Wednesday August 3rd 7:30pm Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Should be a pretty good test for the new look Crew. The USOC could also be out best chance, given the circumstances, for some hardware this year. FCD is a tough opponent this year. Will Johnson and Ruiz be available for this match? Ruiz always manages to kill us. Even if they aren't available, Mina, Alverez, and Abe Tompson are very good options off the bench. ROB looked damn good in the ASG and the Crew need to get someone over there that can handle his speed and skill. Although in that heat, I'd imagine ROB and Valikari might be a little tired on Wednesday. I expect: -----------Walker---------- Marshall----Wingert----Fraser -----------Elliott----------- Hejduk----Vasquez-----Henderson ----Martino---------Glen----- -----------Cameron----------- I wouldn't mind seeing Buddle or Sutton for Glen. I just don't think he does that much for the Crew. Makes good runs and all, but doesn't do anything with the ball once he has it. It would be good to see if Buddle is ready to go and if he is motivated. I think he could benefit from not having to be the target/linking player and just having to get open and get to goal. I also wouldn't mind getting Szetela out there, maybe in Hejduk's place.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game -----------Walker---------- Hejduk-Marshall-Wingert-Fraser -----------Elliott----------- Martino---Vasquez-----Henderson ------Cameron--Glen--------- If we are going to use Hejduk I might be tempted to keep him in the back to shore up the defense and keep Martino out wide where he seems to be having some (a lot of) success. I'd keep Buddle on the bench as long as he's still not 100%. Glen gets a few more chances to keep his job. He needs to get integrated into the offense before we reintegrate Buddle or try someone else (Sutton).
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game From Buzz Carrick last week... "I met with Eddie last night and he is not ready." said Clarke. "The doctor says he is improving and there is greater range of motion, but Eddie is still stiff and sore so he won't play. He trained once earlier this week and is doing work in the pool. We expect him to return to training at the end of next week with a possible return, if all goes well, for the US Open Cup game at Columbus." Johnson trained one day last week but didn't respond well, although there was no setback in the injury. Johnson has been out since May with a stress fracture to his toe. Although EJ has been out for some time, Clarke says fitness is not a trouble spot. "I am not worried about fitness. Eddie has been on the bike and doing cardio work. Plus Eddie is a strong, young, naturally fit athlete. Perhaps some game shape will be off, but he will be back to full speed very quickly.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game during halftime Rob Stone talked to Johnson at the all-star game and they said he should be back in about two weeks or so.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Do we go for the Open Cup, or save guys for an MLS playoff run? Are we deep enough to do both?
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Ruiz is MIA, so who knows about him. I think we need to do everything we can to advance in the US Open Cup. First 11 should go from the start. I'm not sure where Hejduk fits into this new formation. He may have to really work to get back into the team. Or if for some reason Waczycha goes to 4 in the back, Hejduk may start, but otherwise, I think you leave him on the bench.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game My thinking would be to put Wingert in Testo's spot instead of Hejduk (Wingert is a lefty and a much better crosser, IMO). Frankie at right back, Chad at left back, and put Robin back in the middle. On the other hand, the Marshall-Wingert-Fraser backline has done pretty well, and it might be a bad idea to mess with something that's been working.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game What are the Crew Fans' opinions on Storey? I saw him only when he played againsts the Metros and had that beautiful assist, but I liked him alot even though his technical skills and decision making needs to improve. I also noticed that he scored in your game against Fulham. I would think that you guys would use him as a sub in the last 25 minutes or so of the game to take advantage of his speed, no?
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game I think Bobby Rifle will pull out the stops and go for the win. Not necessarily because it might be the only trophy within our reach but also because he's trying to instill a winning attitude over there. Right now, if we're scheduled for an exnibition against the JV team over at Our Lady of the Potted Plant, those girls had better strap it up because Robert will want to see some people carried off. And yes, he'd love the hardware for any number of reasons. Storey still has a ways to go. A lot of us saw his ugly display against Ohio State last year in Columbus where Marcus was either standing around pouting or coughing up the ball, culminated by a straight red card for assaulting an OSU player in the back. It was not an impressive performance to say the least. It cofirmed what everyone had been saying about him since he was a U16: million dollar legs, ten cent head. In a very limited role this year he's definitely had his moments, but he's ALWAYS had his moments. Fortunately for him, Kielbasa Bob is exactly the sort of coach he needs right now: a "my way or the highway" guy who demands that you play and act like a professional.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Not a bad idea, but for the love of Bob, can we please find a position for Wingert and stick him there. This jumping around all over the field sure isn't going to help his development...
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game I couldn't agree more, although we shouldn't complain, considering that "the last coach" had Wingert nailed to the bench in favor of guys like Kelley and Schulte.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game I've heard both 7 and 7:30 for a start time for this. Anyone have official confirmation? Also, where can we park? The "American Idols Live" show is at the Schott that night (dear merciful jesus) and I'd rather not get stuck in traffic and have to pay $15 to park somewhere. Ideas? Z
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Game starts at 7:30pm. Supposedly parking is free right next to Jesse Owens.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Will Ruiz' "personal" issues be resolved in time for the Open Cup? If not who does Dallas run out up top? Mina and Thompson? I don't see any other forwards on their roster.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game why isnt the game at crew stadium.. just wondering how do you get to jesse owens?
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game State Fair takes up the CCS parking lot, making any soccer/sports event at Crew Stadium virtually impossible to get to. Here's a map, along with address, and a link for directions: http://www.osu.edu/map/linkbuildings/owensstadium.html
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Atleast all the money is going to a good cause. Can't complain about that.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game JOM is a nice place to catch a game as well. It's not as intimate as CCS because of the track around the field, but the main stands are rather high so you get a good view of all the field. I've always thought it was the ideal place for USOC games and Reserve games.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Take the akerman exit on 315. To be honest, if you miss that ramp there's about three more you could take and still get there easily enough. You can actually see the main stand from the freeway, it's about 400 yds to the east.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game It should be interesting to see if Glen has any leftover emotions about not getting a chance to play for FCD. I would imagine so. So I'm a big confused - are the Crew still playing a 3-5-2? Some of the proposed lineups here seem to look more like a 4-4-2.... I ask because it will be interesting to see how a 3-5-2 matches up with a 4-3-3. The way Dallas has played the 4-3-3, you have three interior midfielders and two wide forwards - usually with two of the interior middies tucked in between the central forward and the outside forwards. F-F-F -M-M- --M-- Although sometimes they have gone with two d-mids, inverting the midfield triangle. Either way, though, for the formation to work, the wing-forwards have to stay high and outside against the outside wingbacks of the other team - and the central middies and the defensive backs have to cover the outside middie of the opponents. It took a few games for EJ and ROB to understand that - once they were doing it, the team was kicking butt. Then the injuries came, and Mina and Alvarez have struggled with that discipline. We've lost three in a row and you guys are on a bit of a run. This game worries me a lot.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Under Bob (may peace be upon him), we've moved to a 3-4-3 of late. Against Chicago it looked more like a 3-6-1, but against Fulham it was a full-bore 3-4-3.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game I, too, would like to see Wingert get more playing time, BUT that was one godawful own goal he scored in last Wednesday's exhibition vs. Fulham. I'm not convinced he's best used in the center of a 3 man backline. To me, that's Fraser's spot.
Re: USOC: Crew v FCD :: Pre-Game Very interesting. So still three at the back. How did that 3-6-1 look? I assume one central forward and two high mids out wide like in a 4-5-1 - how was the rest of the midfield arranged? Again, when the wing-forwards for Dallas play back too much, it plays like a 4-5-1 and it doesn't work out too well.