no disrespect....keeping this news under the other thread would've worked. regardless, i'll post here what i posted there. --------- Clarke, Garber make All-Star picks wow, 2 more revs and 2 more hoops make the team!....account for 11 of the 18 players. imo, seems a bit unfair. goats, fire, quakes, raps have (0) each. davis could've gone instead of valakari and maybe someone like jaqua or cunningham instead of tnt.....just to balance this out a bit. i don't think there's much diff between any of those players right now and 11 of 18 seems ridiculous. maybe even cerritos or moreno for twellman? mastro instead of valakari? granted fire have played 3 more games than the revs....but, do have 35 pts......and NOBODY here?! 1/3 teams NOT represented?....bad form.
yeah, hardy...har...har don't quit your day job, eh? think we've talked about this b/f....you're way in the minority here. there's just about NO 'downside' to the particular format of holding this event as it's been designed this year.
I don't want to get into an argument about All Star events with you but when you say my somewhat negative take on the whole thing is a "Minority" opinion I'm not sure your correct. Except for the extra money they get for playing I bet the players would rather have the weekend off and the coaches would also rather their players got some rest and not expose their stars to injury in a meaningless Friendly. For the most part fans don't fill the stadium for the event and the TV ratings have been poor. If I had to bet I would say that most fans have little or no interest in a MLS All Star game.
I can't speak for anyone else, but if it came down to the choice of making the schedule somewhat more streamlined so that clubs don't play so many games without their top players (and, God help us, we can take a break for the WC and let clubs play the Open Cup at that time), with the tradeoff being scrapping the All-Star game, I would do it in a New York minute. Tom
*jumping for joy* It may be cruel but NO ADU!!!!! I was so afraid he was going to be picked and IMO, there are so many other players more worthy to play in this game than he is. Very happy Twellman made the team and good for Noonan as well.
Well, I think the league should have had a 23-player roster, not 18. Mastroeni has not played better than Simo. I'll let you decide whether Jaqua or Cunningham should be in front of Taylor or Pat. I can certainly see that Davis should have gotten a chance. That being said, of the players from the top two teams, I can't argue against any of them. No one on the outside is *clearly better*. Oh, and something else to keep in mind - word around the campfire is that Clarke is out to win this game. So that probably played a bit into things as well (although Gomez and Twellman were Commish picks.)
Leaving out Parkhurst is a bit of a crime. But then the kid can probably use the rest. He'll have his hands full with an Open Cup match a few days later. The Fire, with no one on the All-star team, will come into that match PO'd and well-rested.
Ah, forget them. Their PPG is still pathetic (relatively speaking, of course). They haven't dominated either one of us.
Best XI pick at the end of the season is an honor. All-Star pick in mid-season is nearly meaninngless at best and dangerously stupid at worst. No down side? If a Rev goes down for the rest of the season come back and say that. Heck, if a Rev gets a tweak and misses the Open Cup I'll be royally peeved. As a fan I have next to no interest in this game and have a very hard time seeing an up side.
And these injuries in the All-Star Game have happened how often? Whatever. Why is it so hard for people to see the positives in something like this?
What are the positives? That an MLS all-star roster has to challenge a middle table Premiership side? How does it look when the LA Galaxy are playing the most known team in the world, Real Madrid, on Monday? DC United will host Chelsea FC later this summer too. Yet, the All-Stars will play, drumroll... Fullham FC? Nothing against Fullham FC, but, with two other higher profile teams already here it makes the All-Star game look rather meaningless.
Because MLS has a LONG season and we have SMALL rosters and by midseason our players get TIRED and carry KNOCKS that they don't get an opportunity rest------so we add a meaningless beauty contest??? The League games are the ones that count and need to be played by rested, fit players and anything that detracts from that should be done away with. Of course National Team callups are the exception.
There is something to that, no doubt. But I think with this format, the All-Star Game isn't going to be meaningless. Instead, it is going to be the same as a NT game. Well, okay, let's not get carried away with ourselves, probably not THAT much - but more than your average MLS game. Call me crazy, but I think that both the players and the coaching staff is going to take this one seriously. Some of the players want to get overseas, and see this as a chance to impress. I know some want to prove that the EPL did them wrong by not giving them a chance (ROB, Ruiz). I do hope that they make it an actual break next time, though. I agree with you there. Dallas plays on the Wednesday before against Metro and then plays Columbus in the USOC the following Wednesday, for crying out loud.
It's hard to bitch but here it goes anyway. I think Ralston also deserves to be there. How can you be in the high end of the Nat player pool and not be a league allstar? And for those that would argue against Ralston being where I said, just look at how many times Arena has put him on the Nat roster and you can't argue. He actually deserves it more then Twellman this year and I'm a bit TnT fan.
I disagree completely. Twellman has easily done more than Ralston this year in MLS. And that's what it's based on, not on what they've done for the US. Hell, I think most people here will agree that Ralston hasn't been himself (in regards to his playing abilities) most of this year.
It also appears that Twellman's success depends on Ralston (and the others being present). So who are the allstars?
This year though, I don't know how much of Twellman's success is Ralston related. A couple of his goals he's created, a couple have come from assists by other guys (Riley, Smith) ... Ralston just hasn't played up to what we saw from him two years ago.
I agree with you. But then why did Landon Donovan make it the past three years (I'll give it that he deserved this one)?
forgot to check this thread after i got back after the weekend. lord....give it up people. do not, i say DO NOT, play the injury card when it comes to this match. i've asked it b/f and i'll ask it again.....gimmie a list of people that have been injured related to and all-star match? now. give me a list of people...revs, let's say....that have been meaninglessly injured by their own friggin' teamates in practice over the past 10 years. you tell me which injuries are more frequent and meaningless. and doc....no all-star game does not mean a week off. let me guess, you woulda' resigned that little premadonna pedro, right? ...b/c he clearly prescribes to your 'i just need to lie down for 10 min, okay?' attitude. now, as written, the time off for the gold cup, let's say (or a w.c. for that matter) is a far better argument. however, as much as i'd like 'every' team to field their best side all year and the best teams not to be poached dry and 'penalized' for being good for these mid summer nat duties.......i don't mind that a bunch of bench people get some game time under their belts. it's better for 'everyone' in the long run. wanna' bitch about something? how about writing mls and asking them why the heck they scheduled 'reserve games' during the gold cup. anyone take a look at the last box score for the revs' reserve match v fire? Reserves: Fire 3, Revolution 1 i'll believe the all-star game is not a good thing when i hear the players come out and say they'd rather not be selected and play in it. as far as i know, it hasn't happened. and if you're in clint dempsey's place, let's say, you would really consider this a meaningless game.....if for some reason you played well against an epl side during their preseason and maybe got an extra look or two from some higher level organization? btw....these guys are playing in mls. and save landon donavon.....most all would rather be playing somewhere else. that means, they need notoriety. they need accolades, and they need to show they can run around with guys in higher places and get some exposure. the nat team is too darn small for this country.....and that's why i'm okay with this format of all-star game. just gets a few more guys out there occassionally. again, i've said the 'in house' all-star format is, in fact, meaningless.....this one is not. you people that don't want your porcelin dolls to get injured on the last weekend in july......please....post a quote, article, anything that actually shows that the players actually share your concern and apathy/disdain for this game.......and, i'll glady jump from my soap box to yours. ......it's the players' careers, their game, their livelihood, their will to compete, their bodies......NOT YOURS. they're okay with it? then, you should forget about playing mom for them. btw.....i'm assuming every person on this bd that says the game is meaningless and dangerous will be NOT tuning in....correct. b/c i'm sure you already realize it's clearly hypocritical if you do.
I guess I don't understand the venom about it. It is a chance to showcase the league - an excuse to promote the game. What is wrong with that? Just because Euro leagues don't do it doesn't mean it is necessarily a bad thing.
not sure what you're asking. i'm tuning in b/c i don't mind the format and would like to see mls represent well in this game......regardless of the 'real' implications. all i'm saying is.....for those that have railed on the format, called it meaningless, and/or don't want their toys dinged up.....i'm assuming they won't watch. if they watch, it means their interested/curious to some minute degree......and any iota of that means they don't really believe what their writing. and if they don't believe what their writing.......why should i? for this thread or any other they choose to participate in? so, in short....if you're against this game/format...... 1. explain why your opinion about 'importance' or 'injury' seems run opposite of the players participating (b/c your opinion means just about 'zip' to them and they don't seem to mind participating as far as i can tell). 2. don't watch.....don't have the urge to watch....don't turn it on just to see how the revs made out.....nothing. or, it would seem perfectly reasonable that myself and others don't have to take much stock in any other opinions found in this forum. doesn't that sound reasonable? like doc for instance......he and i had previously made a friendly wager that went down as a draw. i'm more than happy to make another one....on his honor...that he won't turn this game on, won't look at the box score, won't read a newspaper article talking about it, won't open the post/in game thread which surely will be here when the time comes. if he (you doc) find yourself giving into the devil on your left shoulder for one tiny split second.....i win. if this game is dead to you and the angel on your right shoulder means you never read a thread about it, never learn one single stat on the game, never go to sportscenter to just get a taste of the score, etc.....i win. how 'bout it?