Game: FC Dallas vs Philadelphia Union Date: Saturday, April 21st Time: 7:00 PM [CST] Location: Toyota Stadium, Frisco, Texas, United States of America Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms; H 57, L 50 Competition: Major League Soccer Last 5 For Opponent: L-D-L-D-W Live TV: KTXA-21 [DFW] | PHL-17 [Philadelphia] | ESPN+ [Out of Market] Radio: FCDallas.com/radio [English] | KFLC 1270 AM La Voz del Pueblo [Spanish] Another game with shit weather but we need to keep rollin'.
Jacori and Reggie are on the rise. Philly has some elements - mostly Sapong and Blake and maybe Bedoya. The rest of their roster is about as average as they come and their form is not great. Another win, and we're sitting pretty.
Build a lineup for a wet, rainy game. I'm thinking Colman may be useful in those conditions as heading is his strength.
Now the calculation of whether to haul up to Frisco for this one begins. I have no problem putting on rain gear and watching a game. I do have a problem with waiting for the infinite lightning delay to end. After last week's quality win, I'd like to be there to see them follow it up with something good at home.
Come to the tailgate before the game and get all liqored up with me so you won't care about no lightning sent by MLS to disrupt our hot weather home field advantage one more time! Since it's Philly I'm surprised it's not snow so their fans can throw snowballs wrapped around hard stuff like they did to Santa at the Vet one year.
You'd think I would've invested in some rain gear after how many of these I've had to sit through over the years.
Nah. I keep $1 ponchos from WalMart in the car, and I replace them after they get used up. No need to worry about them getting ripped or spilled on, no need to dry them out after the game late at night when you're tired and want to go to bed. Just chuck 'em in the garbage and buy new ones in the morning. The other bonus: your team gear shows through the clear plastic, so you still look like you support the team.
For real. That was an interesting lineup tonight. No Gruezo, no Diaz, no Urruti. It was looking brilliant, but it still had that patented FC Dallas Lack of Finishing™️ that we've come to know and love the past season or so.
Ride the Defense!! Jimmy's double-save was the key play of the match. Philly scores there and this is a different game. Instead 5 mins later FCD scores and clamps down on D.
Maurer did make a great save but their keeper make some great saves too and even though FCD only scored two there were some good shots on target that might have been goals against a lesser keeper. Blake is really good defensively but his distribution is meh. Ulloa made some poor plays but also some really nice ones. As interesting as a Acosta - Hayes pairing sounds are they both too attack minded to play together or can they hold and attack responsibly? Colman looked better but things perked up when Urruti took his place. Colman and Diaz got another massive eight minutes together. OP just does not like them together despite what us fan experts want to see. I was hoping for Lamah to come off and Urruti play winger. Not sure it would work but I'd like to see a bit of that as Barrios would have Colman, Urruti, Diaz and whatever mid is making a penetrating run while getting more defensive workrate than Lamah brings. Not sure yet about Mosquera. He's either going to flame out by launching too many missed shots or get it all together and start crushing it.
Oh, for got to mention but our outside backs are really good. Good going forward and tenacious defensively. Anyone notice that time their left mid (I think) took off past Cannon and he took off after and nothing happened? I remembered what happened multiple times last year when that happened and nothing happened was not usually the result.
I remember last year well when that happened multiple times. You’re absolutely correct, the usual result was certainly not “nothing.”
I actually thing Grana was a midfielder who was played at right back. With a defender behind him he might have been good at that position.
Our strange starting lineup would've worked if we could finish. When Diaz and Maxi came on, the whole dynamic changed. We quickly won the PK and Maxi gave Colman/Mosquito/critics a lesson in tight finishing. What a find Mauer has been? Cannon and Hayes were great. Hayes really deserved that far post goal that was nicely saved by Blake. Despite my lack of being impressed, we remain the only undefeated team in MLS (I know, I know, one away game under our belt). NYCFCACDC will be a tough test next.
[QUOTE="burning247, post: 36542945, member: 10945" Despite my lack of being impressed, we remain the only undefeated team in MLS (I know, I know, one away game under our belt). NYCFCACDC will be a tough test next.[/QUOTE] I'll settle for being impressed at the end of the yer instead of our usual roaring start sputtering end.
I went to the game in my rain gear. Glad I did. Good point about the cheap clear plastic poncho. I have a blue rain coat. Keeps out the rain, but I don't look like I'm supporting my team. Kind of a weird game. Not much possession, but lots of chances in the first half. Blake is a solid shot stopper, but 0 for 3 on breakaways is atrocious. Maurer's save has got to be in the finals for save of the year. At the beginning of the season I didn't think Jesse had any chance of getting Wally Pipped by Maurer, but here we are. The more I see Nedyalkov play, the more I like him. "BIG NED!" At the beginning of the season I didn't think adding 2 low level Euro league fullbacks would do much for us. Good moves by the FO.
The defense may get better as they gel and Cannon gets more experience. Even so I don't think they will keep up the scoring pace they are on. I think home games and weaker opponents also has something to do with that. Probably ironically FCD's anemic offense does too as teams are happy to settle for a tie on the road and if FCD doesn't score there's no need for them to push for one and alter their defensive shape.