It wasn’t exactly an easy week to pick an MLS Player of the Week.
You had David Beckham’s goal and assist performance for LA, braces for Jimmy Conrad and Kenny Cooper as well as a goal and assist outing for Sacha Kljestan. As good as those games were, this week’s MLS player of the week went to the one player among this group you would least expect to deliver a stellar effort.
Chicago Fire forward Chad Barrett, fresh off a weak showing in Olympic Qualifying, was all over the field for the Fire. He helped set up two goals and finished off one of his own in Chicago’s 4-0 victory against New England last Thursday. Barrett scored Chicago’s first goal, did the work to set up the second (though a deflection took away his assist) and set up the Fire’s fourth and final goal. My original vote this morning went to Beckham but upon further review it was Barrett who deserved the honor.
Beckham, Cooper, Red Bulls midfielder Dave Van Den Bergh and Jimmy Conrad all merited honorable mention.
Player of the Weak for Week Two was also tough to call between two players who saw red.
Jeff Larentowicz earns the honors (or dishonor) this week for his seventh-minute red card against the Chicago Fire. The studs-up challenge (shown below), which could have been just a yellow but was instead issued as a red card, left the Revs a man down against an inspired Fire attack.
Now Kevin Harmse’ clumsy tackle in Toronto FC’s 4-1 loss to D.C. United was worse than Larentowicz’s, but Toronto was already down 2-0 and on its way to a loss. The Revs were only down a goal to Chicago six minutes into the match when Larentowicz was sent off for this challenge, though the ugliness of Harme’s challenge and his track record for questionable plays like this made him a strong POWeak contender:
What do you think of Barrett and Larentowicz being named SBI MLS Player of the Week/Weak? Share your thoughts below
there is no reason you have to tackle studs up. He deserved the red.
Barrett has always been strong on the ball, a hard worker, and good with his hold up play. He’s just never been a good enough finisher.
But for all the stick he gets, Barrett did knock in 8 goals last year. It’s not an embarrassing number.
I also think the Fire have built a team that will make Barrett look good this season. Mapp, Blanco and Rolfe are very strong attacking players in the midfield. Fire forwards will get more than their fair share of good looks at goal.
rkupp- regardless of what his intent was or whether it was a mis-timed tackle, it was still studs up… that type of a tackle is potientially a career ending (or at least a season ending) type of tackle… while in this case there was no sustaining injury, there could of easily had been…
the MLS seems willing to crack down on clumsy and dumb tackles…
and how many people try to “corral” a ball by sliding in the middle of the field…. he realized it was a 50/50 and went in to win it… unfortunately for him he went in studs up
As for what Larentowicz was trying to do, he was up high because he was trying to corral a bouncing ball – it’s clear if you watch some of the better replays. There was very incidental contact – this was a mis-timed tackle, that’s all.
id like to see Cooper get a call up to the nats… better our other options up top with altidore (ie. Tightshirt, EJ, etc…)..
lol, i just think the people who are still ripping into barrett watched the game with their “i hate Barrett” goggles on :D…. honestly, he did well the entire game… pls point out 1 player that doesnt have a few mistouches a game, a few butchered passes a game… im not saying that Barrett is this amazing forward, nor am i saying he’s turned a corner, but he was 1 of the main causes the game was 4-0…
the award is not “player of the month” or “player of the season”… Player of the Week defines his performance against the Revs… ignoring any less then stellar performances in the past… gesh
Cooper got called up, scored in limited playing time then broke his leg before Copa and didnt get a chance.
Meanwhile Twellman continues his non scoring and keeps gettign call ups.
“Also, Chad Barret just stinks, he should never be player of the week.”
Wow, thanks for the insight.
How on earth was justin mapp player of the week???? He was ineffective and shoulda gotten and shoulda gotten a red card for a foul exactly like gingers lunge. I think player of the week should be Geoff Cameron. You are probably all saying WHO? But this kid is a great talent on the wing for houston and he salvaged a point for them late in the game. Also, Chad Barret just stinks, he should never be player of the week.
I guess the lesson is that as a forward, it’s good to have a short memory, or none at all. Couldn’t agree more with kpugs and others who watched the Fire game instead of just reading the box score.
Barrett embarrassed himself on multiple plays, even that deflected assist that wouldn’t have reached a teammate if it wasn’t deflected.
But the backhanded compliment is that Barrett kept going at it and did contribute, no matter how bad he looked falling over the ball in ways that would make Alan Gordon proud.
Caig gets my POWeak for his nightmare substitute appearance in goal for Hou, although I still say their whole backline is dangerously slow and will cause problems season long.
Chad did indeed have a great game. If being at the top of the dangerous Fire attack finally turns all his potential into realization, the rest of MLS is going to have a tough team to contend with.
Did Laretowicz really get hurt in a reserve game he wouldn’t have been playing in if he hadn’t made a dirty lunge at someone?
One word…. ….kharma!
As much as Barret had a good game. I really think Mapp was the player of the week for the fire. Set up 2 goals , and was challenging defenders all night.. showed that flash of talent that everyone whishes he had every week.
If you’re going to count anything other than sendings off for the Weak award, it has to Tyrone Marshall. He turned standing around Saturday night into his own personal art-form.
“As far as Barrett, I’m still not convinced. He played a good game, but nonetheless he could have done more.”
lol, guess a goal and an assist (and setting up frankowski for a sitter) was not enough to completely impress Dano… while everyone should hold judgement until he gets more of this season under his belt to start praising or rediculing him, noone can deny he was easily one of the top players this past week
I rarely disagree with you Ives but I definitely do here. Barrett really didn’t play that well, he gets the stat of the week maybe.
He muffed dozens of shots and passes, repeatedly coughed up the ball, etc. In other words, standard Chad Barrett performance but the two goals make people forget how awful he really is.
To me, Caig was player of the weak. Came of the bench and started off too poorly (even if he did finish stronger); he gave up at least a couple goals that he should have stopped.
I’d personally have Parkhurst for Player of the Weak.
What about the Dynamo backup keeper Caig? He lets in two soft goals that cost them a game that they looked ready to dominate. He picked it up later and made some good saves, but I don’t think that redeems his earlier mistakes.
Oh, and while it wasn’t a automatic red card, I have to say that I’m glad it was called one. MLS officials have let too many studs up, mis-timed challenges go in the last few years, and I hope this is a sign of refs being told to try and cut down on the dangerous play.
As far as Barrett, I’m still not convinced. He played a good game, but nonetheless he could have done more.
How do y’all like Seattle Sounders FC? It’s official!
Didn’t Cooper and Jaqua both get called into the first few camps BB held?
Wow! Just shows that there was no real stand out this week in MLS. Good on ya Chad. Of course this guarantees five straight weeks of more Chad like performances.
No nomination for Hesmer? I know he made some nice saves later but he had already sunk his team at that point.
I know it is early in the season, but I have thought this for long before his injury kept him out for a good part of last year’s MLS season. Kenny Cooper NEEDS to be part of the Bobby B’s plans for the nats.
He is good in the air, can hold the ball, and has the testicular fortitude to take shots! NO more Ching (valiant, but not national team material anymore) or the lazy mofo EJ!
———–Altidore—–Cooper————-
Donovan———–Adu—————-Dempsey
——-Bradley—(Whomever matures fastest)
——Boca——Onyewu——Dolo————
—————-Howard———————-
A man can dream, can’t he!!??
apparently you missed all those sitters that barrett whiffed.
How about that! Some love for the Barrett.
I thought FrankenCooper did some nice work yesterday.
Oh, and Ginger=Jeff Larentowicz for those that don’t know.
Combine Ginger’s misfortune w/ the fact that he got hurt in the reserves game the next day, and you certainly have an unfortunate winner 🙁
If only Alvaro Pires could hit a simple header, Becks would be your guy here. I still can’t believe he missed a header 4yds out that Goldenballs put so perfectly on his head, newrly anyone could’ve put it in the net.
It would’ve been easier for Larentowitz to play the ball than try to break Prideaux’s leg, when it happened I didn’t know what he was thinking. It did kill the game for NE but I don’t see how you can argue with a tackle like that being Red.
Besides that, just an editorial note:
NE didn’t score
and NE wasn’t tied with DC before the Red.
Just for accuracy’s sake, I love the site for the information, even if I don’t usually agree with the takes.
Chad Barrett scored in the 3rd or 4th minute for the Fire. Larentowicz was sent off in the 7th minute of the game.
I think larentowicz was severely hosed by a ridiculous call. Your player of the weak should Baldomero Toledo for sending him off and ruining the game.
The post game quotes from Steve Nicol made me think that maybe Jeff didnt deserve a red. But even though it could have been yellow, I understand how the ref gave him a red. The revs have no reason to complain about that one. It was a bad challenge. Harmse is just a dirty player. To be honest I never liked his attitude with LA and I think he just wants to break legs and that is the way he plays sometimes.