It would be an absolute injustice to the sport of football if Carlos does not win this award. The only reason the other two have for being there in the first place is marketability. In the same way that Ruiz won the MLS All-Star MOTM (over Carlos, btw). Larry "The Balding" Donovan has not had a year to remember let alone pay much attention too, and McBridesMaid only skill is poaching. Carlos is the not only the best defender in the country, he is outstanding with the ball, solid with his passes, and deadly on set pieces. Neither of either of those other 2 clowns can come close to that. Go Carlos!
What have any of these guys done that truly qualifies them for this nomination (besides the capped thing)? Donovan--nothing special this season, but he is an MLS poster boy. McBride--same thing. Boca--has had easily the best season of the three with an exceptional performance in the Allstar game. Of the three he is the most deserving. However, if someone asked me to nominate the three best I am not sure any of the above would be on the list (and no I haven't really thought about who would be on mine).
While I'm all for Carlos getting this award, I think the reason Donovan and McBride were nominated was more for their nats performance. Didn't Donovan score four goals in one game? Vs. Jamaica?
Well, it's not the MLS MVP so Caps and international performance should weigh alot on the decision. I'd give Boca the edge because he's the only one who really had a stand out season with both the Nats and his club. On the other hand, Landon Donovan is pretty good at being Landon Donovan, and the judges seem to weigh that pretty heavily also. I think It was actually Cuba, but yes.
yeah, Cuba, perennial concacaf powerhouse cuba. McBride is just one more kiss on the cheek away from retirement, playing mediocre for a mediocre club. Donovan's a crybaby bitch who Arena has already had to dress down for lack of effort with the nats. His future's so bright, I left my shades in the car. Anyone voting for either of these guys over boca is either an idiot, a homer, or one of the jackasses who think scoring is the only interesting thing in soccer... you know, like all of MLS's announcers except Eric Wynalda... m
Waldo on Boca getting ripped off Way to go Waldo. http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/90min1010wynalda.html
Re: Waldo on Boca getting ripped off Damn, Waldo's the man. Not only do we get to hear the truth about the player of the year but we get to read a true and honest ripping of Julie Foudy. Big thumbs up.
stuff first, I just want to pat myself on the back for the prescience of my excluding Waldo from the rest of the soccer media in this country. What is more worrisome to me about the whole thing, however, is this blatant and moronic lack of insight into the game by the sports top commentators means soccer is doomed in this country. I've been screaming about this for ages, but I think it is a really, really serious problem: If the reporters don't understand the game, and the announcers are bored by it (as evidenced by their continual and ubiquitous insistence on talking about individuals and human interest angles for 90 minutes instead of actually describing the action on the pitch), what effing chance is there to sell the game to a wider audience? I bought the shootout package this year, and watched a bunch of non-fire mls games, and the problem is universal. It must, I think, reflect an active decision by the producers and managers of the league, which can only mean that the very top marketers of MLS THINK SOCCER IS BORING. That the announcers and reporters also demonstrate a deep lack of insight into the subtleties of the game is troubling, but of secondary concern compared to the possibility that the very people who are supposed to be promoting the sport are bored by it. Insight can be learned by watching the game, but first you have to actually WATCH the effing game. Prattling on about who roomed with who while tarvelling with thwe nats, or who played at rival colleges - that *#*#*#*# belongs in Baseball and Football, where the ball is hardly ever in play. Memo to MLS: in soccer, the ball is in play the whole effing time, please instruct your announcers to occasionally mention what's going on on the effing field. Oh, and replace the ever-milquetoast John Harkes with Waldo on MLS wrap. TODAY. [/rant] Wynalda's also dead on about April and the US women, and may have even gone easy on them. The US women aren't the US men, they're the Brazilian, Italian, German mens teams, and finsihing third in a WC that only features 5 or 6 actual world class teams is equivalent to one of those mens teams failign to get out of group play - April should have been fire one second after germany's second goal. What was more troubling about this WC was that Germany and Sweden were actually playing a better, more attractive STYLE of football that the US. In fact, if I recall correctly, while the Fire were inexplicably losing to Dallas a month ago, I really felt that of the four teams playing at that moment (German and Canadian women, Fire and Burn) the German women were playing the best soccer, and probably could have given the Fire a tough challenge on the day. The US women, meanwhile, played a style that showed a real lack of creative coaching, and almost disdain for the quality of their opponents - lots of long balls to Hamm and Wambach as if the other teams were expected to be so weak, those two could go it alone (which, I'll admit, worked for a while). Anyway, this US team looked more talented, yet less creative than previous squads, and I agree with Waldo that its well past time to seek a new direction. sorry for the novel, m
I don't think Harkes is that bad necesarily. It's just Harkes and Wheelock aren't a good combination. Wheelock is better suited for PbP work. Honestly, can you imagine a more tv anchor-like moderator for the show with a rotating analyst roster including Harkes, Wynalda, and Lalas? Just like Baseball Tonight. The anchor doesn't even really have to be a soccer guy, just good at keeping the flow moving and charismatic for tv (just like Baseball Tonight). That would improve the show dramatically even beyond the massive improvment to tolerable the show has become by dropping that PbP guy and just commenting on the game from the desk. Get rid of the stupid email and phonecalls and you have youyrselves a pretty darn decent show.
This would be a pretty damn good show. My only additions would be Stoitchkov doing weather and El Pibe doing traffic.
not bad so much as really bland. and he does that thing I hate where every player, and every team, is GREAT. I know he's there to promote and sell the game and all, but come on, Johnny, Dallas sucks. Mainly, he reminds me of a duller Magic Johnson, admiring everyone and providing really obvious analysis - again, that may not be his fault, it may be coming from the producers, but I just meant that i really enjoy Waldo's from the hip, no apologies style, especially when he chimes in to tell the announcers how dumb they are. m