i was very impressed with buddle,bruce should defenatly give him some more solid playing time.He reminds me of a younger version of adolfo valencia (when he actually tried hard) just in the way the ball is glued to his feet in tight spaces.
I think the player who acquited himself as well or better was Martino. I am a big fan of his passing. He has really great vision, and his touch is great. Both of these players have been in camp over the past couple of months, so I expect them to be involved in the future.
I thought both Martino and Buddle played well yesterday, particularly Martino. LA had to foul to stop him. I'm looking forward to seeing both of them at the Olympics next year.
both looked good, both need work. Martino is too weak at this point physically.He gets pushed off the ball too easily.That is a boy who needs weight training.
Martino had the good vision, the good idea, but still needs to work on the execution. I think Buddle will keep Cunningham on the bench alot this season, both in Columbus & for the US bench. One player I thought played well in midfield, was Maiseneauve. He was a calming influence throughout, with a little luck, he might had a few good shots on goal. Dunseth also was pretty good in the back. On the other side, I thought Columbus exposed Califf a few times, in the past I've supported Califf being called up, but yesterday he had a bad game. James
And for all his limitations, Hejduk still amazes me with his recovery runs. Funny how his first touch is often on top of the ball. Buddle. I look forward to watching him grow. Martino for all his talent needs to be reminded that footy is a man's game. Less time picking out a headband, more time hanging and banging.
watching him in person is amazing. i wish for one entire game they would do an 'iso-camera' on him and let everyone watch him run up and down, up and down...he might not be the most talented soccer player but his fitness and hustle is unreal... numerous times yesterday he made overlapping runs, only to have to turn immediately around and head all the way back down the field...all at maximum speed.
While I agree with Mr. "hanging and banging" to the extent that he means that Martino needs to work on his stamina and the physical aspect of his game, Martino's vision, quickness, ball control and creativity were the most impressive things in this match by a good distance.
Sorry Martin, but once again I agree with you. I also think a lot of people will get to see Hejduk play more this season and think he's "improved." They'll see he's one of our best backs, not just a fill-in. Similarly I'm waiting to hear people say Hartman's improved. His performance was the other remarkable thing about Saturday's game. But did anybody, other than Ty Keough, notice Brian McBride? Did Jeff Bradley really predict MBride would lead the league in goals? I suppose pigs could fly.
Going back to last year, I wondered out loud why he was not the heir apparent to the Keller/Friedel juggernaut. He looked fantastic between the sticks last year, and it looks like there's no letup this year... and this is coming from a Quakes fan.
Hartman Exhibit A, above. We know Kevin caused a fluke goal in MLS Cup '99 on a bad field. We also know his unbelievable play got LA to that Cup final. So footwork is the general knock on Hartman, (like "Burns didn't know enough to hug the post") but does anybody have a tally on how many goals he's let up due to footwork? 'Cause I bet it's less than Brad Friedel's given up due to bad rebounds.
Having seen so much of the Champions League, EPL, and Spanish leagues on TV in the MLS offseason, the lasting impression I had of the MLS opener was that it was so S-L-O-W Just a snail's pace of a game. My rec league games look an awful lot like that, but this is our first division we're talking about here! I also agree with assessments above that Buddle can control in tight spaces like he has magnetic boots, Martino has great attacking instincts but is too small right now for larger international opponents, and Hartman was clearly geared up for the opener and delivered the goods. Hartman should definitely be in the mix for Nats duty if he consistently turns out performances like that. Also, I wonder if Martino will still have those skills and vision at the pace of an international qualifying match. My guess is that this will take a while for him to develop (if he ever does) and won't come easily. Hopefully we can get on top of qualifying quickly so Martino can get significant minutes in later games of round 1. The kid's got potential.
Of course next to the champion's league, EPL and Spanish leagues, it is going to look slow. I think the "American" player has developed a much different pace and flow of the game. I think we exhibit more defensive toughness and physical play than those more finesse leagues. I also think that we obviously aren't on par with those leagues yet so of course it is going to play on a lesser level (i.e. slower). Your point regarding Martino is good with regards to speed of play at the international level. I think he will get some more call ups but he will have an opportunity to shine in the olympics, I believe along with Buddle.
It's probably slower, but I don't know about S-L-O-W. This game looked fast paced to me (for an MLS game) and I attributed that to the long preseason. Bo couldn't keep up - and remember the remarkable thing about SoKo and the US at last summer's World Cup: the Europeans couldn't keep up with our pace. If MLS is not played at breakneck speed, but rather somewhere between Euro and Latin American league pace, that's okay by me. But I think the production quality, camera angle, etc. make a big difference in one's impression of the quality and speed of play.
Hartman's play was certainly the best that I have seen from him. Also, I will admit that I haven't seen him play too many games, but I have seen him give away two games to DC United with his feet. Both were hidious mental (not physical) mistakes and one was in a championship game. I don't buy the bad field excuse for the championship game. A great player anticipates the poor field and plays safely on it in his defensive third. Hartman got in trouble because he did not play the ball safely(he had alread controlled it). It was an avoidable mistake in a championship game. Hartman should be considered as part of the national team pool if he continues to play brilliantly and expect he will, but I have a hard time thinking of him as a hier apparent at the national team level with the memories of past mental mistakes (at a slower speed of play than the national team level) imbedded in my head. That said, Noah does make a good point compairing him to Friedel. There was a time that I never would have thought of Friedel as capable of his current level of play. I guess you never know. It pays to keep an open mind. Buddle is a superb talent. I realize that many people already are aware of his talent, but I thought that Saturday was a sort of official coming out party for him. I don't think that Martino, for all of his talent and effort, is quite there yet. For the type of critical attacking role that he plays, his breakaway needed to be put at least on frame. Key attacking players need to show accountability in front of the goal at critical points of the game. Most of Columbus's other missed chances were at least saved by Hartman. But he did show himself to be an exciting young talent and it will be fun watching him develop. I'll bet in a year or two, he puts a breakaway like that in the back of the net with his eyes closed.
I know Hartman is 28, but that guy should get a chance for the Nats. He's definately better than Fat Tony. I wonder why he isn't in camp very often? I also wonder why Bruce thinks that the Keepers we use from now on when the big two are gone have to all be in their early 20's. Kahn didnt start a World Cup game until Japorea. I say give Hartman, Cannon, and Johnny Walker chances in some friendlies.
Look Hartman and Cannon have both been in camps, along with a lot of other guys. However, game time has gone to Howard and Rimando, most likely because Arena thinks they are better, or at a minimum at least as good (meaning if two goalies are about the same, go with the younger one because he has more room to improve). You don't agree, that's what BS is before. However, many people will probably accept Arena's evaluation over yours because Arena has a proven track record.
Don't know whatyou guys are watching but I've seen way too many Champions League games that are extra slow. This game I thought was very fast-paced.