Okay. I'm gonna lay out three teams: best XI, second team, third team. I'm split between a 352 and a 442, but I'm going with the 352: best XI ----------------Garlick --Pope---------Nelsen--------Agoos ----------------Carroll Sanneh--------Olsen----------Harkes ------------Etcheverry -------Moreno---------Lassiter Second team, all-time ----------------Rimando --Reyes------Llamosa------Namoff ---------------Williams Stewart-----Kovalenko-----Convey ---------------Gomez -----Eskandarian------Diaz Arce Third team ---------------Simpson ---Sonora-------Petke-----McKinley --------------Aunger Gros---------Marsch-----Maessner -----------------Adu ----Conteh---------Stoichkov There you go. Here's some of my, err, "thoughts". 1) Carroll over Williams- This is the Carroll after he sat on the bench, late in the season. He was just everywhere he needed to be. really though this is a toss up- for the moment. I expect Brian to easily claim the "best d-mid" spot by next year. 2) McKinley at all- He'd be better in a 442 but he's included over the likes of Gori or Prideaux or whatever because of his distribution. He and Convey really clicked. 3) Stoichkov at all- He was the real leader of last year's team, for better or worse, and he won us a couple of games. I was tempted to place him above RDA. 4) Olsen- could have been either as a winger or central mid. Placing him in the middle allows me to put Sanneh in the first team. 5) Most likely to get placed on a team next year- Quaranta. Just don't know where. Probably in place of Maessner. Q1, Talley, Prideaux, and Kamler were the best players left off the three teams. Speaking of which... 6) Why Maessner and not Kamler? Early in '99 Kamler was given the left wing spot by Rongen. He failed (along with Jason Moore and Antonio Otero) and Rongen then traded Kamler for maessner. The offense, which before was listing heavily towards the right and Olsen, got even again and took off. This was s crucial move towards getting MLS Cup 99. Most of Kamler's best years were in NE. 7)Gros Even with his defensive lapses, he played better than Kamler. Convey As much as I love him, he just didn't do enough to warrant the best XI over Harkes or Sanneh. It should have happened, but it didn't.
OK, I love ya man, but Jesse Marsch should NOT be on any DCU all-time teams. The guy played in like 5 games in 2 years and then got shipped off to Chi-town to become a good player. Kris Kelderman had more impact on United with his unstoppable shootout move than Marsch had in any playing time he got. Oh yeah, no Vaud? McKinley has no business on the team...I'd rather have Vaud on his off-wing than McKinley on the field. And if I want to nit-pick, Rammel and Wegerle should be on there over Conteh and Stoichkov (although you are correct that Stoichkov was the leader of last year's team, I'm not sure that's a strike in his favor).
Make fun of him all you want - he wasn't a good field player. But he was the best shootout player in MLS history - and back in the day, that really did mean something.
Your third team selection of Abdul Thompson Conteh is questionable. I would have gone with (I forget his name) the white guy who played forward in 96 and 97 (I think). He did not have any skill, but he hustled his ever-loving arse off. Can someone help me with the name?
Yeah- with Marsch I know he was buried in the depth chart, but Kelder..., Keld... ..I can't even write his name 'cause he was so awful. Medved or Lisi or Ara... anyone but Kelderma....
You mean Rammel? Yeah I thought of him, but he DID have better service (for a healthy Etcheverry) than Conteh did, even in the bad early days. That's why ATC sticks. Vaudreuil over Mckinley? Also a possibility, but I just like Ivan the Terrible's distribution. Plus he was flat out scary-intimidating. Make The Demanator look like a cupcake.
This team is frightening: ------------------Presthus ------------Pope-----------Llamosa Reyes-----------------------------------Goose -------------------Nelson (young)Olsen----------------------------Harkes(c) ------------------Etcheverry ----------Diaz Arce---------Moreno Since, We've had an embarrassment of riches at CB and have had just ordinary players at DM, I figured I'd move Nelson up to DM, where he played for awhile, I think under Rongen.
Great threads (and the accompanying threads). Maybe instead of three teams, you could do two teams each for the 3-5-2 and the 4-4-2. The following would be mine: best XI (3-5-2) -------------Rimando Llamosa------Pope-------Agoos ----------------Williams Sanneh------Olsen--------Harkes ------------Etcheverry -------Moreno---------Lassiter Second team, (3-5-2) ----------------Garlick Reyes------Nelsen------Gori ---------------Carroll Stewart-----Kovalenko-----Convey ---------------Gomez ----Eskandarian------Diaz Arce best XI (4-4-2) ---------------Rimando Llamosa-------Pope---------Nelsen--------Agoos Sanneh-----Olsen-------Etcheverry-------Harkes -------Moreno---------Lassiter Second team, all-time ----------------Garlick Reyes------Petke------Namoff------Gori Stewart-----Gomez----Carroll------Kovalenko ----Eskandarian------Diaz Arce
Three things: 1) I'd rather play a man down than see ATC in black again (which, speaking of initials . . . ) 2) Where's OTC? Surely to goodness his contributions over the year shouldn't be overlooked. 3) WHERE'S THOR LEE?
But you can't do that. Without him winning United those games, those pathetic seasons become that much worse.
Yes, ATC made United's pathetic seasons a little better. But it's no stretch to say that Steve Rammel saved what became a championship season in 1996. The team started off terrible that year - a lot of those guys could barely tie their own shoelaces. Without Rammel getting hot mid-season and winning games on his own, the team might have mired itself so far in last place that hope would have been lost.
Sonora, McKinley, and Reyes over Iroha? Laughable. I'd put Iroha as my right back in a 4-4-2 Best 11, or second team in a 3-5-2. I think I'd re-work your first team a little bit as well. -----------Garlick -----Pope-Nelsen-Goose Sanneh-Olsen-Harkes-Convey ---------Etcheverry -------Moreno-Lassiter Lassiter or RDA is really a toss-up in my mind. I can't argue for or against either alongside Moreno up top. for my second 11... ------------Rimando ------Iroha-Llamosa-Namoff Stewart-ABMOD-Carroll-Maessner -----------Kovalenko (Gomez has only played in like 12 games for United. I can't put him here just yet, but he'll lock down this spot if he stays next year) ---------RDA-Eskandarian Third team is where it gets tough... ---------Presthus ---Reyes-Petke-McKinley Gros--Aunger--Kamler-Adu ----------Gomez ------Conteh-Rammell The center of midfield is real tough with the 3-5-2, since we played with a 4-4-2 for so long and most of those years Etch and Williams were in the two spots. The second and third teams end up being a bit of a mess in there.
You have to have Roy Wegerle coming off the bench. Talk about a super sub! And I would also want Gori on my list. Maybe I am just lost in the sauce though