NYCFC v Cosmos

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LionNYC said:
Should we have a Forums train to the game?
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I think it would be great to have a pre-game site and train ride.

I am divided between getting food/drink at or around GCS and taking a train close to game time or taking an early train and doing Arthur Ave. I think it would be hard to beat Shake Shack and some craft beers downstairs, but I've never done Arthur Ave.
 
I just found out that the US Open Cup has a limit of 5 international players in the game day 18, with citizens and green card holders counting as domestic.

So, which 5 internationals do we bring, and what does that do to the rest of our roster?

We first need to see where the holes in the roster are when we are limited to domestics. Here is the list, 14 players in all, which means they all but 1 need to be in the 18

GK: Saunders, Rawls
FB: Allen, Gomez
CB: Hernandez, White
MF: Ballouchy, Mix, Lopez, McNamara, Poku
FW: Mullins, Shelton, Taylor

If you look at that list, we are short on defense, pretty good in midfield, and need another player up front. Some of this depends on our formation.

Here is my guess on the internationals that we play.

GK: Johansen
FB: Martinez
CB: Mena
MF: Iraola
FW: Harrison

I have Iraola in there at midfield so that we have another defensive mid if we need him. The one international not on this list who has a good chance of being in the 18 is Mendoza, but if you include him, you take out either Harrison (who needs playing time), Iraola (might be needed as a defensive mid), or Johansen (LionNYC and Ulrich would go crazy).
 
Gotham Gator said:
I just found out that the US Open Cup has a limit of 5 international players in the game day 18, with citizens and green card holders counting as domestic.

So, which 5 internationals do we bring, and what does that do to the rest of our roster?

We first need to see where the holes in the roster are when we are limited to domestics. Here is the list, 14 players in all, which means they all but 1 need to be in the 18

GK: Saunders, Rawls
FB: Allen, Gomez
CB: Hernandez, White
MF: Ballouchy, Mix, Lopez, McNamara, Poku
FW: Mullins, Shelton, Taylor

If you look at that list, we are short on defense, pretty good in midfield, and need another player up front. Some of this depends on our formation.

Here is my guess on the internationals that we play.

GK: Johansen
FB: Martinez
CB: Mena
MF: Iraola
FW: Harrison

I have Iraola in there at midfield so that we have another defensive mid if we need him. The one international not on this list who has a good chance of being in the 18 is Mendoza, but if you include him, you take out either Harrison (who needs playing time), Iraola (might be needed as a defensive mid), or Johansen (LionNYC and Ulrich would go crazy).
Click to expand...

This rule just goes to show you how asanine it is for PV to use Lurch as a USOC only filler. I wonder if he knows this rule yet? Or more to the point was aware of the rule when strategizing how to use his keepers. It's also not the brightest use of our roster for our front office to keep an international keeper as the backup. Sorry Lurch, if we're to compete for domestic trophies, you have to either be the starter for us in MLS matches or be somewhere else next season.
 
Gotham Gator said:
I just found out that the US Open Cup has a limit of 5 international players in the game day 18, with citizens and green card holders counting as domestic.

So, which 5 internationals do we bring, and what does that do to the rest of our roster?

We first need to see where the holes in the roster are when we are limited to domestics. Here is the list, 14 players in all, which means they all but 1 need to be in the 18

GK: Saunders, Rawls
FB: Allen, Gomez
CB: Hernandez, White
MF: Ballouchy, Mix, Lopez, McNamara, Poku
FW: Mullins, Shelton, Taylor

If you look at that list, we are short on defense, pretty good in midfield, and need another player up front. Some of this depends on our formation.

Here is my guess on the internationals that we play.

GK: Johansen
FB: Martinez
CB: Mena
MF: Iraola
FW: Harrison

I have Iraola in there at midfield so that we have another defensive mid if we need him. The one international not on this list who has a good chance of being in the 18 is Mendoza, but if you include him, you take out either Harrison (who needs playing time), Iraola (might be needed as a defensive mid), or Johansen (LionNYC and Ulrich would go crazy).
Click to expand...
Johansen plays no matter what - he hasn't ridden the bench all year watching clusterfck central in net only to be told now that he can't play in the Cup. There is no way I want Saunders near the goal so that we can give up the brainfart score to the Kosmos - we suck it up and give one spot to Lurch.

Spot #2 goes to Harrison. He needs minutes and he's young - two games in 4 days ain't no thang...

Spot #3 goes to Mena. Either play him or cut him. I loved what he brought last year with 1-v-1 defending. Pair him with either Hernandez (experience) or White (athleticism) and let the kid prove he belongs.

Spot #4 goes to Iraola. Need experience on the roster and he's been money at DMid - but I still lean to start Medhi with Iraola in reserve - although I wouldn't care either way.

Spot #5 goes to Lampard. He's the giant horse pill we have to swallow since it seems like he's going nowhere. Play him now to get some minutes since he's not busting through the Pirlo/Mix partnership Saturday. While I like the idea of Martinez being out there, the guy just doesn't have the stamina to take this last spot, and the Kosmos do have speed on the flanks that would wear him down.

That said, here's what I want to see:

Taylor Mullins Harrison
Lampard Mix
Ballouchy
RJ Hernandez Mena White
Lurch
 
------Poku--Mullins--Shelton-----
------McNamara--Mix--------------
-----------------Iraola*---------------
--RJ--Hernandez-Brillant*-White--
--------------Johansen*---------------

Bench: Rawls, Mena*, Ballouchy, Gomez, Harrison*, Taylor, Lopez

I don't know if the starters or formation will look like this, but it's the 18 with 5 (*) internationals.

Vieira is obviously going to play a 4-3-3. Bravo is an international and its still injured. I don't know the health status of Lopez so let's put him on the bench for now. That leave's the same defensive set as before with hopefully Johansen in goal. (Come on Vieira, you owe us this one). In the front, who knows.
 
NYCFC Looking to Make History in US Open Cup

NYCFC will play the Cosmos Wednesday evening at Fordham University. The team trained on the turf at Jack Coffey Field Monday morning in split squads. Head coach Patrick Vieira spent most of the time instructing the defensive line of Shannon Gomez, Ethan White, Jefferson Mena and Diego Martinez with Eirik Johansen in goal. Gomez and Johansen have yet to appear for NYCFC this season.

Vieira said the team has set a target for its Open Cup run.

“We enter a competition because we want to win,” Vieira said. “We’re not the only team who wants to win that competition. We want to do well but it is important is our focus, concentration and not taking this game for granted. We have to be humble on the field, we have to work hard, we have to respect our principles and then we have to match their competitiveness.”

http://www.empireofsoccer.com/nycfc-looks-to-make-history-in-u-s-open-cup-49497/
 
Gotham Gator said:
NYCFC Looking to Make History in US Open Cup

NYCFC will play the Cosmos Wednesday evening at Fordham University. The team trained on the turf at Jack Coffey Field Monday morning in split squads. Head coach Patrick Vieira spent most of the time instructing the defensive line of Shannon Gomez, Ethan White, Jefferson Mena and Diego Martinez with Eirik Johansen in goal. Gomez and Johansen have yet to appear for NYCFC this season.

Vieira said the team has set a target for its Open Cup run.

“We enter a competition because we want to win,” Vieira said. “We’re not the only team who wants to win that competition. We want to do well but it is important is our focus, concentration and not taking this game for granted. We have to be humble on the field, we have to work hard, we have to respect our principles and then we have to match their competitiveness.”

http://www.empireofsoccer.com/nycfc-looks-to-make-history-in-u-s-open-cup-49497/
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WOOOOO LURCH! He's gonna have to have a hell of a game with that back four...
 
13403211_605801072926686_8631811596132982052_o.jpg
All Together. All $18M.

13422465_605801169593343_6894416492039079527_o.jpg
Nice scoreboard. I wonder what else they'll do to make it feel like a home match.
 
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White and Martinez are capable MLS backups, and mena could be starting on technique alone. Gomez is the wildcard for me. Back line should be good enough to beat cosmos
 
Tom in Fairfield CT said:
White and Martinez are capable MLS backups, and mena could be starting on technique alone. Gomez is the wildcard for me. Back line should be good enough to beat cosmos
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The only worry with the Kosmos is that little guy who's so quick and tied the game last year, Lucky Mendoza (I think). Not a ton of speed on the back line for us.
 
Ulrich said:
The only worry with the Kosmos is that little guy who's so quick and tied the game last year, Lucky Mendoza (I think). Not a ton of speed on the back line for us.
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Lucky Mkosana -- seemed like a pretty good player against us (could be the Wingert/Kwame effect though), but he's having a bad year from what I've heard.
 
This is a good team. They lead the NASL, and that league is on break, so they are 100% focused on us. This is their biggest game of the year, we will get their starters who will give 100%.
 
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