News: RSL In-Season News Thread 2010, Part 2

Kreis has grown up a lot more as a coach over the last couple of years, and it is undeniable. The man was a freaking player just before he became coach. He was going to make rookie mistakes, and he has made. It is a combination of scouting (e.g. Yura, Findley, Olave, Morales), good team philosophies (defense first, team is the star, etc.), and having time to gel have come to show that patience in Kreis has paid off.

I feel born again in Kreis.

 

Good post Duiz. Tactics really have solidified, as have the players, and as has the depth. It's kind of all come together at the same time, which is what you have to have to win Cups.

 

Your basically calling JK an idiot then.

I wouldn't have any worries about him doing that.

But what if by then MLS was just as good as the international leagues?

 

A born-again Kreistian! I like it.....

 

No way - go back and watch some tape.... go back and listen to Jason's quotes from those early road games.

We played a completely different style. We hung back, packed it in and countered. The team was playing to draw and would often lose.

This year, the team has taken a completely different strategy on the road. We control the run of play at least 50% of the road games. We play to win, and we often draw.

Maybe a big part of that transition is related to winning the cup and confidence. But both Bill and Garth said a top priority of this team is improvement on the road. They've done it this year.... The tactics and style of play have changed considerably for most road games. And Jason has helped drive that change.

 

there is NO DOUBT that jason made a lot of mistakes in his first 1+ of coaching. remember all the fines and penalties he got in his first season? wasnt he even suspended a couple times, then used a radio from the booth and got fined even more? ya, there were definitely several debacles that werent even related to on field stuff.

he's grown up big time and im glad the higher ups in this organization arent like some of the posters on this board (and this includes me at times), if they were we probably would be a shitty team without a good coach and GM.

 

I won't lie. I did want him gone at some point. I am glad I wasn't in charge of making that decision.

 

Best post from that thread: fire Kreis, hire CURT ONALFO!

 

I interviewed him after every road loss - don't need to listen to the tapes. What you are talking about has everything to do with the evolution of the players, not the coach. Trust me, when you talked to him at the start of 2009 he was trying to get them to play the exact style of soccer that they are currently playing. They suffered from a lack of confidence on the road. Remarkable turnaround, but it has nothing to do with Kreis' changing things.

At some point during the '09 season he finally decided to try to play for a draw on the road, because nothing else was working. But that's never been his philosophy or approach to road games.

Kyle Beckerman has talked about this, and has said that it's been a transformation in the players. He said that losing on the road was contagious, and now winning seems to be contagious.

 

And, the regular season ends. RSL finishes in lackluster fashion, sleepwalking through a game and enjoying the miracle finish to get the draw.

Many records by this team. Allowing 20 goals on the regular season means they allowed the fewest of any team in history. The +25 goal differential is also the best of any team in history (LA would need to win 8:0 to catch us on GD). Teams with these kinds of records have tended to take care of business in the playoffs, too.

The unbeaten streak continued (as has the W,D,W,D,W,D form) now to 14 games.

56 points! Will it be enough for the SS? LA merely needs a draw to keep first place.

 

Seeing that graph have its Y-axis expanded so many times this season has made me very happy!

Now, it is on to Dallas!

 

absolutely incredible, what this team has accomplished (whether or not it wins the SS) is so awesome. it hasnt lost a game since the 15th game of the season, a full half season without losing a game. takes a while for that to sink in. 16 points better than any season prior, more than 5 wins. looking at this graph brings an incredibly large smile to my face.

 

Not exactly. But it is the best in 10 years. (A few teams exceeded that number in 2000 and before.)

 

great regular season, lets top it off with a fantastic post season.

I was thinking about how we could qualify for the next seasons CCL and came up with this. If I am wrong, someone please let me know, but I think it is right...

If any team from the western conference finals, save dallas, makes the championship game we qualify.

if we go to the championship game we automatically qualifgy (regardless of result)
LA is already in - SS. So if they were to go to the championship game it would move us up as we placed second overall.
Seattle already is in, as well, with the USOC. So if they go, I believe (and this is the area I might be wrong at) we get their spot.

So, if we beat FCD in the first round, we qualify... correct?

 

not to toot my own horn or anything (especially since we didnt win the SS), but damn im good. pattern held true all the way through the end of the season, what an incredible run of form:

D,W,D,W,D,W,D,W,D,W,D then D,W,D

i hope it holds true all the way through the MLS Cup:
@Dallas: D
Dallas: W for advancement to the western conference finals

either @LAG or home to seattle: D (with us having the decidedly large advantage in a pk shootout) advancing to the MLS Cup, since pk shootouts technically are considered a tie no matter who wins.

MLS Cup: W

knock on wood to counter the jinx.

 

Thou art correctamundo.

 

UP, why would we have 2 D's in a row?
It would go, if it stays the same:

@ FCD - W
vs FCD - D (advance)
@ LA/vs Sea - W (advance)
vs EC Winner - D (penalties.... I like our chances)

 

ya, good call, definitely not awake yet this morning.

 

Hey! We made the Top 10!

 

why do americans find the bike so incredible? dont get me wrong, great finish... but almost all the other goals are of better quality in my opinion.

Also, how did Javi's free kick in the first game not make it? That thing is in the commercials for MLS when its on ESPN...

 

I had forgotten about that beauty of a strike from Javi. And I noticed none of those came against RSL. What an awesome season.

 

No Grabavoy goal? For shame.

 

yeah, thats bull shit
that thing was a beauty
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPLM94mrUUg"]YouTube - Week 17 Goal of the Week Nominee: Ned Grabavoy[/ame]
(the 2 points we lost in this game, really really REALLY hurt, Nicky)

how this one isnt in there somehow is retarded as well (too much love for seattle)
4:00
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxboSFwN3sM"]YouTube - Real Salt Lake 3 x 0 San Jose Earthquakes - Game Highlights - 03/27/10 - [WEEK 1 - 2010 SEASON][/ame]

 

ESPN sure does like those outside shots.

 

Why? We still would have been 1 point behind LA...