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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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..
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.
You mean Mathis the last few years, no? I would actually be glad a few our youngsters keep stepping up .... Cap Taylor!!
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."
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.}
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.