As a UConn alum I'm interested in how he is doing down there. He hasn't played much yet -- is he still not 100%, is he being brought along slowly, is he just not as good as those getting minutes? Also, what do you think his long-term prospects are now?
Actually I'm afraid that in the minutes that he has had (KC pre-season and NE) he has not looked good and has been caught out of position a lot. It's early days yet though and I'm sure he will improve quickly.
Long term, Gbandi will be an excellent player. Short term, the adjustment and recovery is not proceeding as quickly as we would like. It is not, further, as if the Burn do not have options at left outside back. Wait until mid season.
I was one who couldn't wait to see Gbandi out there, but watching him against New England, I was very disappointed. I am hoping it is just first game jitters, but I guess we will soon see.
I didnt think he was that bad. Yes he is partially to blame for the goal, but thats why we play with 4 defenders and 2 defensive mids. Where were they?
I didn't think the goal was his fault either. I think most of the blame would go to Suarez for losing Twellman. It just seemed to me like he was a little bit lost out there. Based on comments from people who have watched him progress, I think (and hope) that it was first game jitters and that after a few more games he will start to make a difference out there.
This is exactly why Ryan's man-marking skills are in question. He's yet to prove himself in this regard.
I think everyone is being a little hard on Ryan. He started off poor last year also but played well the rest of the year. He is sometimes over the top but how many other players are we saying we wish they would show some emotion. Suarez left a sliver of daylight and Twellman played it perfectly. Sometimes you have to tip your hat to a player for a great play. Twellman and Fish rae the only two who could make a shot like that consistantly. Gbandi is in a tough spot where he is behind Broome who is playing good and then having to make an impression on that nasty turf. Countless players fell on that crap as their shoes seemed to grab. Most had adjusted after they were out there a while. Gbandi had the misfortune to have been a late game sub and when his shoes grabbed it was late in the game and at a bad spot. There are stupid things happening on that field and the game winning or tying goal would not have happened on grass. Burn players better get used to it and make it a home field advantage or this will be a long two years.
I was thinking the same thing, but look at this weeks schedule: TRAINING SCHEDULE Tuesday, April 29 - 6:00 p.m. - Marcus High School - Flower Mound Wednesday, April 30 - 10:00 a.m. - University of Texas @ Dallas Thursday, May 1 - 9:30 a.m. - University of Texas @ Dallas Friday, May 2 - 11:15 a.m. - Blue Sky Sports Center - The Colony I dont understand why they dont train at southlake every day.
Chris Gbandi and Shavar Thomas were involved in a serious automobile accident Tuesday evening. Although neither was seriously injured, both were taken to the hospital. They were treated and released but missed Wednesday's training as a precaution. Gbandi's car was totaled in the accident. http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/soccer/stories/050103dnspoburndate.7bb62.html
Gbandi's still adjusting. Time will tell if he's got the goods or not, and it certainly isn't a given. Some people thought that he'd be starting over Broome already...
I think this is where he excels. he's very difficult to beat 1v1, but he's not so great at picking up the play coming from the midfield. I think he also gives up too much space in his zone when the ball is not being played onto his side. ROB pretty much intimated that Suarez was great at man marking but needed work on distribution & other things. ps he was devastated about not getting called up v mexico.
He only played a few minutes in overtime and didn't really have time to make any kind of impression one way or another. I think Jeffries just wanted to get him a few minutes to build up his confidence after he came on and got smoked by Ralston against NE. One memorable thing about his appearance. He came in as a goalkeeper, wearing the jersey and everything.
For the time that he was out there, I thought he and Countess looked good in goal together. Maybe we'll see this pairing some more in the future.
LA ignored him entirely so he wasn't tested, though he did contribute to a few attacks in the 1st overtime. Does anyone know why they had him sneak into the game wearing a Countess jersey while kreis pumped a rocket into the stands at about a hundred? I'm not sure if they didn't get him in fast enough for the Broome sub.
The announcers explained it during the game as a loop-hole in MLS rules, which allow you to substitute a goalkeeper in addition to the 3 regular substitutions. You can fanagle a 4th substitution for the game if you have the 4th guy come in as the GK, shirt the real GK as a field player, and then switch them after play has begun. That's what Countess and Gbandi did. LA did the same.