MLS is Back: Philadelphia vs Kansas City (Thur Jul 30, 7:00pm CDT) [R]

This will be Smith's first test of the tournament. Vancouver showed little interest in attack and RSL was missing one of their better attackers for our game against them. He's not looked bad, but we also haven't played great attacking teams.

 

Shelton is questionable with adductor injury.

 

i wouldn't mind salloi getting a run out on the left wing

 

You got your wish.

Not sure who had the worse first half Salloi or Martins. Or maybe Busio. Or the ESPN sound guy that didn't catch PVs f bombs.

 

that was atrocious.

 

I fear Salloi is a hopeless cause. One year wonder. Martins had his worst game ever for Sporting. Why Zusi played every minute of this tournament is beyond me. Kinda provided a spark and he and Shelton were sorely missed in the starting lineup.

 

I think if we are being honest, the team has looked like crap a lot of this tournament. Game by game:

Outstanding first 70 minutes vs Minnesota, then implosion.
Up two men vs Colorado, still needed a bogus PK to win
RSL was much better in the first half, SKC much better in the second.
Vancouver - dominated an undermanned team, but looked like SKC from early 2010s doing it
Philly - SKC was awful


A few things stood out last night.
Salloi is useless. He made one nice decoy run on the goal by Pulido, otherwise did he even touch the ball?
Martins has steadily gotten worse during the tournament. The Dia sub at least indicates that PV has noticed.
Zusi is still great going forwards and still has issues with positioning and 1 v 1 defending. How many years does it take to learn positioning?
Busio looks lost - the hype train is way out in front of this player
Illie - he looks like an aging Barca B player. Still has great technique and now also has piss poor athleticism
The other Graham sure gets his head on a lot of corners, but can't get a single header on frame


The positives
1) The other Felipe. I thought he looked really, really good at the 6 when he came in for Illie last night. He won a LOT of balls that Illie would have just looked at and said, no I can't get there.
2) Kinda - not a classic 10 but his energy and ability to beat players 1 v 1 is very positive for this team
3) Pulido - does a lot of things well. One of those is getting shots on frame. Another is scoring goals.
4) Roger - he's still good at fouling and providing some bite.
5) Dia - he wasn't awful. Martins was, so not awful is an improvement.

I would absolutely hate to be a player next week. PV is going to kill them in training.

 

But, being cheerfull: This was Russell's best game of the tourney. Kinda will be very fresh for the new season. Besler will be very ready when it again comes time for him to play. Pulido continues to be a straight up killer. Gerso late game again adds a needed dimension. Dia looked good. Ish. Busio was better than he was last time out! Okay, I'm stretching. But if I'm correct, and having been able to actually look at bigsoccer on more than my phone, i probably am not, this game doesn't count in the standings. If so, the knock outs were house money, and Vermes used ti to give a really nice long look to the some young guys and newbies, like Smith, and Busio, and Hernandez and, uhm, Zusi, err, Sanchez, and, eh, Espinoza. That said, Pulido. Puncec and Kinda will leave Orlando more in tune with the side than they arrived, IMO, so positive there.

 

You are correct that the knockout stage doesn't count in the league standings.

 

So is Nashville and Dallas just shit outta luck on the potential to earn 9 points on the season?

 

Bubble Cage Match, best 2 out of 3

 

They’re playing each other 3 times to make up the 3 games

 

That's what all the reports are, yes. Reportedly the first two will be in Dallas between the 12th and the 16th.

 

Late in posting this, but after the loss Vermes took responsibility for not having the team ready to play in the first half. I don’t think I have ever heard him say that before. Hopefully it will be a good sign for the rest of the season.

 

i seem to recall he then immediately, in the next sentence, blamed it on the players. so it read to me more like, "i'm sorry the players weren't up to my standards, and that's on me ... and them."

 

I've heard him take varying degrees of responsibility before.

I gotta think he's crazy frustrated with our defense. He's a defensive-minded coach, as he was most of his playing career, and I can't imagine all this turmoil and underperformance at the back sits well with him at all.

But I said years ago that if we learn to score but forget some of how to defend, I won't complain because it will be more fun to watch. And it is. So I'm just gonna enjoy what I can!

 

PV was a forward most of his career and converted to CB late in his career.

 

Damn, I thought he switched relatively early in his career? I can't find a good source on it so I'll trust your memory.