I just read sormon's post on another thread discussing Etch. The reason I am so optomistic about this upcoming season is that I am convinced that Etch will play as if he has a new lease on life. Emotions are at the center of his play, and he seemed to alternate between giving up and trying to do too much. He was not able to handle the drop in quality surrounding him...the drop from being the main cog in a dynasty, to crap. Now with better people around him, ie. better spacing and running off the ball, Etch will be renergized. He needs challenge and Hristo will challenge him, needle him back into the Etch we used to know. I know that this is not deep technical analysis such as Tron's, but I am convinced that we will see Etch to Earnie and Esky for many goals. John
I haven't been there to see them in person, but a lot of what I have read from others in Florida is that there seems to be a new competition between Etch & Hristo, and I don't mean that in a negative way. If two excellent footballers, such as they, can challenge each other in a positive way, it can only mean good things for the team. I am soooo excited about the upcoming season, I can't hardly stand it! Let the games begin! Winoman
Not trying to bring everyone down, but I have had this attitude about Marco going in to the last 2 seasons. This year, I expect him to lose his starting job and for Convey to take over the middle.
As much as I'd like to see Convey in the middle--where he was effective leading a potent DC United offense late last season--it isn't going to happen. Hudson isn't going to shift Olsen or Dema wide left, so Convey is pigeon-holed there. This was evident in the Dema for Mapp trade. The only left midfielders even in the mix right now are Digiamarino--who we'd have to win a "weighted lottery" for--or Mario Rosas--the young Spaniard that we'd have to steal from Metros. Frankly, it's doubtful that either happens. Dema better be darn good in the center, because at the end of last season we saw that Convey already is darn good there. -Tron
Me too. I'm not being disrespectful and I appreciate all he did for DC United, but if there's any evidence this season that the last two seasons were a fluke I'll be very surprised. I just don't think he's an impact player anymore. He got older, had injuries and the league's defenders caught up with him talent-wise.
Yeah, Olsen has played wide left, but it's not his natural position, and if Hudson plays him there regularly he knows that Ben will be upset about it. Ben is best on the right anyway, and while the left back spot may be a battle between Petke and Prideaux and Convey may miss quite a few games to Nat's commitments, injuries, etc, the right side tandem of Reyes and Olsen should remain relatively in tact all season. -Tron
While I agree that he has gotten older and more injury prone, the defenders most certainly have not caught up with him talent wise.. There still hasn't been a midfielder or defender in this league that can knock him off the ball and prevent him from making his trademark pinpoint passes.. The perceived difference now is that Marco's supporting cast has been considerably less than stellar as opposed to his earlier years in MLS.. It's one thing sending balls through to an in form Lassiter and Moreno as opposed to Curtis and Zambrano.. Additionally, his midfield support has been terrible at times as well.. Convey has been about the only useful player to him the past two seasons.. All this can and hopefully will change this season with a now healthy Olsen along with Kovalenko and Ryan Nelsen, significant upgrades from Williams, Alavanja and Alegria... All the proof you need of Marco's brilliance can be pointed back to the MLS All-Star game last summer.. Get better players around him and he will produce...
Cweed, I'm not sure that pointing to performances in All-star games boosts the argument very much! I hope I'm wrong (and I'll gladly admit it if it happens), but I really believe that Etch has just lost it.
I think I agree on this one... I had always thought the rain slowed the performances over everyone else down to Marco's level... not their performance lifting him back up to their's
Normally, yes I would agree with you, but the MLS team was playing the National Team and the game was quite competitive.. I know the European players were missing, but the team Arena put out there was still damn good and better than any All-Star team MLS could muster.... This past MLS All-Star game bore no resemblance to past MLS All-Star games.. Not even close..