So with the litany of players we haven’t replaced: Callens, Maxi, Taty, etc. I’m ready to remove SJ from that list. Barraza is trending toward an upgrade.
MLS - June 10 - Salt Lake (Away)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
xG RSL 3-0 NYC
we were incredibly fortunate, plus worldie from Barazza
we were incredibly fortunate, plus worldie from Barazza
Kinda shocked at how many positive comments I read during and right after the game.
Felt like it could have been a route. Incredibly unlucky for RSL..
Felt like it could have been a route. Incredibly unlucky for RSL..
RSL is terrible.
Our offense consists of passing it around the back like a Simpsons meme, and then hoping James Sands or Santi can dribble through two lines for something to happen in the box.
Our offense consists of passing it around the back like a Simpsons meme, and then hoping James Sands or Santi can dribble through two lines for something to happen in the box.
Somehow Barraza wasn’t on the ballot. Haak won many of the match.
Last edited:
caught the game late but just finished.
barazza had himself a game. if he can keep up those performances, we'll be ok between the sticks.
haak had another fairly solid performance out of position. can't complaint.
turnbull had himself a fine debut but has since fizzled for me. not sure why nick starts him with ilenic available. he's not very good 1v1 defending, he can't judge the flight of a ball to save his life, he's slow, and not particularly good at delivering a cross. he works hard, but he's just not good enough. he's also like gray in that he always passes back instead of attacking forward. no wonder gabby got no love tonight.
we had some decent combinations when we actually did try to break lines with passes and when we tried to go in behind, our passes were just not accurate enough. definitely missing that on a dime service maxi used to provide and look for -- we don't look enough at those forward runs in behind and make the pass.
I don't think we played terribly. but it was definitely a game we survived despite having more possession. Just didn't have anything in the final 3rd . still play too slowly, dribble too much (santi and magno big culprits and parks, morales to a lesser extent), and need to be braver (and more accurate) with progressive passing.
Positive is we are two games unbeaten. We are definitely missing a general in the midfield. Someone to organize the press and direct traffic - something maxi always did. ah well - few more weeks till the transfer window opens...
barazza had himself a game. if he can keep up those performances, we'll be ok between the sticks.
haak had another fairly solid performance out of position. can't complaint.
turnbull had himself a fine debut but has since fizzled for me. not sure why nick starts him with ilenic available. he's not very good 1v1 defending, he can't judge the flight of a ball to save his life, he's slow, and not particularly good at delivering a cross. he works hard, but he's just not good enough. he's also like gray in that he always passes back instead of attacking forward. no wonder gabby got no love tonight.
we had some decent combinations when we actually did try to break lines with passes and when we tried to go in behind, our passes were just not accurate enough. definitely missing that on a dime service maxi used to provide and look for -- we don't look enough at those forward runs in behind and make the pass.
I don't think we played terribly. but it was definitely a game we survived despite having more possession. Just didn't have anything in the final 3rd . still play too slowly, dribble too much (santi and magno big culprits and parks, morales to a lesser extent), and need to be braver (and more accurate) with progressive passing.
Positive is we are two games unbeaten. We are definitely missing a general in the midfield. Someone to organize the press and direct traffic - something maxi always did. ah well - few more weeks till the transfer window opens...
Outstanding performance from Barraza and the backline. Sands, Haak, and Alfaro keeping a clean sheet is incredible.
I don't understand Nick's team selection tonight. We're struggling to score goals, so we have Turnbull at fullback. Then he replaces him with Gray, and only brings Ilenic on because of Parks's injury. I guess by the 60th minute he was trying to settle for the point, but with how we're struggling to score we really should be putting on a fullback that actually knows how to make a pass.
Very frustrating in the final third, but it is what it is until we get reinforcements. The frustration is massive in the forward group right now.
I don't understand Nick's team selection tonight. We're struggling to score goals, so we have Turnbull at fullback. Then he replaces him with Gray, and only brings Ilenic on because of Parks's injury. I guess by the 60th minute he was trying to settle for the point, but with how we're struggling to score we really should be putting on a fullback that actually knows how to make a pass.
Very frustrating in the final third, but it is what it is until we get reinforcements. The frustration is massive in the forward group right now.
Is Ilenic still returning to full fitness? Because that’s the only conceivable justification he isn’t playing 70-90 minutes every week.
NYCFC went at altitude missing their two starting CBs and got a clean sheet. That is impressive, especially considering the 20ish shots and almost 3 xG that RSL had during the game. huicho was feeling it.
and to do this on a night where SeanJohn lets up a howler to deny his team 2 points is the cherry on top.
and to do this on a night where SeanJohn lets up a howler to deny his team 2 points is the cherry on top.
Counter - who is that fullback crossing to? I don’t disagree in general, but who is that fullback crossing to?
I counted a half dozen crosses into the box…and no one was within 10 yards
Did we ever have a decent cross into the box? Only one I remember is O'Toole's and Gabby almost got on the end of it. Most were over hit or blocked.
Frustrating to no end that so called professionals can't put a ball on a dime when they have time and space to do so on a cross or off a free kick.. youth soccer players can do it. Hell, put me on the field on a free kick and I guarantee I can do it 9/10 times.
The crosses were awful, though. I think if we have Tinnerholm putting those crosses in, some of them are hitting their mark.
Certainly Ilenic is the best offensive option at fullback. A continuing concern I have about Cushing is his over-reliance on academy players who aren't at the level. Just because Sands is good doesn't mean the other academy guys are. O'Toole, Turnbull, Gray, and Jasson are squad players. They should not be starting. The idea that Turnbull is starting over Gray, Jasson, and especially Ilenic makes me wonder about Cushing's decision-making process. That should not be happening unless you're planning for a 0-0 game from the start.
Any team that relies repeatedly on crosses into the box is not going to do very well. We used to cross on counterattacks. Otherwise, we tried to break people down. Now, we just have lazy and unimaginative play in the final third - i.e. pump a random ball into the box and hope for the best.
See below. It was a shitshow last night. Don't be fooled by the result. They dominated us from start to finish, and we were very fortunate to escape with a point. Yes, our already thin team was further weakened by missing both starting CBs, but neither the roster nor the absences explains why things were this bad.
They had 20 shots and 5 on target (and one hitting the woodwork). We had 5 shots and only 1 on target. See below, 2 of their chances were off the scale - over 30% to go in. 3 more were 25% or better. How does a team get that many good chances? Is that the defense? The midfield?
We were very very lucky.
They had 20 shots and 5 on target (and one hitting the woodwork). We had 5 shots and only 1 on target. See below, 2 of their chances were off the scale - over 30% to go in. 3 more were 25% or better. How does a team get that many good chances? Is that the defense? The midfield?
We were very very lucky.
So basically, it evens up from last week when we should have beaten New England.See below. It was a shitshow last night. Don't be fooled by the result. They dominated us from start to finish, and we were very fortunate to escape with a point. Yes, our already thin team was further weakened by missing both starting CBs, but neither the roster nor the absences explains why things were this bad.
They had 20 shots and 5 on target (and one hitting the woodwork). We had 5 shots and only 1 on target. See below, 2 of their chances were off the scale - over 30% to go in. 3 more were 25% or better. How does a team get that many good chances? Is that the defense? The midfield?
We were very very lucky.
Exactly. Should have gotten 3 points out of the last two games. Got 2. Roughly even.
It never is, and never has been, a fair game. Trends can last a whole season, really it’s about moments and either finishing (or preventing in Barazza’s case) key moments.
That doesn’t mean creating (or preventing) chances isn’t important - all in all you want to create more chances (and prevent them) than the opponent to give yourself a chance to win, but it is very fine margins. Hasn’t Cincinnati - which is at like a record points pace - won practically every game by one goal? The Revs also had a ton of one goal wins in the season when they broke the points record.
See below. It was a shitshow last night. Don't be fooled by the result. They dominated us from start to finish, and we were very fortunate to escape with a point. Yes, our already thin team was further weakened by missing both starting CBs, but neither the roster nor the absences explains why things were this bad.
They had 20 shots and 5 on target (and one hitting the woodwork). We had 5 shots and only 1 on target. See below, 2 of their chances were off the scale - over 30% to go in. 3 more were 25% or better. How does a team get that many good chances? Is that the defense? The midfield?
We were very very lucky.
ASA awards xPts to both teams in each game based on the xG specifics. No matter what, a 3.0 or 0.0 score is very rare and there has been 1 so far this year. Last night, RSL got 2.73 and NYC got 0.18 xPts, which is the ninth most lopsided game this year.
Now, we blocked 5 of their 20 shots. 4 were on target and saved by LB. But to understand how hapless RSL was shooting last night, behold their missed shot chart.
7 inside the box.
4 inside the box and directly in front of goal.
4 within about a yard of the 6 yard box.
All misses.
Maybe some of those were disrupted by our defenders in a way that doesn't count as a block. But that's some bad shooting.
Yeah. Cincy is legitimately good. Their GD is +11 which is tied for third in the league. But of their 12 wins 10 are by 1 goal. Their only loss was 1-5, against the other lucky darlings this year St. Louis.
Last edited:
Let’s just say we should be thankful Chicho Arango wasn’t able to be out there last night.
