Away - 02/18 Dynamo Postmatch

Sooo that Pirlo guy was playing some killer balls last night.

I'm guessing he only plays another 45' in preseason, depending on who ends up winning the job(s) next to him.

Moralez looked like he could help with moving the ball through the midfield, but something about last night's shape just didn't sit right with me. I think he's going to get bullied even worse many times. I would rather let him be a bit more sneaky by dropping back from a more advanced position or cheating inside from the wing (which I don't want because I want Wallace/Camargo/Lewis to claim that spot).

One thing we haven't discussed about Tommy dropping in from the wing to help in the midfield or just playing the position period is how it compresses space on his side because the fullback has absolutely ZERO concern of being beaten over the top. I haven't gone back to look at the litany of turnovers leading to goals when the ball is coming out of the back to that side, but I would bet if I did I'd see the opposing fullback running right up someone's ass and taking away a player that our guy expected to be his short/medium option.
 
roxfontaine said:
I feel the opposite. Several times in the match I thought to myself that he has great quick feet and ball control. He got left out to dry regularly because Villa wasn't there to receive. I guess I need to rewatch.

I'm really confused about Brillant. He should be better. He has the build and the athleticism but mentally and spatially he's mediocre at best.

This game started off on the wrong foot with the hard play and snowballed from there. I'm just annoyed at the entire thing.
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Agreed on Brown. Would do well to control and beat a man or two and then had no options. Was also confident and tried to make an impact , put shots on target, etc.

Overall I am treating this game as low signal. As soon as Villa went off, it was ruined. Obvi we will have to play with 10 in competitive games, but we weren't set up for a competitive game, so I just felt bad for everybody who had to see out the 90.

Having said that, I thought it was nice to see Harrison take some responsibility in the 2nd half. He was isolated for a while so he came inside and mixed it up a little. It bore some fruit. Liked Jalen. Pirlo was classy. My favorite thing is to see him land a forward pass that the camera hasn't caught up to yet. There were also a few times where he sprayed balls out to RJ on the left wing, to his right foot. It's about the details. Maxi, Villa, Harrison and Lewis / Wallace are going to be very hard for teams to deal with once they have 3-5 games together. Johnson was also better with the ball at his feet than expected.

On the flip side, Chanot played like he was drunk. People like to talk about his calm distribution but I haven't seen a lot of it. We need to see Gomez in more competitive games, while they're still competitive, and if we don't trust him there then we have a real RB problem. RJ is looking like the new Saunders right now. Sands showed his age. The one factor I didn't allow for in previous evaluations was opponents figuring him out. Which was dumb because it always happens with kids. It's clear that he likes to be in the hole, and Houston put 3 on him every time. I think he showed glimpses of figuring it out. I think it's clearer to me now that we really need Ring or Herrera to be a hit, though.

In summary, I'd say for some problem areas that showed tonight, we have plausible mitigations. LW - Wallace or Lewis. CDM - Ring or Herrera. CB - Callens. But RB is a concern.
 
Christopher Jee said:
Agreed on Brown. Would do well to control and beat a man or two and then had no options. Was also confident and tried to make an impact , put shots on target, etc.

Overall I am treating this game as low signal. As soon as Villa went off, it was ruined. Obvi we will have to play with 10 in competitive games, but we weren't set up for a competitive game, so I just felt bad for everybody who had to see out the 90.

Having said that, I thought it was nice to see Harrison take some responsibility in the 2nd half. He was isolated for a while so he came inside and mixed it up a little. It bore some fruit. Liked Jalen. Pirlo was classy. My favorite thing is to see him land a forward pass that the camera hasn't caught up to yet. There were also a few times where he sprayed balls out to RJ on the left wing, to his right foot. It's about the details. Maxi, Villa, Harrison and Lewis / Wallace are going to be very hard for teams to deal with once they have 3-5 games together. Johnson was also better with the ball at his feet than expected.

On the flip side, Chanot played like he was drunk. People like to talk about his calm distribution but I haven't seen a lot of it. We need to see Gomez in more competitive games, while they're still competitive, and if we don't trust him there then we have a real RB problem. RJ is looking like the new Saunders right now. Sands showed his age. The one factor I didn't allow for in previous evaluations was opponents figuring him out. Which was dumb because it always happens with kids. It's clear that he likes to be in the hole, and Houston put 3 on him every time. I think he showed glimpses of figuring it out. I think it's clearer to me now that we really need Ring or Herrera to be a hit, though.

In summary, I'd say for some problem areas that showed tonight, we have plausible mitigations. LW - Wallace or Lewis. CDM - Ring or Herrera. CB - Callens. But RB is a concern.
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Sands looked really good until he tired. And when he was tired, we also were playing with 10 so Houston had a free man to double him up every time.
 
roxfontaine said:
I feel the opposite. Several times in the match I thought to myself that he has great quick feet and ball control. He got left out to dry regularly because Villa wasn't there to receive. I guess I need to rewatch.
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Ulrich said:
I agree. Brown has far superior ball control than Shelton and he doesn't hesitate when breaking out. His issue was trying to do too much, but that can be diffused with coaching and villa on the field. And he was able to hold the ball in a lot of traffic. For me, he's already more dependable than Shelton.
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The point about them playing a man down is very well taken. That definitely complicates the issue of playing on the wing. I also like the point about him playing directly and assertively. I was less impressed with the technical skills and ball control than you both, though. I think he is interesting and a prefect USL candidate, but don't see him as likely to be a real contributor this year. Happy to be proven wrong!
 
Christopher Jee said:
I dunno. He had a few pretty bad plays even before then. Like said, he now has to adjust and showed signs of adjusting in-game.
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I saw the same thing you did.

Several nice long passes that we should mention, though. Other times, I was a little confused at where his shorter options were, though.

Overall, we haven't learned anything about the team so far. We have learned about a few individuals. It looks like we're setting up for that patented NYCFC start where we pick up about 5 points in the first 8 matches.
 
Midas Mulligan said:
I saw the same thing you did.

Several nice long passes that we should mention, though. Other times, I was a little confused at where his shorter options were, though.

Overall, we haven't learned anything about the team so far. We have learned about a few individuals. It looks like we're setting up for that patented NYCFC start where we pick up about 5 points in the first 8 matches.
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And this is why making all of the transfers at the beginning of the window so important. Getting visas takes a few weeks and our players are missing key time to integrate themselves
 
It was nice to see Pirlo playing a full game with a 10 man and pressing hard at the end. I'm really disappointed in RJ. He does everything right going forward then doesn't have the instinct to be effective there. His give and goes with Jack worked well. Pirlo is able to drop them into those corners very effectively. Might be the best part of his game right now. I'd rather see RJ sky a shot high than dance with the ball. It's frustrating. That's a weakness. Our other glaring weakness is LW. I forgot Tommy was even in the game at times. I know someone tried to tell me yesterday here that Maxi was strong enough to hold play, but he's a counterattack waiting to happen in that midfield. So is Pirlo. Ring seems like he may be the answer there. I'd rather see Maxi on a wing or change of formation. Our back-line was sad. Sands showed he's not ready. Brown looked like he may have some ability. I'm not as confident in Sean Johnson as I'd hope to be. Jack looks like he's stronger this year, but still tries to dribble through bad spots. This video ref thing sucks. It will ruin the game if they go to it a lot. There's always bullshit happening on set pieces. All that said, I think with a full squad we are going to be playing much better soccer this season.
 
Johnson - 6 - distributed well enough. Controlled his box. Neither goal was on him. Showed his athleticism a couple of times. I'm encouraged

Chanot - 3 - looked subpar to me. Has looked mediocre all pre-season

Brilliant - 7 - thought he looked very strong last night and looks to be in mid-season form

Allen - 4 - such a frustrating player. Has terrific athleticism going back and forward but lacks even an average touch. The weak link in our XI going into March 5th

Swear - NA - I don't think he got enough touches or enough defensive targets for me to make a comment

Sands - 5 - first time where he looked overmatched physically. Still think he could step in and compete for this team immediately but last night he struggled physically

Pirlo - 8 - I thought he was terrific last night. Paired up well with a Sands and started a little higher up the pitch. Distributed well, defended a little. Thought he was our second best player

Maxi - 7 - thiught he was linking up well with Villa last night. Played much better with the full 11. I'm hopeful. Draws a lot of fouls

McNamara - 3 - for the first 30 minutes, unless you knew the lineup, you could have convinced me we didn't have a LW on the pitch. He's looked as bad as Shelton and Allen this preseason. I can't see him holding that position

Harrison - 8 - I thought he looked great last night and has been our most consistent player in the preseason. He has transformed his body so he can consistently play at this level. Pencil him in as your RW for 40 matches this season and never look back. Enjoy him while you can

For the subs, I thought Rawls acquitted himself well. Awuah is frustrating. All the physical tools and little instincts. I would like to see him stick here for a year and be coached. Then maybe send him out for a year on loan. It looks like no one has ever really taught him the game. I've been continually impressed by what Brown brings to the game when he is in there. At this point, I don't see anything different in what Brown, Shelton and McNamara bring from a wide position. Brown has the ability to take a defender on. McNamara can't. Shelton sometimes can only.
 
Kjbert said:
Johnson - 6 - distributed well enough. Controlled his box. Neither goal was on him. Showed his athleticism a couple of times. I'm encouraged

Chanot - 3 - looked subpar to me. Has looked mediocre all pre-season

Brilliant - 7 - thought he looked very strong last night and looks to be in mid-season form

Allen - 4 - such a frustrating player. Has terrific athleticism going back and forward but lacks even an average touch. The weak link in our XI going into March 5th

Swear - NA - I don't think he got enough touches or enough defensive targets for me to make a comment

Sands - 5 - first time where he looked overmatched physically. Still think he could step in and compete for this team immediately but last night he struggled physically

Pirlo - 8 - I thought he was terrific last night. Paired up well with a Sands and started a little higher up the pitch. Distributed well, defended a little. Thought he was our second best player

Maxi - 7 - thiught he was linking up well with Villa last night. Played much better with the full 11. I'm hopeful. Draws a lot of fouls

McNamara - 3 - for the first 30 minutes, unless you knew the lineup, you could have convinced me we didn't have a LW on the pitch. He's looked as bad as Shelton and Allen this preseason. I can't see him holding that position

Harrison - 8 - I thought he looked great last night and has been our most consistent player in the preseason. He has transformed his body so he can consistently play at this level. Pencil him in as your RW for 40 matches this season and never look back. Enjoy him while you can

For the subs, I thought Rawls acquitted himself well. Awuah is frustrating. All the physical tools and little instincts. I would like to see him stick here for a year and be coached. Then maybe send him out for a year on loan. It looks like no one has ever really taught him the game. I've been continually impressed by what Brown brings to the game when he is in there. At this point, I don't see anything different in what Brown, Shelton and McNamara bring from a wide position. Brown has the ability to take a defender on. McNamara can't. Shelton sometimes can only.
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No big issues with your ratings but I'd drop Brillant to a 6 and TMac to a 2. He's become invisible and it's really telling that when Villa was on the field every attack went down the right side away from TMac.
 
Ulrich said:
No big issues with your ratings but I'd drop Brillant to a 6 and TMac to a 2. He's become invisible and it's really telling that when Villa was on the field every attack went down the right side away from TMac.
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You do realize the ball was moving more towards the right because Ben Sweat was the LB in this game... Neither Centerbacks nor CDM or Pirlo looked to play it that way. If Matarrita was starting there, the attack would have been 50-50 and McNamara could have linked up with a LB that can contribute in the attacking third. I hope you can also realize McNamara contributed 5 goals and 9 assists last season. This is something you simply cannot overlook. Third in the team behind two DP's Villa and Lampard. I would also tell you to rewatch the first Chicago game last year, one of the few times T-Mac played in his more natural CAM position. He contributed the goal of the year, a wonderful assist, and over 90% pass completion rating. Here are the highlights:

Also, the first game against Emelec wasn't his best but no one had a great game. He still should have had a goal and assist if Villa scored his beautiful back heel pass back to him inside of the 18. Villa should have also played him in on a clear one v. one situation with goalie but chose to turn and shoot into defender in front of him.
 
Joe Smith said:
You do realize the ball was moving more towards the right because Ben Sweat was the LB in this game... Neither Centerbacks nor CDM or Pirlo looked to play it that way. If Matarrita was starting there, the attack would have been 50-50 and McNamara could have linked up with a LB that can contribute in the attacking third. I hope you can also realize McNamara contributed 5 goals and 9 assists last season. This is something you simply cannot overlook. Third in the team behind two DP's Villa and Lampard. I would also tell you to rewatch the first Chicago game last year, one of the few times T-Mac played in his more natural CAM position. He contributed the goal of the year, a wonderful assist, and over 90% pass completion rating. Here are the highlights:

Also, the first game against Emelec wasn't his best but no one had a great game. He still should have had a goal and assist if Villa scored his beautiful back heel pass back to him inside of the 18. Villa should have also played him in on a clear one v. one situation with goalie but chose to turn and shoot into defender in front of him.
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Welcome to the board, Mrs. MacNamara! Happy to have you here, but be aware you won't like everything you read. When your son plays poorly, he'll probably be called out on it.

Oh, and Kjbert, I'd actually give Sweat a 4 at best. He was pretty poor. (Good on you for noticing, MTM - that's Mrs. Tubby Messi, it's okay if I call you that for short, right?)
 
Joe Smith said:
You do realize the ball was moving more towards the right because Ben Sweat was the LB in this game... Neither Centerbacks nor CDM or Pirlo looked to play it that way. If Matarrita was starting there, the attack would have been 50-50 and McNamara could have linked up with a LB that can contribute in the attacking third. I hope you can also realize McNamara contributed 5 goals and 9 assists last season. This is something you simply cannot overlook. Third in the team behind two DP's Villa and Lampard. I would also tell you to rewatch the first Chicago game last year, one of the few times T-Mac played in his more natural CAM position. He contributed the goal of the year, a wonderful assist, and over 90% pass completion rating. Here are the highlights:

Also, the first game against Emelec wasn't his best but no one had a great game. He still should have had a goal and assist if Villa scored his beautiful back heel pass back to him inside of the 18. Villa should have also played him in on a clear one v. one situation with goalie but chose to turn and shoot into defender in front of him.
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First, welcome to the boards.

Regarding TMac.... sweat being at LB is a meaningless argument. Hernandez played RB plenty last year and we still moved the ball through the right flank to utilize Jack. TMac just wasn't moving himself into open areas to receive the ball.

His production last year was admirable and he was a useful player on the 2016 team because he was one of the more skilled players. The 2017 team has more skill and far more speed than 2016, and therefore TMac isn't really as special of a player as he was last year. With any team, the goal is for each successive year to add better players so the last few of the 11 slide to the end of the 18. That's happened this year.

Regarding TMac in the middle and being his best position, that's been proven wrong many times with the game against Emelec proving it most recently. He's too slow to both attack and defend and he gets lost in the shuffle. Hell, he had 5 opportunities to play Villa in on goal that game and he decided against it and lost the ball. If he couldn't recognize those opportunities, then he has no business in that role where his passes are so valued.

And that chicago game.... that was the worst team in the league - of course TMac looked good, even Taylor and Shelton looked like real wingers when scoring.
 
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I want to contribute a more substantive review, but the more I reflect on the game the more I feel like vomiting.

Villa/Maxi/Jack looked great together. Besides that, our back line was a JOKE, and we played like NYC 1.0

Hard to have any confidence whatsoever when Chanot and Brillant can shit the bed at any moment. Must be something in the water.
 
Seven said:
Recently rewatched Win!, so I could help but be reminded about the "whose gonna be the dick" speech and Kreis telling Villa that he is a "nasty fucker."

Villa needs to watch himself though. There's the elbow swing to Jalen Robinson vs D.C., the kick vs Toronto, and this slap to the face.

And as pissed as I was that he was dumb enough to get himself sent off in a pre-season game, I couldn't help but laugh about how cool and casual he was when he slapped him.
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....or that he wanted to finish the fight in the parking lot.
giphy.gif
 
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Starting at 5:00, you can see the Harrison tackle in the box. From this angle it's 100% a penalty for NYCFC. Penalty decisions are reviewable. Why didn't the ref look at this? Bullshit.

 
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