Post-match: Atlanta United @ Columbus Crew, Matchday 19

What an embarrassment. Hope the fireworks are good for that crowd, because there were none on the field.

 

Thank God my steak was good. That game was terrible.

 

More Kekuta, less Mensah....

 

I'm ********ing sick of this team. This has to be the least likable collection of losers to ever put on a Columbus Crew kit. Can't someone manage a shot on goal? Won't anyone go rogue and make a run directly at the opponent's goal? I know attacking the other team's goal isn't what our genius coach has decided out system will be, but why doesn't someone just try it for god's sake.

 

Atlanta was a bigger, faster better coached team with better skills. Seemed to win most balls. Completely shut down the Crew attack. Afful and Finlay were terrible. I don't think Artur completed many passes. The players in the center of the field were totally ineffective which made the perimeter player look even worse than they are. I am trying to think of something positive to say but nothing is coming.

 

Cybr's steaks looked good. That's about it...

At least we probably won't have to play Atlanta in the playoffs right?

 

Cause we're not making the playoffs?

 

That's true. The Crew is looking out for us by helping us save $ on playoff tickets.

 

They want people to vote for "man of the match"! I wanted to vote for Jahn - at least he won a PK.

 

They were good. But that was about all.

Was odd to look at the standings. Only 3-4 teams in the league are actually any good. Everyone else is either terrible or within a game or two of .500. We're the latter.

Anyone remember an old comic about a guy named Normalman??



That's what we are--the "excruciatingly average Normalteam". And I do mean excruciating.

 

I was sure that bringing on Nicolai Naess in the 77th minute down 2-0 was exactly the spark that would turn this one around. Shocked, frankly, that it didn't get us back in the match.

 

Yeah, but it kept Mensah from ********ing up and giving them another.

 

Is it time to strangle Mensah yet?

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I also notice there's been a lack of response to my inquiry with Massive if we can start shaming the team now.

 

Ah, the Old Næss Gambit. Shame it didn't work.

 

Mensah flubs a deep goal kick to give up one goal; misses the block on the shot on the second goal. On another ATL counter, he gets beat badly on a through ball to the man he's marking, and tries his patented PK generating arm tackle in the penalty box, but the Atlanta player stays on his feet (props for not going to the ground which he could have easily and would have gotten the PK). The ATL player missed what should have been an easy goal. Not the only time he got beat. Oh yeah, he put another header over the goal on a corner.

I am hoping that GB's pulling him for Naess (I freaking forgot Naess was on the team) means that GB will finally hold him accountable and move him to a substitute role on the bench. Let's see if Crognale and Naess can do better. Williams has done ok, but think Cro and Naess should take over for CB's.

Almiron is incredible. That guy outran every player on the pitch by a wide margin (I didn't check any stats, just eyeballing it). His work rate is phenomenal. End to end, side to side. Makes a huge run on offense and next thing he's sprinting 80 yards diagonally across the field on defense to break up an attack. Heck, he's faster with the ball than many of our players without. He has to be a pretty solid MVP candidate. We're lucky that Atlanta didn't feed him the ball as much as they could have or the carnage could have been greater.

Once again the crew poop the bed and roll in it when they have a big crowd. How bad is our record with big crowds?

 

About as bad as it is with small crowds.

 

This was a vintage Berhalter Era Columbus Crew game.

58% possession.
79% passing accuracy.
28 crosses
12 shots.

And:
1 shot on goal
Numerous school boy defensive errors

This is The Berhalter System. This is what we do.

 

Mensah gets a lot of shit here and rightfully so. He's absolutely terrible.

But can we talk about how bad Harrison Afful has been this year. He's been consistently one of the worse players every time he steps on the field.

That giveaway in the 11th minute to Almiron (?) was emblematic of his play this year. Lazy, disinterested. And anyone who watches Atlanta knows you are gonna be under pressure if you are slow and indecisive with the ball. Did Afful not know this cause he was with Ghana this week? Did Gregg not let him know? If Gregg did, and Afful continues to play so poorly why is Gregg still running him out there.

It's maddening.

 

Mensah - No wonder Ghana play a defensive midfielder at centre back instead of him. He is horrendous.

Trying to think of a positive from last night.

 

I think Greg is a lost dog in high weeds.
Not starting Naess and Crognale at this point is utterly baffling. Jonathan has had to many chances to only prove the obvious. He is that bad

 

I think it did - Atlanta didn't score after he swapped them.