I do too, but I also think it's overrated. The cohesion will truly come during the season with real games going on. Too many players are taking it too easy in training, especially if they're the more talented guys.
So you would rather take the risk of losing the first 10 games because the team is trying to find cohesion than having them get to know each other during preseason and possibly winning some games in the first part of the season?
It's probably an MLS wide thing tbh. De Leeuw is the one guy off the top of my head that I can think of who was highly paid and still went after it with intensity in training
Well, we dispensed with the "more talented guys," so THAT should not be a problem now. Maybe Paunovic could take these guys who will "practice cheerfully" and mold them into an unstoppable losing machine like 2016.
Absolutely. He was such a vital piece of our 2017 success. His high pressing was nowhere to be found by anywhere else up top. Won us back possession so many times, stopping the counter attacks from even starting.
Maybe I only got as high as Div 2 college ball and while I still play in the old man beer league can't testify to the I.Q. of MLS or higher players but every minute with new players helps in some way. Conversely I have played with guys in games where we instantly clicked regarding unlocking defenses so maybe it really doesn't matter? I just think knowing where a guy gravitates in a fluid situation is paramount to future success.
Basti basically never trained while he was here lol His last 2 weeks he didn't train at all except for once he went out for 20 minutes to capture footage for his Amazon thing.
There's something admirable about his commitment to believing he belongs at giant European clubs. He and Vela are super different personalities.
On the upside, LOL Galaxy. On the downside, we won't be opening up the 300 levels for the Galaxy game in August now...
Well, one is very skillful player, quick, gracious with the ball, fantastic touch .... the other has played at Manchester United and Real Madrid. Chicharito is 9 months older than Vela, but has 52 vs 19 goals for his national team. (Sure, not the same position .... )
I'm glad Arena is out of his exile, because he is such a wonderful shit-stirrer. https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-l...icharito-hernandez-wouldnt-be-mls-best-player
I think Chicharito is getting a little underrated in all these discussions. He'd score buckets of goals in MLS, especially on a good team. If his heart is in it of course.