I think Lewis comes in for Medina. Medina struggle against Red Bull’s and Columbus and Lewis has been a match a winner for us. People say let’s bring him off the bench but typically at the highest level in Europe players who produce off the bench end up producing more when starting. With him starting his confidence will grow and his ability to play in tight spaces will get better making him a dangerous threat for 90 minutes. Last year in his 3 starts he was dangerous and I think he has more experience and has become a better player. It’s time to unleash Lewis.
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I don't think we can say that's happened yet. Mata just got back from the World Cup and an injury and Dome needed him as an emergency winger for this week. If he stays healthy I bet he's starting at left back by August.
It looks like Chanot has his starting spot back (based on playing 2 of the 3 games), will be interesting to see if Dome sees Mata as a LB, could we finally see Tinnerholm-Callens-Chanot-Mata backline? Yes please.
If Sweat keeps playing like he has in the last three matches, Dome won’t replace him with Mata. No coach breaks up a backline grouping that is performing for the sake of it.
Plus, Mata will sustain another injury in two weeks or three, after our mini break - or perhaps even in practice during the break. What’s the longest he’s ever been healthy for us?
Torrent saw Sweat cost us the Chicago game. Unlike Vieira, who exemplified that quasi-superstitious stick-with-whatever-got-the-last-result mentality you're describing, Dome strikes me as clear eyed about his players' strengths and weaknesses. I expect him to start whoever he thinks is his best left back.
And perhaps that's why we've seen Rodney Wallace sticking as a starter there for the last three games (though a good deal of the reason for that is injury related).
That’s may be the worst post ever from you - it’s completely illogical (citing Chicago loss) and it’s doesnt refute anything I said, in fact, it passively agrees with my statement because Dome has been playing whom he sees as the best LB.
A: Sweat was involved in two goals given up in the Chicago match *and* Callens was involved in two goals given up in that match. You’re good with numbers so you do the math and tell me which caused the loss.
B: Dome has played Sweat as a LB in the last three matches which resulted in three shutouts. It’s not about what got the last result, but he’s been a part of a string of results - no manager breaks up a defense on a game by game basis save for an injury.
C: Mata is a shit defender and is better on the attack - that’s no secret. It’s how he’s been used since he’s been back and as long as Sweat is producing, it’s how he’ll continue to be used baring an injury to Sweat or a failed fitness test from Sweat.
D: Dome said when he arrived that there are some American players on the squad that don’t realize how good they can be and named Sweat as one. He likes him and evidently thinks he can get even more out of him- which appears evident over the last three matches.
Unless a new LB is signed, Sweat is the first choice.
It's got a lot of competition!
Could be. If Sweat's still starting in August I'll agree that Dome sees him as the better left back. I think Mata's better but what do I know.
Both were bad.
I think it's the other way around, actually. Sweat has higher xA, Mata has better tackling numbers. I also think Mata's defensive positioning and decisionmaking tend to be better.
Dome will get more out of a lot of players. Sweat has already vastly outperformed expectations as a minimum salary player and I expect him to keep improving.
Not true, your posts are almost all universally grounded with charts, citations, and logical breakdown.
Why august and not this past 3-game series?
True, but your admission of that is changing the goal posts since your original post specifically cited Sweat as losing the Chicago match. If they were both bad, then your original thesis was wrong - just say so.
If we're picking games to highlight, as bad as Sweat was against Chicago (and equaled by Callens), Mata single-handedly lost the playoffs for us last season when he acted as a Matador allowing Harrison Aful to dance around him in the box for the cherry-on-top goal in the First Leg. That was fantastic positioning and tackling.
Post these numbers, seriously, because Sweat makes tons of tackles and Mata has barely seen the field this season in comparison, so saying he has better numbers without showing them is vapid.
Mata has started 5 games all season, 4 of which were as either a defender or wingback, and our record in those 4 is 2W/2L with two lopsided wins against RSL & Colorado, and two lopsided losses to Portland & Houston. Neither shows well as the wins were against anemic offenses and the losses we were overrun.
Sweat has started 14 matches this season resulting in a record of 8W-4T-2L. Add this to last season when Sweat was the starter 3/4 of the season, and the narrative should be flipped to Sweat being the Starter and Mata is actually the backup.
The flip side to your statement is that Mata has under-performed expectations as a well-paid $395K player. I expect Mata to continue to improve as an offensive wing/midfielder.
The Medina who scored gamebreaking goals against Columbus and Montreal? Also thought he looked as good as he ever had been previously against the Cows.
I expect to see Lewis come in as a starter for development and / or rotation purposes but not because Medina is struggling.
We have obscene depth at forward right now.
Of course with 3 of those guys hurt, we have needed it.
Would that be legal under U.S. labor law? Not tying this to specific countries of origin sounds safer IMHO.
Also, isn't there a way for them to use this money to develop local talent? The fund is nearly $80 million dollars. Just leave it out there as an open bounty for independent, free academies if they develop players with enough quality.
Thanks!
My main sources for stats, and the ones I looked to here, are:
I recommend playing around with them, you'll find all kinds of interesting stuff. Didn't think it was especially worth digging into here, though, because defensive events and advanced offensive stats do a woefully inadequate job of capturing a defender's performance. I only highlighted a couple stats because they're suggestive of a broad difference between Sweat and Matarrita.
If you want to develop this conversation with more charts and data, one good place to look would be to MLS Matchcenter. Those Opta plots can be tricky to draw conclusions from but can show us for example how, after Dome's 65' adjustment reduced NYCFC's attacking numbers, Columbus intentionally targeted Sweat by pushing Afful up to overload NYCFC's left side.
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So, once everyone is healthy, you can start 3 of the guys below and take 1 - maybe 2 - off the bench. Whom do you pick?
Berget
Lewis
Matarrita
McNamara
Medina
Tajouri-Shradi
Villa
Wallace
Start Villa up top, Medina and ITS on the wings. Bring on Lewis for soul plundering time, 65th minute. Berget if we are chasing a goal/ are in good positions to get crosses in but no one is tall enough to get them.
You could start 4 if you drop Ofori to the bench and move Maxi next to Ring as an 8. Leaves you three openings up front and a #10 in the midfield. Or push all 4 up front and go with a 424 lineup (which obviously is different when defending).
And some of the starters would depend on matchups with opponents I am sure. Berget in the starting XI may be a better option than ITS or Medina against some teams.
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