Our season is over, so what is the best use of the remaining matches? Who from bench and reserve team you want to see? Which players should we let go?
Not sure it matters without a new coach. I will be interested to see how good or bad the rest of the HG's are if Schellas leaves. He may be right that they aren't ready but seeing how Acosta has stepped right into the lineup makes me question that. Two months ago the same could have been said of him. I think Garcia can't play until next year but that leaves Top, Woodberry and Ulloa while others are away and I actually do believe the youngest keeper isn't ready yet. Ok, how about Woodberry at right back and Acosta at right mid with Top a late sub?
I could go for this. I don't understand how a player can both be too important to loan out, and too raw to get any minutes whatsoever. Your fifth choice striker is NEVER too important to loan out. Hell, if not for IR, Top might be SEVENTH choice striker for Hyndman right now. Blas, Cooper, Hassli, Castillo, Jackson, Ferreira (he's slotted into a not-really-MF role a few games), Top?
Hard to believe (or is it?) that Hassli is going to go the entire year without a goal and Luccin might not even play a single minute. What a ridiculous waste of money/roster space.
I'd like to continue seeing Ferreira sit and see what Diaz can do. I generally don't have the same desire to see the HGs that everybody else has. But at this point there is just about no reason not to play them all. We are mathematically alive for one more game, so you probably start your "first team" and let them take one final beating at the hands of RSL. After that it should be all kids, all the time. As for after the end of the season, my list of players to move / take out behind the woodshed: Hassli Jackson Watson Ferreira - Hurts me to even think it, but it had to happen some day These are my players that I'm really close to writing off, but I haven't quite gotten there yet: Cooper Castillo Erick Despite our defensive woes I still feel like we have most of the pieces we need on defensive. What we are missing is a real pitbull defensive mid. I already have Erick on my watchlist because I don't think he's that kind of player. I'm not inclined to bet on Luccin who is 34 has been injured for an entire season.
I would like the team to play with: 1. urgency 2. 2 dedicated forwards 3. Defenders and midfielders who can pass to their own team consistently. I know, radical stuff. I don't expect it. But it doesn't matter either way. Once again the season ends with a whimper.
I too agree although I'm wondering if our towering CD's need a speedier type to pair with. The pitbull center mids is problem number one. What position does Acosta play for the youth teams? He seems to be full of fight and good with both feet, can dribble out of trouble. Too young and lacking of muscle?
I thought I saw him playing DM in the French tournament w/USYMNT, but I could've been mistaken. That said, I believe you're correct that he would need to pack on some muscle to make it in the hacktastic MLS. So much muscle that it would probably be better for his career to not do that and stay in another position.
He will add muscle naturally as he gets older. He probably needs to hit the weights a bit this off season no matter what position he plays. I would seriously be looking at everything the German federation is doing with their young players as they are a fantastic crop right now. They don't look musclebound but they are strong and skilled.
He's been......................"OK." But he's being paid to be a designated player and difference maker. All FCD fans love Ferreira, but due to injures and age...............he's not the MVP-caliber player he was in 2010.
It is hard to soar with the Eagles when you are surrounded by... Ferreira is not what he was - but I think this decline has more to do with the caliber and consistency of players around him than his own skills. He is still the only midfielder we have who can control the ball for more than 3 seconds and pass it to a person on his own team.
Diaz can do that too. MLS and Dallas in particular are hard on midfielders 33+. Look at Leonel, Oscar, Simo etc. The only one who beat that was Daniel Hernandez and he was a local kid and inoculated against the weather and hacking.
You know who can't stop scoring? Bobby Warshaw.......................... Scored again yesterday in Sweden. What is that? 5 games in a row? It seems like it. As far as this thread goes, our plan for this season should be all about our plan for next season. [Unless the Galaxy inexplicably lose to ChivasUSA today.............then we're only 4 points back of them. Albeit with SJ and Van in between.] Which players are out of contract after this season? Benitez, right? Loyd, right? I want to unload the bench and see what some of these youngsters got. Unless there are injuries that I don't know about I want to see Woodberry, Zimmerman, Garcia, and Top. And I'd like Victor Ulloa to get an appearance.......even as a sub.
MLS stats say Warshaw scored 1 goal with FCD, but I can't even remember him ever being within 30 yards of the opponent's goal (unless maybe on a corner kick). We have to win out to have a chance of making the playoffs. The game after the game we don't win, play the young guys. For entertainment value, I'd be much more interested in seeing them play than seeing the regulars walk through the last game(s).
For me that "game after the game" already occured. I know we haven't been "officially eliminated," but we're 7 points back of 4th/5th place Colorado and LA. Both have you know................positive goal differentials. We're now 18 behind the Galaxy in goal differential. Not only that, but San Jose and Vancouver are in between us and 5th place. There's nothing in the way this team is playing that gives me any confidence that we'll even win a game amongst the last 3. Only two teams in the league have conceded more goals than FCD this season. I'll give everybody two guesses. That's right, the two worst teams in the league............DCU and Chivas. It's not going anywhere. Time to start planning for next year.......................
Who knows who's even going to be here with a new coach next year? No use in doing too much planning to be done, let's just try to keep the fans happy in the last 2 home games so they'll be suckers like us and come back next year.
I don't recall the exact game, but I do recall it being a late goal and the match-winner...very similar to the goals Avila used to score with remarkable consistency while here. found it: