SKC Postmatch

[Schwallacus]

Shout-out to Ibeagha for coming on and getting some blocks and clearances after Chanot got his red. Only played a few minutes but helped clear up some loose balls around the box and saw he got at least one shot block. Not sure if it's dependable as a starter material, but a good 5 minute sub showing nonetheless.

 

[SoupInNYC]

About those time-wasting yellows Geiger gave Medina and Johnson. They were cheap. It sucks we got them. But I think Geiger will be positively graded for giving them out.
PRO and MLS have 4 points of emphasis going into the season.

• visual dissent
• holding and pushing in the goal area
• persistent infringement
• delaying a restart

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/02/new-host-new-format-new-instant-replay-2018?autoplay=true
As part of the last point, Wiebe also says we should expect refs to add more extra time.

From the games I saw, the only evidence that refs were following any of this were that it did seem more extra minutes were being added than usual, and Geiger booked NYCFC twice for delayed restarts. This might be why Geiger is reportedly rated highly. He simply follows the damn memos about the TPS reports that everyone else ignores.

I find the majority of time-wasting cards given to goalkeepers to be very undeserving. That was not egregious by Sean Johnson. And then take that and compare it to what Steffen did last year in Leg 2.

 

[Ulrich]

About those time-wasting yellows Geiger gave Medina and Johnson. They were cheap. It sucks we got them. But I think Geiger will be positively graded for giving them out.
PRO and MLS have 4 points of emphasis going into the season.

• visual dissent
• holding and pushing in the goal area
• persistent infringement
• delaying a restart

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/03/02/new-host-new-format-new-instant-replay-2018?autoplay=true
As part of the last point, Wiebe also says we should expect refs to add more extra time.

From the games I saw, the only evidence that refs were following any of this were that it did seem more extra minutes were being added than usual, and Geiger booked NYCFC twice for delayed restarts. This might be why Geiger is reportedly rated highly. He simply follows the damn memos about the TPS reports that everyone else ignores.

I have zero issues with yellows for delaying restarts, but considering refs always stop throw ins and free kicks for being inches too far forward, it was a bit much to stomach that the SKC player was trying to do the quick restart by moving the ball farther forward around Medina. Call the play both ways, and if the restart is not taken where the fouls was committed, the ref should slow the play down by forcing a restart rather than the defender putzing with the ball.

 

[SoupInNYC]

Trying not to echo too much of what has already been said here:

• I'm not worried about Villa at all. He's never had that sprinting speed, but he is still quick in the attacking third. We don't need him to win sprints.
• Medina was fantastic. When he switched to the left side however, he became a bit invisible. But I'm not certain if that was due to his play or how we build up with Tinnerholm at RB now. Wallace didn't seem to get too involved on the left side either.
• I was ragging on Sweat all night last night, he was atrocious. Until he made that amazing run and assist into Medina. That was such an unbelievable play. But outside of that, I thought he was very poor.
• I think Tinnerholm is going to turn into one of my favorite players this year.
• Ring is still a stud and it was great having Chanot back out there.
• Herrera was poor, but I'm confident that he can clean it up. And if he doesn't? Bring in Ofori. Great to have actual depth this year.
• Maxi was really, really good. So key to this team.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I have zero issues with yellows for delaying restarts, but considering refs always stop throw ins and free kicks for being inches too far forward, it was a bit much to stomach that the SKC player was trying to do the quick restart by moving the ball farther forward around Medina. Call the play both ways, and if the restart is not taken where the fouls was committed, the ref should slow the play down by forcing a restart rather than the defender putzing with the ball.

I didn't mind the yellow on Medina (which my nickname I came up with last night for him is simply "The Carpenter"). I do take issue with the yellow on Johnson, especially since it didn't appear as though he was given any prior warning.

 

[Ulrich]

I didn't mind the yellow on Medina (which my nickname I came up with last night for him is simply "The Carpenter"). I do take issue with the yellow on Johnson, especially since it didn't appear as though he was given any prior warning.

Agreed, Medina deserved the Yellow. My point was that if you’re gonna take a quick kick, then take it at the spot of the infraction, not off to the side or advanced, otherwise the ref should bring it back.

 

[S1ARK5]

Great first game perfromance, and as someone said above, it was not perfect but who expected perfect? It got the job done and on the road against a good SKC team, perfect way to start the season.

The Good:

Ring: He is, to me at least, the most important piece of the starting XI. When he is on his game, as he was tonight, the guy is an absolute DESTROYER, and his Don't Give AF attitude is sorely needed to be able to do the job he has to do. His tracking back, his motor, and his offensive skills in addition to what he brings on the defensive side, his passing, and he has a decent shot, the dude is amazing. As long as he stays healthy, our defense will be very good.

Sean Johnson: Again, very good game from him, it feels good to have a solid GK. Great save on that FK shot that he tipped into the cross bar, great reflexes, good presence in the box, big-strong, and the dude is fearless. Glad he is on our team!

Chanot/Callens: Notice how many crosses SKC had tonight, around 25, that tells you that Ring and the CB's were not having none of it when it came to the middle. So what do teams do? They rely on crosses. They were very good in the air, and had a great presence in front of SeanJohn.

Ben Sweat - Very solid, great motor, fast wheels, and that assist to Medina was awesome. What a find he has been.

Tinnerholm - Overall very solid, very good game for him in a tough environment, on the road, first MLS, couldnt ask for more. He ran the flanks well, was assertive in his runs, and was a threat which SKC had to keep an eye on.

Maxi - I am not the biggest Maxi fan, I thought he was a bit overrated by fans and media last season but a very solid game from him, and the goal was icing on the cake. Good vision, kept the play moving forward which is the most important thing for him at his position. Hopefully he feels more comfortable and can continue this type of play.

Ibeagha: Limited minutes but I am excited to see this guy play more. He seems to have a real strong presence out there, and came up with a few key headers away from the box. Good vertical. I think he is a real sleeper and we could have ourselves a tremendous pick up.

Medina: Again, great run, great first touch for his goal, great finish. Excited to see more of him.

Wallace: Won't show up on the stat sheets but a very solid effort for Wallace, who ran non stop and was a pest to SKC.


The BAD:

Herrera: A completely lazy game from him. Too many stupid turnovers, his distribution was very sub par, don't know what has gotten into him. Maybe after last year, his head got big, I don't know. But he needs to do better, especially in the Mid. He is talented, so it is there, but man I see a lot of lazy characteristics in him.

GOOD/BAD:

Villa: I know it is one game, and just because we criticize him for a subpar performance, doesn't mean we fans are ungrateful regarding what he has done for NYCFC. But we need him to be better. He knows it too.

Too many bad shots, too many subpar decisions. But again Villa being Villa, all it takes is one or two plays and he does things like that first goal. I am not worried about him at all. The guy is awesome, love his attitude, and if he starts clicking like we know he could and this team continues this type of play, and we can play with any team in MLS, anywhere.

Overall, great game, great 3 points, should be fun versus the Galaxy, as they are much improved as well. Missing Chanot will be big, but Alesendrini is also hurt for LAG (Hamstring) so should be fun.

 

[S1ARK5]

Just watched on delay. Great start. Never in serious danger but we do need to hold onto the ball late and kill the game better.

Medina strong
Maxi strong
Chanot was studly. Red was soft but not criminal
Yangel not so good. Looked winded and bad giveaways
Sweat justified his inclusion
Callens and Ring their usual selves
Tinnerholm a major upgrade
Rodney neutral
Villa mixed (for him)

Salloi and Croizet were the only factors for them.
Zusi sucks
Meola sucks
Dellacamera sucks slightly less (learn the names of the defenders on both sides, ffs!)

No major complaints here. This was a radically different experience than we saw in preseason.

Again, preseason in MLS, as with other sports, is completely meaningless when it comes to results. Its about conditioning and tweaking things around to the new talent that was brought in during the off season.

 

[Marito]

Since nobody has mentioned it, and to mark the official start of the "puzzling exclusion of JLew from the 18" season, I will say I didn't like Tajouri's performance as a sub. He has skill and he seems to be a good dribbler, but he doesn't tackle and seems quite slow moving, not the kind of player you insert as a sub for your fastest attacker when the other team is all-out attacking you. Obviously JLew would have been great running the counter into all that empty space. Tajouri seems more appropriate for cramped quarters such as YS.

 

[The Toe]

We are so lucky to have Sean Johnson. He was amazing last night. Opara's cheap run into him, reaction saves, commanding his defense -- he's so comfortable, even when Chanot is whipping balls back on-frame to him. He was cool, calm and collected.

I'd like to see Sweat bunch inside for the next game and let Mata run around on the left to see where he is. I had some really high hopes for him since 2016 and I can't really say he's met them. I wonder if we'd be smart to move him before his stock continues to plummet.

Maxi may have been the best #10 in the league this weekend, and Wallace had a very effective game. Lots of surprises, but quality we should expect every week.

 

[Ulrich]

We are so lucky to have Sean Johnson. He was amazing last night. Opara's cheap run into him, reaction saves, commanding his defense -- he's so comfortable, even when Chanot is whipping balls back on-frame to him. He was cool, calm and collected.

I'd like to see Sweat bunch inside for the next game and let Mata run around on the left to see where he is. I had some really high hopes for him since 2016 and I can't really say he's met them. I wonder if we'd be smart to move him before his stock continues to plummet.

Maxi may have been the best #10 in the league this weekend, and Wallace had a very effective game. Lots of surprises, but quality we should expect every week.

I’m still amazed that Opara didn’t get a yellow - there was zero intent to play the ball and his horizontal jump, with his head down, was a conscious or unconscious attempt to injure - I say that because it was obvious he was late to the play, and any attacker looking to play the ball with their feet always pulls out of the challenge if it’s obvious they’re late, otherwise it’s an auto yellow; Opara’s shoulder to Johnson’s sternum was incredibly dangerous.

 

[Kangaroo Jack]

I’m still amazed that Opara didn’t get a yellow - there was zero intent to play the ball and his horizontal jump, with his head down, was a conscious or unconscious attempt to injure - I say that because it was obvious he was late to the play, and any attacker looking to play the ball with their feet always pulls out of the challenge if it’s obvious they’re late, otherwise it’s an auto yellow; Opara’s shoulder to Johnson’s sternum was incredibly dangerous.

Ehh it was only slightly late in my opinon. they basically go to the ball at the exact same time.

 

[Gotham Gator]

I admit it was close, but the goalie had two hands on the ball when Opara clattered into him.

 

[Kangaroo Jack]

I admit it was close, but the goalie had two hands on the ball when Opara clattered into him.

i was more responding to him having "zero intent to play the ball"

 

[mgarbowski]

The Audi Index for this game is like none I have ever seen. [insert standard Audi index shortcoming disclaimer here]
https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/m...ng-kansas-city-vs-new-york-city-fc/audi-index
NYC won 2-0, but SKC outscored NYC on the Audi index by almost 1,000 points. SKC had the top 2 index scores (Gutierrez and Zusi) [repeat Audi disclaimer/add Zusi disclaimer]. It wasn't really close. Villa had our top Audi score despite no goal. NYC had 3 players with a negative score (Wallace, Matarrita and Wallace). If you take away Medina's goal his score was negative 137.
Some of this was a disciplinary imbalance. We had 3 yellows and a red to nothing for SKC. But a lot of this, I think, was how weakly we played for the last 35 minutes or so. I never saw an Audi score so imbalanced in favor of a team that lost by anything like 2-0.

Also, SKC ended up with more xG than we did, though not by much. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...-forever-orange-purple-resilience-more-week-1

 

[Gotham Gator]

The Audi Index for this game is like none I have ever seen. ...
SKC had the top 2 index scores (Gutierrez and Zusi)

Obviously, the Audi index does not measure being outrun by Ben Sweat by 20 yards in a blind sprint.

ETA: If SKC had higher expected goals than NYC in that game, it was only through the accumulation of massive numbers of really bad shot attempts - 18 shots, 3 on target.

 

[Ulrich]

i was more responding to him having "zero intent to play the ball"

Don’t get me wrong, when he saw the ball lofted into the box, he intended to go for a header, but his horizontal jump coupled with his head down is not an indication of trying to make contact with the ball. Johnson caught the ball well above Opara’s Head, and had he missed he catch, Opara would not have headed it.

 

[dummyrun]

The Audi Index for this game is like none I have ever seen. [insert standard Audi index shortcoming disclaimer here]
https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/m...ng-kansas-city-vs-new-york-city-fc/audi-index
NYC won 2-0, but SKC outscored NYC on the Audi index by almost 1,000 points. SKC had the top 2 index scores (Gutierrez and Zusi) [repeat Audi disclaimer/add Zusi disclaimer]. It wasn't really close. Villa had our top Audi score despite no goal. NYC had 3 players with a negative score (Wallace, Matarrita and Wallace). If you take away Medina's goal his score was negative 137.
Some of this was a disciplinary imbalance. We had 3 yellows and a red to nothing for SKC. But a lot of this, I think, was how weakly we played for the last 35 minutes or so. I never saw an Audi score so imbalanced in favor of a team that lost by anything like 2-0.

Also, SKC ended up with more xG than we did, though not by much. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...-forever-orange-purple-resilience-more-week-1

As much as I love soccer analytics, I've never seen a statistical player rating system that was worth a damn. I'd give Zusi a player rating of and Villa a .

 

[S1ARK5]

As much as I love soccer analytics, I've never seen a statistical player rating system that was worth a damn. I'd give Zusi a player rating of and Villa a .

Zusi has had a meteoric drop to his play from 3-4 years ago. He just flat out sucks now. Good for us, like last night, but geesh. Same with Besler, although in my opinion, not as a dramatic drop as Zusi.

 

[LionNYC]

I am not worried about Villa being run down from behind by a younger guy in a 50-yard sprint. Not as long as he can pull off that cut back against a guy like Opara and beat him to the end line to lay off a pinpoint pass.

Sweat surprised with his speed twice last night. One when he blew last Zusi and set up the second goal, and once when he couldn’t run slower than Villa on the breakaway to end the half.

You couldn't see it on TV, but at the stadium Melia was playing really high up. He was typically between the midfield line and the top of the 18 yard box when SKC has possession. Whenever Villa got a ball from a turnover in midfield, many of us were yelling "SHOOT!"