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Dane Richards tops list of Jamaicans in MLS
BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The Unites States 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) ended Sunday with Jamaicans Dane Richards, Khari Stephenson, Omar Cummings, Ryan Johnson and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts giving a good account of themselves.
The other Jamaicans in the MLS O'Brian White, Andy Williams, Je-Vaughn Watson, Lovel Palmer Shavar Thomas, Tyrone Marshall, Shaun Francis and Dicoy Williams had hope for better performances, despite getting on the scoresheet.
RICHARDS...Twenty-seven-year-old Richards led the way for the Jamaicans with seven goals.
Twenty-seven-year-old Richards led the way for the Jamaicans with seven goals and eight assists, taking 53 shots of which 22 were on goal.
The New York Red Bulls midfielder started in all his 30 matches, including three in the play-offs, playing for a total 2,596 minutes.
Richards will likely increase his market value for next season, comparable to that of countrymen Omar Cummings and Donovan Ricketts who are the best paid Jamaicans in the MLS.
The Castrol Football Index rated Richards the 14th best player of the MLS in 2011.
Richards' agent has played down rumours of the Jamaican being sought by Italy's top division club Novara, but he confirmed calls from clubs in England.
According to Patrick McCabe, speaking with MLSsoccer.com, "speculation over his future is expected as he is entering the last year of his contract. Several English teams appreciate his pace. We believe things will pick up," he said.
Meanwhile Stephenson, 30, performed beyond expectations, with the San Jose Earthquakes midfielder scoring five goals and adding four assists in 31 matches. He played a total 2,256 minutes during the season.
Starting in 27 games, Stephenson took 78 shots with 26 on goal.
His highlight of the season came in week three of the MLS, when he was awarded the AT&T Goal of the Week.
Surprisingly, Stephenson was ranked at 73 in the Castrol Index, after Richards and Colorado Rapids' Tyrone Marshall, who was rated number 42.
Two of Stephenson's five goals ensured that the Earthquakes earned points from those games.
For Cummings, the best paid Jamaican in the MLS with a market value of over £500,000 (J$66 million), 2011 was not one of his best seasons.
The 29-year-old striker from Old Harbour scored four goals (one in the play-offs) and had six assists with 13 of his 44 shots going towards goal.
He logged 1,889 minutes this season, starting in 21 of his 29 matches. Fourteen times he was substituted out of the game.
On the Castrol Index Cummings was ranked number 175, a poor grade by his lofty standards.
The 26-year-old Johnson, ranked 141 on the Castrol Index, scored three goals for Toronto FC whom he joined in mid-season from the Earthquakes.
He contributed four assists this season two for the Earthquakes and the others for his current club Toronto FC.
Tallying his performances in both clubs, the 6ft-1in Johnson started in 24 of his 26 matches and played for a total 2,080 minutes. Fifteen of his 46 shots were on goal.
Regarding the 6ft-4in Ricketts, who had the lowest goal against average of 0.77, can be regarded as the best goalkeeper in the 2011 MLS with the LA Galaxy winning the title.
Because of injury, however, he played in only 15 matches. Ricketts saved 41 of the 54 shots to his goal, conceding only 11.
White of Seattle Sounders started in all of his seven matches and scored two goals with two assists. The 6ft-1in, 25-year-old striker from Ocho Rios fired in 15 shots, eight on goal, and had the AT&T Goal of the Week in the fourth week of the competition.
Williams of Real Salt Lake scored only two goals and had one assist from his 34 matches, including three in the play-offs. Ranked at 104 in the Castrol Index, the 34-year-old midfielder still has more to contribute with 14 of 40 shots on goal.
Watson of Houston Dynamo and Palmer of Portland Timbers scored only one goal from 25 and 34 matches, respectively.
Palmer left Dynamo for the Timbers in mid-season, and he was ranked 111 at the Castrol Index, with the 6ft-1in Watson at number 244.
For the 37-year-old Marshall of Colorado Rapids, with a ranking of 42 in the Castrol Index, he is also expected to be on show next year in the MLS.
Dicoy Williams (#309), Francis (#347), and Thomas (#438) will need to step up their game next season to achieve a better grading by Castrol.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1eore2wic
BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011
The Unites States 2011 Major League Soccer (MLS) ended Sunday with Jamaicans Dane Richards, Khari Stephenson, Omar Cummings, Ryan Johnson and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts giving a good account of themselves.
The other Jamaicans in the MLS O'Brian White, Andy Williams, Je-Vaughn Watson, Lovel Palmer Shavar Thomas, Tyrone Marshall, Shaun Francis and Dicoy Williams had hope for better performances, despite getting on the scoresheet.
RICHARDS...Twenty-seven-year-old Richards led the way for the Jamaicans with seven goals.
Twenty-seven-year-old Richards led the way for the Jamaicans with seven goals and eight assists, taking 53 shots of which 22 were on goal.
The New York Red Bulls midfielder started in all his 30 matches, including three in the play-offs, playing for a total 2,596 minutes.
Richards will likely increase his market value for next season, comparable to that of countrymen Omar Cummings and Donovan Ricketts who are the best paid Jamaicans in the MLS.
The Castrol Football Index rated Richards the 14th best player of the MLS in 2011.
Richards' agent has played down rumours of the Jamaican being sought by Italy's top division club Novara, but he confirmed calls from clubs in England.
According to Patrick McCabe, speaking with MLSsoccer.com, "speculation over his future is expected as he is entering the last year of his contract. Several English teams appreciate his pace. We believe things will pick up," he said.
Meanwhile Stephenson, 30, performed beyond expectations, with the San Jose Earthquakes midfielder scoring five goals and adding four assists in 31 matches. He played a total 2,256 minutes during the season.
Starting in 27 games, Stephenson took 78 shots with 26 on goal.
His highlight of the season came in week three of the MLS, when he was awarded the AT&T Goal of the Week.
Surprisingly, Stephenson was ranked at 73 in the Castrol Index, after Richards and Colorado Rapids' Tyrone Marshall, who was rated number 42.
Two of Stephenson's five goals ensured that the Earthquakes earned points from those games.
For Cummings, the best paid Jamaican in the MLS with a market value of over £500,000 (J$66 million), 2011 was not one of his best seasons.
The 29-year-old striker from Old Harbour scored four goals (one in the play-offs) and had six assists with 13 of his 44 shots going towards goal.
He logged 1,889 minutes this season, starting in 21 of his 29 matches. Fourteen times he was substituted out of the game.
On the Castrol Index Cummings was ranked number 175, a poor grade by his lofty standards.
The 26-year-old Johnson, ranked 141 on the Castrol Index, scored three goals for Toronto FC whom he joined in mid-season from the Earthquakes.
He contributed four assists this season two for the Earthquakes and the others for his current club Toronto FC.
Tallying his performances in both clubs, the 6ft-1in Johnson started in 24 of his 26 matches and played for a total 2,080 minutes. Fifteen of his 46 shots were on goal.
Regarding the 6ft-4in Ricketts, who had the lowest goal against average of 0.77, can be regarded as the best goalkeeper in the 2011 MLS with the LA Galaxy winning the title.
Because of injury, however, he played in only 15 matches. Ricketts saved 41 of the 54 shots to his goal, conceding only 11.
White of Seattle Sounders started in all of his seven matches and scored two goals with two assists. The 6ft-1in, 25-year-old striker from Ocho Rios fired in 15 shots, eight on goal, and had the AT&T Goal of the Week in the fourth week of the competition.
Williams of Real Salt Lake scored only two goals and had one assist from his 34 matches, including three in the play-offs. Ranked at 104 in the Castrol Index, the 34-year-old midfielder still has more to contribute with 14 of 40 shots on goal.
Watson of Houston Dynamo and Palmer of Portland Timbers scored only one goal from 25 and 34 matches, respectively.
Palmer left Dynamo for the Timbers in mid-season, and he was ranked 111 at the Castrol Index, with the 6ft-1in Watson at number 244.
For the 37-year-old Marshall of Colorado Rapids, with a ranking of 42 in the Castrol Index, he is also expected to be on show next year in the MLS.
Dicoy Williams (#309), Francis (#347), and Thomas (#438) will need to step up their game next season to achieve a better grading by Castrol.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...#ixzz1eore2wic
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