I'll go on record as saying I feel somewhat sorry for Danny Earls, all things considered. With the way he started the season and his potential shining through at some points, the way the season ended and the ties to him were somewhat bitterly severed after the season was ended… it just seems wrong that such an enthusiastic young player had to suffer his fate, but he is an archetype of player we see too often in sport and it is an archetype that simply cannot thrive on a team for long, especially a championship team.
At the start of the season, Earls was part of one of the best defenses in MLS. The 21 year old Irishman that was picked up from the Rochester Rhinos by Colorado immediately became the starting left back for the Rapids, filling the biggest question mark spot on the roster and – for the most part – filling it as well as we could have expected for a young guy like that. He looked to be the back of the future with some decent if not solid performances…
Earls' hot and cold season may be fixed but combining that with a slight lack of supreme talent I don't see him as a worthy player for the future.
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Matt Pollard 