MLS Flavors of the Week: 2020 Edition

Hopefully FCD versus Nashville now takes place next week. We'll see.
As far as I can tell, FCD hasn't had any new COVID cases in quite some time.
They're itching to get going. Only one of the USMNTers may not be available as Brandon Servania seems to have a minor knock keeping him out of training.

Now hearing #DTID first makeup game vs Nash (#EveryoneN) is next Wednesday, the 12th.

Although as chaotic as things are don't write that in stone. Everything fluid. #FCDallas

— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) August 6, 2020

 

I'm not really seeing USMNT level with Williamson right now. I see a whole lot of "okay" who is generally surrounded and protected by players like Diego Chara and Diego Valeri.

Not that he's played poorly, but I'm not seeing someone who is standing out consistently. There's been some good moments, but he feels much more U23 right now.

 

This is not every single touch btw. He had a great whipping cross at the end of half into a dangerous area. He doesn't get enough credit for this ability. It's why he takes corners.

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I would like the offsides to be a "green grass" rule. As long as you are not fully behind, you should be on.

 

which is fine. He is under 23. If he were 24 or 25 then it would be a problem.

That does represent a major stock improvement for him. Before people were questioning if he were even MLS quality. We won't have any of them on the u-23's, at least outside gk.

And he has upside, in spite of pushing the borders of the youth teams. He still has so little top level pro experience, & he's toolsy, but could use some caffeine. Still tcb'ing. He shouldn't lose a starting gig on one of the best teams in MLS if they return after this novelty tourney.

Maybe Ebobisse would, in spite of being steady eddy. Niezgoda isn't there to come off the bench. Possibly Jeremy takes Loria's spot. I think he's a u23 OC qualifying starter even. But you're just looking for that little edge that he's missing right now. Ability to shake one player for a shot or being a killer in front of net.

 

Agree.

The offside rule exists to stop cherry-picking, at its heart. If you didn't have it at all, it would make a ton of sense to play defense with 9+GK and just put a dude down by the opposing GK. Then the other team would respond by keeping someone back and so on and so on.

I don't think it was ever intended to really be enforced at this level -- to stop the miniscule 1 cm advantage someone might get.

Loosening it would make sense.

 

Yeah, I don't mean to toss away Williamson or anything. I just see a lot of praise here that I'm not really seeing. He's not been the second best Timber, IMO, for example. I don't know that I would even call him excellent, So just trying to figure out if I'm missing something.

 

When I was reffing years back the guidance was always to look at the torso. If you could see light between the lead attacking players torso and the second to last defender's torso then he was off. No daylight no offside. I thought that was appropriate then and should be now. Looking at VAR and seeing a guys hand is leading the second to last defender is not in the spirit of the laws to me.

 

What about something like "no offsides inside the 18 yard box extended"? Isn't the complaint that people would be cherry pick? Well if the defenders are past the 18 yard line, then you can't cherry pick as you'll be offsides. But it seems a lot of those ticky tak calls occur closer to goal.

I like the green grass idea as well.

 

When the ball is played is not the moment the ball is off your foot even, rather you've made a decision and the action toward it. There's a space between that and when the ball actually leaves the foot.

It's much easier to get a feel for it in live action, than a still, which is what they try to use to get the exact moment. You can see when the ball is being played and where the recipient is relative to their man at the time.

But all the rule interpretations favor the defense because there are so few goals in the game and refs don't want to decide it with a crucial (in)decision therefore that often means getting too involved, like on offsides.

In regards to penalties, they're less inclined to get involved. What's a foul in midfield isn't in the box. How's that logical? You're gaining more of an advantage.

Precedents need to be set at the beginning of seasons that if there's a standard foul in the box it's gonna be called so just don't do it. And if any part of the attacker's body is in line w/ the defenders it's onside. Let everything in question go. You don't like it, here's a thought - play defense. This is actually how refs would have less of an impact long-term and create more interesting games.

 

He watched Villafana play for the usmnt in 2017? Not sure why anyone would consider him after that. athe choice would have to be based of the ill formed question of Villafana or Lovitz.

 

Villafaña was never quick nor fast, and he's noticeably slowed in the last 3 years. He's still a solid one-on-one defender for the most part, and sends in a good cross, but I think even as a stay-at-home defender he's just too slow now to be considered for the NT. Perhaps he's an option in the event of a few injuries, but I think he's at best 4th choice left back right now.

 

MLS "reportedly" terminating Jesse Gonzalez's contract. He's done in MLS.

https://theathletic.com/1979570/2020/08/06/sources-mls-terminates-jesse-gonzalezs-contract/

Is Aveliz good enough to push Mauer for minutes or does FCD go and find a better option than him and journeyman Zobeck?

 

Jacori needed the right situation.

Looks like Heath and his owners are going with high character players. It's good to see. Heath will stay out of trouble in the future and I expect him to win silverware.

 

He's starting now partially because Kevin Molino is hurt. They also are apparently is about to get Emmanuel Reynoso. At minimum, one of those two is playing.

He'll still get some time backing up Alonso and Gregus, but I'd be shocked if he started over them.

 

I'm gonna guess this means that the case against Jesse Gonzalez is pretty serious and well-documented.

 

I'd prefer they find a better keeper than Mauer. He's solid but not great. He is better at organizing than Gonzalez. We will find out if he can pass well enough for Luchi ball as Jesse improved greatly in that regard so maybe Jimmy has also.

 

Unfortunately, Toye also missed an easy header goal to tie it. I'm not sure how he botched it so badly, so I suspect he did not move up the depth chart.

 

I don't think Villafana is any world beater but I do think he should have been given a chance considering Lovitz played considerable minutes there. We do have a few up and coming LB's now but these last few years playing Ream and Lovitz there have been atrocious and I think our Sarachan era LB's should have been given a shot to return.

Speaking of LB's, I watched the game last night and was pleasantly surprised by Gasper. I don't see a high-ceiling future top 5 league starter or anything but in a pinch, he may suffice. Whatever it takes to get the Lovitz era and Ream at LB experiment to end, count me in.

 

Avilez............not ready yet.
This news about Gonzalez is no surprise. The team has seen if from a mile away, and the front office reportedly has been seeking another keeper. The do have another talented young keeper in their pipeline, Seth Wilson. He reportedly has interest from Europe.

The writing has been on the wall. #FCDallas has been doing their due-diligence in the keeper market looking at options. I've been saying for a while to expect a keeper move this next window. #DTID looking for a starter grade keeper to compete with Jimmy Maurer. https://t.co/gpsds65QXO

— 3rd Degree (@3rdDegreeNet) August 6, 2020