Jeff Bradley: First XI: Behind Closed Doors from MLSnet

Interesting to see Beninho playing in the center of the pitch. Behind Landon and Mathis?

That would be different.

 

Lots of great info there. Speculation boggles my mind. I am thrilled that BA continues seeking places in the lineup for the best players and that he is clearly working on finding the right combinations of players. Most of all, the US depth is a real positive number, for a change. I am glad the U-17s are seeing their own future now so they can accommodate faster to the necessary change. Must be a blast for them.

 

This is a very good read. One thing to worry about is how Field Turf is not good for MLS and on the players legs . On this issue Man U will stand tall not bend over like MLS does.

 

I don't think it's a question of bending over; it's a question of take it or leave it. Man U can leave it. MLS can't -- not yet, and not for a while, unfortunately.

 

This is facinating to my mind. Loads of implications here.

 

i've always thought beny could play a d-mid role, simply because of his intense work rate. But right behind the 2 frontrunners?...i dunno. 'tis interesting indeed. maybe da' bruce did it just for sh1ts and giggles.

 

...but MLS could say, " we will install the grass t at our own cost and remove it for football season" ...or something like that, it is not so much that they can't, i don't buy that,

 

the bit about Landon reminds me that when he was at BL in the reserves but training with the first team, they tested all their players for fitness. Landon was the fittest player in their entire organization. They had that on their website. I also remember a USA team physio saying that they tested players short distance sprint speed and Landon had the fastest time they had ever measured. They said he has a short sprint of a " world-class sprinter". People argue about him here but he an absoluely amazing athlete when you throw his incredible skill and vision.

 

absolutely golden stuff. there's like 6 big, interesting full stories in there.

 

I agree. Good soccer players can play many positions. People here get too hung up on position stuff. Know why Convey is playing D? Because Bruce wants to get him on the field. He may play a lot of D for the US, he may wind up in midfield. But Bruce wants to get him started somewhere.
From the last US WC team:
Sanneh-started at MF with US, played D at WC.
O'Brien-started a Lmid, played D-mid at WC.
Mastro- started at D, played D-mid at WC
Landon-played everywhere for US earlier, played everywhere at WC
Reyna- ALWAYS played central Mid for US, played outside mid in Mex game
Point is, don't get hung up on positions.Right now, Bruce wants to identify the good players, period.

 

You are kidding right? Look into the subject, it's not only very expensive to wheel grass in and out (which they would have to do, because the grass would get trashed by concerts and other events besides football). Be real, this is a shoestring league that cannot affort to cut deals like this. Maybe someday, but not now.

Oh, and it not about anybody "bending over." It's about a sound business plan.

 

You guys are really worried about Field Turf? You act like it's old school artificial turf or something. It's closer to grass than it is the old school turf.

ManU are being a bunch of pussies. What's going to happen when Premiership teams start using Field Turf because it's more economical?

It's no more dangerous than grass.

 

and your point?

are you are professional athlete playing soccer at speeds you cannot even imagine while playing on a plastic synthetic turf? and ya know, the stuff is being experimented with at 4 clubs by FIFA for the next couple of years...so no EPL team is going to have it on their grounds for at least 3 or 4 years. and even then, it might not be approved, who knows.

i have played on the stuff on indoor fields, i like it, but then again, i am an out-of-shape 26 year old who doesnt worry about what kinda surface i am playing on affecting the way i play.

i'll trust the professional players opinions.

<p.s. wanderer, i dont mean for this to sound like i am being an ass but seriously, whose opinion means more on this stuff...some weekend-warrior or the guy who plays for a living?>

 

10. ... I'm going to go out on a limb and say the biggest pickup they'll make this year is when they get a healthy Ben Olsen back. Playing in the middle of the field yesterday, behind Clint Mathis and Landon Donvan, Olsen looked quick and sharp and dangerous.

I don't think that would be going out on a limb in the least. Weird, but Ben is a veteran leader for DCU, and provides some continuity to a team that's changed almost as much as Michael Jackson's nose. As for him playing in the hole, that caught me off-guard. Has anyone see Ben play there before (aka youth teams or UVA)? I haven't. I've never thought of him as particularly creative, nor as a player who looks to beat a lot of people off the dribble. But I guess if you want someone to mix things up in the middle of the field - there you go.

8. The right-left-back experiment with Sasha Victorine and Bobby Convey continues for Bruce Arena. I'm not sure if this is an indictment of the outside backs in MLS (Wade Barrett is away)...

I don't see how this could be anything but a message to those currently playing left and right back positions in MLS. The message is, "You're not good enough. I am looking elsewhere." I suppose that could change if younger players develop.

7. Continue to get e-mails from fans who tell me that "FieldTurf will be fine." But you e-mailers continue to miss the point...

I spoke to a couple of Seattle Sounders who felt differently, as they really liked the surface at Seahawks Stadium on the field's opening day. When you consider their alternative, that might not be such a huge endorsement.

6. New England's Taylor Twellman had a couple of goals Tuesday... Twellman is going to get chances if only because he works so hard and is always willing to go to the dirty spots in front of the net.

The big question mark - can Taylor's heart overcome some of his physical limitations?

2. Mathis has talent that is off the charts and Arena told me he's slowly but surely getting into shape.

Look out CONCACAF. Look out MLS. Look out Cheetos. Profits may be dropping.

1. ...the one thing I notice when I watch games from Europe on Fox, and compare them to MLS games, is the players' faces. On the Euro faces, I see bones, tight skin. On too many American faces, I see puffiness, even some double chins. Just an observation.

They don't have to choose between KFC and Popeyes.

 

I wouldn't want to play on any turf, unless they call it GrassTurf.

It kind of struck me as odd Ben's comment in the interview that was just around (ussoccer?) that he doesn't really care where he plays, but he feels most comfortable in the middle. I know he always played that position until he turned pro (except for his last run of games at UVA when he was up front) but I always figure he would continue to be a professional winger.

It does make sense though. It allows both mathis and LD to play up top, which is probably our most lethal combo. It adds some tenaciousness near the frontline, pressure on the young argie backs maybe a good way to create a chance for a one v one. It also give Mastro a solid defensive partner in the middle of the field. with Klein on the right a lineup that looks like this:

Howard
Victorine Boca Califf (is Pope playing ??) Convey
Klein Mastro Beasley
Olsen
LD Mathis.

You could also push Convey into the midflield for a 3-5-2 look. I like the move. And I also agree that a healthy Olsen is going to make a huge difference to DCU.

 

Ben played AM for his high school team, but I believe when he was in the national team pool he was shifted to the right. Most of his time at UVA was spent in the middle of the field, at least he sophmore and junior seasons, IIRC. He did move to the frontline for the last 10 games of the his UVA career and he lead them to the title game with 10 goals and 11 assists over that time frame. Hartman won the Herman for stoning Brian West about 5 times in the final from chances created by Ben.

As a youth player, Ben was always criticized (mostly by parents of players who sucked) for dribbling too much and not passing.

Anyway, to summarize, yes Ben has played in the hole, however, much of it was against vastly inferior opponents. I believe Ben's understanding of the game gets unfairly overlooked because people are so easily confused by his hair. While he isn't a true 10 by any means, I'm certainly interested to see what may come of it. I think it has possibities, depending on the matchups.

 

OK... who has the double chin?

 

Bradley also spoke about Adu - to paraphrase - being out of his depth and not being ready for prime time.

Now, I don't know if Adu is ready for prime time - meaning MLS first team action - but I'm sure as a group the U17's are not. They might be ready for U19 youth team action (if MLS clubs had such a thing), however. But that would not be MLS.

That Ben Olsen did so well in the attacking mid role against players that are not at the MLS level should also be considered.

It's not like he did it against the Argentine "B" team.

I do believe Olsen could play centrally, in MLS and at the International level, and have done so for about three years. But don't base his future there on one scrimmage against inferior (at the moment) competition.

 

Uhh..."Freddy Adu, the 14-year old American wunderkind, did not look out of place in yesterday's match."

 

According to some match reports, Olsen spent some time "in the hole" in the Canada game as well.

I guess this is another winter camp 03 experiment. Wonder why this one doesn't seem to be getting as much attention as "Convey to left back"?

 

Speed

As evidenced in the WC, Arena really likes speed and he'll move the lineup around to get speed on the field if he thinks he needs it.
Just for fun I'm comparing Reyna and Olsen at AM; could there be two more different styles. Olsen replacing a Reyna-like player in the second half of a game could sure mix things up.

 

I think that Olsen experiment could be a very pleasant surprise. I am probably not in the majority when I say that I don't think Ben Olsen belongs on the flank. I think he has adapted to it with pure determination and commitment, but I think a kid like that needs to be in the middle of the field for us to get the true measure of his abilities.

Something has always bothered me about Ben's game since his rookie year with DC United that I have always had a hard time putting my finger on, but it wasn't until this so called "experiment" that I could figure out the core of what was bothering me about his game.

I think he has been playing out of position.

I couldn't figure out why he ran himself into the ground every game. It often left him tired at the end of important games, erratic in terms of the quality of his play, and quite frankly, highly succeptable to injury as his body broke down on him(the last two year layoff was not a freak or just bad luck in my opinion).

I think that he has the instincts of an attacking soccer player, but not those of a flank player. He has tried to compensate with shear physical effort. He didn't seem so "single paced" in college when he played in the middle, and if I remember correctly, it was when he was put in the middle (albeit as a forward) that he blossomed.

I can't wait to see Olsen in the middle. I would love to see if, rather than beating individual players with shear physical pace and effort, he can beat a team by changing the pace of the game as an attacking midfielder. I don't know if he can or not, but it will be a lot of fun finding out. Just my opinion.