OT. In the last 3 min of regulation and 3-ish additional minutes the Dynamo almost gave up a gift goal and missed on a couple of chances of there own. Damnit now I've got to stay up another 30 minutes minimum to watch.
NCFC 2-3 HOU, final. The Dynamo advance. We'll find out who we play next on Thursday morning. EDIT: You got me that time.
watched most if the game last night Holland Memo Remick Sanchez were very good Ward / Byrd have been good for the RGV and were good last night except for too many turnovers in our third / getting dispossed / errant passes. I haven't seen this much in RGV games but it happened last night. Other wise they were all over the field and did well two ways. Garcia had some trouble with the speedy Jamaican first half but he was pretty solid Anibaba was dominant and Hunter complemented him well I am usually not a big fan of Escalante but he created some chance late for Luna and Wenger that shouldnhave been goals Willis didn't play very good. Took a step in the wrong direction on the Free kick. They said there was a deflection but it didn't alter the direction of flight willis just got beat. Wenger played forward - got a goal busted his ass all game, pressured turnovers for us, hit the post. BUT (see next post)
He gets all these chances and blows them. Shoots off target, shoots straight at keeperthe, not quick w the feet and its knocked away, hits the post etc etc I just don't think he is a 9 and I don't know if he will ever be a high level MLS winger His strengths are his size, speed, smarts, work rate and his left foot. I think he could really excel is as a two way midfielder in a 442 or as a defender. Certainly we will play him as an outside mid when Cubo is gone and Mauro moves up to Winger in the 433. OTO maybe he just needs Quito and Elis out wide while playing the holding forward spot instead of Mauro (who still gets pushed around due to his size). It certainly has made Cubo look better.
I really like the fact that we fielded a "B" team. If you look at other USOC matches, the teams that are competing in the league almost all fielded a "B" team. We haven't always done this in the past, especially when it comes to earlier rounds. This competition, especially in early rounds is a "B" team competition. Glad we see it that way too. Hopefully this results in a fresh first team and 3 points in LA.
It was more of a "C" team given the number of RGV players in the roster. I think most would disagree with the last comment, one of the biggest complaints about the Dynamo in recent history is they don't take US Open Cup seriously (especially under Dom). Last year was the first time we made any kind of serious run at it. Given winning it is a ticket to Champions League, and even as well as this Dynamo team has been playing I doubt they'd qualify through the league route. I want to see them go all out.
Wenger has generally had the rep of being jack of all trades master of none, and I don't think he's disproved it the past two seasons. He can create from wide but with a better team we have less need to depend on individual players. His finishing in front of the net is Bruin- or Cubo-quality aka poor. He clangs that early chance off the post and then on other chances gets silver platter service and can't get the ball under his feet right, gets stuffed. This year in league he's 0G 0A not unlike a certain Uruguayan I get grumpy about. The shift to other players has benefitted the team. The one thing he offers the rest don't necessarily, is honest, somewhat nasty defense, and the ability to play multiple roles. Since we often need to run clock and preserve a lead, I don't mind him seeing playing time in a "hold the fort" package of subs. And you play who you have to when we have people called up. That being said, one area where I feel we've been poor is getting productive players on the field to create when chasing a game. We throw Wenger and Sanchez out there and nothing happens. I would like to see Memo and Holland and Boniek, the people where the ball does find the net when they're in. Personally I'd be shopping Wenger because what we need are midfield specialist players, playmakers and d-mids. He costs a lot of money for a bench player and in a secondary role he is unproductive.
I think we did play some A teamers pretty early in recent years but it reflected the lack of league competitiveness ie "we might as well try to win something." I am not heartbroken if improved league standing shifts it back to more of a secondary concern staffed with B/C team. I'd rather be winning in MLS than in USOC. That being said, historically Kinnear would run out A and vets for MLS and B/C for USOC, and rarely mix the two, and while not quite as bad as Barrett/Coyle we still don't use our kids enough. Holden was talking about this during the US telecast the other night, praising how FCD trusts their youth players to get time. I think there's a bit of cynicism -- and ironically not very effective in the actual stats -- in treating the older players like the only ones who can be trusted off the bench. I also think if you go back far enough we have King of the Reserves and other players who were decent who due to talent glut ended up playing "reserve" games in USOC and CCL. This is not quite the same.
I only watched the first 15 and then OT because I left in the middle to practice my other sport. But they came out of the tunnel flat and got their heads handed to them for about the first 10, including the goal where they couldn't clear the zone. This has been a road pattern where we seem to come out cold. Dallas is one of the few games I remember where we came out ready to play on the road. That needs to change. They obviously showed some character to keep it together for 120 and get the result but coming out flat against NC?
well you need to give them a little credit - they tied it up fairly quickly and got the go ahead goal twice a litlle better play at dmid (RGV players not to be unexpected) and at Goalie (as a player who is a part time starter you expect to lead in performance) and this game would have been a lot less trouble
I give them credit in the sense they fought back but from my perspective it's like most of the first 15 I watched they were being outplayed and I was concerned we wouldn't win. We were taken to OT by a NASL team. When I got back and the delay played out, we seemed more dominant and fit in OT but I want that whistle to whistle, and I don't care if it's B or C team because this is supposed to be top notch. If you can't beat up on minor league NC what use are you to me playing against Colorado, Toronto, or the upcoming USOC opponent SKC? Beyond that there is just a general, particularly A team problem, of sleepwalking out of the gate on the road. 15-30 minutes in and we're already chasing too many road games. Not dominating is a player problem. Coming out flat is a coaching issue. Memo's shot as nice though I wasn't sure if the first touch was intended. Willis I thought both saves should be made by first division keeping. Particularly a slow dipper over the wall that skips in the net.
Wenger has been a great defensive winger/forward for us to close out the game. Thats where he should stick. Dont think this game proved otherwise
Yeah but you can't have a bench rotation that's basically one Honduran older mid who can hustle and play two ways, a utility guy who can play both ways, and a dessicated wing, only one of whom actually produces. I don't mind putting Wenger out there to protect a lead, or when we have no choice during Gold Cup, but when we need goals? But he gets on basically every game. Long term I don't see the point on a cost basis. You don't pay a bench player that much to do this little and hustle.