well, my 2 cents.. horrible first 70 minutes. Our defense was vintage metro. 'Nuff said. I dunno exactly what Pope has, but its something Jolley and Petke have never been able to pull off. Sitting behind the net, the Thornton thing was clear. 2 metros ran to get the ball from the net. Zach moved his fat body to block their exit. metros turned around to sprint back and met a unmovable wall of flab. Zach then auditions for a switch to the Japanese sumo league and throws G into the net (G did kinda make a meal of it, but hey, there was at least a 120 pound differential) The penalty was very soft - and you could see Hall calm down the fire players by saying there's 50 seconds left (I counted). Complete make-up call. Metros missed way too many chances, and were outhustled and out-manuevered to every loose ball. Bad calls aside (and you have to ignore them in this league) Chicago deserved the points.
Gaven showed an awful lot in his 70 minutes considering he isn't old enough to get a drivers license in NJ. If he can build on this good start Magee is going to have something to worry about.
It's pretty clear that Pope is really the key to our defense. Not just his individual effort (which has been noted as incredible) but also his ability to make other players around him better. The defense hasn't been the same without him and even guys like Williams and Clark don't seem to be getting the job done defensively without him. Heal quickly Eddie. This game could be named the Revenge of Andy Williams. I wonder if he read all the crap that was written about him here after he was cut. I guess this game was his big FU to all those people. And I looked up the draft from this year. We chose Tim Regan with Damani Ralph still available. OUCH!! I guess even Bob Bradley isn't perfect after all.
Guevara did get a yellow, and the field was impressive, there isn't an article of my clothing that isn't totally soaked. If you want a comparison, the power are playing right now and there are puddles all over their field
It was frustrating, but I would prefer that they are getting experience in June, so they can help in October. Think about the fact that our front line should still be in hs, I think they did ok.
Wow is he big. Unusual for a keeper or anyone in soccer. He looked fat for a tight end. Is that why a non existant foul was called on Magee the next trip down? [/B][/QUOTE]
He is the defensive midfielder and he did a good job, he was all over the field. Maybe if the others were moving as much as he was, then he wouldn't have to be the point of attack, which isn't his strong suit. There were only a couple of occassions where a player like clark would have gone to goal and ritchie passed it off.
Only if you can only bear to watch when the Metros win. It was a very entertaining match, and when the Metros were on, they were really on. Really, the difference in this game came down to poor finishing by our teenage strikers and Kenny Arena getting burned. Sure, we lost, but it wasn't like watching last year's abomination at all.
Agreed on Thornton... Magee needs to grow an inch or two. I like him as a player, but head the ball down, I lost count, was it 3 or 4 that he hit over the bar. Of course I didn't say that to him when I talked to him after the game...
It was a very ugly 75 minutes of soccer. We did get a number of chances, but we did phuck all with them, turned the ball over countless times and came out of the half playing like crap. There was a near monsoon for the first 20 minutes, but by the second half the sun was out and the game was there for the taking, but metro folded. Defense, crap, Offense, very shaky. I'm glad that the kids are playing, but they need to finish. Gaven had a great pass along header that found Magee 5 yards off the line with Thornton beat, but couldn't get it on net. Lisi had a wide open shot he hit right at Zach-a-pie, just shameful. On the metro Leblanc goal, Williams and Guevara were going for the ball, Zach pushed him in the face for no reason- they scored a goal just let them out of your net. Thornton walked over to Guevara for no reason. and they started yelling. Guevara put his arm on Thornton trying to get out of the way (the guy is 150, he's not pushing the 230 lb Thornton anywhere) and Zach put his hands up and shoved him. Punk move by Zach, but it doesn't really matter, the game was largely over (down 2, 6 minutes left), I don't think carding him changes anything. As for reviewing it, it was only a shove. McCarty's play against Howard was worse a couple of weeks back. I don't think a suspension is warranted. Just fine him $ 500 and get on with it. The game was basically this: without Pope, Howard and Mathis we aren't a top MLS team. Today we got out played by a team that played a smart road game, took advantage of their chances and got out of here with 3 points. We played like the young kids and average veterans that we are right now and lost. Grafer had a good hand save early in the rain and a good kick save in the second half, but wasn't exactly stunning back there. Hopefully this was him shaking the rust off, and he will be sharper next week. Remember, it's been almost 9 months since he's started a game, and he started it behind Jolley, Arena, Digi and Ziadie. We have to ride this month out, stay competitive and see if we can be healthy in late August when the Confederations Crap and Gold Cup are over. Turf did look good, even in the rain. Next week, start Forchetti and Galvan. Give Lisi and Arena a week to watch today's tape and think about it.
I thought that was Clark. I was very impressed with Gaven. Watching his play it is hard to believe he is only 16.
I really thought MetroStars controlled the ball tremendously but unfortunately Magee can not finish with his head, Clark and Amado miss sure shots on goal with DiFaria "Flubs". They must get Clark and Geuvara to be able to shoot better once they move into the box and Magee has to get better at heading. Gavan and Magee look like the real deal. Gavan especially has size and takes on guys. Unbelievable for only 16 yrs old. Bradley had a very good draft and in the long run we will be unstoppable. I thought our mids played great passing game today but our central defense with Jolley and Arena looked shaky. Maybe Tim only gives up two but would have been in Thornton's face on that BS deal with a guy 1/2 his size in Amado.
Random thoughts: 1. Bradley has certainly had great year as coach. He has made us respectable after last year's debacle. However, this loss has to go on him. Arena has no business starting in central defense and Forchetti and Galvan have to be starting. Why are they here if they are not going to be used? 2. Guevara makes Faria look efficient. As crucial as Guevara's passing has been to our offense (probably no offense without it), his finishing has been a horrible detriment. 3. Brian Hall is a terrible official despite his reputation. He has a penchant for making the textbook, techincal, ticky-tack call while letting the more violent and flagrant fouls go. There is no way that Thornton should have escaped without a red. Hall's officiating did not cost us the game. I just don't understand why he is considered such a strong official.
i didn't see any of that... i saw one dimensional player... whenever he goes to attack, he would just send the ball wide... i mean, the defense read so many of his pass that most the ball he sent was useless. For god sake, shoot the ball so u can keep the defense honest... that's why i want clark to be defensive mid and let the argy team kid to play right mid...
a few thoughts from a non-metros fan 1- is it my imagination or is the GS pitch 1000x better than last year? 2- no one out there could handle damani ralph - shouldnt the metros be in the market for a defender? 3- be patient with gaven and magee - those guys will make ya proud one day - they make all the good runs and both hold up well - most of magee's layoffs were beautiful, especially with a wet ball, pitch, etc. 4- clark is also a long way from done baking - he is going to be a stud - he has that vieira-like lanky ball stab and all the proper offensive inclinations 5- i hadn't seen richie williams play in a while - ABMOD... i get it 6- for all the talk of guevara's influence (and it was tremendous), he too can play better than he did today... scary basically i say good luck riding out the month on clint, the two on eddie and take it easy on grafer as he had so little help
Guevara, Gaven, and Magee's finishing was just painful to watch. I found myself saying at least five time to the person next to me "I could have put that shot on goal"
It's Fieldturf, which is what Ajax uses on its practice fields. I Tivo'd the match, watched it tonight, and ended up watching most of the last 20 minutes on 3x speed, but I didn't think the first 70 minutes were as terrible as people here are saying. Metro had about five decent chances in the first 70 minutes and didn't convert on any. Chicago had four decent chances and converted on three. Two of those chances were generated by long passes where the Metro defense broke down, and all three were exceptionally nice goals that Timmy probably wouldn't have saved, either. Things like that happen when our best defensive player is out. With that said.... -- Jolley totally gave up on the Ralph goal AND was the guy back on the 2nd Razov goal. He was the '02 Jolley today, which should frighten the daylights out of everyone when you think about the next two months. -- The PK aside, Guevara is not a finisher and should have to do a wind sprint for every shot he takes in the run of play. -- Magee... Christ, man, you are a finisher. Maybe you forgot that today. -- Gaven was better than I expected, but he had two breakaway chances and failed to get anything really good out of either. -- Amazingly, there's a mini-discussion in the Fire board post-game on whether or not Zach deserved any punishment at all for pushing Guevara. As I watched it (back-and-forth multiple times, like the Zapruder film), I would be shocked if Zach didn't get a suspension. It was clear aggression during a dead ball, and it's also clear that Guevara did not deliberately fall into the net. I fear, though, that the league will wimp out on this because Chicago is missing so many players already to the Confed.
Zach's contact on Guevera was the most expulsion-worthy offense I've ever witnessed. How could that only be a yellow card? The card admits the aggression, so how is deliberate contact outside of play (to the face, wasn't it?) not automatic expulsion? It simply looked vicious. Punch or a push, I wouldn't want Zach doing that to me, especially with the net right behind me, with nowhere to move backward. Anyone see what Guevera said to him after making the PK? I thought the Metros built the offense like a home side today, but those lapses in the defense were pathetic, as were the headers over the goal by Arena and Magee.
We have all dreaded coming into these run of games with our top 4 players out. On the bright side, Columbus and New England also lost so we're still top of the Eastern division.
Gaven & Magee were just wonderful together, if Zach didn't get his hands on that ball, Eddie Gaven gets his 1st pro goal. Magee without a doubt should have done a much better job with those headers. Congrats to both LeBlanc & Guevara for their 1st MLS Goals. Kenny Arena right now is not a starter. Better see him off the bench with about 10 minutes remaining in the match. Juan Forchetti should be in the starting 11 for next Saturday. Can't fault Grafer at all today, two of the 1st three goals should have been cleared out by the defenders. Not gonna panic now. Wolyniec will be back for the Galaxy match, Bob will know what to do against LA. Razov & Thornton are a bunch of hacks. I hope that when they go to Cardinal Stadium that one of the boys breaks Razov's legs. I remember when the boys in 2000 were in Solider Field. Razov harrassed Tab Ramos on a free kick. Razov wouldn't allow Tab to set up so Tab kicked Razov. Tab never made contact but got a Red Card for nothing. The same thing in the 1st half happened to Razov. He kicks a Metro and gets nothing. The same ref for those matches was Mr. Brian Hall. There should have been a Red Card on Razov Period and a Red Card on Thornton as well. Zach was time wasting that's a yellow & thetake down on Guevara is the 2nd Yellow for the Red.
re: zack- look at the replay, guevara had him in a poor attempt of a headlock- who wouldn't push a person off tehm if that was happening? and then his acting holding his face after falling was pathetic. what else was pathetic? his perfectly placed one timer into the stands from less than 12 yards out. that all being said, he's still the guy the team needs to be the play maker and he did make some nice passes. leblanc- guevara would never have gotten shoved by zack if he didn't put his hands up, running away celebrating a crappy goal. magee- jeez buddy, how do you miss a header from 8 yards out, dead center.... over the cross bar??? arena- as already stated, got beat by a move that everyone else was expecting. (chi)razov- sweet goal (chi)ralph- is he always this good? btw, why do i laugh everytime i see grafer, then think the joke is on the metrostars b/c he's in goal?