Before getting into any technical analysis, complaints, etc., an acknowledgement that that was serious fun. Just a great fan experience, complete with ups and downs, and ending on the ultimate high. And, as has been noted, the atmosphere was fantastic even in a stadium that does a horrible job of holding noise. Maybe the best I've seen at YS in the past two years. So keyed up for the playoffs!
On to the game:
- In the last few matches, PV has really fallen in love with pushing the LB way up the pitch and having TMac pinch in. In the first half it was so extreme that there were several times where TM was actually to the right of center while Allen was way up high along the forwards. This generated some of the better offensive opportunities we had in a rather drab first 45, though nothing that came to fruition. However, it burnt us badly on the DC goal. After Mena turns the ball over, TM is on the right and Allen is so far out of the play that he doesn't even come into the picture until very late. Credit to DC for moving the ball to the open space and Sam for a good finish. Chanot also seemed to be defending that play like a CB in a normal system and was a little late to realize that he had no LB coverage. So, in short, this is a high risk system, and when it is Allen rather than Matarrita on the left, I'm not sure it is worth it because he doesn't bring as much offensive potential since he's playing on the wrong side. I was pretty disappointed that there wasn't one question about this in the post-match press conference.
- At the same time, if you watch the nice shot that TM had from just outside the box in the first half, you can also see Allen making an overlapping run. The defender largely stays with TM, but I noticed a slight shift in his weight where he considers whether the ball is going to go to RJ. Stuff like that creates the inches that TM needs to get that shot off. I do love my overlapping fullbacks.
- I tweeted out that Khiry deserved credit for the last two goals. On watching the replay, he was also pressuring Mishu when he made the horrible back pass that Villa jumped on for the first goal. Talk about impacting a game after a fairly anonymous season with a few prior bright spots sprinkled in.
- Mendoza has his limitations, but he injected huge energy yesterday and I liked him centrally. He is always going to be limited because he doesn't have the awareness to make good decisions in traffic the way a good No. 10 would. But, he made important contributions in terms of getting the ball forward after a very pedestrian first half for the team where we lacked penetration other than via Allen crosses. I've tempered my expectation for Mendoza relative to where I was early in the year, but he has the ability to induce some chaos, which, in a league like MLS where defensive mistakes are such a big part of the game, is very valuable skill.
- Not sure if others see it this way and history certainly won't remember it this way, but I thought Lampard was dreadful for the first 80 minutes. His first touch was brutal and his passing was erratic. And then he comes up with two great goals in the end, with the second one being particularly fantastic. I'll take that trade, but if they had lost this game 1-0, he would have been high on my list of goats even though I'm pretty positive on his play generally this year even apart from the goals.
