In 300 minutes fewer than Gyasi Zardes, Will Bruin has scored 7 goals. Zardes has 3.
Birmingham, Alabama — An outstanding performance from Will Bruin helped Dynamo reverse some recent bad results and claim a .4-2 win over the New York Red Bulls.
After not scoring in the first six games of this season, Bruin has gone on to score 7 goals in the last 8 games for Houston, 6 of those coming in the last 5 games — the best stretch of his career.
After the last brace Bruin scored versus Portland, he told media:
“I’m still developing as a player and as a professional. One thing i’m trying to implement into my game is week in week out you’ve got to bring it.”
Well, he’s certainly bringing it now.
Imagine the surprise among Dynamo fans at his upswing in form. Many had all-but given up on the striker; suggesting on forums that perhaps with Erick Torres looming over him he would be best traded for allocation money or an international slot.
How many would give him up now?
Prost wrote after Bruin’s dazzling display versus Portland that while the MLS world was watching for Chris Wondolowski’s 100th career goal, Bruin had quietly amassed 39 of his own to that point in his first four seasons in Major League Soccer. At that point “Wondo” had only scored four goals in four years.
Bruin is on course to become a more prolific goalscorer than Chris Wondolowski, but he has not yet featured in the U.S. Men’s national team in favor not just of Wondolowski himself, but the likes of Juan Agudelo, Gyasi Zardes, and Bobby Wood — not to mention even Julian Green has been called up to the squad of late.
Are the aforementioned players really that much better than Will Bruin?
Prost Amerika crunched some numbers. We chose 8 USMNT forwards and looked at their stats in five different offensive categories per 90 minutes over the course of this Major League Soccer season, and in the case of the European based players the latest 2014/15 season.
Admittedly this ignores the relative difficulty of the leagues and the categories and markings are arbitrary.
The eight players analysed were recent USMNT call ups and Will Bruin:
Will Bruin, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johansson, Chris Wondolowski, Juan Agudelo, Charlies Davies, Gyasi Zardes, and Julian Green*.
*Julian Green is listed in USMNT exhibition squads as a Forward
The five categories evaluated were as follows per 90 minutes:
Attack score (based on all attacking “actions” during a game), goals scored (excluding penalty kicks), shot accuracy, total duels won (aerial and ground, offensive and defensive), key passes, chances created.
After all players were ranked in their categories they were scored on this points system:
1st = 10 points, 2nd = 7 points, 3rd = 5 points, 4th = 3 points, 5th = 1 point, 6th = -1 point, 7th = -3 points, 8th = -5 points.
All stats are obtained from independent statistics website www.Squawka.com
The table may shock a few of you, but here is the new depth chart for the USMNT based on players called up in recent friendlies versus Will Bruin.
Jozy Altidore +43 points
Will Bruin +40 points
Aron Johansson +30 points
Chris Wondolowski +13 points
Charlie Davies +10 points
Juan Agudelo 0 points
Gyasi Zardes -4 points
Julian Green -14 points
Some interesting statistics come out of this analysis. Will Bruin scores more goals per 90 minutes than any other recent USMNT call-up, and he also wins more “total duels” per 90 than any other USMNT call-up. The Houston Dynamo striker even surprised us by creating 1.13 chances for his team per 90 minutes (3rd best), and playing at least 1.03 key passes per 90 (3rd best) too.
The one thing that should concern USMNT fans ahead of the Gold Cup? The drop off from Jozy Altidore, Will Bruin and Aron Johansson to the next group of players — surprisingly including Chris Wondolowski.
With Jozy Altidore likely to be eased back into the side at the Gold Cup after his hamstring injury heals, now might be the right time more than it has ever been to give Will Bruin a serious shot at contributing for his country.
Maybe it’s time that Jurgen Klinsmann stopped rewarding players for simply challenging themselves by playing overseas. Maybe the answer to partner Clint Dempsey up front, is right underneath Klinsmann’s nose.
Owen Coyle has dared to poke the bear this season in Houston by showing Bruin he is by no means untouchable. The Dynamo are reaping the rewards, and so could the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Follow Scott Nicholls on Twitter: @scottnicholls
