I think the drop has more to do with our shitty end to last season and the crappy weather we've had (especially the last 2 home games when it has rained) than the switch
Heck of a halftime talk someone gave the guys. We were a different team. From zero shots to a dozen and three in the net. Tim kept us in it the first half and Gerso rewarded him thrice in the second. Unselfish from zusi on the third, he could have easily taken a shot himself. Gerso just keeps looking better almost every game. Also, It's nice to play Seattle and not really have to worry about them scoring in stoppage.
Well, I stand corrected on my prediction for last nights attendance. 20,139, the largest crowd of the season, and on a Wednesday. A bit windy but warm and no rain for a change. An entertaining 3-0 win can only help bring people back.
The second half was the most fun I have had out there in a long long time. Peter must have thrown a cup or two at half time. Interesting strategy to get to the byline and play the cut back cross instead of directly across the goal. They tried that three times on the first half and it was either blocked or there was noone on the end of it. Two of our goals in the second half came that way. Keep it up! Gerso is a revelation.
Every week, we fall a little bit more in love with Gerso. One odd bit from what ended up, overall, as a very positive performance: Was Dom out of sorts or what? I was thinking the suspension would be a good thing, give him a bit of extra time to rest and that we'd see him return with a spring in his step. He seemed instead to be unfocused. Oh, and props to Blessing and lessons learned. He got a fine and rode out a challenge that last time would have sent him to the floor in dramatic style. Gerso is obviously man of the match, but Melia is just fantastic this season, and that back line is really special. Everyone looked good, but I thought that was a heck of a nice game from Sinovic.
For years we have been begging SKC to figure out a way to break down a bunkering team at home. The first half was all-too-familiar. A visiting team parking the bus, refusing to get out of an organized defensive shape, and hitting us way too dangerously on the counter after a few sloppy giveaways. Lots of possession but no shots. But the difference is, they actually figured it out! It took someone willing to make those dangerous 1v1 runs into the box, and Gerso has been willing to try that ever since he got here. I've been saying that since the beginning of the season - Gerso has a nose for the box. He wants to get in there and force something to happen. It doesn't always work, he loses the ball often, but it scares the defense. It makes them do something other than watch us pass it around midfield harmlessly. And when it does work, we get soccer like the 2nd half yesterday. Just wonderful. SKC's four biggest losses since 2013 were Nielsen, Rosell, Collin, and Nemeth. They were not all adequately replaced until this year. Their replacements - Melia, Ilie, Opara, and Gerso - have been the game-changers almost every game this year. All four are having MLS Best XI quality seasons. Meanwhile the core of Zusi, Besler, Feilhaber, Dwyer, Espinoza, and Sinovic just keep plugging along with their excellent performances almost every game. And Medranda - despite the fact that he couldn't score a goal if his life depended on it - is providing a lot of good stuff with his dynamic dribbling and ball control and passing, distracting defenders and opening up space for our more (ahem) dangerous shooters to operate. If everyone stays healthy - always a big if with the age of a lot of the core - this can be a very special year.
Unselfish, yes, but smart. Zusi is a smart player. He could have taken a shot, but it likely would have failed. Frei was facing him straight up and Zusi was coming in from a very tight angle. Low percentage shot. Making that cutback pass through traffic, across the box straight to Gerso in the middle, was such good vision and execution. Having a right back able to make that kind of offensive play is such a wonderful luxury to have in our team.
Which is so true. Zusi something special at right back. He's got such great vision, that when you put the whole field in front of him he a constant threat.
First things first, the team is playing great and is very entertaining to watch. Lot's of possession, high pass completion rates, and a great defense. This group is so much more enjoyable to watch then last year's. Second - how the F was Melia ever a pool keeper? Dude is pushing for a national team call up. It's time to compliment PV and the ownership group for the quality of the offseason that SKC had. It seems like PV hit on every single offseason move. I'd become accustomed to having most of the offseason acquisitions be either: 1) a total flop or 2) a long term project. This year, the team splashed some cash and got difference makers. Gerso has been outstanding and is dynamic and fun to watch, but getting Ilie is the main reason we are playing so well. I have said this for a long time; for PVs system to work well, he needs an effective passer to play as a pivot No.6. Play a destroyer in the No.6 role who can't pass (Olum, Soni, J. Claros) and the system just doesn't work that well. Blessing also has shown tremendous potential and could play the "super sub" role effectively if he is patient with playing time. Zusi to right back was genius and significantly improved two positions.
I love it when we end up playing like this: ---------------------------- Dwyer -------------------------------- ---------- Medranda ----------------------- Gerso ------------ ------------------------------- Feilhaber ------------------------- --- Sinovic ---------- Espinoza ---------------------- Zusi --- -------------------- <opposing forwards> --------------------- -------------- Besler --------- Ilie ----------- Opara ----------- I love seeing Ilie drop in between Besler and Opara. That means we are getting our offense spread around really, really well, and Sinovic and Zusi are bombing forward. Lots of space opens up in that wide U shape of back 5 players. And having Espinoza in the central pivot spot is so great. He is the real link between Ilie, the center backs, and pushing the ball forward to Feilhaber and the wings when we work through the middle. But this couldn't work without two things: Ilie's calmness and quickness of thought, and Opara emerging as the Collin-type beast without the recklessness. Those two - along with Besler's steady play - give everyone else the luxury of playing their strengths on offense and allow us to move the ball around almost at will. And when it breaks down on occasion, Melia is there to play Superman.
I agree i like how we switch into that formation too. First half Zusi was too reluctant to push all the way to the byline, second half he did that a lot more. Seems unfortunate to complain as I love Seth but wide open the ball comes to him in the position you show above and 90% of the time he passes backwards. I would love to see him combine down the wing more and get himself or a teammate to the byline like Zusi does on the other side.
Agreed. He was way more active in the second half. I watched him skin the left side fullback with a nifty move and a burst of speed down the sideline and into the 18. As for Sinovic, yes he plays the ball back almost every time, even when there is gobs of space for him to go forward. Frustrating for me to watch, but I think PV has the shackles on him and makes him do it.