We can gab all day about the ballyhooed Designated Players. We can go one about exciting young stars or the reliable, decorated old guard of U.S. internationals. It's easy to talk about these illustrious types because we know so much about them.
Armed with 411 aplenty, the soccer geeks among us have enough to fill up conversations from pizza joints in New Jersey all the way out to the Starbucks in sunny southern California.
But events over Major League Soccer's 17th round should serve to remind us anew: the backbone most clubs is formed by the above-average workaday, the skilled worker who steadily fills a role, who quietly gets the business done.
To wit: where would the New York Red Bulls be this year without Dave van den Bergh? Talk about a fellow who didn't receive much All-Star mention, but who has propped up his team through an up and down campaign. This guy could walk into most MLS stadiums carrying a Red Bulls bag and a T-shirt that said, "Hello, I'm Dave van den Bergh," and plenty of fans still might wonder if he was the trainer.
And yet, at this point, he is as responsible as any individual with keeping the Red Bull unit afloat while manager Juan Carlos Osorio waited for the chance to overhaul as much of the roster as the salary and league personnel structure would allow.
Seth Stammler, too, had another nice game on Saturday, as the Red Bulls nearly got out of Giants Stadium with a huge "W," but settled for a draw after Landon Donovan's late strike. Like his Dutch teammate, Stammler has filled various roles, and just keeps turning out one reliable performance after another.
Yes, everybody will be talking about Juan Pablo Angel's moment of brilliance on Saturday -- and what a goal it was. To calmly and cleverly lift that ball over goalkeeper Steve Cronin takes talent, focus and a steely disposition. And that's not to mention all the good work it took to get there, beating Greg Vanney off the dribble inside the penalty area.
But the match, a real dandy, one that surely left the season's largest MLS crowd abuzz, might have unfolded differently but for van den Bergh's own magic moment.
The Dutchman is hardly known for his right peg. There's a reason he plays on the left, where he probably delivers the best cross from that side in MLS.
So when he took a nifty little backheel pass from Red Bulls newbie Jorge Rojas and slammed a pinpoint turf-burner past Cronin from 30 yards, who could blame the Galaxy 'keeper for being caught slightly unaware. The shot came off van den Bergh's right boot.
And it came from very close to the same spot where van den Bergh tipped us all, way back in April, to the kind of season he might have in store. Early in the Red Bulls' season opener, he ripped a shot past Columbus goalie Will Hesmer, helping propel his side to a 2-0 win.
The veteran, schooled at the famous Ajax youth academy, has manned several spots for Osorio this year. He has worked the middle when needed, occupied the left midfield spot frequently or deployed along the left in a four-man back line. Twice already this year he has helped keep David Beckham under control with smart positioning and hard work. (He's even responsible for one of the two yellow cards Beckham has earned this year, as the England international was booked back in May for a hard foul on van den Bergh in Los Angeles.)
FYI, you could probably win a bar bet tonight: ask someone who leads the Red Bulls in scoring in 2008? Just-departed Jozy Altidore? Angel? Dane Richards? See how long it takes them to arrive at van den Bergh, whose five strikes sits atop the list.
Other lunch pail types that are driving their teams despite a relative lack of decoration: Kyle Beckerman has been a valiant force for Real Salt Lake, which continues to dwell atop the West despite that modest 6-6-6 mark. Ditto for Jamison Olave, turning out steady nights at Rice-Eccles as well. Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagamura are the heart and soul of Chivas USA's ongoing efforts, even if Ante Razov is (deservedly) grabbing all the headlines at the moment.
Left back Facundo Erpen is helping Fernando Clavijo's Rapids maneuver through the summer. He still has his shaky moments -- like giving up a penalty kick over the weekend -- and he's never far from his next yellow card, but Colorado would be worse off without him right now.
And Los Angeles seemed to miss the injured Sean Franklin on Saturday. The young center back, L.A.'s steadiest defensive presence this year, missed just his third start.
TACTICAL CORNER
• Chicago boss Denis Hamlett moved Justin Mapp to the right late Saturday against Real Salt Lake (with Mike Banner playing wide on the left upon his second-half introduction.)
Mapp's left foot is the stronger one, which is why he usually sets up on his preferred side. Some managers love switching players to their less natural side, aware that they can trouble defenders by cutting inside and causing others along the back line to rotate over and such.
But not all managers see the point. They'd prefer to have a player on a side where he can swing in crosses most accurately. And since defenders can obviously figure out where a player is more comfortable, they can shade the attackers to the outside to keep them off their preferred foot.
But either way, where it does cause some real damage is the in-match switch. Mapp gave RSL some trouble once he moved across the field, although to no final avail.
• For an instant clinic on how to shed a defender, watch Conor Casey's work against Drew Moor as the big Rapids' striker equalizes in the second half at Pizza Hut Park.
Moor has pretty good position as Rapids playmaker Christian Gomez chases down a ball on the right side of the Dallas penalty area. But Casey is staying just off Moor's inside shoulder, which isn't a bad place for the FCD defender to have his target. Moor can see Casey, but can also watch the fast-developing play. Suddenly, Casey takes one quick step toward the near post. Just as Moor reacts, the Rapids striker fades quickly back to the far post, where he has enough separation to head home his third goal this year.
• Between forwards Robbie Findley, Fabian Espindola, Kenny Deuchar, Tino Nunez and Yura Movsisyan, Real Salt Lake manager Jason Kreis has 15 different combinations he can try (assuming the manager sticks with an alignment of two men up front.) Well, he might just have to try 'em all before season's end.
It was Movsisyan and Nunez the other day, but the young pair couldn't push one past Jon Busch in Chicago, and eventually gave way to second-half replacements Findley and Deuchar.
A couple of road games back, it was Nunez and Findley. No combo has worked particularly well, and none have worked at all away from Rice-Eccles. RSL has but four goals in seven matches on the road this year.
• Schellas Hyndman's biggest issue at Pizza Hut Park becomes clearer with each match. He wants to the team to play with more width, to get into the corners, stretch the field, get to the end line and offer service. He does have Kenny Cooper in there, after all, and the young U.S. striker created a nice goal for Juan Toja by maneuvering one serve from the wings right into his teammate's path. But players who are comfortable playing along the touchlines simply don't occupy the FCD roster right now. Saturday, Hyndman had Dax McCarty and Andre Rocha stationed out wide in a 3-5-2. Both are clearly more comfortable in the middle. McCarty was wide left, even though he's better with his right foot.
Assistant coach John Ellinger left Sunday on a trip for Argentina and Brazil, where he'll personally scout players, looking to fill the two international slots acquired late last week from Kansas City. Safe to say, he'll be looking for at least one wide player. (That guy might already be in camp; former Ajax flanker Victor Sikora is currently on trial.)
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