DCU Training Notes
Is this the MVP? (Jonathan Newton - TWP)
Hey strangers, Steinberg here. Sorry for long-time-no-post. I've been on serious local-NFL-team duty. Will now attempt to vomit up as much from my computer screen as I can before I'm back to local-NFL-team duty.
First off, the new acquisition, Jerson Monteiro. Will write a note about him in tomorrow's dead-tree edition, and some googling would have revealed much of his path to MLS (leaving war-torn Angola at age 14 and all the rest), but I wanted to get it in the paper for the record. He's a big kid, both fast and physical, and Tommy Soehn said that, like any player on the roster, he could figure into the lineup before this year is done.
Also, the MVP race. Luciano Emilio will obviously figure into the talk. (An aside on Emilio; while his first name is pronounced with an "s" sound, his nickname is "Luci," pronounced "Loo-chee." I asked Ben Olsen why the same letter changes pronounciation in the nickname. "Loochee sounds a little more manly than Luci," Olsen said.
Also, I was told that Christian Gomez apparently does not like being called "Gomito." "He was Gomito as a kid; he's a grown-a$$ man," Olsen said.")
Anyhow, thoughts on the MVP race after the jump, and I'd be curious to hear your feelings on the issue. Is DCU affected most by the absence or Emilio, Moreno or Gomez? Do any of them impact DCU more than, say, Angel in New York? I would think Emilio would be the choice as of this moment, just because that's the easiest way to go.
Soehn on candidates:"That's for everybody else to decide after the season. No thanks. We're selling our team. Teams win championships."
Moreno: Luciano Emilio, Juan Pablo Angel, Eddie Johnson. Spoken like a true goal scorer.
Troy Perkins (who, I just realized, might have a future in TV if he wants one): "You know, I'm tired of guys getting MVP's who score goals, because there's a lot of guys that work behind them that do just as well if not better. I don't know, you could pick a couple players from Chivas who have done really well, and we've got some players here who have done exceptional jobs. Luciano has to be one of the top two guys for league MVP this year. He scores all these goals, but he does a lot behind the ball too. I can't even consider Eddie Johnson. I mean, he scores goals but there's so much that goes against him as far as contributing to his team.
"Who else is up there? Christian I think could be a team MVP this year; it's a big difference with him off the pitch, because we lack some creativity without him and he really influences our flow of the game. For Chivas, I think Jesse Marsch has done well. I think he's the heart and soul for that team. He battles, he sets the tone for that club. You take him away, and they don't have any leadership in the middle of the park. They might not be a contender without him."
Olsen on his own chances: "Yeah, that would be a riot. No, I've got two guys, three guys on my team that have more of a chance for that stuff than me. I wouldn't ever really want that award. If you deserve it and you have an incredible year, that's great. But I've had an ok year right now. I've scored some goals. I think for the most part I've played pretty well. It's just that award's reserved for the guys that really take the league over and put their stamp on the league, guys like Christian and Emilio this year have certainly done that. I'm always a fan of Jaime's; this year it's a little bit more subtle because it's not as many goals, but right now we're in first place and he's still the guy that makes us go. He changes the way we can play. He's another guy that's just crucial and that type of player. Talk about valuable player, that's as valuable a player on this team as we get."
(Here's an ESPN.com story that suggests Olsen is a legit candidate.)
Devon McTavish (joking. I think): "Ben Olsen. Seven goals? I mean, come on. He's having a great year. I'd go with Ben Olsen. Or Troy Perkins (as Perkins entered the room).
Perkins on Olsen: "He's had a hell of a year, hasn't he? What, five goals? Seven? Yeah, Benny could be up there, Benny's a top three pick. If he continues to play well, he comes back after this match and continues to play well for us? I mean, look what he did coming off the bench for us against New England. He comes in, we score two goals. He does the same thing as Jesse Marsch, the heart and soul."
What else? Guys are extremely excited about the prospect of getting a soccer field back at Estadio RFK, with the upcoming departure of the Nationals. More on that in the paper tomorrow. "Thank God," was Perkins's response.
Perkins discussed his PK stop on Eskandarian last week. Apparently Eskandarian famously taunted Perkins about his pre-PK shuffle, calling it "the Harlem Shake." I asked whether Perkins had an advantage from practicing against Esky for years and knowing his tendencies.
"I get an advantage from him talking so much [stuff] to me the last three years," Perkins said. "I was going to do everything I could to save that PK. He would tell me I was never going to save a PK, that I do stupid dances before PK's, that I wasn't imposing at all. Finally, look what happens....He wasn't happy, but what are you going to do? If he makes, it he's jubilant for the next year, until he comes back here, and we never stop hearing about it. I think for the front office and everyone on the team, we were happy he didn't score against us."
Lots of talk on the three yellow-card absences this coming weekend: Olsen, Gomez and Fred, who likely won't travel. "Maybe me Fred and Christian can meet up at one of those Argentine steak places," Olsen suggested. Moreno said he "definitely" expects to take on even more of a play-making role against Chicago, and that there's a good possibility he could drop even further back than he has been. "It always makes things interesting," Soehn said of the suspensions, although he'd sooner cut his entire roster than discuss any lineup decisions.
Moreno was also asked about Cuauhtemoc Blanco's somewhat unsavory reputation among U.S. national team fans; "That's between the U.S. and Mexico, we've got nothing to do with that," he said.
Soehn was asked whether the refereeing has been more uneven this year than in seasons past; "we don't spend a lot of time talking about it because over the course of the season it all evens out," he said. "Obviously some situations affect you more than others, but you can't control that. All you can control is the way you play and how you handle decisions, good or bad. I think our guys do a good job of keeping their mouth shut and playing hard."
Concerning the defense, McTavish said he's still willing to play out at right back if Bryan Namoff needs a spell, but that Namoff has been playing well and it might not make sense to tinker with that. Obviously, there are three guys (including Greg Vanney and Bobby Boswell) playing for two central spots.
"There's no bitterness there at all; at least, out in the public," McTavish said with a smile. "But if you see the other two playing well in practice, you're going to have to pick your game up, because there's only two spots. In terms of competitiveness, I think it's great. If you're not playing well, then you shouldn't be playing, you shouldn't be out on the field."
Olsen (who, programming note, will be on Washington Post Live on Comcast SportsNet this evening) said he spent the free weekend painting the "man room" of his new house. The man room turns out to be a library outfitted with entertainment-technology stuff. He also said he planned to sue Boswell over the unauthorized use of his images on BobbyBoswell.com.
"I told him I'm going to sue him and I'm going to sue the site, and his response was we have the same lawyers," Olsen said. "His agent is my agent. But I've been with my agent a long time, a lot longer than him, and I will certainly convince him to shut that site down if he puts something on there about me that is unauthorized. All I ask him is to come to me and say, 'Ben I'm putting this on there, is that ok?' All I'm asking for is a little respect.' "
Wow. Yeah. (Via MLSNet)
Also, this photo of Esky tweaking McTavish during last week's game.
"I'm suing Esky for it," McTavish promised. "It's ridiculous. You should see it, I could press charges for it. It's disgusting."
[Note: These final two comments were said in jest.]
Apologies for so much fluff in here; I have to save the more serious stuff for the paper.
By Dan Steinberg |
September 18, 2007; 3:16 PM ET
D.C. United
Previous: World Cup Matchday: USA-Nigeria |
Next: Writers on the Storm
Posted by: The Picture | September 18, 2007 3:25 PM
maybe i'm reading far to much into it, but are olsen's and mctavish's final quotes in jest? maybe the tone isn't coming through in text.
Posted by: ant | September 18, 2007 3:27 PM
Hmmm...who has the biggest impact on the pitch when they are off? Emilio scores goals, and is obviously a huge part of United's succes. But United runs like an organic beast when at its best. All the parts work together. Emilio scores of service from Jaime, Gomez scores off Fred, Fred scores off service from Gomez or Moreno, Olsen scores off service from everyone, and gets the ball in to Luchee and everyone else. It is hard to say. The beast is most disrupted when Moreno or Gomez are off the pitch though. Maybe even Jaime. Gomez is creative, but those two work off eachother in the midfield to hold the ball better than anyone else on United. That feeds the rest of the beast. My vote is Moreno.
Plus, from what I have seen, Angel is great, but he doesn't rob NY of their game when he is not on the pitch. Mathis, Jozy, those guys pick up the slack, though I must admit to not being a scholar of the Reb Bulls.
Fred, Gomez, and Olsen should go to this nce little Argentine place in Rockville called Cafe Patio. It is next to Guitar Center and the staff speaks to you first in Spanish (some don't even speak English). Plus the wine is good. Hell, if they want to meet me I will buy the lomitos. (wow, that sounds lame!)
Posted by: T. Henry | September 18, 2007 3:49 PM
Ouch, Esky going for the shocker there or something.
Posted by: Luis | September 18, 2007 3:56 PM
What else am I going to call Gomito, Christian or Gomez or something?
Posted by: sitruc | September 18, 2007 4:09 PM
I vouch for Cafe Patio. Plus, they will talk Football with you as long as you want.
Posted by: A Hardwick | September 18, 2007 4:19 PM
My vote is for Moreno.
Posted by: Jaime MVP | September 18, 2007 4:31 PM
For us, it's got to be Moreno. When Emilio is out, our other scorers pick up the slack. We have Olsen, Gomez, Fred, and Moreno all with 5 or more goals. Sure, we're less dangerous without Emilio, but we can cope with it. When Moreno is out, though, the entire mindset of the team changes. If ever a player for an MLS team has been talismanic, it's Moreno. It's not just his ability, it's some indescribable phenomenon where we freeze up if he's not out there.
However, I think we all know that the MVP award is always given out based on stats and bad decisions (like Guevara getting it instead of Moreno that one time). Moreno is our most valuable player, but the award rarely ever goes to the most valuable player; it goes to the guy with the best numbers.
My guess is that, as of now, it will be Emilio for MVP. Angel is the only realistic contender aside from him, in my eyes. Johnson has been great, but KC has been able to replace him when required. Schelotto will get votes, as will Galindo. As much as I hate to say it, I think Blanco would be a frontrunner if he had been in MLS all season.
Posted by: Chest Rockwell | September 18, 2007 4:33 PM
Who knew Esky was a wrestler? Nothing like a little checking of the oil amongst friends, right?
Posted by: prophet | September 18, 2007 4:39 PM
'grown ass man'
classic big soccer reference
Posted by: uniteo | September 18, 2007 4:43 PM
Hilarious stuff. Thanks Dan.
Does Perkins have a man-crush on Jesse Marsch?
Posted by: Shatz | September 18, 2007 4:49 PM
If Perkins has a man crush on Jesse Marsch my girlfriend is going to be sorely dissapointed. She lust after Perkins more than Beckham.
Posted by: T. Henry | September 18, 2007 4:59 PM
hopefully olsen is not on big soccer all the time and he's just referring to 'kings of comedy' routine by cedric the entertainer.
good stuff again steinberg. crossing fingers for emilio.
Posted by: i'm just sayin' | September 18, 2007 5:04 PM
Wow, Perkins tellin it like it is! What does he mean when he says Eddie Johnsen doesn't help the team outside of scoring goals? Does he do a poor job holding the ball, for example, or is it some off the field rep he's got?
It says a lot about this team when you can throw out 5 names as possible league MVPs (Moreno, Luciano, Gomez, Olsen, Perkins). I tend to agree with Chest Rockwell and others when they say Moreno is the most important player to us, but Emilio will probably win it because of the goals. Actually I think Olsen might be our second most indispensible guy, the whole heart and soul thing.
Would it be silly to nominate Namoff as defender of the year? Is Burch going to get serious rookie of the year consideration? (they wouldn't consider older players like Angel/Blanco for that would they?)
Posted by: uranderson | September 18, 2007 5:08 PM
Is Burch going to get serious rookie of the year consideration? (they wouldn't consider older players like Angel/Blanco for that would they?)
Posted by: uranderson | September 18, 2007 05:08 PM
__________________________________________
Would Burch even be considered a rookie? Hasn't he bounced around a bit?
The "Newcomer of the Year" award was specifically created with the Angel/Blanco types (or Emilio and Fred, for that matter) in mind.
Posted by: Section 410 | September 18, 2007 5:25 PM
Yeah, tell me Ben is joking. That sounds kinda tw@tty.
Posted by: Benny OK? | September 18, 2007 5:26 PM
Ah, I see, it was a joke. That didn't sound like Ben. Good. Good. I go lie down now.
Posted by: Benny OK! | September 18, 2007 5:27 PM
Hmm.
Didn't you cover Ohio State when they ate at Fogo de Chao here?
Posted by: B.A. | September 18, 2007 6:07 PM
Some of the USMNT team eat there (Fogo de Chao) in Chicago before the Brazil game - don't know if it is still posted, but there was video of it on ussoccer.com
Posted by: emanon | September 18, 2007 7:52 PM
Ok, instead of the Gomito chant from BB & SE's they need to do an Ar-gen-tina chant like Old Trafford used to do for Heinze.
Posted by: Keenan | September 18, 2007 8:02 PM
Is DCU scrimmaging against Crystal Palace USA in that pic???
Posted by: BigWave | September 18, 2007 8:07 PM
No, I believe that is the Danish team we played down in Bradenton, I forget the name.
Posted by: Goose | September 18, 2007 8:37 PM
I'm not a DCU fan, so I'd like to think I'm a bit more objective, but it seems to me that right now Emilio the MVP.
DCU folded like a basket of laundry in the second half of the season with almost the exact same squad. Emilio has taken DC on his back and run with em.
Angel would have been the pick but he cooled off and so did RBNY.
P.S. I don't blame Gomez. 'Gomito' sounds too much like 'Comito" and I wouldn't want anyone calling me that either. :(
Posted by: papa bear | September 18, 2007 8:43 PM
Dan,
It's bad enough that Troy has two jobs (actually, you need to do a big WP Sports/Business section crossover follow up story about Troy in the mortgage banking world), but now you're suggesting that he could have a third job in TV?
Posted by: Kim | September 18, 2007 9:16 PM
How about Clyde Simms for MVP? I'd like to know DCU's record when he's in the starting lineup and their record when he's not.
Posted by: silentbob | September 18, 2007 9:32 PM
fyi - Steinberg's article is up
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2007/09/18/AR2007091801696.html
Posted by: emanon | September 18, 2007 10:09 PM
You mean David Beckham isn't a lock for MVP?
Didn't know Ben's our captain. Thanks BSPN.com.
Posted by: UVA to RFK | September 18, 2007 10:11 PM
Dear Dan,
I love the fluff. It's why I come to this site.
Thanks!
Andy
Posted by: Andy In Asheville | September 18, 2007 11:12 PM
If you're looking to declare a man "most valuable," you've also got to look at his team's position. Like it or not, teams like Toronto and LA couldn't turn Kaka into an MVP because no matter how good he is, if his team isn't winning trophies or a playoff spot, he's only contribution aesthetics. It would be a disrespectful stretch to say the same of Angel or Johnson, but barring a major change in tactics, chemistry or drive, these two play for teams not likely to challenge for the title.
Emilio's contributions have economically exceeded those of anyone on opposing teams. I'm too lazy to look up how many game winners he's slotted or created but this certainly isn't the only factor to look at.
I won't automatically put Luciano over every other candidate, but as a goal scorers go, I pick him to build a franchise around. The power to score 1-2 times per game just by getting this man the ball seems pretty valuable to me. Not to mention the way he energizes Estadio RFK*.
*no other DC player has earned a banner in Barra Brava faster than Emilio. Debate OVER.
Posted by: WM DCU | September 18, 2007 11:30 PM
Would Burch even be considered a rookie? Hasn't he bounced around a bit?
The "Newcomer of the Year" award was specifically created with the Angel/Blanco types (or Emilio and Fred, for that matter) in mind.
Posted by: Section 410 | September 18, 2007 05:25 PM
*****************************
Yeah, I'm not having much luck with googling for definitive info on this, but Wikipedia has both "Newcomer of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" listed in its MLS awards section. Newcomer has no info and Rookie has this uncited blurb:
"In the United States, Major League Soccer (MLS) has handed out a Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. MLS, as opposed to other American sports leagues like Major League Baseball, only designates a player as a rookie if the player has had no prior professional experience. So, for example, although Taylor Twellman finished second in MVP voting in 2002, he was ineligible for the Rookie of the Year Award because he had played on the reserve team of 1860 Munich."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLS_Rookie_of_the_Year_Award
So, if correct, that would rule out the vets for rookie, I wonder if Burch would still be a canidate? I know he bounced around, but did he actually get in enough games to be ruled out?
McTavish should get a long look in my opinion. Although others like Altidore and Guzan are sexier picks.
Emilio should be a favorite for newcomer if that award is reserved for veterans in their first MLS year.
Posted by: uranderson | September 19, 2007 1:47 AM
^^doh, Guzan's not a rookie, nevermind about that.
This is from Burch's player page at the DC site:
"2006: Selected in the Second Round (24th Overall) in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the Los Angeles Galaxy, Burch made three appearances as a substitute for LA before being traded to the Columbus Crew in July. With the Crew, Burch made seven appearances (five starts) and tallied one assist in a 3-2 loss to D.C. United on 7/15."
So 5 starts and 5 subs last year. It would be harsh to rule him out just for that.
I didn't realize he'd only started 10 games for us this year, is that right? It seems like he's been there forever. Probably not enough games to get the award, tis a shame.
Posted by: uranderson | September 19, 2007 1:57 AM
Someone needs to tell Gomito that you don't get to choose nicknames, nicknames choose you, and that's just the way it is.
Posted by: Dong-face | September 19, 2007 3:06 AM
I understand the Moreno argument, but I think snubbing Emilio for MVP is taking what he does for granted.
Creating goal-scoring opportunities has not been a problem for DC in recent years. But actually scoring goals... that's another matter, isn't it?
How long has it been since we had such a lethal, consistent finisher? At least eight years (Lassiter), and maybe 11 (Arce). And you can see the difference it makes in United's position in the table.
Posted by: Joe S. | September 19, 2007 3:11 AM
Emilo for MVP
More DCU coverage, please. Who gives a crap about the NFL (except for most of the country).
Posted by: Eric | September 19, 2007 5:35 AM
Newcomer Award is for "new acquisitions that do not qualify for the League's Rookie of the Year award, which is limited to players without previous professional experience."
http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20070907&content_id=115840&vkey=pr_mls&fext=.jsp
Here's a list of the other awards
Honda Most Valuable Player
Comeback Player of the Year
VISA Defender of the Year
Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year
U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year
Budweiser Golden Boot (Top goal scorer)
Gatorade Rookie of the Year
Posted by: emanon | September 19, 2007 6:22 AM
Monteiro = Addlery 2, Son of Addlery.
But seriously, how could anybody BUT Luci win the MVP? The guy is a beast.
BTW, I've been posting as "Matt" for a while, but since my surname beings with "E", and there's another Matt on the board, I'm switching to "Matte". Just figured I'd give you guys the heads up so you could continue to lambaste me without having to figure out that the new guy is just as dumb as old Matt. LOL!
Posted by: Matte | September 19, 2007 9:06 AM
Someone needs to tell Gomito that you don't get to choose nicknames, nicknames choose you, and that's just the way it is.
Posted by: Dong-face | September 19, 2007 03:06 AM
That's the second funniest post I've every read!
Posted by: Joe Doc | September 19, 2007 9:21 AM
United without Jaime Moreno is a canoe without paddles.
Posted by: ElDiablo | September 19, 2007 10:58 AM
Just to chime in on an earlier comment. The Argentine restaurant in Rockville is called El Patio, not Cafe. The staff are super nice and they do show a lot of futbol. Food's pretty good too.
Posted by: Kev | September 19, 2007 12:23 PM
very good points Joe S., goalscoring is a rare talent, a lot of times it looks like he's just cleaning up a team effort, but the fact is that a lesser player in the same positions would have probably half as many goals.
But, Moreno's influence on the team is huge, he's such a calming presence. His ability to recieve the ball, hold it if necessary to give runners time to get in the attack, and then deliver a precise pass, all while under pressure, is invaluable. That ability is just as rare as goalscoring in my opinion, and just as important overall.
Posted by: uranderson | September 20, 2007 3:28 AM
adxphus saxhflz jseypcq mhgcjsebt evqtxi gehbu jsnz
Posted by: fpcm flehk | November 21, 2007 5:42 PM
uyxq zmefploc baylout pdej bzfc izpfugnoy jtwqnmx http://www.zeouarypl.xtkfcsy.com
Posted by: fxcvbntay mnux | November 21, 2007 5:43 PM
jcdp rbnjsloqv ojfcxr oaczvmwlh oktq qjnb kjytfvc
Posted by: jixrfuvsb ufrs | December 7, 2007 6:49 PM
sqdy ganfb hzim rgjyscv shniv geihdb kboshld http://www.zordk.sjkbv.com
Posted by: iuklwvsen sxyfp | December 7, 2007 6:52 PM
gstjbl aznvphxie lztw etdv cmrabsjg tven aloqnvzf
Posted by: khwjly ykmei | December 31, 2007 10:45 PM
mvoular muycjid yhoqduv tzsnov fadgjrps rdmx txmscoey http://www.rmsh.qkmcfb.com
Posted by: sajruy desf | December 31, 2007 10:46 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
http://web.mlsnet.com/images/2007/09/13/asLH7lAB.jpg