I will dub this "The Game We Surely Can't Lose So We'll Find A Way To Lose". Especially with me making the thread (I believe we've lost or tied every single game I've done this for but it's ********ing Wednesday and no game thread?!) Sounds like Plata and Allen are back in training. I would expect them on the bench. With Shore still coaching for this one (talk about weird) he'll likely roll out the 4231 again. So, with all that said, here is what I expect for a starting XI and bench: Nicky Tony*, Maund, Schuler, Phillips Beckerman, Luke Lennon, Rusnak, Bofo Yura Bench: VanO, Wingert*, Horst, Sunny, Allen, Velazco, Plata/Silva
RSL 4-0 over Minnesota in a snowstorm. Adrian Heath will be "sacked" after the game and Minnesota will hired newly "liberated" Jeff Cassar as coach. Goals by Yura, Bofo, Lennon and Rusnak.
I could see Heath getting the axe if Minnesota gets run off the field by this RSL team but I can't see anyone giving Cassar a shot at being a head coach for a long time. I'm sure he will get picked up as a coach somewhere in MLS/USL though.
But he's a perfect fit for the climate. He proved the first home game that he knows how to dress warm. #hideoussweater
I have a bad feeling about this, I would put a it's a trap meme here. But is it a trap when both teams are struggling?
They have the worst defense in the league, and arguably one of the worst in league history. If we score against them, will 2 goals be disappointing to most of us or will it be acceptable (assuming we win, of course. I know the bottom line answer is that we will be happy if we score enough to win).
I'll take a win any way they come right now. Anyone upset about winning but not by a large margin can go right off and ******** themselves. We haven't won since 8/26/16. That's 215 days.
MUFC has scored 6 goals so far this season to RSL's 1. They've allowed 18 to RSL's 4. While their GD is worse than RSL's, They can at least score goals and as ratios their performance looks (marginally) better that RSL's.
It's a built in double prediction given they'll be playing on an american football field. 1-1 / 7-7 I fully expect an OG in this game, too. Maybe RSL scores twice in a game but still doesn't win.
Interesting that MN picks up two defensive folks from the cRapids on the eve of their game with RSL. No word on whether they'll be available or play tomorrow.
Sounds like Plata will be on the bench for this one and get some min working to get him back to full fitness. Coaches choice at CB based on who is the healthiest. Also seems like Lennon will get the start again on the right, deservedly. Hearing that Silva will be the #2 striker in place of Barrett (eh) so that should be fun. I predict RSL to win by 10 goals and the world will come to a spectacular end shortly thereafter.
Silva was god awful in NY. He better be sent back to the bench this game if not out of the 18 completely. Having him as our "forward" depth is scary as hell, too. When Yura picks up a knock this game, sheesh... Also, Mr "One Chance is All" is on his last lifeline with me. Continued weak play and I say bench his ass. The scary prospect is who to replace him with, but he doesn't deserve to play if things don't change tomorrow.
Yura not scoring is problematic but it's a symptom of the larger problem that should start to see improvement if the other things get fixed. Playing Yura like he has been over the past year and change does not put him in good positions to score. He's not a hold up guy/he's not going to turn a defender and he's even less likely to score with his head -- and yet that's what the team has been giving him to work with. (granted, he still should have scored some sitters recently, no excuses there.) I'm giving everyone til July to figure it out before I start calling for peoples heads. I want to see what Petke can do in that time tactically to get Yura the ball in better positions that serve his strengths and then if he's still unable to finish I'll expect he be benched. Keep in mind that NO ONE is scoring for us and that should be even scarier.
I don't disagree that Yura has been put in a system that doesn't match his qualities. However, this doesn't mean he hasn't blown clear cut chances and should be held accountable. Further, if we're going to play this system, then continuing to roll him out there is detrimental to everyone. The wing play of Bofo and Brooks combined with the AM style of Rusnak is to play fast. Yura doesn't have that speed. Multiple times this year I've watched a hopeful fast attack get bogged down at the feet of Yura. This wasn't when asking him to be a target, either. It was clean linkup play that should be more his "style". He just isn't up to the speed those kids want to play. Silva isn't the answer, either. Your point about no one scoring is fair. Yura shouldn't shoulder all of that load. But, he also should shoulder a LOT of that load. If they want to play this 4-2-3-1 setup with wing play then Yura's got to be the guy to knock the ball in the net. It's simple. Especially when he's given chances to do so.
All fair. I don't even think Yura is a linkup type player, either. His best years came as a guy who ran onto a ball in behind the defensive line. Which would require a formation change or a very different take on the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1
MN wins their first on a 6-5 run and gun shoot-out game, mainly because RSL finishes with 10 men, due to a defender getting sent off. RSL also ends up with every other player having a yellow card. P.S. and Lennon gets his first pro goal in MLS...
If Allen is okay to play on the wing, can Lennon play as the forward? Does he have that skillset? Even if he does, I wonder if it's not asking too much of such a young player.