Anyone see Barca v Chelsea?? Barcelona play passing game and when they couldn't get through the ten men of Chelsea had no idea and no plan B. It was almost cringingly embarassing to watch, some of the world's best footballers exercising supreme control and getting nothing. Totally ineffective for the last half hour of the game. The same passing game even in the last three mintues. It has served them well in the past but not on this occasion. Plan B - why not the good old bash 'em & smash 'em which simply requires the good old fashioned battering ram of a centre forward and the long ball. Watching RSL a plan B would give some variety (sorry Sabo) talented as Sabo is he's not top flight, wasn't good enough at Bristol and not good enough in MLS. A centre-crash with a bit of brawn, blood & guts would be appreciated Sorry again Sabo you've bags of skill and do a fair job of running the line on your own but you just ain't got that bit extra - I would love to be proven wrong
These two games do not invalidate (per se) the multi-year DOMINANCE Barcelona (and their style) has had on European soccer the past few years. Chelsea had one good chance in game 1 (and scored), and two good chances in game 2 (and scored). If Messi makes the PK in game 2 OR the Busquets doesn't miss an open net in the last moments of game 1 this would be a post about how Barca are unstoppable. When Barca has a COMBINED possession over 180 minutes of 80% and they outshoot Chelsea 47 to 11 - and many of Chelsea's 11 were *hopeful* attempts at best. Here's ONE weakness that was exposed in Barca over 180 min. They don't have a target man that can win in the air. You play with midgets there IS a tradeoff and no one that can shoot from distance so Chelsea sat with 9-10 men almost within their own box for much of the game. Now... if only Zlatan and Pep could have gotten along - but Zlatan isn't made to chase the ball and put pressure on for 90 minutes, nor is he a winger who can sprint up and down the field for the whole game. He's a sledgehammer not a woodpecker. Pep also wanted him to play out wide so Messi could come into the middle - not a bad idea for Messi but a total waste of Zlatan. Everyone talks about him being a bust at Barca but he scored 20 goals / 9 assists in 30 starts for Barca... that's still a goal or assist almost every game despite a rough patch he went through during the season. That's good enough was (and is) good enough for second best on Barca behind Messi.
not really sure why the Sabo bashing has revved up recently, i guess that really poor game against SKC was enough for all the haters to forget the previous year and half of awesome work. did some of you all of a sudden forget that he carried us through the semi's of the concacaf champions league? he scored 18 freaking goals in his first year in MLS and CCL. what about his absolute class heal flick goal against seattle in last years playoffs? sabo has scored some awesome header goals, some clutch goals and some run of the mill goals. he is a striker, find me one striker in the world who doesnt go through rough stretches. shit, look at torres, a little more than 24 hours ago chelsea fans couldnt care less about that guy. he was a flat out failure in their eyes. then he hammers home the clinching goal and he is a legend. our forwards currently provide us with ample ways to attack the goal. espy loves to charge at people and dice his way through the defense from the wings. sabo provides a strong aerial threat, but is also very good with his feet. paulo is, supposed to be, fast and can spring an attack. last year sabo and espy combined for 20 goals. this doesnt even touch on the fact that we literally got goals out of every area of the field, wingert, borchers and olave scored from the defense, i'm pretty sure every midfielder scored at least one goal and we already know the story of our forwards. RSL isnt limited in the ways they can attack the goal. Barca's problem is outside of Pique, they literally have NO HEIGHT. Pique is their one true threat in the box, everyone else is a midget who relies on quick and talented foot work. Barca should have pulled the trigger more from outside the 18, they had ample opportunities to do so, but only Messi actually tried and he rang the post. if anything it is Barca's arrogance in the way they attack that lost them the game, in their minds the only way to properly score a goal is through 30 passes and quick one-twos into the 6 for pretty goals. let's not equate this to RSL, who has scored a plethora of goals from outside the 18 in hammer fashion over the last several years (see morales, beckerman, gil, wingert, johnson and grabavoy goals on youtube in the last year). never mind all the header goals from sabo, borchers, olave and schuler. are you sure you arent Kenny Deuchar? a little bitter that RSL gave up so quickly on Dr. Goals after he did absolutely nothing with his chances?
A little below the belt that, I said in one of my early posts that Kenny always made the wrong run, short when he should have been long vice versa etc etc. He had to be told what to do..... The player that came back from St Johnstone was twice the player that went but he couldn't sustain it [without Owen Coyle?]. Apart from one game asgainst Rangers where absolutely tortured the Rangers defence he did nothing in the Premiership. Kenny wasn't good enough for RSL then and certainly not up to the current RSL standard I take the rest of your points but remain of the view Sabo hasn't got it and a stronger more aware player would have scored even more
sabo has 163 goals with saprissa, scion, bristol and RSL over the last 11 years. plus he has 23 goals with the costa rican national team. that's almost 200 goals in a little more than a decade as a professional. to say sabo "hasnt got it" is a ridiculously short sighted comment. if being a forward and scoring goals is "it" than the one thing that sabo has CERTAINLY proved in his career is that he has "it."
Five goals away from being our record goalscorer — in his third season at the club —**as well as being one of the top goalscorers in the league since his arrival — and he's suddenly not good enough? And when will every team that utilizes passing play along the ground stop being compared to Barcelona? It's a bit old.
RSL = 25 goals in 60 odd appearances ain't too bad even when playing in a top rate team 7 assists is not the strike partner I'd want BRISTOL - 2 in 19 -not enough
Plenty of players go places and don't find rhythm, don't fit into the team, don't settle in, or simply don't score goals. Is that what makes a bad player? As for assists —**it's exactly what you'd expect tactically. Saborio serves two big roles: The first, and the reason he picks up goals, is finishing the final ball. The second, and this would speak to his assist rate, is that when holding up the ball, the team is not in a position that a simple pass from that spot will lead to a scoring opportunity. You won't typically see hold-up players like Saborio racking up assists. Sure, it would be great if he served more killer balls, but we play with a squad of players and they fill different tactical roles.
In MLS, you're not going to get someone drastically better than Saborio without paying through the nose. It'd weaken some other part of the team. More to the point, Sabo can score some pretty hard-nosed goals -- and that's on top of what our midfield/defense can do. Finally, Chelsea had 10 men in the box. A team full of Ibrahimovics could have gone 45 minutes without scoring against a cohesive defensive unit of 10 world-class players, no matter how much brute force they might have applied.
I like the timing of this thread Sabo had one of his best games this season at San Jose. All our other forwards? Complete and utter shit. In the world of "what have you done for me lately" that is sports, Sabo's done plenty for me lately. Are we cool with giving Espy a pass for his stupidity in San Jose? Then lets do the same for Sabo in KC.
fernando torres, who a year ago was considered one of the pre-eminent strikers in whole ********ing world, has scored 4 goals in 42 appearances for Chelsea. i'm sorry, this bit about sabo being not good enough because he isnt scoring a goal/game or 0.5 goal/game pace is absolutely ********ing rubbish.
and, just to reiterate, go watch RSL games in which Sabo isn't on the pitch it is so incredibly painful to watch this team try to release pressure without him out there.
and look our record when he scores, we are nearly unbeatable when sabo gets on the score sheet. our good record over the last 2 seasons has almost a direct correlation to saborio and when he plays.
And now you've reminded me of this: Though the original version I saw had Torres on it in carroll's spot.
Sometimes I feel like "fans" would continue to bash Sabo regardless of if he won the Golden Boot. With 40 goals.
I guess you haven't seen Zlatan at his best - half ballerina (like Messi), half gangster (like Al Capone). He can score from 30-40 yards away no problem - if guys back off him that far... if Barca had someone to take those shots other than trying to chip or precision strike them but instead just put missile in after missile - that will get them coming out of the box or a goal.
if you've missed it, it's because you don't watch Serie A soccer. that is the only league he plays very well in. He did alright in Spain, had some great moments, but he never dominated like he did (and has) in the Italian league. Zlatan is one of the most frustrating players in this regard. As soon as he puts that champions league patch on his sleeve it's like he forgets how to kick a soccer ball...
For AC Milan he had 5 goals / 4 assists in the Champions Leauge in 8 games. That's better than everyone but Messi and C Ronaldo (in PPG) and they have quite the supporting staff. Still it's not far off them. You don't hear anyone saying it this year... it's just because he had those 2 years he struggled in the UCL. For Inter he struggled 1 season in UCL and for Barca as well but that was already AFTER Pep and Zlatan had a falling out because he brought Zlatan to Barca and tried to change him into Iniesta. Zlatan is the best pure striker/target man (#9) in the world. If Real Madrid (Mourinho who knows how to use him) got Zlatan they would be so dangerous with C Ronaldo and him together... and both of them are crazy enough to do it just to spite Barcelona!
I watch Milan religiously I know he sucked ass in Champions League. the 5 goals/4 assists are very misleading. He blew in champions league play
Me too (watch them religiously)... I think you're just a curmudgeon. Zlatan this year in the UCL: 1g/1a vs Barca 1g/2a vs Arsenal 2g vs BATE Borisov 1g/1a vs V Plzen There are only three guys with more PPG (G/A) than him in UCL. I agree with you in previous 2 years but the stats don't support the notion this past year.
putting the ball in the back of the net doesn't mean he plays well, though. Zlatan becomes a bloody statue in champions league matches.
