MLS - February 24 - Charlotte (Away)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
After the first 20 minutes, I was willing to wash my hands of the whole season. The next 70 were much better - it goes without saying.
There were still issues, but hopefully things that can be addressed.
There were still issues, but hopefully things that can be addressed.
Gabe Segal just scored....two minutes after coming in.
Last edited:
I posted this in chat, but wanted to memorialize it so people can appreciate my glorious pontificating for eternity.
The xG numbers in this game are very lopsided by some sources. That’s because they’re highly dependent on how one categorizes Charlotte’s goal. If it was scored off the first header, that’s a relatively low xG. If it’s off the rebound, that’s a header on the line into an open net - it has to be as close to 1.0 xG as a shot can get.
Plus, some sources (cough, MLS) might be counting both shots, so you end up with >1.0 on a single possession, which obviously makes no sense.
Add in the .78 for the penalty, and you’ve given Charlotte a pretty big baseline that has little to do with open play.
The xG numbers in this game are very lopsided by some sources. That’s because they’re highly dependent on how one categorizes Charlotte’s goal. If it was scored off the first header, that’s a relatively low xG. If it’s off the rebound, that’s a header on the line into an open net - it has to be as close to 1.0 xG as a shot can get.
Plus, some sources (cough, MLS) might be counting both shots, so you end up with >1.0 on a single possession, which obviously makes no sense.
Add in the .78 for the penalty, and you’ve given Charlotte a pretty big baseline that has little to do with open play.
I did not like Bakrar for the first 75’. The last 10 before he was subbed - he was really good.
I really, really, really don't think we're looking at another 2023 here. There's a lot of talent out there. Just need to shake off the rust.
I think the MLS numbers will get adjusted.
Opta has Charlotte at 1.61 for the game and supports your theory. Of that 1.31 comes from the 2 shots off the corner and the PK, meaning Charlotte had 0.30 xG from open play.
Has there been a worse miss in NYCFC history than Santi’s point blank shot?
Freese MOTM performance, for both clubs.
It was freezing and windy in the away section. I thankfully wore my winter coat and a hat but was still cold.
Terrible trip.
Freese MOTM performance, for both clubs.
It was freezing and windy in the away section. I thankfully wore my winter coat and a hat but was still cold.
Terrible trip.
That matches the eye test, apart from the corner and the penalty Charlotte pretty much did diddly squat the rest of the game.
One good moment is enough to beat Cushing ball.
I joke about the 0-1 being a Cushing but I'm not judging anything for this game. That turf was playing super slow, our guys looked understandably uncomfortable with it. I'm going to try to hold off judgment until we see how the offense looks on a grass pitch.
I agree Bakrar looked good at the end and he shows flashes of ability. He needs to play closer to the margins, we had one offside as a team for the entire game. Maybe it's rust or the discomfort with the turf field but it seems like a fixable problem. I know we have been spoiled by Villa and Taty but I kept thinking about how many offside calls those guys would get some games just testing the CBs over and over before breaking through to score a goal.
Agreed about the talent, but most of the additions are just now getting their paperwork in order. And even after everyone is settled in, they'll need a few weeks after that to get integrated.
As it is, we showed some progress tonight. It was a crap result, and we clearly have more work to do in shaping goals. But this isn't last year's squad. We won't be going sideways all season.
I appreciate your unbridled optimism, but I'm in "I'll believe it when I see it" mode.
I have high hopes for Jovan but I still would have liked to have signed a proven older striker. Benteke had a hat trick tonight against ( ok a ten man) New England but I feel like someone of that profile could really thrive in our system with our midfield .
Fair enough. Last season left a really bitter taste in my mouth, too. It strikes me as perfectly reasonable to take a wait and see approach.
But to me, the primary problem last year was our inability to really threaten anyone. Even against weak opponents, we moved the ball around a lot, but not with any bad intent. Tonight, we were attacking with a lot more purpose. We were a lot more aggressive.
I will say this: I'd like to see a lot more give-and-go. We get jammed up too much, especially in the area. We need to move people around more.
But that being said, I thought we showed a lot of improvement for the first game out. I don't think we have to get drastically better to be good. Just more organized, more instinctual, a little quicker, all of which comes with playing together.
Jovan sadly didn't get any good service but I saw enough of his personality to start getting excited. In his first 3 min on the pitch he:
1. Tracked back into our own half, won the ball, drew the foul, and then proceeded to do the scowl/fake limp up the field
2. Went for an aggressive slide tackle to try to win the ball back along the sidelines in the press
3. Tracked back into our half again and aggressively fouled the Charlotte player from behind to slow the break.
Very limited sample but I like the aggression, I know I'm getting way ahead of myself but it had a slight Taty vibe to it. I'm excited to see Jovan bring that aggression to the point of the press.
