July 15, 2010
MY TWO CENTS
Marquez would not be a good Bulls fit

Paul Kehoe is a long-time Red Bulls fan.

By Paul Kehoe
Special to BigAppleSoccer.com

I am a bit surprised that Rafa Marquez's name is being bandied about as a midfield solution for the Red Bulls.

I just don't see him as a creative attacking force. I am sure he will be welcomed by the Mexican fans but, as a U.S. fan, I cannot look past his behavior when he played for the Mexican National
Team.

Unlike Juan Pablo Angel, Thierry Henry has the ability to create for himself and he will also provide service for Angel. In fact, I see Angel being the primary beneficiary of Henry's presence on the field.

There are only two midfielders who have shown creative flashes in the middle that suggest that there could be some upside to their game, Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Tony Tchani.

Coach Han Backe needs to push Sinisa into the middle and give him a shot at pulling the strings. This would require playing Joel Lindpere or Roy Miller on the left in midfield.

Backe also needs to work with Stammler on his defense or give Tchani his shot. In the D.C. game, Stammler over committed on the tackle (and missed!) at least six times while in the attacking half and left his backline exposed.

He is too inconsistent for a veteran player and it may be time to give Tchani a more extended opportunity in the holding midfielder role. Like any rookie, Tchani will also have his
inconsistencies but I believe he has much greater upside than Stammler.

"The opinions reflected in the My Two Cents columns do not express the views of the editors or management of BigAppleSoccer. com"
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