Better players, but the same results

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by Eliezar, Aug 31, 2008.

  1. Eliezar

    Eliezar Member+

    Jan 27, 2002
    Houston
    Club:
    12 de Octubre
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Last year Colorado finished 9-13-8 with 35 points or 1.17 ppg and then they add one of the best players in the league in Christian Gomez and now sit at 7-12-3 1.09 ppg. Intuitively, adding Christian Gomez should have propelled Colorado into the playoffs as they were only 2 wins away from the playoffs and surely Gomez is worth 2 wins over a season right? Although 3 goals and 6 assists is a far cry from 10 goals and 9 assists he had at DC, but still he's a good player. He also plays with a very talented midfield, but the team is terrible.

    Similarly LA hardly had Beckham last year and this year they get an entire year of him and...somehow...are no better at all? Beckham has been quite good (from what I've seen of him anyway), but it just doesn't help them be any better. Last year 9-14-7 for 34 points or 1.13 ppg while this year Beckham has inspired them to 6-9-7 1.14 ppg!


    I think this goes to show that one star player doesn't 'make' an MLS team. The better teams in the league do not have or rely on star players over this decade in MLS. Columbus and Schelotto are seemingly an exception to this, but then again how can you not vote Schelotto for MVP this year? He has scored or assisted on 21 of Columbus' 36 goals. He's having one of the best seasons in MLS from any player ever.

    What else is interesting is that while Dallas and Chivas got worse and an expansion team joins the West, Colorado and LA manage to just tread water even though they have more star power this year.

    With LA you have to wonder about firing Sigi, who happens to coach the Supporters Shield leader, and watching Yallop walk away, to take an expansion team to a better record than the Super Club.

    Add a star, get the same results.
     
  2. Centennial

    Centennial Member+

    Apr 4, 2003
    Centennial
    WE NEED A COACH!
     
  3. TrueCrew

    TrueCrew Member+

    Dec 22, 2003
    Columbus, OH
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I get what you are saying (and I'm not saying I disagree), but

    1) Gomez has to be on the field to help Colorado, and he hasn't been lately. And they are still in the mix.

    2) Becks has helped LA (look at Buddle), but with Lalas in charge, what did one expect?

    3) Columbus does have more than Schelotto. Moreno is solid. With Rogers, Ekpo, and Gaven on the wings, I dare someone to find a club with three better wingers (save maybe LA w/ Becks, Lewis, and anyone). Hejduk and Marshall on the backline are at or near Nat level. Ditto Hesmer between the pipes. We are solid. Padula. Carroll. Evans. Moffat.
     
  4. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Sigi deserves credit. The Crew is playing a much more professional quality ball this year than in their "backpass and stand around" days of old.

    I thought Colorado looked pretty good the last month under Clavijo. They played 3-5-2 and were peppering their opposition with shots.

    Now, Smith put them back into the English 4-4-2 Empty Bucket and, without an attacking fullback play, the team has lost whatever mojo it may have had.

    Overall, however, the league has improved over the last 12 months. That makes standing in place a losing proposition.
     
  5. Kasmatsu

    Kasmatsu Member

    Sep 1, 2008
    Gardner, KS
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    LA's problem is that there was no structure. Beckham and Donovan were given free reign to go wherever they want on the field. If the other non star players don't adapt and cover correctly it can leave large gaping holes for the other team to counter through.

    You can see the results. Arena will fix it and the Galaxy will end up where they should be next year.
     
  6. Tobin

    Tobin Member

    Mar 31, 2004
    Chicago
    This really comes down to coaching. The Fire have Blanco, McBride, Chris Rolfe, and arguably the best defensive unit in the league but they have struggled for 3 months now. Great players do not equal results.

    Because of the pay structure, the talent gap within any MLS squad is minimal, with a few great and horrible signings aside, great coaches really make the difference.
     
  7. DoctorD

    DoctorD Member+

    Sep 29, 2002
    MidAtlantic
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The key is that when everybody gets better, a team's relative ranking will not change.

    What has changed is that MLS' talent level has increased to the point where it can not rely on Central American signings any more and is turning to Argentina and other S. American teams. Dave M-N started a thread to scout CONCACAF qualifiers for MLS talent and it was short because (other than Mexico) there were no candidates.
     
  8. denver_mugwamp

    denver_mugwamp New Member

    Feb 9, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    In a league with as much parity as MLS, coaching becomes a lot more important. That's why an expansion team like San Jose can take a collection of cast-offs and make a serious run for the playoffs. And that's why LA and Colorado still suck after improving their talent. The other big factor is continuity. Houston and New England both have a style and team chemistry that allow them to add and subtract players without disrupting the team. Houston added two forwards that nobody else wanted last season and won the MLS Cup. Meanwhile in Colorado, most fans would be hard-pressed to define a style of play for the Rapids or even come up with a list of the usual starting players. And that's after 3 1/2 years with the same coach. (Who's gone now, but his legacy lives on.)
     
  9. Elninho

    Elninho Member+

    Sacramento Republic FC
    United States
    Oct 30, 2000
    Sacramento, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In this league, acquiring top-tier talent necessarily means losing talent elsewhere. LA tried to get Donovan, Beckham, and Ruiz on the field together, which meant trading away one of the best defenders in the league (Albright) and a top-notch goalkeeper (Cannon).

    In Colorado's case, RSL got the better deal in the Beckerman trade last season; and even though most of the other players who departed were overpaid and underperforming, you could give Clavijo the entire Chelsea starting lineup, and he'd still have a similar record in MLS. :p
     
  10. you_are_my_solskjaer

    Aug 11, 2007
    Chicago
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    defense defense defense. LA doesn't have any. They spend their money on star offensive players. Lewis, Beckham, Donovan, Buddle. Look at the best teams in the MLS, it all starts in the back.
     
  11. denver_mugwamp

    denver_mugwamp New Member

    Feb 9, 2003
    Denver, Colorado
    Sad, but true.
     
  12. Eliezar

    Eliezar Member+

    Jan 27, 2002
    Houston
    Club:
    12 de Octubre
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What's the cap difference of Donovan + Beckham and Ching + Derosario?

    And on someone else's note that the league is getting better (Columbus, RSL, and New England have)...the West is WORSE this year than last. The Dynamo are about the same, Dallas is weaker, Chivas is weaker, San Jose is an expansion side...and yet LA and Colorado couldn't improve.
     
  13. FijiUnited

    FijiUnited Member+

    Feb 21, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If Clavijo was coaching the Chelsea line-up, he would not have had the luxury of resigning. He would have literally been picked up by the elastic band of his underwear and tossed out the back door. His hair piece would also have been confiscated as it is property of the Colorado Rapids.
     

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