I sat down and re-watched Freddy’s 51 minutes and I feel a lot better. The first half he was the left-sided striker in a 3-5-2, with Sammy Ochoa next to him. This means he was the frontline of the press, and that’s what I watched this time around: Is Freddy operating within the defensive tactical scheme and contributing to it. And the answer is Yes, all the time. Not that he was super effective in pressing, but that all the way through his 51 minutes he did it. He sprinted down the center backs and keeper. He looks like he’s regaining strength and lungs. On the ball he was fine, just got the ball rarely and in bad spots. They couldn’t figure out how to get him the ball, and he was caught on it a couple times. He doesn’t make the runs of a striker and couldn’t find space for himself to receive it easily. But he also provided good touch, vision, attacking impetus, ball-retention. His one set-piece was a great ball and he almost got on the end of a cross before that. In short, he runs now. He looks like a pro soccer player. He was unlucky to be taken off, looked disappointed to be, as if he had more in the tank. Chelis embraced him when he did sub him out and supported him in the press later. Watching again, the game was poor. It had all the technical nuance of Yeovil vs Grimsby in January. The ball was never on the floor. Ever. The Lights are without their best midfielder at the moment. Juan Jose Calderon is like their Iniesta, keeps the ball close and moves it forward at tempo. I think he and Freddy could find each other, and there needs to be more guys out there that put their foot on the ball. Carlos Alvarez is one. But they lack a striker. Next game not until 6/27, home to San Antonio. More time to build fitness.
And Chelis took it really seriously. Just before that. Great job by photographer. "Chelis practicing embracing Freddy"
Everyone left their doors open with the AC on. Cold in Vegas is 55 degrees. It snowed in Reno this morning. [emoji3] I would start a good message board rivalry with you between the Lights and Reno but our team looks super bad so far and you will likely trounce us!
Freddy needs to start getting in shape because he's supposed to be the hero who saves our Qatar campaign.
Your starting Friday night Lights⚡️#LVvSA pic.twitter.com/8JG6UOD97D— Las Vegas Lights FC (@lvlightsfc) April 28, 2018 He is starting against San Antonio at 8pm Pacific tonight. Sadly I am unable to attend. I will watch later however and give my feedback.
Was getting ready to watch the game on ESPN3 this morning but thankfully checked this thread before wasting 45 minutes of my life.
Do Las Vegas Lights have a b-team in the Finnish 3rd division they could farm him out to by any chance?
.@FlavorFlav IN THE 🏠🙌Just another day here in Vegas...#LVvSA pic.twitter.com/BmHCQ4Fa0T— Las Vegas Lights FC (@lvlightsfc) April 28, 2018 Best part of the match, above. I watched the whole match and it wasn’t pretty. Freddy never got on the ball. Like literally one time he got control of it and passed it backward, that’s it. San Antonio stayed compact and countered at speed and Freddy was always too far up the field and forced to try to win headers. Tactically San Antonio just toyed with them, and him. They just bodied him easily. He drew a couple fouls. He really can’t compete at the USL level physically. Not strength, not speed, not quickness, not endurance. I wonder how much room for improvement there is for him in that regard or if his body is too far gone. He has good touch and vision but that’s worth nothing if you never have the ball at your feet. Daigo Kobayashi and Isaac Diaz were much better than Fred. The Lights looked sharper in the second half after he was pulled. Carlos Alvarez is decent quality and when Calderon gets back Freddy may struggle for minutes. From a Lights fan perspective it’s tough to see how he should be out there. Although Sammy Ochoa looks like a pile of mashed potatoes. They really have no striker at all. USL games are brutal, man. Once you come down from how bad the level is you can see some flashes of skill but you have to be able to run hard all the time, put a shoulder into a guy, set your ass over the ball and keep it. Freddy has zero chance of doing any of that. He’s limp, top heavy and weak like a meatball with noodles for legs. Long season. Real Monarchs on Monday and Tulsa at home next Saturday. He’ll probably play a part in at least one of those matches.
The song remains the same. Not that it makes a huge difference, but he seems a terrible fit in a 4-3-3. Requires too much defending along with getting up flank.
Yea there’s basically Mexicans, Latino-Americans, Freddy, and a try-hard local white dude with awful touch named Matt Thomas. Kobayashi, and Zac Drake is from Canada. A lot of local Las Vegas players, actually, which is cool. For having two months to put a squad together it’s not bad. Matt Thomas This guy is the Lights’ best player in my view. He has been out since preseason. Mexican player with mostly Ascensio experience. Great on the ball, fun to watch. Juan Jose Calderon