Colorado v. New England, Sat. April 4, 2015, 5:00 p.m. pre/in/post [R]

Discussion in 'Colorado Rapids' started by fortcollins, Mar 28, 2015.

  1. Quinn 33

    Quinn 33 Member+

    Apr 25, 2003
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #151 Quinn 33, Apr 5, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2015
    Copy/Paste from the Houston thread:
    Had the Rapids been capable of burying one of their early chances prior to New England scoring, it very likely would have been a different game.

    The organization needs to quit fv<king around and sign some strikers, immediately! My patience has run out for playing midfielders out of position. The Rapids were tasked with rebuilding competitive squad in the off-season, and thus far they have failed miserably. It's embarrassing that they can't fix a problem that has persisted for so long. How can grown men, and alleged "professionals", be that goddamn inept/stupid.

    I will also add a comment that I used quite frequently when we were terrible under Pareja.

    Luck does not exist, and there is no such thing as back luck. Good teams make their own luck. Teams that are "unlucky" are bad. Period.
     
  2. Cos_Mos

    Cos_Mos Member

    Aug 31, 2007
    Broomfield
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nobody should be blaming the ref for this one. He was awful but his awfulness went both ways! It sure looked to me like Sarvas got a second yellow cards and just kept playing. He got a yellow in the first half for a tackle from behind. It was kinda soft but he did get booked. In the second half during the penalty / offsides debacle it sure looks like Sarvas got a yellow for dissent. I went back and watched it and there is a great shot of drummers in the terrace where you can see the video screen in the background and you can see the ref clearly carding Sarvas... Heck even the altitude graphic showed a Sarvas yellow. Anybody else notice this or have a different take?
     
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  3. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Official match report shows Powers getting the yellow for dissent during the debacle, not Sarvas.
     
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  4. Totoro

    Totoro Member+

    Dec 3, 2009
    Colorado
    The Groundhog Day aspect of this is becoming a real downer.

    But I guess I was encouraged by Ramirez--he's pretty small so you worry about him in traffic but he got off some runs while keeping the defender off his body. And he hit some nice passes...that setup for Powers was terrific. That late shot from wide left that hit the outside of the near post, he never had much of a chance from that angle, but I was surprised he was able to get that sort of power on a run pressured so closely by a defender. So he looks like a player.

    I'm less encouraged by Pittinari. Not that he's bad, but so far he seems like just a guy. I should follow him more closely throughout a game sometime.

    But yeah, overall, what Quinn said above. It's all for naught without a striker. The team seems to recognize it doesn't have a real forward, as I've noticed in stats articles that the Rapids tend to rank pretty low in crosses. But it's still frustrating to see how many (aerial) crosses have been launched over the past couple years to players under 5'9" who are being marked by centerbacks and have next to no chance at it.

    Though Torres managed find a seam for a cross and missed. He may not be a 9, but he can finish far better than he's done this season. He needs to shake his funk now that he's getting the playing time.
     
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  5. Riccardo55

    Riccardo55 Member+

    Mar 11, 2001
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What a disappointing result.
    Look at the MLS.COM stats for the game and we should have done better.
    We lost on a bad turnover (goal 1) and questionable PK (2) and another PK waved off (sigh).

    I agree we are not finishing, but I am unclear if it's a team thing or a lack of a true striker. Little of both? They say it takes a good bit of the Regular Season (not the pre-season) to get the starters and regular subs to really click. With so many new faces, too, aside from Torres (like he played last year) and Powers. Our defense has been fine, and we attacked well until that last pass or shot was lacking. Maybe were going to get there.

    R
     
  6. The Commissioner

    Oct 31, 2013
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Starting to miss Brown big time. Better to have a forward who takes a lot of shots, misses a lot but scores enough to scare defenses than forwards who don't score. Oh well!
     
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  7. UxSxAxfooty

    UxSxAxfooty Member+

    Jan 23, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I really struggle to see the wisdom of Sarvas in an advanced role and Powers out wide. It's basically using your two best players in not-their-best positions. It seems to devolve into 3 defensive midfielders and 3 isolated attackers.
     
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  8. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Branch Rickey: "Luck is the residue of design."
     
  9. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He lived up to all of my pre-match expectations (see my post earlier in this thread). Bazooka Fists and Baldomero Toledo are two refs who drive every team bananas. Whining about officiating is as old as the game, but when virtually every team in the league shares the same opinion of the same referee, somebody needs to listen.

    Any professional player, coach or team should be able to adjust to the style of a particular referee IF that referee is consistent. There are some very good refs out there. Juan Guzman and Silviu Petrescu let the teams play, and prefer "strong lectures" to cards, where possible. Jair Marrufo and Hilario Grajeda don't like mouthy players who protest everything. They are all solid refs, who are the same game to game and team to team.

    The problems come when a center ref loses control of a match early, and then goes card-happy to try to regain control, or when the center ref makes horribly inconsistent calls throughout the match, or when the center ref calls both halves differently, or when the center ref's mechanics screen him from plays and he doesn't communicate with the ARs. Bazooka Fists is all of those. He calls the same play differently, even just a few seconds apart. He whistles plays far too early. He makes mind-numbingly bad calls. Toledo isn't much better. He has good mechanics, but screws up a ridiculous number of routine calls or no-calls. He has a maddening habit of being uncertain when to play the advantage and when to use his magic whistle.

    The MLS needs to work out a better arrangement with PRO. A majority of the teams need to be able to vote one ref off referee island every season, if necessary. That would get rid of the truly horrible refs.

    All of that said, I re-watched the match. (It wasn't any less awful the second time.) About 60% of Bazooka Fist's really bad calls went against New England. He stank, but didn't change the result. The Rapids stank plenty on their own. Bazooka Fists needs to find another job, but I can't hang this L on him.
     
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  10. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    By all means fire Bravo. It'll have to start there. And, let Mastroeni go too - though I think he's learned a bit.

    I like what I see except the lack of goals. There's some logic to the offense and it's resulting in good looks for Torres and others. It's up to Torres to finish them, and based on what I've seen from his national team play Torres' is capable of finishing.

    I was pretty frustrated with the crosses I saw. They were just terrible - blind dump-and-hope crosses. When they do seem to launched at a target they seem to target our smallest players.

    I felt like the ref jobbed the Rapids, and deserved every bit of abuse he got. The offside is BS. The excuse that Badji had handled the ball is just an excuse, not even related to the events - even so was such a handling likely to be a PK if it were by the defense? Coming on the heels of a soft PK, it just felt like that was the end of the game. Still the Rapids created chances - pretty good ones - afterward.

    I don't see the Rapids getting another striker. They'll hold out for Doyle - hope he's healthy, ready, and is quick off the mark.

    One change I'd like to see going into next week. Pick 2 of the 3, Sarvas, Pittinari, Cronin, I don't think it necessary to have all three.
     
  11. COMtnGuy

    COMtnGuy Member+

    Apr 5, 2012
    Higher than you
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #161 COMtnGuy, Apr 6, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2015
    Anyone else tired of watching other games where they get 4-5 guys in the box from run of play then watch the Rapids get lucky to have 3 in there?

    This is just a defensive, play not to lose side disguised as a competent starting XI. As noted by Many: Sarvas, Pittinari & Cronin are all DM's.

    Only thing good is at least PM is not playing musical line-ups.

    @JasonMa is it just me or does Watt's get Red carded or give up a PK in at least half his starts?

    I am now waiting for that Moron from USMNT forums to come here and tells us again how good Watt's is.
     
  12. Rod1916

    Rod1916 Member+

    Jun 17, 2012
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Agree completely!

    Yep. We seem to have a dearth of DM's. Unfortunately, as we bring strikers on board (optimistic perception), we will see some decent players not making the field. I guess that is what happens when you have a depth. I am just not used to seeing it. :)

    YES! I would have preferred O'Neill to Watts, but consistency will help over the course of the season.

    I am not down on Watts quite as much. He played well the last 2 games, although there have been a few issues. which cost us the game. As a defender, you can be outstanding for 89 minutes and still be the goat of the match. Looking forward to Moor/Sjorberg back!

    rod.
     
  13. teamed

    teamed Member

    May 18, 2014
    This is the exact same criticism people were making at the start of last season. The only difference is that the Rapids managed to get the ball in the net a few times, and get a few wins-making it more excepted.

    If you really want them to push forward and drop the "play not to lose mentality," they will get battered just the same as they did last year. As I see it, it is 0-0 type games, or 4-1 type losses if they open up.

    I like the way they have set up so far, but you've got to finish chances. Goal scorers cost money and Kroenke is cheap, so these results make perfect sense.

    I do agree that they are playing too many defensive mids. Powers should be in that central attacking mid roll and should have the "keys" to the offense. That would be my only major criticism of Pablo.
     
  14. xingyiz

    xingyiz Member

    Mar 26, 2011
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    So has anyone predicted the starting lineup yet? I am saddened that the Rapids have yet to make me feel bad about not getting season tickets this year. Even though I let logic win out by not getting them I secretly hoped they would make a fool of me for doing so.
     
  15. murphyskicks

    murphyskicks Member

    May 15, 2009
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    It is mind boggling how bad this team looks in the offensive third. I watched a little of Man U vs Aston Villa in the morning and then watched the first half of the Rapids and it really showed me how things just fall apart the closer we get to the offensive 18 yard box.
    This is spot on. Perfectly said! This team can't cross for their lives.
     
  16. DavidJames

    DavidJames Member+

    May 11, 2003
    Longmont
    I recall a healthy chunk of the balls ended in the net as the result of a PK.
     
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  17. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I recall being frustrated by the overall play in those games and feeling like the PK's were masking a problem.
     
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  18. Riccardo55

    Riccardo55 Member+

    Mar 11, 2001
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agree the ref made bad calls both ways. Except they got their soft penalty (arm brush = helicopter flail) and we did not get our PK. Next game, let the ref make 10 bad calls against us and 2 for us if they are PK's.

    Torres will break out, sometime. Oh, sh*t, did I post that last season :D

    OK with Sarvas & Pittinari as dual defensive mid as both go forward when needed.

    Agree poor crosses for both teams. Lots of crosses over all the players.......

    On to Dallas. Bring a tissue for Oscar the Grouch.

    R
     
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  19. spot

    spot Member+

    Nov 29, 1999
    Centennial
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You may have, buy the difference between this year and last is that there's a genuine effort to get Gabi shots. He hasn't finished them and that's on him, but I think the teams' done a solid job in getting him those opportunities - even if has blown them or the keeper saved them. Last year.... I didn't see a similar logic.
     
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  20. 22SteveD

    22SteveD Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 1, 2011
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Torres can score but needs a CF to take the defensive focus off himself. He likes to float into space and find openings, he isn't one to create much going up against a pair of CBs on his own
     
  21. COMtnGuy

    COMtnGuy Member+

    Apr 5, 2012
    Higher than you
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Stuart95 repped this.
  22. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #172 JasonMa, Apr 7, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 7, 2015
    Here's something from the game:

    First goal sequence starts when Marc Burch gets knocked off the ball by Kelyn Rowe. Burch has 3 inches and 30 pounds on Rowe.

    Second goal sequence (the PK) comes when Watts has to cover from Burling getting knocked off the ball by Davies. Burling has 7 inches and 20 pounds on Davies, who usually goes down in a stiff breeze.

    Bigger defenders should not be muscled off the ball by smaller attackers like this.
     
  23. COMtnGuy

    COMtnGuy Member+

    Apr 5, 2012
    Higher than you
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If Watts stopped his mad charge and broke him down at that bad angle, zero scoring chance. But he decided to run through Davies. ;)
     
  24. xingyiz

    xingyiz Member

    Mar 26, 2011
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Being smaller doesn't automatically mean one should not be able to uproot a bigger defender. In fact, I always found it useful having a lower center of gravity it all just depends on how you use it.
     
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  25. Rod1916

    Rod1916 Member+

    Jun 17, 2012
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Agree completely here. I knocked a LOT of people off the ball and definitely have a low center of gravity. Plus, I am closer to the ball. :)
     

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