Away - 06/14 Jersey

[SoupInNYC]

You are obfuscating my point. What matters are points and maximizing our opportunities to get them. Playing meaningless extra games doesn't help that. Utilizing Maxi and Ring in the RB game may not impact the Seattle result, I'm just saying I wouldn't do it. It is clear that many disagree, that's fine. We'll see what PV thinks when the starting XI is announced.

I guess the difference is you see the US Open Cup games as meaningless whereas many of us, PV, and the club do not see it as meaningless and instead as a chance to give the team some silverware, experience in pressure-games, exposure to CONCACAF Champions League and more GAM.

That, and I don't see a terrible down-side to playing a few of the regular players in another DGW scenario. The lineup I'm suggesting is:

Lewis-Okoli-Harrison
TMac-Maxi
Lopez
Sweat-Callens-Brillant-Allen(Gomez)
Johansen

I really don't see that as being prohibitive to our chances at home against a team that struggles at home and is traveling cross-country. And if we do lose, I doubt it will be because several players played earlier in the week, though it will be easy to create that narrative.

If we play some of our starting XI against NJ, then drop points at home to Seattle, then those specific dropped points cause us to drop out of the top-2 in the East, I will gladly eat crow on this. I just don't see the downside others see to this.

 

[Gotham Gator]

As Gotham Gator points out we don't have many options but at the very least I'd like to see Villa/Maxi/Ring/Chanot/Callens all sit as they are just too valuable to risk injury. It's frustrating but the team essentially made it near impossible for us to compete in the Open cup when they chose the long road approach with the academy. It's not even that we have subpar players for depth we literally have +3 unused roster dead spots. I have no doubt we could send a team out that can beat RB but having the roster to make a run that results in open cup silverware takes considerably more depth than we have. I'd be happy to be wrong but I just to see it happening this year.

We only have 15 field players for this game (excluding Chanot who is playing on the weekend). We can only sit all 5 of those guys for the full 90 if we limit ourselves to one substitution.

 

[mgarbowski]

We only have 15 field players for this game (excluding Chanot who is playing on the weekend). We can only sit all 5 of those guys for the full 90 if we limit ourselves to one substitution.

Dress Lurch as a CB.

 

[gbservis]

We only have 15 field players for this game (excluding Chanot who is playing on the weekend). We can only sit all 5 of those guys for the full 90 if we limit ourselves to one substitution.

Based on the helpful list you made of available players I'd go:

Gomez------Okoli---------Lewis
--------------Tmac----------------
---------Stertzer--Lopez---------
Sweat---Brillant--White--Allen
-----------Johansen--------------

Play the ball long for hold up from Okoli or for Lewis/Gomez to beat people with speed. If we need a sub at CF or CB bring on rawls and let Johansen head every ball play in that's in the air.

 

[JJJSMAC]

I guess the difference is you see the US Open Cup games as meaningless whereas many of us, PV, and the club do not see it as meaningless and instead as a chance to give the team some silverware, experience in pressure-games, exposure to CONCACAF Champions League and more GAM.

That, and I don't see a terrible down-side to playing a few of the regular players in another DGW scenario. The lineup I'm suggesting is:

Lewis-Okoli-Harrison
TMac-Maxi
Lopez
Sweat-Callens-Brillant-Allen(Gomez)
Johansen

I really don't see that as being prohibitive to our chances at home against a team that struggles at home and is traveling cross-country. And if we do lose, I doubt it will be because several players played earlier in the week, though it will be easy to create that narrative.

If we play some of our starting XI against NJ, then drop points at home to Seattle, then those specific dropped points cause us to drop out of the top-2 in the East, I will gladly eat crow on this. I just don't see the downside others see to this.

Once again, when I say meaningless, it is in the context of the MLS cup. Also, for a little context, this is how much PV cared about last years Open Cup game against the Cosmos.

"Vieira made nine changes to his 4-3-3 with Eirik Johansen starting in net, Diego Martinez, Jefferson Mena and Shannon Gomez joining returning starter Ethan White in the back.

Mix Diskerud was the lone returning starter in the midfield, which also featured Mikey Lopez and Mehdi Ballouchy. Up front, Kwadwo Poku and Khiry Shelton played on the wings, while Patrick Mullins played in the center of the forward three.

Tony Taylor came on in favor of Shelton for Vieira’s first substitution in the 73rd minute. Three minutes from full time, Jason Hernandez replaced Mena in another straight swap. And Jack Harrison came on for Ballouchy in the 90th minute."

 

[Taurus]

Definitely want to beat the NJ Pink Cows and knock them out of the cup and a competition we should look to win and a lineup that represents that as opposed to just "saying" we want to win. I would like to see this lineup based on who we have available and eligible.

 

[Kjbert]

Yes, but after watching the team limp through the last three weeks, I just don't think they need extra games right now. It is a long season and I want to win the MLS cup. I understand and respect your passion to win every time we take the field but respectfully disagree on this game. We'll see what PV throws out there for the Starting XI, that will be the barometer for how much he really cares about it.

What was the seed of the last two teams to win MLS Cup?

 

[Ulrich]

Once again, when I say meaningless, it is in the context of the MLS cup. Also, for a little context, this is how much PV cared about last years Open Cup game against the Cosmos.

"Vieira made nine changes to his 4-3-3 with Eirik Johansen starting in net, Diego Martinez, Jefferson Mena and Shannon Gomez joining returning starter Ethan White in the back.

Mix Diskerud was the lone returning starter in the midfield, which also featured Mikey Lopez and Mehdi Ballouchy. Up front, Kwadwo Poku and Khiry Shelton played on the wings, while Patrick Mullins played in the center of the forward three.

Tony Taylor came on in favor of Shelton for Vieira’s first substitution in the 73rd minute. Three minutes from full time, Jason Hernandez replaced Mena in another straight swap. And Jack Harrison came on for Ballouchy in the 90th minute."

Point of information, but Vieira also said afterwards he really underestimated the Cup and was unhappy.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016...ly-disappointed-nycfcs-early-us-open-cup-exit

“As a manager, I’m the one who made the selection and I am the first one to put my hand in the air and say I made a mistake when I made the decision to rest so many players,” Vieira said. “I’m the first responsible for the performance of the players.”

“When you look at our cabinet, it is empty,” Vieira said. “This is a competition you can get to the final just by playing five games. It was an important competition for us. I’m frustrated, really disappointed and I’m upset.”

 

[JJJSMAC]

What was the seed of the last two teams to win MLS Cup?

So you are saying you would be ok with a single elimination road game in the playoffs because other teams have pulled it off? Okie Dokie.

 

[JJJSMAC]

Point of information, but Vieira also said afterwards he really underestimated the Cup and was unhappy.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016...ly-disappointed-nycfcs-early-us-open-cup-exit

Yet he did the same thing at RSL and said this

"“The defeat today is mine,” Vieira said. “It’s me who is responsible for the loss today because the selection of the team wasn’t good enough to compete against Salt Lake and I take full responsibility for the performance of the team today.”

 

[SoupInNYC]

Yet he did the same thing at RSL and said this

"“The defeat today is mine,” Vieira said. “It’s me who is responsible for the loss today because the selection of the team wasn’t good enough to compete against Salt Lake and I take full responsibility for the performance of the team today.”

And then the next time we had a DGW this year, he played as many regular starters as he had available......

 

[gbservis]

What was the seed of the last two teams to win MLS Cup?

How many empty roster spots was each carrying and how many years had each had a fully functioning academy?

 

[Kjbert]

So you are saying you would be ok with a single elimination road game in the playoffs because other teams have pulled it off? Okie Dokie.

First of all, your entire premise is silly. Playing 8 guys on a Wednesday and Saturday isn't going to make or break our season or seeding.

Second of all, in any playoff format, as we found our last year, the seeding is thrown out the window.

All of that being said, I would trade last year's seeding for winning the Open Cup and being in the playoffs. Period.

 

[JayH]

Go for hardware whatever it is, however you can get it, within reason. Reason meaning that if there are guys who are hobbled or unduly fatigued you consider giving them a rest, if necessary. Otherwise, well trained professional soccer players should be able to go two a week. We enthusiastically support a team in an inferior league, yet an MLS Cup would certainly mean just as much to us as a Euro league championship would to a Euro league supporting fan. For the same reason, cup victories and Champions league qualification should be meaningful to us and of no less value than those in foreign leagues. Different quality for sure, and a different level of achievement given the quality of opponent, but the same thrilling and exciting accomplishment for fans committed to an MLS team. Go for it all. That's what we signed up for.

 

[FredMertz]

I've been looking through both StubHub and SeatGeek. A lot of the tickets for sales are in larger bulks. For example, Row 1 of certain sections, it's 10 tickets available. This reflects that these tickets are not being sold by persons but rather the site itself or a bot or organization.

Definitely the Red Bulls or ticket aggregators working on their behalf.

 

[JJJSMAC]

First of all, your entire premise is silly. Playing 8 guys on a Wednesday and Saturday isn't going to make or break our season or seeding.

Second of all, in any playoff format, as we found our last year, the seeding is thrown out the window.

All of that being said, I would trade last year's seeding for winning the Open Cup and being in the playoffs. Period.

If my logic is silly than not caring where we are seeded because of past years MLS champions is downright idiotic. One USOC game won't make a difference? How about the other 4? At what point do one of these games get in the way of us winning MLS games?

BTW, I can only imagine how excited Maxi / Ring would be to play in a game like this. Check out the frustration levels from Ring at RSL and the Maxi against the Revs. Why in the hell would they want to play in the USOC? Because of the "hardware"?

 

[NYCFC_JD]

Point of information, but Vieira also said afterwards he really underestimated the Cup and was unhappy.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016...ly-disappointed-nycfcs-early-us-open-cup-exit

This. Just to add my 2 cents, as a STH, I absolutely do care about USOC. The last two iterations were infuriating, watching our club throw away games against A MINOR LEAGUE TEAM. The club and PV after the last USOC loss talked the talk about taking it more seriously this time... now let's see if they were being honest. I want to see a full squad (those that are healthy and not on international duty). It may not count in the table, or directly in the quest for MLS Cup, but it's a shot at hardware and history. We are a club in its infancy, with no history, and we should be taking every shot at hardware that we've got, especially against (arguably) our biggest rival.

Some posters have suggested certain players may not care about USOC hardware... If that's the case, I'd prefer those players not be here. Lastly, these guys are professionals, yes, but they're still human. You can't just turn it off one game and turn it on the next. Teams get into habits of winning and habits of losing. I'd prefer to give it our all in the USOC and continue establishing the habit of WINNING.

 

[Jon]

Definitely the Red Bulls or ticket aggregators working on their behalf.

So would you continue to wait for a drop in prices or do you think the current price (around $30) is the floor?

 

[mgarbowski]

The US Open Cup is not some stupid pre-season friendly tournament. It is the third longest running open soccer tournament in the world. NYCFC enters into two official competitions every year. Both, in the end, are crapshoots where one team gets hot, wins a few games in a row and is crowned champion. Why the hell would you halve your chances of winning by blowing one of them off? Plus, if playing 4 midweek games keeps you out of MLS playoffs you deserve the failure.

 

[ZYanksRule]

The US Open Cup is not some stupid pre-season friendly tournament. It is the third longest running open soccer tournament in the world. NYCFC enters into two official competitions every year. Both, in the end, are crapshoots where one team gets hot, wins a few games in a row and is crowned champion. Why the hell would you halve your chances of winning by blowing one of them off? Plus, if playing 4 midweek games keeps you out of MLS playoffs you deserve the failure.

Also, we have a team that features a ton more depth than last year.

If we were to go with a lineup of:
Lewis-Okoli-Harrison
------TMac-Maxi------
---------Lopez---------
Sweat-Brillant-Chanot-Allen
--------Johansen--------

Does anyone really think that lineup can't win? Fine, put Ring in for Lopez -- that backline is perfectly capable of holding serve. That midfield is perfectly capable of getting a result, and that front line is perfectly capable of scoring a few goals.

That lineup rests up to seven or eight starters, and still gives us a good chance to win.

So yes, I agree with you that we should take this competition seriously. I also agree with others that certain guys should get a rest (frankly, if we had another option I want Harrison rested; he looked gassed last game). This team can handle a back-up US Open Cup roster far better than the last two years.

Remember the lineups for the first two US Open Cup games:
2016:
Shelton-Mullins-Poku
Mix-Lopez-Ballouchy
Gomez-White-Mena-Martinez
Johansen

2015:
Poku-Mullins
Ballouchy-Mix-Jacobson-Alvarez
Allen-Brovsky-Hernandez-Facey
Johansen

This year's lineup is far, far, far more capable of getting a result than those two were.