LA: 31 shots (!!!!) 8 SOG 8 Saves Carolina: 6 shots 4 SOG 3 saves 1 goal That pretty much tells you what you want to know. I didn't even count the corners. There's no chalkboard available for this game which annoys me. If someone finds one, please let me know.
When your 2nd striker is constantly trying to pick up the play and transition from the middle third/center, you've got a problem. Listen, he didn't dictate the game tonight sure, wanted more energy, so not a great game. But he can't assist himself from how deep he's playing right now. Nor get a head on a cross. So when your other striker is having an off night, and the other option is Zardes, not sure what to do. I would kill for Mix Diskerud.
I am sure Suarez can probably be signed for a modest fee. Of course he will be playing under the nom de guerre of Hannibal the Cannibal. Rabies shots will also be a requirement for all MLS players.
I missed overtime, but in regulation the overwhelming sense I got was a team playing at ½ speed and expecting the goal would come. It sounds like they found a sense of urgency in extra time, but it was obviously too little too late. Annoyed at Landon's post-game comment of something along the lines of “99 times out 100 we win that game” the response by the Riot Squad was spot on “Try 0 times out of 3”
I think after this performance, Landon, sadly, was deserving of being left out. Looks like Jurgen had a point all along...
I guess I saw a team that was probing to break down a 9-man-behind-the-ball negative club without exposing themselves to a counter. Given the heat, surface and humidity, "urgency" would have burned LAG out before the end of the first half. The passing in our half was designed to draw Railhawks out, but the one guy they had on our half of the field was clearly under orders to not attempt to engage. Heck, it looked like he was under orders not to stray more than 10 yards over the half line. As it was, we developed 4 or 5 good scoring opportunities, and against an all out defensive effort that was not half bad. The problem was not just bad luck, though. The problem was Keane was totally ineffective when he did get opportunities and Zardes didn't have the skills to convert. Keane in particular was a great black hole last night. He made more useless lazy passes than Leo did!!! I thought we carried the play for the first 70% of the game, and then tiredness set in. And, yes, LD, Samuel and Husidic did not provide any spark. Samuel in particular was an absolute zero. Husidic at least was trying and actually came close to knocking in a cross. I don't think we were surpriised at Railhawks tactics. And crosses to Zardes made some sense as a counter measure given that he just scored two goals in the last game on exactly that tactic. But neither he not Keane had anything last night. Did you see the space they were giving Robbie Rogers? He would get the ball wide and had nobody within 15 yards of him, and at most one guy would come out to challenge. He got off one dangerous shot that just went wide, and his crosses just did not click with Zardes. And when they did, Railhawks keeper was on his game. I'm not being pollyana here - I don't like it and don't think this team as constitued is going anywhere this year. But, we should not be surprised that Friend and Samuel have not been instant hits - a difficult period of adjustment to MLS looks to be the norm to me.
If you get a chance you should watch a replay of ET if one is posted (I hope it is). It's shot after shot after shot. Some are field goals, some *just* miss (in particular happen to Keane), and GK stones several. I'd say the right quote is somewhere in between the two extremes. I don't think we were nearly as bad in terms of effort as folks make out (love Cadaver's post), but I also think we have some fundamental issues in midfield. It's panic button time.
Railhawks coach was playing the strategy that beat the Chivas (bunker and hope to win in PK's) and got lucky due to his keeper who was having the game of his life and a Galaxy defensive brain fart probably due to fatigue. Leo got caught flat footed and Penedo should have attacked that one. Individual players: 1. Zardes-dude play up where you can use that head of yours! 2. Keanne-has to learn to pass sometimes. I was suprised he played in this one after complaining aabout it being too hot in Chicago. 3. Donovan-totally ineffective as a sub. I kept expecting some magic but nothing. 4. Rogers continues to shine in the db role. He was playing more offense that the mids and forwards. He should have taken a professional foul on the play that scored and knocked that guy silly. 5. Samuel continues to be ineffective.
It sounds like it, but that’s part of my problem with the game 70-75 minutes of training ground intensity or reserving energy if you go with that theory against a team like Carolina, especially given the context of two consecutive losses. Hindsight is 20/20, but this was a game where the Galaxy needed to break Carolina’s spirit early instead of being satisfied with possession and regaining possession after a half effort on target. I’m sure that’s part of it as well, but it was only 79F at kick-off according to Serrano, humidity was very high, but it’s not like they were playing in Manaus and it’s not like they were playing against a team that comes close to the Galaxy’s talent. It just seemed like a glorified training exercise in the final third – again during regulation I didn’t see extra time where it seems the team cranked up the pressure.
We really are toothless in the attacking 1/3 this year. It let's teams just sit back on us and give us the impression of carrying a game but really in the end not carving out as many clear chances as we should and then when we do, we fail to finish in ways that are shocking when you consider it is a guy like Keane or Donovan who is failing. The strategy for the other team works because our defense is so suspect that they will concede great opportunities on the counter and the opposing team will score at least 1-2 times a game even when it seems they are being outplayed. We've seen this over and over again in the last 18 months. I'm not sure how to fix it but we need better ideas out of midfield and someone who can play a killer pass the way Becks used to do for us.
I agree on Rogers. I hope he can continue to develop there - he can be our DaMarcus Beasley out on the left. His speed makes it difficult for forwards to get by him, and makes him dangerous going forward. His positioning and defensive play will only get better as he gets used to that role.
Agree with almost your entire post but since when has Leo needed to be fatigued to make a defensive brainfart? He did almost the same mistake here two years ago (I was at the game) - he receives the ball as the last player, under no pressure, he acts all casual and gets the ball tangled under his feet, Railhawk comes in and just takes it away from him and heads off for a 1-v-1 with our keeper. We were lucky the RH didn't finish. Leo also had a foul in the box that game that should have been a pk against us. RH were livid it wasn't called.
I guess watching him do this kind of thing over and over and over and over and over... has left ME fatigued. I am just resigned to the fact that it is going to happen and hope that AJ, or Opare or Penedo can cover for him. Leo is hereby nominated for the "Jovan-Kirovski-Why-Is-He-On-The-Field" award.
I also like him at back for all the reasons you mention. However so far he hasn't really been "dangerous" when he gets forward. Especially from the left he sends in these looping, balloony crosses that are easily read and cleared by the defense. He had one cross from the right that was lower and a bit behind the defense and so a little dangerous. But much ado about nothing for the rest of his crosses. Hopefully he learns to be dangerous in the final 3rd or else - sorry, going crude here - there will be no happy endings.
Clog the middle. Double team Keane. High pressure to force Landon deep to a transition role. Watch as LA shoves play out to the wings as a result. Cross from fullbacks and Ishizaki and miss. Husidic passes back. Rinse repeat. Leo gives up a goal. Opposing team 1 - LA 0.
The Guardian’s brutal synopsis of Round 5 http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jun/25/landon-donovan-out-us-open-cup-again
That's nothing compared to this. Already wrote the eulogy. Any glories after this debacle and I'm writing on a team of zombies for the rest of the season.