Playing at home, have to come out with some fire and grab the game by the scruff of the neck at the start. My lineup... -------BWP----Cahill------- ----------Luyindula--------- Steele---------------------Sam --------------Dax------------ Miller-Olave-Sekagya-Kimura --------------Robles----------- Let Henry come on for one of the BWP/Cahill/Luyindula group in about the 65th minute if we need a goal. If Cahill can't go then Henry slots in at forward.
Petke needs to shake something up in the starting lineup and please give a young guy a chance(Bover, Lade or Obekop). It seems like he's suffering from Backe syndrome by playing the same starting 11 and by not utilizing his subs. I would start Lade at fullback please. Yea, it's not his natural position(if @ RB) but his work rate/energy/aggression can help a struggling team and maybe going back to the basics is needed. I haven't been able to watch much of the games this year so far but I have a general feeling that the team is pretty much old and lacking spark. Off the top of my head ---Henry-Cahill Obekop*-Dax-Lyunidola-Sam Convey-Seky-Olave-Lade ---------Robles Bover can start in place of Obekop as well, doesn't matter to me. Don't really know who's the better player but I heard Bover had a decent showing in the preseason. But I'm not in panic mode because I remember two years back we started the season very slow then we had a 5 game win streak(without Henry for some matches as well)
For the love of God NO MORE ALEXANDER. Bench him. Let him sort his $hit out and re-visit him later in the season. He's TERRIBLE right now.
Have there been any injury updates since the weekend? Eckersley is the only one definitely out right? As much as I think we missed Cahill against DC, I hope they don't rush him back too soon. He came into the season after an intense week or so of travel and didn't look 100%, then he picked up the injury. Let him get to full strength and get a decent string of games under his belt. Peguy and BWP should be able to fill in over the next week or two as long as SOMEONE on the team remembers how to finish their chances.
Alexander had a nice cross to see up Sam's header. Won't be out of lineup. Mike looked especially handsome tonight.
Alexander actually played pretty well. I thought Henry looked really off the pace tonight. He still can finish clinically though. Just glad we won
Henry definitely looks like he's slowing down physically, he doesn't go on sprints like he used to and his cuts aren't as sharp. But holy shit just look at the initial long ball to Alexander that set up the second goal... there are only a handful of players in MLS who can play a ball like that, it was absolutely beautiful. I'll gladly eat my words tonight after criticizing Alexander every week of the season so far, he was fantastic. His brain still tends to shut down whenever he comes anywhere near the goal, but he gained confidence as the game went on, linked up incredibly well with Miller all night, and made a few nice interceptions defensively. This was the first time I think I've ever seen him play like he actually WANTS the ball. He was constantly sprinting off the ball to open up for Miller and Henry on the left side, it was great to see from a guy who is usually so complacent on the field. Now here's the tricky part, repeating that sort of performance... I think he's earned at least one more shot on the left side with his play tonight. The only guys I thought were actually bad tonight were Peguy and BWP. Everyone else had at least a decent game, except I really, really wish Dax would give up the idea of being an attacking player once and for all... His only real venture forward today ended in a counter attack, a red card, and penalty, and a goal conceded. And this isn't the first time this season that his attempts to reach the opposing end line have lead to conceding from a counter.
That about sums it up. I don't think it's even worth mentioning my thoughts on the game since the 3 points is all that mattered but here we go: BWP still not making his salary. A better all around player I think than guys like LeToux, Espindola, and Cooper, but he has to start burying his chances. He had 2-3 tonight and came up empty again. Peguy's first touch was absolutely terrible for some reason tonight. He was moving into the right places and his passing was fine, but first touch...man o man...just terrible. Henry certainly looking slower and not as sharp this season, but he showed exactly why he's on the field: Clinical finishing, great vision and passing, and the balls to try the impossible and completely surprise the defense. Seemed like the team's attitude changed for the better when Cahill got on the field, but watch the replay on the Philly breakaway that leads to the PK. At the start of that play Dax makes a bad pass that starts the counter. And towards the end of the play Kimura should not have given Casey that much space. HOWEVER, it was Cahill's decision not to track back and instead JOB back that allowed Philly to push the ball straight up the center of the field. He gave up on the play when he should have been sprinting with the play and getting himself into a position to help the defense. Alexander: Amazing what happens when he isn't in the center of the field. It's almost as if he's better utilized out wide...you know...like he was utilized last season. Robles: Guy is playing out of his mind. Sam: Ditto.
Team still looks shaky to me. Other than his goal Henry looks out of it, limping every time he falls or gets touched. Alexander played his best game for us ever. So much for my criticism of him these past weeks, he really stepped up. Sam is the man as always. getting frusttared with BWP however. Need Cahill back at CMid for us.
Main concern I have is we might need Cahill up top the way BWP is playing. It's quite obvious at this point who Petke trust to play, and who he doesn't on the team. Unfortunately we don't have many alternatives in the middle or up top that he likes
We're still a little deeper in the middle than we are up top. Next option past BWP is Akpan... BWP is coming close, just needs to be more accurate. You can't send open shots from 20 yards out on your stronger foot over the bar, you need to at least force a save.
Frustrating. He does everything right...except score...which...you know...is important in terms of where he plays on the field. I predicted that both he and Same would have monster years. I still believe that if BWP can just get a goal or 2 then the rest will flow like the Nile...
He's like the exact opposite of Espindola, who would rarely put himself in a position to score but was clinical when he did. BWP's movement is quick and clever (most of the time at least), but can't put a decent shot on target.
I'm wondering if this is still the residual "European guy coming over here and needing almost a full year to adjust" thing. Cahill and Henry both came in the summer transfer window and didn't really heat up until a few months into the following season. Sam was here for almost an entire season and couldn't even get on the field until the playoff push. If BWP is suffering from the same thing, and IF he's the real deal, then I expect him to turn this thing around in about a month or 2.
Henry is definitely slowing down but last night showed why he is still a net positive: Great vision and clinical finishing, the two most scarce commodities in MLS. I've never liked Alexander on the right but he did have some pretty good performances out there last season. He always seemed to drift centrally too much to me and never showed the drive and ability to take on opposing FBs that I like to see out of wide players. Maybe playing on the left is actually a better fit for him. Defenders know he is right-footed and show him on his left thus opening space on the outside. I'm just guessing here but his performance last night has left me the right kind of flummoxed. I agree that Peguy and BWP were the only poor performers last night. I really want to see Bover at that CAM spot. He needs more than a couple minutes to show what he can do.