July 20, 2010
MY TWO CENTS
Red Bulls' very own Wizard
By Will Smith
Special to BigAppleSoccer.com
It is not uncommon for an active soccer player to be compared with one from the past. Leo Messi, by virtue of being both Argentine and very talented, was dubbed the "new Maradona." Robinho, a Brazilian, was christened the "new Pele." The English and Italians have their own "new Matthews" and "new Baggios" as well.
What of MLS, in only its 15 season? Do we have enough history to compare current players with those of yesteryear? Perhaps we should look beyond the soccer field ("pitch" for you purists) to draw comparisons.
Take the case of Dane Richards, now in his fourth season with the Red Bulls. He is lighting fast and occasionally able, by virtue of that gift, to completely take over a game on his own (the second playoff game vs. Houston in 2008, for example). However, his inability, on most days, to pass the ball on the ground, cross it in the air, fake out a goalkeeper or provide adequate defensive cover on the right side is enough to make Red Bulls fans jump in front of the Path Train. He's unlike any player we've had in his peculiar mix of great athletic ability and very limited soccer skills. To find someone to adequately compare him to, you must go back 71 years to the silver screen.
Dane Richards is the Wizard of Oz.
Think about. When Dorothy and her friends first meet up with the Wizard upon entering Emerald City, he appears all-powerful and capability of anything. Alas, he sends them off on a wild goose chase in which they risk their lives, ultimately revealing himself to be an ordinary man of limited abilities who can actually do very little for them.
Surely, this is what it must be like for a Red Bulls coach upon first meeting Dane Richards. They all say things like:
" All that speed!"
" He's in such good shape!"
" He comes into training camp so fit!"
"He's been our best player in training camp! He's going to have a great year!"
Bruce Arena, Richie Williams, Juan Carlos Osorio and now Hans Backe have fallen into this trap. They see that raw speed and think they can turn Richards into an effective right-sided midfielder. So, they go off to capture the wicked witch's broom, risk their lives and ultimately get very little from the Wizard, as he takes soft shots and runs himself over the touch line, while losing possession of the ball repeatedly.
Dane Richards is a terrific athlete and trains hard. That said, he's in his fourth season with the Red Bulls and, far from improving, he's actually regressing as a player. He's the opposite of Sinisa Ubiparapovic, who has improved steadily as a midfielder each year since joining the league with Richards in 2007. While no one will confuse Ubiparipovic with Leo Messi, he's proven himself to be a serviceable MLS player. Anyone whose watched Richards this season would have a hard time applying that title to him.
It's wonderful that the Red Bulls have signed Thierry Henry to play up top and it will be even better when a central midfielder is signed to keep possession of the ball. Even with Brian Neilsen out 6-8 weeks, the addition of the rumored central mid designated player should give shape to 3/4 of the midfield. Roy Miller, Joel Lindpere, Ubiparapovic, Carl Robinson and the mystery mid should cover the left and the central positions fairly well. That leaves the right side wide open.
Let's take Richards out of the equation for a moment because, frankly, he's not gotten it done this year.
Rookie Tony Tchani has played mostly in the middle, but has also play wide some. He looks solid defensively and shows a willingness to hustle. His offensive skills are under-developed at this point, but they're not going to get any better by not playing.
Fellow rookie Irving Garcia has looked good in limited minutes. Clearly, he's more of an offensive-minded player than Tchani. His defensive propensity remain a mystery. That said, our defense hasn't really been a problem. Its the Red Bulls' inability to play wide that has cost them points these last three matches (two ties and a loss). D.C. and Columbus packed the center of the field the past two weeks and held the Red Bulls scoreless (one loss and one tie). They were successful because they realized that RBNY provided no wide threat, especially from the right side.
If the Red Bulls are serious about going deep into the playoffs and maybe even winning the MLS Cup, they need more aggressive wing play.
The time has come for Dane to sit. He's earned it. Its time to let Tchani and Garcia to compete for the spot.
"The opinions reflected in the My Two Cents columns do not express the views of the editors or management of BigAppleSoccer. com" If you want to respond to this story or have an opinion of your own, send it to email.
