Between my time-zone of choice (PST) and Major League Soccer's game-bookers, I caught this one in pieces; I still have yet to see Eddie Johnson's opening goal (whoops! till now...thanks quick kicks!). Here are some brief observations based on what I saw, starting with the Toronto FC side of things:
- Dude, Toronto FC is in for one long motherfucker of a year. Till this team improves defensively, it might be advisable to place an asterisk next to these wins and keep a separate ledger for the goals they allow.
- On the same subject, Toronto glumly demonstrated last night that simply packing 10 players behind the ball - as they appeared to be doing after KC's first goal - isn't sufficient; they still have to be organized.
- On the other end, Alecko Eskandarian came close enough that I believe Toronto capable of scoring - and almost expect that will happen this weekend. If it doesn't, holy crap...I don't know if I can watch this team. Too painful...
- Speaking of bright spots for Toronto, Carl Robinson doesn't look half bad. He's no All-Star at this point, but he's showing signs.
- Think of what the recent trades must feel like for Marvell Wynne and Kevin Goldthwaite - and this goes double for Wynne, who left the team everyone's talking about right now. The only comparable experience that comes to me would be getting picked early when the captains divvy up teams - y'know, like they used to do in gym class or on the playground - only to be shipped to the crappy side to help for the sake of closer balance.
From the KC side:
- I have read, and have probably written as well, that Eddie Johnson should concentrate on getting back to form with a club team before he gets a shot with the national team again; based on the past two performances I saw, EJ is making progress.
- And a big part of that, last night at least, came courtesy of Carlos Marinelli. He delivers a pretty good ball and looks like a good find for the Wizards.
- Hartman showed on at least one occasion the importance of having a good 'keeper; his near-post stop on one of Eskandarian's attempts was impressive.
- Sadly, though, the jury has to stay out on this Wizards team - and probably through the weekend. Given not just last night, but Toronto's season as a whole, betting on the Canadian team to win seems like a brave call.
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Showing posts with label Carlos Marinelli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carlos Marinelli. Show all posts
KC News: Marinelli, Stadium, and Other Miracles
As a general rule, it seems like once something gets posted on MLSnet.com, it's really real. Now that it's clearly, totally safe, may as well announce that the Kansas City Wizards have bagged the guy who looks to be the playmaker so many believe that team needs (myself included): Carlos Marinelli.
The effect of the word "Argentine" is a funny thing, conjuring as it does world-class players possessed of breathtaking skill and steely toughness. And Marinelli's club career - which includes Boca Juniors, a brief spell with England's Middlesbrough, and Italy's Torino FC - only deepens the mystique; for some reason, the thought is that KC went out and got themselves a brand-new Christian Gomez (though, not, for reasons unknown, the next Lucio Filomeno).
And then I read this (from Down the Byline):
It's totally unfair to Marinelli, but that somehow bursts the bubble. I dunno; it's like I expect the guy to crawl out of an action-figure box, ready to play anytime, anywhere, just because he's Argentine.
In any case, MLS Underground posted an item of their own today and some of the comments (see mick, LM72, anonymous and the unofficial Boca Juniors scout, juan; love that guy). I hope for the sake of KC fans he works out all right (seriously; I don't begrudge any team in the league good players; anything that helps the average MLS game counts as a plus in my book).
If you check the link for Down the Byline, you'll notice some chatter about the KC organization getting serious about stadium building. Having no special knowledge of the Kansas City area (I've never been that I can remember), I can't add much to that discussion, but as a long-time observer of MLS, I can say this: can anyone friggin' believe there's still a team in Kansas City? I'm still recovering from the shock that they didn't collapse during contraction. That's not to say I don't wish them luck, but still...
The effect of the word "Argentine" is a funny thing, conjuring as it does world-class players possessed of breathtaking skill and steely toughness. And Marinelli's club career - which includes Boca Juniors, a brief spell with England's Middlesbrough, and Italy's Torino FC - only deepens the mystique; for some reason, the thought is that KC went out and got themselves a brand-new Christian Gomez (though, not, for reasons unknown, the next Lucio Filomeno).
And then I read this (from Down the Byline):
"The new Wizards player got 45 minutes in the reserve game against Evansville last Saturday night and looked very good at times. The only thing that looks to be lacking right now is some match fitness as he had his hands on his knees during the game against Evansville, trying to catch his breath. If he plays this weekend, I would assume it would be as a late game sub."
It's totally unfair to Marinelli, but that somehow bursts the bubble. I dunno; it's like I expect the guy to crawl out of an action-figure box, ready to play anytime, anywhere, just because he's Argentine.
In any case, MLS Underground posted an item of their own today and some of the comments (see mick, LM72, anonymous and the unofficial Boca Juniors scout, juan; love that guy). I hope for the sake of KC fans he works out all right (seriously; I don't begrudge any team in the league good players; anything that helps the average MLS game counts as a plus in my book).
If you check the link for Down the Byline, you'll notice some chatter about the KC organization getting serious about stadium building. Having no special knowledge of the Kansas City area (I've never been that I can remember), I can't add much to that discussion, but as a long-time observer of MLS, I can say this: can anyone friggin' believe there's still a team in Kansas City? I'm still recovering from the shock that they didn't collapse during contraction. That's not to say I don't wish them luck, but still...
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