10/20: Music City Madness: Nashville vs FCD [R]

Anyone else see parallels between how the US national team played Bradley the last cycle every game and had to build the ream around hiding his weaknesses and Acosta where FCD is doing the same thing? Oh, so clever to to have him pressing up high and Ricaurte deep so he can control from there and Tessmann doing who knows what depending on what the other two are doing. How about sitting Acosta on the bench and playing Santos at the 6 where he normally plays, Tessmann at the 8 where he normally plays and Ricuarte at the 10 where he normally plays? Think the offense might look better with Ricuarte nearer the forwards than Acosta who even if he did win the ball is a pretty bad passer?

 

I don't think it matters how you play Ricaurte, Acosta, Tessman, Santos in regard to the attack because the attacking players give them no options for a pass. Any of those guys can play a long ball to the wing where Hollingshead or Barrios, or Picault might run onto it and maybe do something. You could put me in there and I can probably boot the ball into the penalty area and hope for a miracle. Without better off-the-ball movement, those seem to be our only attacking options.

 

I think Jara knows how to do off the ball stuff but expects some one and two touch return passes he rarely gets. Of course Pomykal was great at those passes that broke teams open. I though Ricuarte would do those but lately he's playing a deeper role. Is he a #10 or not? If so play him where he's needed and put the best two midfielders who enhance his game behind him.

 

Seems like everyone is realizing Ricuarte is more of a linking midfielder instead of a playmaker. I think our problem is we have no playmaker, at least none that's healthy.