In another of a lengthy series of thoroughly bizarre Hansa Rostock personnel moves, U.S. defender Heath Pearce was dropped to the second team, starting today. No real clear reason was given for the move ('performance reasons', says the manager - Hansa's third in the last calendar year).
This would be strange even if the organization hadn't completely imploded this season. After being relegated from the Bundesliga last term, they now are in danger of falling through another trap door.
Pearce has started exactly two games since mid-December (both 1-1 draws in March) and suffered a thigh muscle knock in training last week that ruled him out of their weekend contest. The other guy they sent down today (back-up keeper Kenneth Kronholm) hadn't appeared in a match all season.
Performance, eh? Weren't you all suffering through a long winless drought while Pearce was on the outs? The guy has started five matches, of which the team has lost one. In all, he's appeared 12 times, in three wins and four draws - Hansa have only six wins and nine draws from 27 league games.
Yeah, right from the off, this sounded wildly stupid to me. Sure, it seems far-fetched for a pro club of Hansa's historical standing - but then again, it also is approximately their 2008/09 modus operandi from what I can tell. Just ask Forrest Gump: Hansa is as Hansa does.
Maybe I'm being a homer here, but I'll wait to find out what's what before I go thinking anything bad about Pearce. At the moment, this appears to be yet another coaching move for show, an example made of a guy who they know is leaving in two months.
Of course, maybe I'm wrong and a pair of guys who have combined to play all of 150 minutes over the last five months really are the cause of this franchise's screaming free fall.
- Greg Seltzer
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10 comments:
Gawd, I hope Sunderland picks up Bornstein so our long national nightmare at left back will be headed toward somewhat of a conclusion!
1- Bornstein isn't good enogh for the Prem.
2- I think USMNT fans are severely overwrought about our supposed "left back nightmare". To me, it's kinda like what this Hansa coach is doing: scapegoating an easy target.
Touche!
There were reports that a couple of teams were after him in January. Will this cause them to rethink looking at him now?
I doubt it. Even if a player is a problem child (which Pearce is not), most clubs tend to take the attitude that they can set a particular guy right.
This won't even phase potential suitors. He will be on a free and the summer Euro left back market should have a lot of movement.
I can already promise you that clubs from Denmark, the Netherlands and MLS will come for him, at the very least. He also has admirers in the Championship.
I doubt he'll have trouble finding a nice enough employer; the key is picking a much more solid organization (not that he could have predicted this weird ride).
I still hope that he finds Eredivisie employment. For obvious reasons, his "full blossom" has been delayed. Any decent Dutch club will have him wheelin' and dealin' in no time.
And I think he's not the only USMNT guy who would thrive and really progress in this veritable football Harvard (ahem.. Freddy).
That totally sucks, I'm glad he'll be moving on in June. Hopefully he will use the reserves as a chance to get more experience and improve. His career has had a dramatic trajectory the past year, so I'm hoping it's just as dramatic next season, just in the opposite direction. I think Heath has played great overall for the USMNT during the past year and I personally think he's better than Bornstein. I think El Salvador was just a case of him getting a little rusty from disuse. He just needs to be in the right environment on a team with less drama and more consistency.
AdamTheRed said...
Gawd, I hope Sunderland picks up Bornstein ...
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Blogger Greg Seltzer said...
Bornstein isn't good enogh for the Prem.
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Well, but maybe Sunderland isn't either.
@ Jon: Good additional point. To that end, while Bornstein may be talented enough for the Cola, it's not exactly his brand of soccer.
Can someone explain why our Premiership defender doesn't play for our national team?
I assume you mean Spector. Well... he was out for a long time while Pearce (and occasionally Bornstein) were doing reasonably well. I'd also offer that left back is probably his least favored position along the back five.
Other than those variables, I'm not sure why he doesn't get more chances.
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