Rising and Falling
Hot or Not: Will the Real Danny Williams Stand Up?
The Hoffenheim man is playing everywhere in recent weeks, with little success to show for any of his efforts, while Jon Arnold introduces a new category for another German-American.
Who’s Hot?
Conor O’Brien: Plenty of MLS clubs are probably ruing not drafting O’Brien when he came out of Bucknell in 2009. O’Brien scored for SønderjyskE in their final match before the winter break in Denmark (though not in glamorous fashion, following up after his own penalty was saved. It’s at the :40 mark)
It will almost certainly be O’Brien’s final match for the club, as he’s out of contract and hoping to move to bigger and better things. Belgium or Holland could be in his future.
Clint Dempsey: Problems? What problems? It seemed Andre Villas-Boas was ready to bench Dempsey as the American midfielder was slow to adjust to life with his new team. He’s found his form now with a goal and three assists in his past five matches. His tally over the weekend took a slight deflection past fellow USMNT star Tim Howard but helped show how comfortable Dempsey now looks in white.
Who’s Not?
Danny Williams: Williams has shown great prowess as a defensive midfielder for the national team, but with Hoffenheim in turmoil he’s been pressed into different roles. He played center back in Markus Babbel’s final match as manager, a tall task against a Werder Bremen whose Markus Arnautovic scored a hat trick. Then, interim manager Frank Kramer, perhaps filled with the holiday spirit, employed Williams in front of the right back in a Christmas tree formation before taking him off in the 66th minute. Hoffenheim hasn’t been the best place to be this season, and while fellow German-American Fabian Johnson has been one of the team’s few bright spots, Williams is fading.
Who’s Jermaine Jones?
Jermaine Jones: Jermaine Jones had the most Jermaine Jones match possible, starting, getting an assist, and getting sent off in a 3-1 match against Stuttgart. He earned a four-game suspension. A player helping the team and then turning around and immediately hindering it? Not hot, also not…not hot. It’s a level of lukewarm we’ll reserve for Mr. Jones.
Jon Arnold (@ArnoldcommaJon) is a freelance writer based in Phoenix and the co-host of MLS in 30 on NASN.TV.
