Before you flame this idea as completely nuts, just think about it. The Burn trades Paul Broome and Bobby Rhine to the Metros for Clint Mathis. Mathis is completely unhappy in NY. From their perspective, he will play out his contract next season and is gone to Europe, and the Metros get absolutely nothing in return. With Faria and Diallo as goal scoring threats, Mathis' role as a midfielder is a waste of his talent and $$$. From Dallas' perspective, we need a finisher, period. With Gbandi set to step in at left back, Broome is expendable and his trade value may never be higher. Rhine gets to play closer to his native Connecticut. A change of scenery for Clint could be just the thing to turn his head around, getting him closer to his southern red-neck roots. Mike Jeffries has done a great job of bringing in young talent and working it into the lineup, but I think that it will take a bold stroke to get the Burn completely over the hump of mediocrity and on to the MLS top.
Hmm. Very interesting, but very risky. First, Gbandi has yet to play a minute in MLS. By all reports he should make for a fine MLS player, but there've been plenty of #1 overall picks in MLS who've failed to live up to expectations. And Gbandi's had to sit a year out after the surgery. Hopefully he'll make an excellent recovery, but until he steps on the pitch in a game situation we won't know for sure. In Broome, we have a known quality player who at just 26 has plenty of years ahead of him. Why trade someone who could be a cornerstone of the franchise for a talented, but flaky player who has questionable work habits and undoubtably will jump at the chance at going to Europe in a year. And if Bruce Arena and Octavio Zambrano have had trouble managing Mathis, what makes you think Jeffries will do any better? Jeffries had trouble handling Graziani and ended up shipping him out, and I'd imagine most coaches would say that Ariel would a piece of cake to manage compared to Mathis.
I ABSOLUTELY agree on both points. In addition to that, I think Mathis is highly overrated. What has he really done since World Cup? Or even at World Cup for that matter? Sure it was a beauty of a goal, but for what his capability supposedly is, he should have had more than one. I think he's only interested in Europe at this point. If we're looking for a goal scoring head case, I'd rather have Big Mama...at least he produces.
No trades. We already have enough head cases, and the team is apparently unified. Who wants to mess with that?
Mathis is way overrated. I've always thought that until before the WC when he started to really look promising, then in the WC he was such a let down. Yea he scored that goal, but other than that he was just a waste. Now he's giving NY problems and he'd just do the same. You think Jefferies had problems with a foreigner, wait till he deals with a red-neck with an attitude. Plus I still haven't forgiven Mathis for being a Jack ass to us 2 years ago.
Actually, Mathis is unhappy in MLS... He wants to go overseas. He is unhappy he is stuck here. He won't be happy anywhere in MLS... peet burnradio
I agree with this. And we are well balanced now by position when healthy. We also are young enough that we will get better talent wise as the young players mature. Gbandi and the high first round draft choice should improve us some more. Trades quite often just get you someone else's headaches. Same headache new team. One area a trade could be good is if we get a player with talent who is also a good leader. However, who is going to give up a player like this. Well, I guess one could point out that DC gave up Agoos. And now they are looking for leadership!!
Mathis isn't over-rated, he's under-performing. Once his team starts wining an/or he starts scoring goals, the problem will go away. I would make that trade only if Mathis re-signed with MLS. We would be giving up too much doing that deal and only getting Mathis for one year.
I would send Chivas instead of Broome. I know they have Davis, but he can play on either side of the field. Broome could move up to midfield for us with Gbandi slotting in at left back.
I plan to change allegiances to the Burn next season, even if the gaLAxy don't win the Cup (I guess we are beginning to like Dallas). Therefore, I feel that I now have a vested interest in seeing the Burn management do the right thing. For my two cents, Mathis would be a big mistake. He was a constant disruption in LA because he wasn't a team player. I think that since being traded to NY, he has genuinely proven that he is an ego-maniac. One of the things that I have admired about the Burn this season is that they seem tight as a team. I'd be concerned that Mathis would disrupt that spirit. Secondly, I wouldn't give up on Rhine yet. He is a hard-worker and may prove to be a diamond as a striker. Kries isn't getting any younger and I'm not convinced that EJ has the ball skills to become a true sniper. That's my two cents from a gaLAxy fan living in Texas. Be kind to me, I will become one of you next year. By the way, we went to half the Burn games this season, so we are already supporting the team with our $$$$$$$.
Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros Excellent choice, but I why not switch now? Of course if you're reluctant to stop rooting for the Galaxy right now, maybe you could root for both LA and Dallas in the playoffs. Obviously you'd face a tough choice if the Galaxy and Burn ended up playing each other, but if that happens, I'd recommend cheering for both teams and to continue rooting for whichever team ended up winning the series.
Re: Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros You're right. It's kind of a nice position to be in. Count me amongst the die-hard gaLAxy fans that thinks that they can win a Cup on of these days. However, I'm beginning to understand how it feels to be a Cub fan. Tonight at 7:30 eastern I am a Burn fan.
A trade of this type would definitely be selling your soul to the devil. The question you have to ask is this: does the Burn have the talent to win it all? Can you project further development through the players you have to pass the teams ahead of you? My heart says yes, but my head says no. If no, do you make a bold move and go for the trophy, mortgaging the future? How many players in all sports have you seen have a career year while playing for a new contract? Mathis has overcome 2 knee surgeries in the last year. Whoever he plays for in 2003, I'm betting he goes for 20+ goals, behaves like a choir boy, and lands the contract in Europe he's after.
You make an excellent point. He didn't exactly earn great respect in the WC. I would expect that he needs to prove something in the MLS before he even gets the chance to jump over the pond. BTW, did you see him in the Cotton Bowl two weeks ago. Something clearly needs to be done about his fitness. He may earn a new nickname like "Maphat" or something like that. I'm not sure a new striker is the issue though. I saw alot of opportunities on the net last Saturday night. Perhaps what needs to occur is a change of mindset. Can a guy like Broome play up top? He actually doesn't seem to have any hesitation in going at the net. That is what looks necessary to me. I think that Oscar is one of the best play makers in MLS. He and Kries could both be used as playmakers. With these two, it seems that all you need is a good hitman that focuses on one-touches. Rhine's goal against the G's a couple weeks ago is a good example of what I'm trying to say.
Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros EJ has the skills but, as Dave Dir said on 1190AM radio tues, lacks the confidence to pull off his moves against players of his own age and athletic ability. He dominates the U-20's and shows the flair and presense on the ball of players far more senior. I also heard he lacked maturity and devotion, but we'll see. I think kreis could play for another 7-8yrs if he stays fit.
Re: Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros I'm with you on Kreis playing another 7-8 years. I greatly admired him, even when living in LA. He is truly a class act.
Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros Welcome to Texas!! Please come join the Inferno on the General Admission side for our one (or two - or more!!!) playoff games. Just head to the loud drums, heavy drinking, chanting, cussing, cheering and opponent baiting noise! Introduce yourself and I'll buy you a beer!
Before Mathis starts getting all starry-eyed about himself, he needs to prove himself in MLS. He didn't do crap in MLS this year. He didn't do crap in the World Cup. He has only proven himself as a world class wanker. Even with all the scoring problems we have had, I wouldn't wish him on DC United for free. Sure, he has some talent, but he needs to quit the smoking and drinking before he considers himself a superstar. BUT, if MLS can ship him off for even a decent transfer fee, by all means, SHIP HIM OFF!!!
Mathis isn't going anywhere, OZ is. Once that happens, Mathis will be fine. OZ has mismanaged the Metros to death this season, starting poor players, starting odd lopsided formations and making horrid subs. ALL the players are fed up with Zambrano and it's showing. As for the DC fan quoted above, he had a world class goal and a world class assist at the World Cup in limited minutes. The smoking bit is an unproven rumor started by a Bigsoccer poster and never verified. With that being said, Dallas doesn't need a striker, but they could use a dominant wingmid on the right side moving Vaca to the middle permanently. JMac
Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros O'Brien is that player. Unfortunately you then have to sit either Vaca or Pareja. The real problem is we do not have a defensive mid destroyer so Pareja has to help out Deering. Vaca is not suited for this role hence his playing time at the creative right mid spot and Chivas at the left. If we had a true destroyer then Vaca (or Pareja) could be used as an attacking mid in a diamond formation and the offense would benefit immensley.
I don't think Mathis is a good fit here with his style being to similar to Kreis. There is your trade. "If" you think Mathis is better than Jason then make that trade. Mathis is a better dribbler and is more unpredictable than Kreis but Jason is a much harder worker is not going to leave for Europe and is a well liked classy guy. I think Kreis and Johnson will be a good pairing as soon as Eddie gets a bit more seasoning and the players get a working relationship going. Rhine and Cerritos (if he comes back from a bad injury) add a lot of hustle and some different skills off the bench. Forward is not our weak position.
Re: Re: Proposed Trade w/Metros VW: After that class goal last night by EJ, I think I'll be eating my words. I'm printing a copy of the post right now. How does laser paper taste anyway? I was always more of a fan of notebook paper. Seriously, that was a true professional goal. He pulled that ball down and kept control in traffic and put it into the back of the net. Do you think he was listening to Dir on the radio on Tuesday?
EJ..... Thought EJ had a good perfomance overall when he stepped on the field. Held the ball up top. Good vision with his passes. Secondary assist on Chivas' miracle (LOL). Then to top it off, the game winner. One question on that play. Did any of you see that EJ and ROB were both in the same area that the cross was headed? Looked like EJ called ROB off and ROB step away from the ball to let EJ trap and shot it.