wish they could have saved some of that xG over performance against Cincy and applied it to ORL/TOR/CLB.
MLS - May 22 - Columbus (RBA)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
wish they could have saved some of that xG over performance against Cincy and applied it to ORL/TOR/CLB.
ZYanksRule
Registered
It does seem like we are playing very well but have been a little unlucky with results. For the team to look this good without Heber, Thiago, or Talles is a damn good sign that we're in for a fun season. The hope for these first seven games was to just keep our heads above water until the reinforcements would arrive. Well, even if we lose at LAFC, we'll have done that.
You have been a pretty sober voice among a fairly drunken chorus. In defense of the drunks I think this club has certainly given those inclined enough reasons to have a drink or five...
NYCFC does have it’s head above water at the moment but when the weekend is over could find that it’s sunk pretty far down the table.
Re: v. LAFC
I am ready for a win just to keep treading water at the 6th position.
ZYanksRule
Registered
Sure -- but also we have had a really tough schedule since the Cincy game. At Philly, at Orlando, Columbus, Toronto, and at LAFC -- our record could have very easily been worse than what it's going to be after this weekend. And for us to look this good against all these top teams -- or teams we expect to be top teams -- is a good sign.
The real anomaly is on the other side - defense. In the 4 losses and draws, NYC conceded a combined 2.12 xGoals, but 6 actual goals. Five of the six came from distance. We should have 2 more shutouts and 2 more wins. But in very small samples stuff like that happens. If our defense continues to play this well, however, there is every reason to be confident about the team.
Last edited:
Noticed this too, and something you've said a few times. Hoping it does come around as it appears our defense has been decent at limiting chances in our box, which is usually a great thing. Hopefully SJ can turn it up and begin stopping those chances outside the box.
If this team wants to be a Championship team it’s going to have to find a way to win against Orlando, TFC, Columbus, LAFC... sometime.
We can’t play Cincinnati every week.
The defense has been very well organized. The game that that stuck out to me the most was at Orlando, when it felt like for much of the game they were on the front foot, but never really got many good chances.
I also cherry-picked this example here of the back line offside-trapping Columbus on Saturday night. Great heads up awareness and communication. (Also was great to see this angle on the replay for this play).
View attachment 5.22_CLB_Defensive Org_52'.mp4
Not all that interesting but I was a little shocked to see that Josh Williams is still playing in MLS. OG NYCFCer who never amounted to much on this team so I figured he would have left MLS years ago. I guess the team was just so bad that year even those who were "decent" like perhaps Williams underperformed and fell out of favor for internationals like Chanot and Fred Brillant. Now I'm trying to remember if Shea Facey or Hernandez replaced him. But something tells me he may have been used as an outside back and was replaced by Angelino or the mustached wonder Jeb Brovsky. Damn now I'm stuck on a wretched memory lane.
edit: After reading his page in the former players section I now remember he was the player who had some scary heart problems. Jeez. to bounce back from that and continue playing is something else
edit: After reading his page in the former players section I now remember he was the player who had some scary heart problems. Jeez. to bounce back from that and continue playing is something else
That was very well done by us, and what also strikes me is Columbus had 3 players offside, and only one of them, Zardes, had any idea. He at least tried to pull back to be onside. Mensah and Williams were way off and demonstrate no awareness at all.
That might be because they are CBs and not attackers, which goes to the next point. Why were they leading the attack on this play and why was Santos the deepest player back on the Medina play I described yesterday?
He had a heart condition. There was speculation he would have to retire before the 2015 season started. But he played a few games with us, then we released him on waivers. I'm not sure it that was health related or what, but I'm guessing so. But since 2015 he has had double digit starts every year.
ZYanksRule
Registered
Of course. But this early in the season, I care more about process than results. The fact that we are roundly outplaying these teams but taking unlucky bad results is a good sign, especially considering how much the cavalry is coming in upcoming weeks.
I get where you are coming from. I just don’t want to wait for reinforcements. I really thought the team had Columbus on their heels in the first half and I was salivating at the prospect of the game being the start of something good. Has anybody mentioned the number of back heel passes Taty was putting on display? Call me impatient but I think this team can win now and I see no reason to wait around for 3 points.
i forget who wrote it but it was in one of those MLS articles. basically they said the difference between us and a team like columbus is that even if we play really well, we don't have a killer instinct to put a game away even against a good team. fair to say if columbus were dominating us like we were them, they would have probably put 2-3 goals in the first half.
we dominate, but we can't finish the game. that is our weakness and something that i've never understood. we create the chances, but we don't finish them. is it a quality of player issue? a mentality issue? i don't know, but it has been something we've had to deal with for a few years now. If we can overcome this particular hurdle, we'd be top of the east in no time and truly be a cup contender or, dare i say, favorite.
I think that killer instinct take has been bandied about in the forums quite a bit.
I suppose it’s hard if not impossible to scientifically prove. That said, at the moment I’m a believer.
