Donovan: Bayern München vs Borussia Dortmund 2/8 11:00 ET (R)

Maybe it is just me but Toni in the last 2 games ive watched has looked every bit the same player as Zamora at fulham. He holds the ball up very well, makes some great passes that create chances on goal, but when he has a chance on goal he always seems to shank it and totally waste his chances. He had atleast 3 or 4 chances in this game and couldnt even really test the keeper! In the hamburg game he may have had 10 chances, though to be fair he scored one that was called off for no apparent reason. I'm not saying he isnt a quality player or that Lando should be starting over him by any means, just in the two games he has wasted a lot of good opportunities that i havent ever seen him miss before.

 

He will get better with experience; but a big component of that experience is getting schooled and making mistakes. On the first goal, Subotic turns his head to look at Klose just as the shot was being taken.

That doesn't mean we can't engage in a little schadenfreude. Subotic did pick Serbia over the US, so my interest in him is limited by the fact that he isn't American born. I don't foresee him ever again spending much time living in the US. Subotic's affinity was Germany first and Serbia second, with the US a distant third. He doesn't get much play for that reason. F-em

 

Altintop broke his foot in March last year, then returned and played one hell of a Euro but was unfortunately again sidelined until December. He just lacks match practice. Once he gets back to 100% he shouldn't have a problem to displace either Lell or Schweinsteiger on the right side.

 

This is very fair assessment. Last year, this was NOT the case with Luca; this year, however it is.

He is a lone target forward realistically who plays well in a 4-5-1 situation. That isn't what Bayern plays.

Coupled by the fact that you can clearly now see the lack of communication and cooperation between he and Klose. It was embarrassing at times today the amount of occasions where one seemed to be in the others way.

Landon just may slip in there as a starter if this trend continues, but I wouldn't hold my breathe.

This is correct... well said Hendrik.

I just wish Ailtontop would not state he is ready and deserving of more time when it is clear he is still one step behind the play, regardless of his physical speed. His tactical speed is lagging still. It will take time.

I would love for once to see LD on the RM spot. I think he would compliment Bayern well there.

 

Altintop looks a lot like Pando Ramirez during his time with the Galaxy. Altintop's thought process - "I'm 40 yards out and marked, I better pass this round thing into the crowd." Kinnsi needs to keep him on the bench.

Landon looked decent but he needs more time to make a major impact.

 

That's what I think I saw, too.

Three times in the second half -- once on a run by Altintop (EDIT -- Schweinsteiger or Lell?) and twice on crosses/passes by Ribery, I saw Klose and Toni making the same run into the same space. I think Donovan replacing Toni freed Klose to do what he does best without duplicating Toni's movement. Dortmund needed to adjust to the more mobile Donovan and that opened up just a tad more space for Klose.

Donovan was OK, but nothing special. He had a couple of good passes, and Altintop blew a chance to complete a 1-2 with Landon down the right wing into space. His corner was perfectly fine. But I also saw him muscled off the ball once or twice. With the game 1-1 most of time Donovan was in, Dortmund kept things tight and didn't give Landy the open space he can exploit so well. I'd say Donovan might have made a case for coming off the bench BEFORE Altintop, as a useful change for the sometimes duplicative Klose+Toni pairing.

 

From what I have seen of Toni this yearly (not much, admittedly), he looks a lot more static than Klose, and certainly moreso than Ribery or LD. And, he seems to have been involved in a lot of miss-communications with other players, especially Ribery.

LD came on today and the team scored 2 goals, giving up none. Events like that quickly become food for thought for the head coach.

 

I'm fairly sure Altintop and Donovan came on at the same time.

 

I'll agree that Klose and Toni seem to get in each other's way, and that Klose frequently looks the better player.

But it seems like pure fantasy that Bayern would let Toni go. His goal scoring record is tremendous.

 

It's just you. And any other wild reactionaries.

Two subpar games and you're ready to label him a Zamora? Good grief.

 

Good point.

Klinsmann has always respected what Donovan can do for them. He has to show some production in the box score to get that respect from the board, who was reluctant to bring him over in the first place.

 

It is, but Bayern have a history of letting lead strikers go right as they start to hit their early 30s - and Luca turns 32 at the end of May. They shipped Elber when he was 31; they shipped Makaay at 32. Both guys were still great scorers, but not what they had been a year or two previous.

Does Toni fit that mold? His scoring record this season and last suggest otherwise, but Bayern are nothing if not savvy wheeler-dealers. And it's worth noting that he never spends more than 2 or 3 seasons at a time with any particular club. So while I wouldn't exactly expect him to leave in the summer, it wouldn't be the shock of the century either.

 

Klose is 30, and they probably aren't going to sell him anytime soon. if they were going to sell a forward, it would be Toni, but I can only see him leave for an Italian club

 

This statement amused me. There are a hell of a lot of players on this planet 'more static' than Ribery or LD. I wouldn't hold that against Toni. Next are you going to complain that he's shorter than Peter Crouch? Not as quick as Messi?

 

This is correct. Klinsmann will keep giving him playing time as it is important for BM that Hamit regains form. He has only played twice in substitute roles since September before today.

 

Looks like Toni is not very happy.

http://translate.google.com/transla...refox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=1bx

This article slags on Toni, saying he acted pissy when he was taken off, and quotes Franz Beckenbauer as saying that Toni basically gets in Klose's way, and Toni off the field was what freed Klose to score.

 

Klose did get in his way once in this game were he took the ball off his feet

 

Well, be amused, if you wish. Toni being "static" is exactly the problem when there are guys with Klose's and LD's quickness around him. He's got to get with the program or get out of the game.

 

True but if Toni had passed it to Klose he would of had a strike on goal. They were getting in each other's way and the LD sub changed that dramatically.

 

Hey, Luca, just score and you can stay on the field.

Klinsi said he had a gut feeling about leaving Klose in and taking Toni out, and I've got to agree with that feeling. Klose was much more active, quicker, and had forced the goalie into many more saves than Luca had. Klose is a better finisher than Luca. Luca doesn't force near as many saves from the goalie, as he misses the target more often than not.

I really think had Luca stayed on, FCB wouldn't have won that game. Just think back to the previous week's game: Luca missed a point-blank header when he was wide open that would have won the game.

Luca will get over it - he most certainly hasn't lost his starting spot - but he needs to remember the main point: hey, your team won! Rejoice!

Just perusing most of the German newspaper Web sites, that story gets as much or more press than the fact that they actually won the game in the closing minutes and are in second place. I guess they truly are FC Hollywood.

 

Klose screwed that run. But he sure made up for it.

Re: LD. He did fine, but nothing game changing. Did his job, Klinsi probably happy. Being on the field for 15 minutes or so while your team nets 2 goals is a positive, but yeesh, the fanboys are really stretching it to give him credit for a nice corner. the corner was good, but that should be a given at this level.

 

Hmm, what exactly did LD do on those two goals? As I recalled, he had no part in them.

He had an OK 15 min in this match. Certainly didn't make himself foolish, but to go as far as even suggesting he as any influence in those two goals is like pulling wabbits out of a hat.

 

I think he was below average because he missed a glorious chance to score (the one in which Altintop is close to goal but takes a horrible kick at the ball)

As I said in the BM boards, I was really excited to see Donovan at BM not only because he is an American but because i thought he could bring something fresh to the game after 60-70 minutes.
But as I watch more and more of him, I realize that he's not what I had hoped for.

 

Trying not to be fanboyish here but that is what you have determined after what maybe a little bit more than a half of playing time? That is stretching it a little the other way IMO. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course.