All The Bull: Weekend Poll – Pietravallo, Richards, Jozy and More (UPDATE!)

By: Dave Martinez | December 8th, 2008

It was an interesting weekend poll, with the question being: How do you feel about Juan Pietravallo returning for the 2009 season? It has been part of the ripple effect of questions that has developed since Juan Carlos Osorio did his mini press conference last week.

The Red Bulls made it to the final this year, on the back of a rookie CDM in Luke Sassano. Seth Stammler lead the team to the playoffs in the very same position until the point where injury sidelined him. But before all of that, Juan Pietravallo was signed onto a rather sizeable contract (192k for 2008) to the team, and awarded the starting spot as the ideal Argentine #5 destroyer. He started off very well, stifling the oppositions attack. But along the way, he lost his. Much like Gabe Cichero, the flow and physicality on both ends of the field perplexed the young Argie. Pietravallo let his own frustrations get the best of him, as he was practically guaranteed a yellow card each time he took the pitch, culminating in a ridiculous yellow to Clint Mathis in a late season showdown. There went his starting spot.

Your voice has certainly been heard, as 41% of our readers this weekend said that “The money could be better spent elsewhere.” But it wasn’t as big a landslide as one may think. 21% stated “It is the right thing to do. He plays with alot of guts!” and 19% replied “He has his faults but the good out weighs the bad.” If you combine the two positive responses, you would have a dead heat in numbers with the negative.

My take? It is alot of money to commit for next season on a commodity that has more questions than answers. But the adjustment into this league does take some time, and Pietravallo needs to learn the ropes before he can comfortably contribute. I tend to be more of the mindset that “He has his faults, but the good outweighs the bad.” I say this because he displayed alot of leadership in the middle when he first showed up. With all the flux late season, I think Pietravallo just got lost in the shuffle. Though it is a hefty monetary gamble, the Bulls do have some cash to play with, and can afford this type of risk.

Here is some more stuff in the news:

- Jozy Altidore started and played the full 90 in a 3-3 (fixed) draw against Getafe. Jozy helped spur the first scoring opportunity with a header deflected long that eventually found a foot.

- Dane Richards was also off the meatrack, assisting on two goals for Jamaica this weekend. He was said to be a speedy handful for defenders to cover. Who wouldathunkit?!

- In related news, Juan Carlos Osorio is doing some carribean scouting (yea, poor him missing this 19 degree day!). He is down there to check out the Digicell Caribbean Championship, surely trying to find the next Dane Richards to plunk into the lineup. Good luck fishing boss!

- And finally, the XSL season kicks off with the New Jersey Ironmen this Sunday. Visit the Ironmen homepage for more details.

- LATE ADDITION: There is a great interview with Angel on SBI, where he reveals his thoughts on 2008, 2009, the 2nd DP and more! CLICK ON THE SBI GOODNESS!

IMG Credit: Jamaica Observer