090513_uscr_press_diskerudmix_olson_usmnt_crc_press_0120_dxo Jeremy Olson for American Soccer Now
ASN 100 Analysis

Jason Davis Talks ASN 100, Mix Diskerud, and Deuce

The multi-talented Jason Davis, perhaps best known for his work on The Best Soccer Show, is also an original ASN 100 panelist. We asked him to discuss his most recent rankings, and he obliged.
BY John Godfrey Posted
September 06, 2013
3:30 PM
JOHN GODFREY: You ranked Clint Dempsey fourth. Fourth! Nobody else on our panel had him that low. Is it because he left Tottenham and now plays on a plastic surface?

JASON DAVIS: Purely a function of Donovan regaining his form. Dempsey's a good player, but I sometimes get the feeling he's a square peg in a round hole. Donovan at his best is simply special. I couldn't in good conscious demote Jozy from the top three, so Dempsey got bumped.

Godfrey: Fair enough. You also ranked Mix Diskerud ninth—a ballsy call. What did you see in him over the summer that prompted this?

Davis: Vision, drive, an improvement in his creative influence when he's in team. Maybe I'm overrating Gold Cup performance, or giving Mix too much credit as a player with a skillset fairly unique in the American squad. Maybe.

Godfrey: Take a look at the current ASN 100. Who is ranked too high for your taste?

Davis: John Brooks. I get that he's a talented kid doing work in the Bundesliga, but we haven't seen enough of him on the international level to justify some of the confidence he's getting. I'm excited for his future, but I still see it as a future.

Godfrey: And who should be removed from ASN 100 consideration, now and forever?

Davis: Banish someone? That seems harsh.

Godfrey: Go ahead. Get Amish on somebody. Shun the shit out of them. And then we can go to a barn raising.

Davis: There's no name I can come up with that would merit that treatment—even guys like Onyewu deserve to be ranked if they're playing.

Godfrey: So considerate. So kind. OK, last question. Zak Whitbread was No. 100 on your list. Who did he beat out for the final slot, and why?

Davis: I don't think I thought about it that way. I just thought Whitbread should be recognized now that he's healthy and playing again. The level is good, and we know he has ability. More than likely he beat out a young player who still has something to prove.

Godfrey: All righty then. We'll be listening to The Best Soccer Show, of course, and we'll be following you on Twitter. Thanks, Jason.

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