Mix

[ktdNYCFC]

Lopez is most effective at pressing the opposition after a turnover, this skill, due to his athleticism, allows our high D line to settle, and not get burned. THere is probably not another midfielder on the roster who can press like he can, and that is vital in this system.

He's well on his way to pressing himself into a red and the most carded player this season. Look at his minutes - yellows ratio:

 

[Ulrich]

He's well on his way to pressing himself into a red and the most carded player this season. Look at his minutes - yellows ratio:

View attachment 4808

4 of the 9 fouls he's committed are Yellow Card offenses. That's a nearly identical percentage as Saunder's save percentage.

 

[Rimil]

He's well on his way to pressing himself into a red and the most carded player this season. Look at his minutes - yellows ratio:

View attachment 4808

now I have something to root for when he's on the pitch. Bring home the title mikey! I wanna see 25+ yellows.

 

[Tony L]

Mix lacks athleticism.

I think you're spot on here. I have always liked Mix. He works hard and when he in a comfortable playing position he has always done well for us, but I've always felt he needed to improve his speed. And now it seems that PV is looking to pick up the pace and move the ball down the pitch faster, and Lopez has that single advantage over Mix. All our signings this year seem to have that same quality and experience playing in high paced matches.

 

[adam]

He's well on his way to pressing himself into a red and the most carded player this season. Look at his minutes - yellows ratio:

View attachment 4808

With both Bravo and Mikey up there in cards, by starting both of them are we becoming the Bad Boys of the MLS?

 

[ktdNYCFC]

I think you're spot on here. I have always liked Mix. He works hard and when he in a comfortable playing position he has always done well for us, but I've always felt he needed to improve his speed. And now it seems that PV is looking to pick up the pace and move the ball down the pitch faster, and Lopez has that single advantage over Mix. All our signings this year seem to have that same quality and experience playing in high paced matches.

I agree with this (and I may not be seeing the whole picture here), but I'd associate speed and athleticism with low-possession, counter-focused styles. I thought Mix (especially in preseason) started showing good composure and control, which would mesh well with the possession style that PV said he wants to play. If we're playing possession, I'd think Mix is probably one of the best possession based 6's we have. Mikey's pressing the other team to force turnovers would mesh perfectly with a counter-attacking team. Seems strange to me.

 

[Taurus]

How drunk are you? His La Liga career puts him at 8 appearances as a mid. Like all time. Not one year.

But he did have about one appearance a year there. So I guess he has played there "most of his career" in that he's shown up there most years. But for real. He's always been known as a fullback. Why just make up things?

I mean, this is all verifiable. Why do you espouse something as fact when you don't know? I won't pretend to have watched all of his Bilbao matches. But I know what was reported. And I can look at his career stats. Everyone else can, too. You just made that up, said it authoritatively, and expect people to accept it.

Hell, maybe I'm wrong. But the entirety of the internet says I'm not. What's your basis?

I think I was drunk. I've have seen play in La Liga a few times, definitely as a defender. Not sure why I stated mid Thanks

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

Mix is so much better than Lopez in all aspects I can;t believe this is a discussion again. He is plenty fast, see last year's Orlando game when he ran the break perfectly multiple times to set up goals. He presses just as well as Lopez, see this past game after he came in. Caused turnovers and almost scored. He must have some kind of issue in practice that coaches don't like, but for play on the field he has been our best attacking midfielder, and its not close.

 

[Tony L]

I'd associate speed and athleticism with low-possession, counter-focused styles.

Right. PV must think he can do both, maintain possession while playing at a higher pace.

 

[Ulrich]

Mix is so much better than Lopez in all aspects I can;t believe this is a discussion again. He is plenty fast, see last year's Orlando game when he ran the break perfectly multiple times to set up goals. He presses just as well as Lopez, see this past game after he came in. Caused turnovers and almost scored. He must have some kind of issue in practice that coaches don't like, but for play on the field he has been our best attacking midfielder, and its not close.

It could just be that Mikey is already in tackling mode before the ball gets to the player thus causing such jarring yellow card type tackles when both arrive at the same time. Mix prefers to tackle once he knows the player has it. One is amped for the tackle and is plying the man, the other is playing the ball. That could be why visually it seems like Lopez closes down space faster, he's just tackling whatever is in front of him and praying the ball actually arrives.

<I'm sort of kidding, but not really>

 

[joe]

Mix is so much better than Lopez in all aspects I can;t believe this is a discussion again. He is plenty fast, see last year's Orlando game when he ran the break perfectly multiple times to set up goals. He presses just as well as Lopez, see this past game after he came in. Caused turnovers and almost scored. He must have some kind of issue in practice that coaches don't like, but for play on the field he has been our best attacking midfielder, and its not close.

Preach.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

I think I was drunk. I've have seen play in La Liga a few times, definitely as a defender. Not sure why I stated mid Thanks

Hey, me too. That's why I asked how drunk you were. I was maintaining at the super-genius phase.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

Hey, me too. That's why I asked how drunk you were. I was maintaining at the super-genius phase.

Game recognize game

 

[Kjbert]

Mix is so much better than Lopez in all aspects I can;t believe this is a discussion again. He is plenty fast, see last year's Orlando game when he ran the break perfectly multiple times to set up goals. He presses just as well as Lopez, see this past game after he came in. Caused turnovers and almost scored. He must have some kind of issue in practice that coaches don't like, but for play on the field he has been our best attacking midfielder, and its not close.

Don't agree with you. Lopez is the better defensive player. PV has surrounded Pirlo with his two best defensive midfielders.

I would bet he views Mix as a like for like replacement if Pirlo ever went down.

Did Mix play as a LW when he came in the other night? I could swear he was playing as a Forward. Unless we changed the formation. The way we play, it's like we don't have a formation sometimes.

 

[Falastur]

I don't think this would be a grand conspiracy by Vieira to deprive Mix of the opportunity - Mix would have to be in on it too. And while the National Team is what every player aims for, it's not an automatic "For King & Country" rise to attention. Players from time to time do not want to join up because they do want to focus on their clubs and holding down a position. However, with the USMNT a player cannot decline a call up without being systematically banished from the team - Landon Donovan is a prime example. He turned down Klinnsman, and his career effectively ended on the national team. Mix has a great skill set, but its different than anything JK plays with the MNT - Mix will never unseat Bradley, Jones, Bedoya, or Beckerman - not that I necessary think they're each better but they (with the exception of Bedoya) have skill sets that if needed on the field, Mix cannot produce the same way. So Mix knows he's a bench player at best, and in the past he hasn't gotten off the bench - he may simply not want to leave his club knowing that he can help his club more than he could help the MNT.

Fair enough, I hadn't counted on you assuming Mix was in on it. However, there are still far better ways of doing it. Mix could simply refuse the call-up, if you really wanted a low-effort solution, or they could do what most teams do in this position and "discover" a minor niggle which is a risk to the player's fitness and needs monitoring, only to discover a couple of days after selection that the player is alright after all.

 

[Ulrich]

Fair enough, I hadn't counted on you assuming Mix was in on it. However, there are still far better ways of doing it. Mix could simply refuse the call-up, if you really wanted a low-effort solution, or they could do what most teams do in this position and "discover" a minor niggle which is a risk to the player's fitness and needs monitoring, only to discover a couple of days after selection that the player is alright after all.

As I mentioned, any player that's refused a call-up under Klinnsman has been effectively banished. Happened to Donovan & Timmy Chandler; Chandler turned down a call-up in 2012 and didn't get another until 2013 and played sporadically afterwards. I feel like there was one or two more that I'm blanking on. JK can be vindictive.

A niggling injury is almost worse because if Mix was to play immediately after, then it'd be apparent it was all a ruse.

 

[SteveV]

It could just be that Mikey is already in tackling mode before the ball gets to the player thus causing such jarring yellow card type tackles when both arrive at the same time. Mix prefers to tackle once he knows the player has it. One is amped for the tackle and is plying the man, the other is playing the ball. That could be why visually it seems like Lopez closes down space faster, he's just tackling whatever is in front of him and praying the ball actually arrives.

<I'm sort of kidding, but not really>

It's no joke. Mikey "Yellow Card" Lopez is tied for 2nd in cautions, but in only 5 games (most other guys have played 7-9 games to get their 4-5 yellows).

I see that Lopez hustles, and I like the effort - he just doesn't seem particularly skilled. Mix also hustles (he's just not as fast), but feels like Mix's skill level is quite a bit higher.

These are the guys in the league with 4 or more Yellows so far:


Edit: I should've read ktdNYCFC's post (above) first. Should just plot that as minutes played per yellow card.

 

[SteveV]

Here you go:


But, to be fair to Yellow Card Lopez, if you include all players with at least 2 yellows you uncover Conor Doyle:

 

[FootyLovin]

Thank you ktdNYCFC and SteveV for great data.

Love this. Mikey is tracking at a card per every 72 minutes played. What could go wrong?

And I will say once again, we all need to start referring to him as Mikey "what's a guy gotta do to get a red card" Lopez.

 

[mgarbowski]

And I will say once again, we all need to start referring to him as Mikey "what's a guy gotta do to get a red card" Lopez.

It's going to need a hashtag or an acronym (or better yer a #acronym) to get any traction.