I'm thinking of doing these threads for each round instead of every individual match. If anyone feels differently feel free to let me know. In the mean time, s*** gets real tonight. Herediano vs. Atlanta United 2019 Concacaf Champions League — Round of 16, Leg 1 Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero — Heredia February 21, 2019 — 10 pm ET YahooSports.com, Univision Deportes MLSsoccer.com preview here. AJC.com preview here. The Nagbe soap opera now done, the Five (still) Stripes travel to Central America for their first taste of international cup competition. After going 2-0-2 in the preseason the team reportedly looks sharp given the stage of the year and the team's new star Pity Martinez has been fitting in well. Barco has shown more determination and, say it ain't so, has been looking like someone capable of crafting a creative team attack now and again. Brek Shea, meanwhile, seems to be ably filling in at left back. For now. Scuttle from those who've watched the games is that Atlanta has looked much like their old selves albeit with a little more struggle in transition as the back of the squad adjusts to new faces and De Boer's strategy. The new coach is asking the defense to play a bit more structured and behind the ball so as to minimize risks, so if anything the squad might look more like what we saw during the playoff run rather than the flamboyant, but enigmatic, sides throughout the regular season. So what does that mean for tonight? The reality for Herediano is that of life in a decent league but one that is comparably poor financially - It's an aging, tight, hardscrabble venue that might test the Stripes possession-based approach and one that will demand Atlanta not succumb to extended lapses in concentration. (Remember last season's 4-0 drubbing in Houston?!) The climate will be hostile, the venue rather unforgiving, and Herediano play a very physical style that will push to take the game to Atlanta. Striker Jose Ortiz is one who will hound his markers and won't be afraid to be physical when challenging Guzan for any balls. Gerson Torres will be leading a midfield that will seek to push Barco and Co. out wide and limit the passes in the midfield that will buy Josef time to find a good run. They're not Saprissa but Herediano earned their way here and feel if they can rattle Atlanta tonight they can sneak away with the tie knowing next week's match is in Kennesaw instead of MBS. As a result, and as the AJC article points out, De Boer has stressed the team's need to stay sharp and play their game. Atlanta has the better top end talent so if the side as a whole can be resolute they should advance. Look for Atlanta to be aggressive when in the final third early to see if they can take the game to their hosts. Pin Herediano back and the ATL midfield will find more space to allow their ball handlers to make plays. Not sure what to call, so for now I'm thinking a chippy 2-2 draw.
For those of you who are new to CONCACAF competition, get ready for lots of off-the-ball physical contact (some might call it "fouls that don't get called" or "assault"). Also be prepared for sub-par (some might call it "biased" or "anti-American") refereeing, poor or mediocre field conditions, bad lighting, and enthusiastic (some might call them "mean" or "throwing bags of pee") crowds. That being said, the games are generally fun to watch in a 240p kind of way. Actually, given the lighting conditions and the camera locations they've been given, Yahoo has done a pretty good job with this year's broadcasts so far. Better than years past with beIN. The ones I've watched have been basically single midfield camera affairs with an announcer in a studio watching on TV like the rest of us, but still. I expect Herediano to give us all they've got at their place in front of their fans. They know we're Cup-winners, we're a big-money club, and (though this won't make it into tomorrow's newspapers) that we're still in preseason. I think they'll play us straight up and try to get a win tonight, and if they're successful they'll park the bus in front of their net in Atlanta. My prediction for Atlanta is that we play our best 11, we scrap like the playoff games of 2018, and we walk out with 1 away goal and either a draw or a win. If we score within the first 30 minutes, though, we could rout them. A win on the road in CONCACAF would give us the freedom to rest some starters for the return leg in anticipation of a road trip to a very good DC United.
I really have no idea what to expect tonight. I'm completely unfamiliar with the opponent and we have had so much turn over. No result will surprise me. Playing uninspired / unfamiliar with formation / communication issues? I can see it Out-matching and overwhelming inferior opposition? Goals from everywhere? I can see it. I'll play the part of the optimist. 2-1 win. Give up the first goal and then the team gets their crap together and steals this one in the 2H
Toronto hasn't replaced Giovinco and Vasquez (they started a draft pick in attack), and it looks like their defense has not improved from last year. Their one pickup, Ciman, got burnt multiple times in that game. And their stars seem to be on the downward slope. Maybe what happened last year in the league wasn't an aberration.
Bello, Robinson get starts in first match. 3-4-3 with a front line of Martinez, Martinez, and Barco. *Pauses to reflect on Villalba accepting a bench role* And away we go...
LGP having an absolute howler of a first half. Should have gotten credit for an own-assist on their first goal, and his weird half-slide-tackle at midfield and then failure to cover anybody in a red shirt led directly to the second. He's also just passed the ball to an opposing player two or three times with no pressure at all. Robinson looks great so far, though. Barco looks eager, but so far ineffective. He's got to get the ball off his feet and find his teammates. Pity has looked good, but also seems to find a lot of red shirts with his passes. Bello so far hasn't shown much. I would've said the same about Gressel until he scored. Not sure if Nagbe is match fit, but I'd take him over Barco in the second half. I'm also willing to give Shea a run-out in lieu of Bello. Villalba for Gressel just to get some speed out there. As bad as LGP has been, I'm not sure we have a good replacement for him, unless we want to put Escobar in and shift Parkhurst to the middle.
Not exactly the start you'd like for a new coach and a new season. But hey, this is the third year in a row Atlanta loses their first game, so why mess with tradition? If Nagbe can go 65 I absolutely start him for the return leg. Put him in the middle and replace Jeff. A lot of Herediano's opportunities came from losing the ball in the midfield, and no one on this team keeps the ball as well as Darlington. I'd also consider starting Shea for Bello. If Herediano bunkers for the entire game we'll need with someone height in the box to cross to. It's not ideal, but Atlanta can certainly score two goals at home. Figure out your defense, keep a clean sheet, and you're off to the next round. If Franco was healthy he'd have started instead of Robinson. And Atlanta might go to a four man back line. Don't think he'll be fit for the return leg. Which is a shame 'cause I think Franco is the only one in defense that could keep up with Marin.
Not what I wanted, but personally, I don’t care for the CCL anyways. It’s hardly televised and is just a distraction for the league/cup. Sure, I’d want to win every game but between the league or CCL; I’m choosing the league every time. Plus, first game out of preseason... some lumps are to be expected.
2 absolutely unforgivable defensive mistakes and Gressel caught napping on the 3rd. FdB needs to get that sorted out quickly. On the other side of the pitch we seemed to give the ball away far to easily, even when we weren't under pressure. I've never seen such sloppy passing from the 9 Stripes. Not much positive to say this morning other than no one got hurt and thank the Lord for that away goal.
Okay, as has been said not the result or performance desired. If the team repeats last season's feat of never losing after a loss then there's more than hope for next week. - Bello was not up for the game last night. Or at the least his youth showed and he was neutralized against an opponent equally as athletic. Not sure Brek Shea would be the answer but it means that side of the field needs some attention. - Robinson made some good individual plays but also lost control of the backfield. Just because you have the experience of Parky and LGP on either side of you doesn't mean you can just not direct traffic or assume they (LGP) won't get sucked out of position. If they're going with a back 3 they'll need to be much tighter as a unit. (Might Miles be able to play out left?) - Not helping the situation above was having Remedi and Larentowicz as your CM pair. They looked lost in balancing defensive and offensive responsibilities last night and combined had, by my estimate, 7 unforced giveaways. If the rest of the team is in good working order this pairing can do okay, but when things are struggling at either end Jeff and Eric aren't a good match. (For a trophy chasing side, anyway.) Either one needs to drop out so Nagbe or Kratz can play, or you need a different shape to ensure the attack gets proper support. - the attacking trio of Pity, Barco, and Josef (PB&J!) needs work. Granted, Pity has only been here a month and Barco needs time for that hair bleach to settle in, but their positioning last night was very flat compared to when Miggy was involved. Pity and Barco were all over the place and it seemed Josef didn't know where to be as a result, which meant he got few quality served opportunities. Some of this was due to the shortcomings last night of the people behind them, but they didn't adapt, either. - I think De Boer would've been better served aiming for the same gritty counter attacking style we saw in the playoffs. Maybe no one expected Here to be so fast, and heaven knows you can't really prepare for stupid mistakes like the ones we saw in the first half, but knowing next week would require squad rotation I think last night revealed it was a mistake to gamble on the offense given all the first-game/new teammates issues at play. I do agree with the players he brought on but question who he took off. Let's see how he adapts. - I didn't expect Atlanta to win this competition this year. Had Tata and Miggy stayed I'd feel differently, but given the changes and this being a new experience for so many I wasn't putting pressure on the team here. They're still strong candidates to repeat as MLS Cup champs so I want to see that by the end of the season they're still capable of appearing a super-club. So no panic yet.
I kind of feel like the style of play should stay the same. How they came out should have been what they did at home; they shouldn't have played such a high line on the road. Maybe something like a 3-5-2, with more defensive responsibilities for the wingers to help with the counter-attacks. I have to think that as long as Atlanta can control Heradanio's counter, they'll get the two goals they need. Whatever you do, do not give up an early goal. Then Heradanio will bunker for real, and Atlanta hasn't exactly excelled with breaking down the bunker. If they stay with the 3-4-3 I'd replace Bello with Shea and have Nagbe start in the middle for Jeff, and let him go as long as he can. They're going to have to take risks. Once you get the two goals maybe put Bello and Jeff back in and play more defensive, maybe with the 3-5-2. If you think Ambrose plays better defense, put him in, though I think Bello is faster. Does Heredanio play this weekend? Maybe the extra game and travel will help.
The good news is that while Herediano deserved the win their first two goals were due almost exclusively to Atlanta errors. Between that and Atlanta's goal it means the tie is far from out of reach. I can see Atlanta winning their home leg 2-0. The key will be, obviously, keeping Here off the board. Time to channel the grit we saw last post-season.
My revised XI Pity——Martínez——Villaba ————Barco————— —-Remedi——Nagbe——- Bello————————Gressel ———LGP—Parkhurst——- —————Guzan————- Bench: Kann, Robinson, Shea, Larentowicz, Pereira, Kratz, Vasquez Escobar (Out) Notes: -We need Villalba and Nagbe in the line-up. We need Villalba’s pace on the wings and Nagbe’s ability to bring the ball forward as an 8. -I’m not ready to sacrifice Robinson but with the game on the line... he’s the one out. -Bello still makes my XI. To be honest, I fear that dropping him might hurt his confidence more than help it. -Gressel comes back to RB. -Barco needs to put up or shut up. That said, personally, I think he’s more of a midfielder than a forward. -Likely subs: Shea (Bello), Pereira (Villalba)
I thought I read that Bello is hurt. Other than that it looks good. I doubt Herendito leave their half so the more attacking options the better.
CCL R16: Return leg vs Herediano Fifth Third Bank Stadium — Kennesaw February 28 — 8 PM ET MLSsoccer.com preview here. AJC.com 10 Thoughts here. The bad news for me is that I'm working tonight and at best won't get to a TV/computer until 2nd half. The good news is that given the weather I'll likely be warmer and drier than the fans attending. Hopefully the crowd, including my usual matchday partner, will be in good spirit and be celebrating a win. Last year the team went 6-0-1 in games played after a loss and we all saw the defensive grit displayed by the team in last season's playoffs, so we know the tools are there for the team to rebound with a much more focused and commanding display. But that was in the Martino/Miggy era and during/after a full season. Today will merely be match #2 under FdB so we'll need to see how lineup and position changes may affect the manifestation of that team effort. The AJC's Mr. Roberson feels the team will be a little different than last week, with Shea in for Bello and Nagbe in for Larentowicz, with Robinson and Parkhurst switching positions so that the more experienced and talkative team captain will be the central central defender. Seeing as we've discussed almost the exact same things in this thread I'm inclined to agree, especially since job 1b tonight is to lock down the defense and avoid stupid errors. Whether Nagbe starts or not the key will be in organizing the attack. Someone will need to carry the load of bringing the ball up from deep in a way that allows the front line to advance more quickly and play further into the Herediano half of the pitch. Pity and Barco, despite likely needing to sit behind Josef, can't spend too much energy coming all the way back for a ball within 20 yds of the centerbacks because it made Atlanta easier to defend against last week. Laughably so, at some points. I do expect to see a few more long balls tonight in an effort to spread the Herediano defense, especially if the weather is relatively calm. Some of these might be forced but it will keep the opposing defenders running back and focusing on Josef instead of having time to man-up to a simple 3-4 person attack. Getting the first goal will be key (he preached to the choir), so look for Atlanta's forward players to really press the issue and hope that a Herediano team that lost a regular season match at San Carlos on Sunday will come in feeling the weight of their week and the travel.
That was an epic beatdown. I loved the fact that they got going early. Scoring in the first minute allowed the team to relax and at the same time put pressure on Herediano. The second goal sealed it because at that point, Herediano wasn't prepared to go forward. I only remember one real shot on goal and that was a great save by Guzan (there was another in the first half but it was a pot shot). Happy with the team selection (Shea looked like a player again!) and happy with the performance. The only downside was the yellows in the first half. The players were welcomed to CONCACAF by a crappy ref and didn't handle the frustration well. There is no way LGP doesn't get suspended for yellow card accumulation and when that happens we are in trouble.
Quick takeaways: - Best news of the night was the team displayed the hustle and grit we grew to love last season. If you combine their talent with that type of effort you'll typically get results. Doing this after last week's rusty show bodes well for the team and Coach FdB. - Nagbe, or someone capable of replicating his role, is now critical to the team. Many factors contributed to yesterday's turn around but you can't deny the impact he makes when helping guide Atlanta's possession and transition play. Especially while the boys adjust to the new scheme we'll need a quality, patient ball handler who can play centrally and play deep without sacrificing the overall attack. When he's injured or otherwise unavailable they will need someone who can ably play that role, and it's unlikely to be Larentowicz or Remedi. - Barco, to me, looks far better than last season. His touch is still very rough, as we saw multiple times last night when he'd make a great run only to yield an errant pass or weak shot. However he's making more incisive runs and the passes he's attempting/making are more productive compared to last season's typical dribble into traffic and surrender showcase. Maybe it's the braces or the bleach job but at the least the 2019 Barco shows more promise. - Brek Shea. Just stay healthy and I won't ask for more than last night.