Toronto Away Postmatch


It's interesting when you watch the video Pirlo's first step is towards the sideline to cover the overlapping runner. TMac then stays on the overlap and Pirlo seeing this makes a late turn to close down Gio up top. For those more versed in defensive tactics is there a possibility our system is set up so that TMac as the man higher up the field should have passed the runner to Pirlo as Pirlo seemed to expect him to do and then picked up Gio? Or should Pirlo have known Gio was his mark the entire time and made an error in his close out by taking the small step toward the overlap and not moving directly toward Gio?
 
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Maybe instead of bashing a 38 yo bench player about to retire maybe y'all should question why our captain keeps getting outplayed in big games.
 
I agree with this, and this is not Pirlo's fault at all. It's a systematic failure which has been proven to fail time and time again because the perfect 30 yard Pirlo pass doesn't put us in the best position to score goals. The momentum from an attack that has started from behind leaving defenders on their heels with decisions as to how to cover players both cutting through the middle and overlapping on the outside is where we exploit the mismatches. Whether it is a slower build up from the back or a quicker transition prompted by a Ring or Yangel interception, that's how we score our goals. It's never by kick ball or bomb pass requiring Villa or Harrison to proceed 1 v 4. We aren't built to play that way. That's not Pirlo's fault - but it's why Pirlo shouldn't play.

Hate to say it but I totally agree.

Maybe instead of bashing a 38 yo bench player about to retire maybe y'all should question why our captain keeps getting outplayed in big games.


Whoa. Easy there. While I agree some of the Pirlo criticism is unfounded, Villa has been amazing for this team. We didn't lose because of him either.
 
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A worrying point about the 4-0 scoreline. It really puts us a bad place for the tiebreakers.

3 NYCFC 37 Pts 22 GP 11 W 7 L 4 T 40 GF 31 GA 9 GD
4 Red Bulls 35 Pts 21 GP 11 W 8 L 2 T 32 GF 26 GA 6 GD
5 ATL 34 Pts 21 GP 10 W 7 L 4 T 41 GF 28 GA 13 GD

Should Atlanta win over SKC they would jump ahead of us, level on points, ahead in GD by +3. We play a 6 PM, they play at 8 PM.

So in the East spots 2-5 are a wide open. 2: Bye 3-4: Home Single Game 5: Away Single Game
Plus Atlanta will have a game in hand, and after Sunday NYC will have 5 home games and 6 away remaining, while Atlanta will have 8 home and 4 away.
 
Maybe instead of bashing a 38 yo bench player about to retire maybe y'all should question why our captain keeps getting outplayed in big games.
Whoa, I almost pulled an Angela

Seriously though, what is a "big game"?

The guy has 7 goals, 1 assist in 6 games vs Toronto. 8 games with playoffs.
He's been great vs Orlando
Was immense vs Chicago last week

Admittedly, he didn't play great in the playoffs and in a few of the Red Bull losses.
 
Whoa, I almost pulled an Angela

Seriously though, what is a "big game"?

The guy has 7 goals, 1 assist in 6 games vs Toronto. 8 games with playoffs.
He's been great vs Orlando
Was immense vs Chicago last week

Admittedly, he didn't play great in the playoffs and in a few of the Red Bull losses.

I was making a point about yesterday's game.

Villa puts two screamers against the RB this weekend and I'll shut up.
 
A worrying point about the 4-0 scoreline. It really puts us a bad place for the tiebreakers.

3 NYCFC 37 Pts 22 GP 11 W 7 L 4 T 40 GF 31 GA 9 GD
4 Red Bulls 35 Pts 21 GP 11 W 8 L 2 T 32 GF 26 GA 6 GD
5 ATL 34 Pts 21 GP 10 W 7 L 4 T 41 GF 28 GA 13 GD

Should Atlanta win over SKC they would jump ahead of us, level on points, ahead in GD by +3. We play a 6 PM, they play at 8 PM.

So in the East spots 2-5 are a wide open. 2: Bye 3-4: Home Single Game 5: Away Single Game

If memory serves, GD is not the first tiebreaker in MLS. I believe wins is the first tiebreaker, then GD.
 
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Plus Atlanta will have a game in hand, and after Sunday NYC will have 5 home games and 6 away remaining, while Atlanta will have 8 home and 4 away.

Would have been nice to have those 4-6 points that the team pissed away with crappy efforts, horrible finishing, and giving up late goals.

Best you can hope for realistically is a 3 seed. Don't despair, Toronto made MLS Cup off the 3 seed last year. Just need to be healthy, playing well and finish your chances.
 
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If memory serves, GD is not the first tiebreaker in MLS. I believe wins is the first tiebreaker, then GD.

Yes. Wins, GD, GF. So if they win, they are tied on points and wins but ahead on GD. That being said, we play before them so we can pickup points to nullify the tiebreaker. But they have a game in hand.
 
It's interesting when you watch the video Pirlo's first step is towards the sideline to cover the overlapping runner. TMac then stays on the overlap and Pirlo seeing this makes a late turn to close down Gio up top. For those more versed in defensive tactics is there a possibility our system is set up so that TMac as the man higher up the field should have passed the runner to Pirlo as Pirlo seemed to expect him to do and then picked up Gio? Or should Pirlo have known Gio was his mark the entire time and made an error in his close out by taking the small step toward the overlap and not moving directly toward Gio?
I made a similar point in the shout box. He hasn't played in a while, Giovinco is making demon runs and the communications to pass runners around isn't yet down.

But the simpler narrative is bash Pirlo.

Whatever man, I'm over this.
 
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Crazy statistic from this 4-0 scoreline, expected goals (xG).

Home (TFC) xG: 1.38
Away (NYCFC) xG: 1.61

Penalties have a value of .79, and own goals are not factored into the values. So, we played better?
 
Another thing I wanted to mention but keep forgetting to......

I think there are a handful of people on the board that are not capable of admitting that an opposing side is BETTER THAN US.

We lost to Toronto because THEY'RE BETTER THAN US. Say it a few times and you're blood pressure will go down.

I know, I know.....they're not 4 goals better than us you will say.


That doesn't change the fact that they're better than us.


*I realize this post does not gel well at all with the LOLPirlo narrative. Apologies in advance.
 
Another thing I wanted to mention but keep forgetting to......

I think there are a handful of people on the board that are not capable of admitting that an opposing side is BETTER THAN US.

We lost to Toronto because THEY'RE BETTER THAN US. Say it a few times and you're blood pressure will go down.

I know, I know.....they're not 4 goals better than us you will say.


That doesn't change the fact that they're better than us.


*I realize this post does not gel well at all with the LOLPirlo narrative. Apologies in advance.

They're better than the version of NYCFC they've played the last two games. I'm not sure they're better than an NYCFC team that includes Chanot, Herrera, Matarrita, and Wallace. We were missing four first-choice starters in this game, and facing a squad that had virtually its entire XI healthy and accounted for. I don't think we know what NYCFC is in relation to Toronto, because both times we've faced them we've done so at -- literally -- almost half strength.
 
They're better than the version of NYCFC they've played the last two games. I'm not sure they're better than an NYCFC team that includes Chanot, Herrera, Matarrita, and Wallace. We were missing four first-choice starters in this game, and facing a squad that had virtually its entire XI healthy and accounted for. I don't think we know what NYCFC is in relation to Toronto, because both times we've faced them we've done so at -- literally -- almost half strength.
Don't forget how many starters Toronto were missing on July 20.

Also, I'm not sure how much solace I extract from the belief that our best XI is better than theirs. In the end / over the long run, the relative quality of our rosters is a larger factor than the relative quality of our best XIs. Further, the same applies to organizations vs. teams.
 
Quality is always relative. It's a team sport, and a team worse on paper (or playing with ten) can cause a positive shock with a good team effort. On Sunday a bit too many players played below their expected bar, and these turned out to be crucial. TBH, the key players Villa and Maxi had a stinker. When even McNamara limboed (a nastier person than me would say "is that possible?"), White couldn't hold position and let Sterling score freely, and substitutions offering very little, NYCFC were facing a steep uphill, no matter if you want to bash or defend Pirlo. The non-penalty and a dubious (scored) free kick were only icing on the cake.

My point is, this NYCFC could have won on a better day. Sunday wasn't one of them.
 
I have to look at the odds. What is more likely, that Villa, maxi, Harrison, and ring all decided to have a bad game on the same day, or that some other change that has proven negative results in the past was the cause.
 
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I have to look at the odds. What is more likely, that Villa, maxi, Harrison, and ring all decided to have a bad game on the same day, or that some other change that has proven negative results in the past was the cause.

Harrison and/or Ring didn't have an especially bad day. They were nothing special, but neither let the team down. Harrison made some promising dribbles that could have led to a goal with a bit of a better luck, and Ring held the midfield together, as usual.
 
I have to look at the odds. What is more likely, that Villa, maxi, Harrison, and ring all decided to have a bad game on the same day, or that some other change that has proven negative results in the past was the cause.
That approach might make sense if we were dealing with large data sets and black boxes.