MLS - October 4 - Philadelphia (Away)

[Alex Da Silva]

Watching the highlights and wow that is a wasted opportunity, I feel like we always get that first couple of minutes chance and if we don't put it away for some reason it spells doom for us. We can't not put away that and the wolf sitter. On the bright side it didn't look like philly had many good looks, just sucks that they were able to convert while we were not

 

[mgarbowski]

The Union lead the league in both fewest shots and goals allowed.

We went 36 minutes in the middle of the game without taking a shot. We had as many shots in added time as we did in the preceding 57 minutes. Our 7 shot total is tied for our second lowest of the year. This was only the second time we were held scoreless in the last 12 games. This is how the Union play. For the most part they controlled us even though we had 60% possession.

Our defense was good. They did have twice as many shots but they were not great chances. According to MLS we had more total xG (though Opta and ASA disagree). It was close. The timeless debate between shooting more or take higher percentage shots will never have a definitive answer. One advantage of shooting more is you get more opportunity to have a fortunate deflection.

Besides the hit our seeding took, we've now lost to the 2 best teams (IMO) we played in the second half of the season, the Union and Miami, and were scoreless in both games, even though Miami bleeds opposing goals.

 

[Joe_Cos]

With the Philly win, now does Philly play a rotated lineup against Charlotte and then sub off starters at halftime. So we have to root for a Philly and Miami win.

 

[Marito]

On the bright side, Carrizo took his chance really well with a classy goal. Sad it was offside, but the Maxi C for Maxi M transition should really take off next year

 

[Revfugee]

Not too upset. We are on the threshold of something good if we can keep this group together and we get continued growth from the young guys (and Pascal doesn’t get a better offer).

If Martinez had finished that early chance the whole complexion would have changed.

The goal came off of a bad turnover in the middle. Looked like Perea dinked it too softly to Nico but apple camera work didn’t catch it. The defenders reacted well but you just can’t give that kind of opportunity to those guys. Even so it was a fortunate deflection.

Loved the way the team fought to the final second and if Carrizo holds his run back just a split second, we pull off a heartbreaker and Pascal looks like a super genius. Oof so close.

Mitja also had some really nice touches though I don’t think he’s as starter over Tayvon.

Philly are an extremely well drilled team and with a lot at stake away this was a pretty uphill battle.

Continuing the Agu discussion from last thread: somewhere in there he tried a line breaker that didn’t connect but was exactly the kind of trickery that we see from Nico and Maxi and that Nick seemed to stifle in the young’uns. He was looking cross but he cut it back down the left and it had all of Philly wrongfoooted. If it had connected we would have had a tap in in two passes. Last year he passes back to the FB.

I think the east playoff bracket is a tossup. Nobody has achieved real escape velocity, though based on recent form I think Miami is the closest thing to a favorite in the East.

LAFC have to be the favorite out west right now. It’ll be interesting to see how we stack up against Seattle.

 

[twsj91]

With the Philly win, now does Philly play a rotated lineup against Charlotte and then sub off starters at halftime. So we have to root for a Philly and Miami win.

No because of the international break in between now and then. If they had a rotated squad for decision day that means their starters wouldn’t play for 3 weeks come their first playoff game. The intensity in which they play with vs CTL…. That’s the question.