Orlando (Away) - Postmatch

[mgarbowski]

Anyone going to mention how Maxi still has finishing issues? How many times has he been 1v1 with the keeper and not scored? He did it yesterday when we could have been up 3-0 and he did it a ton last season too.

He was never a high volume or super potent scorer. He has consistently managed 1 goal per 9 shots while here, which is pretty much what anyone should have expected. It does make him an odd choice No. 9, especially when combined with his stature and value elsewhere. But he is exactly what he is. And there was this:

 

[JayH]

Anyone going to mention how Maxi still has finishing issues? How many times has he been 1v1 with the keeper and not scored? He did it yesterday when we could have been up 3-0 and he did it a ton last season too.

A couple of games in, I think that he would pass that back to Mitri for a tap-in. The two of them were crossing wires often, but I think that they will work well together with some familiarity.

 

[Revfugee]

To start, if you go with counterfactuals, there was the missed handball so I'm not sure it's fair to pick out one odd bad event to flip the result favorably, but taking your question as it is:
Winning solves almost everything, and if we win ugly I will be happy, but I will still be annoyed that the entire project to date has been built on lies. As I said above: "To play this way regularly makes a mockery of the CFG way and any pretense that we have continuity among teams and interchangeability among coaches and players. It also makes the hire of Torrent seem preposterous from the outset, because it puts the lie to him being Pep Prime in anyway whatsoever."

That said, again, and to be clear, I would rather win and negate everything the team was supposedly built on, than lose and remain devoted to a failing set of principles.

Arguably they missed a handball the other way too so they kinda cancel each other out. Not sure why nobody seems to remember that. Thanks for amswering the question though.

 

[Revfugee]

Two moments of brilliance sandwiched around 88 minutes of unwatchable soccer is not sustainable for the season. The team may have eeked out a win with the luck you mentioned, but they’d end up losing the majority over the course of the season playing like that.

The funny thing is, when Orlando scored, I wasn’t upset, but more relieved because a win playing that horribly would have just brought Dome’s defenders out of the woodwork trumpeting his genius while failing to see this disaster is peak-Dome.

I don't attribute glaring defensive errors to luck. We usually agree on these things so I’m surprised you would,

I would suggest that 88 minutes of unwatchable soccer has been sustainable for many teams and at times has been the entire foundation of The Italian and English games. But I digress...

I stated a not entirely implausible hypothetical that you dismissed. So if I read you correctly, you would prioritize Dome out over winning results?

 

[Christopher Jee]

Arguably they missed a handball the other way too so they kinda cancel each other out. Not sure why nobody seems to remember that. Thanks for amswering the question though.

Seemed like a decent no-call to me if I'm thinking of the same one.

 

[SFphoto]

Man. I love you guys, but this is the most irrational, knee jerking group of sports fans I have ever seen haha

 

[BxLio91]

Man. I love you guys, but this is the most irrational, knee jerking group of sports fans I have ever seen haha

I'll save this comment for June.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Seemed like a decent no-call to me if I'm thinking of the same one.

The one on Chanot in the 85th minute (or so) was a clear as day hand ball and if that went the other way we'd be screaming bloody murder. How the ref goes to VAR and still doesn't call it is incredible.

 

[Christopher Jee]

The one on Chanot in the 85th minute (or so) was a clear as day hand ball and if that went the other way we'd be screaming bloody murder. How the ref goes to VAR and still doesn't call it is incredible.

Right, the one against us I can't believe we got away with.

The one against Orlando is the one I'm talking about as being a decent no-call. Sorry for lack of screen caps.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Right, the one against us I can't believe we got away with.

The one against Orlando is the one I'm talking about as being a decent no-call. Sorry for lack of screen caps.

Yeah it looked like the Orlando one hit the guy's chest, maybe chest and arm. Not a hand ball.

 

[FootyLovin]

This is not a defense of Dome. Rather I'd like to take a stab at Dome's psyche. What might be going on in his thought process and how different might it be from what is stated here, especially from his most vocal critics?

1. Maxi. Critics say it can't work to place "our slowest smallest player" up front as our 9, false or otherwise. Dome's view: We employed this strategy in 2018 when Villa went down and got some good results out of it. We arguably played some of our most beautiful soccer with him in the middle of the front line last July. Further, from yesterday we are just a little chemistry away from this being a rousing success. Yesterday our attack was better with Maxi at the 9 than any of our preseason formations with JLew, Taty or Medina in that role.
   
2. Ring. Critics say moving the best DMid in the league to an attacking role is heresy and can't work. Dome's view: I said a couple of times in preseason that I want Ring to play more offensively and expect him to net 8 goals this year. Well, he's 12.5% of the way there and you could argue that the shot Ring missed was easier than the one he netted. He was one very doable moment away from a brace, a victory and 25% of his season scoring objective.
3. Bunkering. Critics say he should have bunkered at 2-0, moved Ring back to DMid and parked the bus. Dome's view: If there is one thing Pep ball IS, it is possession. We abandoned that (more below on this). OTOH, if there is one thing Pep ball ISN'T, it is bunkering. The best way to protect a lead is to score more goals. And frankly, we were better in the second half than in the first. Our strategy was working including 3 quality shots (Ring, Maxi, Chanot) to get us the 3rd goal we needed. We were as unlucky to come up empty on those as we were fortunate to score 2 against the run of play. That's futbol.
   
4. Hoofing the ball. Critics say is was ugly to watch, an abandonment of our philosophy and indication that Dome has no clue what he wants. Dome's view: I'm still seeking my best starting lineup and I'd like to give Ofori (no right foot) and Sands (very inexperienced) a run out in the double pivot. I'd like to do this on the road where they won't have the pressure of the home fans. At the same time I think they need a little time to settle into this before they are ready to handle the pressure of possession at the back - something that frankly our whole team seemed shaky on during preseason. We just don't have the chemistry and skill level yet to play the possession game with these pieces. It might be different with Keaton or other parts in there. But today was an important experiment. I also like our strategy of long balls played in front of players. Instead of offering tossups to our short front line who can't compete for headers, we put the ball in front of them to chest on the short hop. And it seemed to work when the service was well done. The headers were a universal loss.
5. Defense. Critics haven't actually said much beyond the usual tropes of picking apart the two goals and flaying Sweat. Dome's view: Our much vaunted defense was actually our weak link. We were lucky to get to halftime without conceding. If I believed in our defense before this game I need to continue to do so. This was an aberration and in fact got better in the second half, not worse, despite what the box score says. I believe we can stay the course.
   
6. Overall. Critics say this was a disaster, #DomeOut. Dome's view: This was a typical smash grab for a road point from a team still learning to play together. In that regard, it was a success. It's always disappointing to give up points you had in hand, but the long view is positive. Our defense will be better. Our offense got better as the game progressed and shows a lot of promise as the pieces gel. Goals from 2 midfielders and assists from both wingers are great signs. I feel good.

Again, this isn't my view. This is my best attempt to get into Dome's psyche if he did in fact feel good coming out of yesterday. While I do actually agree with some of these views, I do also have my own critiques. (I'm not simply the anti Midas Mulligan.)

 

[Gotham Gator]

A couple of games in, I think that he would pass that back to Mitri for a tap-in. The two of them were crossing wires often, but I think that they will work well together with some familiarity.

Exactly what he should have done. In his defense, it’s easy to miss Mitrita’s run when focused ahead on beating the goalie.

 

[Ulrich]

I don't attribute glaring defensive errors to luck. We usually agree on these things so I’m surprised you would,

I would suggest that 88 minutes of unwatchable soccer has been sustainable for many teams and at times has been the entire foundation of The Italian and English games. But I digress...

I stated a not entirely implausible hypothetical that you dismissed. So if I read you correctly, you would prioritize Dome out over winning results?

I’ve watched plenty of teams that set up a defensive posture with a very tactically astute breakout when they counter - ManU worked it beautifully against Liverpool a few weeks ago. What I saw last night was a total ineptness on how to move the ball when possession was gained - players were bunched trying tika taka, long balls were being launched, guys overloaded one area and didn’t leave an outlet to pass back to - it was a total mess. That to me was unwatchable.

I’ve also watched too much college football to know that a few results during a crap-ass season can save a coach rather than making the necessary changes to cut the cancer from the org. This then delays the inevitable for another season or more of awful results. So yeah, I’d be very happy having a losing season that ensure regime change than suffering through unwatchable matches that miraculously get enough results to save the managers job.

 

[Ulrich]

I’m pretty sure Dome is Manager because the club knows that the fan base will forget about a lack of a stadium if they’re bitching every week about the horrendous product on the field. It’s really a master stroke on their part to proactively change the discussion in such a radical way.

 

[adam]

Ring and Ofori are currently tied for 2nd in the Golden Boot Race, both 1 goal behind co-leaders Michael Bradley & Jordan Morris.

 

[Revfugee]

I’m pretty sure Dome is Manager because the club knows that the fan base will forget about a lack of a stadium if they’re bitching every week about the horrendous product on the field. It’s really a master stroke on their part to proactively change the discussion in such a radical way.

“Back, and to the left!”

 

[Kjbert]

Anyone going to mention how Maxi still has finishing issues? How many times has he been 1v1 with the keeper and not scored? He did it yesterday when we could have been up 3-0 and he did it a ton last season too.

Yet another reason why he should t be your CF

 

[LionNYC]

"We got one point. It’s not bad when you play Orlando away. I not really very, very happy, but we are happy with the point." - Dome

https://www.nycfc.com/post/2019/03/03/dome-reaction-orlando-2-2-nycfc?autoplay=true

1. Dome needs to take English lessons like Villa did.
2. This is a joke of a statement. It's fucking Orlando and we were up 2-0 at the half.

We have a talented team (less a striker and LB), we don't have a manager.

 

[Kjbert]

"We got one point. It’s not bad when you play Orlando away. I not really very, very happy, but we are happy with the point." - Dome

https://www.nycfc.com/post/2019/03/03/dome-reaction-orlando-2-2-nycfc?autoplay=true

1. Dome needs to take English lessons like Villa did.
2. This is a joke of a statement. It's fucking Orlando and we were up 2-0 at the half.

We have a talented team (less a striker and LB), we don't have a manager.

I’ve never seen you this negative. When did you sour?

 

[LionNYC]

I’ve never seen you this negative. When did you sour?

Dome and de Blasio remind me a lot of each other. How did this guy get the job? And why are they doing everything wrong?