Absolute garbage looking game from the Crew. Finlay, Kamara, Meram, Jiminez, Mabwati - all invisible. Terrible defense from Afful. Just a shit-show. And to lose to those ********ers... By the same ********ing score....
When the bar was able to turn on the game, I didn't recognize us. That's never happened before. It could be because I'm not used to the uniforms, but it is sad when it isn't immediate. We lost something that was uniquely Columbus Crew. As for the game, I don't want to read into individual performances this early. Plenty of players could do better. However, it seemed every corner kick we had led to a counter attack. Nearly every single one. This is either great scouting on the timbers, or something we aren't do right. That worries me. We seemed to lack the ability to counter attack. Every time we tried to counter, it would get slowed down somewhere between the middle third and just before the final third. Maybe everyone isn't on the same page yet, but that also has me worried. A great team has the ability to create a chance on a counter. Either we aren't good enough there or teams know how to stop us. (We are after all, the same team as last year)
Question. Did the audio stream ever work? I knew I was going to be on the road and looked forward to listening to the game. Thanks to whoever posted the Portland stream! Maybe they can fix the substandard radio deal for next year...
I don't understand why Jimenez started at LM. If Cedrick or Meram are fit enough to be on the bench, then start one of them, the other can come on later if need be. I really thought Cedrick would be a starter this year. If we're paying him $220k a year, he should be starting. No sub in this league should be making a quarter of a million dollars, period.
It's regrettable that Afful was largely on the hook for the game-winning goal, because he was an absolute monster in the first half. I'm not all that broken up about the result. First match of the season, on turf, on the road, against the MLS Cup champs. It just sucks that Higuaín's wonder-goal got wasted.
I hate the jersey, and am sick and tired of losing to Portland. The worst thing is we aren't going to get a chance to rub their noses in a defeat until ????? (this was our only match against them this season isn't it?) Still, this is game 1; almost totally meaningless in MLS. Everybody needs minutes and I expect they will improve as they play.
We played beautifully at times, and it was a real joy to watch. Tear. We've got to finish more of those chances in the attack. Kill. What the hell is happening in transition? Yikes. Is Jimenez our best option starting at LM? Woof. Does Meram even care about being on the field? Wasteful. I can't drink enough to make this okay. Glug.
Yet the Crew were... 1. Still woeful on defending set pieces 2. Caught flat-footed on nearly every single counter-attack by Portland 3. Had a completely invisible offense aside from Pipa's Goalzo 4. Couldn't connect a cross to save their lives 5. Had no movement into the box in the attacking third 6. Looked lost and absolutely toothless 7. Equally woeful on attacking set-pieces We're making the exact same mistakes we made last year - that's a cause for concern for me.
Everything was ok with me except 1) the set piece that allowed a goal , I can't point fingers at anyone but Clark although depending on what we were trying to do strategically possibly someone failed besides him 2) Jimenez starting over Cedrick was surprising but I thought he played well 3) Connor Casey sucks I can't believe we didn't see Ola Kamara
I agree with 1, 2, 4, and 7. However... We took 19 shots. Only 4 of those attempts were on target, but we were shooting. We also had a good bit of interplay in the final third, but we had a hard time completing passes through the box. I don't think that makes for an invisible offense. I think we had guys making runs all over, but we didn't connect or identify them. That needs to be sorted, but the front line wasn't static. We had tons of room to work in the middle of the field, but it seemed that we were waiting too long to pull the trigger at times. We played with intention, but execution was lacking. Definitely need to clean that up, though.
Predictable in nearly every way. Poor goalkeeping. Poor on set pieces. Susceptible on the counter. But possession nonetheless. Let's be honest. People are asking about Kamara, but Higuain was invisible until his goal., and after. Nearly any penetrating ball, or ball behind the defense came from Tchani, while Higuain was playing to high. Lo and behold with Tchani caught out we were susceptable to the counter, and everyone will give Higuain a pass for not running. Thing is Pipa needs to do more. He scored a golazo. But the game in 90 minutes. He had zero impact otherwise, unless you are counting set pieces he took which turned into Portland counters. Berhalter needs to figure this out. Other teams will copy Portlands blueprint, which Gregg hasn't solved.
When I look at what Kamara, Meram, Finaly, Mabwati and Jiminez did offensively, I see nothing. Hence, our offense was invisible. Afful does not an offense make. I didn't see a whole lot of intention. I saw a lot of short passes to nobody and crosses to an empty box along with more than a little "I think I'm a FIFA-stud and can dribble" only to lose it to a counter. As well as being as you noted soooo sloooooooooow on our own counters.
I agree with most of this. The part I don't agree with is the part about poor goalkeeping. Clark made two or three fine saves on one-on-ones or it could have been much worse. He was hung completely out to dry on the first goal. If he goes down to defend that shot, it completely takes him out of any opportunity to make any kind of play if one of the ten bodies in front of him gets a touch. And on the second goal, he actually made the save/block on the first attempt, and that was just way too hot to expect a keeper to be able to smother that.