I’m saying, modern clubs are following LAFC’s model and organizing the supporters groups so that they occupy one big stand and make a statement. Quakes rebuilt the Ultras area to better achieve such a look, but it’s only got like 50 Ultras in it. That area needs to be populated with more fans of separate groups who can coexist. That is, if Quakes want to make our games look like the fans care about the team…
Awful defensive performance in extra time, total collapse. The lack of a true d-mid shielding the back line was very evident... morales had been subbed out and gruezo was not in the squad. So TT ends up having to defend that zone desperately and conceding their third (yes centerbacks could've done better too). Munie, wilson, beason, all poor and skahan awful on the cross on their fourth... why was he pinching in / sluffing off his man before that? I know he gets a lot of hate on here but we really could've used Gruezo in extra time after taking the lead. Let's give it up for Judd btw... dude had a pretty good game... goal and assist. Not perfect but he's starting to do the stuff you want from him. Physical and dark arts but didn't cross the line.
Yeah, the defensive shape was really shambolic at the end. Monday morning quarterbacking but I don't think going to the 3-5-2 was a good idea. Yes we got 2 goals out of it but those were due to the magic of Hernán and Espinoza and could have happened just as easily in our 4-3-3. I don't know if we've used 3-5-2 in any game this year or how much we practice it, and between an unusual mix of A/B team players + a unfamiliar formation, we were really lost in terms of defensive shape. As I've mentioned we didn't have any pressure on the outside - most notable on Sac's 4th goal. And on the 3rd goal Wilson was way out of shape with the other CBs - he was pushed way forward to outside the box, trying to defend the ball, and that left a giant hole on the left side of our box.
It diminishes the apparent support when you have a bunch of feuding, disparate groups sprinkled here and there rather than a unified supporters section in full-throated unison, but factions are gonna faction so there’s really nothing to do.
Was it really a 3-5-2? I saw a back four of Marie, Beason, Munie and Verhoeven.at the beginning. After halftime, it was Marie, Beason, Wilson and Munie. I may not have the order left to right exactly correct. The sub of Lopez for Marie switched the formation to a three back although it looked like Kikanovic became a wing back, almost the second fullback. Having only one holding midfielder on the game day roster is coaching malpractice, par for the course.
USL is Judd's level, it's like people being excited about Cade Cowell when he has a three goal contributions in one game in Champions League, but it was against a Canadian Premier League team, and then he has one goal contribution all season for Chivas in LigaMX.
SKC has one whole side of the stadium devoted to different supporter groups. They have separate identities but they're unified in maintaining vocal support. It creates the atmosphere that percolates throughout the stadium. Of course, having four sides rather than three sides and an airport makes a big difference too.
Yeah I meant late in the game. Certainly it was 4-3-3 initally. What happened at the half is less clear. But by the end of the game, there were no fullbacks. TT was in there but not playing as a fullback. Not sure what his role was supposed to be. Or how Skahan's role might have changed? He seemed to be defending sort of deep on the left side, but not really functioning as a winger in defensive posture per se. The thing is that if you have a real 3-5-2, the wingers can push back into a de facto 5-back in a defensive posture. But we were a mess. We had the 3 CBs more or less and then a bunch of guys just sort of moving randomly around the middle with no coverage on the outside. Then as I mentioned, on Sac's 3rd goal, Wilson had stepped way out of line with the other CBs to try to press the ball and that created acres of space in the box on the left side of the goal. On the Sac 4th goal, Parano was allowed to get way too close to the goal, again on our left side, with virtually no pressure (Skahan kind of tried) before hitting that cross across the goal. With a proper 3-5-2, and some semblance of shape, I don't think either of those goals would happen.
Yesterday at the game, i realized that the MLSSoccer app on my iphone shows the match details for the USOC games. So at the game, i was able to lookup the lineup (I had no idea who the GK was). But today, I realized that the USOC games are not listed on the mlssoccer website. An interesting anomaly, i wonder why MLS is doing it that way. BTW I just recently discovered fotmob a few weeks ago, after I complained in the TSS discord that I couldn’t find much info on NWSL games. Fotmob is an amazing app. I wonder who is entering the data, as it graphs out the soccer action with very little delay.
Surprised that the MLSsoccer app still shows USOC games. I think they just haven't updated it in a while . Let's be honest - at this point MLS doesn't want people to know that USOC exists.
+1 to Fotmob. My son told me about it, and it's the best tracking app I have found, including reminders about upcoming games and the ability to turn off the groans when your team gets scored on (if you're not there in person, given that the actual game is often ahead of the broadcast). I use it all three local teams.
Yeah, when I saw the replay of the 4th goal, I couldn't believe the cushion Skahan was giving their attacker. then he bites hard and backs off even more on the inside step over...now he's a mile away and can't contest the cross...really poor technique...maybe he was on fumes at that point.
Luis Filipe has really burned the Quakes ever since they released him. Ian Russell found him found him while he was in high school in Florida. Ian played him offensively as a right mid mostly, with freedom to take guys on or cross. He would occasionally play centrally as a 10 or 8 and a few times as a possession 6. Once the Quakes signed him to the first team they pretty much exclusively played him at the 6 and he never was comfortable in their system. Probably didn’t help to play Almeyda’s man marking system where he just chased a guy around until he was way out of position to shield his defense. Quake’s coaching has consistently tried to shoehorn players into positions that make players worse than they should be. Super frustrating to watch.
It would be nice if the Quakes had a song that the entire stadium joined in on. Like in England, Crystal Palace has their Ultras, but, everyone joins in on, "Glad All Over". Or at Anfield when everyone sings, "You'll Never Walk Alone" when Liverpool comes onto the field.
The chorus to Old Firm Casuals’ Never Say Die is super simple and singable but a little too simple. It’s the same words and 3 notes over and over. So I don’t know if it quite works as an anthem in the same way. Still, it would make a nice little singing cheer for the ultras and the stadium could join in. Would be particularly apropos when the Quakes fall behind, which is often these days.
IIRC Mikael Stahre was the one coach who liked him and gave him some starts but yeah I think it was as a 6 or 8.
RSL has a song and dance that everybody does when the team scores. It's super cringe to watch, but the audience seems to get into it.
Bills have played an adaptation of the Shout song after every home team score for nearly 40 years. Everyone knows it, and it has now apparently fostered a dance. Snow outside the window gives it authenticity.
There's nothing wrong with a player not being ready for MLS and going down to USL, getting minutes, and improving their game. Not necessarily an indictment of the Quakes decisions four five six years ago.