LA Galaxy - Postmatch

Welp, for shits and giggles, lets look at our European* imports. I've grouped them based on year signed, to see if there was any movement in improving/worsening from year to year.
*"European" meaning a transfer/signing from a player previously at a European club. Nothing to do with their actual nationality.

David Villa (Atletico)- DP ST, the heart and soul of the club. The club couldn't have gotten anything more from any other person in the universe. Perfect first DP signing, and was pure class from day one. He was the face of the club, and to be honest, he still is. Unfortunate to have injuries affect his last few years, but he still produced every time he was on the pitch.
Eirik Johansen (Man City)- GK, tall dude who played backup for a few years. Got a starting spot in a playoff game and that.... didn't end well. Okay keeper that didn't show anything to replace a starter.
Shay Facey (Man City)- CB/RB, young loanee from the big brother. Decent pace, but was slightly short to be a decent CB, often lost headers vs. taller opposing players. Never seemed to get comfortable at NYCFC. Back in Europe somewhere.
Angelino 69 (Man City)- LB, young loanee from the big brother. Best kit number. Pacy outside back able to bounce up and down the field for the entire game. Decent offensively, but left a little on the defensive side of the field, sometimes caught out of position too far forward. Has gone on to play for Dutch champions PSV, and may be one of the better LBs we've had (shows our ineptitude at LB).
Andoni Iraola (Bilbao)- RB/CDM, Originally signed as a RB, and was often exposed due to a lack of pace. However, Vieira moved him into a defensive midfield spot and he performed very well there alongside Pirlo. Due to his age he was slow when it came to pace, but able to make up for it in soccer IQ and cut out opposing pass lanes. Originally a bad signing that turned out pretty well.
Andrew Jacobson (Stabæk)- CM, Decent fill-in player for the first season as a midfielder. However, he was also incredibly slow. Did a decent job of filling up the roster and providing some depth. Iraola, IIRC, eventually took over the CDM spot and Jacobsen rarely saw the field again.
Frank Lampard (Man City)- DP CAM, Big toss up here. When he played he found a way to score with every part of his body. "When he played" being the key words there, and we all know the whole MCFC holding onto him even though we thought he was our DP but then wasn't. If we are basing it on play, he did well. Continued doing Lampard things as he had done his entire career.
Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg)- CM/CAM, Apparent big name signing for NYCFC's inaugural season, being a young and upcoming USMNT player. However, whether it was a lack of hustle in practice, not getting along with coaches, rumored focus on everything but NYCFC (re: hats, parties, etc.), he never made a mark aside from scoring NYCFC's first MLS goal. Overpriced for his on field production.
Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)- DP CM, signed for a big name during the summer of '15. Here for 2.5 seasons, 1.5 of those he played well for us. His last season was not so great. Had some incredible passes and exchanges with Villa, but none of the other wingers were intelligent enough to make the runs he saw in his head. Splits opinions between those who saw his legendary career, deft touches and turns, and incredible IQ vs. those who hate that he never ran/hustled and had a poor free kick percentage, only converting one free kick chance.
Tony Taylor (Omonia)- Played a few games, had a bad knee injury, never amounted to much. Quick player, but honestly was just able to run. Didn't break into the team after one or two decent games to start 2016.

Max Chanot (Kortrijk)- CB, heart of the defense, always there for a strong challenge to then hold his head and waste time during the last few minutes of a victory. At the top of his game he is one of the best CBs in MLS. Somewhat inconsistent, but almost always reliable at the back. Decent passing game as well to get the ball moving up field. Had something going on the middle of 2018 that definitely affected performance, but has seemingly gotten back to his best in 2019.
Fred Brillant (KV Oostende)- CB, strong in tackles and willing to put his body on the line. Not quick though, and tended to not do well vs. speedy opposing players. Pretty good CB for the team, but the addition of Callens knocked him to the bench. Now is a starter for DCU.
RJ Allen (SIK)- RB, does he count as a European import? Technically yes, but whatever. Great touch/passer of the ball helped set up many offensive chances. However, he was slow as shit and often lumbered back on defense. Good, cheap bench option with capability to start a few games. Got beat for speed and caught up field too much though, lost spot to Ethan White.

Alex Callens (Numancia)- CB, consistency is key, and Callens has continually shown up to stop opponents as a CB. Strong in tackling, interceptions, and passing as well. He helps get the ball out of the back and get attacks going, also not afraid to make a run here or there to confuse opposing defenses. Obvious starter each game.
Alex Ring (Kaiserslautern)- CM/DM, Excellent defensive midfielder known for his brash tackles and no-nonsense demeanor. Gets a lot of yellows, but is pivotal in breaking up opponents' attacks and starting counters. Shooting from range leaves a little to be desired, but he may get one of every 30 shots from 18+ yards on net. Has taken on the captaincy after Villa left. Played as an attacking mid for a few games to start 2019, but that didn't go too well. Not poor, but it was apparent he is much better as a CDM.
Maxi Moralez (Atalanta??/Leon)- DP CM/CAM/ST, I think Maxi should be viewed as a European import due to his playing time in Italy with Atalanta. Yes, he came from Leon (Mexico) but never really played there or do anything for them. First season was decent, but has taken off since his second year. Excellent passer and vision on the ball makes him vital to our offense. Only negative I can say is I wish he was taller and could finish. Too many 1 v 1s that he missed or were saved. Definitely worth his DP money, probably the 2nd best DP we have had behind Papi Villa.

Anton Tinnerholm (Malmö)- RB/RWB, Strong player, not afraid of a fight. Enjoys getting in opponents' faces, also has a rocket of a shot at times. Lacks some defensive discipline, and enjoys getting forward often. New RWB spot tends to help express his passing and runs, and allow him to shine in a slightly less defensive role.
Cedric Hountondji (Ajaccio)- CB, Played a few minutes, got tackled by Chanot, injured, and didn't play again. Can't say if he was good or bad since he got injured and never played. Only negative was he took up an international spot, but I'm not going to give him a good or bad grade without more playing time.
Ismael Tajouri Shradi (Austria Wien)- RW/LW, Quick footed winger who thrives on running at defenders and scoring goals. Different than the other wingers on the team who are more creative, ITS showed a big finish ability in key games to become a fan favorite. Seemed to start the year in the doghouse, but has since moved out after a series of good performances. Does seem to get nagging injuries, but is a threat whenever he plays.
Jo Inge Berget (Malmö)- ST, Big striker with an excellent soccer mind for runs and passes. That's where the good ends though. Horrid first touch ended a lot of half chances, never seemed to settle in. Beautiful beard though, along with a shiny dome. Price tag was waaaaaaaaaaay too much for what he actually gave us.
Eben Ofori (Stuttgart)- LM, ball possessing midfielder. First season was a good backup/player off the bench. Not too strong in the tackle, but has improved defensively year 2 and seems to have earned a starting spot when healthy. Has looked good in a double pivot with Ring or Sands distributing down the left side of the field. Just don't make him use his right foot.

Signed this year, grades TBD-
Juan Pablo Torres
(Lokeren)- CM, Not much playing time, if any? May have made the bench a few times? To be seen if he has anything to give the team.
Keaton Parks (Benfica)- CM, High hopes upon hearing we have him on a loan as a young, promising USMNT player, but not much game time has come of it. Will he get a chance later this year to show his skill, if any?
Alexandru Mitriță (Craiova)- DP AM, Hasn't found his groove just yet, but more is to be expected of the big DP signing. Hope is he will be a Seb Giovinco type player as the selfishness is there, and glimpses of brilliance on the ball as well. Doesn't look comfortable passing to some teammates, but maybe he just needs to settle in. Small knocks have affected his availability.
Heber (HNK Rijeka)- ST, Seems to be our answer to our big question at striker. Excellent with his back to goal, setting up offense, making good runs, and has the ability to finish. See if his body can hold up, given his stay in Croatia was riddled with injuries, although that could've been down to his former coach.

SUMMARY-
The European pool has given us a lot of big players and fan favorites, but also a few busts. Difference between Europe and South America though is a lot of the European players have given us depth and made a few appearances. Most of the SA players on the bench tended to not play most of the time or at all.

Not sure it's fair to compare thoroughly though, as all our big name players have come from Europe. However, this also tends to make sense in that CFG would figure to have better scouts across Europe, vs. South America where they have barely broken into. I figure more of our successful players will come from Europe until CFG finds a way to successfully scout SA. Honestly, while there are a ton of potential amazing younglings in SA, stay with the beast you know. Europe has given us more consistent results in depth signings and decent starter quality.

**I started writing this in the morning, then had to actually focus on work, then go to a funeral, then was able to finish it. I apologize if it seems split. Long day, and it's only 3PM!
***EDIT*** Forgot to write about ITS and give a summary. This has been added.
who in the hell is Shay Facey? XD I recognize every other name.
 
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Welp, for shits and giggles, lets look at our European* imports. I've grouped them based on year signed, to see if there was any movement in improving/worsening from year to year.
*"European" meaning a transfer/signing from a player previously at a European club. Nothing to do with their actual nationality.

David Villa (Atletico)- DP ST, the heart and soul of the club. The club couldn't have gotten anything more from any other person in the universe. Perfect first DP signing, and was pure class from day one. He was the face of the club, and to be honest, he still is. Unfortunate to have injuries affect his last few years, but he still produced every time he was on the pitch.
Eirik Johansen (Man City)- GK, tall dude who played backup for a few years. Got a starting spot in a playoff game and that.... didn't end well. Okay keeper that didn't show anything to replace a starter.
Shay Facey (Man City)- CB/RB, young loanee from the big brother. Decent pace, but was slightly short to be a decent CB, often lost headers vs. taller opposing players. Never seemed to get comfortable at NYCFC. Back in Europe somewhere.
Angelino 69 (Man City)- LB, young loanee from the big brother. Best kit number. Pacy outside back able to bounce up and down the field for the entire game. Decent offensively, but left a little on the defensive side of the field, sometimes caught out of position too far forward. Has gone on to play for Dutch champions PSV, and may be one of the better LBs we've had (shows our ineptitude at LB).
Andoni Iraola (Bilbao)- RB/CDM, Originally signed as a RB, and was often exposed due to a lack of pace. However, Vieira moved him into a defensive midfield spot and he performed very well there alongside Pirlo. Due to his age he was slow when it came to pace, but able to make up for it in soccer IQ and cut out opposing pass lanes. Originally a bad signing that turned out pretty well.
Andrew Jacobson (Stabæk)- CM, Decent fill-in player for the first season as a midfielder. However, he was also incredibly slow. Did a decent job of filling up the roster and providing some depth. Iraola, IIRC, eventually took over the CDM spot and Jacobsen rarely saw the field again.
Frank Lampard (Man City)- DP CAM, Big toss up here. When he played he found a way to score with every part of his body. "When he played" being the key words there, and we all know the whole MCFC holding onto him even though we thought he was our DP but then wasn't. If we are basing it on play, he did well. Continued doing Lampard things as he had done his entire career.
Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg)- CM/CAM, Apparent big name signing for NYCFC's inaugural season, being a young and upcoming USMNT player. However, whether it was a lack of hustle in practice, not getting along with coaches, rumored focus on everything but NYCFC (re: hats, parties, etc.), he never made a mark aside from scoring NYCFC's first MLS goal. Overpriced for his on field production.
Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)- DP CM, signed for a big name during the summer of '15. Here for 2.5 seasons, 1.5 of those he played well for us. His last season was not so great. Had some incredible passes and exchanges with Villa, but none of the other wingers were intelligent enough to make the runs he saw in his head. Splits opinions between those who saw his legendary career, deft touches and turns, and incredible IQ vs. those who hate that he never ran/hustled and had a poor free kick percentage, only converting one free kick chance.
Tony Taylor (Omonia)- Played a few games, had a bad knee injury, never amounted to much. Quick player, but honestly was just able to run. Didn't break into the team after one or two decent games to start 2016.

Max Chanot (Kortrijk)- CB, heart of the defense, always there for a strong challenge to then hold his head and waste time during the last few minutes of a victory. At the top of his game he is one of the best CBs in MLS. Somewhat inconsistent, but almost always reliable at the back. Decent passing game as well to get the ball moving up field. Had something going on the middle of 2018 that definitely affected performance, but has seemingly gotten back to his best in 2019.
Fred Brillant (KV Oostende)- CB, strong in tackles and willing to put his body on the line. Not quick though, and tended to not do well vs. speedy opposing players. Pretty good CB for the team, but the addition of Callens knocked him to the bench. Now is a starter for DCU.
RJ Allen (SIK)- RB, does he count as a European import? Technically yes, but whatever. Great touch/passer of the ball helped set up many offensive chances. However, he was slow as shit and often lumbered back on defense. Good, cheap bench option with capability to start a few games. Got beat for speed and caught up field too much though, lost spot to Ethan White.

Alex Callens (Numancia)- CB, consistency is key, and Callens has continually shown up to stop opponents as a CB. Strong in tackling, interceptions, and passing as well. He helps get the ball out of the back and get attacks going, also not afraid to make a run here or there to confuse opposing defenses. Obvious starter each game.
Alex Ring (Kaiserslautern)- CM/DM, Excellent defensive midfielder known for his brash tackles and no-nonsense demeanor. Gets a lot of yellows, but is pivotal in breaking up opponents' attacks and starting counters. Shooting from range leaves a little to be desired, but he may get one of every 30 shots from 18+ yards on net. Has taken on the captaincy after Villa left. Played as an attacking mid for a few games to start 2019, but that didn't go too well. Not poor, but it was apparent he is much better as a CDM.
Maxi Moralez (Atalanta??/Leon)- DP CM/CAM/ST, I think Maxi should be viewed as a European import due to his playing time in Italy with Atalanta. Yes, he came from Leon (Mexico) but never really played there or do anything for them. First season was decent, but has taken off since his second year. Excellent passer and vision on the ball makes him vital to our offense. Only negative I can say is I wish he was taller and could finish. Too many 1 v 1s that he missed or were saved. Definitely worth his DP money, probably the 2nd best DP we have had behind Papi Villa.

Anton Tinnerholm (Malmö)- RB/RWB, Strong player, not afraid of a fight. Enjoys getting in opponents' faces, also has a rocket of a shot at times. Lacks some defensive discipline, and enjoys getting forward often. New RWB spot tends to help express his passing and runs, and allow him to shine in a slightly less defensive role.
Cedric Hountondji (Ajaccio)- CB, Played a few minutes, got tackled by Chanot, injured, and didn't play again. Can't say if he was good or bad since he got injured and never played. Only negative was he took up an international spot, but I'm not going to give him a good or bad grade without more playing time.
Ismael Tajouri Shradi (Austria Wien)- RW/LW, Quick footed winger who thrives on running at defenders and scoring goals. Different than the other wingers on the team who are more creative, ITS showed a big finish ability in key games to become a fan favorite. Seemed to start the year in the doghouse, but has since moved out after a series of good performances. Does seem to get nagging injuries, but is a threat whenever he plays.
Jo Inge Berget (Malmö)- ST, Big striker with an excellent soccer mind for runs and passes. That's where the good ends though. Horrid first touch ended a lot of half chances, never seemed to settle in. Beautiful beard though, along with a shiny dome. Price tag was waaaaaaaaaaay too much for what he actually gave us.
Eben Ofori (Stuttgart)- LM, ball possessing midfielder. First season was a good backup/player off the bench. Not too strong in the tackle, but has improved defensively year 2 and seems to have earned a starting spot when healthy. Has looked good in a double pivot with Ring or Sands distributing down the left side of the field. Just don't make him use his right foot.

Signed this year, grades TBD-
Juan Pablo Torres
(Lokeren)- CM, Not much playing time, if any? May have made the bench a few times? To be seen if he has anything to give the team.
Keaton Parks (Benfica)- CM, High hopes upon hearing we have him on a loan as a young, promising USMNT player, but not much game time has come of it. Will he get a chance later this year to show his skill, if any?
Alexandru Mitriță (Craiova)- DP AM, Hasn't found his groove just yet, but more is to be expected of the big DP signing. Hope is he will be a Seb Giovinco type player as the selfishness is there, and glimpses of brilliance on the ball as well. Doesn't look comfortable passing to some teammates, but maybe he just needs to settle in. Small knocks have affected his availability.
Heber (HNK Rijeka)- ST, Seems to be our answer to our big question at striker. Excellent with his back to goal, setting up offense, making good runs, and has the ability to finish. See if his body can hold up, given his stay in Croatia was riddled with injuries, although that could've been down to his former coach.

SUMMARY-
The European pool has given us a lot of big players and fan favorites, but also a few busts. Difference between Europe and South America though is a lot of the European players have given us depth and made a few appearances. Most of the SA players on the bench tended to not play most of the time or at all.

Not sure it's fair to compare thoroughly though, as all our big name players have come from Europe. However, this also tends to make sense in that CFG would figure to have better scouts across Europe, vs. South America where they have barely broken into. I figure more of our successful players will come from Europe until CFG finds a way to successfully scout SA. Honestly, while there are a ton of potential amazing younglings in SA, stay with the beast you know. Europe has given us more consistent results in depth signings and decent starter quality.

**I started writing this in the morning, then had to actually focus on work, then go to a funeral, then was able to finish it. I apologize if it seems split. Long day, and it's only 3PM!
***EDIT*** Forgot to write about ITS and give a summary. This has been added.

Another little Freudian slip... where's Eloi Amagat?
 
Another little Freudian slip... where's Eloi Amagat?
Is he pinned on CFG or Dome? That signing screamed of Dome wanting his BFF coming on board as a trusted player more so than CFG’s identification of a diamond in the rough. I chalk him up the same as that dude Villa brought with him in ‘15 as part of his NYC posse.
 
Is he pinned on CFG or Dome? That signing screamed of Dome wanting his BFF coming on board as a trusted player more so than CFG’s identification of a diamond in the rough. I chalk him up the same as that dude Villa brought with him in ‘15 as part of his NYC posse.
Pablo Alvarez has also been added to the list. Forgot about him too :tongueclosed:
 
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I’m not sure about our bench right now. Could be trash if they all start. Let’s see:

K - Stuver (unknown)

CB - seba (high level sub)

FB/WB - Sweat (trash), scally (unknown)

MF - haak (unknown), Rocha (unknown, but possibly trash, yet looks passable in 343) parks (unknown), bedoya (unknown), Torres (unknown)

F - Tati (looked great), isi (great), Medina (trash)

I sure hope they don’t play a team of 100% bench players. But i’d be 100% fine when Seba, tati & isi lining up for us in a USOC match. Maybe give 1-2 kids a start, depending on opponent. And then the rest starters, so we can win.
I don't think your ratings are entirely fair. You are applying a starting standard to our subs. I think the valuable question is how do these subs stack up against other teams' subs? By that measure I think fewer of them are trash than what you rated.
 
I don't think your ratings are entirely fair. You are applying a starting standard to our subs. I think the valuable question is how do these subs stack up against other teams' subs? By that measure I think fewer of them are trash than what you rated.

There are no statistics to back up my opinions. Only bias and emotion. But that doesn’t mean I’m wrong ;)
 
Good stuff. The trip to the corner at the 3:25 mark was quite nice.

Keaton's cross to Mitira at 1:28 is impressive as well. The offensive skills are there and he's strong with the ball as that run to the corner you highlighted showed. Someone needs to teach the kid how to put some bite in his tackles. So tentative coming in to challenge the ball. I know Keaton is mostly an attacking type player and he doesn't need to be Ring but he should be capable of more than the tentative little poke challenges he's showing right now.

I think the soft tackles were mentioned in a scouting report before he came by I think Midas Mulligan. Apologies if my memory is wrong and someone else deserved the credit. Hopefully for both NYCFC and possibly future USMNT squads Keaton picks up a few tricks from Ring and Sands during his time with us.
 
Keaton's cross to Mitira at 1:28 is impressive as well. The offensive skills are there and he's strong with the ball as that run to the corner you highlighted showed. Someone needs to teach the kid how to put some bite in his tackles. So tentative coming in to challenge the ball. I know Keaton is mostly an attacking type player and he doesn't need to be Ring but he should be capable of more than the tentative little poke challenges he's showing right now.

I think the soft tackles were mentioned in a scouting report before he came by I think Midas Mulligan. Apologies if my memory is wrong and someone else deserved the credit. Hopefully for both NYCFC and possibly future USMNT squads Keaton picks up a few tricks from Ring and Sands during his time with us.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sk...ty-players-tackling-after-defeat-by-leicester
 
Keaton's cross to Mitira at 1:28 is impressive as well. The offensive skills are there and he's strong with the ball as that run to the corner you highlighted showed. Someone needs to teach the kid how to put some bite in his tackles. So tentative coming in to challenge the ball. I know Keaton is mostly an attacking type player and he doesn't need to be Ring but he should be capable of more than the tentative little poke challenges he's showing right now.

I think the soft tackles were mentioned in a scouting report before he came by I think Midas Mulligan. Apologies if my memory is wrong and someone else deserved the credit. Hopefully for both NYCFC and possibly future USMNT squads Keaton picks up a few tricks from Ring and Sands during his time with us.

Keaton's one of those guys who's better at interceptions than tackles. That's not necessarily a bad thing for a team that wants to defend high, but it's made him an awkward positional fit in the 3-4-2-1. We need our defensive mids in the double pivot to make tackles (even if they're delicate ones like Ofori's) and we need the inside forwards to occasionally play as, you know, forwards. Keaton's not naturally either of those types, although it looks like Dome's thinking of him as a backup for Maxi in the central linking role.

The way I figure it, he was originally brought in to be a center mid in the 4-3-3, then got kind of left out in the cold when that formation turned out not to be a good fit for the squad we ultimately wound up with. But there's a reason we recruited for versatility, and I think he's talented enough to find a place in this system. It just might not be a spot that requires a strong tackler.
 

Pep certainly likes to talk in absolutes doesn't he, maybe it helps for clarity in his instructions. While I understand many modern defenses prioritize interceptions and positioning over tackles I find it hard to believe even in the most interception focused systems there aren't situations in which a player needs to be capable of competently attempting to take the ball from a player in possession.

Maybe it's wishful thinking but tackling seems like a learnable skill if Keaton sets his mind to it. We'd be in a better spot as a squad if Keaton was our first choice sub for both the Maxi spot and the two double pivots. As opposed to sacrificing our offensive balance by playing Roacha in full back pass care taker mode. Keaton is better at everything when compared to Roacha except tackling.
 
Pep certainly likes to talk in absolutes doesn't he, maybe it helps for clarity in his instructions. While I understand many modern defenses prioritize interceptions and positioning over tackles I find it hard to believe even in the most interception focused systems there aren't situations in which a player needs to be capable of competently attempting to take the ball from a player in possession.

Maybe it's wishful thinking but tackling seems like a learnable skill if Keaton sets his mind to it. We'd be in a better spot as a squad if Keaton was our first choice sub for both the Maxi spot and the two double pivots. As opposed to sacrificing our offensive balance by playing Roacha in full back pass care taker mode. Keaton is better at everything when compared to Roacha except tackling.
I was a little glib in just pasting that link.

I totally agree with you, I just thought that his statement on not coaching tackles was laughably haughty.