Practice Observations: OK Go Thursday, May 10th, 2007, 10:00 AM, Pizza Hut Park Field #1 May 11th, 2007 . By: Buzz Carrick http://www.3rddegree.net/
Explain to me how the ******** Thompson gets a start over Oduro? Ever. You start Cooper and Thompson up front you have a very slow set up. Even if you argue that Thompson has more seasoning, the speed issue makes you pick Oduro. Our setup at forward should be 1) Cooper Oduro 2) Ruiz Oduro 3) Oduro Ruiz Cooper If you can't make Ruiz and Cooper happy with this set up then trade one of them.
Well my guess would be Thompson is the better straight swap as the target forward for Ruiz and requres less of a change by other palyers.
abes so slow..that by the time he makes his first move towards goal he will already be sent down to the developmental squad for Guerava!
I know that's a joke, but since it came up... Abe can't go back to the developmental roster. too old.
Okay, and I will sound naive, but why isn't Cooper the straight swap as a target? Oduro looked dangerous in the last couple of games as a non-target forward, so the players know him there as well.
cause he's already in the lineup. Of the two options... Abe and Dom... Abe is closer to Ruiz in terms of game and style. he does, but he's better playing deeper. But in the shape FCD was working Thursday, Cooper and Ruiz both play high. So Abe is a better fit for Ruiz. listen you have a fair point, I don't disagree that Dom would be a interesting replacement. I was just taking a shot at why it is Abe. style, experience, touch, possession, passing, work rate, etc. Dom is just not a 90 minute option in the FCD mind yet.
This is what frustrates the hell out of me with so many MLS coaches... When you have a solid substitute, put him in with enough minutes to do some damage... Putting the real talent in late is what The Bruce did repeatedly at the WC, and he paid a heavy price. Oduro is the real deal, and will only get better when he gets real minutes. Bringing him in to save the day when it's already too late is lame... This is soccer, not basketball... He can't shoot a three to win the game when we're two goals down.
And I always respect your opinion. My job on this board is to be the generally not very astute slightly hysterical insecure once in a while sharp tongued buffoon. Unless I stamp a bit no one pays me any mind.
right now Dom is a one trick pony. Speed and that's it. he's Ngwenya with less expereince. His touch, passing, shooting, and tactical understanding are poor at best. He is at his most effective late in games when everyone else is tired. Should he get a start sometime to see what he can do for 90? Absolutly
you happen to have a very valid question. This might be a great game to try him out. The KC centerbacks are not the fastest in the world.
Oduro, it seems to me, would be best utilised by bringing him on when FCD has a lead. The opponent is pressing for a goal, throwing everyone forward and leaving acres of space at the back. (see the prseason game at OK and the Colo game at home) Bring him on when trailing and there is NO space behind the defence as they will, invairaibly, be playing very deep to protect their lead.
Any tactical switch that doesn't put Cooper as the central, target forward is not maximinzing the resources available to their fullest potential.
Makes sense, but does that mean we are better off with Cooper and Ruiz at forward at the beginning of the game? Perhaps. But are you arguing that Thompson should be in there in the beginning over Oduro? In other words, would Oduro still be fast enough at the end of the game if you start him, when he might still be more interesting than Thompson?
Now we get to the meat of the matter with the biggest question about our most promising youngster. Is KC too wimpy and soft to play the role of target/central striker? Or, is the coach simply a bonehead? I really want an answer to this question. And, not so much a written or verbal answer as much as something seen on the field of play. What a squandered opportunity tonight. Abe is at best going to be a Bobby Rhine type of player. A serviceable pro who will supplement here and there. Meanwhile, we may possibly be stunting the development of a kid with USNT potential at a position that we desperately need for the next WC. Maybe KC is not the answer, but who the hell knows for sure? I think that the potential is obvious. Let's find out. If we are unwilling to do that, then trade his butt to a team that will, like RSL.
Morrow has been trying to get Cooper to play higher and more in the center channel. Cooper prefers to drop off and run at people from deeper or wider.
I'm gonna stay out of most of the debating points here - but I just wanna say that I finally watched FCD x Revs on my machine* - (having seen the match in person - and at the time I mostly thought "This is not much of a soccer game") just wanna say Oduro did several good things [in his brief time] that didn't have to do with his foot-speed. IOW he's more of an all-'round player than I thought last year. That being said, I WOULD like to see him ZOOM under a long, high-trajectory, early-launched, slow-travelling, offside-trap-busting, NFL-type-BOMB-into-acres-of-space ! optional Off-Topic reading for extra credit: *I started the tape [well, "personal video recording"] of FCD x Revs quite fearful that at first glance of it I would feel stupid about complaining about the similarity of the uni's. But no. On the contrary. I felt re-justified. It was a monochromatic match [the color of the match? red] and to make a long, old story longer: PHP spectators and home viewers were again ripped-off. It didn't help that imho the whole video match was over-exposed, which further diminishes the contrast between 1) a white jersey w/red decorations and 2) a white jersey w/red decorations ... [sic] and, if FCD perceives any upside? in NOT resembling an Angola Prison Farm chain-gang? ...ftloG ... DELETE all the horizontal stripes not on the jersey. including shin-guard-holding adhesive tape and the white edges of soles of shoes, for that matter. [last bits included as "seal of zb authenticity"] non-HOOPS white bits: 1 hem of shorts 2 top of socks 3 adhesive tape 4 [on some players] ankle adhesive tape 5 " edge of the soles 6 forgot to mention adidas vertical stripes on socks, ok not hoop-like, but distracting anyway there you have it: head-to-toe hoops: clownish, or even criminal at worst, 1910 bathing costume at best. but on YOUR TV, otoh, I'm sure the effect is ______________, instead, right? Christmas Tree, maybe? something positive like that? Michelin Man? I'm not saying "drop the hoops" - I'm saying "don't dilute the hoops with those doo-dads".