I thought that they actually played better against Orlando than Vancouver. Too bad games are 90 minutes. This team actually looks to be coming around a bit. They’re more dangerous in the attack and actually look like they deserve to be on the pitch. I’m cautiously optimistic that they will become a good team. I just needed to change my expectations.
Thoughts The first 45 mins of this game were the best 45 this team has played this year. The approach of sitting back and then springing counters was really fun to watch and, more importantly, played to a lot of our players talents. Who had Corey Baird as the best newcomer to the team with all the additions this year? So far, he's easily the best one with Ruiz being a solid but slightly distant second. If we're being honest, though, we should have given up a goal in the first half. We did well enough to absorb about 95% of the Orlando attack, but they flat out missed a point blank shot or two. The difference in the game, as whole, was that Orlando made us pay for missing while we didn't make Orlando pay. RSL honestly should have been up 3-0 about 10 mins into the second half. We were hitting Orlando's gaps in behind and abusing the poor defense that they have. We just weren't finishing. The longer you let a team stay in the game, the more dangerous it is they'll get back at you. Which was the case here, Orlando was always going to score. We simply couldn't handle the waves they were throwing at us. Had we been up 3-0, though, the momentum after the first goal wouldn't have been anywhere near the same. As was, though, as soon as that first goal went in for Orlando it was just a matter of when not if they next one or two were going in. There were a lot of breakdowns we could get into with the goals we conceded. I don't think there was a player on the pitch that didn't play at least some part in us giving those up in the plays leading up to the goals. It's not worth the time, though, in my opinion. There is one lesson from this game that really set the tone: you have to take your chances. Plata, Rusnak, Baird, Savarino, etc. They're all guilty of us losing this game. They put away at least one if not two more chances and Orlando loses their steam. Or, at the very worst, they are only able to mount a draw. I saw a lot of doom and gloom from fans on twitter after this one and I simply didn't get it. I don't think this group is currently capable of winning much anything important, but in that game there were some serious steps of improvement. I mean, hell, we're talking about RSL losing a game not because they got utterly dominated, not because they couldn't create anything to save their lives, not even because we are missing the right kind of players to play the way we wanted. We lost because we didn't' do the very last piece of the puzzle: score. And with how this season has gone, that's a MASSIVE improvement. Honest to god, I was more proud of the overall performance from RSL in this game than in the wins against Vancouver and NYRB. I saw what the ideas were. I saw the execution. I saw tactics that made sense. Petke can't put the ball in the net and honestly that's the complaint. That's huge.
Positives: Petke and crew have figured out how to get through the middle 1/3, especially if the ball gets won early. Once going at speed, RSL is dangerous. 5 GREAT chances created. Baird has dangerous movement...his diagonal run that opened up Plata could be used in a coaching video. Ruiz can ping a pass and regularly found Rusnak / Baird at the right time with the perfect pass to get the attack flying. Negatives: Only one goal. One incredible stick save by the keeper, 2 posts and one pathetic attempt (Plata's was awful). Elephant in the room: The following cannot be understated. RSL does not have a single ball winner in the front 6. NOT ONE! Becks used to be a ball winner due to his anticipation and tenacity. But, that was 2 lost steps ago. I get what Petke is trying to do with personnel - he wants RSL to be able to attack and keep the ball - and the team looked good with the ball yesterday (I have some BIG questions about Orlando's D - a team in form drops 4 on them). However, the modern game still demands that you need ball winners to get the ball back, especially early. So, quick, who is a ball winner on this team right now? Our wings? The geriatric / slow d-mids? Glad, whose claim to fame is his skill and brain, NOT his ball winning. The best on the whole team from yesterday MAY be Lennon! And he is just learning. Until a change is made to increase the ball-winning, especially in the middle 1/3, which WILL require personnel changes, this team will continue to struggle for results. Yes, RSL misses Luke. No, I have NO idea how the medical / conditioning staff still have jobs. Their JOB is to avoid the exact injuries most of the injured players are suffering from. Additional comments: - Play with a team of midgets = give up goals on headers. Kind of a duh actually. Best defender in the air is actually Lennon again. LOL - I love Ruiz's left foot. I hate that he is being played out of position. - I do not have a problem with the effort. I do have a problem with the fact that this team is just now paying itself into game shape...and that Orlando was still more fit and active than RSL. - I'm concerned about Petke's seeming inability to implement his preferred D (high press like Red Bulls) due to having the wrong personnel. This team has neither the fitness nor the players to do so. Basically, with his current personnel, all RSL can do when it turns the ball over is get back, pack it in, and hope you limit the opposition to just a couple headed goals. It will take a series of bad results before Petke will be forced to remove some of the square pieces. To be fair, much of this is injury related. Of Sava, Plata, Becks, and Kreilach, a decent defensive team that wants to press can only play 2 of the 4. Brooks can play the wing the way Petke wants, so one of the defenders needs to get healthy / get out of the doghouse. The team could use Luke's heart. I'd really like to see how Ruiz plays in the middle. Eventually Petke will have to make some very hard decisions or he will find himself at risk.
don't tweet at Trey about injuries and the athletic training staff. I made this mistake. I knew it was a mistake as I was typing it but I was dumb and hit send. Though, that brings up a funny thing this club does: creates "excuses" while saying "this isn't an excuse". Like Dunny going "oh man, this the first time that RSL has used the same lineup in back to back games. It's not an excuse though... but let me tell you why it's an excuse"
I've nicknamed Trey "Baghdad Bob"... I'll generously say that his preferred messaging is always positive. I'll not so generously say that if you dare to question or point out the obvious negatives, he WILL attack you. Dunny knows who is paying his bills.
This... 15 to 32 I saw a lot of doom and gloom from fans on twitter after this one and I simply didn't get it. I don't think this group is currently capable of winning much anything important, but in that game there were some serious steps of improvement. I mean, hell, we're talking about RSL losing a game not because they got utterly dominated, not because they couldn't create anything to save their lives, not even because we are missing the right kind of players to play the way we wanted. We lost because we didn't' do the very last piece of the puzzle: score. And with how this season has gone, that's a MASSIVE improvement. Honest to god, I was more proud of the overall performance from RSL in this game than in the wins against Vancouver and NYRB. I saw what the ideas were. I saw the execution. I saw tactics that made sense. Petke can't put the ball in the net and honestly that's the complaint. That's huge. Agree 100%
Around minute 75 or so, there was a play where Orlando was attacking, and Kreilach was jogging to get back, nowhere near the right position. Nobody remembers this play because Besler made a nice play to send it out for a corner, but I commented about it on the Reddit game thread that it was exactly the sort of thing Kreilach has done 50 times this year. 3 minutes later, when Yotun scores, look at where Kreilach is in the play.
I'm usually a pretty big Luis Silva fan, but I'll happily admit that Corey's goal wouldn't have been scored if Luis was on the field. Luis doesn't have the burst of pace that Corey used to get to that ball. Still don't get what's going on with Ortuno, but at the moment it seems like the striker job is Corey's to lose.
I agree that this was easily the best overall performance from this team. We were finally attacking well, and had that shot off the post gone in, it's quite probable that we end up with a win or draw. Especially if that ridiculous kick save went in as well. We still need to do better on defense, but the attack finally looked capable for once.
Dunny made a comment early in the game about Kreilach that stood out to me. Dunny said that Damir was brought in to connect the play from KB to Rusnak. His role was to be the guy that moved the ball forward. This sounds great as a sound piece, but when you break down what that means you realize just how narrow the middle of this team is and start to wonder how it exactly works in transition to defense. The type of play you're talking about has happened at least 50 times this year and all evidence suggests Petke is fine with it. He almost expects Kreilach to stay higher and not recover defensively. Now, with a younger KB, this might work. But reality is KB doesn't have the legs/speed to cover the ground to have this happen. I like the risk/reward of this idea (having the 8 play and stay a big higher) but we don't have the bodies to pull it off. So either the 8's role needs to change (and/or the player) or the 6 HAS to change. Either one needs to happen soon, though, or else we're going to keep having our insanely young backline have to handle waves of players without much support to slow the play down.
We may benefit offensively from having Lennon and Ruiz on the field, but defensively, it's a terrible recipe for success (especially when you toss Besler into the mix as a guy learning CB on the fly). Work KB in as the d-mid, and there was never any way Orlando wasn't getting at least two goals. This was fun to watch, absolutely, not least because we're so desperate while defending that when our attack is clicking, there's action at both ends.
One other thought after this game: no matter how thin we are in central defense, I am glad old friend Schuler is playing for the other team now.
I still want to see Sunny start in front of KB. He can get a little reckless at times, but he's got the energy to do what Petke is wanting. Bringing on KB as a sub in the 65ish minute would likely make him look a bit better as well since he wouldn't be as tired, and might be able to keep up better. It's still insane to me that KB hasn't been rotated at all.
This is one of the things that I didn't expect to happen as quickly as it has this year, but it was kind of inevitable. Our biggest miss this offseason (including Ortuño being a flub entirely) was not landing a true replacement for Kyle. More-so, not being willing to even think about rotating someone else into that role every so often has been a huge miss for me. I'm not a big Luke/Sunny fan, but seeing that we're expecting Kyle to cover ground like he's 25 again I can't help but wish that either of those guys (risks and all) would see some time.
And Kreilach can be very dangerous when this works. Corey's goal was set up by Kreilach winning the ball up the field and quickly springing him with a great pass (that, TBF, Sane probably should have done better with, but whatever). If we want Kreilach to stay up the field, and our 6 to play as you suggest, Sunny really is the perfect fit for that style.
Well, Sunny with a little more care in his tackles and passes anyway. But yea, his energy, speed and fearlessness would be great there. Part of me wonders if he is another one that is in the dog house after coming into spring training so late.
I was thinking the same thing, and the fact sooner or later this season he will go down injured for a long period.
I see a lot of positive comments about Ruiz going on. I wasn't able to watch this game, but in the 2-0 loss @ Vancouver I thought he was maybe the worst player on the field. Tons of errant passes from him. Was he better this game? What am I missing?
Struggled for pace and size defensively as you would expect. Pinged a LOT of beautiful passes to both Rusnak and Baird which put Orlando onto their back foot. Best outside back passing we have seen since Russell (IMHO).
Dude, this comment is a massive indictment of our offense and it's 100% accurate. We've got a academy grad as the best option for leading the line in attack, Baird has shown more competent than Silva and who knows what the deal is with Ortuno. In a well managed club we'd be giving Baird Monarch minutes and maybe a few late subs because we'd have two capable first team CFs. We have zero. What Waibel is doing is beyond me.
I agree that Ortuno has so far been a miss. I was pretty underwhelmed when the signing occurred due to his not really ever being much of a goal scorer. I think the team was really happy with how last year ended and always felt that they could fall back on Silva who links up well, but does have some short comings. Now the part I disagree with is where you see Baird. I have been very impressed with the kid so far in his appearances. He seems ready to be a regular contributor to the team, and has been having some good results. He is fast and strong (remember when we were told Yura had those, and ended up being slow and easily pushed around?) and still fits in well with the other attacking players so far. As he went to 4 years of college, he is a more seasoned player than a typical academy kid. He likely would have been a top pick in the last years draft, and as we have seen with some of the past drafts top draft picks, they have the ability to start every day in MLS right from the start. Harrison at NYCFC and the outside back at Chicago the year before. Some college kids are ready. It is early still... but Baird might just be ready. Now, all of that could be a bit of luck on Wiebel's part. He needed to bring in an actual striker and the guy he signed in the off season can't get on the field. I wonder if it is fitness reasons, or just plain skill level. It isn't the first time RSL have signed a dud at striker who we had high hopes of. In fact, we seem to get that position wrong more than right, which is interesting. Outside of Sabo and Espindola we haven't had a lot of regular production up front.
I don't think he's crapping on Baird with the comment, just that if we were well managed, we would've already had a starting striker, and possibly a backup, so Baird wouldn't be getting many minutes. We're incredibly lucky that it looks like Baird may be the real deal, but it's also sad that we're relying on luck to be at this point.
Correct, I love that Corey is taking his chances, and I hope he develops into a force on the team. We just haven't had a real CF since Sabo, it would be nice if we could sign a mobile, dangerous target man that makes our team better and more dangerous. We're -9 GD this year and we've out scored multiple goals in two games, one was against a 60 minute 10-man Colorado and even then we needed a penalty to break the deadlock. With the way we defend, we need more goals, we just don't have the right players to make up for our porous defense.
Hell I'd take the less than mobile Sabo. Guy didn't cover a lot of ground but he scored better than any other forward we've had to date.
EVER. And actually, his strike rate was historically high for the league, and consistent. I guess Jeff Cunningham is the only other guy we've had that could reliably put the ball in the back of the net. It blows my mind that he STILL doesn't get credit for how well he played with us.