MVP! MVP! (told you so...) [R]

Which one is of you is the hand, and which is the sock puppet?

 

Unintentional comedy is neat.

 

Ching is OK

I used to think Brian Ching was not very good. But after his second USMNT stint, where he was injured for awhile late this season, as Chris Brown, Jamil Walker, Ian Russell, etc tried to fill his cleats, I realized he was a lot better than those guys. It's easy to get on Ching because his skills pale next to Landon and DeRo, two of the best players in their respective nations. But if you compare him to the rest of the pack, it turns out that he's got pretty quick feet, he's stocky and big-boned and uses that well, his heading skills have improved 300% since he first got to SJ, and he's tall. He works well with Landon because as Landon said, "Chingy doesn't try to do too much". So like Eddie Johnson, Ching looks better when he's with better players.

That's why Dom should have gone with the same line up in KC as he had for the first leg. Landon up front doesn't work as well for SJ as Landon feeding balls to the front.

BTW, Brian posed for a picture with my daughter in July after a home game. Maybe he just didn't feel like smiling after the Dallas game. Give the guy a break, he's going to have to agonize over that OG for a long winter...

 

I definitely agree with you on this. Brian is a pure forward (atleast, that's the way I see it)---give him the ball close to the goal mouth and he will finish. I did not see the OG but sure, look at Pat's match last year when he had an own goal himself?

OG, unfortunately is part of playing this sport. I know it's a bit annoying when it happens on a crucial match like the playoffs but that's just the way it is.

 

Re: Ching is OK

It was a joke (hence the smiley face). He posed with my daughters last year.

 

The play began on an (incorrect) foul call against Waibel near the corner. KC crossed in the free kick, and Onstad made a terrible attempt to punch it clear. After a couple of headers, the ball ended up with Jewsbury near the corner of the box, and he had plenty of time to send in an excellent cross. To his credit, Ching stayed glued to Conrad, and he beat him to the ball by inches. He just couldn't redirect it away.

If Ching had lost his mark, there would be a lot more reason to blame him.

 

I believe Ching's problem is balance and leg strength. He's a big guy, so it's tougher on his legs to keep his center of gravity low and his knee over the ball. That's why he has a crappy first touch and ends up on the ground so much of the time. To compensate for his weight distribution, he nees a wide stance. This doesn't help your dribbling through crowds, or your speed on the first step. His quads need to work very hard to change speed and direction, and this is probably the area that lets him down the quickest throughout a game (not so much in terms of endurance running, but in terms of impulse power at the knees - same as older players suffer - the loss of a "first step").

Landon, in contrast, is very light on his feet. He has amazing balance while moving with the ball even at full pace. This gives him the luxury of finding all those seams he passes or dribbles through. That's why you can tell when LD's worn out - he gets clumsy with the ball at his feet. Check that out next time he plays an international on a Wednesday and a club match on a Saturday. He tries to compensate by passing back more often and playing aggresively only in spurts. Lucky for him, he's shorter and lighter than Ching, so he doesn't need the same impulse power to stop and start on a dime.

Anyway, Ching should probably work on optimizing his impulse strength over the break. Lot's of running with the ball close to the feet (knees bent and over the ball), then wind sprints, shuttle runs, etc. Follow that with some squats and other leg work in the gym or cycling in the hills for a good burn. If he can hack that, I bet he has a great season next year.

If he stays the way he is, and Landon moves on, I don't see how he'll match the season he had this year. He was effective because he worked at getting Landon to see him or filled space when Landon drew defenders and Mulrooney, Mullan, et. al. found him. (Landon had 5 primary assists, 1 secondary on Ching's 12 goals - both (only 2!) Ching's goals after the break were from LD).

 

Ching had a great first half but after the injury (in early September I think) he never seemed the same.

Bad things happen when forwards get too close to their own net.

 

Does surfing count? I remember reading that he did quite a bit of surfing during last off-season. But I'm not sure if he'll be spending most of his off-season in Hawaii or not this year.

I think there may be something to your theory. His body type is a little more top-heavy than the norm for a soccer player. I'm sure he'll be working hard on his legs during the off-season. He's done incredibly well, likely through hard work, to overcome last season's injury, and I'm sure he'll be able to build on that. He has a chance to really propel his career to the next level and this is the time to try to make it happen.

Despite his limitations, I think he's a great asset to the team. Is there any other Quakes forward who's nearly as effective in the air (Brown maybe?)

 

Dom- First year coach who unfortunately coached a bunch of friends.

Corrales- is what he is and I doubt anyone see's him as anymore than a utility player that gets alot of work due to our injuries and lack of a left mid.....oh, and a friend of Dom from way back.

Ching- A target forward like EJ or McBride....not creative but works well off of others creativity.....good inside the 18 and great in the air but without good service he will not produce.


I doubt anyone see's these guys for more than they are. We just try to look at it intelligently.....the minute you say Ching sucks in general, it became un-intelligent because he doesn't suck. He is a roll player that has shown well nationally and for his club.....he didn't have a good game, that's all.