TFC's midfield > Crew midfield. Enough said. Jiminez and Tchani are average, Anor is above average. MF is our weak spot and when we go up against a stronger one it'll show. I really hated to lose against the syrup chuggers, but i'll take a 3-1 start. Why do we cross so much when no one is there to get on the end of them? That is not Oduro's game. Francis is extremely inconsistent. He makes a good read and intercepts a pass, then makes a good run all the way down field on a counter, then an absolute shit cross. Frustrating. MF needs to step it up especially Tchani and Jiminez
We looked sloppy and disorganized all game. I think we've looked like that at times in the previous 3 and just weren't punished for it. Tonight, we were. The good luck we had in the previous 3 was also gone. That crossbar save at the end was particularly frustrating. This is Berhalter's first real test. How does he get us back on track after that $#!tstorm?
Well, that was a nice kick in the jibblies. Fighting for a tie at home against TFC. Yeah, that's what I expected from the Crew this year :/ Every single player out there looked like Tony Tchani. Here's hoping the boys can rebound against the Earthquakes.
Usually i would launch into a diatribe against that gutless, spineless pathetic performance but Leicester were promoted today so I don't really give a monkeys ass about this game.
No, it wasn't that we were unlucky. The game plan in the first half failed miserably. The team created zero chances and struggled to even put two consecutive passes together. In the second half, the only idea was to cross, which was just dumb. The players were poor, and the tactics were poorer.
Terrible game, Toronto wanted it more. Should have gotten at least a point with Defoe out. Also, Oduro can't play up top. Better out wide.
I think Oduro can play up top if you try to link with the forward on the ground and pass through on the ground. Knocking in crosses isn't his game and doesn't use his strength.
I think when you dominate nearly every statistic except the score, you can't exactly blame the game plan. In both halves the Crew were in the Toronto area more than their own by quote a bit. They earned a lot of corners, got into the box quote a bit. They just couldn't find the finishing touch. Every team in the world has games like that.
Yeah, during the first half the commentators said possession was 62% to 38% for Columbus. I was shocked. Possession means nothing though when you have the ball in the middle third, and every time you enter the attacking third you give it away cheaply. And TFC isn't a possession team. When you play a team that either can't possess the ball or it isn't part of their tactical plan, winning the possession war doesn't mean much. TFC's possession stats so far this season: v Seattle - 32% v DC United - 38% v RSL - 40% v Columbus - 38%
The score is the only stat that counts. But we weren't going to win them all, were we? The key is how the team responds. I do think MF is a spot we can improve. The officiating was decent. I would not complain seeing more of this center.
I agree with Aaron d. Biggest concern for me is that Oduro had about 4 touches in the first half and that throughout the game we managed to get him the ball at his feet facing their goal once. All game we were putting bad cross after good cross into the box where we had zero chance of winning with our lack of strong aerial power. We had numbers in the box but no one that could make something happen. Hard to pick a man of the match so let me sleep on it.
I just think that TFC took the time to figure us out. And our midfield simply is not good enough. We need to work on finishing, we left so many chances begging. The offensive subs were great but it started to look like last season, in desperation mode. Bradley's goal was well taken, but that goal celebration was totally f**king classless, and he is now dead to me, even as a US player. Total garbage and no excuse. Their fans were all at the other end of the stadium and he knew that.
That just tells us that they take more of the chances. The Crew created enough to win today. Another day, they may have scored a few. I'll say that I have not been very impressed with Higuain so far in the two home games I've been to. I don't think he's passing well at all.