The Mail Bag
The rest of the WC player ratings
Comments (37)
No question about it, our Everton World Cup representatives continue to do us proud in South Africa. Here's how I rate the final five Blues overall for their first-round performances:
Howard – 8
Could our keeper have been more commanding? He inspired a ragtag, injury-hit defense, with two center backs who had never played together before. He made every save he was supposed to make, and wasn’t at fault for any of the three goals he gave up. He owned his area. And his usual weakness – distribution – helped put the US through. That great throw to Donovan was actually his second in the final minutes.
Donovan – 6
Yes, I still count him, because I still think he’ll be back, at least on another loan deal. The glory of the The Goal and that powerful finish against Slovenia have obscured the fact that the US captain didn’t exactly come up big for the most part – he had an anonymous second half against Algeria until the goal, and he pretty much let BelHadj run rampant up the left side. But clutch is clutch, and Donovan is now a US legend.
Cahill – 5
This rating reflects a man-of-the-match performance in Australia’s biggest win ever – a great goal and end-line-to-end-line inspiration – that salvaged a catastrophic World Cup for Tiger Tim. Especially given the deified media status he holds in Australia, which Jip described in his post, I’m very glad he didn’t go home in disgrace.
Mucha – 3
Beating Italy is splendid, but , I am thoroughly unimpressed with our new keeper. He’s quick and athletic, but totally unconvincing in the air and clearly not in command of his defense. He flapped at one cross so badly that he had to be rescued by the RS Skrtel on the line. I’ve never seen Ruddy play, but I understand why you guys who have seen him would prefer to have him back at Goodison this season as Howard’s backup.
Heitinga – 7
You know what’s great about Heitinga? It isn’t just that he’s barely put a foot wrong in three games, that he’s been immaculate on and off the ball, that Holland have given up one goal (from a penalty) and only nine shots on goal. What’s really great is that he’s only our second-best center back. I’ll say it right now – Jags, Johnny and Howard give us the best defense in the Prem, and I think we’ll prove it this season.
Mike Gaynes, Posted 24/06/2010 at 23:00:46
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Never mind. Forgot you'd already posted your comments about them.
I'd say Donovan 8, Howard and Heitinga 7 and all the others 5 or 6.
Cahill's MotM performance deserves more than a 5. Surely you haven't deducted marks for his red card, because that was an injustice.
Would be nice to see us attempt to sign Donovan. Who knows, he might want a 2- or 3-year deal and then finish his career back in America.
Yeah, because Moyes was preparing for life without Landon... I don't know anyone who thinks Anichebe is better than Donovan!
Dan P, I disagree on Jabobsen. I thought he had a good World Cup — solid defensively and good going forward. If he'd been younger, I think Moyes might have considered keeping him.
Jay, I think there's something of a curse on those players glorified in the Nike advert! Ronaldinho didn't even make Brazil's squad, Rooney: pants, Ribery, disappointing, Cannavaro, out, Ronaldo, lucky to score but is still in the competition... for now :)
He and Everton were a great fit and there is a lot to be said for that feeling of belonging coming into play when he becomes available on loan again when the MLS season finishes... particularly if this continued support from Everton fans trickles back to him.
It's who DM feels will best give EFC a chance to win on any given day, isn't it?
Michael Bradley (USA), Keisuke Honda (Japan), Michel Bastos (Brazil), Mark Paston (New Zealand), Fabio Contrao (Portugal), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Gervinho (Ivory Coast), Jorge Valdivia and Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
And Brendan, granted Howard wasn't well positioned for Slovenia's first goal, but he couldn't have stopped Birsa's shot with a broom even if he'd been right on his line, and Onyewu blocked his vision. I stand by my opinion that the goals were not his fault.
# He will have plenty of offers from clubs with deeper pockets than ours.
# As Moyes says, players who impress in the World Cup often dissapoint later...
But I don't have to be realistic my whole life do I?
If you saw the Japan game last night, you know who I am talking about. I would love to see him lining up for us next season.
# Very skillful
# Good, insightfull passer (defence splitting passes, pinpoint passes made to players behind him, without enen looking).
# Unselfish
# Hard working
# "Good Engine"
# Two footed
# 6ft
# Only 24
# Can obvoiusly play up front (not out and out scorer, think what a big Peter Beardley would be like) or anywhere in midfield but, apparantly, he can play left back too (how Moyes is that!)
# For all of you who like to look at the "marketing potential" of players — he is Japan's best player and is going to be a hero over there. A very lucrative market for our club.
# He looks to be very very good.
Luck be a lady and deliver him to Everton for pennies.
At least I am not asking for Messi, so I haven't gone nuts... completely....
I really think we should give young John Ruddy a chance has he done well north of the border last season, but this is only my opinion.
But Mucha was free and hopefully he will come good for us.
As for Honda, too bad he has just signed for CSKA Moscow and not sure if its true but he was rumoured to be a Moyes target last season. Check the Toffeeweb forums. There was a thread there but I can't find it now
http://www.grandoldteam.com/forum/threads/23044-Transfer-Rumour-Eddie-Honda?highlight=honda
I don't see him coming either. He'd fit in though. A guy like that would bcome a fan favorite, too. Listen, I'm just happy my country is starting to produce some good players.
He also could have done better with that goal in the 1st half there. He left a huge gap between himself and the near post.
Shite goalkeeping seems to be a feature of the USA progress ... but it also undid them the end.
Am I being harsh?
Full House? Agreed?
My prediction that all our players - excepty JH - would br home by the weekend
Keep up Brendon lad
Where does it say "all our players - except JH - will be home by the weekend"?
Local people call me "Nosto" - scouse abreviation for Nostadamus - Lol
Wilson-like Knowledge mate . . . Wilson like Knowledge
Your clairvoyance knows no limits Dave! Apparently you're the only man on this website to correctly predict all 16 2nd round teams! The next best was 12. Any chance of next week's lottery numbers? Or is that outside the scope of 'Wilson-like football knowledge'?
Luckily I posted recently that I wasn't taking anything you said seriously ever again, Nosto.
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1 Posted 25/06/2010 at 14:53:37
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I didn't see the last two Nigeria games. Rate Yobo and Yak, too.