MLS Cup Playoffs - November 23 - Philadelphia (Away)

[mgarbowski]

This actually gets to what I loved about Nico's attempt. There is a challenge to the technique of getting a flighted ball to keep moving at pace and not get hung up in the air. I love that he instead tried to curl it around Blake instead of going over him. Credit to Blake for cutting it off at the last, but you almost never see the player try to go around rather than over.

It was two brilliant plays all around. Watching it live on TV was disorienting. First I wondered what the hell Nico was doing when he had open space and no teammate ahead of him. Then I was certain it was going in. Then Blake covered 25-30 yards in a moment to knock it away.

 

[KevinJRogers]

it's a damn miracle we are where we are with the roster we have, the year we have had with a first year coach, and the injuries we've suffered.

This was my argument for Pascal as Coach of the Year. I didn't think he would get it, though. I thought it would end up going to Varas or Sørensen.

 

[KevinJRogers]

This actually gets to what I loved about Nico's attempt. There is a challenge to the technique of getting a flighted ball to keep moving at pace and not get hung up in the air. I love that he instead tried to curl it around Blake instead of going over him. Credit to Blake for cutting it off at the last, but you almost never see the player try to go around rather than over.

Nico split two defenders to make the run, too. He kept his balance and kept his cool and damn near caught Blake out from nowhere.

I knew we were going to fall in love with that guy.

 

[moogoo]

This was my argument for Pascal as Coach of the Year. I didn't think he would get it, though. I thought it would end up going to Varas or Sørensen.

how could it be your argument if the voting was done before we even got here?

the fact is, we were a very inconsistent team throughout the season. a #5 seed manager does not deserve coach of the year honors. anyone who thinks so is just being biased. while we can all agree jansen has done a lot with this roster and those who actually watch us play can see that our guys are well coached, the voting is done by people who look at results and records. he was never gonna win coach of the year.

 

[ZYanksRule]

This actually gets to what I loved about Nico's attempt. There is a challenge to the technique of getting a flighted ball to keep moving at pace and not get hung up in the air. I love that he instead tried to curl it around Blake instead of going over him. Credit to Blake for cutting it off at the last, but you almost never see the player try to go around rather than over.

That play felt like it happened in slow motion, and I didn't think there was any way Blake was getting to it. After he pulled his hamstring and came out, I was hoping we would just throw the ball at the net to test their backup goalie; we had one more shot the rest of the night.

 

[KevinJRogers]

how could it be your argument if the voting was done before we even got here?

the fact is, we were a very inconsistent team throughout the season. a #5 seed manager does not deserve coach of the year honors. anyone who thinks so is just being biased. while we can all agree jansen has done a lot with this roster and those who actually watch us play can see that our guys are well coached, the voting is done by people who look at results and records. he was never gonna win coach of the year.

I never said he would. My argument was for why he should: even before Nico came on board, he had changed the team's mindset and culture. Things really took off once he got the DP he needed.

I understand perfectly well how the voting goes. He was never going to get it. But we know the job he's done.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Deleted

 

[gbservis]

I never said he would. My argument was for why he should: even before Nico came on board, he had changed the team's mindset and culture. Things really took off once he got the DP he needed.

I understand perfectly well how the voting goes. He was never going to get it. But we know the job he's done.

Even if the voting extended through the playoffs, I think we’re being a bit homerish and undervaluing what Carnell and Sørensen accomplished this season.

The Union turned over a huge portion of their roster, moving on from Elliott, McGlynn, and Gazdag, and they fired a long-time, highly successful head coach. In the transfer market, they spent a grand total of $6 million on four players and entered what most assumed would be a transitional year focused on developing their young talent. Every preview had them finishing mid-table or worse, and instead they won the Supporters’ Shield.

Sørensen took a long-underachieving Vancouver team, completely changed the locker-room culture, and turned them into legitimate title contenders in a single season. In their 14-year history, Vancouver has won a grand total of one playoff round before this season, and they are now headed to the WCF.

Pascal has been fantastic and has had a huge impact on NYCFC’s roster, but both Sørensen and Carnell started from much lower floors and raised their teams to equal, or arguably higher, ceilings. Pascal absolutely deserves to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year, but I don’t see a reasonable argument for placing him ahead of either of those two, regardless of when the voting occurs.

 

[KevinJRogers]

Even if the voting extended through the playoffs, I think we’re being a bit homerish and undervaluing what Carnell and Sørensen accomplished this season.

The Union turned over a huge portion of their roster, moving on from Elliott, McGlynn, and Gazdag, and they fired a long-time, highly successful head coach. In the transfer market, they spent a grand total of $6 million on four players and entered what most assumed would be a transitional year focused on developing their young talent. Every preview had them finishing mid-table or worse, and instead they won the Supporters’ Shield.

Sørensen took a long-underachieving Vancouver team, completely changed the locker-room culture, and turned them into legitimate title contenders in a single season. In their 14-year history, Vancouver has won a grand total of one playoff round before this season, and they are now headed to the WCF.

Pascal has been fantastic and has had a huge impact on NYCFC’s roster, but both Sørensen and Carnell started from much lower floors and raised their teams to equal, or arguably higher, ceilings. Pascal absolutely deserves to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year, but I don’t see a reasonable argument for placing him ahead of either of those two, regardless of when the voting occurs.

I wouldn't disagree.

 

[413Blue]

Yeah I didn't bring this up to make it seem like they got it wrong.
My point was that leading up to and following the award, most of the MLS media were discussing 3 or 4 names, not including Pascal. I was simply pointing out that I think he would have made the honorable mention list if done now. The playoff spotlight has brought attention to his strengths and I've seen multiple analysts, like Dax on the wrap up show, pointing out that he is an elite manager in the league.

With playoffs being such an important part of MLS, I've always felt it made sense to commercialize these awards as part of MLS Cup festivities. Put together a 2 hour televised/streamed Gala in the week leading up to MLS Cup, invite media, get all the resulting articles also mentioning the game. Lots of interview opportunities. It just seems like a missed opportunity.

 

[moogoo]

Yeah I didn't bring this up to make it seem like they got it wrong.
My point was that leading up to and following the award, most of the MLS media were discussing 3 or 4 names, not including Pascal. I was simply pointing out that I think he would have made the honorable mention list if done now. The playoff spotlight has brought attention to his strengths and I've seen multiple analysts, like Dax on the wrap up show, pointing out that he is an elite manager in the league.

With playoffs being such an important part of MLS, I've always felt it made sense to commercialize these awards as part of MLS Cup festivities. Put together a 2 hour televised/streamed Gala in the week leading up to MLS Cup, invite media, get all the resulting articles also mentioning the game. Lots of interview opportunities. It just seems like a missed opportunity.

an awards gala at the end of the season would be preferrable to a mid-season all star game imo.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Even if the voting extended through the playoffs, I think we’re being a bit homerish and undervaluing what Carnell and Sørensen accomplished this season.

The Union turned over a huge portion of their roster, moving on from Elliott, McGlynn, and Gazdag, and they fired a long-time, highly successful head coach. In the transfer market, they spent a grand total of $6 million on four players and entered what most assumed would be a transitional year focused on developing their young talent. Every preview had them finishing mid-table or worse, and instead they won the Supporters’ Shield.

Sørensen took a long-underachieving Vancouver team, completely changed the locker-room culture, and turned them into legitimate title contenders in a single season. In their 14-year history, Vancouver has won a grand total of one playoff round before this season, and they are now headed to the WCF.

Pascal has been fantastic and has had a huge impact on NYCFC’s roster, but both Sørensen and Carnell started from much lower floors and raised their teams to equal, or arguably higher, ceilings. Pascal absolutely deserves to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year, but I don’t see a reasonable argument for placing him ahead of either of those two, regardless of when the voting occurs.

Pascal should have absolutely been a finalist for the award. You're right that the top-2 are there, but Pascal should have been third.

 

[mgarbowski]

I listened to the NYC-PHI segment in the Bogert podcast ZYanksRule posted in the Pascal thread. Other notes.

Bogert unreservedly adores Martins.
Bogert and Gass praised Pascal for replacing Parks, Perea and O'Neill with Shore and "Kevin freaking O'Toole," and not moving Haak into midfield, which they both assumed would be the case. I wish they would have discussed just what Shore and Kevin did to shut down Philly's central midfield play, which B&G said is the Union's strength.
When discussing and praising Jansen, they did note that halfway through the season it hadn't come together and - as great as he has been - he never did the thing he supposedly was here to do which was develop Ojeda and Fernandez, though it was implied that was probably more a player failure than coaching. I find it interesting that no analysts seem to have noticed any Ojeda improvement the way this forum has. I think no matter what, until he starts scoring, first at all and then somewhat regularly, he's not getting any credit.