aha, better clone...you arrogant American o.k i believe you....we should let surprise us next year.. but you are right US boys are super strong... you can really manage to go into Finale..but sorry probably with Germany....I have good luck I love both: Germany and USA.. but for Finale?..hmhm... Ballack is Dempsey..hmhm...does Ballack know it?
bltleo, You never noticed the close resemblance between Riquelme and Reyna? Reyna is a Riquelme clone in case you didn't know! -Norm
I was thinking in terms of: date of birth (7 mos difference), height (1 inch difference), weight (19 lb difference but I think Casey posted weight of 170 is low), position (forwards), style of play (bulls). The big difference between though between Adriano and Casey is skill level.
Dempsey's aerial game is somewhat similar to Michael's. Ballack is not a great dribbler however and Clint is not a great shooter. Ballack was at his best when Toppmöller had Ildiray Basturk distribute the ball. Nicol benched Pepe Cancela to play Clint as a roving "10". Both like to slash to the goal. Ballack is a better passer and overall a far more accomplished player obviously. So, I don't see too many similarities there. To me, Dempsey is closer stylewise to Stevie Gerrard rather than to Ballack.
I still just don't get the Dempsey as Ballack thing. He may someday appraoch the style that Ballack plays, but as of now, he is nowhere near Ballack's level and does not play particularly like him from what I've seen, internationally anyway, I have only seen him in MLS twice this year. It's just not even close at this point. I like the kid and see some potential there, but he's getting annointed way too soon around here as somehow being obviously destined for international greatness. Donovan and Beasley weren't at the level of Ballack in the last cup and they were far more impactful players for the US in 2002 than Dempsey is likely to be in 2006. Add in that less than a year ago he was turned away by PSV and comparing him to Ballack right now just seems silly. To summarize... Ballack, German captain, Bayern captain and one of the top scoring midfield players in the world. Dempsey, above average to very good MLS player that still looks a bit lost internationally.
Do try to understand the posts you are reading and don't just listen to the voice in your head( ...must make putdown! ...must make putdown!).Of course nobody is implying that Dempsey is as good as Ballack today.I think this discussion referred mainly to style.Also Ballack is like 28, Dempsey 21.
It is the style of play that is similar. Of course Ballack is better. But you have to assess the point that Dempsey could easily achieve by next summer. That could easily be within the ballpark of Ballack's level. Just as Donovan absolutely was within that level during WC02 (contrary to your assertion). Dempsey plays with the same degree of focus, never-say-die desire to produce, particularly by putting himself in unexpected locations resulting from well-timed runs. And, he is a really good header. Ballack has all these attributes in spades, no doubt, but watch Clint grow during the next 11 months. My bet is that he earns himself a position.
What is this- the telephone game? It was i who first brought up the Ballack. I did not bring him his name in conjunction with Clint Dempsey or anyone else on the team. I brought him up purely as an example of the dangers of fouling a player just outside the 18 yard box in the World Cup: If you do that then there's a good chance the other team will have a real good free kick specialist just itching to put the ball in the net and out of the reach of Keller. Most of the WC teams will have a guy- or three- who can do that. Thus we have to be careful where we do out fouling. That's it. Thanks. Carry on.
Nobody, Need to get your fact correct. Dempsey was not signed by Feynood not PSV. The main reason is that he wasn't ready to step on the field (his speed of play wasn't fast enough that time). Of course, Feynood passed both Howard and Bocanegra before. But they did take Gibbs right to their starting lineup. Two, you cannot declare Dempsey's potential 2006 contribution now to compare with Donovan/Beasley at 2002. I don't know you can see future right now.
OK... a few things. You guys are right. No one on this thread has said Dempsey is as good as Ballack. I am remembering an older thread where that was said, and I guess it just still amazes me that anyone could honestly think that. And, I shouldn't blame people on this thread for what was said before. As to style of play, I think there are major diffrences that preclude this, most importantly shooting ability. Ballack is deadly on free kicks and has a cannon from outside. The US has no players with his shooting ability, a big hole in the squad really, and something that is a clear seperatot between the two players. If Dempsey had near the shot from both free kicks and the run of play the Ballack has, he'd be a sure thing for the US lineup. Without that ability, it changes how he is able to play. A guy with a serrious long range threat can do more than a players teams can back off. I'll giver you that it looks like Dempsey is a good header of the ball and plays in midfielder. If anyone thinks that's all you need to be a Ballack clone, fine. But, I disagree. Also, right it was Feynood, although I believe their exact reasoning wasn''t that he couldn't play fast enough, but that he didn't have the ability to vary his pace, a big difference and something that a player must possess to succeed at higher levels. And, no, I can't for sure say Dempsey won't be as important to the team as Donovan/Beasley in 2002, but I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who would be very surprised if that were the case. And as to how he could "easily be within the ballpark of Ballack's level" by next summer is stretching thing quite a bit more than my predictions of future success. Don't get me wrong, I like some things about him. I just don't see him as the sure thing as a major player for 2006 as many on here do.
And at the time, I beleive they were correct. In watching him carefully with the Revs, Dempsey has really impressed me in how he has become much more of a team contributor. I think his stints with the National team have forced him to increase his speed of play and try to not think "dribble first" when in the middle third of the field. If Dempsey continues to mature, one more season and he will be ready for a team like Feynoord.
NO of us can see future or predict. If somone of you could make a forecast for soccer in 2006, then we would have got already an job offer from Fifa. No one can not do any forecast for 2006, not either Beckenbauer or Ballack, Arena or Klinsman. And I would not compare 2002 and 2006. The USA team is different from that in 2002. You have much bigger potential now and much more experiences in international soccer. So Donovan/Baesley or Donovan/Dempsey...we can not do any comparison...even Ballack 2002 is different from Ballack 2006. Players use to develop their skills, get experienced, more talented or less talented. It depends. But they never stay at the same level. Keep it in mind. So you could "cloned" Ballack II based on 2002, but you will never be able to "clone" Ballack II 2006. Even Ballack himself can not it, he don´t know where he is going to be in 2006, how many scores he will make etc. It depends on opponents countries, of the team, of many circumstances. So unfortunately we just can discuss about it, make speculations, but never do right forecast!!!. That´s my opinion. your bltleo from germany
Which is also the comment Bruce Arena has made about Dempsey, that he must work on his change of pace. Because right now, that does not show up in his game at all. So it will be interesting to see, with a month with the National Team, how his change of pace develops.
well Arena usualy changes his opinion, ideas, strategy, tactic...to surprise e opponents countries...but I believe Dempsey in on board in 2006....
anyone know if we get a Confed cup bid for winning the Gold Cup...or is that the 2007 champ that gets it
Most recent winner goes, that will be the 2007 GC winner to the 2009 ConfedCup (if they are still playing it then . . .)
I remember some quotes from Gullit at Feyenoord rationalizing the signing of Gibbs by saying that he had played in the Bundesliga already, and only spent one year in MLS, and therefore had previously proven his ability in a top league. It seemed important to Gullit that this was the case, as they must pay a minimum 400K salary to international players in Holland. So they want a guarantee that that player will live up to expectations. With Dempsey, the quotes were along the lines of "he's a nice player, but doesn't add enough to our team for us to sign him for 400K/year right now." They were pretty straighforward quotes saying he is good, but just plain not good enough. It was Dempsey's quotes which said he himself noticed he wasn't prepared for the speed of play and intensity in training there. Maybe Dempsey wasn't taken and Gibbs was primarily because Gibbs already had experience in the Bundesliga, and because at the moment Feyenoord's defense was horrible. Dempsey had no prior experience and also perhaps didn't fill a role Feyenoord was desperate to fill at the time. Point being: Dempsey is probably Feyenoord quality, if his trial went a little better and he was there at the right time. Instead, he was there in the offseason when he was out of form, and Feyenoord wasn't in desperate need of an attacking midfielder. Who knows how Dempsey would fare now, but I can say that he doesn't seem to currently bring anything Ballack-esque to the table except his heading ability and perhaps tenacity. He certainly kicks ass in MLS, but with the USMNT he hasn't been spectacular. Mostly, as Arena has said, he needs experience to learn how to play smarter and faster.
i just read the last few posts, but he hasn't been given that many minutes AND he got a goal VS. the England national team. While he may not be "there" yet, the demps' is on the way.
as long as dempsey continues to emerge as a player, he'll be on the final roster, simply because he offers a physical presence from midfield NOT offered by others... the key will be rising to the standard of play he encounters.... the first 45 against england, he seemed to be looking to get his noggin knocked off, adjusted the 2nd half and played far better....he learns.. the key is peform well in gold cup... usa clinches a slot say in match day 8 and dempsey gets 2 wc matches to show more... it's all about getting exposed to higher caiber of plays and adapting to them
I went over to the gated seahawks practice facility yesterday hoping to catch their practice. Doors were locked, gates were locked. I saw one guy with 3 antennas sticking up out of his SUV and went over to ask if I had the right location - he said yeah, he couldn't get in either but was hoping the players would come out at some point so he could interview them. I didn't wait around, but the reporter did and likely caught them as they were coming out at the end of their practice. Probably was the Seattle Times reporter who filed this report.