MLS Cup Playoffs - November 1 - Charlotte (YS)

[gbservis]

I think I was unfair to the team above. I should have only put this on Pascal, and our weak roster. But this game reminds me of our very first playoff contest when Vieira played for a 0-0 tie against Toronto and after conceding late, the team fell apart, then quit in Part 2. But this is worse. Vieira was playing a standard strategy opening away in a stupid playoff format where wins don't matter. This format has actual games and the point is to win games. Especially at home. Don't get cute.

I skimmed his post game conference. He hinted that Wolf was ifffy for game 1 and then gave word salad why he didn't start game 2. He also said we needed to win in 90. Would have been nice if we set up for that.

I'm mostly pleased with Nico so far. He's never been a 1st or 2nd choice goal scorer so you can't measure him by that, and the rest of his game has been solid. I agree with ZYanksRule about how he looked today. I'm hoping an offseason rest plus preseason sets him up well for next year.

I’m probably being a bit harsh on Nico, since some of the things holding him back come down to roster construction and tactics. He’s a creative CAM being asked to play RW next to another pure creator in Maxi, which leaves Martínez as our only real goal-scoring threat. Charlotte’s center backs spent the whole night practically holding hands with Martínez because there was no one else to occupy them.

Every attacking roster move this season seems built on the hope that Ojeda or Fernández would finally come good and claim a starting spot on the wing. Despite no real evidence that either was ready, Lee just kept doubling down. It’s to the point where it seems clear Nico was brought in to start at CAM over Maxi, and now we’re stuck trying to find a way to fit both.

So maybe it’s not entirely Nico’s fault. But still, three goals and one assist from a DP attacker isn’t enough in 10 starts. We struggled to score before he arrived, and we’re still struggling now. DPs in this league need to be game changers; the bar for them is higher than for anyone else.

 

[FootyLovin]

FWIW, on the telecast (I was out of town and couldn’t be at the match) the commentators said Wolf was still limited due to back issues. Don’t know if they were uninformed about the Pascal presser or more informed about the inside dope on what Wolf could or couldn’t do.

Also, multiple people have talked about CHT playing for a tie at home on Friday. Am I confused? I thought we have 4 points and they have 2 going into game 3. Doesn’t a tie win it for us?

 

[FootyLovin]

three goals and one assist from a DP attacker isn’t enough in 10 starts

That would translate to roughly 14 goal contributions over a season. Curious, what is the bar?

 

[mgarbowski]

FWIW, on the telecast (I was out of town and couldn’t be at the match) the commentators said Wolf was still limited due to back issues. Don’t know if they were uninformed about the Pascal presser or more informed about the inside dope on what Wolf could or couldn’t do.

I made the point yesterday that sometimes you should not believe what coaches say, but it's still fair to hold them to it. Maybe this is one of those occasions. Is Pascal bluffing because Wolf is still not fully fit? He looked awfully good in his 23 minutes but maybe he could not have gone longer. OTOH Jansen said what he said.

 

[mgarbowski]

Every attacking roster move this season seems built on the hope that Ojeda or Fernández would finally come good and claim a starting spot on the wing. Despite no real evidence that either was ready, Lee just kept doubling down. It’s to the point where it seems clear Nico was brought in to start at CAM over Maxi, and now we’re stuck trying to find a way to fit both.

It was time to get Maxi's replacement regardless of Fernandez and Ojeda so I'm OK with that move, with the one caveat I have no idea what else could have been gotten this summer at that position.
Ideally, we should have swapped out 1 of the Dos Decepcións for someone better but I'm not sure how feasible that was given general circumstances and CFG constraints.

 

[gbservis]

That would translate to roughly 14 goal contributions over a season. Curious, what is the bar?

You could argue that my standards are too high, but I’d say my bar for an NYCFC attacking DP is being among the top 15 in MLS for goals plus assists, which, in 2025, would mean around 21 G+A. If NYCFC wants to call itself one of the league’s elite clubs and only have one attacking DP, that player needs to be elite. For context, 14 G+A would’ve ranked 37th this season, behind both Martínez (17th with 19) and Wolf (33rd with 16).

That said, there’s good reason for optimism that Nico can reach that level next year. He’s had a lot working against him, playing out of position on the wing, and coming straight from a full European season into MLS. Players who join in the summer window often take a step forward in year two. So this isn’t about where I think he’ll end up long-term, but right now, based on the standard for attacking DPs on truly elite MLS teams, I think it’s fair to say Nico is underperforming.

 

[LionNYC]

I don’t understand how you sub off Nico. He’s our best player. He doesn’t come off the field in a playoff game.

Really not understanding some of Pascal’s decisions this decision. Thiago off vs Miami. Nico off vs Charlotte. Both decisions changed the course of the match.

Flying back to Charlotte for a Friday night game to decide the series is a real killer.

Charlotte flops so much. It’s pathetic.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Also, multiple people have talked about CHT playing for a tie at home on Friday. Am I confused? I thought we have 4 points and they have 2 going into game 3. Doesn’t a tie win it for us?

Doesn't work that way. It's not aggregate points, it's games won. That's why we can tie the game on Friday, go undefeated in the series and lose the series. It's an awful system.

 

[Brooklyn Blue]

A day removed from the game, a few thoughts.

Overall, it was a well contested game that resutled in a coin flip. It is frustrating to lose a coin flip, but making grand proclamations about yesterday's game is too much. If NYCFC had won, would it really have changed the overall analysis?

That noted, Pascal has been great as a coach this year, but he got it wrong yesterday. The defensive lineup in Charlotte was a surprise and helped steal a win. Using it again - especially for a team that has had issues scoring goals - made no sense, especially as Charlotte had time to prepare. For the only home game in the series, he had to go for it early, and that lineup was the wrong option to do so. Charlotte started the game trying not too lose and more passive than aggressive. If the lineup was more attacking early, it could have changed the game script. He let a team trying to get to penalties get to penalties. No bueno.

I am done with Fernandez. Love the random wonder goals, but he is never going to learn anything. More than the penalty miss - which was awful - the telling play for me was in the late game when he had a give and go just outside the box on the left side. He was in the clear and open for either a right footed shot or a touch and a pass to someone on the right side (Ojeda, I believe). Instead, as he always does, he used his LEFT foot to trivela and it flew so far off target it likely injured an unsuspecting fan. Soccer needs magic, but it also needs the common sense that you need to put it on frame to score. Ojeda showed promise the end of year. Juli should find another jersey.

The playoff format in MLS is bad, if they want more games, they should go home and home round 1 and round 2, not best of 3 in round one. The only reason for round 1 best of 3 is to give more teams playoff ticket sales, which is just another way to reward owners for no effort in a league that has no relegation. Home and home, then home and home would give the good teams more money and force the bad teams to get better or suffer.

NYCFC has been the better team over 180 minutes. Charlotte has been scoreless for 180 minutes. Both might change Friday, but there is every reason this third game can be a coin flip which is all you want as a road team (take note, Pascal...).

 

[FootyLovin]

Doesn't work that way. It's not aggregate points, it's games won. That's why we can tie the game on Friday, go undefeated in the series and lose the series. It's an awful system.

Ok thanks. I did misunderstand this whole time. I thought the tie winner got 2 points and the tie loser got 1 point. Didn’t know it was winner take all in the PKs. I really hate that as a system.

 

[KevinJRogers]

You're at home with a chance to clinch. Fucking take it to them.

This, all day every day and twice on gameday.

 

[canchon]

This, all day every day and twice on gameday.

See Columbus (even though they lost game 1).
Or Philly (even though it was on the road - game 2 to clinch).
Or LAFC (assuming result holds).

If you have the lead after game 1 - effing go for it in game 2 and avoid a game 3. Sigh.

 

[CCMore]

As a Kevin Stan, I think he played a very good game out of his position. He played some good crosses and crashed the box a few times. But Hannes should have been in the game for the start. There was nothing in my mind that Kevin brought in defense, in the attack half of the field that Hannes couldn’t have done. (Don’t get me started on Ojeda and Julian.) It was a disservice to the team to not have your second best goal scorer on the field from the start.

My one other gripe I had with the team is no one was getting into the box for crosses. I remember yelling near the end of the game, “Somebody get into the fucking box!” I think Wolf had the ball in an excellent spot to cross the ball but everyone was waiting on the 18yard line waiting for Wolf to get to the end line and cut it back in. The defender knew that was going to happen so he cut off Wolf’s end line run. I believe we ended winning a throw in. But come on. Someone has to try to go for a cross in the box. The cut back was cover on night long and we didn’t try much of anything else.