so....can we finally put a rest to razov should be back on the national team... big game....big choke....missed a pk and missed a sitter with an open net (why not slide ante??)
I've been waiting for this thread all morning. As someone who wasn't completely sure why Razov got ignored for nats, this game was an eye opener. He choked on two sitters and took several shots without conviction--he was just trying to put the ball on goal, not actually score. Compare that to Donovan's performance, two opportunities-two goals. The USMNT missed too many opportunities in the past and the success in the last World Cup was that teams ability to put away its opportunities. We can't afford a guy like Razov who seems to choke in a big game.
Yeah yeah, whatever. To bin somebody for a bad game (especially a striker) is just stupid. Van Nistelroy went something like ten games without a goal and missed some easy chances recently. It happens. I don't think Razov is Nats material either, but it has nothing to do with having a stinker of a final.
fair enough. but his recent "success" in mls brought about plenty of razov to the national team cries..... hopefully, this will quiet them down. i just don't think he's good enough.
Right conclusion, partly wrong reasons. His biggest fault was that he became selfish and did not work well with his partner Ralph. He wanted that MVP and he didn't care to play team ball. Donovan on the other hand has a much better understanding of the game.
Didn't he have the flu during the week? Give the guy a break. He had a great year in MLS and deserves a call up as much as Mullan.
Mullan and Razov are two different playing animals, I don't think that you can compare them in terms of winning a call up or not.
Personally I don't like Razov at all. But this year I saw him dominate some games in away he never seemed capable of doing before. Had the first volley gone in in the Champoinship game (and it didn't miss by much), this thread would never have been started. Again, I don't like him, but Bruce would be a fool not to give him another crack (his finishing rate is a concern though).
I'm not a big fan of Razov either and his finising rate is low. But he does have the uncanny ability to be around the ball, so he's involved in more chances. He probably deserves to get into camp along with McBride, Buddle & Twellman. Anybody know Brian Ching's injury status?
I think that Razov just had a bad game, yeah it was a big game, but hey, you can't discount his season because of that game. Does that mean he chokes in the big game? Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that he shouldn't get a chance to put a few in the net in some qualifiers. I remember hearing people talk about McBride being a choke, but he came up pretty big in 2002. You can't judge a player on one game.
Please list the strikers that you feel deserve a call up above Razov based on past success at the international level and current form? Mathis? No Wolff? No Kirovski? No! Moore? No Stewart? No Jones? No Twellman? Maybe Donovan? Yes McBride? Yes Other than that who do you have? I am not saying Ante should start. I am also not saying that we shouldn't try to get some of the young pups more of a shot at the international level. That being said, he is clearly in the picture for the USMNT if qualifiers started tomorrow. I would go so far as to say he might be #3 or #4 on our depth charts at striker right now. I have been a big Mathis fan, but he has shown that he doesn't deserve it right now. wolff isn't healthy yet. Everyone else sans McBride, Twellman and Donovan should be put to pasture.
By this same logic, Bocanegra should not be in a Nats uniform again after his horrid performance. Razov has the talent, but not the consistency needed to play for the USNT, and that has been his rap for a long time. He is a bit steaky, and although his streaks this season were long, he hit a low point at the cup. He shouldn't be on the National Team at this point in time because there is too much talent at the striker position (and this pool is growing by the day). He, unfortunately, missed his chance. But he is always there, and can be called on if needed.
I'm not sure that Arena's decision not to include Razov has anything to do with scoring goals. If you look at who Arena has chosen in the past it's guys who can link quickly with teammates and who can run (Donovan over Mathis despite Clint's amazing 2000 form). BA has said that Razov is a bit slow playing the ball, and he obviously isn't speedy. And Ante is obviously not the easiest person to have as a teammate. In a short tournament where team chemistry and focus are really important that probably matters as much as anything else.
Well said! I wholeheartedly concur. The only other name that I think could reasonably be put ahead of Razov on the depth chart would be Buddle.
He got in a fight with a one of his teammates in Spain and was suspended, but haven't hear much other than that and that he has a temper. But he, Kovalenko and Stoichkov existed on the same team for a while - how did that go?