When I saw the first goal go in I had a feeling we were done for. We made adjustments for the second half but unfortunately they did to. All they had to do was be patient, keep the middle of the field congested, and wait for us to make that one mistake. Their second goal was really well played and even though we technically did not make a mistake our back line was just outworked and outsmarted. Congrats to them. Thanks for the ride in a season the could have easily been a throwaway due to circumstances.
My thoughts this morning, as I gather my emotions, is that I'm sad but not too disappointed. We went about as far as we could go--and finally beat DC in a playoff. NYRB were by far the better team but we gave them a good scare and beat them twice this season. And I do have a "next year" to look forward to now.
The full season revealed the quality of the team. We finished about where we should be in the standings. The team never gave up all year. I really think they were often playing over their heads. I also think that when the news broke that the team was sold and they weren't moving that they lost a lot of emotional momentum.
I think we've seen Pipa's last game. He's a step too slow, and it shows. We were not doing a good job moving off the ball, you could see it every time a ball was flighted in to Zardes, there would be nobody moving in his view, so he'd just tank the ball off to nowhere. We had a lot of passes to nowhere, a fair number of passes in traffic that were entirely too short to get anywhere. guys dribbling into traffic with no pass to make, etc. Clearly, the Pink Cows were up for the game, and we weren't. Starting from the back - I think Zach has a new European address this winter. We have a little too much rotation at center back. Lalas is the future, I think, if I found a world-beater, I wouldn't really miss any of the others. Josh is a serviceable fill-in, I think Gaston is gassed, and Mensah would be great if we could get his brain to stop skipping beats. I like Crognale, hope to see more of him. Wing backs, Harry has fallen off some, Valenzuela seems steady. Jimenez has been a good fill-in over time. I often thought you couldn't train speed, but I think HJ has grown faster over the years. Center (D) mids, I think Trapp has been playing better, possibly from time with the Nats, he just seems to be thinking faster, and using more options because of it. I think Artur has only been so-so, much of this year. Clark is only a fill-in, and not a fresh one. This area needs help. Wings, I think Meram gets more time to come around, he's been out-of-sync. I imagine Pedro goes, he plays well on defense, but we need him to contribute on offense. I imagine Sosa gets a shot, and maybe Mullins. Martinez gets a shot. What happened to Grella? Hansen has been in, shows speed and grit, but not much creativity. Jahn probably goes, Mullins maybe. I figure we keep Gyasse, and try some of the new guys we already have. That being said, everything changes if GGG goes to the Nats. Then we go get Arsene, and dominate the league in goals-dribbled-in.
I know you can get as many different opinions on Meram as there are people on this forum, but I think he's a liability. He had a really good year in 2017, and full credit to him. But he simply stunk the place up this year. We can play amateur psychologist all we want with the guy but I'd rather play soccer observer and to me, he looks completely lost. Maybe he'll snap out of it? Yeah, sure. But he's about to turn 30, he was never Raheem Sterling to begin with and his best days are likely behind him. I don't think using a precious roster spot and - more crucially - well over $500,000 of salary cap money on a guy you you're hoping is able to screw his head back on straight and, hopefully, maybe, become a contributor. Nobody can afford that kind of money for a question mark. Sorry. I like the guy as a person, but on my MLS roster - not happening.
Grella got hurt, as I recall. Zardes also was hurt, according to the Dogpatch (separated shoulder). Oh, well, at least Wil and Zack can enjoy a nice European vacation next week.
From an arm chair psychologist's perspective, something just seems "off" about Meram. But, sports is a results-oriented business, and short of something in the background we don't know about not being a factor in 2019, upgrading from Meram should be a priority. As you mentioned, his 2017 was pretty solid, but statistically that season is an exception. I'm generally higher on Mensah than a lot of people, but personally I'm not a huge fan of using Designated Player spots and cash on positions that the United States can produce league-average or above league-average players. I know it's easy to say as if these players are just sitting down at the local union hall looking for work, but I'd rather those relatively precious resources are put toward "difference makers" which are more rare.
I love Justin Meram. The night the infamous Wahl tweet dropped I was on a group text with, some East Coast Crew Fans in which we were discussing an announcement making Justin Meram the winner of the innagural Columbus Crew East Coast Elite Man of the Year. A few hours later priorities had shifted. He was bad this season in Orlando, and he was bad here. Bill mentioned him as an observer. Someone asked last night what position Meram was playing, I jokingly replied passenger. You can't have your key attacking players making so little impact. And with Columbus Crew's budget, even with new owners, you can't have $500,000 tied up in a passenger. I said earlier that I fear next year will be a transition year. I hope I am wrong. Next year is one of the most important years in this franchise history. I look at the 2016 season and what a lost opportunity that was. We were coming off an MLS Cup appearance and proceeded to shit the bed from week 1 through 34 killing any positive momentum from the cup performance. (And yes, I acknowledge we were also being sabotaged by ownership. We can't have another season like that where we lose any of the momentum from the Crew being saved to a listless and hopeless season. And some point sentimentality needs to go. And cutting ties with Meram would be a good sign to show we are more serious than sentimental.
Meram, like most players has his pros and cons. His biggest con: his insistence on trying to dribble through the opposition when he is out numbered or has a bad angle. That cost the Crew a goal yesterday.
When he's "on" that is also his biggest plus. This team is made of cowards who are more likely to take the easy pass, circle it back, or throw in a hopeless cross. Meram's courage to take a man on is what made him so refreshing when he was good. He's not good anymore.
Except for Steffen, I think the problem is that most of the players you mention cannot form the core as a group. Having them as the core is the problem. They are all of a certain quality and each could work fine as one player on another stronger roster. You just can't have ALL of them on the same team. Higuain (who I love but was overmatched and absent in the 2nd leg), Artur, and to a slightly lesser extent, Trapp all have pace issues. All of them could be a good complementary player on a strong side, but put them all on the same team and it doesn't work as a championship side. Throw in Meram who doesn't seem able to keep pace with the game and Santos who has a high enough work rate but just couldn't contribute the necessary offensive fire power needed, and we have a plodding team that is good against lesser skilled or average speed teams, but has difficulty with fast/physical teams or skilled teams. Against the fast AND skilled, eg. Atlanta and Red Bull, we get pulverized. The D line is good enough especially with Steffen in goal, but we need upgrades at 4 of the remaining 6 as the current combination just doesn't work.
Why was Meram left on the field until the 82nd minute? Holy hell, he was god awful. We lost possession nearly every time he touched the ball, whether he made a bad pass or lost the ball on the dribble. How did Berhalter not recognize this? Meram should have been the first sub early in the second half. I'm not saying we would have advanced if Meram were subbed out earlier. But shit, just a tiny bit better play from his wing, and maybe we create a few more chances? Also, Meram didn't play all that well against DC or in leg 1 either. I just can't fathom the reasoning for giving him so much time last night. Anyways, just wanted to vent. I'm highly disappointed because I was hoping to go to the game on the 25th when I'm home for Thanksgiving. Oh well, at least 2019 and beyond is a thing we get to have.
I disagree on the 2nd goal. Not sure who, but someone lost their mark forcing Mensah to leave his mark and slide over leaving Royer unmarked for an easy, though well executed, goal from 12 yards out.
I think he got old. Some guys age faster than others, and he seems to have aged a ton in 1 year. He was never speedy, but he did have some quickness with the ball at his feet, and could shimmy past a defender or two. He's had a significant decline in endurance and his quick feet are no longer very quick. The moves that once worked, now don't. I also think some of his bad passes and decisions were probably fatigue related.
See, just when I thought we might have a chance at getting along. You couldn't resist. This old, tired cliché of yours that a team that plays smart instead of going for broke are "cowards." Except that the goal that lost the series and ended the season for us was started fifteen seconds earlier by the "brave" guy doing something ill-advised and low-percentage.
You dope. Try looking at the whole of a season or an era instead of 15 seconds. Try reading the whole post and actually replying in context. In context, I said Meram was crap this season. He was awful in Orlando, he was awful here. Also, our team had zero production from the wings. They were awful. They played it wide, went for a cross, or turned it over. Rinse, repeat. What this team needed to get out of a system where tactical genius Gregg Berhalter coached them to a league low of goals scored for a playoff team was someone who could change the the pace and provide end product. That was several months of 2017 Justin Meram. That was not, and nobody suggested (except maybe Chelsey's kid) 2018 Justin Meram. He sucked. He was awful. Nobody said he was great last night. I called him a passenger. That's the opposite of brave, you dummy. That said it's smart to change pace every once in a while. This team needs a player like that because, yes the attack is mostly cowardly. It's safe mostly for the opposition, which is why we so rarely score. That player is not 2018 Justin Meram. Are you all caught up now cupcake? Or do you want to misinterpret this some more?
I didn't misinterpret shit. You called the team a bunch of cowards, and specifically mentioned Meram taking people on in the same post. If you don't mean it, don't type it.
You should just say you misinterpreted it. It’s a better look than essentially painting yourself as a moron. You posted about 15 seconds. I’m speaking about 5 years. It’s gonna be a long offseason, buddy. Get some rest, and maybe they’ll be a seat for you at the grown up’s table.
I don't know who invented it or if it is even an "it." He deploys a "system" that I find uncommon. Maybe "philosophy" is a better word. Other teams (a minority - an absolute minority) use their wing backs in the attack as much as we do. Somebody here will no doubt be able to produce statistics to either prove me wrong or right. But when things are clicking, as I watch his teams, the runs up front start well in advance of more traditional systems. One of the great values Pipa brings to this team is his understanding and ability to execute on that visioin and deliver the balls. Sometimes, maybe its just not there, or he doesn't see it. But when it is, it calls for difficult, often one touch delivery. Hard to execute, but very effective when it works. He also emphasizes starting the attack with similar, but smaller, one touch possession out of the back. A risky and dangerous tactic. But again, it is very effective when it works. It's also one of the reasons why Harrison Afful works so well within this approach. Very deft touch, clever feet, speed and well composed. The aggressiveness of the system leads to many of the "gaffs" we see from our players, especially in the back. They are striving to play the game as directed. He deploys a system that is definitely unique in the MLS - whether he is borrowing, inventing or perhaps a little of both. I, for one, like it.
Strange because I see the opposite. The passiveness of the system is the problem. Too often we have possession for possession's sake and no killer instinct. When we go up one goal, we tend to hold a lead as opposed to putting the opponent away. Sometimes the players are too professional and can't find the next gear which is what I saw in the first half on Sunday. Either way, Kyle Crew owes us each a beer.
BTW, By aggressive, I do mean both aggressive in advancing. But in a bigger way, I mean aggressive, or maybe ambitious is better. We are intent on maintaining possession via high risk passing. It's fun as hell to watch, I think. But I love roller coasters. Words of wisdom, so beautifully captured -