2018 Preseason

We've moved from Garcia to Carrasco, and I think it's for the better. Garcia wasn't our major problem last year, though - he at least had desire and work rate, and once at least he was our best person on the field (shudder). I was wondering if anyone knows what he's moved on to.

It was time to move on for and from Zardes, and although he is a great guy I'm kind of relieved he's gone.

 

While true, I'd like him better on the wing instead of Ema. Hell, I'd take LD back instead of Gio to play a half at a time...

I think it was the 22nd minute, Romain made a nice overlapping run close to the box and Gio flat ignored him. Romain was pretty pissed.

edit: found it, about 21:40 on the game clock:

You don't see the frustration from Romain on camera but, it was there. I'm gonna go back and watch at least the first half from tv view to confirm what I saw in person. Gio was playing half speed and missed at least two passes that would've lead him into space but he was being lazy.

 

I saw that missed overlap too, and several others in the game as well. I hope the team will learn to take what is offered in the course of the game and try to go forward when opportunity arises. It's frustrating to see an obvious attacking pass not even tried.

EDIT: actually I see that happen so often in games that I wonder if I just don't understand how it's played sometimes.

 

Yes - Thank you LA Chargers / NFL.

 

Great example of Gio being Gio - Romaine sets up the perfect give-n-go play, times his run exquisitely and then Gio just flat out kills the play by refusing to use him. If GDS makes the return pass Romaine is behind the defense, running at speed with the ball at his feet, putting their backline under all kinds of pressure. But Noooo....Instead of reading the play and going along with it Gio decides to go for his PassBack Pete impersonation and kill off yet another Galaxy attack.

And imo Geneva you understand the game just fine. It makes sense to occasionally (maybe 10% of the time?) use the overlapper as a dummy run, especially if the overlapper has drawn a defender out wide and that has created weakness in the central defense. But that should be the exception, not the rule. If the overlapper has timed his run such that he will likely get in behind the defense (like this case) if he gets the ball back, he damn well should get the ball back.

I love watching Messi, a player who possesses the most exquisite 1v1 skills in the world and would have an excuse to be a ball hog. Still he is very good at using his overlapping teammates. He will repeatedly draw a defender or two and then - without seeming to look - lay off the perfect pass right into the stride of an overlapping teammate. All of these nice layoffs to teammates in turn sets him up to occasionally fake the pass but instead cut to the inside. That well tuned mix keeps him unpredictable and the defense honest. But the key is that he makes the right decision 90% of the time. (Think of Gio and then go 180 degrees in the opposite direction.)

While on this topic I've noticed that overlapping runners seem to be ignored a lot in LigaMX. I'm not sure why that is, but it is a pretty noticeable trend for the league. I've asked my stepson - who played professionally for a short while in Mexico and is currently a LigaMX fan - about my perception. He said it happens way too much and frustrated him as a player and now frustrates him as a fan.

 

Thanks skydog - nice to be validated. Is it sometime the case that the forward pass isn't attempted because the passer just isn't facing the right angle to make the pass properly? Are they not setting themselves up to do it? If they did, would it just telegraph to the defense?

I'll be looking for a Gio / Kamara connection in the next few games. That will be crucial, IMO. Saw one play attempted in this game that was a good try.

 

IMO, yes, all of that. So many variables to consider. There are lots of ways to keep the defense guessing though. I'd like passer to at least make the step(s) to begin the pass and just by that motion, based on how the defender reacts, either make the pass or pull it back. Gio seems to give up on his guys too early. I think he just misses a lot of those subtleties defenders can give away and the runs our guys make partly because he keeps his head down too much when he's on the ball.

Ha, just looked it up and Gio's lowest offensive rated aspect on Fifa '17 is his "passing vision"... although, I think 70 is too high.

 

What's so infuriating is that if GDS does make that pass and then peels off toward goal, RA has him available for what could well be a lethal scoring opportunity.

 

I'll take it. It will be here after the SD Chargecards move to inglewood.

 

Can players be traded between leagues? If so I trade Gio for Landon. My rational is 20 minutes of Landon plus 70 of virtually anyone on the roster is likely to produce more than Gio. Ibra would be icing on that exchange.

 

Thank you everyone for the summaries since I keep missing these pre-season games!

 

You can still watch them. Here is the NYCFC game:

 

I'm sorry, just now seeing this. It was on ESPN Deportes

 

.Had a long post about the game and somehow managed to erase it before I hit post. Figures - I'm in preseason form.

Anyway...looks like we could be a contender this year and fun to watch. Makes me happy (although Gio is STILL a disappointment to me; some bias I'm sure - I can think of someone else I'd rather see wearing No. 10 for the Galaxy) - but Gio just hasn't come close to being a difference maker for us.

 

Of Ola Kamara's 30 non-PK goals in his two years in Columbus:

27 were on the first touch
16 were from inside the 6
28 were from inside the 18

I don't think Gyasi Zardes is Ola Kamara in terms of movement or finishing, but I bet he has a pretty solid year for Crew SC.

— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) February 12, 2018

Tally of how Kamara found his goals in Columbus. Fox in the box

 

Turns out that I will be out of town and not able to use my Vancouver ticket. If you want it, PM me with an e-mail address. No charge, but if you really feel you ought to pay something, make a contribution to the local food bank and we'll call it even.

 

Agree Garcia wasn't nearly our only, or even biggest problem last year, but having to play him so much was sort of indicative of the futility of the season. By my book, he surpassed Leonardo in his heyday, as culprit of lost points. At any rate, glad we have moved on.

 

do season ticket holders get tickets for the Sat game vs the smurfs @ OC great park?

 

So I found out that you don't get it automatically but if you contact your rep with a "where are my tickets to the event?" they will add you to the RSVP list and email you a PDF ticket.

Their communication about this particular game has not been the best. I'm sad I will be out of town but I got my tickets to an OC buddy that will use them.

 

My ticket to the Vancouver game has been transferred to an LAG fan. Assuming I figured out how to use the Flashseats app.

 

Thursday there is a game too, right?

Looked it up myself. Fresno. Maybe the second team plays this one and the first team gets the run-out on Saturday.

 

I still have tickets available for Galaxy supporters only!