We only had one defender at practice. Ouch. I hope this conditioning thing works. Just stop whatever exercise they're doing that gives them all abdominal hernias. Stop that poking the other guy in the gut stretching exercise!
We have been down to 1 or no defenders at practice since the season ended. Our guest players will have to be defenders for these up coming matches.
Good to hear some positive things about Justin Mapp fromt his coaching staff. Lets hope he takes this left sided midfielder spot by the balls so Convey can push to the middle, Olsen on the right..all we would need is a better D-mid and our midfield is set. Bring in a new forward or two and lets get the 2003 season rolling!
It was nice to get some confirmation of Hudson and Trask's tactical philosophy. While I disagree with the "best 11" approach, it is what Hudson has had success with in the past. Unfortunately, the "best 11" doesn't work unless the players have strong tactical foundations. Look at Arena, who consistently selects the "best 11 at each position", puting some good players on the bench because they aren't the best at the role he needs filled, and we see the difference. I firmly believe that the "modern" game has evolved beyond the 'best 11' idea. It'll be interesting to see if Hudson/Trask create a team where the best 11 also fulfill the best 11 at the roles needed or if they seek to just get "good" players and throw them in somewhere.
I see your point, and I assume the former is their goal. However, it may be less of an issue when you have guys like Reyes and Convey who appear to be able to excel at more than one role. It's sure easier to get your "best XI" out there on any given day (with injuries, call-ups, etc.) when you have more guys like that in the mix.
<Q1 seems to be hampered with groin strain. Several times throughout practice he grabbed that area and winced in pain. Also, at the end of practice physio Rick Guter and Q1 were attempting to massage the pain.> This sounds troublesome. I would have hoped that he'd be healed by now. Maybe its time to back off and not try to come back too soon.
Well, Tino is coming back from hernia surgery, which was an abdominal procedure. But this report has Guter massaging Tino's groin. That didn't sound too good.
I suppose it depends on where the hernia is. Mine was, shall we say, extreme lower abdomen, aka "groin."
I recently had double-hernia surgery in the lower abdomen area (yikes!) and I'll tell you for the first month (after about 6 weeks off) I was back playing soccer and hockey I felt like my groin was getting ripped to shreds. After about a month the pain went away. My Dr. just told me it was still healing and that as long as I could handle the pain, I was ok. For those in the know, I got the "mesh", and I'm sure Tino would have also. This makes the healing process a little easier to "push it" too the limit which gets you this groin pain. I'm sure he'll be fine.
Great report Diceson! This is probably my favorite of all of your excellent reports. I love what Trask was saying, for example: In particular, the "If and when" part. Convey's move to the middle seems to be only a matter of time. The oddest thing I've heard in a while seems to be the conclusion that Etch's position in the side seems dependant upon Mapp's progress. It appears that the staff has enough faith in Mapp so as to not be looking for a left sided midfielder this offseason. But, until Mapp's ready, Convey will be our left sided midfielder, as Trask gave no supportive words to Villegas, Eliseo or Olsen manning that position. So, until Mapp grows into the position, Convey will not play centrally, and we'll need an attacking midfielder. So, that seems to sound supportive of giving Etch an extra year. Wierd and convoluted, but entertaining! I'm glad to see the supportive comments about Mapp. It might be propaganda because many have criticized this pick, but hyping a player up too much just sets them up for a bigger fall. It's probably partially an incentive for Mapp to train hard and learn in the offseason. But, it's probably also partially a reflection of the staff's opinion that he's showing improvement. I like it! -Tron
Trask's comments were extremely thoughtful and interesting to read. It's so much better when a coach speaks in whole sentences. His insights about evaluating players -- why some players prosper when paired with a compatible player -- Rooney with Bishop -- show a deep understanding of the game, for example. Having said that, I have to wonder about his last comments -- about the importance of foreign players in MLS. Obviously any team wants the best possible players regardless of origin. Just as obviously, any team would welcome a world class player who was willing to help educate younger players. Nevertheless, why, now, assume that such players have to be foreigners? After seven years of MLS and participation in several world cups, more than a few American players would fit this description. Perhaps not the best example -- but what about our own little Richie -- seven years in MLS, preceded by success in the A-league and in college, appearances for the national team, success at every level -- would a foreign player have more to offer in the way of advice to youngsters? Think about it. And what exactly are these secrets that the "typical American soccer player" would not know? Isn't really that they are things that an inexperienced player might not know and that experienced players, American or foreign, would? This would be just so much quibbling, if Trask's comments did not seem to reflect Hudson's prejudices and possible choices for the future roster. Hudson seems to carry around a whole trunk full of prejudices about American players and for a coach of an American team with limited access to foreign players, such prejudices are truly dysfunctional.