and thats a hell of a problem if your a defender. Its one thing to be a little guy, but sometimes those are the defenders players hate most. but you have to be physical. if your small and not physical, that theres a bad time for your team. i dunno ive just seen it SO many times here year after year that people automatically assume because a player is playing in......not MLS they are the better option. Fabian Johnson, sure, to the eye he is very much better than Morrow at left back. But people who say Castillo, or any of our other left back options are visibly better than Morrow, thats just flat out ingenuous. the quakes right back Beitashour has some work to do, but he had a lingering injury. It remains to be seen if he can legitimately be a Chandler, Cherundolo, Parkhurst beater. He has that capacity and upside desptie his age, but he doesnt have much time to do it. Morrow however may be our number two left back as stands if we count chandler as a right back strictly. he is a pure no filler left back, that is his position, we are not trying to fill him in a hole by playing right footed players out there. It burned me to no end watching us shoehorn players that had no business at the left back position during WCQs that repeatedly bit us in the ass when we had Morrow right there at peak form.
You can see this in the Mexico friendly where Landon was stapled to him for 45 minutes, and then Castillo gets burned in the 2nd half when DMB gives him no lifeline. Castillo has surprised me, but I'm still nervous when he's out there.
But doesn't Castillo play in a better league? Ergo meaning that he is a better player than anybody in a weaker league?
transitive law im afraid. Ive had my eye on Lichaj in previous weeks and i admit i fell for it too. I just looked at that EPL pedigree til recently. He's okay but Morrow is better than Lichaj from what i see. Theres a reason EPL teams constantly attack Lichaj's side. I guess i gotta give Klinsmann some credit there. Theres a reason hes not calling Lichaj in too. Seems the rest of the EPL is aware of it too.
I don't think it would be wise to rate defenders from the LigaMX. He can be as quick as he likes getting forward; he can't defend. When he learns how to defend, maybe.
Meanwhile, Castillo has, and he's been crap. All things equal, I'll take the guy who can defend over the guy who can't.
yeah thats one i take up with Lambert. they gotta get a body in at left back there so they can move him back. they could get a right back and central defender or two while theyre at it. and also a perfect example why we shouldnt play Parkhurst or Chandler there either
I never got the Lichaj love ? I don't really rate him. That may be why, I considered Villa is just not very good, but that really didn't explain him being meh at best. If he is OOP that might explain why some rate him so high. I would say left back is fabian johnson for the foreseeable future and not sure who plan b is. By Gold cup Brek Shea could have his name in that conversation if he ends up working for pulis at Stoke. If he returns to form I like the looks of the left for the foreseeable future.
if Brek is converted to left back by stoke that only helps us, i think he will do well there. I cant believe im rooting for a player to go to Stoke City oh how times have changed.
Not sure if this was posted/covered elsewhere but I had only heard about the one fight between Benny & Kyle B. Anyone know anything about the other two? "There were three fights in training camp this week. That's the best news I've heard in years." -- Former U.S. national team star Eric Wynalda, lecturing at the NSCAA Convention, with his take on the state of the national team.
Would depend on a lot of "ifs" but if he did get moved to LB he could play there for the US and move F. Johnson into the midfield where I could see him making a big impact.
The three fights were (complete conjecture): 1) Benny vs. Beckerman - i.e. the fake Brazilian vs. the fake Jamaican. 2) Mix vs. Gatt - over who's the better Norwegian-based player. 3) EJ vs. Buddle - over who had a better failed Euro experience.
Even still; a guy who's on the fringes with a reputation for being kind of a ponce probably shouldn't be mixing it up over a tackle in practice. Those practices are supposed to be all intense, right?
These practices can be intense, yes ... ... but the players have to protect themselves. I didn't see Beckerman's tackle, but I can imagine getting upset under the right circumstances.
who cares if theres a few tustles? thats not a bad thing.... it shows that these guys care and want it. thats a ruckus about nothing.
Our whole D stunk this past year, mostly do to D-mids until Thomas was brought in deserted their duties. Wynne, still needs some work Positionally and is on short side for a CB but his speed and physicality more then make up for these issues, these abilities have saved way more goals from others errors then he has given up his-self. But still not in National Team picture, I agree he needs to go elsewhere (league wise) now to improve.
Fights happen all the time in pre-season sports practices (basically what this is). They really don't mean much in regards to team chemistry, just means guys are refusing to be pushed around by anyone.