Tea Light in the Dark Universe: Bobby Wood at Hamburg

Sweet. Bobby's gonna still be good next year!

 

Darn. Morales is going to be bad next year.

 

Bobby Wood keeping the clock ticking in Hamburg!!! Not sure if this is old news but I loved it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/08/sports/soccer/hamburger-sv-bundesliga-hamburg.html?_r=0

 

5 goals/2 assists in 23 appearances now.

Not too shabby for Gomez. Though I'm surprised he's still getting call-ups for Germany. You'd think Chicaharito had worse numbers considering how much flak he's gotten this season.

 

His assist to Hunt

 

If this is a commentary about how some posters directly associate league played in and ability I support this post 100%.

 

Reminiscent of Torres's selfless pass to Villa for the their first goal against Russia in Euro 08

I'm surprised he didn't try and go for it himself

 

It's really about one specific poster in the Bruce Arena Coaching Thread.

 

Ah, what gets me is the folks in the Morales thread who are outraged he isn't an automatic call-up/starter because he plays in the Bundesliga.... I'm sure that tune will change once he is back in the 2nd Bundesliga.... which, you know, is just...

 

You don't so many strikers being so selfless in such moments

 

JK is screaming at the TV, "Bobbbbeeeeee, du drecksau!"

You never pass there. Juke the goal keeper and go for goal.

 

Only a dumb player never passes there, or a selfish one, which in this context is in effect the same thing.

Tight angle, on your weaker foot, with immediate support in a better scoring position, the intelligent player takes that into consideration as they analyze the situation at very least.

 

The unselfishness on a goal of that magnitude for his team, and the poise to be unselfish and make that pass, is very impressive.

 

plenty of strikers never pass when they're in on goal. it's the nature of the beast. That being said I admire those that do.

 

Well there are also plenty of dumb players in the world. I stand by statement, a player who never passes in the situation above is a player with low IQ, awareness, decision making ability, what ever you want to call it. I wouldn't personally advise a player to never pass in that situation.

That being said, I do think the nature of the beast warrants players a little extra consideration when judging their decision making in front of goal. Sign me up for a talented forward who can generally be described as selfish, over a talented forward who lacks killer instinct any day.

 

Oh man.

 

A smart player makes most situation look routine. In this case, Wood had probably a 60-40 chance to beat the goalie since the goalie was closing in. The pass was not without a chance of being intercepted although the onrushing defender wasn't thinking he may pass. The final tap-in for the score had a 95% chance of success, he had to really do something dumb to miss it, come to think of it, that is exactly what happened with Jozy back in the Premier league.

 

agreed, perfectly reasonable for a striker to forego the pass and take that shot...a player being selfish there is not a problem. A player who doesn't see the option of the pass is a problem.

Personally, I admire a nice assist as much as a goal...and there were two really pretty passes there.

 

Bobby also had a very nice knockdown that started the whole sequence.

 

Aubameyang made a similar decision a few matches back, except Dembélé wasn't quite ahead of the defender and it cost BVB 2 points. So it can go both ways. Nonetheless this was a great play by Bobby and an encouraging sign that his field vision is developing.

 

I think Bobby is learning from his own experiences. With the keeper rushing toward him, he's missed it in the past, shooting it right at the keeper. So, passing it, in a situation like that, for him, was the safest option.

 

Yeah, I think so. Objectively, it's a question of whether the pass was easier than the shot. I think it was, so he made a good decision. Whether he has time to think that through while attacking is another question, but that's why a player with all the physical tools and brains will always be better.

 

I think he meant to shoot but shanked it.

 

A player who sees that option and doesn't make the pass is the problem. Soccer is about setting up tap ins where ever possible. This concept of selfishness for truly top players is false. Any top player sees and makes that pass.

 

Never seen so much discussion about a simple square pass to an open man for an easy finish.