Portland Timbers Trade Jeremy Hall for FC Dallas' Eric Alexander
by Geoff Gibson on Aug 19, 2011 12:18 PM PDT
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Despite the international transfer window being closed for MLS teams, that doesn't mean there can't be any movement between MLS sides. Today is just such an example of that. When we all thought that the Timbers might be done for the season, it appears they had one more trick up their sleeve.
Today we say goodbye to back right defender Jeremy Hall in exchange for FC Dallas midfielder Eric Alexander. Here's what Daniel Robertson of Big D Soccer had to say about Eric and the trade at large:
Eric Alexander is a 2-way midfielder for Dallas who was very good last year as a rookie for FCD. He holds possession and tackles pretty well while getting forward every once in awhile. He was slotted in as the starter at the beginning of the season but the acquisition of Andrew Jacobson and rise in play from Bruno Guarda have seen him become surplus in Dallas. He’s a great guy, great locker room guy and comes at a very inexpensive cap hit. If he can regain the form he showed late last season, Portland have got a very good MLS player on their hands.
For Dallas, the move makes sense because of George John’s rumored impending transfer to Blackburn Rovers. We’re very likely to see Zach Loyd slot into the center back spot and Jeremy Hall will provide solid cover at right back and left back for FCD who need defensive depth especially on the wings. It seems like a win-win for both teams.
I like the inexpensive part, but otherwise I'm a little confused at what the Timbers will do with another midfielder. I guess only time will tell.
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Good move. We’ve seen what Hall offered this team, and it wasn’t much of anything. Now trade Wallace for a ham and cheese sandwich. Or a beer.
Only a micro brewed beer!
None of that BudMillerCoors swill they serve around the rest of the nation!
RCTID - Stumptown Footy
Moderator of /r/MLS
by Geoff Gibson on Aug 19, 2011 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Against KC, around the 79th minute (give or take 4 minutes) Wallace made a turnover, stopped and looked at the KC player who was taking the ball upfield, then began to slowly job back to our end (one of the many instances that revealed his lack of conditioning). He wasn’t even on the screen until well after KC had brought the ball into the final third. I have no respect for someone who show less heart on the pitch than the supporters show in the stands.
On top of that
by all accounts of my season ticket holder friends, Wallace is a total d-bag and doesn’t care about any of those activities. Seems to have a huge ego for someone who is as awful and overpaid as he is.
My mistake
I meant the season ticket holder events, like the BBQ last week and the meet up a month or so ago as well. There’ve seen like 2-3 of the season ticket holder parties and my friends had said that Wallace was a total dick at every single one to pretty much everyone who went up to him, whereas the other guys (and they noted especially Brunner and Jewsbury) were super, super nice, as was Kenny Cooper.
Hey now
we have some pretty nice brews in the Midwest. Though I will admit my knowledge of Western beer is sadly, sadly lacking.
In a past life, I was called fightoffyourdemons.
I write a bit for The Short Fuse.
by Thomas Wachtel on Aug 19, 2011 5:47 PM PDT up reply actions
Timbers Insider has an interesting theory about Wallace
Basically, below average soccer IQ but great athleticism. His speed is what kept pushing him up the American soccer ladder because Americans have a fetish for big, strong, and fast athletes but don’t value things like maturity and intuition for the game. The fact that Wallace is being exposed at the MLS level says more about the nature of US soccer culture than it does about the individual player. But one thing Wallace can control is his maturity and work ethic during match play, which has been lacking too often. I don’t doubt his desire. I think he cares. It’s just that Wallace has yet to figure out what it means to be a professional. It’s one thing to get in the door, but a player has to focus and work hard to stay in.
by yepyou'reright on Aug 19, 2011 6:53 PM PDT up reply actions
It's not just soccer
All of the American professional sports seem to have a bias in favor of “athletic” prospects rather than smart or skilled prospects. The theory is that you can teach players how to play the game but you can’t teach athleticism. However, most of the time it doesn’t work and the young, athletic prospect that doesn’t understand the game just evolves into an old, experienced player who still doesn’t really understand the game.
Could not have put it better myself trk.
This pervading theory in the american soccer logic that the ‘athletically superior’ will win out has been proven the world over to be false. Look at some of the best players in the world. Specifically, look at Barcelona. Messi, Xavi, Dani Alves, Iniesta, Pedro; all those guys stand about 5’7" and are physically unassuming. Yet they are some of the most technically gifted players in the world.
This is one of the things that needs to change in the American soccer ethos. Due to the national popularity of sports like football and basketball, we seem to think the biggest, tallest and strongest are undoubtedly those most likely to thrive in a soccer. However, soccer is a sport where technical skills are far and away the most crucial component of success on the field. I’m willing to bet we have one of the most ‘physically’ imposing national teams, but it’s the skilled players that dictate our success. I could go on, but I’ll end my rant there.
I dunno
Look at Germany, they blend the Physical side and the technical side very well. I think we need a combo of the two.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
I'm not saying physical attributes should be overlooked wholesale from team selection,
but technical skill has to be at the very top of the criteria for the academies, MLS teams and for the USMNT. And I don’t think it is at any of these levels.
If you guys wanted to trade Hall the Whitecaps totally could have given you Bilal Duckett for him.
Manager at Vancouver Whitecaps and western Canadian soccer website Eighty Six Forever and infrequently-posting flunky at Edmonton Oilers blog The Copper & Blue.
by Benjamin Massey on Aug 19, 2011 12:31 PM PDT reply actions
I'm with you...Wallace needs to go next
With Chabala and Palmer here, Wallace is expendible
Who would we be left with to back guys up, though?
volatilelyle.com
by almost awesome on Aug 19, 2011 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Great Trade
Alexander was legit last year. Its no knock on him that he can’t crack Dallas’ midfield — they’re loaded. Frankly, Hall for an orange traffic cone would have been a good trade. This is an absolute steal.
Probably a move with an eye toward next year and beyond, more than this year. Alexander moves ahead of Marcelin on the depth chart (I hope), and should be in the mix for starting minutes next year. Excellent move.
You guys are ridiculous
Seriously, never seen so many people love piling on. Hall was perfectly fine for us this year. He’s a guy that’s had a hard time cracking a spot at NY before, played pretty good/passable at RB, considering we were planning on using him at RM all year. Is he an all-star? Nope, but he’s incredibly athletic and could play multiple positions, which is exactly why Dallas made this trade. He’s not a guarenteed starter, but he’s a great guy to have on your roster.
And yeah Wallace has been poor, but again, jesus people, he went from no time since Chabala got here, to playing against one of the hottest teams in MLS with some great young talent at forward (seriously, KC probably has the best striker corps outside LA and NY, and is going up with them, not down). He had a bad game. He’s had a few bad games. But enough with the negativity. He’s been exposed ALL year by absolute shit defense in front of him, and shit defense next to him, and his MO was never a lock-down defender. How many times has he made a great forward run that Kalif ignored? I seriously lost count. Yeah, his stats and alot of his play leaves alot of be desired, but enough with dragging thier names through the mud when you haven’t even ever talked, or much less watched, them play a whole game.
by zaggy on Aug 19, 2011 1:29 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
I couldn't agree more
I also have been able to talk to him quite often off the record and he is a great guy, just very guarded. If you are into the Blazers he is a lot like Aldridge because of his lack of interest when really he is just very private.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
My beef with Wallace isn’t so much about his level of play. Its the effort. I’ve seen every second of every game. Your right about Hall though. He doesn’t deserve to be shat on.
After getting shelled all fing year
I’m willing to cut him slack for the last game. He’s been ridden pretty hard and left completely by himself. He also hasn’t had a good game in a bit, and as soon as Chabala got traded he was pretty much immediately on the bench. Tough situation. Needs to pull out soon though, but for now, he gets a mild pass.
I would expect someone getting another chance off the bench, and being slotted back into his old position, to show more heart. I respect your opinion, but Wallace isn’t the type of player I want on this team. It would be great if someone could find a clip of the play I mentioned above. I don’t know how to do that.
You should explore the chalkboard from the SKC game. That just added to my frustration. More unsuccessful passes and possessions lost than anyone else on the team, by a ton. Granted he had possession and passed quite a bit, but even if you look at his mistakes as a percentage, its still horrible.
Since the Timbers like to move the ball up the sidelines, the outside backs always have more touches and use up more possessions than anyone else
Our outside backs will typically lose 20-25 possessions each in a game. Chabala seems to be the best of the backs at keeping possession, but even he is always in the double digits, while most of the other field players are in the single digits. It makes me think that one of the Timber’s top priorities should be to get an excellent right back.
John to Hall is a bit of a drop off.
Maybe Hall will get a chance to play in position with Dallas, but that doesn’t look like the case. He didn’t look great in back for us.
After that shellacking in Dallas, it’s surprising the Burn would want any of our defenders.
volatilelyle.com
Good luck Jeremy, welcome Eric
Hall is really a RW being asked to play RB. If GW had a back up plan after the Kerrea Gilbert deal fell through – and if Uncle Sam wasn’t so uptight – Hall may have had better luck here. But those are the breaks. Tough business.
The thing I’ll remember the most about Hall has nothing to do with his play. It was back in training camp when a reporter asked Spencer “Let me ask you about Jeremy Hall” and Spencer immediately replied “Why? Do you like him?”
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