The [Horribly Unpopular] Soccer Thread

Meh, it's one match. Plus playing strategies can be very different in playoffs... sometimes those strategies aren't pretty.

First, I don't know why people spend so much time bashing the playoffs. It is what is and the single is not perfect by any stretch so it is what its. The main thing is there will never a balanced schedule as MLS will push to 28 or 30 teams and with an unblanced schedule playoffs are the only fair way to crown a champion.

On to other things, man was Saturday night disappointing! The Silverbacks had plenty of quality chances and just could not find the back and Senna scored a goal of pure class that Nasco had not shot at stopping it. But I can't wait for season!

I was not really surprised by the SKC-Houston game. I thought Houston would try to pack it in and get to the second leg scoreless. SKC's lack of a fear inducing forward is a big problem as they no one to really threaten from the run of play.

RSL-Portland was a very fun game to watch. Shocked by how bad the Portland back line was. I thought for sure with Sabo out that RSL was going to have a very hard time breaking that back line down. I looked like the Timbers really just gave up after they scored that first goal and let RSL just take over the game. You have to think RSL is the favorite to win it all after the first legs.

Yeah I'd say RSL is looking like the favorite right now. Portland definitely looked like playoff-virgins.

My Arsenal go down to bitter defeat against the hated United, and to top it off, on a header by RVP!!! Oh, the humanity!!!!

It definitely feels good to watch Portland lose.

Pappers_ said:

My Arsenal go down to bitter defeat against the hated United, and to top it off, on a header by RVP!!! Oh, the humanity!!!!

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If Liverpool lose or draw, and Saints play well against the Gunners in two weeks, my lot could go top!!!

It's all a big ask, but here is hoping!

Laughing_Gnome_Invisible said:

If Liverpool lose or draw, and Saints play well against the Gunners in two weeks, my lot could go top!!!

It's all a big ask, but here is hoping!

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I'd forgotten you followed Southampton - what a great year they are having. Good year to root on the Saints!

"It definitely feels good to watch Portland lose."

Yes, it does, but I want Seattle to sign Kries as our next coach. RSL wasn't supposed to make the playoffs this season, let alone second place. Imagine what he could do with Seattle's talents?

I was thinking Bob Bradley would be a good fit at Seattle.

lgilmore said:

"It definitely feels good to watch Portland lose."

Yes, it does, but I want Seattle to sign Kries as our next coach. RSL wasn't supposed to make the playoffs this season, let alone second place. Imagine what he could do with Seattle's talents?

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He is not leaving RSL for Seattle. The only places he is going is NYCFC but I still that is not all that likely.

"He is not leaving RSL for Seattle"

Just like Chicago's new coach was a lock for Vancouver, right to his signing with Chicago.

It's kind of wait and see time. Kries wouldn't mind winning some more and the cosmos II probably won't get him there. NYCFC going to have to cut a very large check to get him.

lgilmore said:

"He is not leaving RSL for Seattle"

Just like Chicago's new coach was a lock for Vancouver, right to his signing with Chicago.

It's kind of wait and see time. Kries wouldn't mind winning some more and the cosmos II probably won't get him there. NYCFC going to have to cut a very large check to get him.

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Yes NYCFC would have to write a large check and they can. Seattle would probably to write just as a check too. The Sounders franchise is not as well run as RSL. The team is better built and has a better youth pipeline.

The Yallop comparison is not that good of one. He was rumored to be going to Vancouver but was not currently there. He is also a guy that likes total control and Chicago probably offered more say in player decisions. Kries is at RSL and not on the open market. It's a team and city he loves with GM he has a great working relationship with.

UEFA Playoff starts Today so who do ya got!?

Portugal-Sweden
Ukraine-France
Greece-Romania
Croatia-Iceland

I am going to be a US and pull for the four teams I think the US would best shot against, Sweden, Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. I think Sweden, France, Greece, and Iceland advance thought.

they are keeping Sigi.

danielofthedale said:

UEFA Playoff starts Today so who do ya got!?

Portugal-Sweden
Ukraine-France
Greece-Romania
Croatia-Iceland

I am going to be a US and pull for the four teams I think the US would best shot against, Sweden, Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. I think Sweden, France, Greece, and Iceland advance thought.

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I'm rooting for Portugal, France, Romania, & Iceland.

lgilmore said:

they are keeping Sigi.

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Not that big of a deal. I don't blame the whole situation on Sigi. I was pretty upset at the Joseph decision, but plenty of things this season were out of his hands.

I'm more nervous about what's going to happen to Oba.

stevereigh said:

Not that big of a deal. I don't blame the whole situation on Sigi. I was pretty upset at the Joseph decision, but plenty of things this season were out of his hands.

I'm more nervous about what's going to happen to Oba.

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Oba is doing what Oba always does. Play a season and leave. I think if they could recoup the transfer few they paid out to get him they would be happy.

So my thoughts on the second half of the US/Scotland match.

First I'll start with the positives. Aron Johannsson was a coup. Iceland is stupid for not keeping that kid around. He has natural talent out the ass. Brek Shea is going to be a huge asset for this team coming off the bench. I'm hopeful stoke will loan him out in January so he can get some matches under his belt, but he's far and away the most raw talent the US has on the senior squad and needs to hone it. he's naturally creative, he's big, strong, fast and has a hell of an engine. If he hones his skills he could be like a bigger version of Landon Donovan. Jozy is still great, he had a few just off touches but his efforts are in the right place. Hopefully he'll have a strong finish in Sunderland in the later parts of the season to up his form.

Now to the bad. Klestjan experiment as an attacking mid didn't work. Granted it may work down the line but it was bad yesterday. He was not in position all too often. Also Eddie Johnson didn't have it. He was turning the ball over left and right. I think he's proving his value is best off the bench.

I'm hoping for next match they tweak the lineup a bit, obviously missing the likely starting 3 attacking mids will lead to some creative issues, but let's say we go with for the next game the same team aside fromt he attackings and put Johannsson behind Jozy, Shea left outwide (would be interesting to see what he can do in a full 90) and I'd leave Bedoya on the right, he seemed to have the best day of the attacking mids. Also I'd give Lichaj a longer look becaus eEvans isn't cutting it. Hopefully come June we'll have Johnson, Cherundolo, and Chandler back.

If I was building my ideal 23 as of right now I'd go with

GK - Howard
RB - Cherundolo
CB - Besler
CB - Gonzalez
LB - Johnson
CDM - Bradley
CDM - Jones (we need to find a backup for him because he'll be in yellow card trouble a lot)
RM - Donovan
CAM - Dempsey
LM - Zusi
ST - Altidore

Then you have your 2 backup GK which I think I'd do Guzan and Rimando, for my 4 backup defenders I'd bring 2 of Beasley, Chandler or Evans, then Cameron and Goodson for the CB role. For my remaining 6 I'd bring mainly offensive minded midfielders/forwards. Mix would be your Jones backup, Johannson and Johnson would be your attacking options off the bench, then I'd bring to join them as well Shea for when you want to up the tempo fo the game. For the last 2 spots, that's where it gets tricky, do you bring Klestjan who's proven that he is a good player but as more of a deeplying playmaker, then of course there are the questions of who may develop, what if Holden is back and healthy (super unlikely) never know who will develop either.

That's my ideal lineup as well.

And I 100% agree with you about Brek Shea. I saw it from the start when he was on FC Dallas. The kid has an insane amount of skill. He's still trying to get consistent (he's had some large periods of lulls) and his soccer intelligence is improving every year, but like you say he just has raw talent, plain and simple. Let's hope somebody out there can fine-tune it.

"Not that big of a deal. I don't blame the whole situation on Sigi. I was pretty upset at the Joseph decision, but plenty of things this season were out of his hands."


Realize they really didn't do Sigi a favor by bringing him back. Expectations will be the open cup, supporters shield and the MLS cup. If the team starts out slow, he's gone. The front office and ownership aren't going to have another press conference about keeping Sigi if the team underperforms again. If they don't perform, he's gone. That was a one time deal. ... They might have helped him more by letting him go.

Every team has injuries and some have call ups (LA, RSL and several others) the MLS also operates with a cap that means the coach has to make it work. Don't get me wrong, I hope next season we're talking about how long to extend Sigi's contract. cause that will mean things are good in seattle.

Well it might be easier next season if the new Collective Bargaining Agreement produces a decently higher cap.

maybe if you give us Robbie Keane.. we've got people up here yelling that eddie Johnson is a world class forward. Went to look things up. Keane's numbers are very good, a benchmark of a successful forward in the MLS. .80 goals per 90 minutes played and 11 assists, so the ball didn't end at his feet. Very impressive. EJ? .47 per 90 and 2 assists. Don't really care if EJ goes elsewhere, maybe even LA and we get Keane... ok?

Hey hey hey, we already got treated to a terrible trade in Rogers for Magee (I mean come on, really?!) so please, no splitting up Keanovan.

My Preferred Starting XI and 23 to go to Brazil on Nov. 18th

4-4-2: Howard; Cameron, Gonzalez, Besler, Beasley; Bradley, Jones; Dempsey, Donavon; Altidore, Johannsson

Bench: Guzan, Rimando; Evans, Goodson, Brooks, F. Johnson; Diskerud, Beckerman, Bedoya, Zusi; E. Johnson, Boyd

Am I the only one who liked the holding midfield of Bradley & Cameron that we experimented with a few times during qualifying?

Evans is a funny guy, a lot of fans in Seattle hate him, "sigi's pet", now it looks like JK likes him too. Evans is sort of the first' starter he's named and the other guys are working to occupy the slot behind him.

Evans is a very smart player, understands the game, understands positioning and coaches seem to love him. What I saw in Scotland was a decent game, he positioned himself where he should. The big opportunity his mark had in the first half was because he was covering the center of the field because both our centerbacks went out to cover a throw in? Evans did what he was supposed to, which was cover the middle first.

Evans is a smart player who plays a decent game and is someone a coach can rely on. None of which makes him a risk for a coach.

Grannyknot said:

Am I the only one who liked the holding midfield of Bradley & Cameron that we experimented with a few times during qualifying?

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I liked it, Cameron seems more comfortable infront of CBs, and it let Bradley go forward.

But Jones is too good to leave on the bench. Guy is a heck of a force. But Cameron should play more at CDM so he can build chemistry with Bradley because Jones is almost a lock to be in yellow card trouble.

SO the Starting XI features some changes, someone must have been looking here and saw my brilliant attacking mid suggestion.

Also Brooks is starting at CB, don't believe he has started for the senior squad. Cameron is at RB, which I think is his worst position.

Refs are already in World Cup form taking goals off the board form the US

This back 4 pairing is brutal. Gonzalez is the only one back there looking any good and Brooks is undermining him.

US has looed the more creative side but their defense has been brutal while Austria's has been great.

So in about a minute the Austrians impeded a run into the box and their forward tried to push howard out of the 18. Love the class of the Austrians haha.

Also lulz at the Austrian getting nailed in the junk .

Positives to the first half.

Bradley is a force. Shea hasn't gotten on the ball much but he's largely been positive. Cameron has done ok and his versatility will be nice off the bench. Johannsson looks like a hell of a player. He really reminds me of Dempsey in his style.

Negatives

Beasley has really been slipping. Seems like he can play against CONCACAF opponents but doesn't have the skills for European teams. Hopefully Jurgen puts Fabian back there for the WC. Brooks is really young, and I hope he picks the US long term but he has beena problem this year.

I still like Cameron at RB better than really option not named Steve Cherundolo. He might not be the that great but I think he is better than Evans and he will get forward more to try to help out on the attack more than Evans.

I was hoping that Aron and Jozy would start as a Striker duo no with Aaron playing that deeper role. I think Jozy plays most of this best games with another striker that plays closer to him and does not level him isolated.

As for Brooks, he is 18 playing his second game next to probably the weakest CB in terms of positioning and organization. Omar really should not be looked at the leader of the back line if the US wants to do any damage in Brazil. Besler or Goodson have to starting with him to really get the best out of him(Omar).

I would rather have Cherundolo or Chandler at RB. Cameron isn't terrible. I am not a fan of Evans. I think he lacks many skills necessary.

I'm starting to think what I'd do with a fully healthy team is

RB - Cherundolo
CB - Omar
CB - Besler (I think he makes Gonzalez better)
LB - Fabian
CDM - Cameron
CM - Bradley (with Cameron hanging back Bradley and move up more)
LAM - Landon
CAM - Dempsey
RAM - Zusi
ST - Jozy

I don't think Jozy's best successes com in a 2 striker formation. I think his best form comes with someone really good behind him. Johannsson is probably that person some day. Dempsey is the man now. Landycakes will also help in that regard.

Well guys if you didn't catch it, RB is Evans position to lose. JK named him a starter and is looking for who will back him up. Cherundolo was a great player, but is older now and everybody's "still" waiting on his injury recovery. He's older and it takes longer. As much as we want the guys we enjoyed in their prime, the WC side tends not to go with age outside of GK. Brian Ching didn't make it his last go round cause he got old and hurt when he needed to be younger and fit. If Cherundolo doesn't get healthy, he won't be on the team. JK is giving several players tryouts back there to fill the squad. JK isn't stuck in the past, like some others may be.

As I said coaches love Evans, fans not so much because he isn't flashy. Besides we're going to need a smart back line player because so far our CBs seem to derp it up far too often. Somebody's got to cover for there tandem adventures out of the center of the pitch.

I don't think many dislike Evans, I think most just see him for he is; a nice MLS player but extremely limited at the international level. He is not quick and is prone to getting beat to the line by faster players. He does not really come forward so it hampers attacks coming down the right flank. I feel Cameron is a better RB since he plays RB in a better league, is a better defender, and is more willing to get into the attack.

Chandler can go pound sand! He clearly does not want to put in the work the be part of the team so go residence.

Cherundolo would be probably still be the best RB if he was healthy. IF he does not get hurt between now and May and is starting from Jan. on for Hanover then I think he can reclaim the spot, anything less and he is not on the plane.

Cameron at RB and Jones in midfield is better than Cameron in midfield and anyone else at RB. I think Jones has been having his best run of form for the US over this summer and fall. At his best Jones is a much more dynamic player than Cameron and capable of putting much higher quality performances.

Jones is an excellent player. But I think he and Bradley don't work too well together. Both are too offensive minded for holding positions. Bradley is much better than Jones so i'd rather have someone out there to sit back and clean up counters in Cameron than Jones. I'm thinking more along the lines of putting the right people together rather than just the best XI with that move. And I think letting Bradley get more advanced offensive is good for us. Jones was the player who I think was out of position the most today. Bradley would go up and he wouldn't be holding back to help cover the CBs.

Hopefully Jones becomes a little more disciplined, but I have my reservations.

I'm just ready for the next batch of friendlies hopefully the US plays in thte Northeast. Would love to go to a match.

hoppyhoppyhippo said:

Jones is an excellent player. But I think he and Bradley don't work too well together. Both are too offensive minded for holding positions. Bradley is much better than Jones so i'd rather have someone out there to sit back and clean up counters in Cameron than Jones. I'm thinking more along the lines of putting the right people together rather than just the best XI with that move. And I think letting Bradley get more advanced offensive is good for us. Jones was the player who I think was out of position the most today. Bradley would go up and he wouldn't be holding back to help cover the CBs.

Hopefully Jones becomes a little more disciplined, but I have my reservations.

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100% agree.
Nothing wrong with having Jones on the bench.
The weakest team in our WC Group is probably going to be as good as, if not better than Austria or Scotland. We need to have a perfect fit at every position.

Jones I'd start a few times as well. He's really great player and I think he sets a great tempo.

I also think the last match showed why Besler was so important. Beasley had far and away his worst match. Also Beasley doesn't pair well with Shea since they're both wide players.

Shea and Johnson pair better in that regard.

LGI, tomorrow's the day - Southampton v. Arsenal!!!!! I haven't gone to my pub to watch an Arsenal game yet this year, but will tomorrow morning, should be a great game.

Pappers_ said:

LGI, tomorrow's the day - Southampton v. Arsenal!!!!! I haven't gone to my pub to watch an Arsenal game yet this year, but will tomorrow morning, should be a great game.

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Yep!!! I've been crapping myself for two weeks now!

Liverpool failed to win, so good for both of us. On the down side for me, our best defender is out through illness for today.

I can hardly wait!!