Discussion going on in the main MLS forums. Dempsey is currently running away with it. Big cluster of players at the next tier, including Parke and our boy Marshall.
Dempsey is just a guy who runs around like a chicken with his head cut off and is lucky enough to be on a team with many injury problems. He's not a starter anywhere else in the league. If anyone can say that Marshall isn't a clearcut favorite they just haven't watched enough of the legue this year and are confusing the Crew's reputation with Marshall's play.
Dempsey my ass. He's done some good stuff, but so have a lot of guys. Marshall is CLEARLY the best rook in the league. Easy criteria: If you were starting a team today and you were told you could have ONE 2004 draftee, who would you pick? Dempsey? Yeah right.
Maybe I'm just watching all the wrong New England matches, but I always see Dempsey as a pretty good player continually getting into fairly dangerous positions only to end up on the turf with the required close-up of a frustrated player. It also seems like he whines an awful lot, but again maybe I'm just watching the wrong matches. I guess, too, I'm biased but I fail to see how this is even a discussion - Marshall is the run-away leader. However, has a defensive player ever won this award?
I'd take Adu if I was planning on being competitive in three or four years. For putting a team on the field today, Adu wouldn't be anybody's pick.
I agree with FF as far as Dempsey is concerned. He does present a problem for opposing defenses. However, the little punk whines too damn much. If he would ever score against us, or do anything but whine, he could easily become the next Arial. I would go with Marshall for ROTY, if he had been able to bury a couple goals. Sure, his defending is above excellent, however, it is too difficult to gage that when you glance at our team. After a quick glance, it appears that our defense (including Marshall) has lost every game we've played in. That is the quick glance people are going to look at when thinking of ROTY. Let him score 3 goals off of set pieces and then the quick glance will put Marshall ahead of Dempsey.
Marshall is obviously the best rookie this year. He has missed a couple games, and he hasn't scored a goal yet, so I wouldn't expect Joe Revolution to realize that Dempsey hasn't done squat. But I trust that the coaches and GMs and players who vote for this kind of thing will recognize what Marshall is doing. Once Marshall makes headlines for something, more people will recognize his name and his talent. Maybe that won't happen until he gets called in by Bruce Arena.
In no way is this approving of people voting for Dempsey over Marshall, but Clint has done a lot more than run around like a chicken. He may have gotten his first look because of all the injuries, but I think several coaches in this league would find a way to get him on the field - including my Metros, KC, Colorado, LA, and very possibly even the Crew. Just saying the answer doesn't have to be that Dempsey sucks. And I agree that with a couple of goals, almost everyone would be looking at Marshall.
Freddy Adu has clearly had the biggest impact on both his team and the league (see attendance and TV games/exposure) so he will be the ROY. It's not about who played the best or Marshall would clearly get it over Dempsey and perhaps Adu. Marshall is becoming a good player on an improving team while poor Dempsey is playing all over the field for perhaps the worst team in the league. When NE is fully heathly he probably is not even a starter for them. Joseph Ngewga (sp?) has to enter the discuss also and remember we are still only 35% of the way thru the season.
He hasn't done a whole lot this season...so I highly doubt it. Fook all the buzz he has created. I never knew it was a popularity contest...I always thought it was for the rookie who played the best...what an idiot I am!
Yeah you are... geez, we all knew it was going to be Freddy before the first ball was played this year. C'mon, awarded to the best player... DRW, you're sooooo dense.
Thanks for writing that. This right here is the reason why I'm glad that the common fans don't vote for these kind of awards. The coaches or soccer writers will pick the best first year professional, not the "coolest" player or most hyped (Adu) or flashiest (Ngwenya). At this point in the season, it has to be between Marshall and Dempsey, but Parke of the Metrostars and Perkins of DCU could make a run at it.
That's cause nobody takes notice of how many goals Marshall has cleared off the line or how many headers he's won etc. Pairing him up with Fraser was probably a god move because we have a great vetran-rokie combo going. But oh well. Let them ignore Chad...as long as Bruce recognizes his talent I'm not too worried.
Bruce has to recognize his talent...I have one hundred percent jumped on his bandwagon. (who's driving that wagontrain anyway?) If he improves at all over this year as his first, he will definitely be heralded as one of the best defenders in the future years of MLS. (if he ends up staying long term) Freddy and his 17 minutes of playing time can bite me.
Dempsey? Hmm..I too have noticed he's a whiner and too often looks for foul calls, when none should be awarded.. Hah, just like many of players do...They all take some sort of course on that? But that goal he headed last week was pretty. Very pretty. Chad hasn't gotten a goal yet. He'll be a contender when he can find net for us.
I think that any of these four could make a case for themselves for ROY. 1. Marshall - for all the reasons we know and obviously has my vote. 2. Dempsey - my second choice. NE would be in deeper doo-doo without him. I wouldn't mind having him in our central midfield. 3. Parke - pretty darn good for the last player selected in the draft. Has shut down the best in MLS this year. 4. Perkins - the long shot here. Rimando who?