So who starts at GK in the playoffs?

Who starts for us between the sticks?


  • Total voters
    49
Vieira said he started because of the hard work he's put in week after week and because he promised him a start. Take that as you will.
Or Eirik came up to him before the game, hey chief.. You promised me a start.
PV - ... Oh my.. Last game of the season. I can't start you now. The forums would go nuts!
Eirik-
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I think this is true of so many of the things we debate on personnel, lineup changes, tactics, roster decisions, etc. Like everyone, I have opinions on every decision the team makes.

However, when we are watching from the outside and trying to decide what is "right", we can construct a narrative for both sides of most any debate because we are basing it on something like 25% actual information (and even that is subject to interpretation and many of us often disagree and interpret differently what we see on the field) and 75% filling in the grey space for what we don't know. For that 75%, we could all come up with a whole variety of explanations that sound credible, and which of them one assumes to be true often significantly tilts the conclusion.

I guess that is why, even when I get frustrated when PV keeps running Hernandez/White out at RB and playing Allen on the left, completely cuts Mix out of the team, etc., I do give him a lot of deference because he is presumably better at interpreting the 25% of stuff that I think I know, and inevitably has as more complete picture of the 75%.

But, I'll still keep coming here, making videos, etc. complaining about some of the decisions because its fun.
Totally agree. And respect the opinions/explanations people voice.

I just get a bit annoyed when those opinions enter into the hyperbole of phrases like "there is no logical reason ..."

Ah well. Internets.
 
This game was only the most important game of the season because we shit the bed in the actual most important game of the season the week before. We could have contended for the #1 spot in the east (and auto CCL spot) could have locked up 2nd spot that week. In that game, Saunders, while using his hands, lost the ball to a player only using his feet, and gave up a goal.

I think the switch makes perfect sense after seeing how bad saunders was in what was basically a playoff game. I expect Eirik this week.
 
Totally agree. And respect the opinions/explanations people voice.

I just get a bit annoyed when those opinions enter into the hyperbole of phrases like "there is no logical reason ..."

Ah well. Internets.
I respect your opinion, but with all of the data points out there and game results, it is not hyperbole to say "there is no logical reason." I'm sure there are plenty of illogical reasons, but when many of us said from the absolute beginning that we'd see X, Y, Z each and every game from Saunders, and then we all actually see it, it is not hyperbole any longer - it's actually astute analysis of a players abilities and shortcomings.
 
I respect your opinion, but with all of the data points out there and game results, it is not hyperbole to say "there is no logical reason." I'm sure there are plenty of illogical reasons, but when many of us said from the absolute beginning that we'd see X, Y, Z each and every game from Saunders, and then we all actually see it, it is not hyperbole any longer - it's actually astute analysis of a players abilities and shortcomings.
But I think there are some logical reasons, such as NYCFC_Dan pointed out. Ultimately, I'm with you and JayH on this one and I think there isn't a chance he starts Johansen in that last game with the bye week importance riding on it, if he isn't going to consider playing him in the playoffs.

Additionally, Johansen had a good game. I know we are probably viewing his performance slightly biased because we wanted him to play well over Saunders, and I know that there are some things he could have done better, but I came away from this game without having a handful of legit screwups off the top of my head by our GK.

But I also think Dan brought up some good points, and that it isn't illogical if PV has the same view point (no matter how frustrated I will be with that decision, haha).
 
the important last game was a test maybe? it was a game that mattered and could of altered our playoff place. not the same pressure as a playoff game but still close to it.

people around me kept saying "saunders would of let that go in" or " saunders would not of saved that" any time Johanssen did a save or a stop.
 
Thats a weird takeaway from your neighbors, because if Saunders does one thing above average its his shot stopping.
I guess you were reaching for your beer when the shot from 40yrds out bounced in front of Saunders and over his arm for a goal?

The guy makes *some* nice saves at times, but with a 60% save versus shots faced percentage, it's hard to argue shot stopping is above average. He's still in the bottom rung of the league.
 
I guess you were reaching for your beer when the shot from 40yrds out bounced in front of Saunders and over his arm for a goal?

The guy makes *some* nice saves at times, but with a 60% save versus shots faced percentage, it's hard to argue shot stopping is above average. He's still in the bottom rung of the league.
And his shot-stopping on shots he does stop quite often "looks" nice as he has to make more acrobatic saves due to being out of position.
 
Probably the same people who were chanting We Want Poku when he wasn't in the 18. :rolleyes:
Well.... those people chanting that would not be wrong - the fact they wanted Poku (and made it audibly known) is independent of whether Poku was available.
 
Well.... those people chanting that would not be wrong - the fact they wanted Poku (and made it audibly known) is independent of whether Poku was available.
We're! Expressing! A Preference!
We're! Expressing! A Preference!
We're! Expressing! A Preference!
 
people around me kept saying "saunders would of let that go in" or " saunders would not of saved that" any time Johanssen did a save or a stop.

I can think of two specific saves:
1. The breakaway about 4-5 minutes into the game, Lurch got down low to push it wide. Not sure 1) Saunders is that well positioned or 2) he gets down that quickly.
2. The ridiculous kick save with his legs in the second half. No way Mr. Panic recovers that quickly, he goes down and flops.

As far as the goal, yes he could have done better but that goal is on Iraola losing Kamara off his back shoulder.
 
Taking all emotion out of it...

We've seen the best and worst of Josh. I doubt I have ever said said holy shit, what a save!!! He has never done anything really spectacular IMO, but he does makes a majority of the stoppable shots though....Even though he does have a flair for the dramatics, making routine saves looks more difficult than they are. We know what we have with him and some could argue he's better than Eirik. That said, I think it's close enough to play the guy that has the most upside. It's a bad coaching decision not to honestly. I can see PV not making the change, but I truly hope he has the balls to do it. I look at a storied franchise like Milan starting a 17 year old Donnarumma and he's been ridiculous in goal. You got to have the courage to make a move like that. Kreis would play it safe and start Saunders. He's gone. Time for PV to put his big boy pants on and do what's best. Eirik started with the MC academy at 16. Time to put him in. It's not that big of a gamble and the upside with him is so much more than with Saunders.
 
I'm trying to find the exact quote, but IIRC Vieira said he wanted to start Johansen early on in the year. I believe it was back in May, coincidentally against Toronto coming off short rest. However Saunders had a great game against Portland and kept his spot because he couldn't justify taking him out.
 
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