Pre/PBP: Crew vs Atlanta United FC (MLS 07/01 07:30 PM)

It says a lot actually. Especially if the sell to the fringe players is. Show me in training and you will get your starts. The trouble for Duka is, where do you play him?

As for Martinez. Is he the new Leandre Griffit? The savior of the club if only he would get game time.

 

Don't you think it is important to track all this kind of stuff? Just about all top level teams will crunch the stats on their players. Including the info from those monitors they wear during trainings. I am sure this ppt or xlsx is just a small part of a larger data collection.

 

Sure, but our top 5 players are aparently finlay, jimenez, duka, raitala and maloney. Dont we bitch about all these players? Data is good, but I'm not sure what that graph shows.

 

That's not a graph. It's a table.

 

Practice performance metrics certainly aren't the only consideration, or else Duka and Maloney would start every game. For as much as people make fun of Gregg for being a numbers guy, this pretty much proves he's not a complete idiot. Anyone who saw Duka turn the ball over 14 times in Cincinnati knows that.

 

Worth noting that Atlanta plays tonight in the Open Cup (vs Miami) then comes to Columbus, then plays home vs San Jose on the 4th.

I would imagine that Tata gives the squad some rotation with that schedule. Though they should be able to handle Miami with a B team, one would think.

Regardless, with us crashing out of the Open Cup in pathetic fashion we at least should have some advantage here given the schedule.

 

I don't know Duka personally, so I could read that either way. He could be just posting for fun bragging. Or it could be complaint that he should be playing. Hard to tell.

Does seem like he has a bit of a history though, which would not be on his side, though I don't remember any specifics (and we fans only know so much anyway).

 

Crew got beat by Soccer City USA! How can you stop a whole City of Soccer from America no less.

 

Is that steak or filet on that table??

 

#ATLUTD’s starting XI vs @TheMiamiFC pic.twitter.com/1i8QYsG52m

— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) June 28, 2017

Some key names getting a rest tonight ahead of a showdown with Ohio's second finest....

 

Duka is Slowwwwww..G-bye

 

Afful and Mensah called back for the Saturday game...and I was wondering why they were on my flight back from Houston today. Nothing like a Southwest flight to say we care about our players.

 

Did any of them play ?

 

Both started for the Mexico game and Afful was captain according to this article: http://www.espnfc.com/ghana/story/3150535/ghana-lose-mensahafful-for-usa-friendly

 

MLS plays during international breaks? This is new.

 

Mensah took the armband when Afful was substituted.

I expect both to start against Atlanta. Would be a little odd to bring them back so they could sit on the bench.

 

Had I been Mensah, I would have stayed. It's not like he'd be here next season anyway. (At least, I hope not)

 

Mensah was on my flight from CMH to Dallas on Monday. A guy with a Minneasota United tshirt sat across from him. I thought it was funny. It was American Airlines.
And I think the country pays for the flights for international games. So in this case Ghana picked up the tab. And I would much rather fly Southwest than American any day.

 

The Old Fartes are doing all things Americana before the game today! Come on by the black and white checkerboard tent before the game and load up on hot dogs, burgers and all things yummy, then stay late for the fireworks!

Oh, and win by two or tie or lose by two.

 

We need points and a soft part of the schedule is coming up. We need these 3.