MLS - March 5 - Vancouver (Away)

[ZYanksRule]

If we play that way 10 times, we'll win 7 or 8 of those games. Lots of bad luck tonight, but if we play like that more often we'll be just fine.

YES had an incredible graphic during their pregame -- the team has been home a total of 6 days since the start of preseason. That's incredible. They're coming home now -- and it's quite a statement about this team's professionalism that they put together such a good performance on their last night away from home.

Lots of league games at home the next two months, so hopefully we can go on a run and rack up some points. Not even close to being worried about anything yet. We all know what road games are like in this league -- come back to the Bronx and dominate Montreal in what should be a really energized stadium.

 

[FootyLovin]

Not worried about result. Not hoping for Shield this year. Happy with the form.

Taty lucky not to see red. The VAR clearly had a look. Was really surprised it didn't go to video review. Why do players still head butt in a VAR world?

 

[mgarbowski]

Taty lucky not to see red. The VAR clearly had a look. Was really surprised it didn't go to video review. Why do players still head butt in a VAR world?

That was our make-up freebie for the hands to face on Chanot last week.

 

[mgarbowski]

Add me to the not worried caucus.
We conceded one goal in 2 games.
Our defense remains organized and solid despite the losses of Sands, Tinnerholm, Thorarinsson, and now (hopefully briefly) Gray. I think where most of those departures or injuries hurt us, I think, is on offense. Our 6s, for example, defend (nearly) as well as James, but don't make the same passes.But Jasson was, much better than I hoped last night.
Johnson looks sharp.
We controlled everything yesterday.
Goals will come. Finishing is streaky.
Negatives: We created goal chances by volume not quality yesterday. We took a lot of shots into a sea of legs. Seven shots were blocked. Outside of the Callens header and Andrade volley, the average shot had a 4.3% chance of success. Volume does count, and add up, so you'd expect some goals to come if we keep doing that. But I'd like to see some more quality shot opportunities taken.

Overall, it's 2 games.

 

[Shwafta]

Add me to the not worried caucus.
We conceded one goal in 2 games.
Our defense remains organized and solid despite the losses of Sands, Tinnerholm, Thorarinsson, and now (hopefully briefly) Gray. I think where most of those departures or injuries hurt us, I think, is on offense. Our 6s, for example, defend (nearly) as well as James, but don't make the same passes.But Jasson was, much better than I hoped last night.
Johnson looks sharp.
We controlled everything yesterday.
Goals will come. Finishing is streaky.
Negatives: We created goal chances by volume not quality yesterday. We took a lot of shots into a sea of legs. Seven shots were blocked. Outside of the Callens header and Andrade volley, the average shot had a 4.3% chance of success. Volume does count, and add up, so you'd expect some goals to come if we keep doing that. But I'd like to see some more quality shot opportunities taken.

Overall, it's 2 games.

I noted the sea of legs thing too while watching.

Vancouver looked defensively solid, which makes me wonderhow they lost 4-0 last week. It looks to me like they're going to have trouble scoring but not defending. If they play defensively solid like they did yesterday, they're going to end up a playoff team like Colorado.

I think our front and midfield need to gel, as some have said above. There were a lot of passes that were not matched with a run but you could see the sparks. There was one time in the game where, and I don't blame anyone, Talles got the ball in the box and Taty was RIGHT behind him with no other players. A backheel to Taty, and there's a good chance on net. Obviously really hard to see so I don't think it was a clear chance at all, but that's something I think with time playing together they'll all get better at understanding.

 

[Brooklyn Blue]

Two games in the cartoon lightning bolt orange jerseys. Two games with no goals.

I am not normally one to push analytics, but the numbers don't lie.

 

[Shwafta]

Two games in the cartoon lightning bolt orange jerseys. Two games with no goals.

I am not normally one to push analytics, but the numbers don't lie.

I don't know if you're joking or not....

 

[413Blue]

I don't know if you're joking or not....

I've independently verified his data.

 

[FootyLovin]

Vancouver looked defensively solid, which makes me wonderhow they lost 4-0 last week

A defensively solid team can easily turn defensively leaky after the first goal is scored. Game plan changes when you are chasing.

 

[mgarbowski]

I've independently verified his data.

All time NYCFC is 18-19-8 in Secondary kits, 1.38 PPG, which IMO is pretty good for kits that are worn about 80-90% in Away games.
Primary Kits 81-51-48 1.62
Eco Kits 2-2-0 1.50

 

[LionNYC]

8. Young Thomas Hasal didn’t quite have to reprise his MLS is Back Tournament heroics from 2020, but his performance in goal was probably a bit reassuring for a Whitecaps team that desperately needs him to be as huge this year as Maxime Crepeau was last year.

In Saturday night’s scoreless home draw against NYCFC, Hasal was exactly that. The kid didn’t put a foot wrong, making four saves controlling the box and obviously getting the zero.

I have not changed my opinion that the Pigeons are the best team in the league, goalless start to the season be damned. They’re back home – or home-ish, anyway – for a Concacaf Champions League game on Tuesday and then hosting Montréal next weekend. I might be willing to examine my priors after those two games.

Here's to the 4-4-2, Quakes defy logic, Galaxy show real progress & everything else from Week 2 | MLSSoccer.com

Through two weeks there are just four perfect teams left. Parity takes another hand. In we go:

www.mlssoccer.com

 

[mgarbowski]

8. Young Thomas Hasal didn’t quite have to reprise his MLS is Back Tournament heroics from 2020, but his performance in goal was probably a bit reassuring for a Whitecaps team that desperately needs him to be as huge this year as Maxime Crepeau was last year.

In Saturday night’s scoreless home draw against NYCFC, Hasal was exactly that. The kid didn’t put a foot wrong, making four saves controlling the box and obviously getting the zero.

I have not changed my opinion that the Pigeons are the best team in the league, goalless start to the season be damned. They’re back home – or home-ish, anyway – for a Concacaf Champions League game on Tuesday and then hosting Montréal next weekend. I might be willing to examine my priors after those two games.

Here's to the 4-4-2, Quakes defy logic, Galaxy show real progress & everything else from Week 2 | MLSSoccer.com

Through two weeks there are just four perfect teams left. Parity takes another hand. In we go:

www.mlssoccer.com

Another reason I'm not freaking out about not scoring. In particular, the save on Thiago's volley was excellent.

 

[FootyLovin]

In particular, the save on Thiago's volley was excellent.

I don't remember it that way. I would more say we had 3 great cracks at goal. 1 missed the target and 2 were almost directly at the keeper. On another night all three could have been a foot or two in a different direction and all 3 go in. We tend to fantasize about the degree of accuracy players can produce in the moment. But as you have rightly pointed out, that's a fallacy.

The goals will come.

Hey, remember when that guy came to a match at YS with a big "Deila Out" sign after the team had gone like 6 matches without scoring? Then the team dropped 6 goals and Taty yelled at the guy after the game? Aaaahh memories.

 

[mgarbowski]

I don't remember it that way. I would more say we had 3 great cracks at goal. 1 missed the target and 2 were almost directly at the keeper.

This was saved.


I agree Hasal didn't have to do that much the rest of the game, and sure, it would have been great if this shot were a couple of feet to the left or right. But here I see a keeper with his feet on the ground and the ball already over his head, maybe a foot from goal because it came so fast he couldn't react any sooner, and about to hit top shelf inches under the crossbar. Then he jumped and tipped the ball over the net in the time that the ball moved 8 inches. That was an excellent save.

 

[moogoo]

This was saved.
View attachment 11930

I agree Hasal didn't have to do that much the rest of the game, and sure, it would have been great if this shot were a couple of feet to the left or right. But here I see a keeper with his feet on the ground and the ball already over his head, maybe a foot from goal because it came so fast he couldn't react any sooner, and about to hit top shelf inches under the crossbar. Then he jumped and tipped the ball over the net in the time that the ball moved 8 inches. That was an excellent save.

me trying to play this cilp...

 

[mgarbowski]

me trying to play this cilp...

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