In a New York Sun article about disruption as a tactic, Gardner uses two examples: the recent ManU v. Arsenal and DC United v MetroScum matches. Some excerpts (reading the whole article helps put these in context). "...A glaring display of this apparently praiseworthy disruptiveness had been seen just one day earlier, right here in Giants Stadium, in Saturday’s playoff game between the MetroStars and DC United.This rivalry, while hardly at the fever pitch of the ManU-Arsenal clashes, does have quite an edge to it... ...Novak has an explanation for DC’s turnaround: “During the season I told my team that winning is about running and fighting, not just soccer. That is why we have been winning, and lately we have been able to play soccer, too... ...Novak’s claim that DC United has “been able to play soccer” lately is already debatable...." Since I think that we're playing some of our best soccer in years, I wonder if Gardner was watching the game...and if he was, whether he's ever going to see past his mindset about the sport as played here and in Northern Europe. I think, however, his lament about what Saturday's game may devolve into may be accurate.
"During the season I told my team that winning is about running and fighting, not just soccer." And that's why he's the king.
I'd call Gardner a horse's ass, except I really don't want to have to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life in case a horse was gunning for me. It's like reading Tom Boswell. After a certain point, you realize the man's simply not worth the breath wasted to comment on him.
Physical, PHYSICAL!?! What does he think this is, Baseball, the NBA!?! Of course it's physical this is soccer! Half of the American sports landscape calls soccer a game for women and children and this yahoo thinks it's too physical. Nice use of the Guevera pic. It's called diving, Paul. If you want to see that rewarded, I would suggest looking a little further south. He may have something with that Rooney kid, though. That kid is missing a chromasome. From the looks of things, it might be the chromasome that keeps people from becoming serial killers.
SO basically, whining, and bitching like a 4 year old passes for Soccer Journalism these days? The difference between the Man Utd-Arsenal and DC-Metro's matches is this. A.) Mike Riley is one of Rooney's "Women of the Evening" B.) MLS referees often cannot tell the difference between "simulation" and true fouls. That article sounded like a pompous teenager, whining about not being valedictorian, or losing out on Class President. If the matches were about who gets fouled the most. Nowak could always start Adu and watch the cards get piled up.
Gardner is a lame-a$$ moron. Watch the game idiot. The pic is hilarious. Foul was on Guevara and then the diving fool tried to get the call. A picture is worth a thousands words - or at least to refute a thousand words of drivel. Why do the Metros have less fouls? 1. The metros don't play aggressive defense. They play 3 attacking (perhaps 4) minded mid-fielders. Every ball is challenged by DCU. 1st rule in defense - close on the ball. 2. The Scum are forming the MLS diving team.
Soccer, like all sports, is about winning. It's about winning within the rules. We're not cheating. We're not bribing the refs! If he gave up whining, he could see the beautiful soccer we play when we get a hold of the ball AFTER dispossessing the other team. Tell Berti Vogts and the '74 German National team about harassing tactics and they'll laugh Gardner out of the room while they polish their World Cup.
You could remove the word "Soccer" from "Soccer Journalism" and you still would be largely correct. Sachin
Maybe Mr. Gardner needs to attend this weekend's Barra tailgate. We can show him the great view we have of Lake Barra.
As far as Paul Gardner is concerned, the only soccer worth watching is the kind where both teams show class and skill, with incredible feats of dribbling, passing, golazzos scored from 35 yards out or from corner kicks or by a striker going through 4 defenders a la Maradona v England circa 1986 (the OTHER goal, not the "Hand of God"), and where players don't waste time, dive, foul or cheat in any way. In other words, Gardner wants to see a game of soccer that hasn't existed since the days of playing with 2 defenders, 4 midfielders, 4 forwards and a leather ball. He's a dinosaur. He has also hated MLS since its inception. Pay no attention to him whatsoever.
[Artie Lange] Paul Gardner doesn't like MLS. WAAHWAAHWAHHHHHHHH [/Artie Lange] Please delete this thread.
You just helped me put a finger on what bugs me about Gardner: he seems to want to just watch the highlight reels, and not the actual game.
what an idiot then we have this quote... "DC’s novice coach, Peter Novak, did not start the season well. His team looked incoherent and he carried the burden of figuring out how to handle teenage phenom Freddy Adu, whether to use him as a starter or as a sub or whether to play him at all." Does Gardner not remember how DC's midfield play dominated teams in the first few games of the season?? Sure we didn't get all the results but everyone was commenting on how well the midfield was playing together. Sounds like he has some personal issues with Novak.
Well, Nowak is a European, and not a South American. Therefore, in Gardner's eyes his soccer knowledge and skill are inferior to someone like, oh, Maradona. Gardner is an idiot.