Hot takes from the D Train
Can’t wait to watch thi on TV again. I can’t really remember a match in which we have ever looked this effortlessly in control.
Thiago M has slotted right in and I think we will see little of Chanot from here on in, barring injury. He had one particular linebreaking pass that showed the solution to losing Sands. He was perfectly position most of the game and barking out orders with authority. This also frees Callens to take more liberties.
Maxi was doing Maxi things at a high Maxi level.
Keaton was very solid but had a couple of brain farts. Not worried at all.
Santi was very mobile and strong on the ball. And that chip…
Jasson had a good first half. Didn’t get beat and played a couple of nutmegs out of trouble (I suspect his cheek is what accounts for the fouling). My general thought was that he and Tayvon will do fine until Tinner comes back. That’s when we need to seriously assess next moves but they are cheap solutions and you don’t want to waste too much cap space on backup right backs.
Then he started to get owned early in the second half. I was about to reassess my thinking when he put that ball in that Talles finished. So I’m OK being patient with his and Tayvon’s development.
IMHO this was Talles’s coming out party. He was everywhere and when he gets on the ball you know something is brewing. His touch is excellent, he uses his body well, he wins duels and he’s starting to direct others to give him options (I.e. he is a team guy). And when he was finally presented with a header he could get some bite into, he buried it in traffic. If he plays like this all season he will be a Euro target before long.
Nice to see Thiago A. poach one. I still want to see him score off a pass from a teammate more often but it was a good, heads-up play.
We scored 4 without Taty Scoring! He was reallly hingry for a goal and I figured at some point he’d score out of sheer will. He played really well and deserved a goal.
The thing that concerns me most about Cacha and Fredo is discipline. Fredo doesn't scare me any more. I want to Cacha to make better decisions.
Ditto for Malte. Solid enough on D and gets forward well, but his balls in are often the wrong ones.
i wanted Heber to bury that one but he dummied to nowhere. Still reserving judgement until he’s had enough decent service to make a determination.
Believe it or not this was the first home opener I’ve been able to attend in our entire history. The weather sucked but it was glorious nonetheless.
This team plays with a lot of flair and it’s fun to watch. They really look like they are having fun.