DDR

According to Soccer by Ives, Dwayne De Rosario is heading to his native land for soon to be second year defender Julius James and an allocation worth between 125K and 150K. At first glance, this trade seems lopsided. Houston loses one of its best players for an unproven defender and cash, how can that be good for them? DDR is going to sign for around 400,000, making him a non-Designated Player, good for Toronto. However, where will they play him? They already have Amado Guevara at attacking midfield and with the system they run (1 forward) he doesn't seem likely to play up top either. Are they really paying almost DP money for a player likely to start on the left wing? Toronto doesn't need to draw any more fans so why are they doing this? Houston got a steal. They get to insert the impressive Stuart Holden into their starting line up, and the great thing about this is that he may be the better player. In the last 2 years Holden has 8 goals and 9 assists to De Rosario's 13 goals and 6 assists. De Rosario's stats look clearly greater until you consider minutes played. Holden has played 2,682 minutes in the last 2 years while De Rosario has played 3,921. For those of you counting at home that means that Holden averages a goal every 335 minutes while De Rosario averages one every 302 minutes, basically even, however Holden averages an assist every 298 minutes while De Rosario averages one every 654 minutes, over twice as much! The truth is this, DDR is on the downside of his career and Holden has too much potential to rot on the bench. Houston cleared cap space, cleared room for a new, better play maker, and acquired a defender with huge potential. Oh yah, they also got cash! This could be one of the biggest steals in MLS history. Houston now, has virtually the same team, as well as the money to sign a big foreign player. Smart stuff.

Non Soccer Thoughts

With the 22nd James Bond Movie (Quantum of Solace) in theaters, I decided it was appropriate to make a list of them from worst to best. I have seen all of them at least 3 times (including Quantum) and although I enjoy them all, some are better then others, so here it goes.

22. Die Another Day (2002)- There are two reasons to watch this movie, and they are both on Hallie Berry's chest.
21. Moonraker (1979)- James Bond in space.........REALLY?????
20. Octopussy (1983)- Only better then Moonraker because of the name.
19. A View to a Kill (1985)- Props to 58 year old Roger Moore making out with a playboy centerfold, but that and Christopher Walken are the only good things about this film.
18. The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)- Good plot, good villain (Christopher Lee), but gets a bit out of hand at some times.
17. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)- Does anyone besides mean know who George Lazenby is? Its because of this movie.
16. For Your Eyes Only (1981)- Bond back to the basics. Good solid movie, but still Roger Moore.
15. The World is Not Enough (1999)- Confusing plot and Denise Richards pretending that shes a nuclear physicist, but hey, you do get to enjoy her umm........talents.
14. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)- The return of Connery is good, but still his worst film.
13. License to Kill (1989)- Dalton on a Vendetta, this is a good film, but darker then most of the other Bonds. Lacks humor.
12. Quantum of Solace (2008)- The plot is average, but Craig is amazing.
11. Dr. No (1962)- The first Bond is great, as is Connery, but he spends too much time not doing anything.
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)- Jaws is maybe the greatest villain in James Bond history.
9. The Living Daylights (1987)- Dalton starts his career off strong, but fails to make anyone laugh.
8. Live and Let Die (1973)- An amazingly good plot, yet this film is at some times very stereotypical. Moore is actually good in this film.
7. Goldfinger (1964)- The general consensus of the best James Bond film of all time is Goldfinger, yet I find it to be one of Connery's more boring adventures. Still this is the film that introduced us to the Aston Martin.
6. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)- Unique plot with an amazing villain. Brosnan is great and so is this movie.
5. Thunderball (1965)- The film that introduced us to a villain holding the world for ransom. Great plot and Connery is amazing as usual.
4. From Russia With Love (1963)- Slow at times, but the train fight scene is amazing. They just don't make espionage films like this any more.
3. Goldeneye (1995)- Pierce Brosnan pulls out the best performance since the 60's and makes James Bond relavent again after a 6 year hiatus.
2. Casino Royale (2006)- Great reboot to the franchise, taking us to James Bond's origins. Daniel Craig has a true shot at being the best Bond ever.
1. You Only Live Twice (1967)- This had it all. James Bond fakes his own death, travels to Japan, turns Japanese, finally meets his nemesis, and goes into a volcano lair. How can it get any better?

Also, you may be wondering what my favorite non-James Bond films are. I will give you my top 5.



5. Memento (2000)- A clever plot about a man who lost the ability to make new memories. This film uniquely plays in 2 different narratives, one, in color, starting at the end of the plot going backwards chronologically and the other, in black and white, starting at the beginning of the plot going forwards. The two sequences meet and form one color climax. This movie is the most creative film that I have ever seen and one of the most complex as well.




4. Die Hard (1988)- This film is more then just the best action film of all time; it has everything, drama, a believable character, and especially laughs. The plot is simple, 1 cop, 12 terrorists, and over 30 hostages trapped in a building on the 30th floor. This was an amazing film that set the table for other films such as Speed and Cliffhanger.



3. Good Will Hunting (1997)- What an achievement for the then 27 year old Matt Damon and 25 year old Ben Affleck to win an academy award for best original screenplay at that young of an age. Robin Williams also took home best supporting actor for this one. Damon stars as a genius janitor who doesn't feel like living up to his potential. He gets discovered by a brilliant math professor and the rest is well, I can't tell you, go see the movie. When i said that Die Hard had everything, I wasn't lying, but this movie has more then everything and is a must see for anyone who likes dramas.



2. Chinatown (1974)- The movie that made Jack Nicholson a star. He stars as Jake Gittes, a PI in the 1930s investigating corruption in the local government regarding the use of water. This is the most modern version we have of a classic Film Noir in which the main character is just as flawed as the villains, and trust me, there isn't a happy ending. The score in this movie is great, just as the many plot twists are. It may take some time to get over the slow pacing, but once you are you will realize what a masterpiece this film is.




1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)- Easily the best film ever. Tim Robbins stars as Andy Dufresne, a man falsely convicted of killing his wife and her lover. Robbins makes friends with Red (Morgan Freeman) a man also sentenced to life. Along the way the usual prison things happen but the thing that strikes me about this film is its uplifting message. Andy is punished for something he does not do, yet he never cracks, or breaks down, only focuses harder on being the only good man inside the whole prison. While this film is long, the acting and plot has no peer in cinematic history.

A few thursday thoughts

1. Reports from MLS Rumors say Marcelo Gallardo may be leaving MLS to go play in Argentina. What does this mean for DC? I think it could be a good thing. If Gallardo left, DC would need a playmaker and what would make more sense then the return of Christian Gomez? There is no way he is staying in Colorado next season, and they would likely pay some of his salary, but would this be good for a player who struggled last season? I say yes, there is no way someone goes from being so good to that bad in just a couple of months, it had to be his attitude and supporting cast. Yes, he is 34 and not getting younger, but lets face it, he is one of DC's all time greats and his game was never about speed. I think that DC could resign Gomez and get at least 2 good years out of him which would make him well worth the bargain. Gomez is in my opinion the best set piece taker in the history of MLS, and DC struggled mightily on set pieces last year (Jaime Moreno should never take one especially when he does that weak sauce loft into the area). Here are some of Gomez's best finishes.



2. How bad does it suck to be Taylor Twellman? First he loses 4 MLS cups, then he gets denied a move to an English Championship side, then finally he ends the current season on the bench watching while injured. Oh, and he ended the season with 99 career goals. If this is the last we see of Twellman, which it very well could be due to the state of New England, then it is a sad way to end such a storied MLS career. Here is one of the most amazing playoff goals in the history of MLS, i apologize for the annoying water mark.



3. My take on Donovan to Bayern: Great move, You Go Girl!



In all seriousness though, I think that this move could make Donovan a greater player, help USA in 2010, and pave the way for other Americans.

Thats all for now, I may check in later today.

First Post

Alright, so this is my first post from my newly created blog. From now on I will be sharing with anyone who cares about my opinions on DC United and the US Men's National Team. Along the way I will also share bits and pieces of my other aspects of my life such as the Green Bay Packers, college, and most of all, my love of movies. Now, on to the real stuff.

5 thoughts from 2008

1. I was never too high on Marcelo Gallardo this year, he played well at times and struggled at times, and if he stays injury free, he could have an impact next year, however, tell me this is not the goal of the year. It didn't even make the top 5, yet Will Johnson's accidental first touch and a fluke 80 yard goal did? What were we thinking?



2. As much as everyone loves Kenny Cooper (and I do love watching him play) he only scored 18 goals in 119 shots, or once every 6.6 shots. While he still did score the second most goals in MLS, both Landon Donovan 20 in 65 or once every 3.25 shots and Edson Buddle 15 in 74 or once every 4.9 shots were much more efficient. I'm not suggesting that Edson Buddle is anywhere near the player that Kenny Cooper is, just that Kenny desperately needs to improve his finishing before being considered for a starting spot for USA. Now check out these amazing goals from the big man.



3. Ben Olsen, this better not be the end. I was in the stands for the 15 minutes he played against the LA Galaxy and I hope that was not the last we see of him. Amazing man, great character, it is because of him that DC has been so successful. I hope to see him in uniform in 2009, and it is my firm opinion that he deserves the captaincy for DC. Vintage Ben Olsen against Red Bull.



4. Thank God New York's lucky asses didn't win MLS Cup. The stat of the day is 10. 10 times other teams hit the woodwork in the last 5 weeks of the season. DC United could have knocked Red Bull out if not for hitting the post 3 times. In their first round match-up, Houston hit the woodwork 3 times. Real Salt Lake were unlucky as well 3 times, and in the final GBS hit the crossbar. What kind of world are we living in where New York plays in the final and DC doesn't even make the playoffs? Not one I want to live in.

5. Finally, REALLY MLS VOTERS??????? This is almost as bad as in 2004 when Amado 6 penalties Guevara, his 4 goals, 10 assists, and 3rd place team beat out Jaime for MVP when Jaime had 7 goals, 14 assists, and would eventually win MLS CUP. Here is the clip again just to show how wrong everyone who voted was.



Thats all for today, thanks for checking in.