Franklin had a horrible game! On first goal he was lazy jogging back leaving Giovinco unmarked. The Toronto spotted him open and passed him the ball, Franklin realized that he had to defend him and sprinted, but Giovinco stopped on a dime forcing Fraklin to come to a complete stop and Giovinco then took off for a wide open shot from about 5 yards out. On the second goal Franklin gave Silva a hospital ball which he promptly coughed up and Giavinco found an open shot and nailed it. Not to mention that his touches were awful and his crosses non-existent. Maybe Ben should have Birbaum should be playing on the right side the next game and have Franklin sit out...
I think Silva and Espindola are classy players, but this is pretty much why I can't get excited when we're well into first (with games in hand). When things get tighter, there's nobody with the "it factor" on this squad. The disallowed goal was legit, but you can't blame the linesman for calling him offside when every other DC player was offside (morons ). Nice rip by Giovinco. The defender was right on him, and it was placed nicely. Keeper probably saw it late.
Yeah Franklin was poor but I don't really see how you can go in a different direction this late in the season when he makes so much money … It really is confusing because he seems like physically he hasn't regressed from last year but mentally he's about as sharp as a plastic doorknob.
Thanks for the play by play, guys! Sorry to hear the team punked-out at the end. It sounds like Franklin is not in the same stadium with everyone else. I wonder what has happened to him? I like Oveki8's idea of sitting him, not permanently though. If we can get Korb back, he can play on the right and Birnbaum can continue to play on the left.
Some of the defending looked lazy and tired, but I'm not sure it was all the players who should have been tired.
So, anyhow, yes, both goals came down Franklin's side, and that turnover was atrocious on the second goal. But Ben's game management was questionable, too. Arrieta should have stayed on and Doyle come off for NDL...then I would have done Coria for Arnaud. From there Silva for Rolfe if need be for the fresh legs. We're still too slow playing forward and those first two subs address that well. Also, Marrufo has all the consistency of a bowel movement following a week long diet of Mumbai back alley street meat and Ganges water.
I wouldn't go all crazy over one game. I've seen several TFC games this year with Jozy, Bradley and Giovinco playing together and TFC looked like a hot mess. Ben has weather the s**t storm the MLS drew up for him with the playing schedule this month, so I still think we are doing pretty good given all the injuries and constant starting eleven rotation.
Left side got abused all night, but that was expected when your left back is a young center back and your left wing is a center forward. Corria should have come on for Doyle in the 60th. Doyle was gassed; big difference between 90 minutes at forward and 90 minutes on the flanks. Couldn't maintain possession. Gave the ball away way too easily. No shame in losing to TFC or it's 2015 MVP front runner Giovinco. If TFC can get their stuff together for the rest of the season, they'll be very dangerous in the playoffs. Really, really wanted three points tonight. Anytime Bradley is out and Altidore enters the game very late is a chance to steal points that will be a lot harder to get the next time we see this squad.
They've looked like a hot mess at times on defense but they do have a much better attack than we do. And to be honest their defense has improved the last few games which is what's making them seem scary. We've also been flattered by a ton of home games whereas Toronto has played almost all their games on the road. I think this makes like 4 road wins for them. For my money they're the best in the East right now … but there's plenty of time for that to change ...
Strange that in this eight day, three game stand at RFK, the team scoring first lost every game. At 1-0 up and Toronto without Bradley and Altidore on the field, I thought it would be a comfortable three points for United. By halftime I considered DC fortunate to be level. The real disappointment for me was that Toronto's winner came after I thought DC had weathered the storm to the point where they were going to get the point.
Actually, it's used all the time, even in social science (at least, so other social scientists tell me). You just can't fail to calculate, and then pay attention to, the uncertainties (the covariance matrix) as well. Toronto is a better team; but Benny got cute and out-thought himself last night. His first sub -- at least, the pulling Arrieta off part -- needed to be done, as Arrieta was getting muscled off EVERY. SINGLE. BALL. that he received. But the other sub that seemed glaringly obvious to me, but never happened, was Halsti in for Arnaud. Not only was Arnaud sitting on a card and emasculated by it, but we desperately needed some calmness in midfield in possession and Arnaud was the opposite. I'd also love to know what the impact of our pre-match scouting of Toronto was. Did our defense really, really understand (like they should have) that if you lose track of Giovinco, that if you abandon marking him to go help someone else that already seems to have the situation in hand, you effectively just surrendered a goal?
We were pretty bad. Mostly in giving away too many easy balls. Giovinco is the most dangerous player in MLS. So we lost... Time for our guys to get some rest, get more guys healthy and regroup.
It is used (now restricting my comments to psychology) but not frequently. Bayesian is TALKED about, a lot, as part of the backlash to frequentism but still hasn't made much headway into actual use. Also Rolfe, Arnaud, Arrieta, NDL and Birnbaum were all bad. And they should feel bad.
That is not what I am seeing. This team cannot hold the ball. They are being completely dominated by a team missing 2 of there 3 DPs.
I think that was in reference to one particular play early on in the second where NDLs quick turns created a foul that killed a TFC attack. They hadn't changed anything up in their attack yet. TFC adjusted, NDL went back to being NDL, and you know the rest.
Giovinco was the difference-maker. Toronto is going to be quite a handful in the playoffs if Bradley, Altidore and Giovinco are all healthy. It would be a good thing if we signed a DP triggerman with the Garber bucks that have been freed up from the voiding of E.J.'s contract.
But I'm seeing the same problems at all times during the season not just I the last couple of weeks with this stretch. Our midfield cannot control the ball and we are very slow. Our defense the strength of the team struggled with giovinco. He made both Franklin and opara look like amateurs.
I could not believe how much space we were giving giovinco. I also thought that our entire midfield was having a stinker. Doyle and Arnaud were particularly bad as was Fraklin in the back. Except for some great saves we could have lost this game by 2 or 3 goals.
Yeah, Giovinco clearly made Birnbaum and Franklin nervous. Opare I thought handled him surprisingly well, excepting one missed challenge.
He did more to help Franklin than Doyle could. Franklin needs defensive help and if he's not generating scoring chances he becomes a liability on the field. The starting lineup did not reflect olsenball and it showed in the final score. I'd like to see NDL start for Franklin at RB if Doyle is playing on that side at mid, but I'm also an idiot. I did find Modello on the concourse, so that is hopefully one positive takeaway from this match that will carryover into future matches at RFK. Also, attendance over 17k for the first time this season (I think). Too bad they saw that result.