zequist Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 San Jose Earthquakes, my MLS team, just announced that they're signing Darren Huckerby on a free from Norwich. I've never seen him play, but I know he was a top flight player when he was younger; what sort of game does he bring to the field? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romey 1878 Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 San Jose Earthquakes, my MLS team, just announced that they're signing Darren Huckerby on a free from Norwich. I've never seen him play, but I know he was a top flight player when he was younger; what sort of game does he bring to the field? Pace, that's it. He'll run with the ball non-stop, knock the ball past players and run after it a la Kilbane. Not very skillful at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 Yeah, had his moments and looked impressive when it came off, scored some memorable goals but very inconsistent. "Flattered to deceive" would sum him up for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zequist Posted July 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 If he has pace and he can score (inconsistently or not), then he'll help. This is San Jose's relaunch season after three years out of MLS, so they're in "Wimbledon AFC mode" right now trying to rebuild the roster from scratch and need all the help they can get. Especially up front, where they have only 10 goals in 15 matches and nothing that could possibly be mistaken for pace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomness Posted July 11, 2008 Report Share Posted July 11, 2008 the perfect player to define the ability difference between the championship and the EPL, Huckerby Was Immense in the Div1 now Championship for man city and then norwich but did not match that form in the top flight although i have to say he hasnt really set that division alight since norwich went down in 05. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zequist Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 So far it's looking like a good marriage. Earthquakes completely revamped the offense around mid-July, bringing in Huckerby, signing Francisco Lima from Brescia to bolster the midfield, and acquiring Trinidadian forward Scott Sealy. They've scored 8 goals in four matches since they got those three, with Huckerby involved in 5 of them (2 goals, 3 assists) and Sealy in 3 (goal, 2 assists)...prior to that they'd only scored 10 goals all season. They're also unbeaten in five straight matches now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy the blue Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 So far it's looking like a good marriage. Earthquakes completely revamped the offense around mid-July, bringing in Huckerby, signing Francisco Lima from Brescia to bolster the midfield, and acquiring Trinidadian forward Scott Sealy. They've scored 8 goals in four matches since they got those three, with Huckerby involved in 5 of them (2 goals, 3 assists) and Sealy in 3 (goal, 2 assists)...prior to that they'd only scored 10 goals all season. They're also unbeaten in five straight matches now. No insult intended mate but possibly Huckerby has found his level, hope he is still going well at the end of the season cus he could never put a full season together here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zequist Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 (edited) None taken. I'm quite realistic about where MLS is right now, but I also know that the teams and level of play are getting better all the time. The Premiership and Football League have been around for 120 years; MLS has been here for 12 years, and we're still growing the game both in this country and on this continent (CONCACAF is finally starting a true Champions' League for the first time just this year). Anyone who dismisses MLS simply because it's not the EPL or La Liga is missing the point completely - if football was a financial market, I'd be buying up MLS as a long-term growth stock right now and sitting on it for the next 30 or 40 years, because it'll take at least that long for it to start reaching the first stages of maturity. Right now it's still more like a precocious child. And yeah, I hope he's still going well at the end of the season too, because Earthquakes need all the help they can get at this point! Edited August 18, 2008 by JD in DC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
It'sDefinitelyLloydy Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Exactly the same player as Kilbane, head down, run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zequist Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Update... Hucks is still going full blast, and he's got the Earthquakes on a nine-game unbeaten run and right on the cusp of playoff contention. The US soccer press is starting to take notice too. Here's an article posted on ESPN just a couple of days ago. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story...mls&cc=5901 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeO Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Seems to be doing OK for himself! http://www.thebostonchannel.com/soccer/17956430/detail.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 (edited) He's not a bad player. Made a few bad choices in football. He was at Manchester City and did well, looked like a good star and at his peak I would have liked to see him at Everton. He moved to Norwich and enjoyed a year in the Premiership. Got relegated, did well in the Championship and didn't do much from then on. I liked him, he had good pace and knew where the net was. Now he's just one of those players that runs with the ball until he gets tackled. Like other people are saying. Kevin Kilbane. Should do OK in the MLS though. He might turn out as a James Beattie. Finds his standard of football and does really well there. Good move both clubs and the player, would be pleased to see it happen. Edit: Think I just proved my point after watching that video. He's found his level of football and is doing well there. I love the way the American Commentators say 'Huckerby' Edited November 13, 2008 by dark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romey 1878 Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 Mate, you're missing a lot of his career out there. His best days were at Coventry for a start. He was a big money (back then) signing for Leeds also. Not to mention playing for Newcastle as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 Well I only chose those clubs off the top of my head. I mean, his spells at Norwich and Manchester City was his most recent. He did do well at Coventry yes, and this is where he made a name for himself. I would have liked him when he was around this era. I think that he just went to the wrong teams in his career. As for Newcastle I don't think he played many games for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue 250 Posted November 14, 2008 Report Share Posted November 14, 2008 The Norwich fans that I know didn't really want to see him leave.On his day he could win a game, which I think is a little bit different from how Evertonians rated Kevin Kilbane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dark Posted November 15, 2008 Report Share Posted November 15, 2008 ^Darren got five goals in sixteen games for Norwich when he signed on loan from Manchester City in 2003. He then signed and played 203 games, more than he has even played for anyone else between seasons 2003 and 2008 scoring 46 goals. That's a nice little record that could do well for Earthquakes. He's currently played fourteen games and slammed home six which shows how well he is doing. COYE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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