Toronto had a midweek game and have to travel cross country so that should help. Still a little worried about getting destroyed on the counter by Jozy and Giovinco with our injured backline.
Woo!! Another game coming up!! Hopefully all of our position actually results in goals this weekend and we don't wait until Toronto has scored goals...
This L hangs on Torres (PK was a good call). Caught this game on TSN and had to laugh at the commentators saying "Toronto really has to stop allowing all those crosses in" as though they posed some meaningful threat. Toronto had a game plan (which they telegraphed in obvious fashion by leaving Vasquez and Giovinco at home) and executed to perfection. Seattle didn't, having no answer at the moment to a set defense that holds its shape.
This L hangs on an offense that has yet to demonstrate any kind of consistent effectiveness. Give Altidore credit - driving into a pack of defenders in the box. I will not say he flopped but he did play his cards very well. When the slightest change of pace on his part initiated the contact he was sure to go down. Convincingly well played. Back to the anemic offense. If I were Schmetz, I would insist that the next include ZERO crosses into the box. I want to see Seattle's offense play to feet and into space and actually make runs off the ball. This game of line-up-the-offense-across-the-back-line-and-feed-them-crosses has got to stop.
I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call the offense 'anemic' or consistently ineffective - this was only the second regular-season match where Seattle didn't score at least once, and it's still 4th in the west in goals scored even after this round. They just came off of back-to-back 3 goal matches. They just have no effective answer to 10 or 11 organized men behind the ball, so giving up the first goal particularly hurts. The transition to attack is way too slow, and Toronto isn't New England - they were never going to give up 3, nor were they going to come out of their shell unless they were behind. That's why I called Torres the goat here. He's got to know better and do better than to get drawn into contact there (lord knows he's seen his share of real dives - which this wasn't - in CONCACAF play with Panama.) Agreed it was smart play from Altidore.
Yes. There seems to be little urgency or clear direction for the offense. Too often Sounders receive the ball with back towards goal and dribble away from goal or pass back when there is immediate pressure. Turn and go! Frustrating to watch.