Home - March 10 - D.C.

[SoupInNYC]

So I learned on Monday that Dome doesn't go into the first training session of a week with a game plan or practices the tactics against the opponent, he just tells them their positioning and tactics the day of the game.

Vieira came into the first training session of the week with a game plan and used the entire week to teach and go over the positioning and tactics.

You can't be like Dome with MLS guys. They don't have the soccer brains to do that.

Just want to clarify as I haven't watched the inside training because it seems like there are two ends of the spectrum here.

Does he really not go into tactics at all until the day of the game? That would very much surprise me, and if true, that would be egregious.

Or is it, he just doesn't do it in the first training session of a week? But perhaps he does the second training session or some time thereafter?

I won't pretend to know much about game preparation for soccer or MLS, but I know its common in american football that the first practice of a week is spent on "working on yourself" and no gameplan is actually put in place.

 

[Kjbert]

Just want to clarify as I haven't watched the inside training because it seems like there are two ends of the spectrum here.

Does he really not go into tactics at all until the day of the game? That would very much surprise me, and if true, that would be egregious.

Or is it, he just doesn't do it in the first training session of a week? But perhaps he does the second training session or some time thereafter?

I won't pretend to know much about game preparation for soccer or MLS, but I know its common in american football that the first practice of a week is spent on "working on yourself" and no gameplan is actually put in place.

Good post.

Does anyone remember the Seahawks - Patriots Super Bowl?

After the game, they asked Malcolm butler how he knew to be where he was when he intercepted Russell Wilson and won the game.

He answered by saying they had studied the formation that the Seahawks lined up and he knew what play they were running.

To the point of SoupInNYC i don’t know if that’s a perfect analogy to soccer. But I sure as hell would like to know a) how the other team usually lines up b) the tendencies of the other players c) anything they like to do on a set piece and d) any tactical changes the other team likes to make if they are up or down.

And this plays into what happened last week. Orlando made subs and changed the formation. One small reason they came back but we didn’t respond.

 

[Ulrich]

Just want to clarify as I haven't watched the inside training because it seems like there are two ends of the spectrum here.

Does he really not go into tactics at all until the day of the game? That would very much surprise me, and if true, that would be egregious.

Or is it, he just doesn't do it in the first training session of a week? But perhaps he does the second training session or some time thereafter?

I won't pretend to know much about game preparation for soccer or MLS, but I know its common in american football that the first practice of a week is spent on "working on yourself" and no gameplan is actually put in place.

Good post.

Does anyone remember the Seahawks - Patriots Super Bowl?

After the game, they asked Malcolm butler how he knew to be where he was when he intercepted Russell Wilson and won the game.

He answered by saying they had studied the formation that the Seahawks lined up and he knew what play they were running.

To the point of SoupInNYC i don’t know if that’s a perfect analogy to soccer. But I sure as hell would like to know a) how the other team usually lines up b) the tendencies of the other players c) anything they like to do on a set piece and d) any tactical changes the other team likes to make if they are up or down.

And this plays into what happened last week. Orlando made subs and changed the formation. One small reason they came back but we didn’t respond.

If a team uses the same tactics week in/week out, there’s some flexibility to when the current week’s game plan is introduced, because the focus is on the opponent and not understanding the inward responsibilities of teammates, but considering the Master Tinkerer changes his tactics every game, if he’s not starting to install the game plan in the first practice then the players are already losing ground. It’s a full time job to study film and learn your opponents tendencies, but if your own tactics and positioning are different, then it’s that much less familiarity that can be relied on for the body to instinctively know what to do - the tactics have to be drilled in to stay current and not allow old tendencies to take over.

I really hope Dome isn’t leaving the players too little time to grasp the week’s concepts - PV has his style drilled in so that every pass was instinctual and imbedded through rote practice, which is why we looked so fluid.

 

[Kjbert]

If a team uses the same tactics week in/week out, there’s some flexibility to when the current week’s game plan is introduced, because the focus is on the opponent and not understanding the inward responsibilities of teammates, but considering the Master Tinkerer changes his tactics every game, if he’s not starting to install the game plan in the first practice then the players are already losing ground. It’s a full time job to study film and learn your opponents tendencies, but if your own tactics and positioning are different, then it’s that much less familiarity that can be relied on for the body to instinctively know what to do - the tactics have to be drilled in to stay current and not allow old tendencies to take over.

I really hope Dome isn’t leaving the players too little time to grasp the week’s concepts - PV has his style drilled in so that every pass was instinctual and imbedded through rote practice, which is why we looked so fluid.

What the fuck do they do all week? Practice kicking the ball out of bounds. Jesus.

Do they even watch film?

 

[Ulrich]

What the fuck do they do all week? Practice kicking the ball out of bounds. Jesus.

Do they even watch film?

The one practice I attended when PV was still coach was laid out in the following manner:

Warmup line drills
Multiple Small-sided keep-away circles (5out/2in)
Large-side keep away circles (10ish out/7ish in)
Small-side scrimmages 5v5/6v6
Full-field scrimmage 11v11 (I think full sides)
Teams were mixed so didn’t appear to be 1st team/2nd team.
Somewhere in this were crossing/shooting drills, but don’t remember the placement.

Keepers did their own thing the entire time up until the scrimmage.

Per my post above, it didn’t seem out of ordinary to not have tactics introduced since it was beginning of the week and PV played one system and everybody seemed to know where to be. Also, with spectators, tactics weren’t going to be on display, although maybe they did talk about them and we never knew since the spectators were are the far end of the field and there’s was the width of a field separating the practice from us - that was definitely by design.

 

[Sabo]

Good post.

Does anyone remember the Seahawks - Patriots Super Bowl?

After the game, they asked Malcolm butler how he knew to be where he was when he intercepted Russell Wilson and won the game.

He answered by saying they had studied the formation that the Seahawks lined up and he knew what play they were running.

To the point of SoupInNYC i don’t know if that’s a perfect analogy to soccer. But I sure as hell would like to know a) how the other team usually lines up b) the tendencies of the other players c) anything they like to do on a set piece and d) any tactical changes the other team likes to make if they are up or down.

And this plays into what happened last week. Orlando made subs and changed the formation. One small reason they came back but we didn’t respond.

In fairness to Dome, Nani is one of the best players on Orlando and there was no way of knowing how he would actually be used.

I really have trouble figuring out what Dome is doing tactically most games. Hopefully that is only because of my limited tactical awareness.

 

[Ulrich]

In fairness to Dome, Nani is one of the best players on Orlando and there was no way of knowing how he would actually be used.

I really have trouble figuring out what Dome is doing tactically most games. Hopefully that is only because of my limited tactical awareness.

Nani is a wide-side attacking player. Always has been. Short of having game film of him in Orlando, one should plan on Nani doing what he’s always done.

Your confusion around Dome’s tactics isn’t abnormal and due to limited awareness, his tactics simply don’t make sense and are irrational. Whether that’s due to the quality of MLS players being below what he’s seen Pep work with and therefore can’t execute, or because Dome just gets it wrong, no idea.

 

[The Toe]

Full squad for Sunday. No players out.

 

[mgarbowski]

Full squad for Sunday. No players out.

Matarrita?

 

[Ulrich]

Full squad for Sunday. No players out.

There’s still two more days for Mata to reinjure his calf.

 

[The Toe]

Matarrita?

Sorry forgot the link. He's good to go.

https://www.nycfc.com/post/2019/03/08/injury-report-clean-bill-health-home-opener

 

[Ulrich]

Sorry forgot the link. He's good to go.

https://www.nycfc.com/post/2019/03/08/injury-report-clean-bill-health-home-opener

If he’s “good” to go, it means he ripe to be subbed off after 20minutes like last season when he subbed on, got injured immediately, and we wasted a second sub on his position.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Bench: JLew, Taty, Scrooge, Sandman, Hey Matarrita!, Ibby, Stoove

 

[Ulrich]

View attachment 9631

Bench: JLew, Taty, Scrooge, Sandman, Hey Matarrita!, Ibby, Stoove

How do you still have faith in Medina??? The guy hasn’t produced meaningful minutes in ages, and he’s a ghost on the field.

 

[413Blue]

How do you still have faith in Medina??? The guy hasn’t produced meaningful minutes in ages, and he’s a ghost on the field.

I'm not sure Dome has given up on him just yet.

 

[LionNYC]

Dome never inspires confidence. But it was interesting hearing him talk about the trip to Orlando. It took them 10 hours from leaving the training facility to arriving at the airport in terms of travel and delays. Crazy.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1104080505836916736

JLew does inspire confidence. I also like his pace of speaking.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1104079514689245191

 

[Gotham Gator]

How do you still have faith in Medina??? The guy hasn’t produced meaningful minutes in ages, and he’s a ghost on the field.

 

[The Toe]

Just an FYI to leave a bit earlier from BK/Manhattan as 4 trains are running every 16 minutes, which really means you can wait up to 25 minutes for one along the line.

 

[Gotham Gator]

How do you still have faith in Medina??? The guy hasn’t produced meaningful minutes in ages, and he’s a ghost on the field.

In all seriousness, he contributed a lot over the first half of last year. I am still hopeful we can get him going, and I didn't think Lewis showed enough against Orlando to put him out as a starter. I like him off the bench running at people for 20 minutes at the end of games.

 

[Ulrich]

In all seriousness, he contributed a lot over the first half of last year. I am still hopeful we can get him going, and I didn't think Lewis showed enough against Orlando to put him out as a starter. I like him off the bench running at people for 20 minutes at the end of games.

No offense, but you’re comparing Medina’s play from a year ago, with nothing to show for it since, to a guy that gets spot minutes and had the first assist last match? You’re not giving Lewis the same benefit you’re graciously showing Medina.