I'm not going to vote in my own poll, but I think given his recent performance, especially vs. the Galaxy tonight, where he was the best player on the field (except maybe Hartmann and Kreis), he deserves the start. Vaca just gives the ball away too often and isn't threatening enough despite his good ball handling skills. Both have offensive skills, but Vaca doesn't play defense well. At one point Suarez was all over him for not marking a wide open Victorine in the box. O' Brien not only plays nice defense, but is very dangerous at leading a counterattack off of a steal. I'd love to see him get a full game.
I like Vaca starting only because I like seeing ROB coming off the bench with fresh legs against oponent's tired legs. ROB is great !!! He handles the ball very well. He thinks attack and he plays more defense than any midfielder besides Chad. The only problem I had tonight was him not getting the ball in the O.T. It wasn't his problem, but with those bringing the ball out of defense (Zarco). (btw) All of Hartmann's stops tonight were medium soft shots right at him. So: 1. His defenders were knocking strikers off balance. 2. His positioning was very good. Jordan had more effect on the match with two great saves in O.T.
Honestly, Ronnie O'Brien has been great, but he's not yet match fit for a team that plays in the summer in Texas. Tonight, he came in the match in minute sixtysomething, and by the end of regulation, he was gassed. He was bent over and grabbing the bottom of his shorts, as if he had been out there for 90. I think that down the road, this'll be an interesting dilemma, but for right now, the question is moot.
I completely agree with Jefe. It doesn't look like Obrien is all the way there yet fitness wise. And I think Vaca does bring quite a bit to the team in the midfield. He's quick, has great vision, and takes players on.
If there was a way to have O'Brien and Vaca on the field at the same time I think you would be in good shape. Problem is the most likely candidates for replacement are on the left side--> Broome and Martinez. Martinez can be brilliant on the attack at times, but often he just makes some haphazzard runs or crosses that amount to pointless turnovers. Broome is a nice two-way player, but bottom line is that he is a lesser version of O'Brien. If there were a way to bench Broome and start O'Brien I think you should do it... immediately.
Good points, everyone. I would like to see Joselito and ROB on the field somehow, but I think as Pareja ages you can see Joselito in the middle and ROB on the outside. And, yes, it's possible that ROB looks so good because he's fresh. But Chivas, Joselito, and Pareja also struggle to go 90 too, so you have to compare ROB to other middies. I just think having a hard hitting ROB in the playoffs would be a nice thing to watch. Let's just hope there's enough PT for all these guys. I"m a bit down on Joselit right now, but at the start of the season I thought Chivas was nothing more than the second coming of Temoc Suarez, and I was definitely wrong there. Should be interesting...
Obviously, we're damn lucky to have both on the team. Both could start and I could live easily with either one getting the nod. I voted for Vaca. It is worth noting (correct me if I am wrong) that aside from Open Cup games, all of O'Briens goal have come in games when he we was subbed on. He has not scored when he has started. Right now O'Briens is proving his value as a game-changing sub. Another thought: Can you believe 6 months that midfield was considered a weak area on this team. We have Chivas, Pareja, Deering playing out of his mind, Vaca and now O'Brien. We could even play a 3-5-2 just to get them on the field at the same time. Broome and Zarco can sub in at mid or back just the same.
POLL UPDATE: Wow, Joselito jumped out to a big lead, 4-0, but ROB is making a comeback. It's now 10-7. I really thought there would be a split of opinion on this one, and I really don't think there's a clear solution or rationale (including mine) for choosing one guy over the other at the moment. I sure would like to see ROB get a start, which he should during the busy upcoming "Hell Week". I generally agree with this statement about the strength of the midfield but I'm not sure I agree that Deering is "playing out of his mind." Not in the last 3 home games, at least. I'm still mixed on Vaca. In my heart of hearts I think he's meant to play in the middle, to take over Oscar's role. I think Ronnie is better for the right. But at least we have to choose based on too many good players rather than not enough.
My preference would be to keep Vaca at right mid and try Ronnie up top with Jason. While Cerritos has been playing better of late and Rhine's been doing allright this year, the Burn are still too reliant on Jason's scoring. Paired with Jason at forward, I think O'Brien's ability to take on defenders 1 on 1 and create chances would nicely complement Jason's solid passing and finishing skills. I'm not saying it's a can't miss proposition, but I think it's one that'd certainly be worth trying out before we hit the playoffs.
[puts pinkie finger up to mouth, Dr. Evil-style] VERY INTERESTING... Unfortunately I doubt they would try something like this so late in the year. But I totally agree we need some more threatening attackers, as the league isn't exactly quaking in its boots over Rhine and Cerritos. I hope EJ gets a start soon and scores a hat trick, and the EJ-ERA gets off officially in Big D. Until then, experimentation will be necessary.
I agree. It's unlikely our somewhat conservative coach would try this so late in the season. But, remember back in '99 our lineup at forward was reshuffled late in the regular season when Graziani joined the Burn, and that certainly ended up working out very well for the team that year. While O'Brien has technically been playing midfield for the Burn thus far, on some occasions he's often played more as a withdrawn forward than as a midfielder. So starting Ronnie at forward with Jason might not be as dramatic a switch in tactics as it might appear at first glance.
End of Poll THANKS for participating in my poll. Joselito wins 13-10, and I can live with that. I do think there is a case for having Ronnie on the field. I especially think that during the playoffs a more physical player might really make a difference.