Niouky wasn't an MLS level player, and neither is Brettschneider. There's no difference really, they're both absolutely terrible. Edit: same goes for Schiller, the TFC hat trick was an anomoly. He was absolute garbage too.
Brettschneider isn't the most technically gifted players and probably won't ever light up the league but he's worthy of the roster spot he has. He's young, strong and hungry for goals. Watching him fight for any ball that comes near him is refreshing compared to Sene's apathy (don't get me wrong, I like Sene). He shouldn't be a starter but he's worth the cheap money. Remember, Jay Miller was his coach so this is a great place for him to potentially develop into a Lenhart-type player
No, he isn't worth the roster spot. He can fight all he wants but he never actually wins the ball anyway, at least Lenhart has the size and heading ability to make up for his talent deficiency.
The TFC goal and his assist against Seattle are perfect examples of Brettschneider fighting for the ball and not giving up. Brettscheider isn't meant to be a starter (and I hope Heaps thinks that to) but he's servicable as a forward that needs to fill in when we have injuries, suspensions or other issues (and we seem to have lots of those). Let him develop. Give him a year or so in practices and reserve games and see how he does. If Heaps and Miller don't like him at the end of the year, cut him. As long as he's a cheap player (he's a development player, right?) then I see no issue with giving him a roster spot.
I suspect his ability to defend is 3rd, at most, on the list of reasons people focus on Tierney. I don't think Tierney puts in a good cross UNLESS he has a ton of free space. I also, despite any and all stats to the contrary, constantly see his passes going straight to the other team. And finally, on Saturday for instance, he was demonstrating his extreme discomfort with doing ANYTHING with his right foot. He is extremely limited and, combined with Alston's equally weak offensive capabilities, makes the overlap of REV outside backs a nearly impotent threat.
I meant 50/50's, an 8 year old knows to follow up a rebound or a deflection leading towards goal. BB has no skill, he's terrible in the air, has no strength, has no speed, and has a highly average shot. He sucks, and shouldn't ever see the field for an MLS team.
This. You need guys who make league minimum in order to fill out the roster. For a 23 year old who should be 5th or so on the depth chart, he's done alright. Now if your problem is with why Brettschneider is getting those opportunities to begin with, I agree. But your blame should be placed on the Front Office for signing Moreno and Runstrom who have been absolute busts. Or blame Heaps for being so hard headed in his desire to play a 4-4-2 without the personnel. But there's a Brettschneider on every MLS team, they just aren't forced into the role of starter. No one goes on about Roach or Purdie not being deserving a roster spot because they haven't been relied on to be a starter.
When the worst passer on your team is also attempting the most passes per game, his mistakes are going to be noticed. Alston has been just as poor going forward, as you said, but he attempts far fewer passes and thus turns the ball over far less. This is another reason I haven't understood Heaps' desire to play his outside midfielders narrow almost as a diamond. We have no dangerous overlapping play from the outside backs, which means we have no width. A perfect example of why teams are able to bunker up on us when they get an early goal.
Maybe they're not here legally? That's another possible reason. The statement about being able to get back in the country also sounds fishy. Legal residents dont have a problem. IDK but just saying, that could be the reason for no green card
You joined in 2010? the question is do you know who Johnny Torres was and did you ever see him play? Was quite a ways before your time. Diego's game is a lot like Torres's game was but Im not sure he's even as good as Torres was. What has he really done except come through the development system? While that's no easy matter for an average person, its certainly not as much of an accomplishment as what Torres did. One more time, Torres was national player of the year from a Div 1 powerhouse college program.... twice. Why are they alike? Both were undersized, high energy, skill players. And both got/will get the crap kicked out of them by bigger defenders that cant do anything but foul them. Will Diego develop into a consistent starter? My guess is no. He shows promise but isn't really better than others we already have and if Heaps and company thought he was close, they wouldn't keep signing more forwards. Finally, if he wants to stick here for a while, he needs to get a green card if he can. The Revs may be able to keep him if he's counted as a domestic player but would be far harder to keep if he's counted as a foreign player. Since google says he's making 55K, a college soccer scholarship is out. I'm afraid Diego has all his eggs in a rather weak basket. He either develops and hopefully gets a better payday or I dont know where he'd end up. I hope things work out for him but he really is in a high risk position. Swim or really sink
I don't think he is really any better. He just has better CB's behind him, and better players covering him on the right side of the field. It goes FAR beyond "leaking" goals. The rate at which he gives up possession in poor areas of the field contributes to the breakdown of a majority of the Revs attacks and possession on the left hand side of the field. He also can't cover much ground due to lack of speed, so opposing right sided attackers don't have to honor him, and the field is stretched in transition. Chris Tierney IS awful. I'll take all three over him, as bad as they were. They didn't have Benny, Nguyen, Rowe, Cardenas, Sene and Simms feeding them the ball. They had a double and triple teamed Marko Perovic, and that's about it. Oh and Shalrie, who was so deep (covering for Phelan) that every ball he played was 25 yards+.
No, I haven't forgotten. He was terrible, and I'm not saying he wasn't. Blake Brettschneider is one of the worst strikers I've ever seen, anywhere.
WTF are you talking about? What part of "Diego is 17 years old" do you not understand? Wow, so he was a great college player. Big deal. So was Eric Montross. I guess Kevin Garnett should have given up a decade and a half ago because if Montross couldn't make it, with all his college accolades, how could Keving Garnett only coming out of high school? Your argument is getting more absurd by the word. I probably shouldn't even feed you, but I'm actually hoping for a response. I guarantee it will be even more epically hilarious than the other ones you've already posted.
Oh big soccer... please bring back the ignore button so we don't have to listen to stuff like this 17 or 27 or 37... what does it matter. Its not youth soccer and you have to play better than others to keep a job. Somehow basketball players have something to do with this? Do you have any idea how hard it is to rise to the top of thousands of college players...twice? Meanwhile we have Diego that has risen to the top of... 20 or 30 players .. maybe.. on the development team. Wow. But after all... he is 17. Please feel free to NOT respond to any of my posts in the future. PS - see your join date...2010..... see mine 1999
I would never ignore you. You are too damn funny. It has a lot to do with it. There is a reason why youth is often favored over age, especially for teams in rebuilding. That is lost on you, but most intelligent people understand it. Yeah, it's called an analogy. Here's a link http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/analogy Got it? Good. Let's go on now. I have an idea. But I also have an even better idea of how vastly different college soccer is than pro soccer...especially in 1999. You tout your "join date" but did you actually even watch the two games back then? Judging by your posts, it is apparent that you didn't...or maybe your aptitude for the game is so low that it is all lost on you completely. Either way, your argument is stupid. Hmmm, Diego signed a professional contract at 16. What was Johnny Torres doing at that age? Oh, playing high school soccer. What a repertoir, Oh, I will feel very free hahahahahaha what does bigsoccer join date have to do with anything? So, you've been a loser longer than I have. Congratulations.
You realize that someone's BigSoccer join date has nothing to do with when they started following this club, right? I joined in 2005 but had season tickets in 1996, the two have nothing to do with one another.
Yes IK that but that wasnt the point. I don't think he ever saw Johnny Torres play. BTW I have reported him for launching personal attacks. Maybe he'll get carded?
He has mentioned several times that he has supported this team since the beginning and that he was a long time STH. He's definitely seen Torres play.
Torres was already the player he was ever going to be when he arrived here in 1998. Diego is still developing. Just looking at the numbers (hey, it's what I do): Torres rookie year: 20 GP, 16 GS, 1179 min, 2 G, 3 A. His 4 years in NE, his yearly average was about the same as his rookie year: 22 GP, 14 GS, 1293 min, 2 G, 3.5 A So basically, he never improved. Diego first played less than a year ago, so he's essentially just finishing up his rookie year. 14 GP, 4 GS, 490 min, 3 G, 1 A Goals per min isn't even close, and Diego is still improving.
I'm personally offended by this statement. I'm reporting you. You have personally attacked my position as a fan. I won't sleep tonight...or maybe for the next 10 days. I'm actually suing. Be prepared to hear from my lawyer.
but you don't understand the heights that Johnny Torres achieved! Did you ever even see him play? I guess not, you've only been a fan since 2002. Poor us
We'll see where it all ends up for him. I don't see him ever becoming a full time starter. He could easily end up like Beasley did I think he would have been smarter to try and get a Div 1 soccer scholarship then turn pro. At least if it didnt work out, he'd have something to fall back on. How can he ever develop with only a few minutes here and there?