05/25: Long Weekend: Toronto vs FCD [R]

BTW, FCD draws SA for their opening US Open Cup game and has to travel to SA to play. Nothing against all the Texas teams but I think it would be more interesting if we didn't play the same teams every year. I get why (travel) but it doesn't translate into a national event to play basically the same 3-4 teams until moving on to either KC or Houston in later rounds. Perhaps they should approach it more like the NCAA Basketball Tourny and have occasional weekend where four teams play in one spot and one team emerges. First round could be in pre-season.

 

Starting lineups:

I'm thinking that FCD comes home with 3 points. We may be a better road team than home team this season since we haven't figured out how to break a bunkering team. Plus we have a Diaz-less starting lineup tonight with Jacori, Kellyn, and Vic starting in the midfield. Definitely NOT what Toronto has game-planned for.

Also, happy birthday Jesse! He gets the start.

My prediction: 3-1 FC Dallas.
Goals: Urruti, Mosquera, & Lamah off the bench + a Giovinco penalty.
Assists: Hayes & Barrios

 

Wow. That ref was clearly in TFC's pocket all night, starting with the no-contact penalty kick. And then SEVEN minutes of stoppage in the second half, plus I think every single FCD player got a yellow for time wasting, even when they weren't the one taking the kick.

And we still won, so suck it ref.

 

You didn't count on the cat in goal stopping the PK (or Mos and Lamah not scoring...).

 

7 minutes of stoppages today was even more ridiculous than the 7 awarded last week, not sure where these refs are getting all that time from. At least this time they managed to hold on despite the late scare.

I like the look of this 4-3-3, looked much more solid overall defensively with that extra protection in midfield and Jesse in goal. Just put Nedyalkov in for Fig when he's back and that's the team I'd roll with for these tough away games to try and grind out the result.

 

When that BS penalty was called I was looking at my hands and waiting for glitter to shoot out of them.

 

Barrios has caught the Colman disease.
If I'm the Advocare guy sponsoring FCD, I'm not happy about all the guys lying on the ground IN TORONTO with "leg cramps."

 

Bad news about Ned. He's out 6 weeks or so with a broken collarbone. So no Ned or Hedges at LAG. If the huge Swede plays he may score 3 or more with Hedges missing. So big question is who mans the left back spot the next six-8 weeks? Has Hollingshead stock dropped? Is Figueroa past it at left back? Could a wild card be Acosta since center mid depth is a team strength?

 

I'd honestly love to see Acosta over there with Hayes in the middle and Servenia on the left CM. Though I imagine they'll roll with Hollingshead but if Servenia really has impressed as much as has been said that's a huge progressive from Pareja.

 

The Diaz yellow card for time wasting should be reviewed and rescinded. Two TFC players were encroaching and he pointed it out to the ref while waiting to take the kick. I'd be yelling, "Ten yards, ref!" too before taking the kick

I realize there was a fair bit of gamesmanship going on, but the ref lost his emotional grasp of the match and starting flashing cards too late in the game in an attempt to get back control like a weak sub teacher trying to show who's in charge in an unruly junior high class.

The penalty was weak.

 

Please sell Mauro for a bag of balls in July.
His 20 minutes were an embarrassing display of exactly why Pareja has lost all faith in him.

 

I think the Mauro situation is an ongoing discussion, but in THIS case it was a terrible decision by Pareja to bring him in at all in that situation, let alone bring him in to play up top. I haven't said this often, but either Colman or Tesho would have been better choices by far. So for this particular 10 minutes of ineffectiveness I'm going to give Mauro a pass.

 

If you need a guy to chase the ball and play defense, Mauro is sure as hell not that guy. Damn near anyone is a better choice for those tasks than Mauro.
Anyone else notice the goalkeeper's jersey color clashes the last few weeks? Jesse's white, grey, and fluorescent yellow shirt wasn't very distictive from the FCD away jerseys. In the Vancouver game, their GK had a brick red jersey - not too distinctive from FCD's home mostly red jerseys. I've heard the league office tells the teams including GKs what they're to wear every week. Seems like another piece of MLS amateurism that they can't get jersey colors not to clash.

 

If Pomykal really is one of the best of his age group then considering what Pulisic and McKennie have did at his age he should start really pressing for time. He should blow away the argument that FCD wouldn't have given McKennie playing time had he stayed here. I am going to really start paying attention to Buzz's practice reports and hope he starts really keying in on Pomykal and Ferreira (and perhaps Richards once he's eligible) to see if they are deserving minutes. I don't want the Cannon experience from last year repeated. If they're good enough they're old enough.

 

I'm hoping Pomykal's run out versus Tigres will lead to an Open Cup start which will get him back on the bench and then taking minutes somewhere.

 

Yes, Buzz at Third Degree/DMN had a great write up on that game and it seems that Pomykal looked great but needs more time to get fit.