Apparently you start 3 DM's (8 defensive players overall) and then hope to get a lucky goal and hang on for dear life...all the while not making any movement into open spaces or connecting more than 1-2 consecutive passes. At least, that's the FCD approach under SH.
People seem to forget that DF was back. Really. It was until Orlando City hacked up his other foot that we even had to worry about a contingency plan. Even then, it wasn't until April that we knew DF was out for longer than just a couple of weeks. I don't think people realized how injured we've been, combined with a little bad luck, and some awful reffing at times. This season was done with after the July 4th game IMO. Only by sheer will and determination does Dallas string together its latest run, and a coach that's lost the locker room doesn't get that out of his players.
I never considered Leyva or Guarda defensive mids though Bruno has some bite. You may like Marcelin better than those two. I wouldn't agree with you especially if Jacobson and Hernandez are in there too.
I don't consider Jacobson a defensive midfielder, either. He'd be better labeled as two-way MF or a holding MF, which makes the whole "3 defensive midfielders on the field" meme a little silly IMO.
If there's a spectrum with DM on one side and 2-way on the other, I'd have to say AJ is 2/3 leaning toward the DM side. At times, he moves closer to the middle (e.g. when he doesn't have to cover defensively for DH).
No. but they didn't lose 6 other starters did they? And RSL lost at home to the apparently "crap" FCD side when they rest what, 2 or 3 players cause of CCL...
So it seems you are on the injury excuses most of what happened this year crowd. I sympathize with that but still feel more could have been done to eke out a few more points that would be real useful right now.
I certainly think mistakes were made and the level of injuries makes me wonder about training methods... More could have been done. But this level of injuries is staggering... and the form this month shows a lot of it was the injuries.
I waffle back and forth. Sometimes it seems they've had one of the worst injury years I've ever seen in any sport. Others I get mad after hearing how poor the young players are only to have them play a game and look no worse than the veteran journeyman did and sometimes better. Times when an extra defensive sub made the team have to defend SO MUCH more they give up a late goal and point that would look real sweet right now. I guess I feel SH has been extremely unlucky but hasn't tried to make any luck of his own. Hope it doesn't matter and Vancouver collapses and receives the bad karma they're due for taking out DF and contributing the defining injury FCD is just now overcoming.