SKC vs Vancouver 6/3

I wonder if JFD is going to have to go all 90 or if we see the return of Khiry #thequestionmark Shelton at right back.

(I stole the question mark thing from a reddit thread - its a play on THEANSWER lol)

 

No real surprises there given how Zusi went off vs Dallas. I expect we'll see at least a little rotation tomorrow, Leibold at LB, Walter back into the starting 11 (likely ahead of Kinda with the turf in Vancouver), could see one of the CBs rested.

 

I would rather see Duke in the team as the potential back up to Davis.

 

Vancouver could also rest some people tomorrow b/c Wednesday they play Montreal in the final of the Canadian Championship

 

I can see some sense in getting something out of the $625,000 a year guy who should never again play on the front line.
If the man can play RB, and first signs were good, maybe it means that Duke moves up the pecking order up top? With JFR out, I can see some good sense in bringing him into the squad as a backup to Tzone (as he tends to need a sub, this would mean some minutes).
My reasoning here is both that I keep hearing Duke's real position is higher up, and I really, really hate seeing The ? come in along the front line.

Also, Vanc had one of those miracle games this week, when so much of what every team does all the time worked out perfectly and flew into the net, so I expect them to come back down to earth, at least a bit.

 

Honestly if Duke's not playing RB I think he's on his way out at this point, he's not moving back up field, he's basically been training with SKCII in the photos they post from their practice.

I wouldn't say the first signs were "good" it was 19 minutes plus stoppage time. He did adequate and still looked lazy, slow pushing up with the rest of the back line.

 

That is too bad. There is something to Duke's game that can work well in MLS. I really like his speed and aggression and willingness to try things.
I was a fan of his very, very green attempts at RB. I'm not sure I can see Duke develop into a full time starter in MLS, but I think he has value as a rotation guy. He's the exact player that MLS teams need if they're going to suceed.
It is a problem if we can't find a spot for him in our depth chart.
I have not had those thoughts about shelton since his second year back from Germany.
You are probably right on shelton. What i saw was that he didn't look completely useless, and that was a nice change for him.

 

Exactly. I can't believe how many people thought Shelton was "good" at outside back. He was an emergency, like putting a field player in goal. If you watch him, his footwork is terrible. He couldn't make back passes to the keeper with his left, which is a pretty damn important skill for a RB.

Is it a travesty that he is paid $625K? Yes, it is. But playing him at RB is just stupid.

As for Duke, I have no idea what is going on but I tend to agree. Its a shame because he does have promise. Feels like yet another young academy guy on his way out.

 

People are going to be really disappointed when he plays there for longer and all these things that were "little things" during the emergency stint become much more obvious and glaring.

 

this sentence is absurd. True. But absurd. That this scenario exists is such a strike against whoever is doing the roster construction.

 

Okay, so with this list: OUT - Johnny Russell (hamstring), Graham Zusi (hamstring), Kayden Pierre (hamstring), Tim Melia (quad), Kortne Ford (Achilles), Willy Agada (tibia stress fracture), what do we know?
Ford is for next year, maybe, but is probably done forever.
Agada might be back late August?
JFR a couple more weeks?
Pierre is supposed to be close, right?
Melia Sept/Oct (so, basically, his career is over, IMO)
Zusi, see Melia?

 

We made 4 big mistakes with this roster build, at least. Zusi, Roger and Melia have show signs of decline for a couple years and had reached the point of very diminishing returns. Given their lower levels of play, what they bring can be replaced by young, cheap guys, which, Roger on $85k excepted, open up possiblitites on the entire roster build. And then there was bringing back Shelton, who was coming off a horrible season, and yet for some reason doubling his wages. Melia, who is now a known injury concern, also got a nice bump, so the two of them tied up about $1.3million, but won't mean a single extra point on the season, and clearly are not ones for the future. the four of them tied up $1.6m and won't mean a single extra point on the season.
Hell, toss in Fontas and we're around $$2.1m. Crikey, add in the $2.2m that opens when Pulido leaves, and that's a potential crapton of quality added for 2024.

 

PV said 3-4 weeks for JFR.

 

If Tim and Khiry just signed new deals then we don't get that cap space back for 2024 though right? Unless either is bought out with the 1 per season buyout we've never publicly used.

Maybe they front loaded some of their deals and subsequent seasons are less but I doubt it.

 

Our DoF should be fired. Who gives a multi-year deal to a 36 year old not named Messi? Shelton makes no sense on any level. I was hoping they might be one year deals with option years tagged on

 

Happy for the goal called back but I think Vanvouver got robbed.

 

An absolute, baffling gift for us.

We've played well but we're starting the bunker process way too early. I know Vancouver is susceptible to it... It's just that SKC isn't any good at that play.

I am enjoying the match though. It's like Thommy and friends vs Gauld and friends.

 

Took seeing the freeze frame, b/c I thought the same, but they weren't:

#Vancouver’s White is in an offside position at time of shot. Clarification he is not interfering with the goalkeeper but with the other defender from being able to defend shot. Correct decision by VAR Stoica to recommend offside interfering with opponent. #MLSSeasonPass #MLS360 pic.twitter.com/hZnW0NQTZ3

— Christina Unkel (@ChristinaUnkel) June 4, 2023

 

Oh interesting. He was clearly offside but I was only looking at the GK for an interference call.

 

Would have like to see Afrifa given some real minutes.

Total brain hiccup not seeing the interference with the defender.

 

Okay, some times you earn a point, and in the first half I thought we did, and sometimes you get lucky, second half. McIntyre's final play aside (which had me screaming at him, but he may not have heard) he looked under control. It's interesting how much more under control we looked before Pulido picked up his knock.
Verdict, we can use a full week to prepare for the next match. and a road point is a good thing.