Leitch did play right back, filling in for Zaide. Brenes was left back. Regan was a D-mid. IMNSHO, Metros did not suddenly experiment with a 3 man defense as has been widely mentioned in this thread.
IMHO - Starting Jusko in the Open Cup final, after it was clear to all that he could not contribute, was a very serious mistake to make in what was our only chance, so far, at earning any kind of metal. Continually starting and subbing players that make no, contribution. SGR does not get better each time he is subbed in. There's an inability to learn from mistakes. And most unforgivable is to let Amado, arguably our most skilled player, linger in the back instead of playing the midfield lwhere he belongs. You wonder why team can cut through our midfeld? One reason is that we don't cut through theirs anymore with Amado in the back. Come on, who's the coach here? Why is Amado for several games in a row now positioned out of the game? Pope does not bring any sense of leadership to the defense. No one does. Glenn spends more time on his ass than on his feet, like he'd rather draw a foul than a goal. Maybe just me, but settling for Walker as our best choice for keeper seems a mediocre decsion. He is, really he is. Isn't the coach in charge of this kind of stuff? Can't blame SGR, the guy brings what he's got. Who tells or puts up with Amado playing in the backline. Walker rolls balls to the defense instead of punting out to open players or leading spaces. Never plays real fast at distribution. His choice? We never seem to use two wings, like ever, anymore. We have no enforcers on the team. Look, it ain't up to Metrodog. SOmebosy makes these decsion OR at worst somebody doesn;t and just lives with what happens out there. More and more I get the feeling that Bradley just lives with it instead or taking charge of it and making it work. As another poster suggested, Hey it's DC not ManU or Arsenal. We can and have beat them. Do it!
Great post Studsup. It pretty much covers my beliefs of this team. I wish the team would be as pumped up as we are.
On the issue of coaching philosopies and abilities did anyone else see Paul Gardner's article in Tuesday's New York Sun. Which by the way was the first time in about two years that he has said anything that I can remember about an MLS game. After stating that Nowak started the season badly partly due to trying to figure out what to do with Adu, he writes "Nowak has an explanation for DC's turnaround: "during the season I told my team that winning is about running and fighting, not just soccer. that is why we have been winning, and lately we have been able to play soccer too". Nowak's running and fighting closely resemb;e George Graham's effort and committment. And disruption works". He then points out the foul differential. In the last three games 73 to 44. Bradley seems unable to come up with a game plan to figure out how to handle tactical fouls which he knows, or should know, are how Nowak's team will play. But that is his job. We knew for a while that it would be DC in the first round, the home field advantage may have been up in the air but the opponent wasn't. Failing to figure out how to beat disruption is what i fault Bob on. Personell choices I won't fault him on but tactics we can. As a final note, Gardner bemoans the fact that DC is merely "efficient" and senses that "good soccer" won't be seen because of the roughness favored by Nowak. As a fan of the game I amy agree with him but as a fan of Metro (in my case the higher calling) I'd take efficient in a heartbeat. I'd rather have an "ugly" win then yet more pretty losses.
But you know, before Stewart got the call, we had figured out how to handle DC's pressure, and we were goign to end up with a 1-0 or 2-0 score. Look, after that we had to open up the game. We couldn't go to DC down a goal. I know a lot of people are pissed off he brought on the trio of Vaca, Lisi, and SGR, but he had to roll the dice there. I personally would have brought on Fabian, SGR, and possibly Lisi, and kept Glen on there while subbing Woly. But the reality is DC was on their heels for most of the game. Let the DC fans gloat, Dc didn't play as Nowak said better soccer. They got lucky on the Stewart goal, and had a striker's goal with Eski.
Good post. Saturday will be the fourth time this month that the Metros play DC. After 3 losses, if Bradley hasnt figured out by now how to beat them, then really, it's time for him to go. It's just DC.