MLS underway this evening with Houston vs. Columbus at Crew Stadium.
What a perfect time to bring up the following:
Shouldn't Davis be wearing the Stars & Stripes at some point in 2011?
• Brad Davis is having an MVP campaign. CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME?!
If you caught up with TSG on Twitter recently, you’ve heard our rants on Davis. Thirteen assists for Davis. He’s played with a rotating cast of forwards. He’s responsible for Brian Ching scoring from the run of play with his feet! That in an of itself is insane. When was the last time Ching did that?
And Davis has the Houston Dynamo hovering in the playoffs in the East without an attacking midfielder taking any pressure off him. His service is solid. He’s calm on the ball and he’s consistent.
Here’s what TSG had to say about him in the beginning of the year:
But for me, a consumate professional, a tireless worker, wheels and great service is just part of the package of Brad Davis. Underrated, year-in and year-out. This is a lifetime achievement award for the Jude Law look-a-like.
And get this final stat from OptaJack: Brad Davis has created 84 scoring opportunities thus far, 33 more than the next closest player in MLS.
His candidacy is right up there with Mauro Rosales and Brek Shea’s in the MVP race. MLS media heads, pay your respects
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The Shin Guardian 
Posted by dth on 2011/09/14 at 4:43 PM
I still think Thierry Henry has been the league’s best player this year.
And, yes, that’s my definition of the MVP.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/09/14 at 4:58 PM
He was up there for me. I just can’t consider him an MVP candidate if as talented a club as NYRB is he doesn’t get in there.
I always think of it this way. Take Davis away from Houston. Donovan from the Galaxy. Henry from the NYRB.
Which team plummets?
Posted by dth on 2011/09/14 at 5:22 PM
All of them. (though, to be fair–Donovan is less critical than Davis or Henry, both of whose teams would suck without them.)
Again, I just consider how good a season the player’s having–that’s all. Asking who’s most valuable as a contingent thing complicates matters. Where would Fulham be without Dempsey? Flirting with relegation if not worse. I don’t think too many people would consider Dempsey close to EPL MVP, though.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/09/14 at 5:25 PM
Always a tough question with different criteria. What’s interesting on Henry is that when Agudelo has been in the line-up with him he hasn’t done great, but with Luke Rodgers he does well.
I can honestly say that I think the Red Bulls would not nearly be as worse off without Henry as the Dynamo without Davis.
On Dempsey — I think you *could* make the case for him to be MVP.
Posted by Ufficio on 2011/09/14 at 7:45 PM
I really wish that MVP awards across leagues were renamed as “Most Outstanding Player” or whatever. This would serve two purposes: a) the player who had the best season would be honored and b) we could stop having these conversations about what MVP should really mean.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/09/14 at 5:00 PM
By the way — having watched a number of Dynamo, NYRB, Seattle, LAG, San Jose, Dallas & RSL games I don’t think — visually — it’s even close.
The Dynamo have had no other creator in the midfield and rotating forwards. Davis leads in set piece assists as well as is tied I believe in run of play assists.
It’s not close.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/09/14 at 5:26 PM
One of the rare great crosses this year in MLS. Dynamo ahead a man up.
Posted by vfig on 2011/09/14 at 7:56 PM
That was a bizarre game.
Posted by Kevin on 2011/09/14 at 8:19 PM
Sigh… I don’t know what to angered me more, the inability to finish off a 10-man Columbus or the fact that we managed to concede 2 penalties in 12 minutes making us fight for an equalizer or maybe just simply the first penalty awarded. When judging handballs, I usually consider two things, ball to hand vs hand to ball and where on the arm was the contact made? I have to watch the replay again but I believe that the ball hit weaver’s upper arm which was down by his side minding it’s own business.
As much as I want to blame the ref, there is really no excuse to not finish off a 10 man Columbus.
In response to Davis MVP candidacy, I’m going to agree that Houston wouldn’t too great without him, but I wouldn’t go so far to say that we would plummett. I think we would fight every single game and manage to scrape away some points but we wouldn’t be a basement dwelling team. I stand by my opinion that the most important factor for houston in the past couple months is the insertion of Moffat to actually shield the backline.
Posted by scweeb on 2011/09/14 at 8:57 PM
Kinda a random question. Has Klinsman done anything with the Youth system?
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/09/14 at 10:57 PM
Funny you should ask…youth system post coming shortly.
But no he has not done anything directly yet.