MLS - May 27 - Philadelphia (Home)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
mistakes killed us... lack of strong, team mentality made sure we stayed dead.
we are not a cohesive group and it shows. after 10 days rest and playing at home, we're down goals and yet players are walking, strolling along, and giving up on plays. that's lack of mentality. that's a bigger problem than just simple coaching and getting new players. this season isn't looking great at the moment, but there is time to turn things around and make it respectable. i don't think we're winning any trophies this year though, but i'll be happy if we turn things around and make it at least respectable.
we are not a cohesive group and it shows. after 10 days rest and playing at home, we're down goals and yet players are walking, strolling along, and giving up on plays. that's lack of mentality. that's a bigger problem than just simple coaching and getting new players. this season isn't looking great at the moment, but there is time to turn things around and make it respectable. i don't think we're winning any trophies this year though, but i'll be happy if we turn things around and make it at least respectable.
First time we conceded more than one goal from open play all year.
On the day the summer window opens, we play Game 22. If we sign player(s) somewhat immediately, they only will be here for roughly the last 10 games.
On the day the summer window opens, we play Game 22. If we sign player(s) somewhat immediately, they only will be here for roughly the last 10 games.
That's one reason why I mentioned during the chat that the summer window isn't changing anything.
Refereeing was appalling tonight.
From my view in the stands their two goals in the first half were basically undefended.
I respectfully disagree. Realistically, summer additions will have 10 games (30% of the season) to make a difference. In most seasons that might not be enough time, but this year that 10 games includes 7 home games, and new players will benefit from Leagues Cup as it will give more time to acclimate.
The team will not win a championship this year unless something fluky occurs, but they should be able to make the playoffs and build momentum for 2024.
(perhaps with a new coach?).
My single thought after tonight’s game is that ceding three Route 1 goals in ten minutes - with a halftime break - is not entirely on the players.
Martins had a howler.
We didn’t have any talent on the bench except Magno and his 4 touches?
We need a fucking striker and CB depth still. Fire David Lee
We didn’t have any talent on the bench except Magno and his 4 touches?
We need a fucking striker and CB depth still. Fire David Lee
Really liked our first 30 minutes. I thought their two goals were kind of bad bounces that just landed right at Carranza's feet. Especially the first one. Martins should have done better, but that was still a fairly unlucky goal.
What I really didn't like was the mentality. I was sitting behind the goal we attacked in the 2nd half. The moment the final whistle blew, Talles and Santi made a bee-line for the locker room. Didn't look up, didn't say anything. They heard the whistle and turned tail. Our two best players acting that petulant is not a good look for the rest of the team.
That leads me to my next point. I like Nick Cushing. He seems like a great guy and a fine coach, but is he too nice a guy to be a head coach? Is he running a country club? Are his motivational skills good enough?
The entire club -- front office and coaching staff, kind of feels way too passive ever since we won MLS Cup. We knew Taty was leaving on December 12, 2021. How have we still not signed his replacement? We spent this past offseason saying goodbye to club legends without replacing them. If we're rebuilding, just be honest with us. Our fanbase is mature enough to understand a rebuild. But they keep telling us that we're trying to be competitive. It sure doesn't look that way. If we're trying to be competitive, then why are we playing with half a roster? And if we're trying to be competitive, why are kids who aren't good enough starting this many games for us? I understand Mitja got hurt in warmups -- Tayvon is not good enough at this level. O'Toole and Jasson aren't it either. We are being forced to play with one leg tied behind our backs.
At least the tifo was awesome. Third Rail did a great job with that.
Also, an off-field issue. Why are we giving Philly fans such a large allotment? They give us 100 seats -- why are we giving them a full section? If they won't let the TR into their stadium, why are we letting their supporters en-masse like that?
What I really didn't like was the mentality. I was sitting behind the goal we attacked in the 2nd half. The moment the final whistle blew, Talles and Santi made a bee-line for the locker room. Didn't look up, didn't say anything. They heard the whistle and turned tail. Our two best players acting that petulant is not a good look for the rest of the team.
That leads me to my next point. I like Nick Cushing. He seems like a great guy and a fine coach, but is he too nice a guy to be a head coach? Is he running a country club? Are his motivational skills good enough?
The entire club -- front office and coaching staff, kind of feels way too passive ever since we won MLS Cup. We knew Taty was leaving on December 12, 2021. How have we still not signed his replacement? We spent this past offseason saying goodbye to club legends without replacing them. If we're rebuilding, just be honest with us. Our fanbase is mature enough to understand a rebuild. But they keep telling us that we're trying to be competitive. It sure doesn't look that way. If we're trying to be competitive, then why are we playing with half a roster? And if we're trying to be competitive, why are kids who aren't good enough starting this many games for us? I understand Mitja got hurt in warmups -- Tayvon is not good enough at this level. O'Toole and Jasson aren't it either. We are being forced to play with one leg tied behind our backs.
At least the tifo was awesome. Third Rail did a great job with that.
Also, an off-field issue. Why are we giving Philly fans such a large allotment? They give us 100 seats -- why are we giving them a full section? If they won't let the TR into their stadium, why are we letting their supporters en-masse like that?
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I’m sorry but two of them were on Martins. Should have been red carded (but the foul was outside the box) and he fucking mistimed a header my kid would have cleared.
Exactly. Tonight makes his Cincinnati howler of a game last year look tame.
I think we have pretty broad consensus on what we looked like from minute 45 on. I’ll just say I thought we looked pretty good for the first 44 minutes. We were more creative than we’ve been in a while. I actually thought Jasson looked really good and clever with lots of movement. Got his usual couple of fouls against and arguably deserved more. I thought Santi and Ledezma seemed to switch with Santi playing deeper and Ledezma playing more of the false 9. That gave us more control and creativity. Then, of course, everything went to hell.
ETA: On a pretty ugly night, Gabby deserves a shout out. Not just for the goal. He was lively all night and could easily have had 1 or 2 more. But that also means the rest of the team was doing things differently, because that couldn’t happen on the island he was on the previous couple of games. When Gabby gets chances we look dangerous.
ETA: On a pretty ugly night, Gabby deserves a shout out. Not just for the goal. He was lively all night and could easily have had 1 or 2 more. But that also means the rest of the team was doing things differently, because that couldn’t happen on the island he was on the previous couple of games. When Gabby gets chances we look dangerous.
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Gabby played his best game of the year.
If all you can say about Jasson is that he draws good fouls…THAT is now your starting LW. And some people think this roster is good enough??
The False 9 isn’t working. Sorry.
If all you can say about Jasson is that he draws good fouls…THAT is now your starting LW. And some people think this roster is good enough??
The False 9 isn’t working. Sorry.
Gut punch of a loss. It's the season, really. We should clamber back over the line, and we might even make a little noise in the playoffs. But likely not much. As several have pointed out, the team's mentality isn't good. There's a persistent fragility there. We lack true cohesion. We're definitely not spirited and aggressive enough, at least not consistently, and not when it matters the most.
As I've said before, Alex Callens is the guy I think we truly miss. He was our rock. But guess what -- he's gone.
Anyway, in the latest vids out of training, Nick was preaching aggressiveness, stridently. But is he preaching to a deaf choir? Or at least one where not enough of the singers are truly listening?
Santi and Talles Magno dashing off like that is a really, really bad sign, too. That's not a crack; it's a canyon.
I have a theory: our gaffer may just not be Machiavellian enough. He lacks a certain ruthlessness. He says all the right things, but it seems he thinks the words should be enough and the rest is up to the players. In the women's game, where he made his bones, he'd be right. But it's different with a team of meatheads, especially young ones. They don't self-organize the same way.
I'm not sure there's a fix for that.
As I've said before, Alex Callens is the guy I think we truly miss. He was our rock. But guess what -- he's gone.
Anyway, in the latest vids out of training, Nick was preaching aggressiveness, stridently. But is he preaching to a deaf choir? Or at least one where not enough of the singers are truly listening?
Santi and Talles Magno dashing off like that is a really, really bad sign, too. That's not a crack; it's a canyon.
I have a theory: our gaffer may just not be Machiavellian enough. He lacks a certain ruthlessness. He says all the right things, but it seems he thinks the words should be enough and the rest is up to the players. In the women's game, where he made his bones, he'd be right. But it's different with a team of meatheads, especially young ones. They don't self-organize the same way.
I'm not sure there's a fix for that.
9.6 Fotmob rating.
What is interesting if you look at the Union Ratings, most of their team was meh except for Carranza (9.9 I think), Gazdag and Blake. Tracks to the fact that the union didn’t play that well but were ruthless in a few moments. Against NYCFC, that’s enough.
