We could use a guy to run around like a crazy person winning tackles. The soft roaming around making slow decisions and losing the ball isn't getting us out of mediocrity. We had guys making good plays, but I'm not sure Mix was a massive part of that but I may need to re-watch it. Still, we have set up guys in Pirlo and Lampard, if Mix can't can't get stuck in, make quick decisions, maintain good possession, make incisive passes, score, or beat anyone off the dribble, he's just playing a soccer player on TV. Looks okay, but not a luxury we can afford with Pirlo on the team.
RSL Postmatch
- Thread starter NYCFC_Dan
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We could use a guy to run around like a crazy person winning tackles. The soft roaming around making slow decisions and losing the ball isn't getting us out of mediocrity. We had guys making good plays, but I'm not sure Mix was a massive part of that but I may need to re-watch it. Still, we have set up guys in Pirlo and Lampard, if Mix can't can't get stuck in, make quick decisions, maintain good possession, make incisive passes, score, or beat anyone off the dribble, he's just playing a soccer player on TV. Looks okay, but not a luxury we can afford with Pirlo on the team.
Harrison was fantastic
We should have put 6 in last night easily
You can't win if you can't finish
We saw the best MLS keeper vs the worst MLS keeper (watch Rimando's positioning all night. It was amazing)
Shelton is not a winger or a midfielder. It's obvious by now that he is a target man.
Mix missed two sitters. I thought he played well otherwise, but you can't miss two sitters.
Pirlo played well offensively again. He had some brilliant touches. Brilliant.
RJ Allen is the most underrated player in MLS right now
White provides nothing
I thought Iraola played very well again. Has a very good sense of when to get forward and when to not get forward. Seems more comfortable as a 6 than a RB right now. No problem with him playing there, especially on a small field
Mendoza has nothing to get upset about. It's not like he changed the game being in there.
I thought Poku played very well in his short stint. On that small pitch, he can control a game and not have to track back as much.
We should have put 6 in last night easily
You can't win if you can't finish
We saw the best MLS keeper vs the worst MLS keeper (watch Rimando's positioning all night. It was amazing)
Shelton is not a winger or a midfielder. It's obvious by now that he is a target man.
Mix missed two sitters. I thought he played well otherwise, but you can't miss two sitters.
Pirlo played well offensively again. He had some brilliant touches. Brilliant.
RJ Allen is the most underrated player in MLS right now
White provides nothing
I thought Iraola played very well again. Has a very good sense of when to get forward and when to not get forward. Seems more comfortable as a 6 than a RB right now. No problem with him playing there, especially on a small field
Mendoza has nothing to get upset about. It's not like he changed the game being in there.
I thought Poku played very well in his short stint. On that small pitch, he can control a game and not have to track back as much.
Totally! Glad to clarify.
So when you're talking about direct soccer, it means that you're making forward passes, usually over distance, in an effort to quickly move the ball towards the opponent's goal.
I'm sure I'll show a bit of my tactical ignorance here as well, but it's sometimes helpful to think of soccer tactics in scales -- it's not always one or the other, but each team fits somewhere on a scale from 1-5.
Direct-----balanced------Possession
1--------2------3-------4---------5
When you're talking about incredibly direct teams, think of the way the Red Bulls play us at Yankee Stadium. They don't mess around with regular horizontal pass -- each pass is made in an effort to bring the ball towards goal. Direct soccer often involves tempo, pace, and quick counterattacking (but it doesn't always). It can involve punting the ball up the field to a fast poacher, but it's really more about intent of attacking the goal. With a possession system, you open up space by moving defenders through gradual passing. Direct soccer is a bit more "brute force", but it can still be very pretty when executed well.
The opposites of this scale (by MLS standards) come into play every time NYCFC and NYRB play at Yankee Stadium. NYRB is probably about a 1.5-2 on that scale when they play at Yankee Stadium, and NYCFC (home or away) is around a 3.5. It's not possession over *everything*, but it's a system that definitely values possession heavily.
It's important to note that even possession teams sometimes play direct. NYCFC plays a possession style, but Pirlo's through pass to Villa that he chested down for a goal -- that'd be considered a risky, direct pass.
(Edit for a coffee metaphor:
Possession soccer is this:
Very direct soccer is this:
Both can make both good and bad coffee, and it's not a qualitative judgement, really, but they value very different things.
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I think he does all those things, but i know a lot of people disagree.
TBF, his confidence seems to not be that high at the moment which doesn't help. If he were a complimentary player maybe we could afford that, but he is starting to remind me of Ballouchy with a little more running.
Wait what? I think you meant to say, both can wake you up or give you caffeine or something
I agree 100%. I thought our tempo and skill yesterday was the best we showed this season. Passing was superb, forward and they didn't just mindlessly give the ball away. If a player was pressured he found an outlet and they did a great job getting the ball out on the wings. Then Harrison would do this crazy thing where he challenged players and sometimes... Sometimes he'd even cut inside OMG and create space for himself rather than dribble to the end line or put in a shit cross.
Can't count how many times Pirlo did his signature turn and flick pass. He had tons of chances to show his skill set because the players around him did a much better job controlling the midfield. And Harrison did a great job fighting on defense. He's a must start
And on that note, there was one shot in the first half I remember Villa taking where Mix was making a late run into the box. Rimando did a great job of snatching up the shot and not letting up a rebound, as Mix was right there to clean it up.
Mix played very well last night, but obviously could have done better on those two headers. Those were both chances he needed to put on target at the least.
Coffee secret -- siphon coffee is secretly very very bad in most cases. It's flashy, but it takes a ton of skill to make it work well. Like possession soccer.Wait what? I think you meant to say, both can wake you up or give you caffeine or something
I usually use a Hario V60 or (when I'm very lazy) my Technivorm, but I'm not going to begrudge someone who enjoys instant coffee. There are some uses for instant coffee, spruced up a bit, that can actually make a seriously tasty cup.
(The important note there is that, although people who appreciate coffee (or soccer) on a finer level tend to look down on instant (or direct) styles, it's not really a value judgement. Both can be suitable and positive depending on your use or what resources you have available.)
Good write-up, except I'm not sure instant coffee could ever be considered good....Totally! Glad to clarify.
So when you're talking about direct soccer, it means that you're making forward passes, usually over distance, in an effort to quickly move the ball towards the opponent's goal.
I'm sure I'll show a bit of my tactical ignorance here as well, but it's sometimes helpful to think of soccer tactics in scales -- it's not always one or the other, but each team fits somewhere on a scale from 1-5.
Direct-----balanced------Possession
1--------2------3-------4---------5
When you're talking about incredibly direct teams, think of the way the Red Bulls play us at Yankee Stadium. They don't mess around with regular horizontal pass -- each pass is made in an effort to bring the ball towards goal. Direct soccer often involves tempo, pace, and quick counterattacking (but it doesn't always). It can involve punting the ball up the field to a fast poacher, but it's really more about intent of attacking the goal. With a possession system, you open up space by moving defenders through gradual passing. Direct soccer is a bit more "brute force", but it can still be very pretty when executed well.
The opposites of this scale (by MLS standards) come into play every time NYCFC and NJRB play at Yankee Stadium. NJRB is probably about a 1.5-2 on that scale when they play at Yankee Stadium, and NYCFC (home or away) is around a 3.5. It's not possession over *everything*, but it's a system that definitely values possession heavily.
It's important to note that even possession teams sometimes play direct. NYCFC plays a possession style, but Pirlo's through pass to Villa that he chested down for a goal -- that'd be considered a risky, direct pass.
(Edit for a coffee metaphor:
Possession soccer is this:
Very direct soccer is this:
Both can make both good and bad coffee, and it's not a qualitative judgement, really, but they value very different things.
Well, sure, and I agree totally, but that's because you and I prefer the flavor profile in a third wave cup.
Someone who prefers more of a "roast" profile might actually prefer instant. Trust me -- they're out there. I make someone a cup of coffee from time to time with heavy fruit notes, and they're wondering where the hell the Folgers is at.
It's the same for soccer style of play, in my view. It's a jokingly controversial metaphor because it's appropriate.
Well, it may be a good thing FC doesn't play a direct style, because with the trouble we have with scoring, we'd be akin to:
Last night's result boiled down to two things:
1) We took the game to them and couldn't put the ball in the goal. We could have scored 8 last night
2) Josh Saunders couldn't make a big play when we needed him to
If we convert half of our missed chances, we win 5-3. That's all. If Saunders makes one key save, we draw 2-2.
1) We took the game to them and couldn't put the ball in the goal. We could have scored 8 last night
2) Josh Saunders couldn't make a big play when we needed him to
If we convert half of our missed chances, we win 5-3. That's all. If Saunders makes one key save, we draw 2-2.
Yes. But he hasn't been playing until recently and his confidence has to be down. If I was coaching Mix, I'd be happy that he put himself in scoring positions. Though he didn't finish, he got his head on the ball both times....those are legit scoring chances. That's a positive. Maybe his approach makes it look sloppy, but the team plays better with him in the line up.
I'm beating a dead horse at this point, but I'm just surprised that so many think he played really well when he missed two headers, he stumbled on two opportunities in the box, he was guarding no one and arguably left his man on the second goal, and I can't think of one very good play he made except maybe the cross on one of the times he stumbled in the box. What did he do that was so good yesterday? Not sure what makes you think we play better with him in the lineup - is that supported by the results?
Totally! Glad to clarify.
So when you're talking about direct soccer, it means that you're making forward passes, usually over distance, in an effort to quickly move the ball towards the opponent's goal.
I'm sure I'll show a bit of my tactical ignorance here as well, but it's sometimes helpful to think of soccer tactics in scales -- it's not always one or the other, but each team fits somewhere on a scale from 1-5.
Direct-----balanced------Possession
1--------2------3-------4---------5
When you're talking about incredibly direct teams, think of the way the Red Bulls play us at Yankee Stadium. They don't mess around with regular horizontal pass -- each pass is made in an effort to bring the ball towards goal. Direct soccer often involves tempo, pace, and quick counterattacking (but it doesn't always). It can involve punting the ball up the field to a fast poacher, but it's really more about intent of attacking the goal. With a possession system, you open up space by moving defenders through gradual passing. Direct soccer is a bit more "brute force", but it can still be very pretty when executed well.
The opposites of this scale (by MLS standards) come into play every time NYCFC and NJRB play at Yankee Stadium. NJRB is probably about a 1.5-2 on that scale when they play at Yankee Stadium, and NYCFC (home or away) is around a 3.5. It's not possession over *everything*, but it's a system that definitely values possession heavily.
It's important to note that even possession teams sometimes play direct. NYCFC plays a possession style, but Pirlo's through pass to Villa that he chested down for a goal -- that'd be considered a risky, direct pass.
(Edit for a coffee metaphor:
Possession soccer is this:
Very direct soccer is this:
Both can make both good and bad coffee, and it's not a qualitative judgement, really, but they value very different things.
Great post!
I'll add to say that I actually think we are more middle of the road when it comes to the direct-possession scale. If we were a 5, we would be near the top of the league in both possession and passing percentage. But in fact, we are first in possession but middle of the road in passing percentage. We accomplish this by being first in tackles per game, winning the ball back as soon as we lose it.
So I'm nitpicking, but I'd say we are more of a 2.5 or 3 than a 3.5. Mainly I just wanted to point out how much our press plays a role in our possession numbers as well, as opposed to just safe passing.
If you watch the replay and see how the FC players move at the kick, they are all clearly playing a zone. Mix's zone was the top of the box while 6 FC players collapsed deep to form a row at the 6yrd box (defending only 3 RSL players crashing towards the net). The player that should have covered the shooter once the ball was clearly destined for the far side was Hernandez since he was the outside most player defending - he does try to close him down, but it's too late once the ball is received.
As to one good play.... go back and rewatch the game - there are many. Mix is calm and cool on the ball and links up well moving it forward. Each of his headers was exactly the type of play his position is supposed to make - the flip side is Frank had 3 opportunities to ghost in and was too slow to reach any of them for a tap in.
I don't think that's nitpicking. On a global soccer scale, we're definitely closer to a 2.5. I might have overcorrected for MLS mentality. Mea culpa.
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