MLS - September 17 - Columbus (YS)

[CCMore]

Can someone explain to me what we were doing with our back line tonight? It wasn’t as simple as KOT shifting into the middle so Haak could play the Dmid. I know this because KOT also got forward quite a bit. There was at least one moment I remember seeing Martins the only one back and thought we were playing with fire against a Crew side that really wanted to play a pressing counter attacking style in the first half.

 

[mgarbowski]

Usually when I notice a player can only score while directly attacking goal he also has one shot type, that being a hard kick. Maybe it stays low, maybe it rises, but it goes boom and fast and mostly straight. But Fernandez does these lifted curlers. It's not all the time but pretty regularly. I don't know why he has trouble figuring out how to do it after cutting in. He even has to turn his body sideways a bit to hit the curler. I get there are other issues in his game including soccer intelligence but this should be an attainable improvement.

It's gratifying to see all three of Ojeda, Fernandez and Wolf make goal contributions in the same game.

Was pretty shocked to hear Wolff has 11 goals on the year. Did not seem like he’s having a year like that.

He's so streaky. 3 goals in the first 6 games. Then 8 scoreless. Then 6 in the next 6 games. Then another 7 scoreless before last night. He also has 4 braces now so he's only scored in 7/29 games. It's easy to lose track when a guy contributes like that. It adds up, but the no goal streaks stay in your mind. Or mine at least.

 

[FootyLovin]

He's so streaky. 3 goals in the first 6 games. Then 8 scoreless. Then 6 in the next 6 games. Then another 7 scoreless before last night. He also has 4 braces now so he's only scored in 7/29 games. It's easy to lose track when a guy contributes like that. It adds up, but the no goal streaks stay in your mind. Or mine at least.

Wolf. That's interesting. What had stuck in my mind was that at the end of those 6 goals in 6 games, at game 20 of the season, he was our leading goal scorer and way ahead on G+A. With last night he leapfrogs Alonso once more to take the team lead in the G+A category.

Ojeda. With his two last night, he now has 5 on 1086 minutes (1 every 217). Maxi has 11 on 2376 (1 every 216).

Julian. I'll admit. I was jumping out of my seat for Seymour to take that shot. Obviously thrilled that the shot from Julian went in. But incredibly impressed with how decisively and strongly he called off Seymour. If his play was as decisive as that shout he'd be a beast.

Little Jonny Shore. Man do I love this kid. He had a line busting pass that was utterly sublime. Europe in his future.

Haak. Beast. Europe soon.

Gray. I don't know if it is him or Pascal, but every 1-2 games he is good for a curler from deep in behind the opposing backline for Alonso to run onto. His technique and weight are near perfect every time. More please.

Commentators. Everyone who is black is not Gray.

Win. One of our most fun in a while. COYBIB.

 

[mgarbowski]

About that ref. 1.5 cheers for Boiko.

Ali got ball. O'Neill clipped him. O'Neill had position but lost it. If he kept it he would have been able to get ball. I've seen players draw pens when standing behind a defender who has the ball in front of him and the attacker only gets ball by reaching his leg in between and through the defender's legs. I think that's crazy but that's how it works, as long as you get the ball before you shin the defender in the nether zone. You get ball you get a penalty.

The Martinez one is tricky. Martinez kicked the ball sharply left but for some reason took a softer angle himself more towards the goal and keeper. Then Schulte followed the man not the ball. If Martinez runs into Schulte instead of crumbling first he probably draws a pen. If Martinez makes a sharper cut he has a chance at a shot.

I don't think it had to be either a pen or simulation because I don't think Alonso faked anything. I think he anticipated a collision and stopped awkwardly to avoid it. It is part of the rules that if a defender forces an attacker to jump, turn, or stumble because of what would have been a foul but for the attacker's reaction then it's a foul/pk. It's a good rule in theory but wonky in practice because refs hate calling no contact fouls especially for PKs. It happens but most of the time it doesn't. There eventually was contact but it came after both players went down so it's not really a contact foul.

I think Boiko could give a pen there but I understand why he didn't. I credit him for not jumping to the pen/simulation duality.

NYCFC has taken 5 pens this year and conceded 2. Martinez won 4 of our pens. It's not like he never gets calls. He just didn't get this one.