Should Paul Grafer be replaced as the #1 goalkeeper for the Metros?

I'm sure this thread will give me a headache.......

Grafer didn't too terrible, didn't do fantastic either. He was left out to dry on 2 of the goals and Ante hit a sweet shot for the third....

 

Thing is, he isn't the # 1 keeper for the Metro. Howard is. Grafer is # 2. When/If Howard moves, we will need a new # 1, but you have to remember the guy has started 2 games since September 2000. How rusty would you be?

 

Looked like Ante juked Kenny on one of the goals,and put it where Grafer wasn't. Would Timmy have stopped it? We will never know. Chances are he might have stopped at least one of the three, and that would have been good enough for a point.

We got lucky around the league: two losses and we are still atop the East. The team defense must gel by this weekend, though. A 3-game slide of losses will hurt a lot.

 

I felt the same way about Grafer before the Chicago game as I did after the game.

He isn't going to replace Howard as #1 should Howard move to Man U.

This "try out" for the number one spot is a bunch of pr bs since the Metro won't sign another #1 until the Howard move is official anyway.

Their hands are tied at this point.

 

We'll know a lot more this coming weekend. Let's see whether or not Ruiz runs him off the field. Either way, I'll probably still think of him as the back-up. I vote yes. (But not if it means Cannon for Clark, of course.)

 

He should sue his (and I use this term lightly) "defense" for non-support.

 

No. Kenny Arena was HORRIBLE out there - he should be cut or traded not Grafer. let's give the Graf-in-a-tor a little time to see what he can do before we go signing Barthez or anything.....LOL

 

I agree.
Grafer's never had the chance to prove himself, now may not be the best time to do so, but We have no choice. With some real playing time and some confidence from Mr. Bradley. Grafer may be better than we think.

 

Re: Re: Should Paul Grafer be replaced as the #1 goalkeeper for the Metros?

IIRC, this is the same thing that was said when Howard and Thornton was pushed into the #1 GK situation....

On top of that, like it was said before, he never had any real playing time...I say give him a couple more weeks and then make your decision (this also goes with a lot of the new faces that were in the lineup Sat. afternoon)

 

No he was not a good number 2 keeper when Oz had the team. Howard goes to olmpics and then doe not play. Grafer starts and proves he can't play.

Then we get Contess who would have been a good # 2 and we let him go. Not good

 

Its time for the GM to go Sakie is responsible I would take the team of a couple years ago, the first year of Valencia and would make this team look sick, it seems every year we are rebuilding.

 

I know Metro fans don't put much stock in stats, but you have to shake your head at this:


Grafer has played 1444 MLS minutes
He has been scored on 50 times
That works out to a goals against of 3.12 per game

Check out the all time goalkeeper stats at MLSnet.com

No keeper in league history with 1000 minutes or more has a higher average.

As a matter of fact, the nearest active keeper has a 2.24 average. That's Bo Oshoniyi (whom I consider to be VERY marginal in MLS).

Just for reference, here are all the Metro's former keepers' lifetime stats:

Zach Thornton 1.23
Tony Meola 1.44
Tim Howard 1.49
Mike Ammann 1.77

 

Grafer was horrible. I mean gray pants! what was he thinking?

 

I don't think any keeper would have saved the Razov goal. At least not due to skill. By blind luck maybe.

The second goal possibly could have come out farther, was left in no man's land on that one.

I really believe that the penalty would not have been called if it were a one goal game, especially the way the game had been called. So I still see it as a one goal loss.

 

Grafers problem was his uniform, he looked like an amateur out there. Get a real kit dude!

 

If he's benched, who replaces him in goal? Stu Schwerner?

 

Put Sakiewicz in goal. The guy played for Nantes for crissakes, he must have something left.

Actually I heard that when he was playing in France he'd be for 30 to 60 minutes but disappear after that.

 

Sorry, I feel bad for the guy, but he's never been a viable starting keeper. Has he ever been part of a trade discussion or even a rumor? There's a reason he's never been sought after. There's a reason my heart has always been in my throat every time he walks out on the field, there's a reason he has the worst GA average in the league, there's a reason he's called "precious"

 

Cant judge him yet

The guy had no D at all in front of him the other night.Would Timmy have stopped those shots?Maybe one of the three.Grafer hasnt played in a long time,we cant do anything till Timmy leaves,so lets cheer him on this Sat.and hope for the best.

 

i agree with grafer not having a great d in front of him but he could have done better on the goals....first he mis-timed the ralph goal...at first i thought he shoulda been quicker off of his line but looking at the replay of the goal...ralph got the ball a good 3-5 yds outside the box....because grafer came out to early he was caught in no mans land....should have waited a second longer....on antes 2nd goal..nice shot, grafer was in the wrong position....hmmm made the goal look alot better..and did anyone else see that dive (horrible!) gravity must affect him more than any other goalie in the leauge....

to be a #1 keeper, u must be able to make not only good saves but great saves..grafer cannot consistently do that

 

Yeah, but maybe it really WAS just the gray pants - he needs to switch back to the black ones ASAP....

 

Sakewicz should beg the greatest Metro keeper of all time, Mike Ammann, to come out of retirement and save the season.

 

wasn't he nutmegged twice for goals in the same game?