Jamaicans in the M.L.S. to start the 2015

[USAF]

season:

PLAYERS
Chicago Fire – Lovel Palmer (D)
Colorado Rapids – Deshorn Brown (F)
Columbus Crew – Sergio Campbell (D)
D.C. United – Michael Seaton (F)
Houston Dynamo – Jason Johnson (F); Jermaine Taylor (D)
Montreal Impact – Romario Williams (F)
Orlando City – Donovan Ricketts (G)
Philadelphia Union – Andre Blake (G)
Portland Timbers – Alvas Powell (D)
Real Salt Lake – Demar Phillips (D)
San Jose Earthquakes – Shaun Francis (D); Khari Stephenson (M)
Seattle Sounders – Oniel Fisher (M/D); Damion Lowe (D)
Vancouver Whitecaps – Andre Lewis (M); Darren Mattocks (F)

Je-Vaughn Watson (D/M) – heard he was still with F.C. Dallas, but isn't shown on the team roster

COACHES
Real Salt Lake – Andy Williams (assistant coach)
Real Salt Lake – Tyrone Marshall (assistant coach)
Toronto F.C. – Robin Fraser (assistant coach)

[Gamma]

Short on midfielders there

[Don1]

season:

PLAYERS
Chicago Fire – Lovel Palmer (D)
Colorado Rapids – Deshorn Brown (F)
Columbus Crew – Sergio Campbell (D)
D.C. United – Michael Seaton (F)
Houston Dynamo – Jason Johnson (F); Jermaine Taylor (D)
Montreal Impact – Romario Williams (F)
Orlando City – Donovan Ricketts (G)
Philadelphia Union – Andre Blake (G)
Portland Timbers – Alvas Powell (D)
Real Salt Lake – Demar Phillips (D)
San Jose Earthquakes – Shaun Francis (D); Khari Stephenson (M)
Seattle Sounders – Oniel Fisher (M/D); Damion Lowe (D)
Vancouver Whitecaps – Andre Lewis (M); Darren Mattocks (F)

Je-Vaughn Watson (D/M) – heard he was still with F.C. Dallas, but isn't shown on the team roster

COACHES
Real Salt Lake – Andy Williams (assistant coach)
Real Salt Lake – Tyrone Marshall (assistant coach)
Toronto F.C. – Robin Fraser (assistant coach)

Hmmm... Context to any achievement is needed for critical analysis. So A few questions arise for critical thinkers:

How many of these pros were developed on Jamaican school ball.. despite it not being resourced for pro player development?

As commendable as their progress beyond JA may be...had they benefited from a structured youth development program...

How much better would they have been?

What leagues far superior to this middling US competition would they possibly be playing in?

And the most important question...

Who & What stifles Jamaican ballas?????????????

[Gamma]

Talent abounds!

[Karl]

'Nice' set of questions!!!!

[Karl]

Yes, boss!
...so as Don1 intimates by his question on what better teaching would have produced; how many more talents withered and died?

[USAF]

That was my first thought when I looked at the list.....And only 1 creative midfielder.

Wonder if Andy Williams could help with developing central attacking/creative midfielders???

[Assasin]

you know that is one position which has to come natural? The ability to turn in tight spaces and think of ways of holding the ball is one that is hard to develop without some really good natural ability.

[Stonigut]

That is a full side!

[Mosiah]

True, since we always bypass the midfield, anyway!

[Gamma]

http://www.espnfc.us/barclays-premie...t-an-obsession

[Karl]

He is bang on the money setting up TEAM-mates gives climax-like rush! TEAM glorious TEAM-plays.

[Stonigut]

Midfield, a wah dat, we don't produce midfielders, especially central mids we don't even measure midfielder production. I bet if we measured speed of midfielders we would have the slowest midfielders, they can't run and they can't pass. As you can see we are only paid money for defenders, forwards and wingers.

[Gamma]

that is one point, i posted in response to 'sass' assertion that this position requires a natural talent/ability/presdisposition and temperament.

some players if dem set up a couple chance an' yuh nuh score dem bad mind yuh and malice etc. so they must also have the mindset to start over again each time....i know i have seen it.

[Assasin]

you can teach defensive skills, you can teach offensive run and formation, you can teach to pass accurately but what Andy Williams, Pirlo, David Silva, Tappa, Tab Ramos, Skill Cole etc. to name a few have can't be taught. It is the ability to use imagination, to think faster than other player and a coolness that is not display everyday. You can make them better players yes but they have that natural ability.