Sorry "sweetheart" but Ronald just plain hit the keeper on his planted leg and the other good chance he made an ill advised pass, when he should have shot....something he taught DeRo, I fear.
Okay, I didn't see it that way. But I'll go back and watch the game again. I had a long day yesterday. But to me it seemed like Timmy was to blame for Ronald's inability to score.
> The last year or maybe two that he was here, he > was slacking off Did someone use a amnesia device on all you? Cerritos got 11 goals last year. He was our leading scorer. How can a guy that was tied for 5th most goals in the whole league last year be slacking?
As they played the Cerritos "miss parade" highlights, they sang his praise for all the activity around the goal. I personally was thanking god for Ariel Graziani.
I would never say Cerritos slacked off, he may lack the skills needed to be a complete attacker but he always worked hard in SJ.
Cerritos got lucky. He was one of those forwards who stood around waiting for the ball to come to him. He would rarely make plays happen. He would rarely work for his goals. If he had, he would have been even more spectacular last season. Maybe I phrased that wrong. He didn't particularly slack off. He just didn't really improve as the team improved.
He didn't need to improve. He was the best. Graz isn't scoring as much as he did early in the season. Is he slacking? Is he not improving as the team improves? No. He is the best. His slacking is better than DeRo's working hard.
I get your point spejic. And I understand why you feel the way you do. But I still think he didn't improve. I still think someone needed to light a fire under his butt. And it seems that someone has. Cuz I think he looked pretty good last night. Anyway, you feel how you feel. And I have my opinion. I'm not gonna argue it.
Awww.... Looks like he's seriously hurt! Poor Ronald! This sucks! http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/dal0906cerritos.html
I never got the feeling Cerritos was a team player, or that he even cared, even as our leading scorer he just never seemed to gel with the rest of the team, or the rest of the team with him. Graz, seems happy to be with us, he in my opinion is a much easier to like.
Well you never know. he had a crap season, and now he's out, this could be a wake up call for him and he may have a remarkable come back season, Tony Meola 2000 style. Or not.
I cannot even begin to comprehend the Graziani bashing. The man is a very good forward in a mid-level league. What more do you want? Is he "world class?" No, but he is one of the leading scorers in this league. If he appears to have goals "handed to him" it is because he is in the right place at the right time. I have seen him bust his butt and create a lot on his own. And are there any soccer players that do not "whine"? Everyone gripes when they feel the call did not go their way. Everyone. Including Cerritos, whom I felt was a good player and a decent person. Cerritos is gone, but if you enjoy the Quakes why heap massive criticism on a guy who is producing.
It seems as if the thread turned more into Cerritos bashing. I agree with all of your points, plus the fact that with the Quakes, Graziani has become a more all-round player, which was not my impression of him when he was with Dallas. I think we have Frank to thank for that. And, I also agree with supersport in that Cerritos (as much as I like the guy) did not give the impression that he was a team player. Graz has. As others have said, I think the trade worked well for all concerned.
Okay, I watched again like I said. And for the most part you're right. He needs to get more creative and think more on his shots. I saw where he shot right at Timmy. I mean he was standing right in front of him and he just kicked the ball right at him. However, I still think he has improved on his play a bit. It just seems to me that he's working harder. I remember thinking that when he was with the Quakes he was lucky on alot of his goals. He happened to be in the right place at the right time. And he didn't really work to make goals happen. They seemed to be handed to him for the most part. Now, it seems he's at least working harder to make things happen. Even if he is (or isn't) taking some stupid shots.
Wasn't three quarters of those goals penalty kicks? Or did that happen in 2000? Yeah probably 2000 cause I can't image scoring 9 PKs in MLS in a season. MLS refs award PKs left and right but not that much.