No, I am not trolling. I am wondering, since our two teams have a date next Saturday, how Martino is lately. I'm thinking of Kyle in particular since the Crew will be catching United without both Petke (central defense) and Kovalenko (d-mid) in the lineup due to (suprise!) caution points. I'm thinking that driving down the middle of the field against a makeshift DCU defense will be easier than normal. So what are your realistic thoughts?
Ursula, our team is in such disrepair that we have no clue of which Crew team will show up. We all were hoping on two good showings in our away matches to the East Coast and ended with two sour defeats. We still don't get enough shots or SOG so KMart is really not the dangerous attacking mid we all expected this year. I'd like to see APC in there for this match and for us to come out shooting from the hips. Maybe we can get back on track by taking down DC at home, just like in the old times, but DC's (or any other opponents) injuries and absences have not been exploited by us and I don't see it changing for this game.
I like the Crew's talent.I think a coaching change might help. Your attack is a shambles for such a talented squad.
Martino has not been playing well at all recently. He is supposed to control the offense but has done very little in the past few games. Some of it has to do with the lackluster play around him but overall I think he is overrated. YES I said it. Everyone seemed to anoint him the savior from just a handful of good games but he has yet to consistently perform at a high level. Hopefully for the Crew's sake and for the National Team he lives up to the hype and finds some consistency.
well, i really hope that KMart isn't overrated and is just going through a stretch, because he played really well in the couple of internationals he had. Anyway, DC is as decimated as any team in the league now between suspensions and injuries. A season that was looking great 5 days ago is now looking like another loser. Anyway, let's hope that KMart improves after this season is over. LOL
he read too much of his own HYPE, IMO. He is talented, but easily taken out of the game by physical play and plays "toe poke" type D. The league has his number (see fouls suffered by game) and marks him out of most matches. He hasn't discovered how to get the ball on the move to get turned upfield and runs out of gas in the 75th + min. of most games. Tough sophomore year - he needs to get better or sit,and Greg wont sit him. Making the "All Starr" Team did nothing to bring him back to reality, either.
I don't think any of the above is wrong but I think overated is a bad word. He's definately got talent. But he was found out quickly and we don't have the tactics to give him his space. And maybe he is basking in his own hype.
Maybe I'm just being soft, but I don't think Martino has recovered from the Cameroon match during Confederations Cup. Since getting hacked down he's seemed slower and not as aggressive. Plus, I think the constant pounding he takes during MLS play - even though he missed a decent amount of time through injury - is wearing him down, too. I think Martino's play this season epitomizes that of the Crew - they're just a step slow seemingly all the time. However, to call him overrated and basically say he's a failure is pretty ridiculous, but then again I've come to expect such things.
Tough to blame players when the team does not appear to have a coherent strategy and is unsure what roles it really wants them to play. Sure their have been injuries, but the better caoching staffs have allowed their less experienced players to fill specific roles that the team needed them to play. Diego comes to mind here and Freddy's demise seems related. There has been no theme or style framework that develops cohesive play and allows players, particularly younger ones, to develop priorities for their roles.
Here's the entire roster from thecrew.com Capital letter represents player's position. Bold letter repesesents player's status. D = Developmental T = Transitional International S = Senior International P = Project 40 0) M, D, Murriagui, Andres 1) G, Busch, Jon 2) D, Hejduk, Frankie 3) D, Clark, Mike 4) D, Williams, Mark 5) D, McCarty, Chad 6) D/M, Denton, Eric 7) M, T Walsh, Diego 8) D/M, S Oughton, Duncan 10) M, Maisonneuve, Brian 11) F, Cunningham, Jeff 12) F, Buddle, Edson 15) M, Garcia, Freddy 16) M, Paule, Ross 17) M/F, West, Brian 18) D, P Akwari, Nelson 20) F, McBride, Brian 21) M, Martino, Kyle 22) G, Presthus, Tom 23) F, Chacon, Alex Pineda 24) M, D, Matteo, Jeff 25) F, D, Ritch, Michael 28) D, D, Traeger, Jake 31) G, D, Ueltschey, Michael Here's who should not be on the roster next year. Brian West Chacon (get someone younger) Jeff Cunningham Freddy Garcia Daniel Torres Mike Clark (retirement) Brian Maisonneuve (retirement) There's some scenario where Presthus retires and gets some soccer-related job, either with the Crew or elsewhere in Central Ohio. Michael Ueltschey moves up to be the Crew's backup GK. But Presthus still has gas in the tank, and I don't see him retiring. I think he'll be back unless we find someone really good. I'd rather have Presthus as the backup instead of Ueltschey.