Chaco earned his suspension. What a childish and stupid thing to do. It capped off a poor performance by him. Otherwise, Noggy was clearly rushed back and really under-performed tonight. None of the out field player played particular well. As for a positive, Blake looks legit, but I'm hesitant to get excited for any keeper that appears for the Union.
They played one of the worst passing games I think I've seen in a while. Every other pass was five yards behind, passed to nobody, or met with a first touch about as subtle as Lenny from Of Mice and Men trying to pet a small animal.
My group I go to games with had plans this week so couldn't make it out to the game. Decided instead to go to Neshaminy Mall with the gf instead of watching at home. Guess I made a good choice.
SAVAGE Now, I couldn't watch the game because I'm off at college, but nearly every time I've watched the team this year, this is an issue. Have these players had any technical training beyond a first-grade level? I mean, I know we're bottom of the barrel in this league, but still. How can MLS have these "global brand" aspirations when players can't do things that I probably could do if you put me out there?
Once NE scored we completely gave up - or NE stepped up their game to dominate. And once more, our subs can not match the talent level of the opposition's subs. Can Maidana not play with Barretta? They really don't click out there. Another case of our front office signing two players with the same skill set? And all foreign signings magically lose their passing ability once they join our club? Probably poor coaching instead.
I knew we were sunk the moment I realized that Chaco and Nogs were the worst performers out there. Is there a way to buy movement off the ball? All night NE was flashig in and out, using triangles, using diagonal runs to show for their playmakers. Our guys? Well. At one point Fabs was bringing the ball out and all 3 of our guys in the attacking half were literally still as statues next to their opposing defender. I wouldn't be surprised if NE's defenders never broke a sweat since they never had to chase anyone.
Blake has been a high point. I have enough of a sample size now to say we don't need to see the others anymore. Maidana, three to five games? I thought Nogs was lucky to only get a yellow for yanking Nguyen down by his head. Barnetta's yellow for dissent was well-deserved. He went down pretty easily. And when the ref didn't buy it, shut your mouth. That's a bad sign when those are the actions of the "star" players. I'm still not sure why they extended that Nando loan. It amazes me how many different ways teams manage to beat Gaddis. I hope they trade him for Williams in the off-season. Holy shit this organization is garbage. Top to bottom. Ownership. Coaching. Players. ******** them all. Edit: And I'm particularly fond of when they go three in the back out of desperation. Because they do so well with four. I thought NE was going to run up the score at that point.
Well, another atrocious performance. Blake kept that game from being embarassing so good on him. Pathetic when you figure that he was riding the bench behind those other bums all season. Marquez's backpedalling on the goal and several other attempts were infuriating. As much as everyone wants him to be, he just isn't that good. Teams seem to have figured out Nando and he looks helpless out there. His first touch is awful. Gaddis isn't a starter anywhere else in the league.
I brought along a friend new to the game. In the second half he said, the other team is much better at passing.
Well that result was expected....... This team is bad...... Brutal game to watch...... I thought soccer was a game of pass and move, not pass it back to the other team and stand still? Yes, Chaco was poor tonight, but good lord would it kill any of his teammates to move and show for the ball? Be an outlet???? I mean, every time Chaco got the ball he had 4 revs players swarming him..... Why exactly did we trade Williams again????? Blake looks way better then Sylvestre and McCarthy, and it's not even close. Nogs looked like a player playing his first full game since coming back from a month long spell on the injured list. LeToux....looked awful Vitoria wasn't terrible CJ worked hard, and took a beating Barnetta, aside from his yellow, was fairly anonymous Wenger played? Huh, could have fooled me Chaco's red......I don't know, in the stadium Imobviously couldn't see it from my vantage point. We thought he was carded for the push in the back. I've seen a few videos of it. I have to admit, reading about it on Twitter at the stadium, it sounded like Chaco committed a war crime. It really didn't look intentional, or even like he was spitting at Ngyuen. Regardless, a player should never put himself in a position for the ref to make a decision. The ref saw it and thought it was a red. Judging by the players reactions, it looked like a nothing incident. He'll likely get at least a 2 game ban. IMO, and I'm likely in the minority on this one, it looks like people are making a mountain out of a mole hill. All in all......I'm not sure I'll attend any of the remaining league home games.....the effort tonight was not there. If the team isn't going to put forth a worthy effort on the field, why should I put forth the effort to make the trek down to Chester?
BC7 is the worst #6 in this league by a mile. He is so unable to cover space that the Union don't even really play him as a #6 anymore. He is essentially playing in the more advanced #8 role but only in the capacity of an up field (and very central) destroyer since he also can't link with anyone. Playing BC7 high and Nogs low is a bad idea against any team but is suicidal against the Revs. They have three MFs whose bread and butter is cutting off the wing and shooting from the top of the 18. It was only a matter of time.
The only good thing about this game was that Blake showed he's clearly smarter, more athletic, and gives better distribution than any other goalies the Union have laying around. He does a lot of little things. Like when Gaddis got beat, but recovered to knock the ball out for a sure corner. Here comes Blake charging towards the ball to smack it out for a throw. The other keepers don't have the confidence to do that. So keep him around and either JMac, Sylvestre, or MacMath as a US citizen backup for US Open Cup/FIFA international dates. Send the other two to the USL team and call it a day. Everything else just sucked. WTF has happened to Gaddis? Is he hurt? Tired? He was straight up lock down last year. Now people are beating him every week. Is it that he got so used to the left side that the right side feels weird for him muscle memory wise? That goal was pathetic. The feller looked like he was strolling the the park casually on a Sunday morning at the top of the box and just casually flung it into the net. Like a father playing his 8 year old in the back yard. Depressing. Oh well. Please win the damn cup.
I can see why anyone in the stadium would say this. I'd given up on the game and was barely paying attention to the broadcast at that point so I was also puzzled initially. But it seemed pretty damn intentional on the replay since he turns right before spitting on/near Nguyen. Just a moment of frustration (and stupidity).
I actually agree. If you pay attention to him, he spits on the field here and there all the time. I honestly think he just forgot where the other player was and rained loogie down upon him without much thought. Oh well. At least he won't get injured in the next month and can play in the USOC Final.
That's what you took from this match? Dumping on a guy who is at the end of his career yet has played himself silly this season. All of the garbage on the field tonight, .and that is what you go with?
This is where my line of thinking is too. Chaco drops loogies all the time. We've all seen spitting incidents in sports far worse and far more intentional then Chaco tonight. Was it dumb? Yup. Was it in front of a ref who the Union were chirping at all night? Yup. Are these the type of calls that bad teams get? Oh hell yeah..... My goodness is the eastern conference bad. RBNY is the best team in the east, the rest are slightly above average at best to just awful. Montreal should be in the drivers seat to make the playoffs, but they will be w/o their two best players for the next 3 games. Orlando and NYCFC are bumbling expansion sides. The Union and Chicago are, well the Union and Chicago. Calling it now......Blake will start when available, except the Open Cup Final, where the local boy will give up a howler in stoppage time to break Union fans' hearts.
New England could be a model for the Union to follow. They were an absolute disaster circa 2010, just no energy or enthusiasm around the team at all, really lousy relationship between the fans & FO, the whole bit. That all started to change with Heaps. They figured out how they wanted to play, made smart acquisitions (Nguyen, Davies, Bunbury), played their homegrown kids (Caldwell, Fagundez) and drafted well (Rowe, Farrell, Patrick Mullins, AJ Soares). Then they plunked down big money for Jermaine Jones when they got a shot at him. It was a process for them. The Union aren't going to turn it around in a year. If they are going to build something, they have to start it years ahead of time. That's why a guy like Blake (who clearly has the chops to be a first team keeper) should stay in goal until some team wants to pay a giant fee for him.
Got back from the game recently, my thoughts. - Pretty much was a good night for me. Why? Oh not because of the Union, GOD NO, but due to the fact that I was able to talk to Veljko Paunovic after the game. Talked to him and his family and they are all outstanding people, they pretty much took what could have been an absolute shit fest of a night and made it great. - Aristeguieta is pretty much done with me. I've said this before but the guy simply does NOT FIT in this team. Sapong is the type of striker the Union need, physicality, pace and has some skill with the ball. Aristeguieta does not have pace, and he doesn't seem to do much with the ball when he has it. He seems like a decent dude, but hes basically a young Conor Casey except he can't seem to score...at all. - I understand it takes time to gel, get match fit, etc. But Barnetta has NOT been impressing me. The guy should be some kind of game changer, but so far I feel like he hasn't had an impact. I'd like to see what he does with a full off-season and training camp under his belt. But so far one of the supposed "best free agents" in the world doesn't seem to be worth it to me. - Seriously, the team looks like it couldn't have given a shit tonight. I GET that the regular season is over, but at least PRETEND like you care guys. - As others have said, what happened to Ray Gaddis? My answer is this. He's no longer being pushed. When the team had Sheanon Williams, there was always the constant, even if it wasn't directly said, threat to Gaddis getting minutes. You sucking out there Ray? Well, we can start Sheanon and you can enjoy the bench. Now? Sheanon is gone, Gaddis can get complacent, because even if he stinks up the field, who in the hell are you going to start in his place? - Honestly for me personally, the team should just tank, get the first pick in the draft and take Joshua Yaro if he comes into the league. He's a CB (which the Union obviously need) and would fit nicely with Marquez. However, the obvious problem is if Yaro doesn't come out (which is entirely possible due to the fact that he could have easily been the 1st pick in the last draft and elected to stay in school). - Can we just acknowledge that the playoffs are out of reach at this point Union front office? I swear to god, if I hear mention of "we can make a run!" or "We're not out of this yet!" I'm going to ********ing kill something. Here is our remaining schedule (minus the Open Cup Final) @San Jose Columbus Houston @New England Toronto @New York Red Bull Orlando Breaking down those games (because I have nothing better to do) @San Jose - They beat the Galaxy 1-0. Remember the Galaxy? The team that THRASHED us 5-1 and that was BEFORE they had Gerrard and Dos Santos? Yeah, they managed to beat that team in San Jose. Combine that with the fact that we never really do well on the west coast and that San Jose is fighting for a playoff spot in the West and this is a big fat L. Loss. Columbus - Kei Kamara will probably continue his golden boot run of form against us. We beat them 3-0 at PPL last time we played, Columbus will be ready this time. Also, Columbus is in the running for the top spot in the Eastern Conference so I expect to lose this one unless Columbus doesn't take it "seriously." Loss. Houston - Sheanon's homecoming, Houston was also able to top the Whitecaps 2-0 today, but on top of that we're talking about that Houston is within striking distance of a playoff spot while the Union are not. But I will say that the Union surprise Houston and get a W. Win. @New England - This is the match before the Open Cup final. If the Union play a majority of their starters for the entire match I will be PISSED. But given what will be happening a few days after this match, I expect the Union to focus on that and totally forget this match. Loss. Toronto - Unless Giovinco's supposed injury he sustained today keeps him out of this match, he will ABUSE the Union defense. Given as well that this match comes after the final, the Union will either be too euphoric to give a crap about this result or too depressed/lethargic to give a shit. Loss. @New York Red Bull - We're not winning AGAIN at Red Bull Arena this season. It's just not happening. Loss. Orlando - This one is dependent on how Orlando is sitting playoff position wise at the end of the season. If Orlando is in position to get a playoff spot with a win (or are currently sitting in one but could drop out if they lose) they beat us. If they're out of it? Prepare for the most "not giving a shit" game ever. Draw. So my prediction is the Union go 1-5-1 to close out the season, giving them 31 points. Not even close to what they're gonna need. Yeah, they could steal a win here or there, but making a run? When has this team done that at all this season? - Also someone told me that Diego Fagundez said in a post game interview that the Union defense was giving him so much space he figured he'd just run with the ball and shoot, watching the replay (I didn't see the goal live) yeah, absolutely NO ONE stepped up to Fagundez and decided to watch him with the ball and see where it went.
so we can finally bury the "we have a shot at the playoffs!" thoughts which is a shame because the first maybe 20 minutes they actually looked competent at passing...