10/16: The Brian Schmetzer Orchestra: FCD vs Seattle [R]

That was a really close one. Thankfully 37 year had a perfect touch. Lets do this all the way. Tesho performance been questionable for last 2 appearance and actually this whole season. If this guy can bring back his spark he once had then we are all set. In the mean time I think Mauro Rosales should be in from beginning of 2nd half.

 

My thoughts on the game:

1. Seitz officially doesn't give me that safe feeling. Most of the season I've been grumbling about some of his weird punching decisions, and he's not the most dominant off the line. But today was just a ridiculous positioning decision. That free kick, while well placed, was not a screamer. I mostly feel good about this team, but Seitz worries me.

2. Agree with previous poster about Tesho. He's been uninspiring for a while. Rosales facilitates the circulation of the ball much better. If he can do 90 or close to it I'd rather have Rosales.

3. 37 years old or not, Carlos Ruiz is a STONE COLD KILLER. Ideally it'd be someone with a few less years on them, but a forward with that kind of instinct is exactly what we've needed all season. If Ruiz can steal another one like that in the playoffs his stint with us will be officially a success for me.

4. At this particular moment in time I don't give two shits about the CCL. I want the shield. Send the kids down to Central America.

5. It wasn't anywhere near our best game, but damn it's nice to see this team claw its way to victory when we aren't playing great. That's the kind of thing that will serve us well in the playoffs.

 

Burning has been rolling that thread title around in his head for a long time now, I'm sure. Well done, sir.

Agree with Vivalslamico that I'd send the backups to Suckitapecker and rest the starters for next weekend. All we need is one. Stinking. Point.

(... or Houston can get a point on the road. At Colorado. And also there's a unicorn in my back yard, and Brooklyn Decker just texted me to ask me on a date, and my wife was OK with it.)

For the record, all we need in Guatemala is one point, too.

I'd almost rather tie than win at LA, just to put Colorado through the misery of tying on points only to lose the shield. But the momentum of a road win going into the playoffs would be huge, so I'll be rooting for total domination.

 

Oh no.

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110...uro-diaz-to-miss-rest-of-season-with-achilles

 

Worst news I have read in awhile. I was really hoping that Diaz was using some CONCACAF voodoo/ninja time-wasting he had learned in calling for the stretcher at the beginning of 5 minutes of stoppage time.

Tesho looked off, he normally has no trouble maintaining possession, but yesterday his first touch was off. I would start Craft out wide, and Mauro (R) in Mauro's (D) spot if it comes to that, and bring Tesho off the bench, where he can use his speed on tired defenses.

I was so angry for about 78 minutes, then pretty ecstatic at the end, until the Diaz injury.

 

Welp, the MLS refereeing caught up with us at the worst possible moment.

 

I ran around the house screaming after Ruiz's goal, and I watched on DVR about 2 hours after the game ended!
I'll be god#$%^&*ed if I can figure out why Mark Geiger is regarded as the best US referee. This game was typical for him, failing to do the #1 job of every referee - protect the players! The exception was when he waved off Seattle's first goal for a bogus foul on a Seattle player for standing still while Seitz plowed over him to attempt to get the loose ball.
Rough game for Seitz. I'll blame the sun. Or maybe guy nice enough to give up a kidney would be nice enough to give up that ridiculous goal on Lodeiro's free kick to make up for the awful Geiger call on their non-goal. Credit to Seitz for coming up big on Frei's header on the corner at the end of the game.
I've never torn an Achilles, but Mauro's reaction after the injury was weird. I thought he was just going to pull up his socks and get up like he always done. Then all of a sudden the stretcher comes out. #$%^&!

 

Well, that is it, then. No Diaz, no shield, no way out of the first round of the playoffs. Thank you for playing, we have some lovely parting gifts for you.

-SD

 

We love you too, Scipio. Pax omnis.

I can say that, while cautiously optimistic as always, even Diaz's absence doesn't scare me as much simply because of the total team mentality of FC Dallas. Similar to the malleable defensive reaction of an entire ant colony, it's as if this year's team reacts like a single organism. When Castillo departed, rather than break they adjusted quite well.

Mauro is a big loss but I do not believe it to be the end-all, be-all for the season. Either Rosales, Lizerazo, or Pomykal will have to fill the void but there's always another ready to come up when one of our boys is down. Not a true statement in years past.

That said, your words always bring a smile to my face, so I shall keep smiling. Just one more damn point...

 

My confidence for the shield is still pretty high given the circumstances. In a one-off scenario we are still a dangerous team without Diaz. Plus maybe Colorado lays an egg and saves us the trouble. But MLS Cup requires you to get results consistently in big games over a month-long stretch. Doing THAT without Diaz seems very questionable. But then again, MLS Cup requires some good fortune even for the best of teams, and if we get some of that, who knows.

 

FCD can still win, but it will require the defense to grind out victories.

This would be a great time for Lloyd to return, as the backline depth will be put to the test.

I know most expect a switch to a 4-4-2 without Diaz, but Lloyd coming back will allow Pareja to switch between a 4-5-1, a 4-4-2, and a 5-4-1 depending on the situation.

 

Has there been word he is ready to come back? I was under the impression we wouldn't see him until next season. I have certainly missed him on the field.

 

No word. Just reports that he has been seen doing individual training alongside the team, and his word that he'll be back soon.

 

Loyd out, Castillo gone, Diaz done. Who'd have guessed we'd win the Supporters Shield with all that happening?
I think we'll come out of next weekend with our second trophy. Grinding very far in the playoffs will be damn tough without Mauro. Any official word on the extent of his injury?

 

No official word. He is in North Carolina awaiting surgery.

 

The Diaz injury puts more than 2016 at risk. Put your google to work and find a high level creative type who returned from a ruptured Achilles to his previous level. This is a total bummer.

 

Word is that Carlos Ruiz has a minor sprained ankle.
It's just bad enough to keep him from Thursdays match, as he did not travel with the team.

 

Is there a possible spectrum to Diaz's Achilles; as in a partial tear repair versus full rupture repair which would have different long term prognosis/outcomes?

No matter what, I'm going to remain hopeful his surgeon has the magic touch and Diaz can dig deep to return to soccer.

 

If he hadn't scored against Seattle, this would pi$$ me off.