I will give a pro tip to those of you that coach and scout future opponents. I learned this trick by accident. Dress for away games in the team colors of your opponent. Show up early and just stand by or sit near the home team and you will overhear all kinds of interesting information. The fun part is walking across the field when your team arrives and you start warming them up. I also did this when I’d see the away team referees arrive and get geared up on the sideline. I’d would appear to be paying attention to something else but eavesdropping on the refs talking among themselves about the game.
While I know this would never happen, I would be very excited if the Q2 team would try something different to get their offense going. If I were coach, I would play twin towers up front in a 4-4-2 and play more direct. Think of the Goonie season of Lenhart and Gordon. I would move Cano up and play him alongside Serrano. I saw Cano playing club ball and ODP and some of his coaches played him at striker. He was very Ricardo Pepi like. The difference was he was more a 50-50 guy, meaning his assists were about equal to his goals. I always lamented that he didn’t get more time up there. Several of his teams leaked goals and couldn’t get a hold of the ball to feed him so coaches moved him back to keep scores close and pass out of the back or use him as a six. He seems to be a team guy through and through so he went along with it. His two disallowed goals would probably tie him for team lead this year if they had counted.
Q2 alumni in MLS Max Arfsten Mo Farsi was a late scratch. Max Arfsten, his replacement, has a goal and an assist on the night. The kid has taken advantage of every opportunity he has earned this season. #Crew96— MLS Gone Wild ⭐️ (@MLSGoneWild) June 4, 2023
Something is up with the August 12 home match vs. Austin FC II. Ticketmaster lists it as canceled. Venue and maybe date/time changes?
Indeed, the match will be at St. Mary's College on August 12 at 5 PM. The Town FC is hosting and already selling tickets. They beat the Quakes to the punch in announcing the event, not good but expected.
OTOH I had to google The Town FC to find out what it was, and couldn’t tell from their web site. I guess they are looking for investors for a team? Does Oakland need two D2 / D3 teams? I guess there could be a partnership with the Quakes for the Quakes Next / Pro team? And could this relate to Fish looking at the training facilities out in that direction a while back, and as to why Quakes II are playing out there?
Breaking records! 🎯@EarthquakesII rose to victory after 1️⃣2️⃣ rounds in the shootout last night - becoming the longest shootout in league history. pic.twitter.com/ATurjJWA9Y— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) August 10, 2023
“League” as in NextPro or MLS? I was wondering about this. Portland SKC epic shootout didn’t last this long. Also Qii converted nine straight in single shootout. Record?
Quakes ii will travel to St Louis on Oct 1st to play first round of playoffs. https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/sur...highlight-new-mls-next-pro-pick-your-opponent
Interesting that neither Tacoma (Seattle) nor SKC wanted the Quakes in the first round. Their road record has been strong. Can they advance? If they win then we’ll see if Colorado will chose them or more likely avoid them in the Western Conference semis.
“Scared money don’t make money.” - Benny FeilhaberThe first selections in our pick-your-opponent playoff format certainly didn’t disappoint. 👀It all starts with the Conference Quarterfinals this weekend! pic.twitter.com/oNaKadV8mK— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) September 26, 2023
Wow pick your opponent (for 2nd and 3rd seeds) - good way to motivate your opponent. Quakes didn’t get picked (yet) though so no extra motivation for them.
If I’m the Quakes’ coach I’m pointing out that both top seeds passed hosting the Quakes. They don’t feel it’s the best match up for them.
I don't follow MLS next, but teams are giving a choice of who they'd like to play in the postseason?!? It's not in order in what position you finished?
New experimental playoff structure this season. Rewards the highest 3 seeds in each conference. Seed 1 gets a first round bye and then in round 2 they get to pick their opponent (and host a home game). Seed 2 gets to decide if they want to play seeds 4,5,6 or 7 in first round. Seed 3 then gets their turn to choose and the final two teams not chosen will play each other at higher seeded home stadium. In the West number 2 Tacoma chose number 7 Houston but number 3 SKC decided to host number 4 Austin. So number 6 San Jose goes on the road against 5 St Louis. Austin’s road record is pretty weak while the Quakes have been very good away from home so SKC looks smart taking on a side that doesn’t seem to travel well. Number 1 Colorado will get to chose between the three winning teams who they will play next round.
I do like that set up and would wonder what would happen if it was in MLS. Also would love to see the shootout after 90 rule be put in place. Adds a little spice at the end and I guarantee a lot more people will stay in their seats and not leave early.
The stage is set for the Conference Semifinals, and the selections may surprise you 🫣'I'm a little disappointed, but it is what it is' - @BWPNINENINE The first match kicks off this Friday at 7pm ET on #MLSSeasonPass on Apple TV! pic.twitter.com/W7rH7yZpgV— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) October 3, 2023
Can't believe I watched that... Yapi scores for Colorado in the 85th minute... given the Quakes have managed like one shot all game, it's not looking good. Edit: As soon as I write that Munie almost equializes...
One thing MLS doesn't get enough credit for is their willingness to try stuff... MLS Next Pro provides a great opportunity for that... since this has worked so well hopefully we see it implemented in MLS soon: MLS Next Pro’s experimental efforts to curtail time-wasting yield quick results The frustration for Feilhaber was amplified, in part, because he knows the problem can be addressed. As coach of MLS Next Pro’s Sporting Kansas City II, Feilhaber saw the effectiveness of the league’s off-field treatment rule, which was implemented last summer. The rule says that “if the referee stops play due to a potential player injury, the player may be required to leave the field of play for three minutes.” The rule has “exceptions” built in for issues like head injuries, bleeding, cardiac or serious injury incidents, or red- or yellow-card inducing tackles, but the aim is simple: stop time-wasting tactics. The results after one and a half seasons of implementation were clear, and eye-opening: an 80% reduction in extended stoppages due to on-field treatment.
By the way mods, this thread is impossible to search for with the / between Next and Pro since they're not recognized as separate words... Quakes2 in NEXT/Pro should be Quakes2 in MLS Next Pro
What I want: 2 play-in games, 8 best of three series, top seeds of the 8 teams left standing get to pick (in order based on regular season points) the opponents they would host for all the subsequent single game rounds, live over a televised Zoom call. Do all that and don't change it as MLS expands to 40 teams, 9/20 playoff teams in each conference would mean only good teams in the playoffs unlike the current 9/15.
E2 will have yet another new opponent in 2025. “Jacksonville Armada FC to Join MLS NEXT Pro” (MLSNextPro.com - Thursday, 11/2/23) GO EARTHQUAKES II !!! -G