I had heard Martino's name thrown around here from time to time, but this weekend when I watched the Open cup it was my first time(to my knowledge) to see him. I thought his game looked very similar to Landon's(which excited me) and I was just wondering if I was correct in this assumption?
No, and it wouldn't really be fair to any US player to make that comparison, including DaMarcus Beasley. Martino has shown flashes of brilliance at every level, including MLS, but he struggles for consistency. If he is able to consistently play at a high level then we can talk about his world of potential, but until he has a breakthrough season it's just unfair to Kyle to make these bold predictions. The kid has the gift, but it's like he's waiting for something. -Tron
Kyle has vision and touch, but the distinguishing factor between him and Landon is physical speed and mental speed. Landon's quickness both physically and mentally make him better suited as a Forward or A-Mid as things stand at the moment. Kyle is more naturally suited as a midfield setup man and while offensively minded he isnt the type of player to take on the defense on his own. LD is simply a higher caliber player as things stand now. The key question is where LD will ultimately end up playing in the future. Specifically, will he ever settle into a midfield role? If LD ever becomes comfortable in controlling the offense from midfield I suspect he could easily outshine Martino. Overall I think the similar quality you notice is their vision. Both of them see the open man and can create for other teammates better than any other US player today save Reyna.
Consistency? Are you kidding me? The guy hasn't had a bad game all year, and the Crew are by far a better team with him on the field....Andrulis is a fricking idiot.
I must be a frickin' idiot too because there were three or four games where he played and he disappeared. He'll gain consistency with experience.
The difference between Kyle and Landon? Easy. Had Kevin Hartman got on top of Donovan and pummeled his face, there would have been rioting in the streets. Apparently, people weren't so moved with Martino. tommymack
What, Martino is inconsistant and played in a few games where he disappeared? Then he is just like Landon.
Let's see, Landon has more caps than ANY player named for the U.S.-El Salvador friendly as well as World Cup under his belt. Kyle is getting his first look at this level. Hopefully, they'll both continue to develop and make important contributions to their MLS club teams and USMNT but to make comparisons at this point seems like a stretch.
What I liked and what I thought likened him to Landon, in this game, was his confidence, skill and vision when he was attacking. I too noticed him disappear for a while but I think with experience and more confidence in him from his teammates this will be corrected.