FCTP 2007 MLS Rookie of the Week….Week 1...

I’ve decided to start a MLS Rookie Of The Week award around here. Since there are thirty games per team there will be thirty awards. On those weeks where there is strange game timing or a couple teams won’t play, those players may not be eligible. I’ll decide on a case by case basis.

Voting will be between me and my FCTP contributors. After we post our winner we welcome you to post your comments.

In fact, I’ve made it easier to post your comments here. You no longer need to be a member of Blogger to comment on any post. That was the default setting and until this past week no one questioned me on it. I figured out how to change that so let the comments fly. I hope that is what has been holding back many of you.

At the end of the season I’ll figure out how to host voting open to the public for the 2007 MLS FCTP Rookie of the Year award. Only those players who won weekly awards will be nominated for the final award. It will be interesting to see how we compare to the annual MLS awards.

Rookies will be defined as players with no previous professional experience. Playing in the PDL is not considered professional experience.

This weekend 161 different professional soccer players took the field in MLS play. 10 (6%) of those players were rookies while only 6 rookies (4%) started their games. 3 rookies started and finished their games while the rest were subbed off before they could finish the game.

Starters:
Ty Harden – Full Game
Dane Richards
Adam Cristman
Gary Flood
Wells Thompson – Full Game
Andrew Boyens – Full Game

Subs:
Robbie Findley
Sinisa Ubiparipovic
Brad Evans
John Cunliffe

None of the above rookies scored a goal, but in five minutes of playing time John Cunliffe did make an assist on Sacha Kljestan’s booming strike. However, it is hard to give Cunliffe too much credit as it was a simple layoff that Kljestan positioned and blasted into the back of the net.

For some reason I find myself leaning towards the players who started and finished their first matches for this inaugural award. Harden was part of a Galaxy defense that didn’t surrender a goal, however they did allow Houston to get off eleven shots. He also made it onto the match play-by-play only twice, for committing fouls. Thompson was a wing midfielder who got a couple shots off, however none were troubling to the keeper. Boyens was part of a defense that gave up two goals. I can’t say any of these performances jumps out as ROTW material.

Richards played almost an entire match and got one shot on goal while his offensive unit couldn’t break the scoring deadlock, nothing inspiring. Christmas was on the loosing end of a 1-0 match and didn’t finish any scoring opportunities after only taking one shot. Flood played almost the entire match but his defensive unit gave up that one goal.

Findley played about 30 minutes of the game after coming on for legendary Cobi Jones. However, his speed on the wing couldn’t break the deadlock and he only managed one shot which missed the goal completely. Ubiparipovic played six minutes, unless he had won the game for New York he isn’t under consideration. Evans played all of two minutes, he’s out.

This is a tough one when reading about games online, but comments from FCTP contributor sealed the deal. “Wells Thompson had a great game for me in the losing effort for New England. He'd be my pick hands down.” I’ve got to go with M - Wells Thompson. Thompson started and played the entire match on a team deep in midfield talent. He got some shots and suffered some fouls showing that the opposing defense wasn’t easily shutting him down. He must have been doing enough for manager Nicol to keep the faith. I’m the first to admit that I questioned Steve Nicol’s draft choice of Thompson a few months ago. At the time New England seemed to lose the plot taking Thompson ahead of names such as Colaluca, Wallace, Arguez, Igwe and Dalby. If Thompson can solidfy a starting spot and help New England back to the playoffs then it looks like Nicol got another over on the rest of the league at the draft.

Congratulations to Wells Thompson, our FCTP Rookie of the Week for MLS Week 1.