Guevara: MLS player of week??
So RBNY Captain and one time spectator, Amado Guevara was named MLS player of the week for the end of the regular season. Guevara dropped a hat trick on the Kansas City Wizards to lead the Red Bull's back to the playoffs. Getting a hat trick is a difficult thing to do, but I still doubt that he should have been player of the week.
Anyone who was at RFK on Sunday knows that a penalty kick is something not to be taken lightly, as Nick Rimondo stopped Andy Herron's penalty attempt in the early moments of the match. Penalty kicks are just about the easiest shots in soccer; easy to make and easy to mess up. I am not saying that Amado's first two goals of the match Saturday night were easy or difficult. What I am getting at though is that when a guy gets a hat trick with two of his goals being from the penalty spot, the soccer fan inside me just doesn't feel that they mean as much as a goal that was scored during the run of play.
I feel that way about 99% of all penalties. Jaime Moreno's 100th MLS goal was on a penalty shot and even though it was his 100th MLS goal, I really didn't give it that much thought. In RSL's 2-1 victory over DC United earlier this season, Jeff Cunningham's two penalty shots that won them the game seemed a little cheap. Not only because they were off of two stupid and cheaply given fouls, but the general fact that penalty shots do not have the same "umph" that other goals do.
One penalty shot that does come to mind as a PK with "umph" was Zidane's penalty in the World Cup final. He later decided to try and impale Materazzi with his head, so I figure most people have forgotten how Zidane took the shot. Anyways, back to Guevara.
Yes, getting three goals in a game is a great accomplishment for any player, but for some reason having two of them taken from the penalty spot takes the air out of the hat trick. Yes each one goes on the board and they all count the same, but PK goals just feel different. Yes his three goals are what lifted RBNY into the playoffs. All that said, I still really don't think he should have been the Player of the Week.
So who would I suggest as the Player of the Week? Well, Cobi Jones should have been up there, as he had a goal and three assists in the Galaxy victory over FC Dallas, 5-2. Landon Donovan with his two goals and one assist in the destruction of the Hoops, maybe he should have been considered. What about Thiago from Colorado? His two goals against FC Fanta went along way towards getting the Rapids the final Western Conference Playoff spot.
Am I being biased? Damn right I am. I just feel that Guevara's hat trick, with two goals from the penalty spot, is like comparing Bud Light to Guinness. They are both considered beer, but one is truly different than the other. Flame me all you want, but reading that Guevara was the Player of the Week just doesn't sit well with me.
Anyone who was at RFK on Sunday knows that a penalty kick is something not to be taken lightly, as Nick Rimondo stopped Andy Herron's penalty attempt in the early moments of the match. Penalty kicks are just about the easiest shots in soccer; easy to make and easy to mess up. I am not saying that Amado's first two goals of the match Saturday night were easy or difficult. What I am getting at though is that when a guy gets a hat trick with two of his goals being from the penalty spot, the soccer fan inside me just doesn't feel that they mean as much as a goal that was scored during the run of play.
I feel that way about 99% of all penalties. Jaime Moreno's 100th MLS goal was on a penalty shot and even though it was his 100th MLS goal, I really didn't give it that much thought. In RSL's 2-1 victory over DC United earlier this season, Jeff Cunningham's two penalty shots that won them the game seemed a little cheap. Not only because they were off of two stupid and cheaply given fouls, but the general fact that penalty shots do not have the same "umph" that other goals do.
One penalty shot that does come to mind as a PK with "umph" was Zidane's penalty in the World Cup final. He later decided to try and impale Materazzi with his head, so I figure most people have forgotten how Zidane took the shot. Anyways, back to Guevara.
Yes, getting three goals in a game is a great accomplishment for any player, but for some reason having two of them taken from the penalty spot takes the air out of the hat trick. Yes each one goes on the board and they all count the same, but PK goals just feel different. Yes his three goals are what lifted RBNY into the playoffs. All that said, I still really don't think he should have been the Player of the Week.
So who would I suggest as the Player of the Week? Well, Cobi Jones should have been up there, as he had a goal and three assists in the Galaxy victory over FC Dallas, 5-2. Landon Donovan with his two goals and one assist in the destruction of the Hoops, maybe he should have been considered. What about Thiago from Colorado? His two goals against FC Fanta went along way towards getting the Rapids the final Western Conference Playoff spot.
Am I being biased? Damn right I am. I just feel that Guevara's hat trick, with two goals from the penalty spot, is like comparing Bud Light to Guinness. They are both considered beer, but one is truly different than the other. Flame me all you want, but reading that Guevara was the Player of the Week just doesn't sit well with me.
posted by Brian at 12:40 PM
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