It's a league issue not just a Niol issue IMO. Lack of skilled players = more physical league. Top that off with inferior refereeing and you have the amazingly popular MLS product.
Wow, Paul must Alecko's lover, he takes a lot of shots at Reis. Paul, name one professional keeper that was not taught to protect himself with his knee?
When was the last time Paul Gardner said anything relevant? He's on my list of bitter old dinosaurs who can't handle that the american soccer world has passed them by. I refuse to read anything by him or by anyone named Trekker. Grahame Jones is on the verge of joining that list, but he still, on occasion, will write something rational and worthwhile.
Wow, there are so many thing bizarro/dumb/wackharoo about that article that I think it best to just use it to wrap your fish in on the way home from the warf.
For anyone who hasn't read the article and is mildly curious, I've just boiled it down to the only part that really matters.
I don't read Gardner's articles often anymore, because I find them pointless. But he also was one of the first people to speak out about the problems on Arena's US squads IIRC.
Exactly. Gardner exposes himself when he admits that he hasn't seen enough of the Revs' games this year to assess Nicol's comments about Nyassi (presumably he missed Mastro's retaliation "tackle").
And the hits keep on coming... Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis was placed on the disabled list today...
I'm surprised it took them this long. Maybe Murray wasn't available, but I think he was with them for a while during training camp. This means Reis has to miss a minimum of six games (unless it is retroactive), which would make him eligible to return on June 5th at Seattle.
Why do we insist on going with three keepers? Most teams go with two, and if they need that third, pull someone from the MLS emergency pool. We could be using that spot for a field player...
This question came up in off season and I think the answer given was they need the third Keeper for training purposes. That made no sense to me then nor does it now but since I haven't been staying at a Holiday Inn Express what would I know?
Paul Gardner is a complete moron. Every single one of his articles is about the evil of physical play, the negative role tactics and coaches have on the game, and how MLS needs more Latin players. He simply regurgitates these themes around a different story every time.
Ahh, just like the eternal changing of the seasons, Paul Gardner emerges to spew venom and rip American soccer a new a-hole. I can't believe this guy is still alive and capable of writing. He must be pushing 100.
Gardner's bad, Ted "Soccer Reform" Westervelt is right up there with his quest to comment on every article in America written about soccer (whatever its topic) to push his claim that pro/rel would solve every problem soccer has in this country. They're perfect for each other, they should go on the road. Importing the entire Argentinian Primera Division and pro/rel will make us more popular than the NFL!
It is amazing to me the affection that some had for Cancela...how has he done he since he left the Revs? While I always saw the ability, I don't understand how the pro-Cancela's can't seem to even admit that antis had some points too. I find the hidden allegation that Nicol is anti-Latino really offensive. I'm just trying to understand the theory...judging from the recent teams, Nicol likes bald white keepers, red-haired guys, Eastern Europeans, Africans, and African-Americans, but doesn't like Latinos? What a freakin' crock.