07/7: Paper or Plastic?: FCD vs San Jose [R]

Everyone make sure that Wondo is on your fantasy team. Maybe Gordon and Lenhart, too.

 

Safest bet at this point may be the SJ goalkeeper.

 

Was the paper or plastic our choice of headgear?

 

I'm praying for at least a decent showing. I know it's tough to expect based on the last few weeks (read: two months or so), but I just have to hope they can turn it around. If we could just get past Chivas or Portland I'd quit my bitchin'...

 

And it looks like MLS is again trotting out a Beginner Ref for us:

REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Peter Manikowski; 4th: Jorge Luna Hernandez
MLS Career: 1 game; FC/gm: 23.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 1; pens: 2

This will be only his second career MLS game to call. One red and 2 PKs last time out for his debut. Maybe the crap calls will go our way? Oh hell no, this is FCD!

 

I see Wondo getting a hattrick and then SJs 4th goal will come by way of PK off of a red card by some dim witted FCD player.
Final: we lose 4-0

 

One must logically ask the question, whether his calls were bad or were they actually accurate calls. Perhaps he doesn't let players hack their way through a game in search of a victory. Maybe he is an improved new version of MLS refereeing that is trying to clean up the more physical parts of the game in order to let MLS evolve into a more technically oriented league. Let's give this new man a chance perhaps the discipline he dishes out will benefit teams with more of a technically gifted group of players, for example, Us.

Of course more than likely Lenhart will just break one of our players legs.... ********ing MLS.

 

This is MLS. After drawing 2 games FCD should have won but could have lost, the streak will be broken against the best team in the West.

FCD 2-1.

 

hey guys, san jose fan in peace. just saw wiedeman starting for you guys, local Cal guy and would be rooting for him for any other game than tonight. hows he been for you guys this year?

 

well, they aren't losing at least

 

Same old same old.

Can't score.

 

Castillo may have just completed the worst first half I've ever witnessed by a single player.

 

I don't give a sh** what happens!!!! I love these subs!!!!!!!

 

HT, by my unofficial count in section 103 we had ZERO crosses from the left side. Wiedemen is useless.

Why is Jair Benitez in the stands watching?

When will Perez return? Don't see how we can score without a true striker?

50% DF10 best player on the field.

Villar and Jackson? 2 subs. Could SH actually be trying to win this game?!?!?!

 

How the hell does Shellas not use his last sub? Seriously, up a man with NOTHING to lose!?!?!? Bring on a forward!!!

 

Well, see, there's your problem... I don't know that there are any forwards on the Dallas roster in the mind of shellas hyndman. If there were, I would think he would have played them already. While I'm not 100% certain, there is a possibility, that SH only thinks there are midfielders, and why the ******** would he put any more of those on when adding 2 at halftime didn't seem to work. No, he made his changes.

I would like to write more about this subject but I'm ********ing pissed. I'm going to start drinking again pretty goddamn soon.

 

This crap is getting to be too hard to watch. Just what the F is the game plan and what the F is SH trying to have these guys do?

We went stretches, loooooong stretches, without completing three passes. I've heard from a number of people once DF comes back the creativity issues will be solved and Brek would be fine. Heard that even earlier this week. Well, the ball has to get to DF's feet first, which it doesn't, as none of the mids around him can complete a f'ing pass. Second, when he does get it he needs options, which he doesn't as we have no flank play and the unnecessary amount of DMids leave DF with no one to play off and no options as they're all standing around behind him. Not at the least moving around and making themselves available behind him, but literally standing in place.

Then we have Brek up top, alone, usually being shaded by two or more defender, three or four whenever he touches it, as SJ knew there wasn't a single other threat out there to focus on. Just what the F is Brek supposed to do up there? Even when he does hold up the ball and bring it down he has ZERO options on either side. Does no one know how the fill space on this team? Where the hell are the runs? Is the hope to just send one hopeless longball after another towards Brek thinking he might go one on four and score? That's what it appeared the game plan was.

I'm not sure if it's a complete lack of talent/skill on the pitch, SH being tactically sub par, the team somewhat quiting on him our a combination of all three. SH stacks DMids in the middle, there's no creativity, no value placed on keeping the ball, no one advancing and running into space, very little movement or timely runs, no one making themselves available for a pass, and when the ball occasionally does get advanced into the opponents half, whoever has it has zero options as everyone else is just standing around behind them. There's no one crashing the box. Without Brek on the left there are no crosses. Just what the hell is SH attempting to do?

This is flat out ugly soccer. I don't even mind not scoring as much as I do what appears to be incompetence. We can't even string together three or four passes. There are no build ups. There are rarely any opportunities unless it's a mistake we take advantage of. You can't put Brek on an island up top and surround DF with DMids with little to no touch or ability to pass, and expect those two to turn this around. If not for three goal line saves SJ would have taken a giant dump on us tonight.

Watching the Sea game and in the first 10 mins they've had more opportunities on build ups than we've had in three games. Just ridiculous. We don't even look like an MLS team right now.

 

That looked like a competent MLS team in the 2nd half. Put Shea at LM and Blas up top and that is an XI that can win games. No idea why Wiedeman was given a start. I will say those were good HT subs by SH just wish we had started that way.

Until Castillo learns to combine with other players and provide width and cross the ball he needs to play up top. Shea is not a forward and it would have been better to have Castillo up top than Brek, IMHO.

With more offensive players on the pitch in the 2nd half both Jacobson and Marcelin looked better.

I think DH is done but we should only think positive and be thankful for his effort and play for FCD. He is a warrior and was captain in '10 and '11 seasons which were both strong seasons.

Even if we play a 4-5-1 / 4-1-4-1 we can't go into a season with only one competent forward. Sealy is not effective, obviously Luna is not developing and will not be an MLS level player. We need another striker for when Blas is injured, needs a break, or is on intl. duty.

Hopefully Blas can come back soon and we can put out a semblance of that 2nd half team, with Brek in his LM role, Jackson on right, DF10 at CAM. Personally I would play Jacobson behind DF10 and put Castillo up top in support of Blas, but I know SH will opt for Jacobson and Marcelin with a 4-5-1 / 4-1-4-1 with DF10 supporting Blas. Either way that is fine and better than we have seen lately, it at least gets 4-5 offensive players on the field.

Pertuz was HUGE in this game, he played excellent and was the main reason, along with Hartman, we got a point and not suffered a loss.

We need a lot (or even some) more movement off the ball and we need players to check to the ball and build triangle and squares and make runs off the ball. Very little combo play. At least DF10 is looking to make penetrating passes for guys to run onto. Castillo for all his speed never looks to make a run into space, perhaps as DF10 has just returned and is the only one that will make such a pass. I don't know, but I know he should not be so stationary.

It looked much better in the 2nd half but still not good enough.

 

Gotta agree. I'm still trying to understand the tactics in soccer but it seems to me, FCD players spend more time trying to beat their man off the dribble or run around them with speed (often against multiple defenders) than any of the teams they've been playing lately. There does not seem to be any coherence in FCD passing game (or what passes for one). Is this just incompetent coaching or is it a predictable outcome of having to replace so many injured players? I tend to be believe the former.

I have always had misgivings about SH as a coach but it was very hard to argue against him when he made it to the MLS Cup Finals in 2010.

 

Kudos for finally benching Hernandez!

This is Brek's worst season as a pro, I think rookie him had better performances...and that is saying a lot. His fitness level seems to be awful, his reading of his teammates is bad and he is being played out of position to highlight all of his back to goal weaknesses. It's really tough to watch him struggle through this year after so much good last year.

Castillo is not a starter at this point in his career, I think he is actually behind Levya in progress as a player. The difference is his one developed skill, speed, is such an asset that he gets more chances to play, but he clearly doesn't deserve it anymore. I think he is best suited as a sub around the 70th min, let him turn and burn these tired defenders.

Plus side is the back 4 is solidifying as a group, still got some holes that are exposed over and over, but they are finally covering for each other, which is a big sign of cohesion.

Bottom line is this team is just not very good. Glad they aren't losing games anymore but the desire to win doesn't seem to exist, in particular with the coach. No forward yet again, why is Sealy on the roster at this point? Where are trialists, or at least rumors of forwards? Amazing that Luna has gone from SH saying last season that he is the future of the club to not even being able to dress out when the club is this bad. Frustrating to watch this week in and week out.

 

Good result for FCD given the opponent and current form. Terrible game to watch. Uffda.