Game: Houston Dynamo vs FC Dallas Date: Friday, August 21st Time: 7:00 pm [Local] | 00:00 [Universal] Location: BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, Texas, United States of America Weather Forecast: Mostly Sunny; H 95, L 76 Competition: Major League Soccer Live TV: KTXA-21 [DFW] | KTBU-55 [Houston] | KCPN-4.2 [Amarillo] | KMYL-22.2 [Lubbock] | KTPN-48 [Tyler] | ESPN+ [USA] | DAZN [Canada] Radio: FCDallas.com/radio [English] | 1270 AM [Spanish]
As always, brilliant thread title. I'm hoping that FCD's struggles against Nashville boil down to a team that knows it's kinda crap because it's an expansion team, that defends in a low block, and that looks to hit you on the counter, which is the sort of team that FCD struggles against. Seriously, they had >60% possession in both games, a crap ton of passes, very few shots, even fewer shots on goal, and no goals. I suspect that the Dynamo will be slightly more interested in actually playing.
As always, brilliant thread title. I'm hoping that FCD's struggles against Nashville boil down to a team that knows it's kinda crap because it's an expansion team, that defends in a low block, and that looks to hit you on the counter, which is the sort of team that FCD struggles against. Seriously, FCD had >60% possession in both games, a crap ton of passes, very few shots, even fewer shots on goal, and no goals. I suspect that the Dynamo will be slightly more interested in actually playing.
Real question: was there anything from the two NSH games that you thought, "that wasn't too bad" or "he played pretty well"?
Ugh. A point on the road, positive I guess. The 3 man back line experiment looks to be that, a lab experiment. Quite shaky at the top of the 18. Houstank made a mess of several opportunities. Jara looks to be a legit target man. It just didn't look like he had the right run support once we won and collected the ball. That might come over time. I was in and out of the match due to work, but just some initial thoughts.
God, that was miserable. Third formation in three games, against a winless expansion team (both at home) and the last place team (on the road). In those three games a total of SEVEN shots on goal. But ZERO goals. On the positive side, gave up only a single goal. Can I find any agreement we're all but done assessing Bryan Acosta as a bust, even if it means tagging that to the club's biggest transfer fee? Guy is just not cutting it, and I don't know if it's because Luchi is asking him to do things he's not good at, or if he's just - not good. There are spurts to Jara, but I've now watched him flat out "Colman" this team's two best clear chances over these three games. The far post header in the 2nd NSH game, and whiffing Fafa's squared ball to the spot. That is not promising. Also, he clearly was gassed at 60, like "hands on knees gassed", but Luchi didn't sub him out - why? Because Franco was "pissed" when it happened last time and I'm not sure if Luchi was making a point, or scared to do it. Where is the Santos from the pre-covid games? Who is this guy running all over the field, chasing the ball, missing passes, getting beat and generally playing unlike what we saw before the break? But I continue to question Luchi's selections - clearly Pax and Brandon immediately improved things. If Brandon doesn't start next game over Acosta, there's an issue. If Pax is injured to the point he can't start, then just shut him down. This whole thing about being cautious about it, just doesn't make sense in any way. Especially the part where he insists on sticking his best attacking, proactive player - out wide. I have not understood this since he started doing it last year. Lastly, I got an email from a listener who told me I was being "too hard" and had no empathy for a team who'd been through so much in 2020. I realize this continues to make me look like I'm "anti-Luchi" (I'm not), but if this crap play is some byproduct of all the turmoil of the circumstances that have befallen this club this year (COVID, Jesse, Boo-Gate, Reggie leaving, etc) - this is where I'm more positive than ever a seasoned manager, one who's been though this stuff, would be better suited to man manage. No one can expect a guy with Luchi's resume to know how to collectively corral the mental state of pro soccer players. Forget the actual coaching of soccer, and consider that other part of the job. What we're seeing is not simply a problem of tactics and execution. Steve Davis is right, a lot of this is about confidence and Luchi-ball has none of it.
We've had 3 games since the apocalypse and I feel like I haven't been able to sit down and give any of them my undivided attention. I won't get any relief on Wednesday either but I'm planning on going to the Saturday game. It looks like I haven't missed much and the "highlights" I've seen show a team looking lost. A lot of tests (no pun intended) ahead for Luchi and this group.
I still have confidence in Jara. The guy is a few months removed from scoring 16 goals in 28 matches for Pachuca during the 2019-20 season. If you’re putting up those kinds of numbers in Liga MX, you’re quite likely not Cristian Colmán. Has he fluffed a couple of chances? Sure, but the far bigger problem is coming from behind him, that the midfield has zero ideas when it crosses the center stripe. They’re playing too slowly and too timidly until Pax, Fafà, and Brandon come into the match. As has been mentioned here and elsewhere, Acosta has been useless. Guess who wasn’t playing in February and March, when this team was able to score and was able to beat a pretty good Philly team and fight back from 2-0 down against Montreal. First, Luchi is not yet a manager of veteran professional players. We know it, and worse yet, the players know it. He doesn’t have the juice. He’s wasn’t a long-time professional, he’s never been through a really tough stretch yet as a manager and guided a team through it, he hasn’t won anything, he’s never cobbled together results to avoid relegation, he’s done nothing as a manager. He is the consultant who suddenly becomes a boss in the industry in which he previously consulted, but never actually worked previously. Óscar didn’t exactly have a thick managerial resumé when he got to Frisco, but he was a long-time pro. He was a team leader as a player. Was he perfect? Hardly. But at this point, after all that and two trophies in Frisco and a semi-successful tenure at a Liga MX club notorious for giving managers the hook quickly, he has the juice. And you can see the difference in Orlando now. But Steve is right about confidence. Sadly, the only players with confidence, the only ones wanting to “try shit” are the ones coming as second half subs. I’d rather see Tanner Tessmann or Brandon Servania out there instead of Bryan Acosta. “Whoa, that’s radical and out of pocket... tossing Tessmann out there.” No, it what they were doing in February and March when they were starting Ferreira, Tessmann, and Thiago Santos in central midfield, with Fafà and Mikey on the wings. As for Ferreira, I’ve come around to Buzz’s assessment of him as a withdrawn striker in the mold of Jason Kreis. He certainly isn’t a #9 and he isn’t a #10. His struggles in midfield remind me of the way that Kreis didn’t impress too strongly until Dir moved him from the midfield to a forward in ‘99. And oh yeah, get Bressan out of there. He’s not bad. He just doesn’t bring anything to the table. Ideally, given what I’ve seen, here’s how I’d go: G: Maurer (the MVP of the return) D: Hollingshead, Ziegler, Hedges, Cannon LW: Picault RW: Barrios DM: Thiago Santos Holding Mid: Pomykal/Servania/Tessmann Withdrawn FW: Ferreira Striker: Jara/Kobra There. A lineup with a midfield that has shown more speed of play and imagination than we’ve seen the last couple of weeks.