PotW: Matt Taylor???

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Stan Collins, Jul 10, 2005.

  1. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    Looking at the highlights of last the Chivas-RSL match:
    (mms://a1503.v115042.c11504.g.vm.aka...05/open/gp/archive07/070905_rslcdc_gp_384.wmv)

    Chivas scored 5 times, and unbelievably, the Divine Mullet was involved in all 5 of them. He only got credit for one goal and two assists, but the own goal was off his pass, and the PK foul came from his through pass (to a Martins who would otherwise have been alone on the keeper). It could easily have been 1 goal, 4 assists.

    I don't see how you can deny him the PotW this week.
     
  2. anderson

    anderson Member+

    Feb 28, 2002
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Who needs Palencia's poney tail now?

    Never, ever, underestimate the power of the mullet.
     
  3. 352gialloblu

    352gialloblu New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    England
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Re: Who needs Palencia's poney tail now?

    Looked to me like he finally cut it, at the back at least. Maybe that's what did it.
     
  4. okcomputer

    okcomputer Member

    Jun 25, 2003
    dc
    Maybe he's better than we think or RSL is worse than we think
     
  5. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I'd give it to Nick Garcia.
     
  6. anderson

    anderson Member+

    Feb 28, 2002
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Another muller bites the dust, sadly.

    You're right:

    [​IMG]
     
  7. okcomputer

    okcomputer Member

    Jun 25, 2003
    dc
    if you look close he still has a rat tail. He must have really loved the 80's. I wonder if he wears parachute pants?
     
  8. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    I saw the game and he played out of his mind.

    The hair has gone from mullet to squirrel tail to rat tail this season.

    Think what a fully shaved Matt Taylor could do.
     
  9. Rocket

    Rocket Member

    Aug 29, 1999
    Chicago
    Club:
    Everton FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hopefully MLS agrees with you.

    But MLS Wrap's choice last night of Segares for their PotW shows you the most deserving doesn't always get picked.
     
  10. Chicago1871

    Chicago1871 Member

    Apr 21, 2001
    Chicago
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What games constitute Player of the Week this week? Just Saturday? If so it's Taylor hands down. If it is more than that Segares is a valid choice.
     
  11. MightyMouse

    MightyMouse BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 19, 2003
    Island paradise east of the mainland
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Awsome game, question for you Chivas USA know it all's, is Taylor going to be pushed out once Palencia gets here or is his spot pretty much solidified? DO they play the same position?
     
  12. dred

    dred Member+

    Nov 7, 2000
    Land of Champions
    Taylor was phenomenal, sort of a Pat Noonan-Chris Klein hybrid, this could be his coming out party.
    He's always looked dangerous, even when he was shanking critical scoring chances for KC.
    Half man, half mullet.
    The were-mullet for PotW!
     
  13. anderson

    anderson Member+

    Feb 28, 2002
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It may be a bit cynical, but picking Taylor would accomplish several things that the league may find helpful. He's certainly a perfectly defensible pick based on his performance, but selecting him would also generate a bunch of reports that feature Chivas USA scoring five goals and winning. The league will probably want to see that scoreline repeated as often as possible in the media to help Chivas USA convince fans that they shouldn't give up on the team. While a fairly minor thing by now, stories about Matt Taylor getting PotW would also help drive home the point that this team hasn't fulfilled detractors' worst fears about ethnic or nationality issues.
     
  14. 352gialloblu

    352gialloblu New Member

    Jun 16, 2003
    England
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    Balls to you, sir.
     
  15. jri

    jri Red Card

    Sep 28, 2000
    boca
    Matt Taylor has outplayed Clint Mathis this year....

    A tragedy of Greek purportions.. :eek: :(
     
  16. Naco

    Naco Member

    Aug 5, 2001
    [​IMG]
     
  17. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Other than a week roll the ball to Nick Rimando during the dying minutes of MLS Cup last year, I don't know why Matt has become a BigSoccer whipping boy. He was a rookie last year. His rookie season was actually not that bad. For a second year professional, he's doing okay. I understand why the Wizards exposed him in the expansion draft, but I think he has a good chance of sticking around in MLS for a long time. A star? No. A decent player? Certainly.
     
  18. jri

    jri Red Card

    Sep 28, 2000
    boca
    My point is that Mathis is worse than a 'decent' player, Andy.

    By the way, those are fantastic photos from the DC-KC game, and the 3 pic sequence of Adu schooling Thomas is some of the best soccer photography (1v1) i've ever seen. Congrats.
     
  19. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I probably shouldn't have quoted your post. Just something I've been waiting to say. Yeah, Mathis has not just slid back to the field, he's on the fast track out of a job.

    Thanks. Frankly, I feel the entire game was possibly the best I've ever shot. All this practice and learning might actually be worth it! ;)
     
  20. jri

    jri Red Card

    Sep 28, 2000
    boca
    The last pic is absolutely poster-worthy....just an awesome pic of Fred in full force (looking up, under perfect control, defender flailing).

    BTW- I went to MLSnet to rerun the play a couple times- I hadn't noticed first time- but the 2nd guy Fred took out in the box...he slipped the ball BEHIND his right foot on the move.

    If he can learn to do that move at speed...he's got one sure money move. That's basically unstoppable...you'd basically have to go thru his right leg (and foul) to get to the ball..
     
  21. McGinty

    McGinty Member

    SKC/STL
    Aug 29, 2001
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I'm not going to say its justified or not, but Taylor followed up his performance in MLS Cup with a match in which he missed the goal on several chances. MLS Cup and the Chivas opener were probably the first two times most people saw him play and judged him accordingly.
     
  22. purojogo

    purojogo Member

    Sep 23, 2001
    US/Peru home
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You mean Mathis the last few years, no? I would actually be glad a few our youngsters keep stepping up .... Cap Taylor!! :)
     
  23. kpaulson

    kpaulson New Member

    Jun 16, 2000
    Washington DC
    I dunno. I thought his first game in a Chivas shirt showed his potential-- obviously he didn't score, but I thought he looked ok. To be fair, he has had far worse games since then, but definitely count me in the crowd that doesn't see him as the player in the following sentence: "If MLS had more money, then we wouldn't have to watch [insert player X] play."
     
  24. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    People make fun of Taylor as a defense mechanism, out of frustration, I think. He has always been one of those 'looks the part' players where everything is silky smooth until he gets in front of the goal and then it goes all crumblecake. It will be interesting to see if this game is a mirage--part of me tends to doubt it because it was more a case of setting up teammates, which causes me to think he may have finally found his on-field role, but then part of me notes RSL were totally depleted on D this week.

    I don't really think anyone's position is particularly safe on that squad. Taylor's performance is bound to be remembered by a team so desperate for wins, so I have to think he'll get a couple extra shots now, but he's gonna have to step up on a regular basis to defend his spot. If he goes 3 or 4 without being influential, he could still see his butt planted to the bench.

    {As a side note, this makes me sad for RSL. When Chivas is in this position, Vergara can use his Mexican connections to find some guys. Checketts doesn't have those kinds of connections, unless Andrei Kirilenko is a badass CMF.}
     
  25. Brrca Fan redded

    Brrca Fan redded Red Card

    Aug 6, 2002
    Chasing Tornadoes.
    I second that, because RSL's defense was like a make shift college students put together kind deal and that made Mr. Pony Tale thingy look good all game long.
    :D
     

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