Critical Analysis:
The article, written by Steve Holroyd, argued that Billy Gonsalves was the greatest American soccer player to ever grace the game. Though I would consider myself a passionate soccer fan, I had never heard of Gonsalves and the legacy he wrote in American soccer. I will get right into it and highlight where the author succeeded and where he missed the mark. After reading Holroyd’s work, you get the sense that he is enamored with Billy Gonsalves. That said, he does not hold back in providing context for the reader whether that is explaining the soccer environment in the Northeast of America or listing the specific trophies and tournaments that Gonsalves won with the many teams he played for. This direction that Holroyd took is very straightforward, but the simplicity of his writing kind of degrades the impetus and energy that I know he had when writing it. Simply put, the passion does not translate over to the reader and I found myself board of reading about every club transfer Gonsalves had. And that is the major error I found after reading this piece. “At every level, Gonsalves won championships”, Holroyd said in his work in an attempt to argue for Billy Gonsalves’ GOAT status… yet for me, this does not and should not qualify someone for all time greatness just because they were able to win “at every level”. It was said that he was constantly playing with some of the greatest players in America at that time (the 20s and 30s), while also choosing to step down to a lower division in his later years. Many agree that what defines a true GOAT is his longevity. Meaning, how long can an athlete, regardless of his age, compete in the highest competition. I am not doubting the sheer brilliance and jaw-dropping abilities on the field, I am just arguing that the author did not choose the right approach. Though he did talk about Billy’s playing abilities some, he should have dwelled on that longer to demonstrate his qualities that so many of the greatest soccer players are known for. Furthermore, his individuality was overshadowed by dense contextualization about what team he was playing for and the teammates he was playing alongside. But, going back to what the author did do right; I think the statistics was a smart decision to back his case. Even though assists, which Gonsalves was distinctly known for, were not all accounted for which in some ways hurts his argument.
