United in High Gear: Washington Post::10/23

Goff: As Playoffs Open, United Is in High Gear

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55538-2004Oct22.html

Gomez "has brought that attack-minded play to our team," said second-year forward Alecko Eskandarian. "The scary part is, we're just getting to know each other, so it's going to get better and better."

N.Y./N.J. Probable Starters (4-4-2): GK Jonny Walker; Ds Chris Leitch, Jeff Parke, Eddie Pope, Tim Regan; MFs Amado Guevara, Eddie Gaven, Gilberto Flores, Ricardo Clark; Fs Cornell Glen, John Wolyniec.

DCU attack getting better and better is not something that the MetroStars want to hear given that their defense includes folks like Regan, Leitch, and Parke.

Hopefully, Petke will mark Wolyniec which leaves Namoff against the speedy Glen.

 

Good article as always.

 

Merged...

 

That's all about coaching.

Nowak for coach of the year.

 

As much as I love what Nowak is doing with this team, in all honesty he is a distant thrid behind Gansler and Andrulis as much as it pains me to say..

Gansler has been dealt a myriad of key injuries (Preki all season, Klein at mid-season) yet he still got this team to the top of the league.. Is his style of play my cup of tea? Not in the least, but it's effective..

As for Andrulis, he has to win the award by default.. Columbus lost it's first three games of the season.. From that point forward, they got results in 25 of their next 27 matches .. That is nearly impossible to do in a league strife with parity..

 

I have to agree with you Chris. Andrulis and Gansler should get more votes for coach of the year than Nowak. That's amazing cause I'd say that in most years, Nowak wins the award.

 

Yup, Gansler has done a whale of job.

 

I would say that while Nowak has done a decent job coaching, the main reason for the players improved attitude is something different. It's a result of the pathetic disorganization and farce of the word "team" that was Ray Hudson's squad last year. The team was divided and fell apart as the year went on, which is a far cry from the unity seen this season.

 

So where was he last year? I would argue that he signed some good players, but even his own fans were calling for his head before April. I think the man is riding a horse that he is not fully in control of....

Gansler has certainly had to deal with a lot of injuries, but so has our friend Piotyr...

All in all, Gansler probably takes it, but I would put Nowak over Andrulis.

 

I think Nowak is a better coach than Andrulis--by far. But if you look at the coaching results you have to give it to Gansler and then Andrulis over Nowak.

I think (despite the Columbus results--which you can't ignore) that Columbus has had an incredibly talented team the past two years. It's truly amazing that Andrulis wasn't canned last year. I put that off to the fact that Columbus came out attacking, outplayed most of their opponents early in 2003 but still lost--and then the wheels came off the wagon. So management gave him another shot. But Columbus as a team had tremendous talent and (even after selling McBride and seeing West leave) still does. So it's very hard for me to argue Andrulis for coach of the year. But he's generated more impressive results than has Nowak.

 

How many of you still think it's Andrulis now that the sCrew are in a must win situation to make it to the Eastern Conference championship?

I hope they enjoy the Supporters' Shield. Cause that's the only league hardware they're getting this season.

 

Ahem.



Piotr Nowak, MLS Coach of the Year!

There's not another coach in the league who has had more of an impact on his team.