i still think that run was his most impressive play of the year, if his shot had been 6 inches lower it would have been a certain goal of the year. That game was like a breakthrough for Rico, he's been phenomenal ever since.
Nope, Rico is our man! It's been fun watching him work his way back into the starting lineup after a slow start this year, and he just seems to get better and better.
No way, Rico is turning into one of the real keepers. Another great game by him tonight, he is surely going to be a US national team player in the not too distant future.
Rico's a revelation i love his intensity, he shuts down so much attacks, i have no clue why the Metrostars gave him away, and it showed tonight they missed a player of his calibre, a defensive midfielder who shuts down as much as he does. What an awesome player, he's my favorite Quake, him and DeRo
Driving home from the game on Saturday my wife and I rechristened Clark "Mister Everywhere". He makes plays all over the field. He and DeRo bring so much creativity and energy to the mid-field, it's a pleasure to watch.
I think equally. Both are defensive midfielders who know how to hold the ball and wait for opportunities. Also, both are devastatingly effective tacklers.
I remember being so excited after the trade to get him that I didn't even mind losing Mulrooney that much anymore. Then the beginning of the season came, and, "Maybe I was wrong." I wasn't. On a related note, I'm glad my optimism after the Moreno trade wasn't unfounded.
Yeah, not to pick on O'Rourke (he is a rookie and still learning how to play in MLS), but in hindsight I wonder how much of Rico's ineffectiveness early in the year was really more a lack of cohesion with Danny, and partly due to Danny's inexperience? Rico played with Danny, and wasn't that successful. DeRo played with Danny and they were somewhat successful, but Danny gave the ball away too much. Rico plays with DeRo and they really click together. And more recently, when Rico and Danny played together while DeRo was gone, Rico was clearly the better player (at least IMO). Bottom line, he's figured it out and still has a lot of time to develop. I enjoy watching him play for lots of reasons - he covers so much ground, he's able to win balls in the air and also on the ground, he's got some speed and once in a while can make a really dangerous offensive run that can cause real havoc, he has a cannon of a shot (and he's learning to put it on frame once in a while...), and he knows how to play aggressive and take the fouls when necessary, yet not foul so much that he becomes just another hacker. He draws almost as many fouls as he commits (which is very unlike O'Rourke and some of the other "tough" defensive midfielders): Rico: in 1500 minutes played, committed 40 fouls, suffered 29 Danny O: in 800 minutes played, committed 31 fouls, suffered 13 Simo Valkari: in 1500 minutes played, committed 60 fouls, suffered 20 The only thing I'd like him to watch out for is his temper and backtalking to the ref; he's gotten two yellow cards for dissent, which didn't have to happen. But, he's young and still learning.
I agree with this. If you remember some of the early games, particularly the New England one, Clark showed some good passing and movement. And don't forget his 40-yard run up the gut that forced a penalty kick in that first game. Which is one of the many ways Clark is such a great offensive threat. When you make a clean tackle and turn the ball, you get a great chance at a counter attack. When you foul, you have to defend against a set play.
Rico and O'Rourke didn't mesh because they're both defensive midfielders, and where always on eachothers toes, because they had the same instincts
I agree, but I was trying to make the point that Rico was the one who "got benched" initially because of that, and yet maybe he was playing better than Danny. Also, Rico is much more of an offensive threat than O'Rourke and some other d-mids in the league; I agree his natural position seems to be d-mid because he's so good winning the ball, but he's been showing more and more offensive skills as the year has gone on. If I were Danny, I'd be worried that I might not see much playing time the rest of the year....unless, of course, Rico gets called up to the USMNT for a look.
I think that was because they had Rico listed as "A mid" so he was the one originally pulled. The first time he went on the field to replace Danny the offence got better immediately without a drop off in defence.
"Ricardo Clark voted Honda MLS Player of the Month" (Wednesday, 8/3/05) Ricardo Clark was voted the MLS Player of the Month. (John Todd/MLS/WireImage.com) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Amazing that a defensive midfielder was chosen for this award. My opinion of the journalists that pick the awardwinner has just gone up a great deal.
This is great He definitely deserves it but I wasn't sure anyone was noticing other than Quakes fans. Next up is a callup to the national team.
Well deserved recognition. Rico is rapidly becoming one of my favorite Quakes players. The tremendous play of the midfield has made a huge difference in the Quakes success with the current forward situation.
Will this make it more difficult for Danny O'Rourke to return to the starting lineup? GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I don't think being player of the month makes any difference. Rico is just playing so much better than O'Rourke that Danny doesn't belong on the fgield unless Rico is missing or hurt. Maybe a few minites at the end of a game in which the Quakes have at least a 2 goal lead.