Looking professional, of course. He's a black shoe wearer. What can you expect?
Chicago Postmatch
- Thread starter NYCFC_Dan
- Start date
Sidenote: next to 5-6 kids from Mendoza on the way home. They loved the match and experience. For anyone's criticism of YS/MLS, stop caring. We have a good environment and a fun league. These guys were asking me where to go buy shirts. Really cool stiff.
Saunders: 4 - thought he was partially responsible for the goal. He's absolutely miserable but had two key saves
Hernandez: 2 - awful game. Was bad defensively. Partially responsible for the goal. Has no touch and was caught out. Thought we played much better as a team when Allen came on. The experiment with him at RB needs to stop. He crushes us offensively from that spot too
Mena: 6 - the goal aside, he had an above average game. His passing needs help and you can see that Pirlo gets frustrated with his decision making
Brillant: 8 - quietly, another very solid game from him. Apart from breaking up a number of opportunities, he had some beautiful passes to spring attacks. Great signing
Matarrita: 6 - not his best game. Played well defensively. Provided nothing but width offensively
Iraola: 7 - another very strong game from him. Distributed well, was calm and creative on the ball and read the Chicago passing lanes well
Pirlo: 6 - not his best night. Did nothing of value in my eyes tonight but had a couple of nice creative passes
Mendoza: 8 - beautiful goal. Played grey from a central position. He is not a winger. He has miserable passing instincts but was fantastic tonight filling in for Frank. Hope he's ok
McNamara: 5 - did nothing tonight. Was ok defensively but gave the ball away a bit. He's usually good for one to two beautiful passes to spring someone else. Thought he was mediocre tonight
Shelton: 8 - played direct, was physical. Didn't give too much of the ball away. He was involved all over the field. His first touch troubled him a couple of times but you can see him getting better with every game
Villa: 8 - Man of the Match for me. Could have had 4 or 5 goals tonight. Hasn't finished great lately but has scored when it mattered. A constant disruptive force with our press. Really good shift by our captain
Harrison: 5 - was ok when he came on. Missed a sitter late in the game when he was wide open. Thought he played ok but was not strong on the ball
Allen: 6 - thought he played well when he came on. Stabilized us defensively and was much better 1 v 1 than Hernandez. He also kept the defense honest with his ability to go forward
Bravo: Incomplete - didn't think he had enough touches to warrant a rating. He was ok. Would have actually preferred Lopez in that spot considering Iraola stayed on but he was fine. Could develop into a very good player but boy can he make some dumb decisions
Hernandez: 2 - awful game. Was bad defensively. Partially responsible for the goal. Has no touch and was caught out. Thought we played much better as a team when Allen came on. The experiment with him at RB needs to stop. He crushes us offensively from that spot too
Mena: 6 - the goal aside, he had an above average game. His passing needs help and you can see that Pirlo gets frustrated with his decision making
Brillant: 8 - quietly, another very solid game from him. Apart from breaking up a number of opportunities, he had some beautiful passes to spring attacks. Great signing
Matarrita: 6 - not his best game. Played well defensively. Provided nothing but width offensively
Iraola: 7 - another very strong game from him. Distributed well, was calm and creative on the ball and read the Chicago passing lanes well
Pirlo: 6 - not his best night. Did nothing of value in my eyes tonight but had a couple of nice creative passes
Mendoza: 8 - beautiful goal. Played grey from a central position. He is not a winger. He has miserable passing instincts but was fantastic tonight filling in for Frank. Hope he's ok
McNamara: 5 - did nothing tonight. Was ok defensively but gave the ball away a bit. He's usually good for one to two beautiful passes to spring someone else. Thought he was mediocre tonight
Shelton: 8 - played direct, was physical. Didn't give too much of the ball away. He was involved all over the field. His first touch troubled him a couple of times but you can see him getting better with every game
Villa: 8 - Man of the Match for me. Could have had 4 or 5 goals tonight. Hasn't finished great lately but has scored when it mattered. A constant disruptive force with our press. Really good shift by our captain
Harrison: 5 - was ok when he came on. Missed a sitter late in the game when he was wide open. Thought he played ok but was not strong on the ball
Allen: 6 - thought he played well when he came on. Stabilized us defensively and was much better 1 v 1 than Hernandez. He also kept the defense honest with his ability to go forward
Bravo: Incomplete - didn't think he had enough touches to warrant a rating. He was ok. Would have actually preferred Lopez in that spot considering Iraola stayed on but he was fine. Could develop into a very good player but boy can he make some dumb decisions
For two guys that see lampard and mix so differently, it's amazing how much your take on the rest of the team lines up with mine 
I have to say, seeing Mendoza in the MF starting XI, I was little worried, then you could really tell what PV was trying to do -- exploit the gap between the Chicago midfield and their defensive line. Mendoza found some space and was off to the races more often than not. It's great to be able to do that against teams like Chicago, but I'm not sure we can win the Cup doing that.
It seemed like every pass that we made tonight were the right passes. There was some beautiful 1-2 play in tight spaces and some nifty moves that just seemed to embarrass the Fire players. We were so on tonight, it was disgusting. One that stood out to me what AI and Mac on the left side in the second half.
Speaking of which, I'm starting to think that Andoni is the most important player on the team and is the best "pure" CDM in the league. He's always relieving pressure, presenting himself to the ball, making the right pass, toe-poking the ball away on defense, cutting off runs, and his skill is incredible for someone in his role. It's really a joy to watch him out there, because he just does everything right, even with some physical limitations. As much as we loved Bravo earlier in the year in that role, AI is much, much better suited for the position in PV's philosophy.
It's really nice to have fast players out there, while also being able to pass through a defense. We're probably the most prolific and fun team to watch in MLS.
It seemed like every pass that we made tonight were the right passes. There was some beautiful 1-2 play in tight spaces and some nifty moves that just seemed to embarrass the Fire players. We were so on tonight, it was disgusting. One that stood out to me what AI and Mac on the left side in the second half.
Speaking of which, I'm starting to think that Andoni is the most important player on the team and is the best "pure" CDM in the league. He's always relieving pressure, presenting himself to the ball, making the right pass, toe-poking the ball away on defense, cutting off runs, and his skill is incredible for someone in his role. It's really a joy to watch him out there, because he just does everything right, even with some physical limitations. As much as we loved Bravo earlier in the year in that role, AI is much, much better suited for the position in PV's philosophy.
It's really nice to have fast players out there, while also being able to pass through a defense. We're probably the most prolific and fun team to watch in MLS.
The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's is pace. That's obviously not the end all of making a good team, but we had none last year, whereas this year we have some in every position group and off the bench.
We should start referring to Andoni as the "Straw" or the "Special Sauce." He really is integral.
To your point of missing chances, it's something both Vieira and Shelton mentioned in their post game interviews. Shelton especially, he said they missed a few chances which other teams could have put away.
He was disappointed that he didn't score and kept reiterating that's something they'd work on in practice.
To add, AI had demonstrated some truly impeccable examples of footwork in the second have that sprung attacks up the left and center. Getting that Ball to Mendoza from the center when he had three Chicago players on him was just silly.
Welcome to reality. He's been our MVP since he took over that spot.
That was 100% normal. When a ref thinks the defender got the ball he will frequently point to the place where the contact occurred. It just so happened that this contact occurred right at the penalty spot. Thus the confusion.
Pointing with a whistle = penalty.
Pointing with no whistle = he got ball; play on.
I know we've done a little collective owning up the last couple of games, but I think this thread owes Shelton more than we're giving him.
I believe that's the first 3 assist game in NYCFC history. And all three were solid assists. He showed great control, touch and judgement. Exactly what he was regularly criticized about earlier this year.
I believe that's the first 3 assist game in NYCFC history. And all three were solid assists. He showed great control, touch and judgement. Exactly what he was regularly criticized about earlier this year.
When Bravo was brought on, AI dropped into the backline into a true sweeper position in the middle of the back 5. That was a novel use/positioning of him. Allowed him to clean up passes that others physically challenged for while giving a technical presence to walk/pass the ball out. That could easily become our go-to defense when trying to lock down a lead: two speed guys on outside to track/counter, two physical CBs, and a highly technical sweeper/QB.
I'm not sure that player is actually Shelton. Whoever it is is playing 180degrees to what last season/early this season Shelton played like. This one knows how to use his physical size to outmuscle the defenders, how to dribble towards the nets and not to the corner, how to make a decisive pass, and how to attack he goal. Something has really clicked for him and it amazing to watch Shelton 2.0 mature into a dangerous winger. I'm really beginning to think it was the hair and this was a case of the anti-Sampson; should have cut it a long time ago!
First 3 assist game in MLS this year (last 3 assist game was Kaka last year for Orlando). Well done Shelton.
Last night was great - i thought that we played them off the park, with us having some nice spells and Chicago just playing like complete shit. Really, they were soooo bad.
Really impressed with the improvement in Khiry Shelton - although he showed again last night glimpses of that - "what do i do with it now?" after beating his man - mentality that plagued him until recently.
Villa was great, fans were great, so many almost goals we could have won 9-1.
And, I got a Star Wars scarf and didn't get home til 2am after singing all over the Bronx and Harlem so a good night!
Really impressed with the improvement in Khiry Shelton - although he showed again last night glimpses of that - "what do i do with it now?" after beating his man - mentality that plagued him until recently.
Villa was great, fans were great, so many almost goals we could have won 9-1.
And, I got a Star Wars scarf and didn't get home til 2am after singing all over the Bronx and Harlem so a good night!
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I can't agree with the points for Mena or Brilliant. I thought both were awful. Mena scored but struggled all game defensively. Brilliant was running out of defence when the cross came in for their goal. There was 4 or 5 occasions that one of their midfield ran in behind Mena & Brilliant.
All the stats show that we have the worse defence in the league. Can you imagine how far ahead we would be with 2 competent centre backs? Mena was a 2 & Brilliant a 3 at best for me.
