Ukrania do in the World Cup? Oh, they didn't even qualify. I guess there can be excepcionally talented players in mediocre teams. What was that other guy's name, Weah or something?
Umm, you must be mistaken because Europe IS biting, just not at MLS's prices. Beasley was within days of transfering to Ajax, and their have been official offers from at least 1 EPL team, and several La Liga teams. Check your facts pal.
Yes there are other factors other than talent that make up a team. However at some point, results on the field have to take over for assumptions about which players are the best. Colombia, that's a good one!
Well ... pal - now Ajax bailed out of the deal, didn't they? And I doubt it was the money - Victor Sikora might have had something to do with it. Please post the link where an "official offer" was made to Beasley by Charlton, Middlesbrough etc. but was turned down by MLS ... and any rumor/info that links Beasley to a La Liga team. I'd be interested. He might end up in Europe come next year, he might not.
You think????????? """I think a lot will depend on the quality of coaching in this league. """ You think?? well let me tell you something YOU ARE RIGHT .....This is the first time I heard somebody on the soccer commnunity talking about the only problem that MLS/USSF face: THE COACHING CARROUSELS, I really hope that HRISTO STOICHKOV on his retirement, think about stay here in USA AND BECOME A MLS/USSF coach he seem to enjoy working with young players like DAMARCUS BEASLEY
Re: You think????????? One of the SIDE EFFECTS of my being FROZEN is an inability to control THE VOLUME OF MY VOICE
Oh. You mean he plays like a traditional winger. And he's good at it. So. . . what's the problem? Ever watch Ryan Giggs play? You would probably say the same thing about him, except for the balance part. This is Beasley's style of play, for better or worse. There is also another term for "play it to the guy you are facing". Its called "playing simple", and is exactly what you want a guy like him to do, when he is not taking defenders on. I'm not saying he has reached his potential. But the "basics" you say he is lacking, are not qualities that anyone is expecting him to have.
I made my comment about Donovan being one of the top 10 - 15 talents in the world based on what I saw ON THE FIELD. Everybody is naming "name" players. players they have probably never seen play in their lives. Does no one remember Donovan's romps through the German defesne. the GERMAN defense?? only reason he didn't have a hatrick in that game was cuz of the line judge ruling him offside and some goalie named Oliver Kahn. Think of player say...Rui Costa. Why is he any more talented than Landon? Landon was just as dangerous if not more so than he during our game vs. Portugal. I mean have you actually taken a look at Landon's skill set? the only thing lacking is defense. And he is getting better at that all the time. His finishing is improving every day, and his first touch, dribbling, and passing are all top notch. How many players in the world bring that much to the table?? People would say that Miroslav Klose is more talented than donovan, and people would be wrong. He has one thing over LD and thats a better head ball. I won't comment on Shevchenko becuase I was never fortunate enough to watch him. Half the Brazil team? I have no clue what a player like Juninho has over him. Ronaldinho has a better shot but he is not really a better passer or dribller. I tried my best to explain my case, but most of you will probably ignore it. I think this is a case of an inferiority complex. you hear an american player's name and "one of the worlds best" at the same time and you immediatly dismiss it without consideration, just because the player is American
I was refuting the heresay that "Europe was not biting" in regards to beasley, and most certainly this is a patentley false thing to say. Boro made an official offer for Beasley, there's not really any need for me to drag down a story, as that's not the point.
I've agreed with your assertion about Donovan, but you probably shouldn't start saying he's better than Ronaldihno at passing Or probably at anything. but Ronaldinho is 22!
hehe, i made certain not to claim that. I said that Ronaldinho isn't better than donovan, at least noticably, at passing. I didn't say Donovan was better than him. Besided at that level it really doesn't matter, its like comparing brands of diamonds. And donavan is only 20. The young-whippersnapper can't even drink legally.
appooOnU- take a deep breath man because you are making lots of irrational statements, saying you have no clue what a player like juninho has over him makes me not want to jump to conclusions about the american soccer supporter because in all aspects of the game juninho was and still is more talented than mr donovan, in all aspects of the game. insulting ronaldinho like that, he is not really a better passer or dribbler than mr donovan, man you're smoking that purple weed. " I think this is a case of an inferiority complex. you hear an american player's name and "one of the worlds best" at the same time and you immediatly dismiss it without consideration, just because the player is American ". that is not the case, i could mention andres d'alessandro, javier saviola, leandro romagnoli or even kaka with brazil who have more tools than donovan. he is a pretty good player but dont mention him in the bunch of 10-15 most talented players in the world. soccerfan220 i forgot about aghawonder, you are right he was the youngest.
WHY is Juninho better than Landon? I don't know how I insulted Ronaldinho. From watching the brazilian games, Landon is much faster than Juninho, and take players on just as well if not better than he. This does not mean that Juninho is not a great player, in fact I love watching him. You just made a blanket statement without backing it up. I take me proof from the biggest soccer stage in the world. Did you watch our team play in the world cup? There was not a single player on the Portugese or German team that could come close to keeping up with donovan. he pretty much terrorized both teams. They say that those two teams have some of the best talent in the world. What are these tools of which you speak? Speed, Dribbling skills? passing skills? creatvity? agrresiveness? Just remember that Landon is 20 and getting better everyday. Did you notice the marksmenship he used in the germany game? In that first attempt ONLY Oliver Kahn saves that. He took that shot from one corner of the box and it was directly going to just inside the post of the opposite side. I mean that was an absolutly ridiculus shot. First touch: take the Poland game. He absolutly setup Joe-Max moore with a very difficult pass to make with a defender draped all over him. Unfotunatly JMM blasted it into a defeder. Dribbling skills and taking a player on, he spun a german defender completly around while attacking Kahn's goal, and toasted another one to reach a ball which the side ref unfairly rule off-sides. What tools doesn't he have? I don't know where this kid is lacking in top-level skills
oh, and just out of curiosity who is leandro romagnoli? I've never heard of him but there whole boatloads of good soccer players I probably don't know about. Whats his nationality and his club team and what position does he play?
first off juninho is 29 ! 29 years old and 20 are different, you arent as fleet of foot at 29 as you are at 20 so of course donovan is much faster. taking players on is another matter and donovan is not yet in juninhos class. donovan has good skills and fortunately for america he is only 20 and will get even better but watch your comparisons. Leandro romagnoli is an argy, plays for san lorenzo, i believe he is 21, from watching a few san lorenzo matches when i was down there, he's quite an exquisite player, alot of skill, all the tricks, can cross well and knows how to find the net but what my mate dante tells me is that he was supposed to be a big star down there, next maradona and all that but he got kind of lazy and had an attitude problem and before you know it d'alessandro is the new maradona. but yeah the romagnoli fellow was quite good.
Thanks for the info. As for Juninho...only reason I mentioned him was because someone said that half the brazilian team was more talented than Donovan. I just picked an attacking mid at random. Nothing against Juninho
here is a list of some players brazil holland argentina Roberto Carlos kluivert batistuta Ronaldo van nistelrooy crespo Rivaldo cocu lopez Ronaldinho davids d'allesandro Cafu zenden riquelme Gilberta Silva overmars saviola Roque Junior hasselbaink aimar Emerson van hooijdonk ortega Luizao stam zanetti Edilson de boer's sorin Denilson van bommel ayala Juninho van der vaart kily gonzalez etc.... appooOnU i hope u shut up now...
appooOnU i get your drift man,i just have a soft spot for the little brazilian. for all the other american footy fans, i am currently in houston texas at the moment and reading the daily chronicle today i saw a funny article about a youth american football team whining about how they have nowhere to play and the soccer team have 5 fields and wont let them use one. the president of the soccer club says the gridiron team would be striping yardlines and sidelines creating confusion for the soccer players since the boundaries wouldnt line up.the gridiron president points out that football was played here before soccer." i had a good laugh and i feel american footy fans should enjoy that, guess which sport is the b.i.t.c.h in that scenario. hopefully in the near future one of those mls clubs can say that to another sports team, tell them to f'ck off. oh well it was a funny article.
DONOVAN IS ONLY 20! The guy is legit, and just because he's not playing in Europe, he's got skills. Top 15 or 20? In my opinion, yes. Yours, no. But you'll never give credit to a US player, so your opinion is worth as much as sand in the desert.
dude, a bunch of those forwards are non passing pure forwards. Jap stam?? If any defender were as talented as Donovan do you think he'd be stuck man marking? Of forget it...I quit this line of conversation due to the fact that people refuse to listen
Re: Re: Beasley still lacking in some basics... im an american, i give credit to americans. i just dont think donovan is all that good. the people who stood out to me were sanneh, roenni or whatever his name is with the dreads, and friedel. whats next from u guys? agoos is best defender in the americas?