Seattle's goal differential per game has increased, but their xGD/g has decreased. They may be taking more chances. 20 y/o Nelson is starting at lwb for FCD.
DAllas in 2nd half is outplaying LAFC everywhere but forward line. Dallas has zero forward line. Edit: No finisher like Vela, anyway.
Wonder if Cannon would work best as rcb in 3 cb back line. He is a cagey defender. Doesn't get beat. We saw that with USMNT as well. We gave up goals when Yedlin came in for Cannon.
I don’t watch Roldan that much but could be that with young players, there is a tendency to gamble more to make a play. The good is you get the interception/tackle, the bad is they also miss and are now out of position. A coach might be willing to put up with the negative by compensating elsewhere in the formation to provide cover. Of course, back then Seattle had prime Alonso who provides lots of cover. As the player matures, a coach will expect more tactically so there may be less of a “go for it” with interceptions/tackles. It certainly isn’t that Roldan has suddenly forgotten how to make an interception. It isn’t him alone that is determining how successful he will be in that regard.
I am not a fan of Roldan for a National Team 11, or even 23, but he has really elevated his game this year from the few games I was lucky enough to see. Make me eat more crow.
Roldan always had great positioning and tactical acumen from the beginning of his career. It's what he got praised for the most from coaches, local media, and football nerds. He didn't somehow develop much better awareness and that's why his interceptions are well down. He'll still gamble, miss, and get beat in behind. Whereas previously he'd selectively gamble, win, and start breaks. If he didn't he usually recovered. His field coverage is just much different than formerly. In the 89th minute he'd be involved in a key cross or secondary pass in a goalscoring chance and then 10 seconds later be in the box at the other end saving the game-winning goal. It's just a much different experience watching him now, and he'd/we'd be much better off if that 2-way ability returned, not being more so the extra attacker.
A club can't afford not moving Roldan forward when his scoring ability is taken into account. He started life in Seattle as a mid, albeit as one with a scoring record in high school. I said early on that he needed to move forward because his instincts in the box are great. That means the position he finds himself in when the ball turns over is different than the one he found himself in as a dedicated dmid/cmid. You cant have your cake and eat it. Right now Roldan is feasting on cake. That means less interceptions and tackles which are planned for long in advance.
amazing what a soccer player can do when nobody is guarding him. I turned to SJ game when it started because the Toronto game was like watching grass grow. Empty Rio TInto, at altitude, under 1pm sun, after traveling thousand of miles and playing 4 th game in 10 days. Chi and SJ both had a week off and look perky. Wondo starting? ok....
With Giovinco and Altidore, one of them going down just meant more goals/assists for the other. Pozuelo doesn't offer the kind of balance Gio did. And TFC haven't changed up the tactics to compensate. Bradley sprayed the ball around nicely, but offered nothing--defensively--on the Saucedo goal. Of the Baird and Saucedo, the latter looks the better NT prospect. Has more shake and bake. Has a better work-rate. Defends well. Combines well. Herrera is doing nicely at full-back. May be a candidate for the U23s.
Minutes after I posted this, Cannon erred (per WS) to give up a goal. Nelson had the 2nd highest WS at 6.9 for FCDallas, behind US eligible Hayes at 7.2. third best was GK Jesse at 6.6. Nelson had Vela to deal with. Not bad.
Saucedo with a very nice assist as well. I think he deserves a call up if you compare his play to Baird who’s already a USMNT player.
He’s an interesting prospect because of his speed and our lack of depth on the wing. However, he should have been with the u23s last camp if players like Sarge, Weah and CCV were. He needs to lock down PT/Production in the MLS first and foremost. Then he needs to leave. He can only grow so much there.
Also SJ man... never thought I’d see the day where there’s 4 goals in a game and their on the right side of them.
Wondo should be nowhere near the national team and yet I would take him over most of “Berhalter’s guys” like Zardes, Baird, OwnGoal, etc.
Exactly. Seems most of GBs guys have the defense of his supporters with something like "well if a team bunkers these guys are useful for breaking it". Wondo qualifies. He can likely score goals against Martinique and St Kitts and Nevis.
Otherwise, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? Mrs. Lincoln: Wondo had a perfect 10 and Espinoza (good player, b.t.w.) was 2nd with 8.6 WS but after that it was US eligible Salinas 8.5, Yueil 7.9, Thompson 7.5 in 3rd, 4th, and 5th, respectively.