PBP: Crew at Minnesota United FC (MLS 07/04 07:00 PM)

A tie vs Minnesota sounds terrible at first, but would be a good result. Home field is huge in this league, even Minnesota is 5-3-1 at home.

 

I feel very confident facing a team missing 6 center-backs..............but since it's a Berhalter team 3-1 Minnesota.

 

Good thing those of us without Spectrum can't get this one in HD. Not feeling this is likely to one where I'd want to see it in all it's glory.

 

I am going 2-1 Crew. One for Ramirez . One for Jahn and another for Finlay because the impossibility drive is up and running.

 

I feel very strongly both ways about this match.

 

Big loss or small lose.

 

We're gonna win.

This will be followed by a two week Gold Cup break in which the Berhalter apologists say. "I haven't heard from the Berhalter Out crew recently!"

We then will split our home and home with Philly in comical/infuriating fashion.

It's the Circle of Life.

 

Something else to think of. Somehow Philly is 7-3-2 with a +10 goal differential since the end of April. Maybe that home and home isn't as easy as first thought. Also, CJ Sapong could eat Mensah for lunch.

3 points here is sort of a must.

 

Curtain quit playing favorites is what happened.

Pontius was benched / moved to the other side (depending on the game) for a more dynamic Picault.

Marquez was benched for Onyewu.

Rosenberry was benched for Gaddis.

Herbers was benched in favor of Ilsinho.

Bedoya was moved from a more attacking role to more of a box-to-box role.

Funny how when the players that keep letting you down are benched, and younger more reliable options come in, that the team improves....

 

We don't have younger more reliable options.
Jahn - 1 assist
Finlay - 1 goal
These guys and Williams are just not up to the level of other MLS teams. When I see Jahn enter the game, I know greg has thrown in the towel. Simple as that.

 

Crognale and Næss.

 

We should tie. We could use the point.

 

Nobody is producing at RM so we might as well use Manneh and Finlay doesn't really matter who starts but Manneh has done better as a sub so stick with that.

Then we need 90 from Meram,Higuain and Ola as we only have one attacking option.

I'm feeling Trapp and Artur in the central defending role and Abu is a back option who has not set the world on fire but at least he stopped sucking

Leftback Raitala /Francis (Def/Off)
Rightback Afful is best choice and Jiminez is serviceable

Centerback
Naess sometimes needs a sub late in games other than that he does pretty good.

Crognale might make some mistakes but I like his work ethic and he plays tactically beyond his age

Josh Williams- serviceable back up has pretty good physical skills

Mensah - he hustles but just makes bad decisions all the time and he would be a serviceable back up except he makes way too much money so honestly we could just play Abubakar and get the same results or better and gain value

GK Steffen won by default he is a good young keeper

Stuver he needs cut I'd personally rather see Ketterer if Steffen was hurt.

If we are not very active during this summer window then hopefully GB is fired mid season

 

I picked a draw but honestly this team is hard to figure out. Also depends on the line up because it always changes my prediction when I see Mensah or others starting who should not step on the pitch

 

Well.... thats interesting.
Steffen; Abubakar, Crognale, Næss; Jimenez, Trapp, Abu, Raitala; Finlay, Ola, Manneh.

Backline is insanely athletic, but inexperienced. I'm ok with giving these three a game.

Front 3 is ok.

Rather have francis at left wing back. Abu? God.... loss.

 

Seems a bit desperate by Gregg.

 

Playing anyone other than mensah seems perfectly logical to me.

 

No Higuan / Artur /Meram

We are resting a lot of ppl so let's just hope our midfield plays well if not it's a loss.

Mensah is on the bench so we have a chance

 

Seriously... rookie Abubakar, and the walking disaster Abu is all we got?

 

Minnesota has a small bench, with a goalie and the rest are midfielders.

We drop Meram, Pippa, and Arthur.

Gonna need to get more beer because this isn't going to be pretty

 

For sure.

But he must feel very secure in his job to play this line up

Shame about the process

 

Maybe we win, who knows! Heath is a shit coach.

 

Lalas is a physical beast. Big, strong, quick, physical. He's aggressive, perhaps a bit too much. From what I've seen in Pitt he reads the game (at USL level at least) well for a rookie. He just needs to calm himself down a bit. I'm excited to see him. I think that his aggression is better suited to a 3 man backline, so if he does miss a tackle or interception, there will be plenty of cover.

Honestly, he cant be worse than mensah.

 

Raitala just got abused. I dont see why we signed him tbh. I have yet to see a game where he's really impressed me. Francis is perfect for a wingback role. Odd, which is typical i suppose.