One Forward against four Defenders isn't going to do much unless midfielders and press up high. Sorga had some runs into the box with the ball the pressed their defense that opened up Hines-Ike's goal. That's what Forwards are supposed to do, either score or open things up and provide assists for others. That's what he did.
Shawn is right. The two goals were lucky. I like this style of high press because the entire team is involved. We did a great job of getting interceptions and clogging passing lanes. Can we sustain this in summer? That’s why fitness is paramount. We have a long way to go, but we were more dangerous in our paltry 37% top.
Wow what a fun night! We started so shakey and disjointed. I'm not sure how it showed on TV but a lot of the players looked a little nervous and our spacing and passing all seemed a bit off. You could see the players trying tons of practiced movements that either weren't executed well or a player wasn't making a run that the other expected. Once these start to click we are going to see some great stuff. The biggest difference as people have noted is just the fact that we take shots now. Funny how shooting more might create some goals. Roberta looked like a smart player and I think he will be a great asset. Najar in his few touches looked really sharp and obviously Hines Ike was a step above last night. Thanks again to section 107 for selling those tickets my wife and I had a blast. It was so great to watch some live soccer again.
It was a ROUGH start during the first twenty minutes. Once they settled in the high press started yielding the results. Was the win pretty? The passing was poor and possession lacking, but the shots, pressure, and the goals were things of beauty. This system will be messy, but it allows a chance in any match. We know it will crash and burn occasionally, but I'm down for the wild ride
After NY had to chase the game for a bit it was clear they weren't able to get through our press which resulted in a pretty calm time up until we got tired around the 80th minute.
Unlike a couple of posters here I didn't think Sorga looked slow. I actually thought Robertha looked slow.
it’s exactly the same kind of goals that Seattle and others got on the first day of matches, no difference. Nobody expects teams to be coherent day one under a new coach which is why winning those games is so valuable- it isn’t expected.
Some people seem to forget that MLS has regressed as it expanded. Teams on average are worse than years ago, for many reasons. If the expectation is we need to be significantly more competent to win the cup, I’ll point you to the Columbus shitters 2020. Only 2-3 teams come off as competent each year relatively speaking, 4 in rare cases, so it’s not some amazing bar we have to reach for general success.
You’re totally wrong about the quality level of MLS teams. I’ve been watching MLS since 2005. Most of the guys who were starters back then would be lucky to make the bench these days. And bench players from back then would be playing in USL now. The quality level of MLS play has consistently gotten better over the years.
If you're going to go way back in time sure, of course the league was mediocre back in the 90s and early 2000s, but from say 2010 to 2021, the level of play is not much different, despite a lot more money being thrown at it, and so many new teams have been added that some are just straight awful each season.
Well, some teams have to be awful every year. That’s true in every league in every sport in the world. if you compare the resumes of the players in MLS now versus 10 years ago, there’s a noted improvement. That was inevitable as the league started making more money, and being able to sign better players.
I agree. Sorga didn't get great service. He was working the corners, running down loose balls and pressuring the keeper. I will take him over Kamara any day. I think he will get better too. Robertha looked like a guy who just met his teammates....which he did. Once again his best performance is ahead
I disagree. I have watched MLS since day one back in 96 and the league is way stronger today than back then. In the last 5+ years, it's been DC that has lagged many other much stronger teams. The assertion that MLS has regressed does not match the profound change in teams, especially over the last 10 years. Simply because MLS has expanded does not mean there are not many very good players throughout the world that MLS can bring into the league (Fifa notes over 2,000 teams spread over 120 division 1 professional Leagues). Second, MLS has significantly increased its budget for players as well as added categories like Designated Player, Targeted Allocation Player, Young DP, and Generation Addidas players that allow player spend far above the Cap of around $5,000,000 per team. Toronto FC for example has spent well over 20 Million in salary per year. Third, the number of Homegrown players coming out of the MLS academy system is exploding with significant numbers of players who are able to progress to the first team. The products of these academies are commanding ever-increasing monies in transfer fees to teams in Europe. The numbers of US players both in the league and those who have transferred to Europe are much much better than the college players back in the early days of MLS.
I figured Canouse would be traded when I broke down and bought an actual player jersey (this has been a recurring theme; buy jersey, player has career-ending injury or jets off to Europe, or worse another MLS side) a couple years ago. He's still here, which I like - but the ********er went and changed his number from 4 to 6
I thought that was really odd also. I first thought they did not have fans on that side of the stadium as part of the reduced capacity. I then noticed that during halftime and from other camera angles the tifos were gone and there were people sitting in the stands on that side.
Obviously, I happy with the win. But as I'm sure others will point out is this sustainable. The two goals were fabulous but I can't see United providing goal of the month candidates each week with very low Expected Goal percentages. The goals were scored by a center-back and a defensive midfielder. Wonderful efforts but where were the other midfielders, wings, and forwards? The possession was 38% for the game. Ok, I get that Losada's style may not lend itself to dominant possession stats but there is danger in ceding so much possession. Some teams will tear you apart if they have that much time with the ball. Another concern is how long can the team maintain such a high tempo. Do we have a strategy for surviving or adapting to the later parts of the game when the high press drops off? The other big concern is the lack of speed up front. For a team that wants to play direct and vertical, this seems a real problem. Of course, not everything was bad. Far from it. It was so great to see our new center-back play at a MOTM level. If he continues in the same vein we could end up with some great depth at center-back. As my other team, Man City has shown, you can solve a lot of problems with your team if you have the right center-backs. I also loved the direct play. It was obvious that United went after NYCFC immediately once possession was won. That was a breath of fresh air compared to the pointless lateral and back passing with Olsen's teams.