The class of the West is SKC, which blew Toluca out of the water in a "it matters" CCL game last week. It was 3-0, but that score totally flatters Toluca. It was an amazing performance.
MLS Soccer has their preview of RSL. Predictions range from 5th to 9th. I think it's mostly fair but I'd be surprised if we finished as low as 9th.
Bobby Warshaw lists the top 5 players in MLS at each position and doesn't list a single RSL player. Is he wrong? Looking at that list, I can't really say that he is.
Unless Petke was hiding tactics I'm not sure this team is built to survive itself. Throwing the front four forward while having the back six that we have is suicide. The CB's HAVE to improve. The central midfield needs adjusting yesterday. The outside backs are good going forward but leave a lot to be desired the other direction. Rimando as the starter makes sense but we saw the sharp decline of Howard at the cRapids last season and I really don't want to do that here. Each of these, on their own, wouldn't spell disaster. But you put them together and it compounds.
Savarino at wing seems like he has a shout but also that is the best spot for the league overall, imo, so I can understand him not making it. What is interesting about this list is that only 10 teams made it and 6 of those are in the West. Curious to see if all 10 of these teams make the playoffs. Three of them didn't last year
1. this is funny because it's the easiest way to flip his argument 2. which leads me to this not being what he's saying or what he's "saying without saying it" Dunny will spend the first two months hyping this team as deeper than ever meaning that this team can handle injuries and the schedule congestion better than anyone else. Then when the injuries and schedule congestion come it'll be "well RSL has had to deal with some significant injuries and schedule congestion so these slew of results should be expected." I mean, this deepest team thing he's pitching isn't the first time he's gone there. I think he's done it *checks notes* every year he's been involved with the team. My point here is I'm not cutting Dunny slack for saying something but meaning two things. That's bullshit. I don't think you meant it that way, either, so this was a really long wasted post but hey I gotta stay on brand
I think it’s #2. On the surface it’s very complimentary. Dig a bit and it’s not. He could probably succeed at a career in politics or organizational spokesman.
he didn't mean it that way Note, even if you're a pessimist like me, you should watch this. It's good shit
Two glaring errors with this preview: 1) Kreilach was clearly team MVP last year, and that was after coming into the season expecting to play an entirely different role. I think a good chance he'll be the real star of the team again this year. 2) Does anybody who follows this team think there is any chance that Johnson will start on Saturday? If he does, Petke has done a great job of hiding his intentions.
If I'm Baird, after the USMNT camp that was pretty good and the winning of ROTY, and I don't make the starting lineup but ********ing Johnson does... Them be fighting decisions. I also think the subtle way of pushing Rusnak out to the left isn't going to work. Yes, he plays there for his national team, but that's because ********ing Marek Hamšík takes his spot as the 10. Kreilach is good, but he's not Hamšík good. Is the league trolling us with the Rimando as "key players" thing? Like, is that in the opposite way of "this might be the guy who ********s this up for you?" if so, why would you not pick KB
Pushing Rusnak left also puts him in the same space already the deepest on the team, since that's where Plata and Saucedo typically play.
I was going to say that would make a hell of a jersey but the whole point of being on the pool boy team is to not wear a shirt.
Moving Rusnak to the left wing though does have the benefit of putting him in a position where our attack actually goes, so he doesn't see the ball fly over his head as often. Then he may get more involved. Putting Kreilach in the CAM position means that he can get forward for crosses into the box with what ever center forward we have. Not the tactics I would choose, but if we are going to play the way we are, may as well set it up to work slightly better...
Watching the video from the 2009 RSL MLS cup match puts into stark perspective that the current team is not a great team and might barely be a good team. Sad. In nearly every starting position I would take the 2009 player, as they were then, over the players we have starting tomorrow. This is the roster from the MLS cup in 2009. I would take this starting lineup head to head over the RSL team we have today. In my estimation there is only possibly two positions that are "improved" from 2009 and that would be Rusnak in one of the MF positions and Damir in another but overall not much else. REAL SALT LAKE: GK 18 Nick Rimando 2009 DF 4 Jámison Olave 2009 DF 6 Nat Borchers 2009 DF 3 Robbie Russell 2009 DF 17 Chris Wingert 2009 MF 11 Javier Morales 22' 2009 MF 5 Kyle Beckerman (c) 2009 MF 77 Andy Williams 2019 MF 8 Will Johnson 14' 46' 2019 FW 9 Yura Movsisyan 75' 2009 FW 10 Robbie Findley 2009 What say you?
you left off the bench like you had in the other thread. That is where this really became evident that 2019 RSL just isn't what it's hyped up to be in our own club's history. Adding this up after the fact: 2019: RW 2009: GK, CB, CB, RB, CM, CM, LW, FW, Bn1, Bn2, Bn4, Bn5, Bn6 Wash: LB, AM, Bn3, Bn7 GK - 2009 Nicky by a mile CBs - Olave and Borchers over any of the current players RB - Russel over anyone (including Beltran) LB - This one is a wash to me as I really like what Herrera does offensively CM - Younger KB CM - 2009 Johnson is what 2019 RSL has been looking for RW - I know Andy isn't listed as this, but it's the best way to compare. I'd take Sava over 2009 Andy LW - 2009 Yura was a beast. The dude wanted to score. Baird is good, just not as good AM - This one is hard. I'd put it at a wash as both are special FW - Findley is an out and out striker. Kreilach is a damn good player, but not a striker Substitutes: GK 1 Chris Seitz - I like Putna, but this goes to Seitz even in 2009 DF 2 Tony Beltran - 2009 Beltran didn't have the injury concerns MF 12 Jean Alexandre - Compared to Portillo I'm not sure who I would pick MF 20 Ned Grabavoy 46' - Ned over Besler MF 84 Clint Mathis 22' - 2009 Mathis over 2019 Bofo. Even with the legs. Mathis could pull off something special at times FW 16 Fabián Espíndola 75' - Fabi over Plata FW 19 Pablo Campos - Don't know enough about Johnson just yet to take him over Campos
I didn't really want to take the time to look at the benches. Lazy. I think you nailed it though. That 2009/2010 team is one of the best teams to ever play in MLS if you ask me, especially 2010. Cup or no cup. That this current team doesn't have comparable talent is ludicrous. Was it the GM all along?
the crazy thing is that in 2010, even with that talent, Garth went and got Saborio. So we had 2 pretty good strikers and then he was like get me a really really good one. oh, and Campos wasn't bad either. Hell, he would start for 2019 RSL
AM: I would go with Javi simply because he was the perfect fit for the formation and tactics at the time. Rusnak might have done as well in that offense, who knows? But he’s not a perfect fit for the style that Petke appears to prefer.