MLS Cup Playoffs - November 23 - Philadelphia (Away)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
Are there odds for us scoring no goals? As a fan I am obviously rooting for us to score. Looking at it from an odds maker standpoint, the highest odds given our depleted roster and poor goal scoring totals for this season should likely be that we won't score at all.
Edit: Said another way, betting with my heart my money is on Nico and Reid, betting with my head, I'm not betting at all because there is a solid chance we don't score.
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I'm excited for this game but also trying to temper my expectations considering our core midfield and primary attacking threat are unable to play. Even Doyle sounds pretty bummed out that we are not at full strength to make this game a real spectacle.
Will be amazing if Haak and Shore boss the midfield though and really hope they do. But I'm definitely not expecting it.
If there's a time for Jansen tactical masterclass, it's now. 3 more finals.
Will be amazing if Haak and Shore boss the midfield though and really hope they do. But I'm definitely not expecting it.
If there's a time for Jansen tactical masterclass, it's now. 3 more finals.
It’s a shame, because at full strength we could go toe-to-toe with what might be the best Philly team in years. It had the potential to be a fantastic match.
I have high hopes for a Haak–Shore pairing in midfield. Haak is our best midfielder in my view; he just also happens to be one of our two best center backs, so he gets pulled back there. Shore was phenomenal in several games early in the season. He faded a bit down the stretch, but I think he’ll rise to the moment.
My bigger concern is the attack. That setup with Nico as a CF has always looked awkward. He drops into the same pockets where Maxi likes to operate, and everything gets cramped. Wolf doesn’t have the pace to stretch the back line, so the only real threat becomes Ojeda or Fernandez out wide. Maybe Pascal can iron it out with two weeks of prep, but it hasn’t looked right so far. I'd love to see him go with Reid but I don't think he will.
The biggest issue for me is the lack of depth. If Shore or Haak need to come off, I have no idea what Pascal’s plan would be.
Pascal has already squeezed more out of this roster than I ever imagined. If we win, it will be a fantastic upset. If we lose, it’s what most people expected. My only hope is that we put up a real fight and don’t get blown out. I think we will, Pascal has instilled that “bulletproof” mindset he talks about. This team isn’t going down without a fight.
ZYanksRule
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I agree with this. I think we will be good on Sunday. Might not be good enough -- it might be what Philly was in 2021 when their team got COVID, but I also believe we'll be good. I think our defense will be good, and if we can hold them to one goal we've got a chance. My big fear is that the midfield gets overwhelmed and we can't connect our lines, but if Haak and Shore are good I think we can absolutely pull the upset.
Doyle wrote on MLS's website that he think the lineup will be Maxi at the 8 and Julian at the 10. While I like Maxi's veteran presence in that spot, I'm not sure he runs enough to be stout defensively playing deeper.
Also not that I trust Juli and Ojeda, but if both of them start we have no one to come off the bench to chase the game if we're trailing late. I think Shore is the right man to start.
haak + shore + maxi would be better than haak + maxi + fernandez. Ojeda is ok to start on the wing to give us some pace. especially against wagner who will be leaving tons of space behind him when he tries to push forward. having a speedy ojeda who is always looking to take advantage of that space will keep wagner honest and a hopefully blunt his effectiveness.
i don't love nico as false 9, but if he and wolf can swap and combine, it could be enough to unorganize the union backline. especially with ojeda as a threat into space that will force the CBs to cover and leave their position.
tactically, it will be a very interesting game. It will come down to how well our guys handle the very aggressive press. if we're sloppy, we're done. ojeda as an outlet will be critical to our success.
Perhaps it’s time to put a Hail Mary on the bench. Has anyone seen or heard from Malachi Jones?
He made an appearance on the short video today from training. Heck, Keaton Parks may be on the roster too just so we don't have 3 goalkeepers in the lineup.
Would love to be the shovel that buries the Ernst Tanner era of Philly soccer
Pre-Alonso injury, I also assumed we’d see Maxi at the 8, mainly because Pascal leaned so heavily on the veterans down the stretch. Now I have no idea what we’ll get.
Fernandez at the 10 for a full match would be wild. Personally, I think the only reason he ends up there late in games is because he can’t handle the defensive responsibilities we demand from our wingers. Pascal protects the defensive structure by pulling a playmaking CAM and letting Julian roam centrally, hoping he pops up with a late goal.
But Julian doesn’t offer playmaking, passing vision, positional awareness, or the ability to operate in tight spaces. I don’t see how he could play the 10 for 90 minutes without it becoming a mess. The only way it works is if Nico plays as a 9 who constantly drops in to handle the creative load while Julian pushes forward. Otherwise, it feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
i always try to find him in training pics and videos. have yet to see him doing anything with the squad. so doubt he's even gonna make the bench. same with parks.
ZYanksRule
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I could see the attacking group be pretty fluid between Juli and Nico. Fernandez-Mercau is a #10, so maybe he starts to leak into the middle to support.
cause their fans would riot. MLS teams charge what they charge because they can and people will pay. if we averaged 5k fans a game, they'd be lowering prices.
should have confirmed with a "ny is blue" and see if he perked up.
This is the very definition of a non sequitur.
Revfugee
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My only worry about Haak is whether we will be able to re-sign him…not worried about him in this match.
P
It's near certain he had multiple tabs open and responded to the wrong thread.
You would be correct
