Well to be fair most of Alex's highlights the Dynamo showed when we signed him, were mostly shots from outside the area. So hopefully next year?
Yes, our guys battled to the end and I'm proud of the team getting this far. It was nice getting revenge on New York for 2008. I dunno, call it sour grapes or whatever, but the officiating against SKC was night and day compared to the NY game. Aurelien Collin should have picked up his second yellow in leg 1, not to mention we should have had a pk. The fact that there were zero yellow cards in legs 1 was a joke considering the tackles. Having Collin out for Leg 2 would have been as big as the Dynamo missing Rico. Leg 2 was as comical with the officiating. SKC received ZERO yellow cards?!? Dwyer should have picked up a yellow for his fish impersonation in the first half which would have changed how he played for the rest of the match. Toledo continued to verbally warn SKC while handing a questionable yellow to OBG. Then you got SKC fans talking about their “beautiful” play, since when is flying elbows pretty? Their second goal was nice, but Boswell inexplicably lets the ball go past him. What in the hell was Boswell doing? Did he think Tally was going to come out and get it?
A-You Got Damn right brother!!!! B-Our owners have what every other Houston team owners would kill for, our coach, our fan base, our home field awesomeness in just 8 seasons!...and yet our owners treat our team as "that mistress from that other State". Marinate on that for a bit. HAPPY TURKEY DAY for all our peeps. Drive/Fly safe if travelling to see love ones.
On the other end of the shooting range...why are our guys so reluctant to carry the ball into the box?!? I don't know how many times during the year various Dynamo have run right up to the edge of the box and stopped to turn and look for a pass. Carry the freakin ball at the defense and maybe you draw a PK. And another tactical gripe...SOMEONE follow the shots in the area please!!! Corey's shot on Saturday that Neilsen bobbled. Barnes was already walking back upfield and Omar was caught flat footed. Stuart Holden would have pounced on that shit! None of our current guys ever do.
Damn! That shot was moving and almost beat Neilsen after the initial block. Not sure what the love fest between Colin and Neilsen was that followed, they really needed to get a room.
That's what makes Landycakes so damn effective. He completes almost every run, and follows every ball in.
I'm going to get it for this but..........coaching. I sense that Dom would say always go for the pass unless you have a clear shot and don't shoot outside the box needlessly either. I personally think it works I mean no matter how good of a GK you are you can't save them all the balls are bound to find the net sooner or later and yeah a pouncer is a must have <- but again the coach will have to get on them about this and we see it too much to think Dom actually has told them to do something about it. On the flipside if they did take a bunch of shots outside of the area without any going in we would be criticizing the crap out of them for shooting needlessly, forget it well never be happy LOL
You're partially right, but it's not a weakness on Dom's part, in my opinion. What I perceive from watching the practices, and matches is that Dom likes a high possession, high press, keep the ball moving style of football. Dom does want shots, and chances.
They said on the telecast that SKC had committed the most fouls of any team in MLS this past season. Surprised me a bit. What also surprises me is that MLS followers still consider Houston a "thug"team. Tells me they haven't been paying attention over the past five years.
If it helps or makes you feel any better, I never considered Houston to be a 'thug' team. Physical, yes - especially up front... but having strong forwards willing to go up and win balls and don't shy away from a challenge (or initiate a challenge, even) isn't 'thuggish', it's just physical play. And MLS is a physical league, it's just that usually that physicality demonstrates itself more on the defensive end and opposing fans just don't like it when their CBs have to compete with Will Bruins* or Cam Weavers. * Bruinses? Bruins doesn't seem 'plural' enough And yes, my team does deserve the criticism that it gets from fouling. I still think that our fouling is more shrewd than thuggish (well, Collin can be a bit thuggish at times) - but I appreciate if you think I'm viewing it through Sporting Blue glasses (since I very well could be). My take is: we foul a lot because we play an aggressive style of defense which simply sees giving up a foul as an acceptable risk for winning the ball... especially when that foul is far from our goal. We don't foul just to foul - we simply don't not challenge for the ball for the fear of giving up a foul. That may not be a huge difference for you, but for me it is - we aren't actually trying to foul our opposition**, it's just a side effect of playing on that margin. ** There are, of course, exceptions... mainly tactical fouls to prevent counter attacks... but everyone does this and we accept the YC that undoubtedly comes with such actions. Anyway - that's probably more than you cared to read about all of that. We'll only see each other two times next year! Well, until the playoffs again, right?
SPI - Sporting Persistent Infringement. Hey, until MLS refs call it tighter and don't put up with the massive amount of fouls and fouls where they swallow the whistle, I can't say its not effective.
I want to see this SKC side run into the fit ERob, Hainault, Mullan, GCam, and Davis in a physical match, with a ref that lets them play. I differ from many on that I love the physicality of MLS, and the EPL.
I just watched the highlights/lowlights on Apple TV-The Cam miss is even worse on TV. Man I thought he was further out. Damn, you have to at least get that on cage. Wow. Just Wow.
"hey, it's a lot harder than it looks and I don't think there is anything wrong about missing from six yards out. Cam is trying hard and getting himself into good positions and that's all that matters." signed -- stumbledore