October 16, 2009
OFFSIDE REMARKS
Was there an MVP on the Red Bulls?
Juan Pablo Angel is the Red Bulls best player, bar none. But did the team have an MVP in the wake of a 4-19-6 season?
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor
This is not an easy thing to do.
I'm supposed to pick the Red Bulls MVP, rookie of the year and newcomer of the year.
After the season they have endured, you know the candidates are few and far between.
Let's do the easier categories.
Young player of the Year? Jeremy Hall. He played at right fullback for a good portion of the year and acquitted himself well. Remember -- he is a natural, left-sided midfielder. Sure, he made some rookie mistakes, but all things considered, Hall did well. The same goes for Danleigh Borman, except he was a natural midfielder who was asked to play left fullback. Again, he did well. Macoumba Kandji, who has all that promise, but little to show for it, is my third choice.
Newcomer of the Year? Albert Celades is No. 1, Jeremy Hall No. 2 and I'll leave the third spot blank (if I could vote for the newcomer of the year who is not with the team anymore -- ie. busts of the year -- it would be in this order: Khano Smith, Dominic Oduro and Alfredo Pacheco).
Defender of the Year? I'll go with Kevin Goldthwaite, Mike Petke and a defensive midfielder -- Seth Stammler. Interesting stat while I was doing some research on this category. No Red Bull defender will break 2,000 minutes this season. Hall is the leader at 1,911 entering the season and Giants Stadium finale vs. Toronto FC Oct. 24.
As for MVP . . .
Well . . .
Well . . .
Well . . .
Well, it is very difficult to hand out an MVP award on a team that will finish with at least the sixth worst record in league history.
There is little doubt that team captain Juan Pablo Angel is the team's best player and a class act on and off the field, but is he or anyone else the MVP?
This reminds me of a story about Ralph Kiner, well before he became a Mets announcer.
Kiner, one of the game's top sluggers in his heyday, was traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Chicago Cubs as part of a 10-player trade in 1953. Pirates general manager Branch Rickey reportedly told Kiner, "We finished last with you, we can finish last without you."
You could say the same thing about Angel, who leads the 4-19-6 last-place team with 10 goals in an injury-plagued season.
After much thinking, I believe I have found a decent compromise to make my point on this utterly forgettable disaster of a season. I have left the first position blank. I have written Angel's name as the No. 2 candidate. There is no one at No. 3.
Last year I voted for Dave van den Bergh, because of his consistent play and the fact he helped the Red Bulls stay alive with some key early-season goals and then Angel.
When you can’t find candidates for a team’s MVP, it certainly defines a team’s season.
Michael Lewis would like to hear from you. If you have a comment, drop him a line at email.
