I got to go with Clint Dempsey of the New England Revolution. When he comes back from a broken jaw i expect the Revs to climb to 2nd place.
Chad Marshall. Dempsey only gets in all the highlights because he is an offensive player and he is a hustler. He is a glorified Frankie Hejduk without the crossover.
Soulphish - "He is a glorified Frankie Hejduk without the crossover. - Soulphish" What do you mean with that? Please excuse that I may not know much about the crew or Mr.Hejduk As for me though,with a few more weeks still remaining, I'd have to say either, Gaven or Dempsey. Though I will say this, Dempsey is a high-light machine. IMHO. Can't speak for the finacial state of MLS and its teams, but the play on the pitches has on the average gone up from last year. If things keep up at this rate, the same people who go to the Champions tour but don't pay MLS attention, they will give MLS a second chance.
Gaven is not a rookie. For me it comes down to Dempsey or Marshall. Both are having great seasons. It obviously comes down to the last 9 or 10 games but my crystal ball is telling me Dempsey wins by a hair.
dempsey gets on the highlights because he was the only offensive player the Revs had for a bit due to injuries. he hustles and doesn't quit. he is just like frankie hejduk. neither are the most talented footballers in the league, but they appear better than they are because they have heart. marshall does things to make the highlights every week, it is just that he is a defender and they don't get the glory....
Dempsey the same as Hejduk? WOW. Thats a pretty uneducated comparison, unless you are only talking about their work rate. otherwise I would have to say that comment is just crazy
i am only taking about heart and hustle. of course they aren't the same because dempsey doesn't have the sweet stepover.... as far as dempsey getting highlights...it isn't hard to be the brighest light shining when you are the ONLY light shining. I do think the kid is a good player, don't get me wrong...but I think Marshall is the better player and deserves ROTY...
Since the ROTY is going to go to an offensive player, it'll probably wind up being Clint Dempsey, broken jaw and all. If the voters actually objectively looked at all the rookies in the league, then I'd have to say Jeff Parke deserves very strong consideration. He's stepped into a starting role almost immediately, taking it away from Bonseu, a nat team player. Since then he's played virtually every minute and done exceptionally well, at times being the best defender on the back line in the games. Throw in the fact that he was passed over by EVERYBODY until the last pick of the draft, and you can't honestly say he doesn't deserve a first or second in the voting - I think third might be undeserving.
This is one of the funniest things I have ever read in my life. What is this stepover you talk of? Is that when Frankie steps over into his alternate lifestyle after practice, when he dresses up in women's clothing?
Jeff Parke hands down. Pope even said that Jeff is Nats material- coming from Eddie that means a lot.
Damn right, Pope hasn't been much of a captain this year. Parke makes better tackles than Pope and doesn't give up stupid penalties. (Example vs KC.)
Well let's see Marshall was the 2nd pick in he draft, has played on the U-17, U-20 and U-23 teams and left school after his sophomore year and was pretty much expected to start immediately. Parke was the last pick of the SuperDraft and. . . played for Drexel. His big claim to fame is being the last pick of the draft. No one (except maybe Bradley) expected him to make the roster let alone anchor the MetroStars back line as a rookie. Parke has played just as well as Marshall and because he was so unheralded should be above Marshall when it comes to ROY voting. He had farther to go in comparison and closed the gap immediately. He won't win it because I think Dempsey will.
As someone who switched from midfield/forward to defense in late hs and then college, defense is far easier to make transitions of levels. much less on ball action and when there is, it is still not the same as it would be further up the field. there is a reason the us system is lacking in forwards, and offensive mid, its because its a hard postion to play at high levels. parke and marshall have been great this year but it will always be true "it is easier to destroy than to create." I just find it increasingly hard to give a big award to those who play on the back line, especially those with the help from a stable vet. Someone earlier said its easy to be the only shining star on a crappy team. I would disagree with that. the worse the team, the easier it is to mark the one star out of the game. by no means am I saying dempsey is a superstar in the making, just that he is the best rook so far. however I think a part of me would love a defender to win it.
Why dontcha make it a vote? I would have to go with Dempsey, even though he cost me a lot of money for my fantasy team...
How many games does DC have left? If Adu starts getting close to 90 minutes every time out and scores 4-6 more goals with a few of them being highlight worthy I think he will get the trophy or at least come close.
Please. The competition begins and ends with Clint Dempsey. Parke and Marshall are good, Adu is overrated, Dempsey is the best. Period.
So, you are saying that if you get picked later but aren't as good a player overall as the player picked before you, you get bonus points in the ROTY? So...he was the last pick....and that to a nickel and you still can't buy a cup of coffee. Maybe Lifetime will make a movie about him. Feel good hit of the summer, I tell ya.