Was it just me or was Kansas city clueless in the final tonight against DC. A man up and a goal down with around 10 mins left... First of all it is amazing how none of the kc players understand the game well enough to know that there needs to be a little urgency when you are losing, especially in a final. They played as if they were winning and were a man up. Example, ball won deep in own defensive half. I will not mention names because in my mind none of them deserve one. Center back walks the ball forward...center back still has the ball and slowly checks his options. ball goes wide, then into the midfield, then back...PUT THE BALL IN THE MIX AND PUT SOME PRESSURE ON A TERRIBLE dc GOALKEEPER. Second point the KC wide midfield players were terrible. It looked as if it was the first time playing the position. I can only remember one time that an outside player tried to get to the end line or tried to take a player on. The late change Taylor, (i know I said no names, but this player played exceptionally bad,) never mind no comment he just sucked. I was watching the end of the barcelona game on another tv in the room during the MLS final, and one thing comes into mind, The MLS needs more "real" soccer players that understand how the game is supposed to be played, in terms of making the right decisions on and off the ball throughout the whole game, and less mindless athletes who are heads down and have no business embarrassing our league. Pick players who know how to play the way the game is meant to be played
How about the utter lack of creativity? Can any of these players string passes together that don't involve balls over the top.
I thought KC played ok. But ok won't win you the MLS cup. DC had more heart: they gritted through playing down a man, and they successfully held off KC. I think DC played smart (i.e. Benny and Jaime) espescially with regards to time wasting, whereas KC relaxed a bit and didn't attack like they needed to.
Agree. No ideas, none. players did not seem to understand how to threaten DC, but in the most elementary areas. Outside players:get behind the outside backs, or at least square that way when you receive a ball your first touch can be behind the defender, or to set up a cross, or to drop it off for a combination that can put you in a position to get behind. I don't see how they can be playing if they don't understand how to play. A Guess - maybe because someone out there decides to keep a player around who really doesn't deserve to be there anyway. I.E. Albright, potentially a good forward/middy from college, but proved to be awful at the next level. The response, but him at right back? Is this for real, these are the kind of moves that makes the mls mickey mouse in comparison to better european leagues. Don't get me wrong I love our league, because it is ours, but can anyone see Real Madrid putting OWEN as a right back because he was not producing? Of course not you put him on the bench and either force him to play or tell him to find a new profession.
Zero midfield creativity. Missed passes etc. It was difficult to watch. Probably a combination of an off day plus good DCU defense. DCU played a very smart second half. A deserved win but a snooze of a final.
Very strange, because throughout the rest of teh playoffs, they had shown lots of resourcefulness.....maybe that whole adage about "youngsters win games, veterans win chamopionships" got to them....I know they had some experience out there, but for tonight, it seems like they truly missed what Chris Kline, Preki, on even what Meola could provide leadership wise..Of course, i was already pissed at Meola for mouthing off in an article i read today (don't remember where), showing a lack of solidarity with his teammates before teh championship game.....so F Meola for not being a team player....
MLS is NINE YEARS OLD, for crying out loud. Real Madrid has players who make as much as the MLS payroll. Consider the step by step progress in the past 10 years. When the 1994 World Cup ended, a majority of US players didn't have a club to report to. Now they all do. And every year, the league is getting better and stronger.
I don't think it's a knock against the league that a team in the championship game simply got outcoached, outclassed and outplayed. Moreso DC was probably just more talented. Has far less to do with the caliber of the players in the league, and certianly doesn't make MLS look 'mickey mouse.'
It was a comparrison. WE consider MLS to be a respecible league, so treat it as one. If Real Madrid is to much, then I will say that this would not happen in a fourth division of any of the leagues mentioned. In regard to payroll, you can't tell me that there aren't enough players to select from in the US, so that doesn't come in to play. Bottom line play the players who deserve to play and prove themselves, hell why not call back Ali curtis DC, lets try him as a right back.
Chris Albright is a person who apparently always should have been a right back. He has earned several callups to the US national team. 2 european teams have taken one of our young forwards and converted them to defenders. Manchester united did this with Jonathon Spector and Arsenel did it with Danny Karbassiyoon. So It's hard to say it's mickey mouse to convert players to other positions. The more realistic position is to say maybe the youth coaches in America are not perfect at picking positions for players. Note: The US national team started converting Spector but still Man U had a choice of where to play him.
Crappy final, I guess the last week game, Revs-DC would be more remenbered than this game. KC played awful . DC just ok. I am not sure if Eskandarian is this unstopable player. I would like to see him with the nats so he can proof us if he is more than a "MLS good player"
amazing final in my opinion. not because DC won, but because it was so interesting KC goes up DC scores hattrick hattrick is by 2nd year player dema redcard (first in mls cup ever) then KC knocks on the door the rest of the half
Yeah, as a K.C. fan who lives in L.A. and was at the game...it was ugly. So much falling down at crucial times, missing kicks, making weak shots and one incredible no-no in my book when Josh Wolff stops his run with one man to beat because that one man tugs his jersey and Josh turns around to bitch about it. That was pure Carlos Ruiz, Luis Hernandez bull crap play. Well, what are you gonna do? Could the MLS players please pass the ball and make it look pretty? Geez.
That was a pretty bad game by KC. No long balls played into the box hoping that someone would challenge the short Rimando. Taylor ahd four chances where he just gave the ball away to United as if they were wearing the same shirt. Definately not a great final. The crowd was great, but the field play wasn't.
What happened to the non-call on the second goal by Esky? Obvious handball! Didn't see the whole match but caught the highlights and that is what stood out.
I was embarassed to be a KC fan in that second half. 30 minutes playing 11 on 10 and needing only a goal, and we do nothing. Besides Arnaud's shot over the top from point blank, KC created absolutely nothing. They made it so easy on DC - long ball after long ball, met with clearance after clearance. KC showed absolutely no creativity, and really at the end didnt even look panicked or frantic. I couldn't tell they were playing for a championship. My girlfriend pointed out, spot on, that you really couldn't even tell KC was behind by the way they played at the end. I mean, you want your team to play relaxed, but that was a little over the top. And Matt Taylor? I'm glad he got the experience - but maybe that wasnt the time to put him in there. Of course, hindsight is always 20/20.
Spencer was only sixteen when he made the switch, and an "american" sixteen is very young. Danny Karbassiyoon I will still consider young since he is yet to break through into the first team on consistent basis and was swithched I believe when he was ninteen. Although, he did get the game winner for the first team, a bit ago. either way both players were still in developmental stages of their career when they made the change.