NYCFC vs. Montreal Impact
February 24, 2018, 5 PM ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Broadcast: NYCFC YouTube Channel
February 24, 2018, 5 PM ET
Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
Broadcast: NYCFC YouTube Channel
Preseason - 2/24 Montreal Impact
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
I extended my vacation by a day and will try to make it to this one.
I heard they made some renovations since the last time I was there. It was a decent stadium but nothing special. Basically a spring training baseball stadium at best.
So, one final preseason game where fans can actually see the game. And it's a week and a day before our first regular season match. I've been critical of the team this preseason.
We can't seen real starting lineups. We haven't seen tactics. We've seen more guys earning their spots and academy players getting minutes in front of Vieira.
I just hope he knows how to put the pieces together when it matters.
We can't seen real starting lineups. We haven't seen tactics. We've seen more guys earning their spots and academy players getting minutes in front of Vieira.
I just hope he knows how to put the pieces together when it matters.
I seem to remember PV using a (mostly) first-choice XI in the last preseason game last year. And the fact so many non-starters played yesterday gives me reason to think none of those players will see action tomorrow. It certainly seems likely that we'll see a very good XI tomorrow.
EDIT: Indeed I just went through the archives ... this was the XI last year in the final preseason game. Ten of these 11 players started the following week in the season opener (Pirlo started for Herrera against Orlando last year).
Johnson, Allen, Chanot, Callens, Matarrita, Herrera, Ring, Moralez, Harrison, Wallace, Villa (C)
https://www.nycfc.com/post/2017/02/25/match-recap-nycfc-1-0-sporting-kc
I’ll be at this game with 5 other people I’m bringing. Hopefully they actually come out and put on a show.
Super exciting that we should see a glimpse of a close to opening day lineup as possible. I know someone else already posted this elsewhere but I can't find it now for so apologies for not giving credit but working back from who played against RSL starters tomorrow should be:
Johnson, Tinnerholm, Chanot, Callens, Matarrita, Herrera, Ring, Moralez, Medina, Wallace, Villa (C)
Props to Wallace for possibly keeping his spot even with all the new wing players. Will be interesting to see if
Tajouri (who seems very promising), Berget, or Lewis can push for the starting role in that LW spot as the season progresses.
If this is our day one starting XI we fixed our most glaring weakness from last year at LB and are seemingly banking on a bump from continuity and health by rolling it back with 10 returning players. Will be interesting to see how that plays out compared to the moves other teams made with the pile of TAM that dropped this off season.
If by fixing the glaring LB weakness, you mean Mata is healthy and not injured, then yes, the team did what it needed to do.
Sorry meant RB, my mistake. But yes if Mata can stay healthy (a big if) he should be a major upgrade as well over sweat.
And IF PV plays the players who play the best in games and not just who two foots people during rondos.
Don't agree with this characterization at all. But it was funny. Just felt the need to qualify my "like".
Honestly, I think PV demands respect. Lewis looks like he has fun. PV wants the progress to look hard because if it doesn't look hard it's not progress. It's just the kinda player he was.
I have nothing to back this up apart from gut feel + none of the players he disliked have been hard workers + all of the players he picks have been extremely earnest in training + the players who end up in Chateau Bow Wow look like they have fun.
I can't wrap my head around that philosophy. Not saying you're wrong, I'm categorically saying the philosophy is wrong.
I can sorta see why he thinks that way.
For Lewis specifically, working harder might improve his worth. Important to PV as a developer of players.
For the squad, maybe he worries that somebody having fun erodes overall squad work ethic. Maybe he's right.
If you balance all the value you might gain against by not playing Lewis against the value you lose by not playing Lewis, then maybe it's a net win. Pretty much a judgment call.
I think this is a bit of a reach. Let's be honest, all we have to go on are 'behind the scenes' training videos. And I've seen plenty of examples of say, Rodney Wallace or Jack Harrison goofing around during training, with zero implications for their game time. Until PV benches Villa for squirting the kit man before every damn match then I'm not buying it.
I'll be disappointed if we don't win this game, no matter what team Montreal puts outs there. These are the big guns playing
Montreal has had a huge turnover in their roster but I see Piatti so I think they've put out their best...
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