Kept waiting for someone else to get this going but I guess I'll do it This is Colorado's first home game - only their 2nd game of the season. They had two bye weeks already. Their first game was a 2-1 loss away at New England. We haven't won at Dick's since 3/29/14, four straight losses since then. They've got a bunch of new players, mostly on the attacking side. Similar to us, they had a decent defense last year but were starved for goals. Salloi will be out on international duty. Everyone else should be available. Would be nice to spoil their home opener like NYC did to us.
"FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Midwest Plus will air three hours of live coverage beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT as two MLS charter members square off at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. ESPN 94.5 FM (English) and ESPN Deportes KC 1480 AM (Spanish) will carry the game on the radio, with The Final Whistle postgame show airing immediately after the match on 94.5 FM. "All supporters are welcome to attend the official watch party for Saturday's match at No Other Pub in the Kansas City Power & Light District (1370 Grand Blvd.). Starting at 7:30 p.m. CT, No Other Pub will offer $4 Bud Light drafts as well as an all-inclusive buffet package with bottomless domestic draft beers for $30." https://www.sportingkc.com/post/2018/03/19/starting-xi-offensive
Okay, so I've been wondering about Ilie, who was inch perfect last season, and finally got around to comparing his Audi numbers. I didn't do a lot of it, but just quick glance at several games from last season and the first three of this season, the numbers are wildly different. He's touching the ball far less than he was last season, attempting something like 50 to 65 passes in a game this season, while last year that number was above 100, yet more of his passes are unsuccesful this year. He's not winning as many balls as he was. A quick glance says he's down at least a bit in every positive category, and up in every negative one, though I'm not sure that means much this early. What's odd is that he isn't touching the ball much. He was central to our approach last season, and this season his numbers make him look like an afterthought. Given who he is, that implies a less thoughtful buildup this season. He was the definition of metronome in MLS last season. This last week and against NY, his numbers make him look peripherial. Against chicago, he was a net negative. Any thoughts on what's going on?
I think it has a lot to to with chicago and nyc bringing the press against us for significant stretches of the time, and perhaps to a lesser extent san jose as well. It feels like we are playing a lot more long balls which means less possession for defmid players. We definitely have to improve upon playing against the press. this being said, it's not all environmental, imo Ilie has had an individually worse season so far compared to last one. Rewatched the San Jose game, imo both the San Jose goals were mostly due to his lack of awareness. First goal, Sinovic gets drawn out and the guy who's eventually making the cross in runs past Ilie into the space that Sinovic leaves open, and for the second goal similar things happen with Opara getting drawn out and Wondolowski running past Ilie.
I am going to be in Denver on Saturday night. I tried to get tickets from my Season Ticket Holder Benefits. On Tuesday morning, nothing available. Has anyone had luck with this when not riding a bus? How early do you have to request?
Usually you have to request it a few weeks out as the home team eventually releases the tickets to the public (yes I know with Colorado that’s a joke)
No idea what to expect. And that's kind of the fun part of all this! Kind of. In general, through the midfield and the forward ranks, our shape is a little weird so far. Ilie might be the cause or the primary sufferer of this, I don't know which. I think as the team settles down and into a more coherent shape, his numbers will certainly improve. Just feels like there is a bit of attacking giddiness in every player this season (even Tim--his hurried distribution looks intended to find a narrow gap but keeps looking like bad ideas instead). It's nice to feel that adrenaline, that eager thirst for blood from the team. Had a few too many years of plain, stolid, pragmatic games by this point. I'll enjoy wild scale tippings. How many more games till Besler becomes our most capped player in history? Less than ten now?
In league play it’s about 12 (don’t have my stats in front of me). All competitions he’s less than 20, I believe he ties García and Arnaud for 2nd all time this weekend.
The SKC website archives, as of January 2016, list KZ as our leader in all time apps and starts, noting he had that overall he's at 291, 281 starts, and in MLS 260 of one and 251 of the other. The bio bit on Besler notes that he is now 4th overall with 272 in all appearances, and a 246/242 breakdown., NG and DA are at 273 overall. The list raises a couple points of discussion: 1. January 2016? Does SKC not have interns? 2. Preki sure was great. 3. KZ (legend) started all but 10 of his appearances, but it does raise a question of what, exactly, is the in game situation that calls for the insertion of a little KZ? Best guess, it's late in a loss and you just really want to piss off the opposition. 4. I know it's a tie and they're listed alphabeticaly, but there are reasons to list Mo above Harrington in the stats, and as they make up the last of the top 11, well, again, interns? Also, whiloe trying to add just a pinch to this point through the magic of wiki-ing, I discovered that our Mike was a socialist activist from St Louis who died in 1989. This might explain a bit.
I just read the email from the club with the info on today's game. Was actually looking and paying attention to the logos of the "First Team Partners" at the bottom. Just felt like giving a shoutout to Price Chopper. I wonder how long they have been a sponsor. Weren't they the ones who offered the Zard Card back in the day? I remember seeing their logo on Wizards stuff from the early 2000's. High five, Price Chopper.
I think they've been very loyal sponsors of the Chiefs and Royals, too. I mean, I think Price Chopper is over the midwest, so it's really cool to see how loyal they are to this particular city.
Croizet gets the start in Salloi's absence. Russell to the left, Croizet on the right. Everyone else is the same. Rubio is back on the bench.
I think Opara training with the national team during the off season was a bad thing. He has been an injury prone guy with almost no rest coming off a full season in lord knows how long. He' not the only problem but man him and Besler are way off.
Anyone regret losing EPB yet? Besler and Opara are starting to worry me with their brain farts so far this year. Are we going to go the entire season with zero goals and zero assists from our starting center forwards? Shelton is useless. Croizet has started to do a couple good things but man, he is slow to get started. He just looks like he is trying so hard and getting the yips. He definitely is not as calm on the ball as Gutierrez, Russell, and Ilie. Let's move Croizet to the center, bring on Gerso on the left, move Russell back to the right. Gotta be better than what we've had so far.
TWICE we have had a beautiful chance early in the half that should have been buried. Croizet in the first half, Shelton in the second. Those guys have GOT to score those chances.
Croizet off. I thought it was better from him tonight. Wasn't it him who put it off the post that led to Gutierrez's goal? Had a couple other chances as well. Needs to get a little more clinical but showing slow improvement.
Yes, he put it off the post, and Shelton did a good job of shielding the defender for the secondary run of Gutierrez, 2 players that have taken their fair share of criticism in this game (and season).
Right, I noticed that from Shelton also. He does shield well, both ball and opponents. He's also had a couple chances tonight, at least he has shot the ball a couple times.
Our sharpness is just off tonight. A lot of poorly weighted passes and crosses, a lot of tripping over the ball, running into teammates, etc. The wind and altitude might have a little to do with it but just in general we don't look as clean and flowing as we did the prior two games. I will also say that Howard has made a few good saves. Sometimes he's gotten lucky as our shots have gone right at him, but he's had several good quick reaction instinct blocks.