I dont understand how a coach can lose so much, say so many silly things, make so many mistakes (like when mathis wasnt on the players list for his first game after the WC) and not get fired! If this were any other soccer nation he would have been longggg gone. Palmeiras in Brazil has been thru 5 coaches in 2 months...and are about to fire the current one. Im not saying that a good thing to do but that a reality out there that OZ is lucky not to live in.
I was thinking about this, but wouldn't he last until the game tomorrow. If they do somehow back into the playoffs, they can't fire the coach before they start. I think if CHI wins tomorrow, he is fired. If they lose and we make the playoffs, he keeps his job for another week, then gets fired.
The phone ringing at the Zambrano residence is just a formality now. Whether it happens at 6:01pm today or he gets it face to face at 8:01pm next Sunday is all that remains to be seen.
He probably survives by being the coach with the most Metro wins ever. And that Eastern Conference champ thing from last year.
It's pretty apparent to anyone who has watched this team self destruct during the last month and a half, that OZ no longer has the support, nor the respect of his players. It's evident from his inability to correct the defensive and offensive problems we've seen week after week that he can't cut it as the coach of these guys any longer. From what I've read on the net, and what I've seen on TV during the second half of this season, most MLS scoccer fans, and the media, recognize his deficiencies as a coach and we all know that his career in New York is over. He must move on and the GM should make that move immediately. If, by the grace of God, we should get lucky today and Columbus does manage to beat Chicago, then I think Nick should appoint a player captain, or co-captains to run the team for the final games of the playoffs. Colorado did that a few years back when they fired Mooch at the end of a long losing season. Could a player-coach do any worse than what has been allowed to happen to this team during that last couple of months under Zambrano? I think not. Who knows, maybe these guys, sans Oz, could finally all pull together for 90 minutes and surprise their fans with a playoff win? adios
OZ has lost the faith of nearly every player on this team. That leaves Nick with one of 3 options. He can: 1: Do nothing, and by doing so, insure that the 2003 Metros outdo the 1999 Metros. 2: Fire OZ, get rid of a couple of cancerous players (Diallo, Alvarez, Tab, Balboa) and bring in someone who knows how to field the best lineup and the players will respond to. 3: Totally gut the team, trading away all of the long-time core. Petke, Jolley, Mathis, and Faria, as well as some of the new talent that has found their way into his doghouse. Williams, Davis, Paule, Moore. That leaves him with Diallo, Chrono, Ziadie and Howard to build a new team around. I vote for option 2. I hope this isn't Florida. JMac
It's not. MLS won't jettison a team in this neighborhood. aside from the fact that Metro has had a decent turnout this season -- talking about the fans, not the team. Outside the Bronx Botanical Gardens there's nary a palm tree in sight.
I wasn't worrying about contraction. It was more a bad joke about election practices in Florida ("I vote for option 2. I hope it's not Florida" = "I hope they give a crap about my vote") JMac
Two years ago Metro won the Eastern title and missed goning to the final cup game by not too much. They needed fine tuning. Instead OZ spent two years to completely detroy any sense of teamwork these guys had. Whenever there was a problem he and Nick just traded or brought more new players in to behave like a band aid. I thought the job was coaching. You know out there on the field everyday with the players creating set plays, teaching them how to read the field as a whole, and being able to depend on eachother. I honeslty don't think he has any idea how to do this. His lineups show he can tell who the better players are. And only subing at the 80th minute is precitable, dull, and shows he has no idea why there are people on the bench. His constant defense of ties is embarrasing to the game itself. IF someone has to remind the coach that the idea is to win and that attacking soccer is more than an option - it's a way of life - then he should be sent off without his little Gucci bag. Dc played what was probably the best MLS game of the year due inno small part to Ray Hudson. And I love that he dresses like he'd be able to go in if it came down to that. He looks and behves like a coach. OZ was grim and silent. He dressed like he never set foot on the pitch. That guy who used to be our head trainer up until the begining of this season was likley the one who ran the practices when we did well. Dump him now - heck, let metro dog coach us if the crew pulls it off. Notice how Nick has distanced himself form the team as of late. Losing 7 out of nine games!Advance or not get the bum out of the locker room - keep him away from the few metros left who really care and have talent. Maybe he can go into real estate with the Klinger Brothers....
I'm just speculating here, but it is probably safe to assume Zambrano's MLS coaching days are over. Twice he has de-constructed a talented team over a 3 year period. Not exactly what GM's look for in a coach.
Was Balboa really one of the Metro's cancers? I haven't been following the Mutts, but I've always thought Marcelo was a pretty classy guy. I hope for all you Metro supporters' sake that OZ gets canned - his jackass-ness brings down the whole team.
Not to sound like the voice of doom but for awhile I kept telling myself well a least if they keep losing Oz would be gone. But I really started to think yesterday and for one reason or another I don't think Oz is going anywhere until the team really really sucks out of the gate next season. It would be just like the Metros to keep him on.
Well, when he announces his retirement this winter, remember that you read it here first. He used the Metro to coast out his career. Scum.
Feldspar.... The answer to your question is absolutely not! Throughout the entire season, Balboa's injury/operation has prevented him from contributing on the pitch to a pretty inconsistent defense. Sure... that's a shame because the Metro's traded for him and bit the bullet for his league max salary. That may make a fan like Stinky angry, but he can't blame Balboa for the injury and the failure of the operation to correct the problem. Personally, I've never once seen, or heard Chelo publicaly say a bad word about his team mates, his coach, or the New Jersy fans even though we all know how frustrated he must have been having to sit this season out. Now that he's finally almost back to full strength and he is almost ready to help his team out in the playoffs, the team tanks it big time and without a Chicago loss today the season is over. Sad... I think there is plenty of blame to go around on the part of both the players and the coach this season, but since Balboa's total playing time was in the last five minutes of last night's game, anyone with half a brain has to be nuts to blame him for being the cause of this late season tailspin. Cancerous is a pretty strong adjective to use without any facts to back it up. You've got to take any post like that one with a grain of salt from a disgruntled, disappointed fan. Particularly if he can't site some examples before he starts calling these players names... PS...I too also share your opinion that he's a pretty "classy guy". It's a real shame the Metro fans haven't seen how valuable he could be to this club. Let's just hope the Metro's sneak in the back door of the playoffs and he gets another oportunity to contribute and put in some quality minutes...adios
1st off, I made that post, not Stinky. 2nd, I admit to having no proof that Balboa was a cancer, but I would be very surprised if he wasn't. He came over with his max salary complaining about the trade and how much he wanted to stay in Colorado. He then was "day to day" for the entire damn season. He was always roaming around, either in the press box, or walking around the field. I don't buy it. He wouldn't be the first player to fake an injury to stay out of a situation he didn't like. JMac
That's where your ridiculous message should have stopped. Balboa has always been a class guy. Hell, he didn't even complain about Sampson in 1998. I think he was the only one of the '94 stars that Sampson kept on the bench that didn't bitch to the press (compare to Ramos, Lalas, Wynalda).
Balboa was a member of the "Golden Generation(Ramos, Harkes, Waldo, Meola, etc..)" that helped bring football back from extinction for the USA. He was a great player in his time but how old is he now, 38? Granted he was injured this year and has had an amazing career. Remember that amazing near goal against Colombia in 94? The only way he comes back is if he takes a major pay cut! I'd do a Tab-like package. 65k salary with bonuses for games played with a max of about 110k. That's the only way.
Patrick.... I think Balboa only turned 35 near the end of this season. I also think your suggestion makes a lot of sense, and you are probably right about Chelo renegotiating his contract way down next season. If he is fully recovered from the operation a new contract based on playing incentives, could work out well for both him and the and the Metro's. Who knows? With the entire off season to restrengthen the knee he might be ready to show some of these doubters that he still has it. Preki and Carlos Valderama are 4 or 5 years older than Balboa. Last time I looked they were both still around after 7 seasons in the MLS and they are both starting for their teams. If they are still able to contribute to their teams in the playoffs next week, I'm sure Balboa, at age 35, could do the same next season for the Metros. PS... Chelo's bicycle kick against Columbia in the 94 World Cup was great, but it didn't go in. However, the best goal that I"ve seen him score was the bicycle kick against Columbus a couple of years ago. I think it won him the 2000 MLS goal of the year award...adios