Mustangs Comets 11/8 (R)

I was at the game as well. Not good at guessing attendance but I would have thought a bit more than 1200. Atmosphere was decent, but the Mustang ultras from last season were missed. The game was treated as a sporting event, not as a sideshow for the under-10 set. (Yes, there was a horse on the field, but that was pre-game and halftime, not during play )

The Comets were the better team and dominated the first half, but the Mustangs played with them in the second half and in no way did they look like a team that didn't belong on the field with them. They need to find a couple big, strong guys with big shots to complement the small, speedy, skill players. As my buddy said, put the Dusosky brothers and Greg Howes on the Mustangs and you've got a team to be reckoned with.

The rules for penalties, with the shootout, seem overly complex and confusing. The refs seemed like they were making it up as they went along at times. The actual shootouts weren't as much of a time suck as I thought they'd be, but I'd still prefer a simple two-minute penalty.

I will admit that I thought the Mustangs would be close to on a par with the MISL teams and it's obvious now that they aren't. It'll be interesting to see how they fare against St. Louis. Glad to have a team playing in a quality arena, hope they're able to make it work somehow.

 

I watched the game on ESPN3. The very first thing I noticed about the game was how aggressive the Comets were and not all that aggressive the Mustang were not. The Comets kept it up the whole game, on offense and defense. The Mustangs look okay for a little in the third, but the aggressiveness to win a game just wasn't there.
The post game interview was more interesting last week. Tatu is still in the lead for the "Interview of the Year" award.


Keith, how did the fans react to the game. Hard to tell on these local broadcasts.
Bill LaMar
In the HEATland of America

 

That's what surprised me the most, because in the PASL games I saw of theirs, that's what made me think they could hang with the big boys. They were the aggressor. Instead of fighting fire with fire, they just didn't know what to do. Very disappointing.

 

I didn't watch the PASL last year, but this was what I noticed. The Comets were just more aggressive, they pressured, they pushed, they just controlled all the momentum. When the Mustangs actually really pushed things, they scored 2 goals in less than a minute. Then the Comets seemed to regain control and cruised.

 

I think this is more than just the Comets v the Stangs. IMO I think the PASL had a very different style of play. It was hard to be aggressive and not be penalized for it. The aggressive play is standard in the exMISL. I lot of tackles to win the ball back. Where exPASL teams would normally try to dribble through guys. ExMISL teams are very good a stripping the ball. Their transition is always fast. ExPASL teams seem more calculated and set up. ExMISL teams can change direction much faster than exPASL clubs. Also the "dive" was more prevalent in the PASL. In the MISL you get up or you let your team down. I think the best PASL clubs are going to have to evolve and pick up that style to compete.

 

Watched the game online. Quite honestly it wasn't really a game. It was actually boring. I think the Wave Comets game will be a better game. It just didn't seem like the Mustang players who are supposed to be talented were really that good.

 

I would agree with you wholeheartedly. I have only seen three PASL games in person, so obviously, my personal sample size is very small and my observations only apply to the five teams I have witnessed play live. Defense seemed to consist mainly of running into the opposing player whenever he got close to the glass and the goalie play was inconsistent at best. Players routinely dribbled the length of the field around defenders like they were orange cones. Last night, the team with the third-best record last year in the MISL embarrassed the undefeated and undisputed best team from last year's PASL, on their home turf. The Lancers, who won six games last season, four of which came at the expense of the much maligned Pennsylvania Roar, beat a PASL playoff team, on their home turf. There will be games this season where former PASL teams defeat former MISL teams, it would be a statistical anomaly to think otherwise. Syracuse, Milwaukee, Missouri and Baltimore are all playing this year with significantly changed rosters/organizations and at least in the short-term, weaker teams on the field. The balance may shift by the end of the season as the better organizations adapt, besides the playoff format is set up to insure that a former PASL team makes the finals and anything can happen in the tournament.

 

I think the Mustangs were faster, more aggressive, and more skillful than the other PASL teams last season. They practically ran Hidalgo off the field in the Newman Cup/US Open Cup final. But the Comets are much better than those other PASL teams. I think the Mustangs will adjust and have a good season on the field, but they won't win the championship.

 

I didn't think it was much of a game either. I give the Comets much respect and credit. I think they are that good.

 

I check the boxscore this morning and it says 2,400 attendance. If that was the case, good job Mustangs.

On the field, it looks like the Comets were up 9-1 at one point. Is this true?

I wasnt at the game but am very familiar with many of the players on the Mustang roster. This is NOT a top flight professional roster by any means. Rather, its some of the better local amateur Hispanic talent. Thats a far cry from top flight professional. I dont care how good the amateur game is in Chicago, amateur is still amateur. The difference in speed of play people see isnt a matter of the Mustangs making adjustments, its the difference between professional and pro. I cant see how some of the PASL teams are going to compete, even in a watered down MASL.

Let me put it this way...three guys I coached on my amateur team last year are in the MASL this year. My amateur team was pretty good, but not THAT good.

 

I would just like to point out the Comets lost three games 16-4, 18-4, and 19-2 last year and still won the championship.

 

Yes, Chicago then scored 2 in less than a minute to cut it to 9-3

 

So you're telling me THIS Mustangs team is going to win a championship in the MASL, or at least be competitive?

I doubt it, at least with what I see on their roster. And I'm VERY familiar with a LOT of the Mustangs players.

 

I dont think its a matter of style, its a matter of quality. The difference between the different levels of professional play is the pace (speed) of the game...like the difference between the MLS, NASL, PDL, etc.....

 

what is the playoff setup Blastnuts? looing at the PASL format last year, it was a single-game elimination format.

 

If you believe the attendance numbers from an indoor soccer team I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to talk to you about.

 

My observations:

-The best MISL teams are WAY better than the best PASL teams. This should surprise no one. Maybe because I'm from Baltimore my views are biased, but I really felt it was common knowledge the MISL teams were a lot better than any of the PASL teams and so far that has been proven true.

-The top flight teams of the PASL are on a level the same as Rochester/St Louis. Rochester narrowly won in Detroit, after Dominic Seguna (sp?) was tossed, and at times, it looked as if Detroit was better everywhere except in goal. The keeper for the Lancers is actually as good as hyped by Soccer Sam (well maybe not that good but good).

-Seattle is in for a long year. They have no defense at all and seem to think going all offense in the key. Long stretch passing, men high at all times... When and if they play a Missouri or Milwaukee it could get very very ugly.

-The PASL vs MISL thing has already lost it's steam IMO. I found myself already cheering for the underdog PASL and we are in week 2. I've a become a big fan of Detroit and while I don't see them beating Baltimore or Missouri or Milwaukee most likely, I feel they are the best the PASL has to offer as far as talent goes from what I have watched thus far and could see them being the team to pull the first big upset of a former MISL team.

 

No I'm just saying you can't make a lot of sweeping judgments based on one game.

 

To be fair Detroit was about the 8th best PASL team last year and their three best players are in their 40s.

 

Nobody's made the PASL outlawed slide tackling point yet!?!?!?

Also, wasn't Rochester's starting 'keep last night Detroit's from last year?

 

From the Comets v. Mustangs game last night...

From where I was sitting, it was difficult to figure out what was being called much of the time, but in the 4th quarter, the 3rd official stopped play after a Brathwaite foul and they sent him off 2 minutes for what I thought was his 4th foul. Per the scoresheet, though, he only had 3 and the penalty was indicated as 6 team fouls (there were only 5 in the quarter, but it was the 6th foul in the half.)

Field officials were Ryan Cigich and Rich Grady. Perhaps they don't speak enough Spanish to communicate with the rest of the Mustangs staff. Wish they'd figure out what rules to use, particularly with the technicality rules.

 

Grady and Cigich are two pretty good referees. And both alternate officials speak Spanish.

 

I didn't.

I made my judgment based on the roster.