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 spo…
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.
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.