By FRANCO PANIZO
There have been a couple run-ins between Jos Luhukay and John Brooks within the past year, but Hertha Berlin’s head coach had only positives to say after his young defender’s most recent performance.
Hertha Berlin were the latest club to defeat Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, claiming a 1-0 win on Saturday, and Brooks played a significant role in that shutout victory. Brooks put forth an impressive showing in central defense that not only helped snap Hertha Berlin’s two-game losing streak, but also earned them their first cleansheet since Oct. 25.
Afterwards, Luhukay gave glowing reviews of his 21-year-old defender’s outing.
“John played his best match of 2014,” said Luhukay. “He was always there when it got dangerous in our box, no matter whether the ball came flying in high or was passed in low.
“That was the Brooks I have always wished for. I am delighted for him. I have had my battles with him, but we have always been honest with each other, and that’s why I am just delighted.”
The comments should serve as a big vote of confidence for Brooks, who Luhukay has not been shy of criticizing harshly in the past. Luhukay demoted the U.S. Men’s National Team centerback to the reserve team earlier this season due to inconsistent performances, and benched Brooks back in April after the talented youngster got a large tattoo on his back.
Due to a multiple injuries to some of his teammates, Brooks has started each of Hertha’s last four matches. In total, he has seven starts in 10 league appearances for the 13th-placed side.
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What do you think of Luhukay’s comments? Impressed with the way Brooks has rebounded after being demoted to the second team earlier this season? Think he will continue to start for Hertha Berlin?
Share your thoughts below.
and Brooks with a goal today to put Hertha up 1-0 in the 22nd.
The USMNT looks to have a very nice crop of CB’s to choose from and rotate through for the upcoming cycle.
Besler – In a bit of a slump, but was very good for the NT since breaking into the squad.
Gonzalez – Maybe not the most technical. But is a beast in defending crosses.
Brooks – Young and talented. Just needs continue to gain consistency and experience.
Cameron – Good Utility player (CB, CDM, RB). May age out if the young guns keep progressing.
Jones – Not sold on him playing CB, but has good engine and will buy him a couple years.
Packwood – Not a great year for him, but has the ability to be a very good CB. Could jumpstart himself during Olympics.
O’Neil – Not a great year for him, but has the ability to be a very good CB. Could jumpstart himself during Olympics.
Soares – Late bloomer, but going to Seria A could help him.
Hedges – Solid if not flashy. Dark horse type.
Dean – Needs to get games, but has the tools to be a Dark horse. Could be in Olympic contention
Edu – Possible candidate to move from CM to CB a-la Jones. But will need games at CB.
I’m sure there are other potential options out there, but this is a good starting place to develop a solid CB pool from.
Besler also sucks – these guys suck. Geoff Cameron is starting premier league games for a mid table club day in and day out while Omar Gonzalez is living comfortably, completely complacent and content in his mediocre skill set, and more concerned about posting pictures on instagram.
Not sure if Cameron will make the next WC, he is already 29 and as of late, prone to making huge mistakes.
Except he doesn’t actually play center back
Hold on a minute, you guys are praising Gonzo? I think one post even went as far as to say… He’s on another level? The level he’s on is called exceptional mediocrity. Exceptional. The guy is prone to multiple defensive gaffes EVERY game – not just some. He’s not equipped to hold down a starting spot on this USMNT – don’t forget, this is the worst crop of centerbacks we’ve seen in the last decade. He will not grow with the Galaxy, so he’s stuck the way he is, which is simply not good enough. Most recently, I recall him giving the ball to Dempsey near the top of his top of his own penalty area on a botched clearance, and subsequently allowing Dempsey’s lackluster shot right through his legs resulting in one of many, well, an abundance of MLS playoff deflection goals. He belongs is that league, and he IS MLS – a mediocre entity that can occasionally fool people, but when examined a bit closer is still lacking the quality to separate from the pack. To put it more bluntly, Gonzo fucking sucks and you’re a bunch of morons for thinking anything differently. Raise the bar already, shit. If he wasn’t exceptional in the air, I’d take Chad Marshall over him. And Chad Marshall sucks, too.
Hey dude, don’t hold back! Let us know how you feel! Let it all out!
“And Chad Marshall sucks, too ”
That ought to get a rise out of King G Eye
maybe epb-brooks or cameron carter vickers- brooks by 2018?
Vickers is only 16. He’s good but 2018 is asking a lot.
he’d be 20. best case scenario anyway.
Yes, he is only 16 but he is already playing for our U23 team and looking like the best RCB out there. The kid is amazing. His body is already of a grown man! and at 6’1 the sky’s the limit. Once fully grown he may end up to be 6’2 or 6’3 with a chiseled body. The next 18 should tell us if he has a shot at the next WC.
Maybe your remember Agbossmunde? Good, because probably no one else does.
You know, I hardly heard about him until people started to praise him, once I got a look at him I didn’t think he was that good, his supposedly fine passing from the back was average at best. There is no guarantee CCV is going to be great but in my eyes he looks to be legit.
Good for Brooksie. From the start I always thought he was a great prospect, he was 6’4” by age 17. Hopefully he keeps up his good form and place in the side. Love the fact that he plays for Hertha Berlin, hometown boy.
Lot’s of comparison to Gooch – and you see the raw athletic ability. I guess the U.S. college system (University of Maryland) ain’t quite as good as a German academy.
Gooch is from Washington DC but he went to Clemson.
Goodson, Gonzo, De la Garza, Robbie Rogers, Zusi,among others, went to Maryland
among others…. Edu has been solid contributor for USMNT as well.
How could I forget Mo? There may be a few others.
I wonder if Maryland has more USMNT players than UCLA or UVA who seem to be quite prolific in that area.
Maxy G, arguably, Gooch was equally as talented. at 26 he was signed to Milan. sadly the injury during a US game sidelined him for a year. he never played a league game with Milan and was never really the same player since. shame too, right before the injury he had two great games (3-0 vs Egypt, 2-0 vs Spain in confer cup) and was prepped to have a good season with Milan backing up A, Nesta.
he also allegedly broke Zlatan’s rib in a fight during one of his first practices. Brooks would be too scared to go at The Zlatan…
man, how nice are those jerseys???
Nice – well done, Brooks. You should get a tattoo to celebrate this! 🙂
A Much needed boost to our self-esteem.
Thanks coach.
With Brooks and Gonzales playing so well, Tim Ream and Matt Hedges coming through.. Geoff Cameron so.. so and A.J Soares moving to Serie A. How long can Matt Besler keep his starting spot for? I suspect that it’s basically gone already.
Yeah I think he’s a back up at this point. Of course he could turn it around, but Brooks and Gonzo are clearly at another level.
Gonzo clearly at another level over Besler? No.
cant be at another level playing Minor League Soccer
This is not welcome. TGA – Troll Go Away.
I love … Excuse me … We love our MLS on this site. Have since … jeez Ives when is the next roll call? … How long now 10 years since the original blog?
Omar has not been at another level whatsoever. he’s just been okay over the past few months.
Yeah, it will be rough for Besler. If he can get back to where he was, he will be fine. If he struggles he might just never catch up again.
Hmmm…. how many times have we played Brooks and Gonz together? I am not entirely convinced that JK sees them as a tandem. But I could be mistaken…
I think it’s very, very early to start writing off Besler. I mean, ok, fair enough, he hasn’t been at his WC level (which, may I remind you, had him as one of the best and most consistent USMNT players) for several months, but if he can gain that form back, I see no reason why he’s not in the starting conversation. Will it be a fight between him and Brooks? Sure, but that’s only good for both players.
That being said, I’m extra delighted to see Brooks playing well. His ceiling is extremely high, higher perhaps than we’ve seen in any defender since Onyewu (I’m talking ceiling here, not actual performance) and ever higher than his still. I’m hoping for very good things from him in the future.
i’m not so sure about that. as we saw at the WC, JK views Brooks as a direct replacement for Besler. JK specifically said Brooks was subbed in because he plays on the left side. if Brooks keep up his form, he will overtake Besler in the LCB role.
i think Omar and Cameron will be the ones battling. Cameron has been playing well for Stoke, but at CDM, not at CB. and to be honest, Omar has not been playing particularly great recently. not nearly as shaky as Besler, but it’s not like Omar is tearing it up right now. he certainly didn’t look great in MLS Cup.
and how could i forget Jones being in that CB mix right now. i could see a Brooks.Jones combo to be honest.
+1 I think we’re going to be seeing plenty of Jones/Brooks from JK in the coming 6-9 months. And honestly, I think it’s not a bad idea a all.
But somebody has to be the deputy/long-term option behind Jones (if it even works out). And I don’t think it’s Gonz– simply because I see Brooks and Gonz competing for one spot…. don’t see JK rolling with a “twin towers” CB pairing, at least not with these two.
The idea is to have competition.
If Brooks and Besler are red hot and pushing each other, it can only be to the good of the USMNT
Besler having a left foot makes him relevant but where near the tools Brooks has
it’s great to see him doing so well. Berliner Kurier went as far to say that he has the makings of a world-class player.
In 25 years of following the USMNT, he has the highest ceiling of any CB I’ve ever seen, for sure. Young Gooch is the only one that ever even came close. Brooks is so much more technical than Gooch was at the same age and he’s more agile. Gooch was always insanely fast for his size in straight line speed but he was prone to getting turned in open space.
+1. The guy’s about to enter some rare air if he keeps up at this rate. It seems this Hertha coach really does understand how to get through to Brooks, which is critical as he had been very unpolished (in my view) in his first few looks.
He’s been great in his performances for us since the Ukraine debacle early in the year– which probably had as much to do with the awkward pairing with Gooch as anything else, and it now seems he is showing this promise at the club level. Here’s hoping he can sustain this path. As you’ve said, he has an incredible ceiling given his tools and early experience.
Awesome news. Nice to have the coach’s earlier comments behind us. Seems like he just needed a shot in the arm.
It’s great to hear. I noticed that he’s been starting and getting 90 minute games after the WC, but it sounds like the coach went out of his way to praise him.
Props to the man who scored a goal and nearly passed out when he realized what he had just done in the World Cup! That was one of my favorite moments from the last cup.
+1, will always remember that ‘celebration’
That wasn’t a celebration so much as just about the most honest reaction I can ever remember seeing on a soccer field.
I thought JK might have to sub him out.
This guy is the cornerstone of the US defense for the next two cycles at least. JK knows it and I believe Jermaine’s move to CB is as much to provide Brooks with a security blanket as any other reason.
Agreed. Brooks is a smarter, faster, more technical Gooch. Combined with Jones’ experience and nastiness, I think we have quite a tandem heading into the Gold Cup.
I do wonder if we bring our A team to the Gold Cup. Players and clubs won’t like it if they play three summer tournaments in a row (possible 4). Players need rest.
I’d rather we go all in in 2016 then send another C squad and be barred for another decade.
No way are they fielding anything less than their best team at home in 2016. I think we’ll see the best available team in each tournament. And 2017 isn’t guaranteed yet, we still need to win next year’s Gold Cup or the play-in.
I know everyone is excited about this Copa 2016, but if we win GC 2015 then we are in for Confederations Cup 2017. Man the possible schedule congestion is apparently thick.