come on.Let's ask-if a big Euro team came in, what price would these two guys go for. Can you really make the case that Boca is, overall, a better player than Landon? I like Boca alot-think he is excellent-but he has not yet shown himself as valuable a player as Donovan.
1-this is not what the award is for 2-neither is this the award is for USMNT play during the year 2003 - if you would vote LD... fine - let's not confuse the issue, which is who was the team's MVP this year - LD is a good choice, but los should have won this thing
If I had a vote I might agree with you.I was just responding to those who think Boca got hosed or this was some kind of slam dunk.Donovan means a ton to the US team-strikers are coming and going, but he has been the constant over the last year or two.
And that would be your opinion, yes? Well many soccer journalists saw it differently and a lot of soccer fans did too. Is that so hard to swallow ? They're all good players, and they all contribute to the limited success of our national team. Stop the pissing contest and be glad for all 3 guys.
Said Bocanegra, who lost to Donovan-led Redlands High (in penalties) in a 1997 CIF quarterfinal: "He's been pulled in so many different directions. He's the posterboy not only for MLS but for U.S. Soccer. His nickname with us is the Golden Boy. I think it's great he's been able to keep his head." Added McBride: "(Landon's) probably his hardest critic. The press were on him after his Confederations Cup. He handled himself well. He could have a stranglehold on (this award) for a while." Rock on BS !
well what are they gonna say? he's their friend and teammate and i know BMB doesn't have a selfish bone in him - i'm not sure what that proves - are we supposed to agree now?
and did you hear what LD said when he accepted the award?? he said that as sure as he was that he wasn't going to win the award last year, he was "even more sure" that he wasn't going to win the award this year. He then went on to say that he didn't deserve the award and that he was "embarassed" to have received it over other worthier players. McBride said that it definitely was not his own year to win the award as well. As you showed in your quote, Bocanegra never said that he didn't feel he deserved the award. he just congratulated LD, which anyone with CLASS would have done. Boca also went on to say though that he would have loved to have won the award this time, but hopefully he will have another chance in the near future. When asked about the fact that no defender seems to have won the award recently, he replied with a smirk saying that yeah, it doesn't seem like the defenders are catching a break and that he feels like he "let the defenders down" by not bringing home the trophy. From all of the reactions and statements of the 3 finalists that i saw when it was shown on tv yesterday, it seems clear to me that at least the 3 FINALISTS believed that Boca should have won this award.
Personally, I thought McBride should have gotten the award. On a side note, regarding Landon, I wonder if anyone has noticed how Donovan seems to be playing with more of a "chip on his shoulder," lately?!! He seems to be playing with more "bravado," not unlike Eric Wynalda did back in the 90's. While I like Donovan (at least, when he's wearing the red, white & blue) & think that the USMNT needs more players with a bit of an "attitude," I do worry that LD will go "overboard" with his aggressiveness which could lead to yellow & red cards. I also hope that all this glory & praise being heaped on LD doesn't go to his head & turns him into a MAJOR prima donna and a "distraction" for the national team. Remember, he's still ONLY 21 & at that age, praise can be a "fickle" thing. Much as I like LD, IMHO Beasley is the better of the two.........by the slightest of margins!!
"I kind of feel bad. These guys deserve it, they really do," Donovan said. (AP, 10/8/03) http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/soccer/10/08/bc.na.spt.soc.us.donovan.ap/ So I think Donovanrecognizes how good Boca and McBake are, maybe even as much as the posters here do. But did he give either of them the giant key?
my wife says he needs to go blonde again, to soften the "hairline".Soon we will have our very own Zidane!
Honda Award No offense to Donovan and Bocanegra, but this would have been the perfect year to give the award to Brian McBride a veteran of two World Cups, a top scorer, a serious professional, who has proved himself at home and abroad. I think that the Honda Award should be given to recognize a player's career, not a hot trick or a good year. Take as models Balboa, Wynalda, Lalas, Jones, Meola, Friedel, Keller, Harkes just to mention a few. Again: no offense to Donovan, who has skills and class, but I think that these back-to-back awards are meant to keep him in the U.S. which will not help his development as a world class player.
It really doesn't matter who deserves it. Donovan will continue to get all the awards until(if) Adu starts scoring goals for the national team.
Re: Honda Award first of all friedel, meola and harkes never won this award second of all i agree that BMB has been underappreciated for his USMNT play, BUT he only played a handful of matches during 2003 - as much as i love mcbride i think the award should go to the best player of the calendar year and not become some sort of political oscar-type dealie finally, i mean no offense to LD either... but he clearly gets a little 'buzz' help in the vote