5' Lopez, who takes the lb spot with TT out gets manhandled by LAFC and gives up the goal. Almeyda should have stuck with the gringos
Not willing to give up on Lopez yet, but that kid needs a LOT of polishing before contending for a starting gig
LAFC are just on another level, period. Vela just clownshoes-ed half of the quakes on that third goal. Quakes coach sent off.
Based upon nt and club performances this year I don't think Mihalovic should be called in right now. Having said that, I don't believe he has been as bad as some say and I do believe he has a great deal of potential....but he is not there yet. He needs more time and then we will see. Big difference, in my mind, to compare a 20 year old player with potential to a 29 year old player that is and never was more than a top 23-30 NT player. If Corona was on the GC team instead of Mihailovic, would it stop the complaints? I may be wrong, but I think most people would still be complaining about some of the players that were left off in place of Corona. Sure, Mihailovic shouldn't be in the picture for the USMNT today...maybe in a year or two or three but not now. Corona may be marginally better (different style player of course) but he isn't likely to improve significantly over the next 1-3 years.
Getting Diomande outta there really turns the LAFC rpm up to red line level. Lucky for the rest of the league Bradley is all-in on Diomande who will start against Atlanta in the MLS Cup final and lose to DiBoar.
WS US-eligible Team of the Week 24 this Wednesday's games not included --------------Altidore(8.1)MOTM---Sapong(7.8)1st --------Baird(7.4)6th---------Feilhaber(7.1)3rd ----------------Lletget(8.0)2nd-----Nagbe(7.9)3rd---- ---Hollingshead(8.0)1st---------------------------Herrera(7.6)4th-- ---------------Opara(8.2)2nd-------Steres(7.9)3rd-- --------------------------Irwin(8.4)1st---- Player of the Week: Irwin Opara Johnson U23-eligible Player of the Week: Robinson Herrera Glad Honorable Mention: GK: SJohnson(8.2)3rd Guzan(7.9)2nd Bingham(7.9)2nd Turner(7.7)1st Irwin(7.6)3rd Miller(7.5)4th Birnbaum(7.4)1st Rimando(7.2)1st Rowe(7.1)2nd Bush(7.1)4th LB: Bornstein(7.3)5th Gasper(7.1)5th Gasper(7.0)5th Harvey(7.0)8th CB: Robinson(7.8)4th Sweat(7.3)4th Glad(7.2)7th RB: Zusi(7.3)1st Zusi(7.3)1st Nerwinski(7.2)6th CM: McNamara(7.1)4th Lletget(7.1)5th McCarty(7.1)7th Roldan(7.0)4th FW: Wondolowski(7.1)3rd Sapong(7.0)8th Week 23 Key Passes: Valentin(4) Parks(4) Mueller(3) Ulloa(3) Morris(3) Salaam(3) Dribbles: Bunbury(5) Harvey(4) Bunbury(3) Thompson(3) Zusi(3) Castillo(3) Roldan(3) Week 24 Key Passes: McNamara(4) Villafana(3) Dribbles: Lletget(5) Nagbe(5) Stanko(5) Lovitz(4) Nerwinski(4) Ferreira(3) Thompson(3) Morris(3)
Against LAFC, Herrera was sitting on a WS_7.6 at leftback, until he got the red card for the pk foul against Vela. Lletget has really rounded into form. It frequently takes 2 seasons to fully recover form, following a long term injury layoff. The Hollingshead dominance continues. Lima, like Parker, has fallen off a cliff this season.
Lima played rb tonite and played well, actually. I don't rate him at his usual club position at lb. Yueil had a clearance off the line to save a goal tonite. Lima has the problem that he cant develop at rb because Almeyda is playing TT there and playing Lima at lb. Not much sense calling in Lima for LB position. Lima and Dest are even-steven for me at rb at this time.
Robinson and Glad at the Olympics, please. If we play EPB I'd rather it be at dmid but who knows if that makes sense when he plays cb at club.
we missed Tommy yesterday. A LOT. I think this one went down as a drop back and punt from the beginning given the lineup trotted out. Lopez and Godoy were particularly awful. SJE got away with highway robbery shipping Godoy to Nashville for 650,000
What gives me hope for a successful qualification campaign is that the MLS-based defender pool is pretty stacked with experienced high-level performers. It's so stacked that even when high flyers, like Trusty and McKenzie, fall off a cliff performance-wise to get benched, others emerge.
I never understood the hoopla around Trusty and McKenzie. They were ok, nothing more. mntime, I was always a Hurtado fan and he seems to be rounding into form in K.C. Good on Vermes. I think physical issues kept him back. He looks healthy and in shape at the moment. He's an Altidore type 9.
Seriously? He's not even close to an Altidore type No.9. He has a very high work rate, yet his finishing leaves a lot to be desired. A good portion of his goals in Vancouver were from the spot. He's a good MLS player, I really don't see him as an international level player. He's way closer to Quincy Amerikwa than Jozy. Hell, Dom Dwyer is closer to Altidore than either Hurtado or Quincy is, and Dwyer is a fringe USMNT player. Let's be honest, we're only mentioning these players because after Jozy the striker pool for the USMNT is thin to put it kindly.
Yeah, I saw a lot of Hurtado when he was at Vancouver. You could depend on him to give everything he has plus some, but the goals did not come easy. Finishing definitely not his strong suit.
Nagbe with a few goal-saving interventions tonight vs ORL dropping back into the box from d-mid. His "lack of defense" is way overblown.He's actually very astute there, imo. He's a much better 6 than MB or Trapp....and that's exactly where he plays for his MLS team FWIW.
Funny how two people can look at the same game and see completely different things. ESPN's comment towards the end of the half was that there would be plenty for Atlanta to discuss at the half because the cmid pair of Remedi and Nagbe was getting overrun time and again.
One more thing about Mihalovic that I thought I'd mention. not only is he still quite young, but he also had a very serious injury that kept him out for quite a while. Sometimes it takes more than a season to fully recover. All I am saying is that it is pretty early to be writing him off at this point. He deserves some time to show that he belongs. Let's see how he does with his club next year and go from there.
yeah I heard that, too. Remedi was subbed off, not Nagbe (remedi hasn't been playing much lately and eh was the weak link)...nevertheless, ATL pitched another shutout (on the road). Miles Robinson was actually pretty shaky, imo. Nagbe and Pogba saved his a** a couple times. ATL has given up least goals in Eastern conference and less than every team except LAFC....Nagbe is a huge part of that! He is exceptional with the ball and in possession....but that doesn't mean he isn't also great on defense as well. De Boer just called him one of the best midfielders in MLS...and he's right. I honestly can't see how anyone could watch MLS and Nagbe and not see that. It is plain as day! His problem with the USMNT is that he isn't allowed to play his real position - dmid. Meanwhile....TFC and Columbus are not even in the playoffs and some of the worst teams in the league at giving up goals (and winning games).....SMH PS - ESPN knows NOTHING about soccer...they just called josef martinez Jason on tonight's show......so if they see something different, then I'm glad. PPS twellman is so annoying
Morris is dominating MLS with his left foot. Go on, @CristianRoldan! Roldan nets his fourth goal of the season 👊SEA 1 | POR 0 #PORvSEA pic.twitter.com/kFndLQSEUM— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) August 24, 2019 Who else but @RaulRuidiazM?!Ruidíaz scores goal No. 🔟 on the season! 👏SEA 2 | POR 0#PORvSEA pic.twitter.com/qu0EitJp4e— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) August 24, 2019
yeah Morris had a very good game yesterday, can confirm. Put in some good work on the outside today and put in some dangerous balls
Nagbe has excelled at a variety of positions. During Portland's MLS Cup-winning season, when Valeri was out, Nagbe drove a number of critical, winning performances from the a-mid position. He also excelled at right-mid and the 8. With Atlanta, he has excelled at the 10,8, and the 6. Would not play him at left-mid. He is not going to carry a team, offensively, but he mightily contributes to winning performances.