Dane Richards is an interesting conundrum…most of the time he plays like crap. A one-trick pony which most MLS defenses have figured out. He’s got great speed, but a very small soccer brain, often dribbling himself either into the endline or into triple coverage. And, his crosses leave a lot to be desired. But, then on some rare occasions, especially against unfamiliar foreign competition, he manages to play like a maniac.
In the Grand-Opening Friendly exhibition against Santos FC of Brazil, Dane used his speed to terrorize the Santos’ defenders all game, eventually scoring on a blistering shot to seal the 3-1 victory. Today, against Manchester City, Dane created an exceptional win by using his speed to beat defender, Wayne Bridge to the ball, and then crossed a perfect ball into Macoumba Kandji for the 1-0 lead. Then in the second half, with the game tied up at 1-1, Dane raced down the wing, into space, and fired a shot from 30 yards out off the crossbar and into the net to give the Red Bulls the lead and eventual 2-1 win.
Now, if Dane could do that against MLS competition in a meaningful game, then the Red Bulls would be practically unbeatable. Unfortunately, I expect that he’ll be back to his one-trick pony, impotent ways soon enough…Or maybe Henry will be a good influence on him, but I won’t hold my breath.
Peace
G
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