Amen....our two biggest problems: 1) we don't kno who we are (tactics) 2) no REAL penetraton threat What do NBA teams do on defense when they know a team can't shoot from outside, they pack it in inside the arc and let 'em shoot away. That's what e have a team with no "guards" that can penetrate. No one will open up until we have someone who can force the "D" to rotate off the man they're marking. Beckerman is a D-Mid and Morales ain't it. Start letting MOrales hang up top with the Forwards and we MIGHT see something start to develop. Unless Findley's paired with Deuchar. It's 1:25am and I'm in Sioux Falls, SD. I wasted 90 minutes watching this sh** peformance. At least I don't have to work tomorrow.
P.S. Passing the ball from side to side and amongst the defense hoping someone on the other team falls down isn't an offensive gameplan
2 PK's = Karma I would say we're even now. Next year will be a whole different ballgame between these two clubs.
I agree that we played poorly, but are you seriously holding your breath for JK to say "I suck, our team sucks, the RSL organization collectively sucks?" It's not going to happen... Silver lining: jimbojones can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe RSL takes the Ben Cup this year on aggregate? Hardware!!!
Hey guys, I think that Kreis is doing a good job, but your tactics, both offensively and defensively, are created to be successful on turf. On grass you are going to need cooperation from the other team (in the form of panicking) in order to get results. Some teams will panic, some won't. You will get your fair share of results this year, but as teams figure your tactics out, results will get harder and harder to come by on grass as the year wears on. Your franchise will be moving off of the turf next year. That will be a new beginning. Right now I just see too much committment to being successful on the turf. Regardless, Salt Lake is full of fight and committment. You can't deny that. I just think that you will either see impressive results or easy goals for the opposition toward the end of the game and very little inbetween. As I said in the DC Post Game thread: 1. You live by the foul, you die by the foul. 2. You live by high pressure, you die by high pressure. You guys are going to have a solid season. Just don't get crazy with your expectations when your blueprint for success is dependent on the other team panicking. Some will, some won't. DC showed both sides in the two games vs Salt Lake this year. At least Salt Lake are good at what they do. That is a step up from much of last year. I like the franchise, the fan base and the city. I would be willing to bet that, once you get off of the turf, Salt Lake will become a power in MLS. You've got to get away from that committment to being successful on turf though, and that is hard to do when you play half of your games on it. Salt Lake is a franchise on the rise.
Thanks highlander. That much more analytically captured what I was trying to say. This is an improved team.
Yes it's a good tactic, they just don't execute it for shit. Exactly how many crosses came in for Deuchar, especially in the last 35 minutes of the 1st half? Possession in this offense needs to come through the midfield and it sure as hell does not. Our midfield was absent this game. They do have that skill and talent, when they want to move it that way, they sure as hell can. They just don't, so maybe it's more a motivation issue. Ok, well either way, that's on the coach as well. Focus, motivation, testicular fortitude, call it what ever this team just doesn't do it. Yes I do think there are plenty of people on the team who can get by their man, I just don't think there are that many who are willing to attempt it.
I know it is easy to simply say that RSL sucks... But, it is possible that this result is due to something else entirely: DCU finally showed up in MLS with the team that was playing in the Champions Cup, and that team is very very good. That is, DCU dismantled RSL. Should RSL allow itself to be dismantled? Of course not. But, sometimes the better team, on its own pitch, after 10 days of rest, is going to do that. LA comes into town next week. LA is not a great team with talent at every position and great tactical acumen. How RSL plays against not great teams is what we really need to see to judge the team.
I thought both penalties were very weak. Kovalenko had no where else to put his hands. He put them where he did with hope of avoiding a handball call. I didn't see much contact in the penalty area; I suspect Emilio tried to draw foul and he succeeded. I have only seen the play in low-res video, however. Without the penalties, it is probably a different game.
Who can get by their man? Morales tries often and fails. Kovalenko has never been able to do this in his career. Beckerman has never been able to do this in his career. Deuchar has tried on several occasions and not been able, but I wouldn't expect him to be able to. Findley can't keep control of the ball long enough to give himself the chance. Andy Williams can do this, albeit inconsistently, but he's not in good enough shape to play a full game (and he's much better on turf). Espindola has shown a few moments of potential, but he's hardly ever on the field for reasons out of Kreis' control. Beltran gave a few pathetic attempts at this and failed. Talley has never been this type of player. Yura tries but hasn't ever shown he can do this either here or at KC where I watched him closely, Actually last night he did make one nice little move to give himself space to set up a shot, but he tripped over the ball. Players that are actually capable of beating their man are not shy about trying it, as it is the most effective way of breaking down a team, and it is also the way they will have played their entire lives. Good dribblers get to where they are because they are good dribblers. The fact that RSL players don't try means they don't have the confidence to try. Morales thinks he can but can't. But that's who RSL looks to to break things down and he's just not good enough.
Sokol, here are the major probelms with our tactics: We use high pressure for 90 minutes. You know what that does? It creates large holes in defensive shape since the top men are stretching forward and the midfield then becomes a bit easier to penetrate. It's ok to play this during certain stretches of match (and only when the ball is trapped), but if you watch a good Euro side they'll sit 11 guys behind the ball during most possessions of the other team. That is a fundamental mistake and begins with Kreis asking his forwards to "work hard" by pressing hard up top. Second, our defenders and midfielders simply love to overlap down the line. The American game stresses "playing the safe ball", meaning play the ball to the open man. What happens if that open makn is out wide without support? Well, he may recieve the ball but he's also going to lose it in a few moments if he's unsupported. We make that pass ALL the time. There's more to it than simply finding the open man if you're trying to score goals. Thirdly, because our forwards and midfielders are chasing the ball defensively so much, our attacking shape is really poor when we're on a counter attack. Our forwards have no idea how to make runs up top to get open on each possession unless it involves running angles towards the corner, which just helps the defense since it is the least dangerous spot to receive the ball. This is JK's fault - he doesn't seem to know better.
Dema slid in recklessly, as per usual. He was in danger of drawing a PK from a foul on that play - a smarter player (say Moreno) would have stood on that ball and taken the PK on that slide. It was a dumb tackle by Dema and the play was ultimately changed by his handball. Talley made a stupid challenge from behind. Emilio went down. There was contact. It was a PK.
what is our game plan. They practice the passing game and then in games the ball goes over the top .Since our forwards don't make runs in open space the ball in the air is a free for all and usually ends up with the defenders getting it. Then we are back on defense.
Yes, it would have been a different game. In fact, until the second penalty RSL was the better side. It's no accident that Soehn subbed out Stratford before the half in an attempt to solidify possession, reduce turnovers and gain control of the midfield. At the stadium I absolutely didn't see the first penalty at all. Even on the jumbotron replay I didn't see it. However, when I watched the DVR recording at home, the handball was clear and that penalty will be given every time. At live speed in the stadium I was certain the second penalty was a good call. Looking at the replay, the call gets shakier. I don't think the grab entered into the ref's judgment as the RSL player released his hold before Emilio got into the box but Talley did come in from behind and there was contact. Even after watching the replay several times I can't tell if Talley got to the ball first or if he tripped Emilio without ever touching it. Of the two penalties it was the softer of the two, but it was certainly a defensible call.
Either way that goal was Talley's fault because of the giveaway. I've lost count, but I think Talley giveaways have led to several goals this season. We need another solution in that position. I'm not sure what the answer is, but it isn't Talley. However I think Talley made a wonderful tackle and from the camera angle that we have there does not appear to be contact. The only indication that there may be contact is Emilio going down, but that's not a very good standard to judge by (see Carlos Ruiz). Maybe the referee just knows that Talley's tackles aren't typically very accurate and assumed that he fouled. I am still curious if that foul was given to Talley or Wingert. Is there anyway to verify this? If it's Wingert, then I think it occured outside the box (even though Emilio's reaction was inside the box). I think the real tragedy of this game was the first PK. Just bad luck for us. A goal like that really does change the complexion of the game. I think that we do need to look at the forwards somewhat. We have gotten a decent number of shots this season, but other than the DC game at RES our efficiency isn't very good. Morales is a quality player, but he needs to receive the ball in an attacking position. He is coming back to pick up the ball in our own 3rd or near our own 3rd much of the time. It's hard to be a creative player from back there. We need to figure out how to get him the ball in the right spots. BTW - I think there have only been 9 PK's in the league this year. We gave up two of them last night.
Really? You're ready to call Dema and Beckerman losers? And when was Ballouchy ever a winner? The high point of his career was here when John Ellinger gave him all kinds of opportunities and some fans were temporarily obsessed with him. IIRC, when the rookie made a bad passs or had an off night, it wasn't his fault, it was other players not being up to his level. LOL. You've got plenty to complain about if you just stick to legit complaints.
Wait, so when you get burned by touching a hot stove, is that bad luck? Dema slid at an attacking player recklessly in the box. That attacking player played the ball rather than standing on it and taking the tackle (to win a PK). Players at a high level are always DRILLED not to slide into an attacking player at the edge of the box deep towards the endline. Stand him up, make him play the ball, don't get beaten. If you slide in to a good professional in that situation the way that Dema did (with his studs up), more often than not you get a PK called because the player will go down. If he doesn't got down, it is very possible that he'll pull the ball back and the defender is stuck on his ass - the attackerhas nothing but space to attack the near post. On rare occasion he defender will win the tackle but the risk is too great. He's better off challenging Burch on that play and forcing the ball towards the corner rather than sliding. It just so happens that the ball hit his hand. That is NOT bad luck - it was a stupid play AND it was the correct call by the referee. Second, as it relates to Talley, it is again another stupid challenge. The player is entering hte box with two defenders in front of him. If he reaches in from behind chances are that even if he picks the ball clean he referee will call the foul. Why make that challenge then???? Outside of the box it is fine. Inside it is asking for a penalty call. Both PKs were legitimate and were borne from stupid defensive errors. It wasn't a loss of focus. It wasn't bad luck. It was two "veterans" that aren't very good making mistakes.
Morales thinks he can but can't. But that's who RSL looks to to break things down and he's just not good enough -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I agree ..When did the FO, and coaches think he changed into this wonderful attacking mid from last year? He hardly played last year and did not have an impact when he wasn't injured and playing. but yet he is our highest paid player. IMO If we put Kyle and Andy in the middle with Dema at dmid in a 351 we will have a much more fluid game.
Perhaps when he is playing off of/with Espindola - Morales looked good in the games the two were on the field. Perhaps the way Espy opens the game makes it easier for Morales to open the game?
[Insert Allen Iverson voice] We're talking about college. We're talking 'bout college. We're not talking about the pros. We're talking about college. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about college right now. Please. So a player is a loser even if he is a good pro and has a few national team caps (Beckerman), but another player was a winner because he was good in college (Ballouchy), even though his team never won an NCAA tournament?
I'm afraid my point is getting lost in your minutiae. The point is that RSL is a losing team. For whomever it signs and regardless of their previous experience, this can be unfortunate -- especially if they are used to perpetual success like some of our past and present players.
I am so sick and tired of losing games (obviously) and then having fans of the winning team come on here an tell us how "improved" we are. No offense Seahawkdad (et. al), but it's been a trend after every loss. As accurate as their posts may be about areas where we have improved, the paternalism is like salt in the wound.