USOC - May 10 - Cincinnati (Away)

If this is the worst it gets -- a mid-table team, that's pretty good. Best record in MLS from 2016-2022, that was never going to last forever. If this is the rebuilding year, it's a pretty decent rebuilding year. Hopefully we can make some signings in the summer to complete the roster and go on a run, but if not -- and if this is the worst it gets, we're pretty fortunate.

fortunate by the standings.... unfortunate with what we see on the field. and damn, what a waste of some talented players.
 
The round of 32 is almost over and basically what we are seeing is:

1. Home teams won.
2. Away teams won if it was a MLS team against a lower division side.
3. Sorry New England Revs.

So you had a NYCFC team who had to travel and with a game on the weekend against a Cincy team with no weekend game. Result: NYCFC rotates while Cincy plays a lot of its starters and a predictable result. See #1 above.

This is why the open cup is a weak tournament. The draw determines more than anything else. Even Cohiba Don is shitting on this tournament.

Last year orlando played every game at home and won the whole thing. This year - they travel to Charlotte. See #1 above.

NYCFC better not lose on Saturday. Enough.
 
The round of 32 is almost over and basically what we are seeing is:

1. Home teams won.
2. Away teams won if it was a MLS team against a lower division side.
3. Sorry New England Revs.

So you had a NYCFC team who had to travel and with a game on the weekend against a Cincy team with no weekend game. Result: NYCFC rotates while Cincy plays a lot of its starters and a predictable result. See #1 above.

This is why the open cup is a weak tournament. The draw determines more than anything else. Even Cohiba Don is shitting on this tournament.

Last year orlando played every game at home and won the whole thing. This year - they travel to Charlotte. See #1 above.

NYCFC better not lose on Saturday. Enough.

It's a really hard tournament to take seriously. Just get through it, treat it like a glorified exhibition game, and move on to more important games.
 
The round of 32 is almost over and basically what we are seeing is:

1. Home teams won.
2. Away teams won if it was a MLS team against a lower division side.
3. Sorry New England Revs.

So you had a NYCFC team who had to travel and with a game on the weekend against a Cincy team with no weekend game. Result: NYCFC rotates while Cincy plays a lot of its starters and a predictable result. See #1 above.

This is why the open cup is a weak tournament. The draw determines more than anything else. Even Cohiba Don is shitting on this tournament.

Last year orlando played every game at home and won the whole thing. This year - they travel to Charlotte. See #1 above.

NYCFC better not lose on Saturday. Enough.
Good roundup. I'm surprised you didn't include a potshot at our lovable neighbors with the cheesesteaks. Looked like they were going to reverse their MLS Cup result. Dramatic equalizer. Then closing it all out in the PKs.

Well, not that last bit.
 
Good roundup. I'm surprised you didn't include a potshot at our lovable neighbors with the cheesesteaks. Looked like they were going to reverse their MLS Cup result. Dramatic equalizer. Then closing it all out in the PKs.

Well, not that last bit.

You mean the arrogant brothers to the south who lost two trophies in a week in multiple ways: a blowout and an incredible comeback(s) to lose in penalties?

Hard to not include that…
 
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Team is incomplete, but the set piece incompetence, lack of cohesion, and no plan for the last 20 yards are coaching problems.
Nick is not getting a fair shake with this roster but he’s still failing at what he can control.
If this is the worst it gets -- a mid-table team, that's pretty good. Best record in MLS from 2016-2022, that was never going to last forever. If this is the rebuilding year, it's a pretty decent rebuilding year. Hopefully we can make some signings in the summer to complete the roster and go on a run, but if not -- and if this is the worst it gets, we're pretty fortunate.
I think both of these are generally right. In spite of all the complaints around here, most other clubs not named LAFC would swap rosters with us in a heartbeat.

The team hasn't played well the past couple of games, and it's a bummer, but MLS roster rules don't allow for 34 games of excellence. There's no reason to think that we won't have stretches of excellence to balance this out and make the playoffs comfortably.
 
Wearing a really big tinfoil hat. The Round of 16 draw is happening now. Red Bulls are 1H and FC Cincinnati are 1A. So if we would have won and the balls would have been drawn the same way, it would have been another NYCFC away at Red Bulls for the 4th consecutive time in the Open Cup...
 
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I think both of these are generally right. In spite of all the complaints around here, most other clubs not named LAFC would swap rosters with us in a heartbeat.

The team hasn't played well the past couple of games, and it's a bummer, but MLS roster rules don't allow for 34 games of excellence. There's no reason to think that we won't have stretches of excellence to balance this out and make the playoffs comfortably.
And for the record I mostly agree with ZYanksRule ZYanksRule also.
 
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I think both of these are generally right. In spite of all the complaints around here, most other clubs not named LAFC would swap rosters with us in a heartbeat.

The team hasn't played well the past couple of games, and it's a bummer, but MLS roster rules don't allow for 34 games of excellence. There's no reason to think that we won't have stretches of excellence to balance this out and make the playoffs comfortably.
I have the feeling this is going to turn out to be the toughest stretch of the entire season. Maybe the toughest stretch of a bloc of four or five seasons. We're in a transition -- I hate to call it rebuilding -- and just have to navigate our way through.

All things considered, we're not in that bad a shape. It's just frustrating on a game-to-game basis. Really frustrating.
 
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Can anyone either point me to highlights or confirm whether the Vazquez goal was off a corner? It's ridiculous that there are no highlights on MLS, or US Soccer, or Golazo network, or Youtube, and barely any game recaps anywhere.
 
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