Away - May 4 - Montreal
- Thread starter LionNYC
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I was hoping for a 2019 season restart.
What's interesting, is that by the end of May, NYCFC will have finished it's home/away series with Montreal, DCU, Orlando, and Chicago and will have only played 1 other game against an Eastern Conference Opponent (TFC).
This was supposed to be the perfect year in terms of MLS scheduling. Home-Away versus conference opponents, one match vs. non-conference opponents. Perfect MLS balance. But the order of matches wasn't right. NYCFC now versus NYCFC in August can be two different teams (please replace Dome).
I kept saying pre-season that this is not the year to plan on a late run. But I was worried about the new one and done playoff format. Now my fears are compounded considering that most our conference matches are played in the 1st half, making it harder to catch anyone ahead of us in the standings.
Could be hugely in our favor (DCU and Toronto top of the table all season?) or it could be that we’ve gotten a slew of easy games out of the way and we’ve already peaked.
Could also suck if RB and ATL get it together and we never get a crack at them in poor form
Mitirita earned a reduction last match. Sands and Callens can earn one this match.
If Sands can't play I wonder if Ring drops between the two CBs and maybe we see Parks in the double pivot.
That would make the most sense in a like for like. So expect seba to slot in there instead.
That makes too much sense as
adam said. We will instead see Rocha at LWB, Sweat at LCB, Callens CB, and Rings and Maxi in MF. Why play good players when you can play terrible ones?
What makes you think we’ll even keep the same formation? For all we know, Dome could tinker and throw out a 442, or a 4222, or a 4321, or a 3421, or a 3331, etc, etc, etc.... I’d really like to think he’s figured out he needs the players and formation to be symbiotic rather than forcing one on the other with guys not suited to the role.That makes too much sense as
Losing Sands is huge from a defensive point of view (Ibeagha cannot match) and an offensive distribution pov (Ring can but then the MF is weaker). We’ve all said it, Sands has been the absolute best player this year and the one bright spot - he’s not going to be simply replaced and have the parts moving the same.
Not to mention, this is a pretty big game. MTL is quite beatable. I don't expect to win with the injuries we currently have, but we definitely look better than we did in the first meeting. Win this, we'll be 2 points off of first place with a game in hand on Les Bleus, which is a bit of a miracle considering how stagnant the team has felt.
If MTL is still without Piatti we should win if we think our team has the sum of talent to at least challenge the best in the league or to be in the conversation. Unless we are really decimated by injuries. I mean, MTL is the same team that was beaten 7-1 by SKC and they have very little talent outside of Piatti. They have been doing fine playing youngsters, defending in a low block, countering, and being lucky. If the likes of MTL are the kind of team we think is going to beat us easily, while missing their only remarkable player, just because they are at home, then it's going to be an awfully long season.
For me the table in the East means nothing at this stage, but if the team doesn't trend up to dominate a Piatti-less MTL like we dominated a much better DC, then there's no point in watching. I will continue to watch because none of us is sane, but it would be really disheartening. I think we clearly deserved a win at MIN, and that was fine because they are a clearly inferior team squad-wise and their best player was not 100%. If the teams we can feel about are only COL, Cincy and MIN, it's sad.
For me the table in the East means nothing at this stage, but if the team doesn't trend up to dominate a Piatti-less MTL like we dominated a much better DC, then there's no point in watching. I will continue to watch because none of us is sane, but it would be really disheartening. I think we clearly deserved a win at MIN, and that was fine because they are a clearly inferior team squad-wise and their best player was not 100%. If the teams we can feel about are only COL, Cincy and MIN, it's sad.
Decimated by injuries, poor field, away game. I could easily see us dropping points :|
I wanna agree with you that playing against a Piatti-less Montreal sounds appetizing, but they have amassed 1.7ppg with only 2 home games to date. That's pretty impressive. Now, I will admit that I haven't watched much of them outside their trip to Yankee Stadium, so take that FWIW.
Also remember that we are likely without both Sands and Matarrita for this one and its not clear yet how fit Mitrita is.
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