Re: DCU Contract News - Two Nigerians to Join DCU? BTW- Speaking of contract news. What's with this report of the two Nigerian players coming to DC? One of the guys is 41??? http://www.thetidenews.com/article....paraku head for United States&qrColumn=SPORTS
Re: DCU Contract News I didn't really follow the team formation that closely last year, but when I did it seems that under Nowak's system he does play 4 in the back during the game. What happens is when the other team has the ball in the offensive end a player steps back as a wing back. So it's not like there's 3 back there at all times-you'll see 4 flat backs sometimes. Freddy needs to learn to play defense. Period. Doesn't have to be great at it, but say if Wright-Phillips (who isn't a defensive specialist) didn't play defense the Chelsea coaching staff-and the fans-would be all over him about it.
Goff-DC to keep Rimando Forgive me if this is old news.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/13/AR2005121301510.html Why in the hell are we keeping this pathetic excuse for a keeper?
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando Because there are literally only TWO keepers in this league who are unquestionably better than him. Meola? No. Busch? No. Walker? No. Countess? No. Thompson? No. Hartman? No. Oshyoni? No. Wells? No. Guzan? Not yet. Garlick? No. Onstad? Push, matter of opinion. Cannon? Yes. Reis? Yes. That's it.
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando 1. Rimando isn't a pathetic excuse for a GK. In fact, he's one of the better shot stoppers in MLS. 2. But Rimando also is weak at two areas: --his command of the defense is inconsistent: we can count on several misplays a year when he doesn't call for the ball or calls late. Less of an issue when you've got Ryan Nelsen back there, more of an issue where your central defender/organizer is a rookie or new to the USA. --people challenge him in the air and until he shows he can dominate people, they'll keep challenging him. 3. I'd change some of your list Spidergoose. I think Onstad is better than Rimando. Not quite the athlete. Probably not as good at distribution. But better judgment, better organization and command of his area. stronger in the air. Also, I'd take a healthy, in-form Busch over Rimando in a heart-beat. Except for Cannon, no other GK in MLS is capable of single-handedly shutting a team out with little to no hope from his teammates. Busch is the primary reason Columbus was the Shield Winners in 2004. Also, I'm not a big fan of Chicago's keeper but his strengths are Rimando's weaknesses. Bottomline to me: we can do better than Rimando but unless we scored one of a limited number of keepers, it wouldn't likely be much of an improvement (and Busch and Cannon are all much more expensive than Rimando I believe).
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando I think Busch might be (although I'm really thinking of Busch a year plus ago, really -- no idea about now).
Re: DCU Contract News - Two Nigerians to Join DCU? hmmmmm...... This doesn't make much sense. Maybe I'll just send my bank account information to a Nigerian bank!
Re: DCU Contract News My only point is this (and apologies to you JRStiker if you did not intend to suggest this): Adu does NOT have breakaway speed, let alone blinding speed. He has good speed, but not blinding or breakaway speed. What he has is quickness--fast starts and stops. But running away from people going forward. No. Donovan would kill him in a footrace.
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando Maybe. The guy is pretty solid. But I'll give you this one. Alright, now you're smoking. Agreed. If the "opinion" is that of the entire soccer-watching community in North America that thinks he's better. Come on, man. You also forgot Thornton, who, while a big Cartman-ish fatass, is also very good and probably better than Rimando. I don't think Nick is "worthless" at all, but let's not go overboard with the praise here.
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando Must be a bargain on crack this week. Of your list, I'd take Meola, Walker, Hartman, Wells, Garlick, Cannon, and Reis in a straight up trade for Nick right now. Maybe not Reis, 'cause I can't stand him, but he's a better keeper than Nick. Nicky's athletic and brave, but the question was which keepers were better.
Oh for the love of ... We always get into these wacky-arse discussions of Nick. Let's settle some bets here, shall we? Wins--Nick won half his games. Reis and Onstad did better. Shutouts--Onstad had 12, Nick had 11, Reis had 10. Saves--Rimando is ninth, behind ... well ... most of the league. Save Percentage--Rimando is fifth, and faced fewer shots than all of the full-time keepers on that list. That's the stat list for this year. What that tells me is that Nick Rimando was successful because he didn't face as many shots as his counterparts. So much for his reputation as a shot-stopper, which quite frankly is the only thing keeping him from a job at Wal-Mart. I've been on record all along as saying that all Nick has to do to keep me happy is fail to melt down at critical moments. I chewed my tongue all year long, but the simple fact is, he didn't. Despite our gaudy defensive numbers in League play, we had defensive problems all year long, and they showed in each and every tournament we participated in. Rimando is, and always has been, part of the problem. You win games by making the crucial save. You win championships by not having to make the crucial save. DCUnited's defense was as good as it's ever been. Do the math. I wouldn't say there are half-a-dozen goaltenders I'd take over Rimando. But I would trade Rimando and Perkins straight up for any one of Onstad, Reis, Cannon or Garlick. And come out ahead on the deal, regardless of salary. Thornton, Hartman and possibly Meola I'd have to think about. The guys who suggest we've got the best bargain goaltending in the League had better think long and hard about whether you get what you pay for in the long run. I think this year proves that you do. My only message in all of this to Nick is: Quit farging up. Just stop. There's no reason for it, no excuse for it, and no benefit to it. Nail your foot to the bloody line and play to your strengths. Don't wave at crosses, don't lose sight of chip shots, and remember that your job is not circus monkey--your job--your ONLY job--is keeping the ball out of the net when it counts. Shutouts or no, you can't even SEE mission accomplished, let alone say it.
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando I would have loved to see Onstad and Reis numbers if they had DC United's central defender/organizer.
Nick's performance this year has solidified my wishes for another keeper. Without going itno great detail, because most has been covered here, the simple fact that he has little to no control of his area is my greatest concern. If you go back and watch the matches form this past season, the majority of the guys he is winning balls from and knocking to the ground are our own defenders. He has no control of his box. Perhaps this will change, I for one would not be too sad to see him step down. I would like to see someone else get more chances next year.
I guess that I may be a bit of a contrarian on the subject of Nicky Rimando, but I think that the principal difference between his play this past season and the season before is the absence of Ryan Nelsen. Nicky is a short guy (a bit shorter than the program guide lists him as being) so he has to gamble and he's always going to have problems with crosses. But, with a Nelsen-like central defender in front of him or, perhaps, in a 4-4-2 scheme, Nicky is good enough to win with -- brain farts and all. In this league, unfortunately, what with the salary cap and all, each team is going to have a weakness somewhere that other teams can exploit. I just happen to think that filling the holes at outside midfielder and at target forward ought to be higher priorities for United right now. I wouldn't mind seeing more of a competition between Rimando and Perkins next year, though.
I can agree with this. If we were to conitinually put together quality wing play and scoring chances we could outscore everyone to win games. And I also would love to see mroe competition betwen Troy and Nick next season
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando Now this is worse than sticking a needle in my eye but Reis had a better central defender than Rimando did this year. I can't think of anyone in MLS who would put Boswell or Erpen ahead of Parkhurst.
Re: Goff-DC to keep Rimando [devilish voice over right shoulder} C'mon, you can't resist that opener.....[/dvors] [interrupting angelic voice over left shoulder]You know you shouldn't.....[/iavols] GM