Atlanta (Away) - Postmatch

Unless something changes this team is one and done in the playoffs. Doesn’t matter who our opponent is. We fail to show up for big matches. The intensity isn’t there.
 
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Dome was outcoached by an Atlanta coach again yesterday.

Atlanta decided the way to attack our 3-5-2 was to go after Mata on the wing over and over again -- it worked and it kept the ball away from Tinny who is one of our key contributors.

Dome decided to play with Ring and Ofori sitting in front of our central defenders which is a defensive mindset. It kind of works because the middle is so clogged Atlanta couldn't play through it, but doesn't do anything about Atlanta's attack (see above) and we have seen time and time again that we don't have an effective NYCFC attack when Ofori starts -- he is a DMid sub when we are trying to hold onto a lead.

I have never seen us not try to play through Maxi (except when Dome tried him as a 9) as much as yesterday. Part of that was the players but again I put that on Dome, against ATL Maxi needed to drop back to get the ball to settle the game down, but Ring and Ofori were both playing in that space and it couldn't work.

Taty has become a beast -- for him to track back in the 80+ minute to kill the counter after our corner was fantastic.

Next 2 games are at cincy and home vs Columbus. Would have been nice to leave ATL with a point but hopefully we learned lessons now that can be used in October or November.
 
Unless something changes this team is one and done in the playoffs. Doesn’t matter who our opponent is. We fail to show up for big matches. The intensity isn’t there.

If we win our games in hand we’re still on pace for #1 in the East. That’s a bye week 1. And then a home match vs probably DCU/NJRB. We can beat either of those teams at home. (Unless it’s at Citi, then it’s weird).
 
Aside from the match - This stuff really bothers me. There is an increased political activism in MLS supporter groups and supporter sections recently and a lot of it is directed to NYCFC because of 1-3 individuals who support such radical ideology also support this team.

MLS has stated any political imagery is not allowed in stadiums. Atlanta fans clearly violated that policy and were removed. I don't see anything wrong with that.

If you look over other social media, you'll see we're labeled as nazi collaborators, nazi sympathizers, and it's fucking stupid and annoying

There's a twitter video somewhere with an Atlanta supporter group burning an NYCFC scarf while doing a chant with the word nazi in it.


 
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All I have to say is we were clearly outplayed. We were out-possessed, out-shot and out-hustled. We have only one DP, the other two are obvious failures. If we don't play Parks we only have Maxi to drive the play forward with any sense and creativity. Sean Johnson had his best performance of the year in order to keep this one non-embarrassing, but the Gx will probably be 5-2 against us. ATL had a lot of very very clear chances. The sad truth is they looked very comfortable until they subbed Remedi out.

And we all know PRO refs are the worse but to say that they are biased against us strikes me as whinny. They missed calls on both sides as they usually do. If Josef was ours he would have a statue and we would marvel at a 5'7" guy who wins multiple headers against 6'1" defenders every single weekend. ATL could and should have put this one away on the first 3 or 4 comfortable Gressel crosses, instead of the 10th. We could have been down 3-0 at the half hour mark, and it wouldn't have been undeserved.

Both Taty and Mitri dive and embellish but Taty does it out of competitiveness (it is still wrong) and Mitri does it to shirk responsibility. I now have as much faith and hope left regarding him as regarding Medina, and he's also untradeable. It is only our strong record of good TAM players that keeps us afloat.
 
All I have to say is we were clearly outplayed. We were out-possessed, out-shot and out-hustled. We have only one DP, the other two are obvious failures. If we don't play Parks we only have Maxi to drive the play forward with any sense and creativity. Sean Johnson had his best performance of the year in order to keep this one non-embarrassing, but the Gx will probably be 5-2 against us. ATL had a lot of very very clear chances. The sad truth is they looked very comfortable until they subbed Remedi out.

And we all know PRO refs are the worse but to say that they are biased against us strikes me as whinny. They missed calls on both sides as they usually do. If Josef was ours he would have a statue and we would marvel at a 5'7" guy who wins multiple headers against 6'1" defenders every single weekend. ATL could and should have put this one away on the first 3 or 4 comfortable Gressel crosses, instead of the 10th. We could have been down 3-0 at the half hour mark, and it wouldn't have been undeserved.

Both Taty and Mitri dive and embellish but Taty does it out of competitiveness (it is still wrong) and Mitri does it to shirk responsibility. I now have as much faith and hope left regarding him as regarding Medina, and he's also untradeable. It is only our strong record of good TAM players that keeps us afloat.
I'd love to take the time to dissect how teams have been playing against our formation, cut up clips etc. But I've been really busy lately.

I also missed the first half due to said business.

But with those caveats out of the way, I think it's time for us to stop playing 3 ATB, especially against 1 striker formations. There were so many times we saw a flat line of 5 against 3 ATL attackers, which meant they had an advantage in numbers elsewhere in the field. Typically 1 more defender than our attackers (standard) and 1 more midfielder than our midfielders. The latter seemed to be critical. They had their foot on our neck in midfield and were using their control of the ball to send the ball over the top of the 5-man line, or to draw our wingbacks up the field and play into the seams between WB and CB.

When we have the ball, we struggle to move it into midfield because we are outmanned there. Dome is right when he says SJ and the CBs should be braver. Either playing it between them to draw Atlanta's defensive shape forward and open up space in midfield or between midfield and forward lines. Or running the ball into midfield to do the same. But asking the players to be brave when we are losing the positional games that we are supposed to be so well versed in playing seems like a cop-out.

All of a sudden we've gone from being able to play in a positional style in different systems to being stuck with 3-4-3 regardless of the results and the performances. It's starting to feel like the second half of last season again, when we seemed wedded to the 4-4-2 diamond for no discernible reason and to disastrous effects on the table.
 
I'd love to take the time to dissect how teams have been playing against our formation, cut up clips etc. But I've been really busy lately.

I also missed the first half due to said business.

But with those caveats out of the way, I think it's time for us to stop playing 3 ATB, especially against 1 striker formations. There were so many times we saw a flat line of 5 against 3 ATL attackers, which meant they had an advantage in numbers elsewhere in the field. Typically 1 more defender than our attackers (standard) and 1 more midfielder than our midfielders. The latter seemed to be critical. They had their foot on our neck in midfield and were using their control of the ball to send the ball over the top of the 5-man line, or to draw our wingbacks up the field and play into the seams between WB and CB.

When we have the ball, we struggle to move it into midfield because we are outmanned there. Dome is right when he says SJ and the CBs should be braver. Either playing it between them to draw Atlanta's defensive shape forward and open up space in midfield or between midfield and forward lines. Or running the ball into midfield to do the same. But asking the players to be brave when we are losing the positional games that we are supposed to be so well versed in playing seems like a cop-out.

All of a sudden we've gone from being able to play in a positional style in different systems to being stuck with 3-4-3 regardless of the results and the performances. It's starting to feel like the second half of last season again, when we seemed wedded to the 4-4-2 diamond for no discernible reason and to disastrous effects on the table.
I agree with moving out of 3 ATB or at least not having a winger up top. I'd even be fine with a 3-5-2 with Taty and Heber up top. Mitri can't be relied upon. I've been a supporter of him so far but he's not given us much going forward. I'd like to see Heber and Taty suffocate opposing CBs and defenses. Mitri won't press like Taty and Heber can.

I feel Chanot also had a poor game. I don't know if it was him or Sands that was responsible for covering Martinez, but he had at least 3-4 free headers early in the game. I'd be interested to see Chanot benched and just have a back 4 with Sands and Callens in at CB. Chanot's head holding tactics burnt us with him going down too easily. After the first headed goal (which may have been a foul), he needs to realize the ref isn't going to give him the benefit. Instead, he gets bodied by Pity which ends up leaving Sands with his back against a wall and giving up a PK. He needs to toughen up. If the refs aren't giving you the call, don't continue to flop.

No one stepped up to the plate aside from SJ. He's the only reason the scoreline was close. I agree with most people that Mata/Mitri were horrendous and Heber and Parks need to start. Ofori is fine if he has more midfield support around him, but he didn't and we were exposed.
 
Aside from the match - This stuff really bothers me. There is an increased political activism in MLS supporter groups and supporter sections recently and a lot of it is directed to NYCFC because of 1-3 individuals who support such radical ideology also support this team.

MLS has stated any political imagery is not allowed in stadiums. Atlanta fans clearly violated that policy and were removed. I don't see anything wrong with that.

If you look over other social media, you'll see we're labeled as nazi collaborators, nazi sympathizers, and it's fucking stupid and annoying

There's a twitter video somewhere with an Atlanta supporter group burning an NYCFC scarf while doing a chant with the word nazi in it.


Be mad at the FO and supporter groups for allowing the perception to develop.
 
just watched MLS Instant Replay - Dweibe agrees that there was NO DOGSO because "maybe the ball skips to Guzan, maybe Robinson gets back to recover"... what a load of crap.

The ball clearly bounces within reach of Taty had he not been brought down. Even with the bounce, it was still a good 20 yards from Guzan. Miles robinson is at least 15 yards behind the play and escobar, while even, is still pretty far away to be able to recover in time to challenge Taty and prevent him going 1v1 on Guzan.

MLS being MLS...
 
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just watched MLS Instant Replay - Dweibe agrees that there was NO DOGSO because "maybe the ball skips to Guzan, maybe Robinson gets back to recover"... what a load of crap.

The ball clearly bounces within reach of Taty had he not been brought down. Even with the bounce, it was still a good 20 yards from Guzan. Miles robinson is at least 15 yards behind the play and escobar, while even, is still pretty far away to be able to recover in time to challenge Taty and prevent him going 1v1 on Guzan.

MLS being MLS...

And Wiebe seems hysterical that Atlanta wasn’t awarded the penalty in the 91st minute, even tilting the video: “should Atlanta have had another PK?” and then screaming during the video that “clear and obvious PK!!!!” Dude, why not scream like that about a call that actually changed the outcome of the game *cough Red Bull’s cough*

Oh, and while you are at it, no review of the Charmin soft first penalty?

It’s as if these guys wanted a penalty so they could slobber over Josef more.
 
And Wiebe seems hysterical that Atlanta wasn’t awarded the penalty in the 91st minute, even tilting the video: “should Atlanta have had another PK?” and then screaming during the video that “clear and obvious PK!!!!” Dude, why not scream like that about a call that actually changed the outcome of the game *cough Red Bull’s cough*

Oh, and while you are at it, no review of the Charmin soft first penalty?

It’s as if these guys wanted a penalty so they could slobber over Josef more.
One more and I need to let this go...
I was in a back and forth on the MLS site with some Chode who’s probably an Atlanta fan.
Basically I think it’s obvious MLS is playing up the golden boot race (which is fine) and that Martínez gets preferential calls (nothing new in sports) but I’m a “Conspiracy Nut”....
Josef is a fantastic MLS player (maybe the best) but the hype machine that feels the need to focus on the un called Chanot foul that could have led to a Josef hat trick is too much for me when Sands didn’t foul Pity and... we all know the deal.
At least one of the ESPN commentators got it right during the game. It was absolutely a goal scoring opportunity. I don’t see how Taty doesn’t at least get a touch without being pulled down and maybe he gets a second to put it in the net. We don’t Know BECAUSE HE WAS PULLED TO THE GROUND.
Is Dweibe an idiot or is his Schlick just part of the MLS hype machine.
Peace.
 
One more and I need to let this go...
I was in a back and forth on the MLS site with some Chode who’s probably an Atlanta fan.
Basically I think it’s obvious MLS is playing up the golden boot race (which is fine) and that Martínez gets preferential calls (nothing new in sports) but I’m a “Conspiracy Nut”....
Josef is a fantastic MLS player (maybe the best) but the hype machine that feels the need to focus on the un called Chanot foul that could have led to a Josef hat trick is too much for me when Sands didn’t foul Pity and... we all know the deal.
At least one of the ESPN commentators got it right during the game. It was absolutely a goal scoring opportunity. I don’t see how Taty doesn’t at least get a touch without being pulled down and maybe he gets a second to put it in the net. We don’t Know BECAUSE HE WAS PULLED TO THE GROUND.
Is Dweibe an idiot or is his Schlick just part of the MLS hype machine.
Peace.
Beautiful use of the word "chode." It isn't used enough.
 
One more and I need to let this go...
I was in a back and forth on the MLS site with some Chode who’s probably an Atlanta fan.
Basically I think it’s obvious MLS is playing up the golden boot race (which is fine) and that Martínez gets preferential calls (nothing new in sports) but I’m a “Conspiracy Nut”....
Josef is a fantastic MLS player (maybe the best) but the hype machine that feels the need to focus on the un called Chanot foul that could have led to a Josef hat trick is too much for me when Sands didn’t foul Pity and... we all know the deal.
At least one of the ESPN commentators got it right during the game. It was absolutely a goal scoring opportunity. I don’t see how Taty doesn’t at least get a touch without being pulled down and maybe he gets a second to put it in the net. We don’t Know BECAUSE HE WAS PULLED TO THE GROUND.
Is Dweibe an idiot or is his Schlick just part of the MLS hype machine.
Peace.

Probably a combination of both but I'd say more of the MLS hype machine than anything. It's sad when so called "pundits" and "analysts" can't analyze a game without any bias.
 
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This is it, copy pasta to save some scrolling:

I liked that quote from Dome Torrent. NYCFC’s inability to build possession in their own half hurt them in Saturday’s 2-1 loss at Atlanta. It’s been a lingering problem throughout the year, and their last deficiency to address.
They definitely need to be more courageous in their decision making -- to add to Torrent’s point, though, they also need more rehearsed movements and passing options. Building from the back is like running an NFL play. You should know what you’re doing, with audibles built in, before you make the first pass. You don’t improvise buildouts; you execute what you practiced in training. I haven’t seen those rehearsed patterns from NYCFC in their own half. They have developed some pretty lethal patterns in the attacking half. (You know them -- the long diagonals to outside backs and/or the smooth one-touch combos off Heber down the middle.) They aren’t nearly as well oiled, however, in their own half. The inability to build controlled possession in their own half limits their ability to get the ball into good spots moving forward.