It took me 6 hours of taxis and trains to get to the game from Western Maryland, but you couldn't ask for a better game than best in the West vs. best in the East. We looked like a bottom table USL team on Saturday. Just inexcusable. I liked a lot of what I saw from Arinola and Jara (mistakes notwithstanding) and Hamid. All three had mostly solid games I thought. The rest of the team were bad or worse. I think the hype has hurt United. Between Rooney, Lucho-to-whatever-payday rumors, and many other distractions seem to have broken through the cohesiveness from earlier. They played like individuals, not a team. A poorly coached team. I was particularly unimpressed with Martinez. Meh. Our whole midfield looked awful. The lack of linking play between lines was incredible. Yes, we could have scored 3, but that was after they knew they'd won. Seriously, it should have been 4 or 5-0 in the first 40 mins. Ben knows the team, or Chad or someone. They lost a great player in Mora and seemed to have made little/no adjustment. They came out like they'd just flown in from Vegas. I don't think I've ever seen a team that blown out in the first 30 mins. Not in US Open Cup. Never. I have no real clue if any part of LA's quality is the result of Bradley's coaching, but I remain convinced that Ben can't coach against a top team. We have good enough players, but tactics need to take over if Canouse or another key piece just can't find the groove. Last, as someone else mentioned, I have no idea what's up with this fanbase. 10 minutes before kickoff the stadium was more than 75% empty. If even half of those people were stuck in traffic, what gives for the rest? Neither the Cherry Blossoms nor the screwed up logistics of getting to/into the stadium are news. Come on people. The place should have been rocking. They -- and the fans -- kinda sucked from the start.
Took a while, but it’s filled in quite a bit here. pic.twitter.com/gb78om3Qtv— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) April 6, 2019
When I was at the box office getting my tickets every LA fan who showed up looking for tickets walked away disappointed when they were told "all we have are two field level seats for $255."
McCann was not the issue. The central midfield was the issue. Canouse, as many have said, Moreno, Acosta, Arriola all made horrible give aways in the center of the pitch. Each of those turned into counter attacks an goals. McCann did not have a good match but the give away were the problem not some tactical blunder by Olsen or Ashton. Who would you have played in place of McCann that would have been the magic elixir fixing the midfield's constant turnovers?
Dismal showing by DCU. Completely outclassed all over the pitch. Never thought I would see DCU get outworked and out-hustled at home. Was McCann even on the field? It was like 10v11. Our DMs were especially poor. Everyone held the ball far too long and invited pressure, then too slow to react when the ball was lost. Frankly I don't get all the praise for Hamid. His shot stopping was decent...but his distribution was ATROCIOUS. His clearances frequently went directly to LAFC. One of his wayward clearances directly led to a goal. A modern GK needs to be more than just a shot stopper. This is why he will NEVER sniff the USMNT. Frankly I think he should have gotten 2 of their goals. You should never be beaten near post as a goalie, and the far post bender- it looks like he thought it was wide and short armed it- he could have extended his arm and deflected it. Olsen did not have his tactics or team ready for this match.
By using McCann in the Mora role, Olsen kept the field spread out. When Mora was there, his recovery speed could shield against a quick counter after a loss of possession in midfield. McCann can't do that. Given that LAFC are a very good team, Olsen should have tried to keep the formation more compact -- not unlike playing on the road. I agree that primary problem was in midfield -- Canouse in particular -- but not adjusting for McCann's limitations and assuming he could "be Mora" was a tactical mistake that Olsen never tried to correct when it was obvious 15 minutes in that LAFC were shredding his formation.
You and your drum were on camera several times during the pregame show if it makes you feel better. I caught the first 30 minutes before I went to see Greenville's (SC) USL League 1 team make their home debut (they're coached by John Harkes). 4000 fans packed a spiffed-up high school stadium to watch a third division team in an old mill town in the heart of baseball country. The proliferation of teams in small markets is amazing, and it's a very exciting time for the sport. Re: this game, I'm no Olsen apologist but when you give the ball away in midfield it's going to lead to goals and that's on the players. Credit to LAFC for capitalizing and being by far the better team in transition.
Well I suppose that's good. I thought the supporters were pretty mediocre at the first part of the game too -- ESPN is a distraction -- but strong toward the end. If someone has the pre-game taped, tell me. I can add it to the highlight reel/list of things I should be embarrassed about... What an awful game...
and I did not think McCann had a good game. your idea of being more compact has merit. however the turnovers in the midfield were the deciding factor in the match. everything else are rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.
I agree. A difference in team speed seemed noteworthy, also. It's not just a factor of age: LA's fullbacks were 32 and 35!
In the offseason- my opinion had always been DCU needed an athletic CB to partner with Birn. Instead, DCU went cheap... picked up a couple draft picks and only improved RB. We still have the same big, slow CBs we had last season. Only now they are a year older and a year slower. We have improved the LB/RB play beside them... but given how often they bomb forward in the attack- the CBs rely on our DMs for cover. When our DMs shit the bed like our last match, lopsided scores are the result. This stuff is not complicated. I haven't coached footy for over 10yrs and I can see it instantly. I don't know how our highly paid coaches cannot see this and gameplan/counter for it.
It's because Olsen and co. have the same mentality with their tactics as with their lineups - if they find something successful, beat it into the ground until it's not, and then, and only then, do things get changed. I know United were down a man Saturday, but Segura being the first sub in the match, and not Stieber or Amarikwa, is exhibit 459 of that fact.
I swear Olsen teams are self-coached like Ray Hudson teams. This works well with teams like the final Miami Fusion team, less well with the DC United teams.
Man did we lay an EGGGGggg... I can sit here and repeat the same points, but I wont be-labor it, much agreed horrible turn-overs, mid field a disaster etc... However, it also points out one of the things I see that happens with Olsen. When things on the field don't work, he doesn't have a plan B. And often later it involves subs that seem more like a hail-mary than something that makes sense and part of a different game plan. LA absolutely smothered the mid field, there were constantly 2 guys all the time on our players with the ball, and their counter was just brutal. Olsen needs to adapt, or maybe the squad just isn't figuring out what to do.... Hopefully we chalk this up to a learning experience. It's early... learn something from it. With that said, yup that stadium should have been nearly full before kick off that was ridiculous to see as well. See you Tuesday.. We will see what the plan is.. Amarikwa seems a given, but somehow I'd like to get Steiber in there somehow also.. heck I still miss the guy!
With Rooney not playing, perhaps he will handle the coaching in the run up to the Montreal match. Why not? He is constantly coaching/directing traffic when he is on the pitch.
We gave the ball away in transition in the center of the field, and LA has two shooters who were left high, and who are basically unstoppable from the top of the box. Dunno what to tell you, but there's your problem. Gotta avoid giving the ball away between the 18 and the center circle between the hash marks. Doesn't matter how you do that - run everything through the wings, get better at making decisions there, win the numbers game, develop an over-the-top strategy, whatever. But you cannot do that one thing against LA. Smart strategy with McCann in for Mora, and they even caught us out on Jara's side with the last goal that way. Did anyone else think it was strange that they didn't water the grass? The ball was slower that we'd seen in previous games, and that hurt us on at least two of the giveaways in midfield.