MD 7 - Player Rating justification and that Montero kid

Hey Dave, great to have you back.

Your reasoning on the ratings seems sound. It is important to note that while playing badly is never good, playing badly and not suffering excessively is a good trait to have in a team.

The alternative, of course, is to pull a New England and totally collapse. After the Fredy ejection, the Sounders could have totally fallen apart and given up scads of goals. We didn’t do that. So that’s a positive.

As you know, there was some discussion on the SeattleSoccerTalk boards about whether the result in this game was due to luck or skill. My contention is that it’s due to both. The team was lucky in that Chicago didn’t score on more of their opportunities, but then they were skilled enough and worked hard enough to make their luck count.

We keep hearing that some opponent or some match is the next “True Test” for the Sounders. I say there’s only one true test and it has thirty sections. If at the end of that test we’re looking forward to some playoffs, then we’ll have passed. Anything else is passing with honors.

Good review Dave. I agree that this was the Sounders poorest showing to date. It seemed as if the Sounders were playing slower than normal. I really think that the longer grass field threw off the Sounds defense in comparison to speed of the turf at Qwest. I noticed many Chicago long balls played up the sides of the field that would go over the end line in Qwest, really slowed down and allowed the players to make it to the ball. Am I the only one that noticed this? As far as Fredy, I think he needs to sit for a few games until he can demonstrate a better work rate. I would like to see Le Toux start in Montero’s place, he has a fantastic work rate and will consistently make runs that Ljungberg can feed to thru lanes with his great vision. As far as the yellow card on Soumare, I felt that it fell under the same FIFA interference rule that netted Keller his red card and that he should have been sent off.

I would also like a moment to ask for everyone’s help in getting Dave Clark in the Sounders Council please vote here: https://eballot.votenet.com/seattlesoccer/login.cfm?CFID=6198557&CFTOKEN=94712124

I don’t really have a problem with your ratings, though some of them might be a little harsh. Should you give a team rating? To play that badly and still earn a point, well, that’s something. It’s the opposite of what Chicago’s dealing with—to play that well and still only earn a point.

There was a little luck involved. But I think the only time Chicago really got unlucky was on the Nyarko post-strike. The rest was just an inability to finish (same problem we had vs. KC). After their goal, Keller was motioning that he was screened and couldn’t see the shot until too late. He probably would have had it, otherwise. I guess that might have been unlucky for us. But not really. That happens all the time. I can’t think of any times when we were lucky. Our goal wasn’t lucky.

I’m just a little concerned about our ability to adjust to an opponent prior to halftime. KC, Chivas, Chicago we’ve had a very difficult time in the first halves. Sigi has straightened it out at half and we’ve played much better. But we need to adjust earlier.

I would be very disappointed if le Toux doesn’t start up front.

Glad to have you back, Dave.

I’m getting bored of Montero. He has great skill, he scores goals, he’s appears to provide some good relationship within the team. But he’s not a hard working player. He can make a good play, skirt around a defender or two, but I just feel like if a flashy opportunity isn’t present, Montero isn’t doing much. Fredy rocked Seattle with his two goals in the home opener, something that was needed for a solid 3 point beginning, and needed for the club in “sealing the deal” with thousands of new soccer fans who expected something amazing (and got it). However, Montero dives. Drawing a foul is one thing, and a very needed one thing at key moments. But diving is one of the most despicable things a player can do on the pitch. I don’t know how many times he has done it, but as Kevin Calabro put it he "has a flair for the dramatic." I don’t want anybody representing my club in that fashion, ever. Give me a hard working player like Osvaldo Alonso. Or someone like James Riley who received a booking and an additional $100 fine for getting into Rolfe’s face after Rolfe kicked the ball at one of the boys near the end of the Chicago game. I love seeing team mates stand up for each other.

As for your player ratings, everyone claims we’ve played so great when we’ve been a man down, but there is NOTHING good about a club that has to play with 10 men. In Montero’s defense, I don’t think a straight red was called for, but all the same, you can’t put your club in that situation. It’s much harder to play a man down, but I don’t think the grading should be curved for that. Average scores for an average result are fair.

Tell it how it is Dave!

Dave, I missed Sounderatheart and I am glad that the site is back. I had written a long reply to you article and then it went away. I don’t have the heart to write it again, but I wanted to say a few words about Montero.

I wonder if he is still having some affects from the off the field allegations of sexual assault. He played well the first two games, then the allegations came and he has not been the same.

He is young at 21 years old. He is in a country far away from home and away from his family. He does not speak the language. I am sure he was terrified for those few weeks and doesn’t have quite the same feeling he had about being here.

Now, for us fans the situation has long passed. But, for him I think it would have to affect him for a while. I know it would have long affects on me if that ever happened. So, while outwardly he is trying to put the situation behind him, deep down I believe it has to hurt his concentration.

It is the concentration that I think he has been lacking since he came back after sitting out the TFC game.

I rely on this site to keep me up-to-date on the Sounders, so I am pleased that it has returned.

I have been reading the posts about Montero. Again, I don’t get to watch the matches so I am responding more as questions than as challenges. He is 21, but that isn’t too young to be able to adjust to playing style. He is diving? He is after all Colombian, and I see this a lot from international players. Not everyone is a rugged, in-your-face player; but they can still produce. Remember Valderama? I watched him play without moving more than 35 or 40 yards in any direction and still controlled the play in the midfield.

I know that no one is giving up on him, but has his play dropped so much or have the touches not been there for him? Other sports have players go in slumps and then catch their strides again. Most of sport is mental.

Just my take.

Every time Montero touches the ball, he has two guys on him. I think he needs to learn how to find the open man. This will open himself up a little. He seems to either hold the ball too long, or quickly pass it without looking to where it should go. Maybe in Columbia, he was not marked so tightly. This is going to be something the coaches have to help with. Just like other sports. When you double team and the player can find the open man. Well, you don’t double team anymore.

If you have access to a broadcast of the game, go to the 64th minute of the Sounders vs. New York game on 3/19. Marshall gathers up the ball and sends it long to Montero. The New York defender kicks up no higher than Montero’s belly button, but about a second or two after the play is over, he falls to the ground holding his face.

You can actually see me standing in the south end with my hands on the rail in the end shot, so I had a pretty good view of it. I think if the ref had been closer, he would of booked him, that’s how bad it was.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the kid and I’m glad he is here in Seattle, but he needs to grow up a bit.