I thought Alex Dixon played pretty well. And Warren Creavalle seemed solid as always. I was much more impressed with Calum Elliot this time around. His movement and linking up was nice, and he big bodied those central defenders the whole time. And he scored.
Johnson looks better than the earlier games I've seen from him. I still think he will be mostly watching from the sidelines this season, but he had some good flashes in the half. I liked Camargo's impact, Moffat had a couple of good long through balls much like the Cup assist to Calen which was nice to see. Song'o was highly involved, but not amazing.
Senior roster: one or two - depends on whether Deric's new contract is on budget Off Budget: one of two - same dependency above. So at most three, with either one on budget and two off budget or vice verse. The real issue will be money. If we sign one on budget it will have to be a bargain, if we sign two on budget we are talking SUPER bargain. * In my calculation, I assume we will not use spots 29 and 30 in order to receive the allocation money for leaving the spots blank.
First half thoughts: Johnson kind of floated in and out of the game. He is definitely going to have to work on his work rate but you definitely see the flashes that he is capable of. He'll be a great option off the bench if we are behind late. Songo'o has been disappointing but he still probably needs to gel with a new team. So far not a fan. Elliot on the other hand has looked very impressive despite the little time to gel with the team. His work rate is just what Dom wants from a forward. Camargo looks good. I like Camargo though so I am a little biased. Moffat solid as always. Dixon floated in and out much like Johnson, really that has always been his MO though consistency is what he struggles with but he is giving good effort. Chabala made some key tackles and wasn't bad per-say but he didn't look good either. Taylor was calm and strong in the back. Brunner looks like a good third centerback option. I don't think he will push either Taylor or Boswell for a starting spot. Creavalle I like but his passing can be a little suspect at times. Defensively he may make a mistake but has the quickness to recover and tackles really well.
We kind of need to sign Arena due to our lack of CB's. Well not necessarily Arena but someone to cover when Taylor is on international duty.
Kinda late but..Anyone notice how Johnson and Elliot didn’t even look at each other after their first minute link up goal? Johnson just walked back to our half while the team congratulated Elliot. Maybe Johnson was just really focused and they later acknowledged each other from a distance.
If you call your rep, you can usually pay to get involved. The cost varies, since they're usually tied to charities (i.e., Calen's Big Play, Brad's Brigade, etc.) and normal fans usually buy a package including a freebie t-shirt/scarf/whatever, a meet & greet, and a donor ticket to someone in the charity. For example, to go to the Brad's Brigade deal, the donor ticket went to a service member or their family. IIRC, Brad's Brigade had different rates for STH since you weren't buying your own separate seat, but the rest were the same as non-STH. At any rate, it could all change this year. I mostly do it for the charitable causes than anything else; the meet & greets aren't really much to write home about. Instead of a free signing at a random JC Penny at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, it's in the BBVA concourse after a game.
I just got an email from my ticket rep, the "play on the pitch" event is scheduled for 2/9 from 10-12. Woo-hoo! I hope Dom will be scouting!
That's the day of Fan Fest. 12-4 I wonder if I show up at 10, will they have a checklist for that or just scarf for admission.
My email about the "play on the pitch" was just a note from my rep, she called it a "heads up" and said there would be more details next week. The Fan Fest email was separate but not very detailed either. But aparently Fan Fest isn't just a STH's event, because it specifies that STHs will be given a tour of the locker rooms, and that individual game tix will go on sale there, something not really exciting for most STHs.
My assessment of the Vancouver game today: Played well: Sarkodie, Chabala, Camargo, Barnes, Boswell, Arena Played ok: Song'o, Dixon, Moffat, Elliot, Creavalle, Hall, Nealis Played poorly: JJ, Marscheider, Ching, Taylor, Nic Ryan, Weaver, Watson, Smith Verdict: We really need another forward option if Cummings/Carr are going to be injury concerns all year. I have a feeling Dom is going to give Weaver more playing time this year. He didn't do all that well today, but he has been pretty consistent through most of the preseason and tore up the reserve league last year.
It was an option (among several) for those that reupped their season tickets by November, IIRC. My daughter 'demanded' that I pick that one. So... we got the email for the 'play on the pitch' also. Tiffani stated at least a couple more emails would be coming out with more details. What a crappy time for my left knee to be acting up...
If we're going to be leaning on Weaver to score goals for us this year in league play, God help us all.. Also, if we could sign one of Songo'o, Chewie or Elliott I think I'd go with Elliott. I didn't get to see his first match where apparently he was poor, but I saw the last 2 in their entirety and I think he clearly brings something to the table. I know he's still a striker in the mold of Chingy or Bruin but I think Ching can't do anything for us this year and Elliott has pretty reasonable speed and a very nice shot. His physicality seems through the roof which is to be expected of an SPL player. I had high hopes for Songo'o, but he was downright abysmal the majority of the time I saw him. I feel like he's one of those guys who has deluded himself into thinking he's a FK specialist...when he ain't. He didn't show much speed to beat players when he thought he could, and he didn't combine well enough. When he was moved into the center of midfield I thought he looked better (this last game), but not good enough to displace Boniek, Barnes, Moffat or Rico. Others I like and think are worth a shot: Arena - He surprised me with his composure and distribution. I wish he had been tested a little more defensively so that I could see how he handled that, but he seems capable as a 4th CB option. Camargo and especially Barnes I thought looked great this week. I still shake my head in awe that Adam Moffat will likely be starting for us at CM. I just think he's a complete liability because he doesn't even have the base amount of athleticism to make a different in transition and it kills our attack. I hate it, actually.