Re: Random Thoughts As always, interesting stuff, Davide ... but I think you'll want to correct the label on Arturo Alvarez (current U-18, right?).
Re: Re: Random Thoughts Thanks. Arturo Alvarez and Greg Dalby (both '85s) got called up to play in US Soccer Festival in Chicago in Aug '01, and that tourney included both the U-17 and U-18 National teams. They played for one of those teams that week, and IIRC it was the U-18s, so I placed Alvarez with that team. Edit: OK, I looked it up. Alvarez played for the U-17s that week and Dalby played for the U-18s.
For the record, Danny Karbassiyoon had minor surgery a while back for a groin problem and is just now getting selected for teams over there. STill looking forward to him turning some heads over there once fit. davide - thanks as always for breaking it down so well.
I have only seen the U-20's play 3 games and they were all in the Houston soccer festival this past August. I was very impressed with Clark and Convey's chemistry, Marshall's composure on the ball and strength in the air. I hear whitbread is equally if not more strong in those areas, but I have never had the privelage of watching him play. Alvarez, Grabavoy, Moore and Dempsey have tremendous chemistry as well. In my opinion, Dempsey, Alvarez and Grabavoy collectively destroyed the canadian defense (a very good defense) in the final of that tournament. The article about the world championship roster states that Dempsey has yet to earn a point. Funny since I watched him put a nice shot past the canadian goalkeeper in that game. That goal with the addition of strong play in that final game along with his play in Spain is what I suspect earned him a spot on this roster. I was not impressed with Stone's skill or execution but cannot question his effort. He has been a little too aggressive in some of the games I have seen him play with the burn. (once earning a red card) Apparently, he was sent off in their most recent game against Japan for that reason. can anyone who has seen whitbread,David Johnson and Harvey describe their styles to me? this article backs up some the chemistry I spoke of above. http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/NationalTeams/20030803152817/view
Re: Random Thoughts Cooper was invited to go with the team to play in Europe later in the summer, but declined as he was in negotiations with Manu. Then he moved over there and had to sit a while when the paperwork was going through. He's in the same boat as Simek, in that he's starting to establish himself with the reserve squad.
Exactly. He's 18 and instead of just playing for Arsenal's U-19 team, he's practising with the reserves and has actually gotten onto the bench for the reserves in the last game or two.
I hope Rongen watched the Fire v. Revolution game tonight... {spoilers for Fire v. Revs semi} . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Justin Mapp set up the game winner in OT after coming on as a late sub. Mapp made several dazzling long runs with the ball, and in the final one he raced by Marshall Leonard to the endline and then short crossed across to the top of the box where Ralph scuffed his shot, but Armas pounced as it rolled toward the goal. I don't know whether Mapp can do much of anything else, but the has been and is now a holy terror with the ball at his feet. He's _got_ to be in the first XI either on the left (his natural spot) or on the right (where he played tonight).
He caused havoc as soon as he came in. His major problem to me this year was that he never seemed professionally fit. When he was in the starting lineup early on, he seemed to run out of gas around 65 or so -- what you would see typically from a rookie who had only played college, as opposed to a guy in his second year in the league. Then again, considering how little playing time he got at DC, I suppose that's not surprising. He's got very good close control technique on the dribble, can blaze by most guys without OR with the ball, has a lot of pop on his shot, and sends very good flighted balls. And he can play both right and left, even though left footed. He seems tactically naive at times -- though last night his set up for the Armas goal was perfect -- but, what the heck, the kid is only 18. Really, the upside is huge.
Re: Re: Official World Youth Championship (U20) roster Yeah he caused havoc. JoeW and I are having a little exchange on the DCU board about Mapp last year. He's pointed out how even to more casual observers of practice that year Mapp showed nothing. Thus he didn't get any playing time till the end of the year when DCU was desperate. So I don't know about his practice standards, but at least Sarachan knows that the kid is worth growing with. Also, as a rookie Ben Olsen was routinely pulled by Bruce Arena around minutes 70-80, saying that Benny didn't have the knowledge to pace himself yet. (Harkes agreed.) So I'm not too worried about that aspect. Mapp will learn. It will be fun to see him blossom.
In the quotes section for the game on MLSnet, there are several quotes re: Mapp. Dave Sarachan: On the substitution of Justin Mapp late in the game: "When players do that, they make me look good. We knew that Justin could make something happen, he's a special player. Andy (Williams) had a good night, but we needed some legs and he made us look good, that's for sure." Chris Armas: On the play of Justin Mapp: "He has an extra gear that I haven't seen too many players in the world have. He's got such a gear that he makes it tough on defenders and he showed it a few times. We tried to get him the ball more often, and he made it very dangerous for us." Rusty Pierce: On the goal: "Justin Mapp had acres of space, he changes the game for them, he got the ball wide and he kept coming and I don't know if he cutback and crossed or just crossed it, but it came across and it just got by an outstretched leg and (Chris) Armas was free as can be inside the six. Basically, it was a lack of pressure on the ball and a good initial run by Justin Mapp that set it up."
Dempsey scored a heck of a goal against Canada in Houston. He and Grabavoy both played very well in that match. I guess Rongen was impressed as well.
voros - obviously I was wrong on Mapp's athleticism. If he plays in UAE anywhere close to what we saw last Friday, look out. Good call earlier.
Mapp has been so impressive the last few times I've seen him. If he can keep that up, this team has a chance to advance out of its group.
Mapp & Speed The Justin Mapp comments got me thinking about speed - There is a large disconnect between how professionals think about speed and how a good many bigsoccer.com posters think about speed. 1) Professionals have the highest level of respect for speed. 2) Many bigsoccer.com posters suggest that speed isn't that important - those "Preki is better than Cobi Jones but slower" type of arguments. With regards to point #2, I also think there is a reverse snobbism going on, as if it is anti-soccer to notice & comment about speed. Tres gauche, you Yankees. Examples - 1) I saw C.J. Brown, said "I really like Justin Mapp." He smiled and said, "Yeah, he's a handful, that kid can really fly." 2) Saw Denis Hamlett (Fire assistant coach) and said, "Nice play Justin made on Friday." Denis smiled and said, "That kid has wheels, doesn't he?" 3) Ran into Hristo Stoichkov at a youth soccer practice last year. A guy came up and asked him about one of the players. Stoichkov said, approvingly, "Very fast." This is an athletes' game. Justin Mapp wouldn't be Justin Mapp if he couldn't zoom. Ditto for Beasley.
Re: Mapp & Speed Absolutely correct John. Speed is to the game of soccer what height is to basketball. Can you make it without it? Sure. Maybe. But don't count on it. The amount of space to cover and the pace that the game is played require tremendous physical speed. Especially at the top levels. NL
Now stop and consider that he was doing that on the other side of the field from his natural side (though he may get pushed to the right side for the U20s, opening the left for Arturo Alvarez, as well). Coupling this with today's big news, having seen Mapp, Ralph, Jaqua and even Beasley to an extent blossom under Dave Sarachan, I sure wish Freddy wanted to play for the Fire instead of DCU. Sarachan seems to let these guys get a little wild out there (how many goals of the week has Damani Ralph scored this year? Six? Seven?) and that's something I feel we desperately lack on the youth level. You saw Mapp earlier in the game make two similar runs to the game winner (the one that began with an inspired first touch in his own end and ended in an easily saved shot from Mapp, the other in a cross that was deflected out), but he kept rumbling away until he hit paydirt. I wonder if maybe another coach would discourage what could be seen as "selfish play." Bretos and Elliot even commented on the first that he should have passed.
Running Wild Voros - In general I agree with your sentiment. But ... even Hudson can't screw this one up. From what I can see, Freddie is irrepressible and damn near uncoachable. In his case, I don't really think it matters what the coach thinks. He's going to run wild anyway -- and the coach ain't going to stop him because: a) it will be obvious to even a control freak that Adu's contribution is positive, and b) he's gotta play the bonus baby or get fired (the Freddy signing made the front page of the Chicago Tribune today! Not front page of the sports section, but Page 1). How about this - Fire rather than DC United for every good young player but Freddy Adu.