Gold Coast players react after Jason Culina scored in the 59th minute to put the Coast 2-0 up during the 1st round A-League football match between Brisbane Roar and Gold Coast United at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. AAP Image/Dave Hunt
Three rounds into the fifth A-League season and few would deny that Socceroo star, Jason Culina, has been the man of the moment, representing everything fans have longed to see in the Australian competition.
It’s worthwhile recalling that in the latter part of last season, Carlos ‘El Zorro’ Hernandez was being viewed in a similar light, hailed by all as the best player in the league at the time.
Given that both have similar roles in their respective clubs, I thought it would be a bit of fun to do a comparison of each others’ skills (just for fun folks, it’s not signed in blood or anything).
Another interesting point of interest is that they appeared in their first World Cup in 2006 and are odds on to represent their respective countries in the 2010 World Cup.
I have chosen a list of 20 attributes with which I felt I was reasonably positioned to give a mark out of 10 for, with 10 representing best or close to best in the league, 9 excellent, 8 very good, 7 good, 6 reasonable, 5 passable, and so forth.
One word of warning, I said earlier that both play similar roles – but not identical roles. Culina has become a true play maker within Gold Coast United, in a formation that approximates a traditional 4-4-2.
While Hernandez occasionally played the same role last season, this season the Victory have played something closer to a 4-2-2-2, with two defensive mids, meaning Hernandez has floated in and out of wide positions and more central attacking positions in support of the two strikers.
As such, he hasn’t played a clear cut play maker role to date.
Attributes and scores, in no particular order (total = 200):
Culina / Hernandez
General athleticism:
9 / 6
Pace:
9 / 7
Fitness/stamina:
9 / 6
Balance:
8 / 9
Football smarts:
8 / 9
Reading the game:
8 / 9
Creativity/vision:
9 / 9
Work rate:
9 / 8
Off the ball:
8 / 9
Decision making:
9 / 9
Influence:
10 / 8
Set pieces:
8 / 10
Long shots:
8 / 9
Dribbling/ball control:
8 / 9
Passing:
9 / 9
Keeping possession in tight:
9 / 10
First touch:
9 / 9
Defensive duties:
8 / 6
Finishing:
8 / 8
Overall technique:
9 / 9
Total:
172 / 168
That looks like a fair outcome to me!
I’m happy to take questions on why I have marked them the way I have or to receive your comments for possible improvements in the gradings.
Also, let me know whether you would like to see this as a bit of a regular feature in relation to A-League players. Suggestions for future candidates to compare will be happily accepted.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Ok - that's a nice handy list - three way comparisions are doable I guess. No Victory players - taking me out of my comfort zone! I might focus on Coyne vs Moore first, with a tiny bit of notice, and one round of games to freshen my thoughts up, I should have something for next week. Stefanutto will require a bit more time - I need at least a few looks at a player!! I'll need a bit more of a look at the current version of Fowler. Kruse v Danning would be interesting - one not having quite gone on with it, the other ready to give it a shake.
AndyRoo
Guest
Jamo vs Stefenuto Coyne vs Moore Kruse vs Danning Fowler vs Sterjovski vs Simon
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Thanks Rob - I really appreciate that. Obviously, they have to be two player who I have had a look at for a while and who play similar roles for their respective teams. I wouldn't mind doing one on Jamo, who now has a fair few games under his belt, and picking out another good left back. I know a bit about Berger, but that's a big gap so I'm not sure that would be a good comparison (or maybe it is!!)
Rob
Guest
Pip, Great post mate. I find this a very interesting discussion. I probably haven't paid as much attention to Hernandez as I should have, but I do rate him. I would be interested to see this as a regular feature, but I unfortunately haven't had enough time to watch enough A-League games to say who I would like to see compared next. Just wanted to say "good job". Cheers, Rob.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Olrac I'd call that acceleration off the mark - that makes him very dangerous in the front third as he can shake off a marker under the right circumstances - but as you say - he can't shake him off for too long!! I've sort of allowed for that by ranking them 9 / 7. I was toying with a 9 / 6 ranking, but I upped Carlos by one for the very reason that you gave.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
yes, well - you can't have everything!!
Olrac
Guest
On the pace one you might find it interesting over 5 meters Carlos is the quickest at Melbourne Victory, sure he dies in a heap after that and requires smelling salts (read chicken Salt) to revive him but he is quick.
Gibbo
Guest
yeah, i'd say they're consistant, they just aint to dynamic... allsopp especially.
DiCanio
Guest
I think most critiscm against CCM is not that they dont pass the ball, its that they dont attempt to build meaningful attacks or takes risks to win games, content to grab 5th or 6th spot with a dozen drawn games. Its interesting that the two teams ahead of CCM on the pass count actually won their games Teams that complete a high amount of passes and win games are on their way to becoming silky Wengerites, Teams that complete a high amount of passes and draw games fart around in their own half too long
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Mid I agree that if they're completed passes - it's irrelevant whether their 1m passes or 50 m passes (afterall, our winning goal on the weekend came from an inch perfect 50m pass from returnee, Leijer - which Arch did well to control with one touch and slam it home on the left foot before he was closed down).
Midfielder
Guest
You left out Michael McGlinchey from the Mariners ... remember Pip you heard the name here first... Why ... Mariner player ..... AHHHHHHHH ... I see no talent then... Just for the record I am adding this kid to the list ... and remember the hoof the ball up field all day ... and how much better the Choppers passing game was on the weekend ... OK OK Ok I will get to the point ... An Enlightening Statisic ... Read the Newcastle Herald today and every Tuesday they have a eight page middle spread on football - Jets stuff, A-League, overseas etc. Top read. One of the sections is the review of the weekend's matches statistically - goals, corners, fouls, possession etc. An interesting stat to come out of this was that the Mariners were third in completed passes on the weekend (211), behind the Gold Coast (243) and just behind Perth (219). This sort of makes a mockery of the fact that many of the pundits, including Craig Foster, Pip, that said we don't pass the ball. The fact that many of these passes were direct or a little longer than a short pass should be irrelevant. So watch McGlinchey .... No Body Rates Us ... We don't Care
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Robbos fair enough comments - I think my gradings pretty much reflect that split as well (it could be argued that Culina should be one or two points higher).
Robbos
Guest
Very interesting discussion here. I think as a playmaker, Carlos just edges Cullina but as a box to box player Cullina is way out in front. David V will appreciate the comparison, though neither in the same scale. But Carlos is Le Tissier & Cullina is Frankie Lampard. Carlos was wanted by Melbourne victory, Le Tissier played few matches at the highest level. Cullina was wanted by PSV & played champions league, Lampard's every 2nd match is at the highest level. Football these days demands you to be playmaker as well as a Box to box player unless you are at the very top class as a playmaker.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Well, both Arch and Danny are on the wrong side of 30 (or about to turn 30) - so it won't surprise to start seeing them slow down a bit. In Danny's case, in fact, maybe both cases, you might be surprised at the number of assists they've had the last few years.
AndyRoo
Guest
Well good point and I should probaly hold back until later in the season but the Smeltz/Porter combo has raised the bar for me. Yorke also might not have scored every game but he was able to get involved. Sometimes I feel Allsop and Archie just don't contribute enough, especailly Archie who sometimes cameod as an exciting winger in his younger days, I feel he should be creating more.... and then every now and then he comes good.
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Most strikers don't turn up 50% of the time - that's just the nature of the beast. But over a 4 year period, I'm saying Arch and Danny are as consistent as anyone else over that period (they are the two highest scorers in the A-League by a country mile).
DiCanio
Guest
O'Neill is true class
AndyRoo
Guest
They have good records overall but how many times as a Voctory fan have you felt they didn't turn up today. Smeltz and Porter (admittedly only 3 games so far) always seem to be on
DiCanio
Guest
Maradonna. Pie Eater extrodinaire.
DiCanio
Guest
The reason he goes deep is that he picks up the slack of the rest of the midfield. He is essentially double or triple the player of any other GCU midfielder, being paid 10 times as much.