So I will try and keep my perfect record going of RSL either winning, losing, or getting a draw when I start the thread. Columbus comes in sitting 11th in the East and on 17 points with 4-5-5 record. That's about as even/average as you can get. In their last 7 games they have 2 wins, 3 loses and 2 draws. I'm not a Caleb Porter fan in the same way I'm not a Peter Vermes fan. Decent coaches but whiny as bitches on the sideline. Gross and unnecessary behavior. I'm starting to expect RSL to play well almost every game now and that is kind of concerning. Like when a team starts to believe their good press and then lays an egg on baseball field and gives up 6 goals. Often, with good, young teams in the process of learning how to win consistently and turn good play into great you have a game or two that brings you back to reality. This team can't think for one moment that they can turn "IT" on and turn "IT" off whenever they please. That's dangerous. Not suggesting that they will but when you start feeling big for your britches, crap happens. I'm expecting a similar game plan and outcome as SJ. So 3-1 RSL!
Columbus isn't good. RSL is, at the very least, good. Maybe inconsistent, but the record suggests more good than bad. That means RSL should win. RSL has handled that "pressure" fairly well this year. Surprisingly, RSL hasn't handled the underdog thing as well, arguably. Which, whatever. New identity, who dis? The Wood injury is a question mark for how the team sets up. I think this 4-2-2-2 will stay. The more I watch it, the more it confuses me in how exactly it produces results. It's fun, but it's weird. XI I think we'll see: - - - Rubin - - Cordova - - - Meram - - - - - - - - - Savarino - - - Ruiz - - Loeffelsend - - - Brody - Glad - Silva - Herrera - - - - - - MacMath - - - - - - - - I've said it plenty of times before: I'm not a big fan of Meram but i have to give him credit. He isn't a weak spot on the team. I think the position could certainly be better (it's MLS, you could say that about 95% of players, honestly) but he's doing the job. Loeffelsend isn't any kind of amazing CM but he's doing the job. I really want him to win Rookie of the Year but fear we'll have another Baird if that happens and yeah, that's not ideal. Still, the kid has done really well for what was expected of him (remember how he signed a Monarchs contract?) and I want to see that growth continue I really hope Fall sells Ochoa. Cut the losses and just move on. The two younger GK's in the system (and on first team contracts) deserve the shot if Ochoa is going to be this much of a headcase. Herrera back in the XI, with Savarino in front of him, really excites me. I want to see our right side just utterly dominate.
Herrera and Ruiz cycling back in is more of an upgrade than losing Wood is a downgrade over last week. The Ismitjes cheering in person: also an upgrade, I hope.
thought of you when I saw this tweet. Consistency has been 🔑 for Pablo Mastroeni & #RSL- Clear 2-4-4 in possession- Wingbacks step up and create the 2nd line of 4- Wingers join the dual 9’s in the attacking 3rdAvg. positions from their recent matches v. SJ, VWFC, HOU, ATX pic.twitter.com/lYpydO8txi— MLS Gone Wild ⭐️ (@MLSGoneWild) June 22, 2022
Thank you for posting this. I've been clicking on those images for longer than I want to admit. One thing that stands out to me is just how tight the two center mids are to each other. In the top right they almost perfectly overlap. It's also weird how advanced Chang is in some of them - especially the bottom left. Nobody in the modern game is going to say they play with a back 2; even with the offensive progress demanded of outside backs. They aren't really part of the back 4, but they're not in a different line of the formation, either. If you forced Pablo to say how he wants the team to lineup when in possession, I think you'd get a 2-4-2-2. It's the shape in the San Jose game that features some really interesting shapes between players that are difficult to defend. If I'm looking at the RSL shape and finding a way to attack it, I'd go right at that space behind the outside back. A team with a decent 3-man front line should cause that setup nightmares.
I'm going to be out of the country for this one. Anyone ever tried connecting to ESPN+ from Honduras?
That's a good idea. I used to use it when the KSL app insisted that I was outside of the service area, despite living in Salt Lake. But that hasn't been a problem for the last year or two, and I might not have thought to try the website
We are in 17. Good to see Jonny on the bench as our fire power off the bench is weakened sans Wood available. Thought maybe we would see Garcia as a sub.
Garcia is with the Monarchs. Doubt we'll see him with RSL the rest of the season unless there's lots of injuries again.
What a dumb foul from Herrera. Back to the penalty st the end of the Vancouver game, that's two in about 20 minutes of action.