Both can be true that we are better than Heber, but this is the best back line we’ve ever had. We were incomplete without Heber which is why there is a correlation between our winning ways and him joining us.
LA Galaxy - Postmatch
- Thread starter NYCFC_Dan
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Both can be true that we are better than Heber, but this is the best back line we’ve ever had. We were incomplete without Heber which is why there is a correlation between our winning ways and him joining us.
Maybe it’s been a while but, Hèbers current run of form is no worse than any of Villa’s.
I feel like this is an odd comparison to make. Hebér is a hold-up #9, get-on-the-end-of-stuff finisher (and not a bad poacher either), and Treats is a creative midfielder who, yes, can also take a wicked shot if necessary. Their roles are so different I'm not sure how we can claim Hebér is "better" at a job that Treats isn't being asked to do.
Not saying they play the same role, but what they bring to the team is very different and the team can live without Mitrita but Heber is a necessity. From what I’ve seen, Heber does more to involve his teammates, either running off the ball dragging defenders or making himself available for their pass, whereas Mitrita really seems to try to do more on his own. With Heber, play has more width with the ball able to be played wide from the inside/out and then back in to him - forces the defense to shift to defend; seems once Mitrita gets the ball, the field condenses/collapses to the middle with how he always cuts inside and it allows the defense to stack to create opportunities to block the shot.
Dome called for a particular play prior to the set piece that led to the second goal - saw him pat his head then Maxi (I believe) relayed the message to the team by patting his head
You are absolutely right that Heber is much more important for the team than Mitrita right now. The funny thing is that Mitrita has the tools to be a great offensive team player, but not the will yet. Today pretty much every single one of his selfish dribbles in heavy traffic failed or ended with him bodied off the ball, but when he released the ball quickly after creating some separation with his first step, his forward passes were really incisive and precise.
BTW based on Rocha starting and then Parks substituting Maxi, looks like Rocha is comfortable as a DM and Parks as a 10. Both looked good IMHO, specially considering that Rocha was abysmal as a LB in Minnesota. But he's had two solid outings as half of a double pivot. He's not a bad passer and seems to think fast and doesn't try to do too much. He's a good sub. Right now Mitrita is the only presumed starter I would say I'm disappointed with. Sweat is who he is, so let's pray for Mata's health.
Amazing what a little confidence can do for a team. We're playing with some serious swagger right now, and it's so much fun to watch.
This stretch is why we were all so frustrated last month -- we all knew this team was capable of playing like this, and now we're seeing it. This is one of the best rosters in MLS, and they're playing like it now.
This stretch is why we were all so frustrated last month -- we all knew this team was capable of playing like this, and now we're seeing it. This is one of the best rosters in MLS, and they're playing like it now.
This game showed how important our fullbacks are to the team, bringing in a LB to push Matta/ take away sweat's would be fantastic, I also want to see what scally could do in the RB spot.
Wins are awesome for sure, but the best part is that they are fun to watch again! The first half today was total dominance, pinging the ball around, fluid off-the-ball movement, passing forward and side to side.
It was a foul but they were outside the box by the time Chanot kicked Ibra. And when you are Ibra you are not getting the benefit of the doubt there.
Glad the team didn’t go after Ibra after the choke. We were up comfortably so risking cards would have been supremely stupid.
This match was almost a little boring given out total domination in the first half and LAG’s lack of imagination in the second.
Heber is definitely adding more value than Treats, but Treats does advance the ball well, presents danger, and he also defends/wins the ball back. Not unhappy with him at all.
Chanot and Sands and Callens are so solid. Love how they allow Tinner and Mata to release forward. Mata still needs more quality on his final touch, but everyone, top to bottom, played well today.
A bit worried about the dead leg that Ring seemed to have got at around 80 minutes. After returning on the pitch, he was nothing more than a pedestrian. Wouldn’t be surprised if he misses the next game.
(Edit: just remembered that Chicago is two weeks away, which should suffice to recuperate)
(Edit: just remembered that Chicago is two weeks away, which should suffice to recuperate)
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Another good win for the team. There aren't as many NYCFC games on Sky TV these days, so not seen many lately, but it does seem the team have turned a corner and are looking more solid now. Hopefully, I will be able to see a few more games later in the season. It seems since that Toronto defeat they have come together as a team.
A few things about yesterday’s game:
1. It’s unbelievable how LAG was one-dimensional in attacking that everything ran through Zlatan. Basically two ideas: long ball to Zlatan or get wide and cross for a header or a knock down. Somebody needs to look in Chanot’s pocket, I think you’ll find a certain little lion in there.
2. Pretty amazing when you put people in the right positions: Mata is a wingback, full stop. Tinnerholm also is thriving as he can get forward more. Tinny created both goals again today: the shot and the cross that went off the defenders hand.
3. Rocha can basically do one thing: keep the ball circulating. Get well soon Ofori please.
4. NYCFC has 3 DPs: one didn’t get off the bench, another played a quiet 25ish minutes and the third was integral to the game. If you had to recalculate DPs by their influence and importance, it would be Heber, Maxi and Ring. Treats is a luxury player.
1. It’s unbelievable how LAG was one-dimensional in attacking that everything ran through Zlatan. Basically two ideas: long ball to Zlatan or get wide and cross for a header or a knock down. Somebody needs to look in Chanot’s pocket, I think you’ll find a certain little lion in there.
2. Pretty amazing when you put people in the right positions: Mata is a wingback, full stop. Tinnerholm also is thriving as he can get forward more. Tinny created both goals again today: the shot and the cross that went off the defenders hand.
3. Rocha can basically do one thing: keep the ball circulating. Get well soon Ofori please.
4. NYCFC has 3 DPs: one didn’t get off the bench, another played a quiet 25ish minutes and the third was integral to the game. If you had to recalculate DPs by their influence and importance, it would be Heber, Maxi and Ring. Treats is a luxury player.
See now this touches on what I think is one of the more interesting subplots of the early season. Dome came into preseason with a plan to make Taty our center forward, and all the way up until Opening Day it looked like that was what we were going to do (at least until whenever Reyna got around to buying a striker). But then as soon as the season started, Dome scrapped everything he'd been training for a month and decided to play Maxi and Ring out of position instead, with six weeks of mediocre play to show for it.
Even now Dome still talks about Taty as our backup center forward. And by the time of the Minnesota game, when he put in a good shift up top in both the 3-4-3 and the 4-2-3-1, Taty looked like he's starting to develop passable holdup play and better striker instincts off the ball. So while it was obvious that we needed to buy a guy like Héber, I just don't get why we didn't follow through on the plan to keep acclimating our 20-year-old backup plan to a position he might have become decent at. Hard to see how he would have been a worse striker option than Maxi, and more importantly it would have kept our core in position.
Oh well. It all worked out in the end, the team's playing great now, and I hope Taty will be good enough depth behind Héber in the 3-4-2-1 unless we have to deal with a long-term injury. But yeah, that combination of poor roster management and baffling tactics to compensate really kicked our ass there for a while.
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That was terrific yesterday. A dominant win over a good team. We dictated everything in the first half and then sat back. LA basically had nothing either half.
I do think the Galaxy looked tired, and missing J. dos Santos was important, but we were dictating everything.
It was good to see Mata back and playing well. The formation change has been huge. It puts Sands, Ring and both fullbacks in more natural positions and provides much more support for the attack. With the fullbacks playing as wingers the three forward players can all run channels inside. I don’t think we are perfect in unlocking defenses yet, but it’s much better.
And I am not terribly concerned about Treats. I still think he is a special talent that can break out in a big way. He’s been hurt the last few games and we still haven’t really figured out how to unleash him. But, when on the field, he still draws tremendous defensive attention, and that opens things up for everybody.
I am really enjoying watching this team again. So - why oh why do we have to wait two whole weeks for the next game. I guess I should look on the bright side and think of all the nagging injuries that can get healed up over that time, but it’s going to be hard to wait.
I do think the Galaxy looked tired, and missing J. dos Santos was important, but we were dictating everything.
It was good to see Mata back and playing well. The formation change has been huge. It puts Sands, Ring and both fullbacks in more natural positions and provides much more support for the attack. With the fullbacks playing as wingers the three forward players can all run channels inside. I don’t think we are perfect in unlocking defenses yet, but it’s much better.
And I am not terribly concerned about Treats. I still think he is a special talent that can break out in a big way. He’s been hurt the last few games and we still haven’t really figured out how to unleash him. But, when on the field, he still draws tremendous defensive attention, and that opens things up for everybody.
I am really enjoying watching this team again. So - why oh why do we have to wait two whole weeks for the next game. I guess I should look on the bright side and think of all the nagging injuries that can get healed up over that time, but it’s going to be hard to wait.
This is a team that can shut down both Zlatan and Rooney in their own abodes. That is something.
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