That is why I think it would be better to have a midfield of Thomas, Powers, LaBrocca and then put any of Hill/Serna/Cascio/Smith/Harbottle/Eloundou on the "wings" so they can get the ball with more space and facing the goal rather than receiving the ball with the opposing teams d-mid draped all over their back. Powers and LaBrocca can handle receiving a ball from Thomas facing away from goal and turn to distribute to any of those guys. To me it is a true 4-3-3 and would probably feature a lot of interchanging of positions by the attacking players, rather than our 4-2-3-1 where almost everything goes to the #10 and teams know if you disrupt that, then you have stopped our attack.
Couldn't agree more. For the 4-3-3 to succeed, it has to rely on TWO outlets to start the attack. Thomas is clearly the boss (el Patron) at DM, and I'm fine with another more defensively oriented midfielder to go along with a CAM, but that other holding guy has to be adept at moving the ball quickly and more importantly seizing the space given to him if the CAM tracks back to receive the ball but is marked tightly. I have not seen from Pablo in these three games what I was told to expect, and at this point I think either LaBrocca or Powers is a much better option there because while both can and will get stuck in, each can also get forward and distribute to ease the burden of Rivero/Hill/? in the CAM role. And to that point, I wouldn't mind seeing Jamie Smith get at run at CAM since I agree with any earlier poster that his technical ability in tight spaces is excellent. Good news is we have depth, bad news might be like the Nuggets with a bunch of good players but no superstar....at least not in attack (reserves judgement on Buddle to see if, once fit, he cares about scoring goals or is just coasting as he's done in the past)
Not saying it wouldn't work with right personnel, but I am frustrated with it on USMNT level. But no creator what else is there. Would really like to see a back 4 with Thomas that can defend without more help so we could have 2 offensive middies with 2 wings and CF.
I agree that you need the two outlets and thats where I think LaBrocca will fit quite nicely. He doesn't quite have the creativity of a CAM but he has the legs and the ability on the ball to fit nicely in a box-to-box role. On another note, I really have no idea who I'd want playing up top. No one that I've seen so far has looked effective apart from Brown in flashes.
Good on ya! Most Rapids fans are seeking something from Mastroeni that he never had to give. He has never been a "box to box" midfielder or a creative force. Mastroeni at his best was a pure destroyer. It is much easier to destroy than to create anything. At his age and injury status asking him to re-invent himself is folly as well as beyond his capacity. As you stated both Powers & LaBrocca are better options and should displace Mastroeni immediately. Currently Mastroeni's value to the team is in the locker room and a back-up for Thomas. If Bravo & Pareja are right, perhaps Harbottle & Eloundou will provide speed & danger from the flanks. Indeed, from reports both should be exciting additions to the side. Also, a healthy Buddle, Akpan & Brown provide big, strong hold-up options. Each has the power to deal with MLS CB's. For me, Harris is not a good fit & I question whether Martinez fits as well. Harris is a big body with a bad attitude and limited creativity. Martinez didn't see the importance of reporting fit.
Thanks for the synopses, folks. I didn't get a chance to watch this one, but from seeing the Rapids struggle in the past, I generally wonder what they're trying to do. Are they trying to march the ball up the field with short, high percentage passes? That seems really, really hard unless you're Barcelona. And even Barcelona won't hesitate to try to burn you with a deep run and pass if you play a high line and try to take away the midfield. I wonder if the Rapids are supposed to be playing more like a Mexican team? Not that they're all the same, but they seem to play somewhere in between a "walk it in" style and a kick-and-run style. There's often a long pass in there somewhere, someone trying a risky pass to the an aggressive run. Or they're sending a good long pass to the other side of the field to switch the attack. Of course they have players with pace and with the first touch to receive those passes such that they can make a move with it. In contrast the Rapids seem to be overly patient and don't have enough movement without the ball. So one player gets it, looks for another, passes, that player gets it, looks for another...it's all too methodical and slow and the defense has plenty of time to react. Too often it's like the Simpsons gag about soccer.
Personally, I'm willing to give the theoretical "1st team attackers" (pick 3 of Buddle, Eloundou, Harbottle, Hill and Cascio; forget Atiba Harris) 6 weeks together to mesh before I start judging anything about the team's progress. I know the team will use the Rivero injury as a reason to wait longer for things to mesh. I don't think I'll have that much patience, given the rather blase initial signs in preseason and the knowledge that the team's rebuilding process gave them ample time to find a suitable backup for Rivero. But I'll give it a shot. My leash would've been longer had this rebuilding happened last year. I do agree that Pablo should be getting minutes with the second team during the preseason, if for no other reason than to test out our other midfield possibilities. And I do think there are plenty of other reasons to go along with that one. But you do have to admit we've looked defensively more solid and better at maintaining our shape with him out there. Who knows if that'll hold true against teams not playing half their reserves, or in the case of SJ, their C and D teams. I'm not optimistic that it will hold true, but at the same time, I don't yet share the same enthusiasm of other posters here for the Powers/Labrocca/Sturgis midfield; we needed to see them play against more of the oppositions' starters.
in 4231 you need a big tall center forward / cam one box to box midfielder like vidal one defensive like cambiasso inler de rossi. you use the box to box to go up the central play. but the left back to left defensive mid to left cam triangles same on the other side. team has poetinal just need to mix up the midfield powers--thomas labro---pablo
Pretty much, yes. The first half of the first game against Portland saw what would be, on paper, close to the starting XI. Then, in the second half, you see the draft picks and the trialists and people who were mostly on the bench last year. Although DeShorn brown started the first half in the second two games, IIRC, which suggests that the coaching staff expects him to have a big role this year.
To me, this is a good question. It seems that there is minor to moderate concensus on this board that the second and third games (well, the first as well actually) of the series saw the first half with "starters" and a second half with "depth players". It seems a bit more mixed to me only because I am not sure OP has made final decisions on the midfield (esp. without Rivero) and at forwad as well. What I see is a lot of depth at mid and forward positions with a starting combination on opening day that could be any one of several scenarios. To be sure, Pickens, Calderon, Wynne, Moor, Thomas are all starters. There seem to be some good choices after that (most esp. LaBrocca) around the pitch but I have no idea what the majority of the rest will look like. Sure I have opinions like others, but reality is, these friendlies pretty much showed that there are a lot of options for the Rapids for the attack and nothing seems set in stone. Both goals scored in the second half by plays involving possible "non-starters". I'm not sure what Bravo and OP are thinking right now.
Soaker makes good points. No doubt OP, Bravo, Dir, and Cabrera will have a lot to talk about back in Denver before the Las Vegas trip. Myself, I keep coming back to the question of the back 4. I think Mullan looked better at Right Back than Wynne did; but I don't see how we can leave Wynne on the bench because his speed on defense saves our bacon so often. I think they'll have to experiment with Calderón at Left Back-- I don't think anyone impressed at LB in the last three games, anyway. Perhaps we'll see a back four of Calderon-Wynne-Moor-Mullan.
This exactly, where are the runs. Lots of new pieces up front but the attack goes no where if no one is making runs to create space and pressure defense to react.
That's a tricky one though because I think Calderon has been very good at CB so far - certainly he and Moor seem to be an upgrade over the Wynne / Moor pairing last year. Don't think Moor is fast enough to play the type of overlapping RB Pareja wants, and I think Mullan still needs time to figure it out. I'm one who believes you absolutely build from the spine, and would rather have outside back be a work in progress than weaken the center by moving Calderon. I actually think Kindle looked decent...
Yeah, there's definitely promise there. I felt he was trying to do too much in his appearances. His cross to Brown was killer, though. I don't think he's quite ready to start.
From what I saw, I don't think I want to move Calderon from CB, especially if we are playing a team that is going to be physical (just about anybody). He brought a certain nastiness that Moor, Wynne, and Marshall missed last year. Maybe if Drew and Marvell are practicing with him, they will begin to pick up there physicality too and we therefore could move him to LB, but I'm still not convinced that Mullan is a good option on the right. When things are moving fast he starts positioning himself and pressuring guys like a RM rather than a RB. I don't know if the real games are where we want him to be retraining his brain.
Unfortunately with Kindle, Klute, and Wallace it may not be a question of who is ready to start, but who is closest. Same thing with Wynne and Mullan on the right.
we have to remember wynne hasn't had to think like a right back in a long long time. but i think we need to have the boys watch chelsea / newcastle / real madrid / dortmund to really see how 4231 should be played.
I don't think this team needs any lessons on how to score on itself, nor on how to lose to a team that took no shots in 90 minutes, nor how to fall 16 points off the pace
I find it difficult to draw conclusions about the defense v. Last year or between halves. The opposition didn't exactly trot out their best. The halves also add up as; first half group 0 goals 2 against, 2nd half group 2 goals for and 2 against.