Columbus Crew SC @ Foxborough Fightin' (in)Friedels | Match 13 | May 19, 2018 7:30 PM EDT

Mensah’s problem has never been talent or ability. It has been his decision making. While he typically makes a few great defensive plays he also tends to make 1 or 2 potentially game breaking mistakes a game.

Last night he had one, as did Lalas.

They are human and there is no such thing as perfect defense.

Still, I’m more inclined to be forgiving when Abubakar makes a mistake when compared to Mensah. It’s like a 13 Million Dollar train station. You have to decide if the cost outweighs the benefit.

Overall in his Columbus Career Mensah has gotten more slack because his pay rate is higher than many and that amplifies his mistakes. I do believe that we could do better for that money - which I will temper by saying he does appear to be consistently improving as time goes on. How much of that is familiarity with the system, communication, and comfort I don’t know. If that is where the problem was before then perhaps he will continue to improve.

I just don’t see those areas improving his mental approach to the game though. Decisions, and composure are hard areas to make tangible improvement in. Confidence goes a long way here at least. It is a lot easier to play with confidence when Zack Steffen is there to clean up your errors (right Abubakar?)

I’m still willing to give him time, but I doubt I will ever be all in on Mensah.

 

There were 20 people in the stands..probably moms of players..Metrics are terrible send that team to Cuba

 

Amen. Finally instead of having the GK play short into the teeth of the press we just play it over the top. About friggin' time. Not exactly Einstein level tactics there.

In 3Gs defense, Zardes (& Kei) are a lot better suited for it than Ola.

Also agree we have to ease up on the Mensah hate. Yes, he was mistake prone last year. But we still were 1 goal away from hosting MLS Cup & the offense did not score in the last tie.

We have the best D in the league & Mensah has been at the center of it.

Steffen + Afful, Mensah, Abubakar, & Valenzuela is as solid a back five as there is. Add in Trapp's distribution & Artur's energy in front and that back seven is fantastic.

Williams, Crognale, Jimenez, Clark, & Abu for depth. Plus Sauro soon.

Need to get more from the wings. Hopefully Grella & Santos can do it going forward.

 

His paycheck dictates he should be all star quality. I will admit he has improved from last year but that's a lot of money spent to applaud above average performances. He still makes blunders and has poor positioning but we've been lucky to not get punished more often. Plus, we have a bad ************************.

 

When he signed, I agree, that was the case, but I'm not sure it is anymore. Especially since his # is being paid down with AM. First, there are journeymen like Dielna and someone named Skjelvik off the top of my head that earn as much or more. And then, overall, there are nearly 150 guys making $500k or more in the league now. I realize Mensah is well over that particular threshold, but still, they can't all be all-star quality.

 

Will Pedro automatically get the start because of his salary? (when he returns healthy). I would like to see Hansen continue to get minutes. He does enough to make me think he is catching on or can. Martinez not so much. Artur may be at a stand still. He had a rough game.

 

It was a game where we were forced to bypass the midfield. I wouldn't read much into it.

 

Not when you are trying to play defense with just a few minutes to go. Maybe someone other than Grella could come off, but D for an attacker makes sense here. Also, with Grella still recently back from injury and the team playing on plastic....

 

Taking pipa off instead would've made more sense to me, but we won so its all good.

 

Stop taking pipa off when he's kicking crosses to the far post

 

Not everyone has the unfortunate fate to be a Shitcago fan. Count your blessings.

 

GGGs answer (Dispatch) as to why he subbed out Grella:

It’s a move rare in soccer but one Berhalter made for two reasons: An extra center back doesn’t hurt with a lead and Grella hasn’t played in a 3-5-2 this season.

“He was an offensive impulse, created a number of chances and then the decision to take him out was based on switching to another formation that he he hasn’t trained extensively.”

 

Afful had his best match of the season. The Revs, as others have stated, limited our short plays out of the back. That made Afful and Milton open 40 or 50 yards upfield. The took advantage. Those 2 as well as Hansen and Martinez had so much space to work. I think it almost became a disadvantage. Way too many times they drove 30 or 40 yards with the ball and then took 1 too many dribbles and lost it to the NE defense. We didn't make the best use of those long dribbles.

But, a win is a win. That flying header from Lalas was a worthy winner for sure. Defense did enough and Steffen was there when they weren't. The shutout streak is something to be proud of.

A long week before a Sunday match-up with the best team in the west, SKC and their temper tantrum throwing ass-hat of a coach, Peter Vermes.

 

I was not a fan of Argudo Saturday. I'm beginning to wonder if we should put Jiminez at LB and let Valenzuela loose at LW.

 

This is a fair assessment, and if I'm reading between the lines you are countering earlier optimism that it was not in fact 3G finally adjusting tactics, but rather Super Steffen sagely reading the on-field situation and altering his play due to necessity. While your perspective might be more accurate it is certainly sadder to me as it means that 3G has not necessarily turned any corners and I will not likely see @hangthadj have to eat his hat. Though it makes Steffen ou tot be even more of the stud we know he is. Your implied narrative is more believable than mine.

 

If we win Sunday, we could be top of the table, albeit with more games played.

Atlanta does not play until Wed. Citeh travel to Houston Friday.

 

That was what, his second game? And a game where he was fouled a ridiculous amount in the first 30ish minutes? I wouldn't read too much into it yet. Not saying he needs Saravia/Martinez/Hansen love, but I think another game or two would be fair before passing some judgement.

I don't think it's a bad idea to put Valenzuela at LW, but I'm not sure I trust Jiminez there long term. He's a great stopgap, not a long term solution anywhere. I do think the idea is worth a try if only to generate something while PDS is out.

 

I'm fully against moving valenzuela to lw. 1) attacking from midfield is different than attacking from defense. 2) why mess around with the league's best defense? 4 straight clean sheets right?

 

This!

 

Fair point.

All this is moot if Adam Jahn isn’t plan B at FW. We need better offensive depth.