I am not normally a big fan of Jay Heaps but I thought Jay played one of his best games in a REVs jesey last night. He was all over whoever was running on Chicago's left side. First it was Beasley but he was quickly switched over to the right. At the half they brought in Hristo but he couldn't even get a meaningful cross off against Jay. He got so frustrated that he ended up with a yellow. He was a major factor in shutting down the Fire attack. I know this has been brought up in another thread but Jay played so well I wanted to get him his own thread here.
AND Histo's frustration should have had him removed from the match and suspended from Sundays match. He should have had a yellow for deliberately pushing Jay down from behind--his second yellow---RED CARD! Keving Stott was right there and did nothing----amazing.
Agree. Heaps was awesome. He has been consistently terrific for the past six or seven games. ESPN2 named TnT man of the match, but I think it was Heaps. Stoichkov should have had a second yellow, but it's the same old problem: get one yellow, and you have to murder someone to get the second.
Re: Re: Jay Heaps is Da Man As I noted in the post-game thread, on TV it looked like Heaps dove to try to draw a card on Stoitchkov. I believe the TV angle on the play would have been similar to that of Stott, which would explain his no-call.
Re: Re: Re: Jay Heaps is Da Man I think that Hristo definitely pushed him in the back, but Heaps made a meal of it. Had Jay just stumbled forward instead of flopping, Hristo probably would've been carded. Regardless it is remarkable how quickly Jay Heaps has gone from liability to asset.
I agree that Jay has been an enormously improved player this whole year, and even more so lately. I used to dread seeing him line up as a defender, knowing we were in for at least three missed slide-tackles at midfield gifting his man with an unobstructed 60-yard run at goal, but now I'm thrilled when the opposition sends a pass his way because I know that more often than not it's never going to make it to its target. Jay's positional sense as an outside defender has been absolutely textbook recently, and it turns defensive situations into counterattacks with gratifying fluidity. I thought he totally tried to draw the second yellow on Hristo. But I also thought Hristo should have gotten it for giving him the excuse.
,.., well said Glenn and I think Heaps has been a terrific right back all year, now if they could just find one of him for that left back slot ...
Re: ,.., Are you speaking of our vaunted captain and official team defensive player of the year? That's blasphemy!