http://images.google.com/imgres?img...ames&um=1&hl=en&rlz=1T4TSHB_enUS301US301&sa=N James will not fill anyones shoes, he will be given an opportunity to help the Dynamo in defense. he brings height, speed and maturity. Drafted 9th overall by Toronto last year, he missed their first two games with a shoulder injury and played in 13 games. Julius James has entered professional soccer late in life but is certain he has a lot to prove. the article written by Mike Northup is a pretty good gage on the man from Trinidad & Tobago.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) My question would also be if he can play right back or is he a central defender. I believe we are lacking at right back and if we lose Boswell we will need him there too. add all this to the fact that Eddie had an off year this past season and will need to get back to the level we know he can play.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) The Toronto posters aren't very high on him. They sound like the ones writing about Kei, about BB, about Nate Jaqua, and all the rest....
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) yes-but I wasn't paying attention to the position he was playing. He seemed solid in college, but then again a lot of guys are....nothing really jumped out at me about him.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) James played on the same UCONN team as Stuie's younger brother Euan in 2006, and was very highly rated in college circles. He is well balanced and has some speed, which will really help us at the back. His versatility will see him esily slot into central defense or full back. With Dom and Spencer's help he'll be another success story of a player realizing his potential with Dynamo.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) I love the way Forever-Orange.com has the DeRo story. They don't. The headline is "Dynamo Acquire Julius James." It's a nice story about him, how he'll fit into the organization, he's just what the Dynamo needed... oh, yea, they gave up Dwayne DeRosario, James has a very bright future with the Dynamo, he fits in with our style of play, the MLS home opener is March 21..... What's that? Dwayne who?
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) I saw every minute JJ played last year. He was never a starter (no surprise for a rookie). He got minutes because of international callups or injuries. He was only OK at best. Highlight: he scored a beautiful header off a free kick against the Galaxy in the rain. Lowlight: he gave away a terrible penalty in extra time against Dallas that eliminated TFC from the playoffs. He can win balls, but his distribution is not good. He is supposed to have blazing speed, but didn't really show it. He was too tentative (maybe this will improve with experience, who knows?). His strength is his incredible vertical leap, and there was speculation on our boards that it would make sense to convert him to striker. A lot of the supporters met him at local events and he's a terrific kid. Very personable. We all wish him well.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Thanks ensco. that's good stuff. and I believe James scored against Pachuca in a friendly(I think). maybe that's how the Dom noticed him
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Of course we will see a significant boost in attendance from the T&T community here in Houston as well. So that's cool. Bienvenidos and welcome to Houston JJ.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Interesting. The Dynamo story says he started 10 games for Toronto. And the MLS Website agrees. I checked the game-by-game rosters for TFC. James started almost every MLS game between July 12 and September 20. He also started in a friendly against Pachuca and in a Canadian Championship game against Vancouver.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) I'm pretty sure Ensco meant he was not a starter in that he didn't become a first-choice starter and only got starts when other players were unavailable. "Orange Julius" might be the most obvious nickname in all of sports. By all accounts, he's got the physical tools, but lacks the soccer IQ. The question is, is he coachable? Kinnear and Spencer seem to do really well with this kind of unrefined talent.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) I don't know. I can see saying he wasn't a first choice starter but it looks to me like he was pretty close to being a starter for this chunk of the season: 07/05 - Pachuca - started 07/09 - @ Vancouver Whitecaps - started 07/12 - @ Chicago Fire - started 07/15 - Independiente - started 07/19 - San Jose Earthquakes - sub, not used 07/22 - Montreal Impact - sub, 89' 07/28 - @ Real Salt Lake- started 08/03 - FC Dallas - started 08/09 - @ Colorado Rapids - started 08/17 - @ New York Red Bulls - started 08/23 - New England Revolution - started 08/30 - @ Chivas USA - started 09/06 - Chivas USA - not on bench 09/13 - Columbus Crew - started 09/20 - @ Kansas City Wizards - started
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Beautiful header? Good speed? Gentlemen, I think we've found another gem.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) JJ has a facebook account. It would be a nice gesture to add him & welcome him to Houston and let him know we're behind him 100%.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Already did a couple of days ago. He not only accepted the friend request, he also took the time to write me & thank me. Seems nice so far. I can't wait to see how he plays with the Men in Orange.
Re: Welcome Julius James (R) Here's a piece of Julius trivia... according to Wikipedia, he is also the step-brother of the prominent Panda activist, Aaron Davis. Now, what's a Panda activist and who is Aaron Davis?