MLS - April 24 - Toronto (Home)

[mgarbowski]

On the replay it looked like a hard to see very slight deflection off AM’s back.

It definitely deflected. In fact I'm not sure it goes in if it were not ever so slightly deflected. But I'm also not 100% sure he was offsides. The replays shown were not a good angle and the defender (maybe Bradley) who was keeping Morales onside was forward moving as Taty shot the ball, and for me it was not clear and obvious Morales was off when the ball was struck. Maybe the ref had a better angle.

 

[mgarbowski]

Pereira's goal now ranks among my favorite all-time for the club.
Magno intercepts a pass and sends it to Santi. Santiago has the ball tackled away from behind but then is like "I will crawl over your prone body to keep the play alive" and Magno gets it back, passes to Pereira, who scores a perfectly placed ball just inside the far post after Bono comes out and cuts off most of the angle, then controls his immediate instinct to take off his shirt and get a yellow, in favor of taking a selfie with a club employee behind the end line.

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

Pereira's goal now ranks among my favorite all-time for the club.
Magno intercepts a pass and sends it to Santi. Santiago has the ball tackled away from behind but then is like "I will crawl over your prone body to keep the play alive" and Magno gets it back, passes to Pereira, who scores a perfectly placed ball just inside the far post after Bono comes out and cuts off most of the angle, then controls his immediate instinct to take off his shirt and get a yellow, in favor of taking a selfie with a club employee behind the end line.

My favorite goal yesterday. Thought it was silky.

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

The point is not they were easy saves. The point is they were makeable, and making none is poor.
5 shots faced, 1 save.
Saving all 4 of the goals he allowed would have been extraordinary.
Saving 3 would be very good.
Saving 2 is normal good.
Saving 1 of the 4 is the bare minimum.
Allowing all 4 was very bad.
To be fair, he save he made was a rather nice play.

But Bono made 3 saves (at least) that were as tough as the 4 Johnson allowed. Before we broke through the first half narrative was that Bono was the difference as he stuffed multiple open shots on goal. He also had a great play around 77' or so when he came about 30 yards out of goal to stop an open breakaway. Yes, he succumbed to the deluge. Bono made more saves than Johnson faced SOGs.

This excludes shots that were blocked or off target. Bono saved >50%. Sean saved 20%. If he manages 40% there's no angst.
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I confess I have a tendency to overcompensate for what I perceive to be a counter-tendency among NYCFC fans to fault our defense, especially the subs, or players who are out of position, and hold Johnson blameless. I probably overstated things a bit yesterday when I was reeling from a near late-game collapse in what should have been a laugher. I do expect more from our USMNT keeper than I do from Chris Gloster. Our defense yesterday had 1 natural CB and we've been without a league best RB for forever and they kept Toronto shotless for 50 consecutive minutes. Not just SOGs, but zero shots at all for 50 minutes straight. That's an extraordinarily dominant defense. When they faltered I expect our keeper to pick them up at least sometimes.

Johnson was a hero last fall. Yesterday he nearly cost us points in a game we absolutely dominated and should have won by multiple goals.

I was having the same feelings at a point last year about SJ. There are times (i think specifically to games in 2019) Sean is keeping us in games with pretty spectacular saves. Sean did well enough at the right time to win us the cup last year and I’m going to have faith he’ll do it again this year but yeah, yesterday is a game to forget in the goal keeping department. Reactions seemed a bit slow and wonky.

 

[SoupInNYC]

It definitely deflected. In fact I'm not sure it goes in if it were not ever so slightly deflected. But I'm also not 100% sure he was offsides. The replays shown were not a good angle and the defender (maybe Bradley) who was keeping Morales onside was forward moving as Taty shot the ball, and for me it was not clear and obvious Morales was off when the ball was struck. Maybe the ref had a better angle.

I believe there was a replay that did show Morales clearly offsides.

 

[SoupInNYC]

Pereira's goal now ranks among my favorite all-time for the club.
Magno intercepts a pass and sends it to Santi. Santiago has the ball tackled away from behind but then is like "I will crawl over your prone body to keep the play alive" and Magno gets it back, passes to Pereira, who scores a perfectly placed ball just inside the far post after Bono comes out and cuts off most of the angle, then controls his immediate instinct to take off his shirt and get a yellow, in favor of taking a selfie with a club employee behind the end line.

That was an awesome goal, but I think my favorite from yesterday was the Santi goal. Callens making a tackle in the attacking third (not immediately following a corner or free kick), spurring the chance. Taty with a great ball for Santi. Only way it could have been better was if Santi were to find Callens' run for him to tap it in, but obviously I'm not faulting him for his choice.

The Taty goal was also an incredibly nice buildup from back to front.

 

[mgarbowski]

That was an awesome goal, but I think my favorite from yesterday was the Santi goal. Callens making a tackle in the attacking third (not immediately following a corner or free kick), spurring the chance. Taty with a great ball for Santi. Only way it could have been better was if Santi were to find Callens' run for him to tap it in, but obviously I'm not faulting him for his choice.

The Taty goal was also an incredibly nice buildup from back to front.

The offense yesterday was just overwhelming. Even more than the 6 goals against RSL, which were fueled in part by 2 PKs and a corner. Not that those don't count, but our atack in the run of play yesterday was just relentless once it started and that feels different and IMO somehow more dominant.

 

[Shwafta]

The offense yesterday was just overwhelming. Even more than the 6 goals against RSL, which were fueled in part by 2 PKs and a corner. Not that those don't count, but our atack in the run of play yesterday was just relentless once it started and that feels different and IMO somehow more dominant.

The best thing about yesterday's game is that the underlying xG just about points to us having scored the correct number. Means we aren't overperforming that metric, at least. (yesterday)

 

[Shwafta]

I would also like to point out that this is the HISTORIC FIRST COMEBACK-FROM-2-0-AND-WIN GAME

 

[mgarbowski]

I would also like to point out that this is the HISTORIC FIRST COMEBACK-FROM-2-0-AND-WIN GAME
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Interesting given all the comebacks we had in I think 2019. SoupInNYC noted on Twitter that NYC has more goals in the last 2 games than several teams have all season (I count 16!), and Doyle wrote that this is just the sixth time in MLS history that a team scored 11 goals over 2 games.

 

[Shwafta]

smh

 

[moogoo]

Pereira's goal now ranks among my favorite all-time for the club.
Magno intercepts a pass and sends it to Santi. Santiago has the ball tackled away from behind but then is like "I will crawl over your prone body to keep the play alive" and Magno gets it back, passes to Pereira, who scores a perfectly placed ball just inside the far post after Bono comes out and cuts off most of the angle, then controls his immediate instinct to take off his shirt and get a yellow, in favor of taking a selfie with a club employee behind the end line.

AND - he megs mavinga.

It was super slick and such a mature finish. I feel like a lot of our guys tend to rush their finishes a bit but GP was patient and picked his spot.

Did anybody notice the extra push Santi got after getting into the wrestling match with whoever that defender was? As they were both getting up, TFC defender grabs his legs to trip him up more. then TFC guy gets up and shoves santi back down onto the ground as he runs back to defend.

Sure, it wasn't violent or anything and we ended up scoring, but that's some dirty shit I hate to see and wish could be punished somehow. 2:52 in the highlights if you want to see it.

 

[JayH]

Talles' mechanics, ball shielding, and tempo remind me so much of Paul Pogba.

 

[Gotham Gator]

In the final moments of the game, I'm watching on the replay at 93:58 Rubiel Vazquez motions to signal for the end of the game briefly before pointing at the ball because Toronto have the attack. In the first half, despite just 2 minutes of added time, he blows the whistle at 1:48 of added time.

Terrible refereeing today. Both Morales yellow cards are soft. And Toronto kicked the ball away in the first half when we had a throw in, that's supposed to now be a yellow card for denial of a restart. A yellow wasn't given.

I think the first yellow on Morales was for persistent infringement. The Ref did that thing where he points to a few random spots on the pitch. On the other hand, the official match stats have him with only 2 fouls, so who knows.

The second may have been a little soft, but once you are on a yellow, you don't get to complain.

 

[Gotham Gator]

The point is not they were easy saves. The point is they were makeable, and making none is poor.
5 shots faced, 1 save.
Saving all 4 of the goals he allowed would have been extraordinary.
Saving 3 would be very good.
Saving 2 is normal good.
Saving 1 of the 4 is the bare minimum.
Allowing all 4 was very bad.
To be fair, he save he made was a rather nice play.

But Bono made 3 saves (at least) that were as tough as the 4 Johnson allowed. Before we broke through the first half narrative was that Bono was the difference as he stuffed multiple open shots on goal. He also had a great play around 77' or so when he came about 30 yards out of goal to stop an open breakaway. Yes, he succumbed to the deluge. Bono made more saves than Johnson faced SOGs.

This excludes shots that were blocked or off target. Bono saved >50%. Sean saved 20%. If he manages 40% there's no angst.
View attachment 12007

I confess I have a tendency to overcompensate for what I perceive to be a counter-tendency among NYCFC fans to fault our defense, especially the subs, or players who are out of position, and hold Johnson blameless. I probably overstated things a bit yesterday when I was reeling from a near late-game collapse in what should have been a laugher. I do expect more from our USMNT keeper than I do from Chris Gloster. Our defense yesterday had 1 natural CB and we've been without a league best RB for forever and they kept Toronto shotless for 50 consecutive minutes. Not just SOGs, but zero shots at all for 50 minutes straight. That's an extraordinarily dominant defense. When they faltered I expect our keeper to pick them up at least sometimes.

Johnson was a hero last fall. Yesterday he nearly cost us points in a game we absolutely dominated and should have won by multiple goals.

I remain unconvinced that Johnson deserves criticism. The first goal was just impeccably placed, glancing in off the post. Johnson was there for the save, and if the ball had been 2" to one side, he gets it; 2" to the other side, it bounces off the post.

Then, you have two point-blank headers. Finally, there is the chip on the breakaway. To criticize that is to say that Johnson should make the save when someone is 1-1 with the keeper. That's a tough ask, even after the other keeper has done it twice.

I think Bono had a terrific game and was better than Johnson. But, I don't think Johnson's game was poor.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Comunicaciones part 2 game - completely switched off after going up 5-2. But the first 75 minutes…wow that is impressive.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1518393560239849472

That's also when we started making our subs.

 

[canchon]

That was an awesome goal, but I think my favorite from yesterday was the Santi goal. Callens making a tackle in the attacking third (not immediately following a corner or free kick), spurring the chance. Taty with a great ball for Santi. Only way it could have been better was if Santi were to find Callens' run for him to tap it in, but obviously I'm not faulting him for his choice.

The Taty goal was also an incredibly nice buildup from back to front.

Callens stole Bradley’s lunch on that play. Bradley was also megged by Taty. Not so much of midfield force anymore.

 

[Brooklyn Blue]

I confess I have a tendency to overcompensate for what I perceive to be a counter-tendency among NYCFC fans to fault our defense, especially the subs, or players who are out of position, and hold Johnson blameless. I probably overstated things a bit yesterday when I was reeling from a near late-game collapse in what should have been a laugher. I do expect more from our USMNT keeper than I do from Chris Gloster. Our defense yesterday had 1 natural CB and we've been without a league best RB for forever and they kept Toronto shotless for 50 consecutive minutes. Not just SOGs, but zero shots at all for 50 minutes straight. That's an extraordinarily dominant defense. When they faltered I expect our keeper to pick them up at least sometimes.

It is good to balance assessment of Johnson and the defense. After the Adventures of Saunders and his run in last year's playoffs, Johnson has built up significant credit with the fanbase, and this does skew performance review within fanbase.

That noted, for yesterday's game only, I maintain that Johnson had an average and acceptable performance - and would put blame for the latter two goals on substitute players and a team that was unsettled after substitutions and a red card. Gloster, in particular, appeared to have lost a man on both of the late goals. Kerr ran past him (before he ran through Heber), and Bradley was immediately adjacent to him on the fourth goal.

Perhaps it is confirmation bias, but replay puts Gloster in some damning locations, whether or not it is all on him or the fault of the collective (or a goalie that should have organized better).

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

Callens stole Bradley’s lunch on that play. Bradley was also megged by Taty. Not so much of midfield force anymore.

Why do I have such ill feelings toward Michael Bradley? I can't believe he scored yesterday. Off a corner with his head. It annoys the crap out of me. That was absolutely pathetic.

 

[moogoo]

Callens stole Bradley’s lunch on that play. Bradley was also megged by Taty. Not so much of midfield force anymore.

yet we let him score