so hope that he's back sooner rather than later... http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/redbulls2.php?article_id=43125
Even when he's back, he may not be fully back, and there are always set-backs. It's better not to hold one's breath while hoping.
I think you float an offer that makes him think long and hard, though. If you get the feeling that he really wants to go to Europe, which seems to be the case, then you have to craft your contract offer with that in mind: maybe a deal for three years with an escape clause if a transfer fee is of a certain amount. I think Miazga wants to go but I also think he is also very tied to this club and will want to do right by RBNY. Securing a large transfer fee would be a pretty great parting gift. I personally think he will be playing in Europe in 2016. Just a hunch.
Some interesting nuggets on Miazga in this piece... http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features...-back-whos-caught-eye-chelsea#:OvUmhMyuJvl6kA
It would be a sign that the league is further maturing that we don't give some of these guys up so easily. Certainly very generous salary boost is the minimum, but also making him the face of the club would help. We know the downside risks of going over to young, whether he leaves or not, he's still got a ways to go in his development to actually be ready for top level European football.
The relative small list of MLSers who have gone to Europe and made an impact with their clubs is led by the one's who were already in their mid-20s. Now I'm not saying that Miazga has to be 25, but he does need more than one good season to really be prepared. Where he's got an advantage over the likes of Besler and Gonzalez is not having gone to college. His experience from 18-20 is going to pay off when it allows him to make the move to Europe at a relatively young age. But again, it comes down to the question of when he's really ready. In this regard, the market is usually ahead of the player readiness. The offers come in early because the clubs see an opportunity to get a player on the cheap and for the player, the number is usually higher than he believed possible. But by and large, the player can usually do better by not jumping in early. Depending on his representation, he's getting good advice on these subjects. OTOH, from what I've seen of young player movements from MLS to the EPL, the agents aren't all they're crack up to be.
Big sigh of relief that the good guys won. It is possible to say the Red Bulls had the better of play for most of the game and DCU faded in the 2nd half, but they were pesky and there was some back and forth, where the dearth of finishing on NY's part left the door open for the Scum to steal a goal and put the game into OT. In the end, the double sub of SWP for Grella followed by Veron for SWP worked out, when Veron's pace and passing ability created the series-sealing goal. But seeing DC beginning to fall off in the 2nd and wanting some insurance, I'd have liked to see earlier subs, starting with Veron and followed by Davis and perhaps SWP or Lade depending on the scoreline. It's weird too because Marsch throughout the season has faithfully used all three subs in virtually every game. I'm not sure he even planned on putting anyone else in if SWP hadn't gotten hurt.
Was likely saving the third sub for a late defensive replacement or for extra time, which hasn't been a consideration until today.
Pretty dull game overall but can't argue with the result. I can't believe this DC team actually made the playoffs, they're really, really bad. Half their starting lineup completed less than half of their attempted passes today and Saborio looks washed up, they might have been dangerous at times if it wasn't for his atrocious hold up play.
RBNY were clearly looking to absorb whatever pressure DCU was going to through at them and, really, theirs was inconsistent. SWP was not my first choice sub and, unfortunately, he pulled up lame with a hamstring issue minutes after coming on - hence the Veron sub. His winning the ball on the wing set up the scoring opportunity. Hard work and effort came to fruition there. Now, on to Columbus.
Going to contradict myself here a bit and say that even though I believe that the Crew are the better team, I'm relieved that we don't have to play Montreal. That said, this should make for a really fun and interesting match-up. it's a shame Perrinelle is out and no doubt CC are going to look to exploit it. But we've been so strong and consistent for (most of) this season, that I'm not feeling anywhere as near as nervous as I would expect to be. Still, if Kemara were to suddenly come down with the mumps...
What do you guys think we need to get out of this first leg? I would love to steal a win out there but I think a draw with some goals would be a very good result.
We can suffer a loss by 1 goal and be okay. And if we're going to lose then a road goal would be good.
Seen some interesting conversation about the Robles award, neutral fans get really caught up in stats when it comes to these things since they've probably only watched Robles the one or two times we played their team, and overall his stats are middle of the road. But one stat (if you can call it that) which I think highlights his value is that he's got WAY more save of the week nominations than any other keeper in the league. Because of the high press, we don't give up a ton of shots, a quick look at the top ~15 or so keepers based on games played shows only Portland's keeper faced fewer per game. But when we do give up a chance, its more often a total defensive breakdown on a counter where the other team ends up with a high percentage opportunity. I know Opta tracks "big chances" and unfortunately we don't have access to how many each keeper faces, but I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Robles near the top of that list.
Truly, Robles seems to make at least one spectacular stop every game. Now, if the team were leaking goals, that wouldn't seem as remarkable. Tim Howard, for instance, often was forced into one v. one staredowns with opponents on breakaways. When that happened, usually it was about keeping the bleeding from getting any worse. But for the title-chasing Red Bulls, Robles' play is often about keeping opponents off the board completely. To that end, scooping up shots struck straight at him aren't even worth mentioning. What he's done to keep the shutout and frankly break the will of opponents has been crucial to team success. He's just solid and handles the pressure well, keeping the defense organized and stepping up when he's needed. His success is part of the team's success and vice versa.
I'll say this. The defense hasn't always been the strong suit of this club. There have been times when Robles' goal was like a Steven Seagal movie (Waiting for that to register...got the joke? Great!) At those times he was standing on his head to keep us in games. Nowadays his goal isn't constantly Under Siege, but as mentioned before the 1-2 saves a game he has to make is a "Save of the week". Man can do it all and has been doing it for a while. He's earned the hardware.
Thank God this game is almost here. The anticipation is killing me! We know Columbus. They try to build out of the back, switch the field often, and cross the ball to Kamara for goals. However, I wouldn't put it past them to surprise us tactically and go route 1. We know we can score. All we can do is pray Columbus continues to try and build from the back and we can grab some turnovers in bad spots and convert. For me it's all about defense defense defense. I'll be looking to see if: We can use the press to shut down those long cross field switches in the point of attack. Our outside backs and wingers can shut down crosses into the 18. Our CB's can win the battle in the air. Are yellow cards reset for this one or do we still have to worry about Miazga, Zubar, Sacha, and BWP?