Official: [2012 Matchday 3] Union @ Chicago Fire - March 24, 2012 p/d/p [R]

Our turn at some easier scheduling.

I easily see 2 wins out of our next 3 games. Califf returns, McInerney gets some playing time, and we get a corner kick or two.

I really do see good things down the road.

I'm not at all discouraged. One game at a time.

Don't cry. UNITE!

GO UNION!!

I only harped on mapp... he pivoted too much - and still has potential that just ... stagnates...

i didn't see daniel pivot though.

No - MacMmath did NOT look ok. His hands worked but his positioning was all over the place.

A few positives were on display though. For ateam that had NO shape whatsoever I thought that Daniel and then Martinez at least tried to create some things albeit in isolation.

What I DO NOT understand is - the coach. If you lost your best fullback to intr duty and you're having feud with your center back and captain, why oh why would you play the match with 3 in the back - thus exposing Lopez and Albright to Chicagos one weapon of speed. Isn't it a cardinal rule in football - 'when in doubt - put 4 in the back'?

(actually Lopez looked pretty good for a guy with prosthetic legs...)

That's what he likes and that's what he was building this team up to be for this season...

which naturally, in theory he has the right players (which may be why califf's being left out) but in implementation, not so much.

You haven't driven to Red Bull Arena on a weeknight then. What a CF.

Was he perfect? No he wasn't but the one Albright cleared would most likely have ended up 1 of 3 ways if MacMath didn't charge out: A goal because the player was charging in to the box (most likely result), a great save by MacMath or an errant shot. With him charging out he made the attacker go wide and try to push a shot from close to the goal line which was the right thing to do. Also, if it hadn't been for the several big saves by Zach we would have lost by a lot more.

Zach is not the problem, he is not Chris Seitz. He has made a few mistakes but none of them are glaring that we need to get rid of him. He will make mistakes as any young keeper will but he is also making big saves. Are problem right now is no cohesion in the offensive end and the defensive dropping back to far into the box. We need more width beyond Keon, we need to not have 5 people in the middle and clogging it up, we need to attack the ball when we don't have it. Last year are defense seemed to swarm the ball and made life difficult for the opposition. This year they are laying back waiting for them to do something.

Look - I'm NOT laying the blame on MacMath....he's been dissapoitning so far, but I saw what he could do last year and I think he will get better etc. My BIG problem is Nowak's 3 man backline. It's puttign the young man under too much pressure. There's too much space, not enough pressure, there's a lack of communication between them and our LB Lopez is just awful! he may have Benoit Assou-Ekotto hair....BUT HE"S NO BAE!
Nowak is failing epically - he needs to be playing a 4 man line - no if's ands or buts - he's got midfielders that always seem to be chasing back, rather than making standup tackles...and they cannot play through balls to save their lives....

I am just very frustrated (like many others no doubt)

DONTCHA WISH YOUR LEFT BACK WAS B.A.E.

Yeah. Albright was nice, but I don't understand the team not acquiring some players for backline depth. Even some draft picks or waiver wire fodder from elsewhere in MLS -- having someone with actual experience to backup the position would be a big boon.

By my count we have 13 (!) midfielders on the roster. I sometimes wonder if the team thinks you get bonus points for extra MFs.

Also and finally - to top off all my misery (see above) - I could not find the game in HD on Vrizon Fios!! Did COMCAST broadcast it only in low def?

No, FiOS only has access to TCN in SD.

I couldn't get the game in CT, and the streams just weren't working, and I'm pakcing my house for another move....

But I've seen a few people knocking Pajoy from the Fire game... to me, he was the other off-seaons acquisition that looked like he'd be useful (Gomez the other)....

Did he regress, get figured out, have a bad game, or just get knocked by us cause the whole team sucked?

I don't think it was that. is just that he is in an island by himself and no one able to get the ball to him. the middle was like a car pile up. nowhere to go.

If thats the case, we should use Pajoy to draw defenders with him and open up lanes for Adu, Marfan, Martinez, Daniel, and Torres to run/shoot/pass/notpasstheballbackwards.

We saw this in the Portland game. Pajoy was doubled team and even triple teamed but no one came to help him out.

Good thing you didn't mention Mwanga as he might as well bring a cot out on the field and take a nap. For those of you that know formation,tactics, etc. is a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 such a bad idea. the whole 3-5-2 while i don't hate it clogs the middle and doesn't give the inexperienced GK as good a chance as having a line of 4.

Yeah, I know better by now.

we should actually be doing the opposite, using a quick guy(MARTINEZ) to draw 2 defenders wide, to give Pajoy a break and some space to get the ball. Martinez runs a higher chance from his quickness of losing a defender and getting open himself.

Agreed. Martinez seems like he's a player who would provide a large spark in the offense, and nothing is happening with him - which this results mostly from lack of direction in the midfield...

again...

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong, don't you know logic plays no part in this equation. Why have someone stretch the defense (coughletouxcough) when you can control the ball in your own end and then lose it when you have 12 players in the middle of the pitch?