Rant warning. I still can't get the bad taste out of my mouth after this match. I honestly can't remember any soccer match - even rec league - as poorly played as the disgrace put on the pitch by the Rapids yesterday. It takes a lot to get me to this point, but I'm here. Sorry for what follows. I feel badly for the Philadelphia fans who paid to see a professional soccer match. They saw their team play a pick-up-game squad. I feel badly for Rapids STH, who paid good money to see a MLS side play a MLS season. This is at best a USL team, and not a good one. I feel badly for the MLS, which has been trying to build a top-flight professional league for two decades. The Rapids are bumbling amateurs masquerading as professionals, and undermine the MLS' efforts. Doesn't anybody on the Rapids have a clue how to settle the ball? Doesn't anybody have a clue how to handle pressure with the ball at their feet? Doesn't anybody have a clue how to defend set pieces? Doesn't anybody have a clue on the laws of the game? Is anybody coaching this fiasco? What did the coaches tell the players at halftime? Does anybody critique the players in practice? Do they even practice game situations? Do the coaches actually believe that this was professional soccer at the highest American level? Who is running this show in the RFO? What nuclear astrophysicist decided that Cronin and Burch = Gatt and Saeid? Do the RFO brains actually believe that the vast majority of the players on this roster belong on an MLS team? After last night, does anybody in the RFO believe that Calvert, da Fonte, Ford, Miller, Gatt, Hamilton, or Saeid would start for any other MLS team? Does the RFO actually believe the bald-faced lie they Tweeted last night: "FT - Good effort from the boys tonight, but they fall 2-1 in Philly." Good effort? WHAT effort? Where is the absentee landlord who owns this catastrophe? Why doesn't he have the guts to darken the doorstep of the games? Is he too ashamed of the team he has built? Or is he completely indifferent to charging people admission to watch players no other MLS team would field? Why won't he sell the team to somebody who knows something about soccer? Or just move the franchise to some other place so Denver fans can see real soccer? Yesterday's fiasco was so far over the top that the game film should be required viewing by every person connected with the Rapids organization. Every single day until they finally get it: this team is inept, a disgrace, unprofessional, uncoached, and unworthy of being in the MLS. This is unacceptably bad soccer at any level of the game. A rec league team would be embarrassed by the performance. Commissioner Garber, it's time that you intervene. End rant.
Granted I was only casually watching some of the game but I did like Calvert and Gatt's constant hustle to get into the box on the attack. Granted Calvert self destructed there with his no whistle for injury that even the Philly GK was confused on if he should put the ball into play or not. But heck, I can't ever remember seeing that whole thing play out ever in a game before and wished I had popcorn as it occurred.
We're seeing all the young pups learn how to be professionals, like Calvert with his 3 broken laws of the game in short order. Good thing these games don't count!
Wouldn't it have been smarter to give the reserve players a chance in the mid-week game vs. the Fire, then the "starters" against Philadelphia, were getting points would have been easier? For me that was a managerial mistake. I thought the opening 20 minutes were great for the Rapids, at least hustle and effort wise. Sure, there wasn't much technical skill outside of Doyle and maybe Saied, but there was some great pressure up top, disruption, and overall hustle. After that, however, it was just an ugly game all around, with Philadelphia showing more quality and possession, especially through the Bosnian player at central midfield - really good player. As for our players (mostly reserves), Howard and Doyle had the most quality. Sjoberg we know was just getting back into the action, so understandably a bit slow reacting, etc. Gatt looks like a late game sub, very one dimensional player. Hamilton is not MLS quality (at least not yet). Da Fonte could be useful, but overall a clumsy player who should have seen a few yellow cards. I wish we had Serna for this game, at least he shows skill and creativity. Our center midfield is just poor quality since Cronin left. Hopefully Boateng can come back and show something positive.
Pablo thinks Calvert's red cost them the game. Considering it was 1-1 at that point Calvert staying on the field would have gotten the wall to jump? Would have gotten us a goal on the exactly 0 SOG's we had in the second half? http://www.denverpost.com/2017/05/23/caleb-calvert-rapids-striker-highlight-and-lowlight/
Calvert: "It wasn’t made clear what I was supposed to do." Calvert needs to be told what to do? I wasn't aware this was an AYSO match. I thought Calvert received a paycheck to play the game. The high point of the game was 63:07. With the Rapids up 1-0, Doyle whacked a free kick off the crossbar. The next 6 minutes was indescribably awful soccer. 63:37 - Gatt wins at midfield and dribbles the ball over the by-line under very mild pressure. 64:44 - Pontius throws in to Onyewu, who crosses to Simpson. Ford saves the day by cuddling the ball like a teddy bear, giving Philadelphia a PK, which Sapong easily converts at 66:10. 67:14 - Calvert receives a throw-in in the offensive third, dribbles toward the Philadelphia byline, trips over the ball and his own feet, and lies mortally wounded a foot from the byline. He clutches his right shin, crying over his owwie. Pablo snivels to the 4th Official (Stoica), who knows better than to care. Three times, Rivero points out and clearly tells Calvert to leave the pitch to receive attention from the medical team. Calvert, who apparently doesn't understand English, grins stupidly and continues to whimper. Calvert stands up, with no evident pain from his mortal wound, and yaps at Rivero. The medical crew pulls Calvert off the pitch, but Calvert continues whining and continues standing with one foot on the pitch. At 68:03, Rivero issues the first YC. Calvert, now off the pitch, walks just fine, pouting to the medical crew, and signals "touchdown" in apparent protest. GK, and the ball finally back in play. Some time around 68:30-ish, Calvert re-enters the field without permission. At 68:46, Rivero stops play, hunts down Calvert, and issues the mustard-and-ketchup.
PRO lays out why both of Calvert's cards were correctly given (and clarifies that the first was for dissent): http://www.proreferees.com/news-play-of-the-week-2017-week-12.php
That recap is spot on. Calvert injury is somewhere between frustration at the non-call to trying to disrupt play because they had all the momentum. Eitherway, he needs to play on. Another interesting thing in that article is when he goes on about how surprised he was that the shot scored. I still wonder why their keeper let that shot in, did he have a $100 on the Rapids scoring? We only average 1 shot a game, so you have to let the shot go in!
The Central Americans make time wasting look so easy. Calvert: "It's not like that when you play FIFA."
Blake was all alone in the box. The nearest Philly defender was Onyewu, who was straddling the 18, about 3 or 4 yards in front of Calvert when Calvert took the shot. Blake was in a weird posture, crouched over with hands at his side, inexplicably making himself small. Gatt was completely unmarked on Blake's left flank. My best guesses are either that Onyewu screened Blake or that Blake thought Calvert was passing to a wide open Gatt, and didn't realize it was a shot until it was whistling by his head. Calvert did rocket the shot, and Blake was slow to react. Either way, it was terrible goal play.
But Gatt wasn't anywhere close to being a threat. He was barely in the box by the time the ball hit the back of the net. Horrible read by Blake.
I remember people blaming Watts for an early season loss after getting a red card. You know, you can play seven lousy minutes (in that game) without giving up a goal even if you do only have 10 players. Teams do play with 10 players at times. It's not automatic that the other team immediately scores.
I think it was Chelo in the commentary who said the dreaded "ruin the game". I hate this attitude, red cards are fun, watching roles around on the floor because they are fustrated or are trying to stop the game is not.