RyTof: Omar Gonzalez recently became the third ever defender
in the history of Major League Soccer to sign as a Designated Player, following
Torsten Frings and Rafael Marquez.
JD: Hopefully he doesn’t become as much of a villain to the
USMNT as those two guys.
RyTof: The terms of the deal have not yet been announced,
but it is expected the best defender in the country would be awarded with a
lucrative contract. Gonzalez is the first American defender to sign as a
Designated Player, and has played in all six of the United States recent World
Cup Qualifying matches.
JD: It is probably going to be a big contract considering he
reportedly had offers from around the world to choose from. He has a huge
impact for the Galaxy when he is on the field. The numbers speak for
themselves: the club wins 62.7% of available points when he plays compared to
39.6% without him. Great move for LA to lock him up.
RyTof: I care about
the National team much more than any club team in the world, and this isn’t
what is best for the National team. Gonzalez is already the best defender in
the league, as evidenced by the fact that he’s the only back liner to be tagged
as a Designated Player. He should be off to a stronger league with his sights
set on becoming one of the best center backs in the world. I don’t see him
getting a whole lot better than he already is without stronger opposition to
push him.
JD: I too would have liked to see him go to Europe to
challenge himself and improve as a player, so we agree there. Going to big leagues
in Europe can really help a player as long as he is getting playing time. Just
look at what Europe has done for Bradley, Dempsey, and Altidore, the USMNT’s
three best players at the moment. All three have vastly improved as players due
to challenging yet comfortable club situations. I’m not as confident as you are
that Gonzalez is the best defender in the league, but that’s an argument for
another time.
RyTof: I would have liked to see the Galaxy acquire one of the big stars they’ve been linked to, such as Lampard or Kaka. Those players would be instrumental in the midfield, and even if they couldn’t still keep Gonzalez, he would gain valuable experience overseas, beneficial to the National Team. As far as the Galaxy are concerned, they have a fair amount of defenders on their bench that could handle Gonzalez’s vacancy: Kofi Opare, Lenardo, Tommy Meyer. I think the club could have been better off signing a bigger name.
JD: The Galaxy made the right choice in keeping Gonzalez,
from a purely soccer perspective. I already showed the numbers, Galaxy are a
much better team with Gonzalez on the field. If those other defenders are so
great why can’t they get the job done when Gonzalez is out? The MLS isn’t
Harlem Globetrotters exhibition league, it’s not all about big names and
offense. Results are what is important and defenders are vital to getting good
results. I don’t have any problem with a defender getting DP’d.
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