Post-match: Los Angeles Galaxy - San Jose Earthquakes Western Conf. Semi Game 1 (Sun., 11/4) postgame thread [R]

Let's not count our chickens before they hatch, folks. 90 more minutes . . .

 

I can understand Frank's tactics down in the ass end of California but when we get the filth up here we need to exploit their tired legs with speed, four matches in 12 days is bound to take a toll on you. We must press them from the opening whistle, make them run the field the entire game. Little Brusey screwed up when he left his starters in for the whole match, we have to punish him for that mistake on Wednesday.

 

Other thing to note is the three Quakes players and only 1 Galaxy player crashing the net for the rebound. Rest of the Galaxy players are watching. If Saunders had blocked it, Sr. Gordon or Dawkins would've been there to pounce on the rebound.

 

Dear Corrales,
Thank you for your many years of devoted service, you can retire now with dignity.

 

Yeah, pretty much. It's been open season on Lionheart most of the year. To his credit, Salazar was reasonably even handed. When he called the foul and free kick for us late that led to the game winner, you could see that he wasn't happy about it, but he had just given the filth a free kick for a much more questionable foul at our end, so he had to give us the foul and free kick.

I do think that the filth should have earned two or three yellow cards at least. Juninho could easily have been sent off, but whatever. WE WON!!!!!!

GOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!
F#$% el-lay!!!

- Mark

 

Not only did the call lead to the game winner, it also lead to the game Whiners!

 

Yeah, el-lay players were flagged at the end of the match. So we should be able to run them into the ground. A big part of the reason that we score a lot late in games is that we're just in better shape than our enemies. We wear them out, and when they begin to have trouble keeping pace, we score. I want to see Frank start Shea and Chavez. Their speed will wear the filth out quickly. And you're right. How stupid is Il Bruce to leave all of his starters in the match? We started making subs and he didn't counter at all. That shirt grab on Dawkins was inevitable. They were either going to foul us, or give up a goal or two. Dumb!

I'm glad Salazar didn't fall for most of whiny Narcissus's falling on the ground and crying about being fouled. What a tosser! And he's lost a step or two. He wasn't playing up to par last night.

Let's crush them on Wednesday!!!
GO QUAKES!!!
F#$% el-lay!!!!

- Mark

 

It's like the sun rising - the poor postgame sportmanship from Quakes opponents. Besides all the whining about the foul that led to the free kick (come on, the story there is not the foul - the story is the colossal failure to prevent a goal on a free kick from 35-40 yards out), there was this one from Bruce:

Arena did take a jab at the Earthquakes in his postgame comments: “A little bit of a fresher team came at us hard," he said. "You saw what they looked like in the second half. They were the ones falling on the floor, taking players out with cramps and all. Maybe the pace wasn't to their liking."

 

Totally agree. I think this is Frank's plan. He learned from 2003 and 2005. Both times we went down to LA and played a little too open and came away with loses. In 2003, it took a game of the century to win it, but we went out with a wimper in 2005.

LA is a better team than earlier in the year when we beat them 3-2 in LA. If we had tried to press them and open up the game in LA, it could have been tough on the return leg (especially with Gordan being hurt).

The time to press them is in their third game in a week on a smaller field.

 

More likely it was that our guys didn't like getting fouled from behind repeatedly.

No respect for il Bruce. Like his players and his fans, he thinks that he's entitled to win. We didn't take the Supporter's Shield by a good margin this season because we suck. We didn't lead the league in score because we're bad, or because we're lucky. That's just stupid.

I really, really want to crush those turds.

GO QUAKES!!!
F#$% el-lay!!

- Mark

 

I'm not ready to say that the conservative strategy worked. The Quakes were lucky not to lose that game 2-0, and really fortunate to get the free kick goal. It's the playoffs - it sometimes comes down to luck. In 2005 it was a Herculez Gomez free kick that somehow made it's way through the wall, and that was the first goal of that series. In 2012, the tables are turned in terms of the luck factor.

 

don't worry Mark, i'll have some choice words for him on Wednesday as he comes thru the walkway.

 

It limited the number of opportunities LA had on goal. I wouldn't give the strategy full credit. However, as you pointed out, luck does come into play. You only need to look at the NY vs DC game where both goals were scored on defensive blunders. Ok, those may have just been poor play!

Still, luck is always a factor.

 

In other words I'm clueless... I did not know of an away goals counting double rule...

 

Usually in home and away playoff series if the aggregate is tied, the away goals is the tie breaker. The rules now at least give a bit of home field advantage with the extra time and penalty kicks in the home leg. I think MLS should extend the playoffs by a couple of weeks and do a 3 game series (home, away, home) because there is not much of an advantage to the higher seeded team.​

 

Do I want to see more offensive in the first game? Yes. Am I surprised that is not the case? No.

We have several offensive recovering from injury: Gordon, Dawkins and Salinas. It is good to play them less in the first game and save them for the 2nd game at home. Corrales as a temporary LM option was OK. At least he was much more disciplined and didn't go too far to places he should not be to lose the shape of the team. Morrow was able to overlap a few times too.

I agree that it is pretty disappointing about Baca. I am not expecting him to put in the killer balls or score some golazos. His job is to pressure the opponents, cutting off passing lanes, fighting for the second ball, and making himself available to connect the passes. He is still doing all these duties but comparing to the effectiveness in earlier part of the season, he has faded considerably. Sometimes he is lost on the field and doesn't know what to do and where to go as things are happening. In comparison, Cronin has showed a lot of maturity, composure and improvement as the season goes on.

Don't forget that right before Keane's first close header opportunity in the early minutes, Wondo was also inches from scoring. While LA seemed to see more of the ball, I think we were dangerous in the early part of 2nd half and also right after Dawkins coming in.

 

Ask him if he wants some cheese with that whine!...lol

 

Problem is that LA controlled the run of play for the most part in the last match at Buck Shaw, certainly in the 1st half, when it wasn't even close. Maybe the Quakes were not motivated enough or whatever and yes the 2nd half was better, but in the 4 matches against LA this year, I think LA outplayed the Quakes in all but one of them (the Stanford game).

 

i'll add that to my stack of index cards

 

Which makes the prospect of not only never losing to them, but eliminating them from the playoffs this year all the more delicious!

 

Retiring after an injury sustained while giving his all fighting the Galaxy in enemy territory is pretty ********ing respectable.

Of course, I don't think he'll retire...he said he want's to play in the new stadium. 2 more years...

 

Hopefully, it will be in a testimonial. Having said that, I still think Ramiro has a little bit left in the tank. But I wouldn't want him at his current salary. I'd rather that money be used to give raises to players who have earned it this year.

 

We were much more dangerous than they for the first five minutes or so, then things evened out more. (Yes, the satan-worshipers had most of the possession and attacking play for the last fifteen minutes of the first half, and much of the second half.)

Agree that Croninja has gotten better and better as the season goes on.

Disagree that Corrales was good, or even, OK. We're a bit lucky that we didn't get torched because of Ramiro, but then we also had three killer defenders to cover for him.

Even so, the filth, the scum, the worst collection of bastards in the world, managed only two shots on goal all game, while OUR heroes!! had three.

GO QUAKES!!
F#$% el-lay!!

- Mark

 

These teams have now played four games this year. Two in LA, two up here in the Bay. Three wins for the Quakes and one draw. The total aggregate score of those four matches: 10-8 in favor of San Jose. In three of the four matches, the Galaxy had a second half lead. In two of the three Quakes wins, San Jose did not take the lead in those matches until the 94th minute. In the one draw, the Quakes never had a lead. In the total 360 minutes + stoppage time, the Quakes have had a lead over the Galaxy for approximately half an hour, give or take a couple minutes.

I don't know what that all means for Wednesday. But it's interesting. The gap between these two teams is virtually non-existent. One team just simply has been more clutch than the other.