Yup. Kyle looked like he was standing still as players blew right by him again and again. I know I harped on and continue to harp on Petke’s late and weird subbing patterns but looking at who they have to come on and make a difference it’s pretty weak. With exception being Sunny who didn’t get the call and who should be starting over KB5 every game. No speed whatsoever or size to speak of is available on the bench. I’m having a hard time seeing this team getting 13 points or so to finish the season to get to 48 points which I think they’ll need to make the playoffs. It was 46 last year and the west is tighter this season. Hope I’m wrong.
Yup. Kyle looked like he was standing still as players blew right by him again and again. I know I harped on and continue to harp on Petke’s late and weird subbing patterns but looking at who they have to come on and make a difference it’s pretty weak. With exception being Sunny who didn’t get the call and who should be starting over KB5 every game. No speed whatsoever or size to speak of is available on the bench. I’m having a hard time seeing this team getting 15 points or so to finish the season t
My only real complaint about Petke's subs was that he took out Kreilach with such little time left. When we are just playing long balls and blind crosses at this point of the match, why did we take out the only attacking 6 footer with any kid of skill using his head out of the game? We instead just kind of threw in all of our wingers and hoped a ton of random movement (which didn't happen, because this team likes to stand high at the defensive line and wait for someone else to create for them) and it didn't work. At least bring in Sunny instead of another winger to bring in the athleticism, he can head a cross or run down a Piatti. Where is Acosta? Herrera isn't his equal on either side of the field. In fact, Herrera is showing us why he hasn't been a starter all year. Lastly, bummer yesterday to see that Sebastian Soto is signed in Germany. Lost another one.
Is MSilva hurt again? Why is he being rotated out? Glad was/is in desperate need of being rotated. It showed in this game. In fact, the whole middle of this team could use some rotation. KB was slow as ********, as many pointed out. Besler stepped in and did alright but man did he and Glad get split WAYYYYY too much. I forgot Baird was on the pitch. Rusnak had some really really bad stretches in this game. And Kreilach was spotty, at best. I thought Herrera had both some really really good moments (he stopped at least one goal) but also had some truly terrible moments (should have been goals). For me, Lennon was the best player in the backline so these proposals I see of moving him up the field or to the bench in order to get Acosta on the pitch (move Herrera to RB) are confusing as hell. Lennon has RB locked down. People that don't like it are just trying to stick to their narrative of "a defender must play defense" nonsense. The first half of this game was fun if you were a neutral. Both teams had some dangerous chances largely because the other team was sloppy in parts. The midfield, for a good 20-25 minutes, was essentially just a place where the ball flew past. Number 8 for Montreal was convinced his socks would never be the same after what Kreilach did to him on that tackle. He brought it up in the second half, even. It was quite funny. For the first 60 or so minutes, the offense of this team was really fun to watch. We were switching the point of attack quickly and finding gaps for our wingers to show just how talented they are. I agree, Plata is our most dangerous player. Though it must be said that the whole setup is made to get him and Savarino the ball so they damn well better look good. It's at the expense of our best player on paper (Rusnak) and really kills any rhythm that Baird or whoever is playing CF can get into. If KB puts away his point blank header I'm not so sure we win, but chances are obviously much higher. To miss that was criminal and we got justly punished for it. I looked over at the subs at the 70th minute. You know, the time when you really should be making a change. They weren't even warming up anymore. They were just standing in the corner. Or kneeling. I don't know, they're all so small. Still, it's a joke. Bringing on Silva was probably one of the better moves, which sucks. Most irritating about it was watching his slow ass not even make any true runs but rather try to sit between the two Montreal CBs and think we were getting him the ball there. The Bofo sub confused the hell out of me. Not that it was the wrong move (it was right and should have been done earlier) but that we essentially switched to a 4-1-1-4. We weren't going to score with that setup. The haze really sucked in this game. I didn't notice any oxygen on the sidelines, that was weird to me. As was the fact that we didn't take hydration breaks. The corner kick set piece we ran in the second half was a thing of beauty. Really sad we didn't score on it. Yes, this is certainly a window we'll look back on at the end of the season and say we dropped points. But to be as god awful as we are on the road is mistake/problem number one.
I've never totally gotten the take that "Lennon isn't a natural right back". As if players come out of the womb and are immediately sorted into one of 11 distinct playing categories. Petke wants his outside backs bombing up and down the field, providing width in the attack, and playing in crosses. That sure sounds like Brooks to me.
Also - the people who complain about Lennon not being a natural right back usually forget that Acosta played most of his career at center back and defensive mid, before switching to left back last year. Yet he's a "natural left back".
don't get me started on the whole "natural position" nonsense. I coach kids that are 12 years old and younger. Emphasis on younger. The number of coaches that I come across that think they know where a kid is destined to play already is infuriating. Americans seem to get really infatuated with putting kids at the youth sport level into a specific category. It's so dumb and one of the many reasons we struggle at developing actual soccer players.