Blanco still has it; the problem is he only has it for 15-20 min at a time nowadays. As Bethany Rob says, that's both not worth the salary he's making and not worth the roster spot he's occupying. I don't want to see him playing more than a half, at the absolute most, at this point, and only then if there are no other options.
Blanco still has it; the problem is he only has it for 15-20 min at a time nowadays. As Bethany Rob says, that's both not worth the salary he's making and not worth the roster spot he's occupying. I don't want to see him playing more than a half, at the absolute most, at this point, and only then if there are no other options.
I love me some Seba, but it's time for him to call it a career. His body is shot, sports-wise, at this point and I really don't want the Timbers to grind him into dust on the off chance that he might rediscover some fleeting form that doesn't really do anything to help the team except move them from 12th to 11th - that's not good for anyone.
Once he retires, put him up on the ring of honor next to Valeri, give him a proper sendoff and let him collect all the accolades he richly deserves. But watching him limp around for 20 min a game isn't doing anyone any good.
I don't have any intel, nor have I seen him live, so I'll take you at your word that he is limping around the field. I didn't see any of that on the screen.
Blanco creating chances by putting in crosses (with his left) or cutting back and cracking a shot (you could hear the boot hit the ball) reminds me of two things: one, that Blanco still has it. He was a guy who played major roles in getting to 2018 and 2021 finals and winning MLSIB tourney, and he has been sorely missed since being out; and two, what the heck, Gio? Do you not instruct players to do as Blanco does and did Wednesday night as a winger by crossing or taking shots i.e. being dangerous, or do you just let the players "do their thing" and not want to step on their toes?
I watch other teams and see guys getting around the corner all the time and it leads to goals, or crosses in and it leads to goals. It's sad that apparently a "washed up" Blanco can do it, but nobody else can or does.
Blanco is still very good on the ball. He's got vision and he uses his body well to get into open space while dribbling. He can go both left and right and he looked dangerous with the ball.
Blanco also can hardly move without the ball. We still haven't seen him run -really run - this year. He provides almost less defense than a parking cone because the cone won't duck and get out of the way if it's dangerous. However, he moved pretty fast a couple of times while handling the ball.
I'm not sure he can get his feet to the ball without playing a defense like CO that just kind of forgot about him for a bit, which let him get dangerous.
**** DISCLAIMER (for some of you) ****
We ALL know that right now he's not worth his salary. Jesus, yes, of course we get that. But for the rest of this year, if we're tied or down a goal, could he be of some value in trying to score? At least this looked like a "Yeah, maybe he can help in a limited sub role for the next two months?"
He's just coming back from major injury - maybe "limping" is a strong word, but he's absolutely not capable of playing 90 min as he was a few years ago, and even 45 is a pretty big question.
"He was a guy who played major roles in getting to 2018 and 2021 finals and winning MLSIB tourney,"
2018 was five years ago. That's an eternity in sports, particularly for a player with Blanco's injury history - he injured his ACL in 2020 and had several setbacks in his recovery. By his own admission, he was nowhere near healthy in 2022, and it wasn't until this recent recovery that he seems able to run without pain.
I still wouldn't want to rely on him for major minutes in 2023 - it seems like he's being slowly worked back into shape, and pushing that in any way is probably an invitation to disaster for a 35 year old coming off nearly three years of knee problems.
"one, that Blanco still has it."
Nobody's disputing that he "still has it", I don't think - there's still a decent player there. The bigger and more important question, though, is, how long per game can he bring what he still has. And the answer seems to be about 20 min/game right now; with 14 games left in the regular season, there's not a whole lot of time for him to get 90 min fit, even if he could (of which at 35, coming off all those knee problems, I'm somewhat skeptical).
As mentioned, I love the guy; it's just time for him (and us) to recognize it's not 2018 any more, and that at this point he physically can't do what he could do then for more than 20 or so min at a time. If this were basketball and he could come in and out of games repeatedly, sure, let him play as much as he wants; but in a game that allows only five subs, I'm not sure Blanco is the best regular use of one of those subs at this point.
I'm also almost ruthlessly not nostalgic about athletes I like - at least not until they retire. Right now, Blanco is an active player who can't contribute for long periods of time in a game, and the Timbers need a player who can. I'd love that to be Blanco; I just don't think it can be.
"but in a game that allows only five subs, I'm not sure Blanco is the best regular use of one of those subs at this point."
Oh, yeah. I'd definitely bring him on. He changed the game vs Colorado. It was even (back and forth) and then he comes on, with Mora, and the Timbers are living in Colorado's third. Also, why would anyone not want to watch Blanco. The guy is pure entertainment from the way he interacts with other team's players, the ref, and of course, his general showmanship and ability. I wouldn't say that if there were better options. I say that because he looks like the best option.
Blanco still has it; the problem is he only has it for 15-20 min at a time nowadays. As Bethany Rob says, that's both not worth the salary he's making and not worth the roster spot he's occupying. I don't want to see him playing more than a half, at the absolute most, at this point, and only then if there are no other options.
I love me some Seba, but it's time for him to call it a career. His body is shot, sports-wise, at this point and I really don't want the Timbers to grind him into dust on the off chance that he might rediscover some fleeting form that doesn't really do anything to help the team except move them from 12th to 11th - that's not good for anyone.
Once he retires, put him up on the ring of honor next to Valeri, give him a proper sendoff and let him collect all the accolades he richly deserves. But watching him limp around for 20 min a game isn't doing anyone any good.
I don't have any intel, nor have I seen him live, so I'll take you at your word that he is limping around the field. I didn't see any of that on the screen.
Blanco creating chances by putting in crosses (with his left) or cutting back and cracking a shot (you could hear the boot hit the ball) reminds me of two things: one, that Blanco still has it. He was a guy who played major roles in getting to 2018 and 2021 finals and winning MLSIB tourney, and he has been sorely missed since being out; and two, what the heck, Gio? Do you not instruct players to do as Blanco does and did Wednesday night as a winger by crossing or taking shots i.e. being dangerous, or do you just let the players "do their thing" and not want to step on their toes?
I watch other teams and see guys getting around the corner all the time and it leads to goals, or crosses in and it leads to goals. It's sad that apparently a "washed up" Blanco can do it, but nobody else can or does.
I think both of you are right, in a sense.
Blanco is still very good on the ball. He's got vision and he uses his body well to get into open space while dribbling. He can go both left and right and he looked dangerous with the ball.
Blanco also can hardly move without the ball. We still haven't seen him run -really run - this year. He provides almost less defense than a parking cone because the cone won't duck and get out of the way if it's dangerous. However, he moved pretty fast a couple of times while handling the ball.
I'm not sure he can get his feet to the ball without playing a defense like CO that just kind of forgot about him for a bit, which let him get dangerous.
**** DISCLAIMER (for some of you) ****
We ALL know that right now he's not worth his salary. Jesus, yes, of course we get that. But for the rest of this year, if we're tied or down a goal, could he be of some value in trying to score? At least this looked like a "Yeah, maybe he can help in a limited sub role for the next two months?"
He's just coming back from major injury - maybe "limping" is a strong word, but he's absolutely not capable of playing 90 min as he was a few years ago, and even 45 is a pretty big question.
"He was a guy who played major roles in getting to 2018 and 2021 finals and winning MLSIB tourney,"
2018 was five years ago. That's an eternity in sports, particularly for a player with Blanco's injury history - he injured his ACL in 2020 and had several setbacks in his recovery. By his own admission, he was nowhere near healthy in 2022, and it wasn't until this recent recovery that he seems able to run without pain.
I still wouldn't want to rely on him for major minutes in 2023 - it seems like he's being slowly worked back into shape, and pushing that in any way is probably an invitation to disaster for a 35 year old coming off nearly three years of knee problems.
"one, that Blanco still has it."
Nobody's disputing that he "still has it", I don't think - there's still a decent player there. The bigger and more important question, though, is, how long per game can he bring what he still has. And the answer seems to be about 20 min/game right now; with 14 games left in the regular season, there's not a whole lot of time for him to get 90 min fit, even if he could (of which at 35, coming off all those knee problems, I'm somewhat skeptical).
As mentioned, I love the guy; it's just time for him (and us) to recognize it's not 2018 any more, and that at this point he physically can't do what he could do then for more than 20 or so min at a time. If this were basketball and he could come in and out of games repeatedly, sure, let him play as much as he wants; but in a game that allows only five subs, I'm not sure Blanco is the best regular use of one of those subs at this point.
I'm also almost ruthlessly not nostalgic about athletes I like - at least not until they retire. Right now, Blanco is an active player who can't contribute for long periods of time in a game, and the Timbers need a player who can. I'd love that to be Blanco; I just don't think it can be.
"but in a game that allows only five subs, I'm not sure Blanco is the best regular use of one of those subs at this point."
Oh, yeah. I'd definitely bring him on. He changed the game vs Colorado. It was even (back and forth) and then he comes on, with Mora, and the Timbers are living in Colorado's third. Also, why would anyone not want to watch Blanco. The guy is pure entertainment from the way he interacts with other team's players, the ref, and of course, his general showmanship and ability. I wouldn't say that if there were better options. I say that because he looks like the best option.