Comments on: Franklin Takes Home ROY Nod http://wvhooligan.com/2008/11/13/franklin-takes-home-roy-nod/ A look at Major League Soccer (MLS) through the eyes of a MLS writer and fan. Sat, 20 Mar 2010 15:57:35 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Joseph D'Hippolito http://wvhooligan.com/2008/11/13/franklin-takes-home-roy-nod/comment-page-1/#comment-12266 Joseph D'Hippolito Fri, 14 Nov 2008 01:57:49 +0000 http://wvhooligan.com/?p=2403#comment-12266 wvh, you'd have to see the Galaxy "defense" game in and game out to appreciate Franklin. Greg Vanney was old and slow. Chris Klein could be dispossessed easily with the ball at his feet, didn't have the speed to keep up even with average forwards and had no defensive field vision (he could be faked out easily). Mike Randolph, arguably the Galaxy's best defensive player in 2007, was trying to be converted into a midfielder by Ruud Gullit. Central defense was a sieve all year. Ante Jazic spent most of the year injured. Abel Xavier is...well, Abel Xavier. Franklin had to clean up other veterans' mistakes. He played out of his natural position the entire season (Franklin's usually a right back). He had three or four different partners in central defense. He even showed that he can intimidate (his elbow gave Jesse Marsch a broken jaw in the last Galaxy-Chivas USA game, though Franklin should have been ejected for that). wvh, you’d have to see the Galaxy “defense” game in and game out to appreciate Franklin. Greg Vanney was old and slow. Chris Klein could be dispossessed easily with the ball at his feet, didn’t have the speed to keep up even with average forwards and had no defensive field vision (he could be faked out easily). Mike Randolph, arguably the Galaxy’s best defensive player in 2007, was trying to be converted into a midfielder by Ruud Gullit. Central defense was a sieve all year. Ante Jazic spent most of the year injured. Abel Xavier is…well, Abel Xavier.

Franklin had to clean up other veterans’ mistakes. He played out of his natural position the entire season (Franklin’s usually a right back). He had three or four different partners in central defense. He even showed that he can intimidate (his elbow gave Jesse Marsch a broken jaw in the last Galaxy-Chivas USA game, though Franklin should have been ejected for that).

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