Post-match: San Jose Earthquakes - FC Dallas (Saturday, 6/8) postgame thread [R]

As called after the SKC game.

 

nailed it

 

I was a season ticket holder since 2001 & didn't renew this yr. due to personal reasons & mostly because I couldn't stand to attend another game after the past 3-4 seasons. So, I watch on tv when I can. Have to say the team has come a long way from previous years. They move better off the ball, they seem to constantly try to win back the ball, play with more confidence & appear to be having fun. They probably aren't going to claim the cup this yr, but the improvement is more than I would have expected. Yes, Vega made a bonehead play, but have you all forgotten how Tarbell played last year. (if Vega can laugh about it, maybe he wins Goal of the week) Everyone makes mistakes, even Messi. I truly believe the new coach has done wonders for this team. Go Quakes.

 

Considering the lineup changes, relatively sudden increase in heat in the area, the team having come back from a week in the East, I'm not all that upset about the result. The own goal is an obvious blunder, but also a correctable one. The silver lining of making a mistake like that is the team's cohesion is tested, and they responded quite well to it. They continued to play their game, they didn't get upset with Vega in a noticeable way (I think every player knows what it's like to do something stupid that hurts the team), and they showed confidence in him by continuing to play the ball to him. The team relies on it so heavily I don't know how they would have gotten around it.

I'm more upset about the goal that Dallas actually scored, which was an error on Judson for not marking properly (reasonable, given his lack of playing time) and Lopez in his failure to defend well in the box (also possibly attributed to lack of game minutes).

I think there's more evidence that Eriksson playing on the outside is not a great idea. Not sure if anyone else noticed, but the best challenges to Dallas' goal were via Espinoza when he got toward the end line to send in passes to Wondolowski. Granted, Dallas defended those much better than other teams have recently, but Eriksson just didn't get into those kinds of positions, and his ability to defend is compromised because it's just too much running for him.

Granted, with no Salinas available, or Hoesen, from what I could see, Almeyda only had so many options. I think it was okay to try it in this game, but I'm hopeful that a better formation is worked out for the next game.

Not that it matters, ultimately, but I was not impressed with the officiating crew. They got the most crucial call right after VAR, but the fact that the AR didn't see the goal was telling. They were constantly behind the play, often by seven or eight yards. That's unacceptable.

 

TT was dragging with 20 minutes left, but he had been busting his butt back and forth. I think Almeyda kept him in because there wasn't a decent replacement. The bench really was bare.

In our section, after a 30 second quiet disbelief, we gave Vega a cheer. He has been good. Obviously that was terrible, but there is nothing to do be move past it. He has been an improvement in goal. Hopefully he tightens that up in his month off.

I don't know about those saying Vega should have had the second goal. You _have_ to have your near post and force the attacker to take the longer and more difficult shot around you. And the shot happened at a moment that wasn't obviously a shooting moment, so you lose a step in reacting due to the surprise. Then it was a bending shot across the face with the outside of his foot. You just have to give that to the attacker as excellent execution. I think that shot scores on 90% of the goalies, and the 10% who don't give that one up will give up a few extra through the season for cheating away from their near post.

It was a good game! We were entertained. The team showed spirit in coming back. There was a little bad luck in not converting a pile of decent chances, and having an attacker execute over his demonstrated ability in his one opportunity. Like others have said, it is nice to be disappointed with a draw, versus a decent team, on a day when the bounces went against us.

 

While I think we had a chance to get 3 points, I was not disappointed with a draw. We were already without a few starters on national team duties and were even without Salinas and Hoesen due to injuries. There were only so many options in terms to personnel, especially in offense, and we tried to put the best available players on the field. And the team is still fun to watch and keep fighting with all the changes, and that's why I am glad just getting a draw.

Judson, while working very hard, he was not moving and advancing the ball as well as the recent version of Godoy. Given that they are two different types of CM. I think Yueil played a more prominent role driving the team forward in this game. It is great to see how a young player's game and confidence grow before our eyes. It reminds me the years seeing Richard Mulrooney grow as a player.

Another positive is after Magnus' goal, the whole team celebrated with Vega, holding his head and cheering. That was a great picture of a team and a touching moment.

I have yet to find out what to do with all the Wondo pins but I will gladly collect more.

 

I should mention that, at the time TT was gasping, Jackson was cutting back and forth through the midfield calling for the ball to his feet.

And overall, to be using the depth of our roster (that before the season I would have never considered at all deep) and playing well, was a great thing. Affolter looked good. Haji looked great. Judson... was okay. There was a point where Judson went full-Godoy on a guy. Just shoulder blasted him off the ball, hard enough that even for an otherwise-legal shoulder challenge, I was scared the ref would whistle it for recklessness. He didn't.

Getting your depth guys a lot of minutes, getting them confidence, and still on losing points on some low-probabilty happenings. Go Quakes! Also, Wondo. Wondo, Wondowondo. So happy for us all.

 

I think Judson got a bit better as the game went on, but he looked slow, which I think is just part of having not played competitive minutes in so long. I think he'll improve the more he gets time, but he was definitely shaky.

I was pleased with Affolter. I would say that he was not challenged very many times, as Dallas seemed very focused on attacking Lopez rather than trying to go through the middle. However, when Affolter was tested, he made smart decisions. My only real critique is that he lacked a little pace on a couple of passes that were in somewhat dangerous areas.

I don't like lateral passes in general, but if you're going to do it, you need to make sure they won't be intercepted, and there were a couple that could have been picked off had Dallas not retreated so deep in defense.

I think Haji might get some more significant minutes in the upcoming games. The team needs some speed higher in the field and he can provide that where Eriksson, Wondolowski, and Vako can't.

 

While we had a good time at that game (how many times could you say that with Kinnear as the coach - even when we won), this game may come back to haunt us (giving up two points) or rally the team forward (build depth and confidence). Overall, I was more disappointed in the second goal than the first. Stuff happens, but the second goal was poor defending by Lopez who is just not ready for MLS at the moment. Other than Judson (too slow in thought and not enough quality) and Vega, I thought the remainder of the team generally played well enough. They did appear a little more out of synch which is understandable with the number of player changes.

 

between the heat and having vako on the field and eriksson out wide, almeyda's man marking high press system was not really working. hopefully this was a one off due to the heat and player availability and not the beginning of a new trend. vako and eriksson have certain talents but when they are both on the field it kills the man marking high press system.

 

Sign of the imminent apocalypse.

The best of the best. ⚫️🔵

Congrats to @Erikssonmange7 & @tomthom11 on being named to @MLS Team of the Week! #VamosSJ pic.twitter.com/cPuEmU05Cu

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) June 10, 2019

 

Some of the younger refs are better than the older guys.

 

The eyes deteriorate with age.

 

For Vega, it all comes down to this, you are first and foremost responsible for keeping the 18 yards in front of you as a no mans land. It’s your bedroom, keep it clean and woe to those who challenge the sanctity of your domain. I can’t think of how anyone could label Joe Cannon as a brilliant distributor of the ball (as many a speaker stanchion at Spartan Stadium could painfully attest), but when all hell broke loose that dude was a shot stopper.

Vega had redeemed the gaffe against LAFC with some outstanding work. But I do have to say that he does seem to be more of the part of the inferior new breed of goalkeepers that do not hold their saves nor do they wisely use what is given them. Far better to use the shot or crosses’ momentum and simply help alter the trajectory by extending the wrist and getting the heel of the hand on the shot or the knuckles on the cross. By turning it around or over the goal, you merely give away a corner with enough time for everyone to mark up. Most of Vegas saves end up as easy second chances directed back out into the thick of things with him on the ground and already out of position.

Even though he had earned respect for keeping us in some close games, The fact remains that he’s made two serous errors that many goalkeepers go their entire careers never coming close to making. It’s clearly his own doing that has lost the confidence of many and I start to wonder how Marcenkowski is doing at Reno. That being said, Tarbell is clearly not the answer. And Vega can talk all he wants about the haters but the fact remains he had the chance to win us over and he crapped the bed. This is his doing. There is no other position on the field that relies on the trust of players, coaches and, yes, fans than goalkeeper. His gaffe against LAFC was mostly a footnote to a predestined result. This latest one (and the somewhat soft second goal) cost us points that we may well need come Autumn.

 

True about Cannon, Onstad too, Pat was great.

 

Vega: "Haters, I'm mentally stronger than you"


No one is "hating" we would just like opposing teams to have to earn their points fair and square... That's twice in 15 games, the previous one ended 5-0 but Vega gifted them the opening goal.

From the article:

Vega, 35, has started all 15 games for the Earthquakes this season, though has been prone to errors. Per Opta, he has more errors leading to shots than any player in MLS. On the other hand, he has also delivered a number of key saves this season.

Will Vega's latest error open the door for JT Marcinkowski or will Matias Almeyda stick with his guy?​

 

And the irony is that he is probably the best goalie we have had at playing the ball with is feet, yet it was mistakes trying to play the ball with his feet that let him down.

 

JT has not been playing better than Vega. He has had his share of soft goals in Reno. The guy that has been the most consistent has been Bersano.

 

I don't expect some freelance writer for MLS to know how our stable of goalkeepers is faring down at the USL level. If you see the other three options after Vega (Tarbell, Marcinkowski, Bersano), given that JT is 1) widely considered a top prospect, 2) regularly called into USYNT camps, and 3) was the Quakes starter last year, he's the obvious name to throw out there.

The reality is, I don't think Vega is in danger of losing his starting job anytime soon.

 

Neither of those are close to Vega level howlers.

 

How about this one from Rob Greene from England, and in the World Cup no less?

 

Exaggerating a bit!?

Here's a compilation of David de Gea (who is arguably a top 5 keeper in the world) and his more than two errors in very recent times let alone his carreer.