Orlando Postmatch

[SteveV]

There were good parts and bad parts of the specific match, but it has to be said that not getting three points against that Orlando team is a very poor result. They are a middling team in general, playing on the road after a midweek game, missing five starters give or take, including their two starting DM's AND had their two DMs who started in their place pick up yellow cards in the first ten minutes.

I'm as much about performance rather than individual results as just about anyone, but those are perhaps the worst points we've dropped all year if you think about the context of the match.

Agree. Should've won pretty easily.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

You're lucky your DVR cut out... I'm still gutted about the last 10 seconds you missed

DVR cut out with 4 minutes left and I had to go grab the phone to check the final score, KNOWING it was going to be 2-2 somehow, and still being shocked when it was. Our luck is so bad.

 

[Ulrich]

Exactly. He just lacks hustle. And I'm not just talking about him being "gassed" after the 75th... it was the whole match.

It's like he's forgotten how to shift from third gear to fourth or fifth! He now looks so slow compared to Mendoza, and yet last year he was able to blow past defenders.

 

[Gotham Gator]

I will add a few extra observations that I haven't had time to post.

Villa's goal, as mentioned, was sublime, and almost as good was the pass from Pirlo to set it up. Superb.

Met Khiry Shelton's dad and (very) little brother in the team shop before the game. Really nice guy. Looks just like an older version. He was with a kid that was maybe 4 or 5 years old that is apparently Khiry's little brother.

Orlando fans in our section were horrible and obnoxious and served to validate every complaint that NYCFC_Dan has had about them this season.

The team played really well for 70 minutes and bossed a team that it should have. Last 20 were horrible, but I am still optimistic about the season.

I can't make Thursday night (and apparently can't watch either). The 2 weeks off after that are going to be lonely.

 

[SteveV]

While I disagreed with the booing at the NJ game, I could still semi-understand the arguments for.

Yesterday I found it completely useless and nonsensical. You (the booing fans) are not sending a message to CFG (not one that's heard by them anyway). The only thing you are doing is satisfying your own anger and/or ego needs and demoralizing the TEAM. It's not just Frank who hears the boos. It's the whole team. And they seem to be one. And every time you boo you show that we (the fans) are not one. We are not one with each other. And we are not one with the team.

I'm at YS every game to cheer my team and help them win. I wish we all could get behind that purpose.

Yep. I booed in the Red Bulls match, because it was too little too late, and the "Super Frank" intro, etc. But vs. Orlando I wasn't a fan of the booing.... heard some people booing near where I sit, but honestly the cheers started to drown them out. Let's move on and support the club, and Frank.

 

[SteveV]

Sitting up high in 206 you had the perfect angle to see the Villa goal take place. As soon as the ball left Pirlo's foot, I screamed out such a loud "WHOA" the people around me must have thought I was a mental patient.

Yeah, the view in 205 was great. Beautiful goal, and I don't think Pirlo is getting enough credit for that pass.

By the way, we had some "Chicken Buckets" going from 205 all the way down to at least 208 (I was walking along on the way to get another beer when the chant started, so got to see how big it was).

 

[Gene]

Seemed to me that most of the CB chants started from 205 during the game.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Couldn't hear the Chicken Bucket chants across the way in 232B. It honestly looked like the Coop was missing a few chickens - maybe the sunshine? I tried to get the Chicken Bucket chant going where we were, but no takers.

I should add that the Supporter's Section was pretty strong on Sunday. They had it going very well for a lot of the game.

 

[Gene]

I've only been to 4 matches, but yeah, it seemed to me also there were a few of the regulars missing from 206. Saw the guy with "BUCKET" on the back of his jersey, but I never saw the "CHICKEN" guy. As I mentioned above, it seemed to me that most of the CB chants started from the next section over.

I'm not hit by the sun as my seats are in the disabled area, but it was a bit much Sunday afternoon. There were a lot of people standing behind us under cover trying to keep cool. To his credit, the Security guy actually unlocked a lot of the chairs and let the people with small children have seats.

 

[SteveV]

That's a straw man. Of course PV sounds hubristic and stupid when framed that way. But is he really doing this to "prove something?"

Of course, not.

He does what he believes will create the best chance of success. If Mendoza's cross brings a goal, the game is sealed and we're singing their praises. In 2014 against Portugal Yedlin dribbled to the corner to kill the game only to be dispossessed and see Portugal go the length of the field in approximately 5 seconds to score the equalizer at the death.

PV seemed to be operating on the principle that the best way for the team to win was to play the game the way they had planned to play. And if (a) the players played the last 30 seconds with effort and/or (b) ORL failed to execute perfectly (and what we haven't mentioned is that was one hell of a cross, a great header back, and a terrific finishing header) and/or (c) Mendoza or Villa score at the end, we're all talking about the great tactics and terrific subs.

You can hate the decision. But don't throw out ludicrous characterizations as straw men just to throw someone under the bus.

Totally agree. To me it's like (American) football when teams go in to the prevent defense... I hate that. I'm OK with the tactic of continuing to play the game the way they had been (especially because I think they pretty much dominated most of the game).... I just think the subs could've been more defensive-minded.

 

[SteveV]

The problem was that the sub was a PR move - having all three DPs on the field at the same time - the first time it's happened since last season. Thats the only reason to bring Lampard on for anybody besides Pirlo.

Yes. This.
It's the same exact reason Lampard and Harrison came on vs. the Red Bulls. Remember that what they care about most is PR, generating interest, and making money.

 

[Seth]

Yes. This.
It's the same exact reason Lampard and Harrison came on vs. the Red Bulls. Remember that what they care about most is PR, generating interest, and making money.

Or, it could be that at 5-0 it might be a good time to get a quick first look at two players who've been injured for a while and are now ready to come back, with the added benefit of no downside if they play poorly because it's just their first minutes.

Hmmmm. No-risk first minutes or deep-conspiracy theory. I'd go with Occam's Razor on this one.

 

[Rimil]

If fans don't have a harsh reaction to BS, you'll see a repeat of everything. You can be a fan of something and be its biggest critic because you care. Otherwise the FO will say "they cheered for fat frank, it's not so bad" and they'll have some old DP sign a Manchester contract then get dumped here once he's all used up. AGAIN. The booing last week sent a message, NYC is a tough sports town. We're loyal but we're not blind followers. You can't feed us shit and expect us to say it's delicious. And the funny thing, the day of the where's your heart banner, we let ORL come back from 0-2 to tie the game at the last second. Idk how that game is being spinned into positive, they didn't have Kaka, Ramos, Higuita and Ceren and god knows who else. We still couldn't get the job done.

Yes, this!

$ and Booing/cheering. That's how a fan expresses their opinions. This is NYC the best seats will continuously sell out, so ownership has you over a barrel if you are a STH in a prime location. So what else can you do? You gotta boo the shit out of the team/ownership when they do things you disprove of. Fringe seats can walk away and not care, but I want to be a part of the team if/when they fix the issue and not lose my seat. They disrespected us with lampard, and they are hoping it all blows over. We'll I'll be there to boo and remind them that I'm still not happy. They never made amends for that fiasco. An apology and we could have moved on, but they are ignoring the elephant in the room and then they have the balls to question why we are booing? I'm glad to see tweets about the booing. Glad its getting to them.

 

[mgarbowski]

Met Khiry Shelton's dad and (very) little brother in the team shop before the game. Really nice guy. Looks just like an older version. He was with a kid that was maybe 4 or 5 years old that is apparently Khiry's little brother.

Did you approach and ask "Are you Khiry Shelton's Dad?" just based on the resemblance, cause that's well done if so.

I can't make Thursday night (and apparently can't watch either). The 2 weeks off after that are going to be lonely.

Same here.

 

[NYC24]

On the subject of whether to keep playing offensively or to become more defensive in the last 10 min, I think many of you are overestimating how much we were bossing. We scored from a corner and on a sublime Pirlo pass. We weren't exactly lighting it up on offense and our finishing continues to be sub-par.

Also, as sad as their line up was they were creating chances throughout, several of which we were very lucky didn't finish.

Finally, I jut want to say that AI (especially) and Norris White really exceeded my expectations this game. I thought #3 played his ass off.

 

[ktdNYCFC]

I can't make Thursday night (and apparently can't watch either). The 2 weeks off after that are going to be lonely.

Nonsense! Copa starts Friday! We should totally open the shoutbox for these games. USMNT is much more exciting than NYCFC right now. Pulisic/Wood/Zardes/Dempsey were all fired up at that last friendly. Bedoya looks good, Yedlin looks good, Bradley looks... like Bradley, and JJ is cracking skulls. Should be a much more FUN 2 weeks than 2 weeks filled with NYCFC heartbreak.

 

[SteveV]

Or, it could be that at 5-0 it might be a good time to get a quick first look at two players who've been injured for a while and are now ready to come back, with the added benefit of no downside if they play poorly because it's just their first minutes.

Hmmmm. No-risk first minutes or deep-conspiracy theory. I'd go with Occam's Razor on this one.

It's not a particularly deep conspiracy theory. Harrison's "mum" just happened to be in town and he was healthy, and Lampard was finally healthy - so the $6M DP and the #1 overall draft pick were finally in the mix. It was the biggest game (so far) of the year, was finally on a regular TV station, with >40k expected, and they'd hyped the crap out of the game. I would've bet my season tickets that Harrison and Lamps would make appearances. Not really a conspiracy theory, just good business - they care about filling seats, building interest, and making money. They were subbing in regardless of the game/situation.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Did you approach and ask "Are you Khiry Shelton's Dad?" just based on the resemblance, cause that's well done if so.

He and his kid both had Shelton jerseys on, so I mentioned that, and he said "that's my son..." Then I looked more closely and noticed the resemblance. The dad has a slight beard and certainly does not have Khiry's hairstyle, so it takes a moment to spot it.

 

[FootyLovin]

I support PV's subs. The way I see it, he knows we have a tendency to let in late goals, so he's trying to put the game out of reach. Lampard puts Mendoza's cross into the net and we're celebrating an emphatic win with maybe the oldest midfield trio the world has ever seen outside of a testimonial match.

I like this and will go even further. After having a couple nights to sleep on it, I'd rather the team build the skill of expanding their lead than parking the bus. I'm a fan. I want wins. And I want entertainment. Parking the bus or extending the lead when the other team gets stretched are both strategies for closing out games. Each will sometimes fail. I'd rather watch a team that pursues an exciting style. And with that, we will have moments like Sunday. It is unfortunate that this particular moment comes within a month of another stoppage time lapse and a historic thrashing. I can only hope that somehow/someway the team is learning and improving as a result.

 

[FootyLovin]

Exactly. He just lacks hustle. And I'm not just talking about him being "gassed" after the 75th... it was the whole match.

I don't think Shelton lacks hustle nearly as much as he lacks understanding of when and where to run.