Pre-match: Atlanta United FC - San Jose Earthquakes (Tuesday, 7/4) pregame thread

are we going to have the new DP?

 

Not eligible to play until July 10th. Perhaps in street clothes?

 

Event though a night game, it is summer in Atlanta....a bit humid


JUL 4 Scattered Thunderstorms
high 87° low72°
60% chance of rain
humidity 74%

 

The Earthquakes are 5-1-6 with Rivero in the center

 

Atlanta United are doing some incredible things, halfway through their first season they already seem like MLS franchise others should be looking to emulate on and especially off the field (with an average attendance of 46,700, over 35k season ticket holders, and 25% of MLS merchandise sales)....

Atlanta United at midseason: Q&A with Darren Eales

Eales, a wealth of facts, noted that the average expansion team averages 1.14 goals per game. Atlanta United averages 1.94 goals per game, finishing the season’s first half with 33 goals in 17 games.

...

Expansion teams average one point per game. Now we are at 1.41 points per game. We have played 17 games, 10 on the road. It’s a much more favorable schedule in the second half of the season.

...

The highest average attendance is in our sights.

After our game against San Jose (on Tuesday), we will have more cumulative people through the gate —more than 370,000 — which is more than 14 teams had in total last season.

That just puts it into context. And we have 10 more games to go at home.

We’ve sold more than 35,000 season tickets, which is incredible.

...

The merchandise portal on mls.com sells gear for the 22 teams, plus LAFC and league-branded items. Twenty-five percent of the merchandise sales through that portal are Atlanta United.​

 

Atlanta lost to Miami in the Open Cup but I'm not sure if they were using their reserves or not.

 

Atlanta didn't have any of their DPs, no Almiron, Martinez, Villalba, or even Asad.
They played 4-5 regular starters (Gressel, Carmona, Pirez, Mears, Kann) with a mix of roster filler veterans (Kratz, McCann, Bloom, soon to be Kann) and young prospects (Vazquez, Carleton, Walkes). Vazques scored their first goal and Andrew Carleton drew the PK for the second one, so it looks like their teenagers did well enough...
Miami FC is no joke, they've spent a lot of money for a lower division team, Stafano Pinho had a 16 assist season in NASL a few years ago, and NYCFC cult hero Poku averaged over a goal/assist every 90 minutes in 2015...

 

The game on the fourth is already a sellout.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-united-sells-out-tuesday-fourth-july-match/Yfn1RPj6dFD632oBMOU7UI/

 

Team will be tired but confident. No Godoy but Lima back and Colvey rested. Fingers crossed....

 

No D mids available (Alashe, Ceren, Godoy). I'd be tempted to play a 4-4-2 with Flo at D-mid and Lima/ Colvey at outside backs. Maybe have Yueill on the bench as sub for Flo. Can Mfeca play CAM? Need someone with fresh legs in the center with Flo.

 

You might be tempted, but I think you'd be wrong. I think the best solution would be to play Bernardez, Imperiale, and Sarkodie in the back, then slide Jungwirth as the defensive mid and have the rest of the midfield stay the same, except put Colvey in Cato's place.

If the instinct to play 4-4-2 is results focus, forget about it. The results matter so much less than getting these offensive players to become as cohesive as possible. They need to spend a lot of time together to learn their habits, preferences, expectations. So far, it's been great, but now that they've shifted, I see no point in returning to a formation that has so rarely done any good for them, even with roster issues.

Edit: Put Lima in Sarkodie's place, obviously. Not sure what I was thinking there.

 

This is a really tough draw. Playing on two days rest, flying across country, missing several players, including "the rock", Godoy. I look at it as another bellwether for Chris Leitch.

If this were Dom he would be parking the bus so hard that the brake handle would be bent. But when you play for a 0-0 tie, most of the time you lose. So why not just go for it? What's the worst that can happen? You lose, which you are going to do anyway if you park the bus and try to play for a 0-0 tie or win 1-0 on your 1-2 chances.

I really think Mfeka should get a start in this game, and Colvey also.

 

I think that Lima and Colvey are shoe-ins to start. If Fatai is available, he will start in Godoy's place. Everything else sort of depends on the fitness of the individuals and how they feel after the Saturday match. Given past history, we can expect that Wondo will be game-fit, and I expect Shea to start in place of either Tommy or Cato.

 

Heh, Wondo could probably play today and be just fine . As for Shea starting, oh well, there goes the possession. Would rather bring him in as a sub, but TT for one has gotta be pretty "knackered". Jackson too.

 

I look at it as playing with house money, thanks to the wins against Seattle and especially LA. As I keep saying, MLS is all about winning at home. We may need to get some road points to make up for the five non-wins at home, but they seem unlikely to come here, given the tough circumstances. I'll expect a loss and hopefully be pleasantly surprised by 1 or 3 points. I think it will be easier to get points in NY or Seattle, given the struggles both those teams are having...

I agree with you that the Quakes should just go for it, instead of parking the bus Dom-style. If that turns out really badly, I wouldn't hold it against them.

 

Yeah that's exactly it, house money. And sometimes you get on a roll and just keep winning with house money and you start taking even more chances. That's what 2012 was to me.

 

After the knock Cato took last night, I'd be very shocked to see him start. instead I think we'll see a tired TT on one wing and Shea on the other to start.

 

I would start Mfeka, or have TT play 60 or so. Hyka is another one who played almost 90 (77 or so) on Wednesday and then 90. Imperiale 90 both games, but don't think he runs as much as more of a stay at home defender and given that the Quakes had a lot of possession both games.

 

Playing it quite well for Reno.

 

I respect your opinion, but at this level you play to win. The Quakes can have success in a 4-4-2 if the outside backs can get into the attacking flow on the edges. Lima and Colvey have both shown that they can and they are fresh (and hopefully hungry).

Good coaches and good teams don't limit themselves to one formation or a specific lineup. You use what works best for your personal and you show your team that you have confidence in their ability to take what is given them.

 

Expect Jungwirth to flex into DMid. That was where he was playing mostly for Darmstadt.

 

David Bingham looked so pumped after the LA game. That was as excited as I've ever seen him. Leitch went out of his way to praise his great save in the second half. I have to wonder if this will lift his form the rest of the season. He'll need a Tim Howard like performance against Atlanta