New and Improved Red Bull ANALysis

Before I get started - a tip. Do not, under any circumstance, google search James Riley without having Google filter out the adult content.


I watched the game again last night, and I have more complete opinions now. James Riley was AWFUL. He gave up possession on bad passes no less than 20 times, and on most of those passes he wasn't under any pressure. I'm going to chalk it up to his suspension and it being his first game of the season. Also, I think he was hurt some in training camp. That would explain why he doesn't seem to be in shape yet. He was not his usual exuberant self. So I think he's going to improve over the next few games, and by the time May rolls around, I won't have to single him out as somebody who played poorly.

Our boy Chewy also played poorly. Here's what I saw - a guy who just doesn't understand the game the same way everybody else does. His passes are a second too late, his touch is bad, and he doesn't really add anything to the attack or the defense. I'm going to stand by my opinion that Levesque is not a starter under any circumstance. He's probably okay coming off the bench because then everybody is tired and too slow to punish his bad decisions. But he shouldn't start again. Pat Noonan made a big difference when he came on. He made the right side of the field useful. He was able to hold possession, he made several smart passes, and if Montero had passed him the ball in the 75th minute when he was standing alone in front of goal, Noonan probably would have scored in his debut. But Montero hogged it, shot while falling backwards, and a defender easily blocked it.


Who played well? Alonso played well. He was all over the field and was involved in just about everything. Until late in the game, his passing was smart and effective. Zakuani also played well, and was probably about 6 inches from scoring on two of his shots.

Ultimately, nobody is surprised to see us struggle to score in this game. Finishing plagued us before and there's no reason that it won't plague us this year - albeit hopefully it is less of an issue. I think the biggest mistake in this game, however, was made by Sigi Schmid when he chose to start Levesque (sorry Sigi, acting like you didn't know he was bad isn't an excuse).


I hope that next week's game sees a lineup in which Noonan starts on the wing or up front with Montero. I think Ljungberg is most effective on the outside when he can operate in space - which is, incidentally, where he's played his entire life before coming to Seattle.


Also, a guarded apology on my part. I've ripped Brad Evans on countless occasions for his inability to know what's going on beyond what is right in front of him. In the first two games of the season, he has played MUCH better. His trapping and passing have been noticeably better, and his field awareness is much improved. Kudos to Brad Evans. Keep proving me wrong, big guy.

It's Pat.... Noonan!

"You're a lot of woman, you know that? Yeah, wanna make $14 the hard way?"
                Al Czervik - Caddyshack

How many obvious jokes can we make with this guy's name? I'll limit myself to a Caddyshack quote, but not one involving Danny Noonan.

So Pat Noonan is on trial with the Sounders. Noonan was formerly with the Columbus Crew, and prior to that he was a long-time contributor with the New England Revolution. No word yet on whether or not he's going to get signed to the roster, so for now all we can do is speculate. But I think there are two points to be made from him even being in camp. And I'll make them together.

A guy like Pat Noonan gets a trial with Seattle because Sigi is not entirely comfortable with the options he currently has at outside midfield and forward. That means that Jaqua is probably out indefinitely (they are not sure what's wrong with his groin or how to make it better - I think the problem is that he has a vagina instead of a penis), and that Sigi doesn't think that guys like Estrada, Chewy, Nyassi and Souter are capable of being everyday players.

I do not think that Chewy or Nyassi are everyday players. Nyassi is the posterchild for ADHD, hyperactive hypoglycemic. He can't sit still, and he can't stop running everywhere at full speed. Guys like that often find themselves out of position. Chewy just can't cut it for 70 minutes. He needs to come in when everybody else is tired, and his poor first touch won't get punished the way it does when everybody else's legs are as fresh as his.

Souter, well, we haven't seen much of him other than the Portland friendly. I wasn't impressed. That leaves Estrada, the top draft pick. If we're looking at Noonan, then apparently Estrada hasn't made Sigi comfortable enough to start him.

Miguel Montano is a bit of a wild card here, but I don't think he's going to play much until the SSFC starts competing in CONCACAF Champions League play later this summer.

I think Noonan would be a good signing. He is a solid all-around player who can score and do the dirty work. He's not going to solve our scoring problems. But he should be able to stabilize the right midfield position and make the job his. Hopefully, we won't really need him to play up front, but he can do that also. Overall, this move makes a lot of sense because it adds depth at the two places we need it. I think Sigi will sign him, and at the end of the year we'll consider his addition a smart one.