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.

 

[Shwafta]

Did I mention I shwafta'd this game?

It was 1-1. In my head for some reason we were down 2-1. I turn to my friend and go "you ever have that thing where you forget the score and look at the scoreline and you're confused? I thought we were down 2-1 for some reason."

One minute later it happens. Him, the two people in the row in front of us, the people behind us are all like "u no talk rest of match ty"

Then I said "ah don't worry it'll end 3-2" as a joke. (That one's not a shwafta that's just me the oracle)

 

[Brooklyn Blue]

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.

Hard agree. This referee is not my favorite, but last night he was fine.

The penalty was soft, but it was within the scope of the rules. O’Neill was late and the Columbus player was clever. I applaud VAR for actually working as intended - only overturn if clear and obvious. It wasn’t so let it stand.

One complaint that might be legitimate is the inconsistency between the penalty contact and the physicality allowed in open play. The referee let them bang. As an aside, that usually hurts City, but last night they seemed to adapt to the contact better than the Crew.

Martinez was looking for contact. If he had received a yellow for simulation, it would not have been egregious. No card was reasonable. A penalty would have been unfair. If it had been Freese and a penalty, this forum would have been howling.

 

[EganSoccerWords]

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.

This is showing how we are maturing in Pascal's system. The shape we were in offensively in the 2nd half was consistent with what we have seen all season at times especially when Pascal wants us to attack: Front attack 3 & a box midfield (usually with Haak stepping up from the backline by can also be a fullback going into the Philip Lahm role) supported by a back 3.

The change that we saw the last couple games is all about fluidity. Instead of a consistent back 3, There was a mixture of O'Toole, Gray, O'Neil, Haak forming the back 3 with Martins depending on the situation on the field, where the ball was, and who was pushing forward.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Hard agree. This referee is not my favorite, but last night he was fine.

The penalty was soft, but it was within the scope of the rules. O’Neill was late and the Columbus player was clever. I applaud VAR for actually working as intended - only overturn if clear and obvious. It wasn’t so let it stand.

One complaint that might be legitimate is the inconsistency between the penalty contact and the physicality allowed in open play. The referee let them bang. As an aside, that usually hurts City, but last night they seemed to adapt to the contact better than the Crew.

Martinez was looking for contact. If he had received a yellow for simulation, it would not have been egregious. No card was reasonable. A penalty would have been unfair. If it had been Freese and a penalty, this forum would have been howling.

I completely agree with this.

My one big complaint is that he didn't show a card when Maxi got studded in the Achilles tendon in the first half. Awful foul.

ETA: It was our old friend Malte in the 31’.

 

[joe]

Remarkable that Pascal brought in a 17, 18 and 2 20-21 year olds as subs in this game.

Am I the only one getting some 2021 vibes from this team? Remember how long it looked like we would have a lousy seed or drop out of the playoffs and then wound up with the 4 seed?

I have been a fan of most of our coaches, but I think Pascal is the best we have ever had (except against last place teams).

we're gonna win the league / we're gonna win the league

 

[Fantazma]

Man, imagine if we hadn't lost twice to MTL.

they would be literally a point away from the shield

 

[Fantazma]

Remarkable that Pascal brought in a 17, 18 and 2 20-21 year olds as subs in this game.

Am I the only one getting some 2021 vibes from this team? Remember how long it looked like we would have a lousy seed or drop out of the playoffs and then wound up with the 4 seed?

I have been a fan of most of our coaches, but I think Pascal is the best we have ever had (except against last place teams).

no not yet. there were similar "vibes" last year too and we know how it ended. The big difference is that NYCFC has a much better coach than last year and the mentality is amazing but the team is too up and down. literally lost to DC a couple weeks ago and went 0-2 against montreal.

 

[LionNYC]

I completely agree with this.

My one big complaint is that he didn't show a card when Maxi got studded in the Achilles tendon in the first half. Awful foul.

ETA: It was our old friend Malte in the 31’.

The only yellow card was at 90+5’ to Julian. There were definitely yellow card worthy tackles in the match on both sides.