Pre-match: San Jose Earthquakes - Colorado Rapids (Saturday, 8/25) pregame thread

I'm guessing the starting line up will be the same as Montreal game....just replace Gordon for Lenny and Ike for Jason

 

and no Bernardez...bet on it.

 

I don't see that, Bernardez appears to step on Neagle's knee but it's such a bang-bang play I don't think the League will see it as deliberate.

 

Thankfully, we have the depth to cover these red cards for two games.

The Rapids are awful on the road, and Chivas is awful at home. Really want to see us take 6 points.

 

Yeah, in that type of situation, when you might actually be trying to avoid contact, you may try to hold up your step to try to avoid connecting, and then because you held up your step, you wind up coming down a bit hard. If you wind up connecting after all, it looks bad - like a deliberate stomp.

Then again, it could be a deliberate stomp, but it would hard to make that determination "beyond the shadow of a doubt" in a "bang-bang" play like this.

 

As I posted in the postgame thread, I'd like to see the team get back to more aggressive play down the flanks. Dawkins, Chavez, Beitashour and Morrow all need to work harder to get the ball to the endline to create better crossing angles and open up the defense more. And Baca and Cronin (and Dawkins when he moves inside) need to make more aggressive runs forward and create some openings for passes into the box to diversify the offense.

Anyway, this is definitely a game the team needs to win. And it would be nice to get a shutout, there haven't been enough of those this year. The next 4 games (Colorado, Chivas, chivas, and Portland) are all games that the Quakes should win on paper. Hopefully they can win on the field!

 

I hope you're right. I really hate the idea of Opara being back in the starting lineup without Bernardez there, but it's in the realm of possibility. If Victor does get a suspension, I think Morrow will go back into the center and Corrales will play left back. That's a situation I also don't really want to have to see.

 

If Corrales is healthy it's likely to happen anyway, as Hernandez is suspended.

I don't have a problem with it, Morrow was nearly mistake-free at centerback. Corrales is slow but doesn't make a lot of mistakes and is a great tackler and passer.

 

If it's Bernardez and Morrow in the center, I don't really have as big an issue as that was arguably the most successful defensive lineup of the season. I do wonder, though, if they'll want to put in Ike, since he's a dedicated center back, rather than make two defensive adjustments in moving Morrow and inserting Corrales. I wouldn't be surprised by either decision, but certainly hoping for one over the other.

 

Bernardez was given a one-game suspension today.

 

So the defense will be: Beta, Morrow/Opara, Rams. No?

 

---------------Flash-----Wondo--------
----------------------Baca------------------
--Dawkins---------------------------Chavez--
-----------------Cronin---------------------
Corrales---Morrow----Opara--------Beita
----------------Busch------------------

Not necessarily what i want to see, but probably what Frank will do (and what he is somewhat forced into with injuries and suspensions, to be fair)

 

Bernardez was given a one-game suspension today. That is soooo f***** up. No league in the world would have gave that suspension. The DC has no clue... they are abusing their powers. People getting step on in soccer is part of the game in bang bang plays. I think Bernardez was trying to get to the ball in full sprint, not thinking about stepping on a player things happen like that at full speed! He was just trying to play soccer. Come on DC what the hell!!

Also people here on BS need to stop over looking every play. People talking about it bring it to the DC attention. Let get on with playing SOCCER!!

 

I think the defense is still ok. Morrow and Opara is a fast CB pairing that's for sure. Corrales can provide the leadership.

Damn though, that Montreal game has to go down as a memorably forgettable away debut for the club. That's three suspensions now, to go along with the PK against and the only 2-goal defeat of the season so far.

 

This is totally bogus, first to lose the game based upon a "rookie" ref without a clue, then to be handed a(nother) suspension of a key player.

What taken in context of Marquez' mugging of Salinas, Beckham's total meltdown and total disrespect of the game, the ref, the fans, etc.

This is a joke... a total joke.

Garber needs to buy all five vowels and 20 of the remaining 21 consonants.

And we will find a way to win Saturday and stick to to Garber, the DC and everybody else who views us a "small-market team".

Go Quakes!

 

Stop being apologists for Bernardez. It was a stupid, dirty thing to do. No excuses warrant it. The league is right to punish him for it if it wants to maintain an image of being a clean league. I detest the day dirty plays are allowed to run rampant, and for one am thankful we have a DC. Isn't this kind of like what we got pissed at Marquez about for his dirty kick that went unpunished until the DC reviewed it? Stop being homers and call out your players when they deserve it.

I'm not excited for this weeks starting lineup in the back, but let's just hope both Ike and Ramiro see it as a chance to rise to the occasion.

 

http://www.burgundywave.com/2012/8/22/3260264/rapids-opponents-do-less-get-more

Colorado are a possession team. They have had the majority of possession in 17 of their 25 games so far but they lost a lot of those games anyways.

Counter-attacks are a good way to beat a possession team like this. Can Cronin or Baca make a crunching tackle to catch Col in possession, and then spring Marvin in behind their back line? We won't have speed up top anymore b/c lenny is out, so that will hurt our counters.

 

How many games are left and how many of those do we have to win to make the playoffs? The way things are starting to meltdown, I'm getting very nervous.

Will the Goonies show up to play? can the boys hang together as a team? Someone convince me!

 

Quakes have 9 games to go.

According to this site, the Quakes chances of making the playoffs are 99.998%.
The probability of the Quakes finishing top of the west is 84%.
14% probability of finishing second in the west.
2% probability of finishing third.

Do you feel reassured yet?

 

The Quakes magic number is 13* to make the playoffs (which is a comination of points earned by the Quakes and dropped by either LA or Vancouver whoever drops more points) The Quakes have 9 games left

*It is noted that Vancouver and LA play each other on September 1 and one team must drop at least 2 points. If LA and Vancouver had no games against each other the Quakes magic number would be 15.

The Quakes magic number to win the supporters shield is 27 (points earned by the Quakes and dropped by KC)
The Quakes magic number to win the Western Conference is 24 (points earned by the Quakes and dropped by SEA)