The Star gets the numbers from SKC. Back in the day, when we all got our own sections of Arrowhead, that led to quite a bit of eye-raising when they announced crowds of 10k or more. I mean, there were days back then when the Star could have simply counted, though in those days there often wasn't a writer at the games. I'm trying to think what the upside to SKC would be of telling the Star the crowd was smaller than it is. That said, 15k seems like good attendance for an OCup game played in heat during the WCup, when casuals might be a little saturated.
I really wish we'd rested Russell,. I have a serious fear of him stuttering to a halt mid august. The championship has a crazy number of games. He's at 42 games played since the start of the Derby season (still less than a year).
Russell got most of the game to rest, didn't he? I'm not surprised he got minutes, as we were needing to lock down the offense a bit. Anyways. I have the same fears. Another really good game from the kids. If he's handled right, I really think Wan Kuzain will be the successor to Roger, which has been a big question for me for several years now. And I thought Rubio did really well. First game this year where he's looked really alive. I hope he's turning things around. Because Rubio playing his best is well ahead of Shelton playing his best.
What I saw is a very engaged Rubio who hustled and tried his best to get into the box with the ball. I thought his movement was good but it was a lot of action without much accomplishment. The sad part is that he is knocked off the ball much to easily. Shelton can hold up the ball well and distribute fairly well, but seems to have a real problem moving into spaces that good strikers find. I never expect to see anything threatening come out of the number 9 spot when either are playing, so if and when it does, its a nice surprise.
Here's what bugs me. If you watched Harry Kane last night, look at his movement in the box on both goals. It was brilliant. On both goals, the one man who cannot be left alone in the box, managed to leave full contact when everyone else pauses and drift into a space that leaves him free to score a couple goals. the reactions and snap on the header might be talent, but that movement is learned. It's a matter of overcoming that momentary pause when there's a shot to see what will happen, to get your ass moving to the spot you should occupy if it isn't a goal. I realize Kane is a monster in the box, and I realize defending in a first round cup game is pretty haphazard. But Shelton's movement in those moments is atrocious. Standing dead still is almost never the correct answer. In both of these instances, it was a simple thought, position off the back post.
Not even $14M a year? We should get one! Of course, we could get 140 Shelton's for the same money. Not sure where we'd keep them all, though.
Seriously, my point wasn't that we need to sign a Kane, but that while much of what elite strikers can do is beyond Shelton (you can't learn speed or reflexes or hops etc) the one thing that is under his control is learning to better read the game. I thought he'd studied Villa, but he's kind of static for that. He will never be a great stiker, but he could move around the box like one, which would make him a decent enough striker.
Of course I didn't think you were insinuating we should sign a Harry Kane. I was curious what wage he was on. Pretty substantial. For all the crap he takes, Shelton was directly responsible for setting up Croizet's wunder-strike. His pressure caused the poor clearance. My only point is that he isn't useless, as many on FB seem to think.
I've given Croizet a lot of grief, so time to eat a bit of crow. That was a heck of a strike, and a game winner at that.
Am I wrong, or can we only meet the winner of this game if they make it to the final, right? If we beat Houston, we play the winner of Port/ and LAFC-Sac?
Hmmm, either this forum is getting stale or there is a big collective yawn I am detecting from the lack of comments about the game vs Houston tomorrow night.
I am hoping Rubio starts up top, with Salloi and Belmar on the wings, please give Russell a 2 week break. Maybe we get a break with Houston resting players for the Dallas game.
I'm out of the country right now, so my usual splatter of rambling nonsense must be sparser. That said, I don't have much to say. The open cup is must likely the only silverware we have a good shot at this year. Might as well go all in. I keep checking this site and reddit and everything when I have a chance and log off frustrated because there is zero motion on the player acquisition front. Doubt I'm the only one.
The injury report: "Defenders Matt Besler (back spasm) and Ike Opara (hamstring) are both questionable, along with Brad Evans who is still nursing an Achilles concern. Felipe Gutierrez, who was listed as questionable for Saturday’s match against the New York Red Bulls, is removed from the injury report. Cristian Lobato (knee), Jimmy Medranda (knee) and Khiry Shelton (torn Meniscus/MCL) all remain out, while Colton Storm (hamstring) joins them in that category." First, what exactly is the difference between (knee) and (torn meniscus/MCL)? Are the first two simply more common ACL injuries? Did they just feel Shelton deserved greater detail? Same back line we saw last weekend, then, which has to be okay. Not sure how we will deal with Evans being out. And Felipe, what's the thinking, coming back from a long layoff, and having just played for the first time, does he play at all? Maybe the final 10 if the situation calls for it?