Don't look now, but...

BenC1357 · Jun 20, 2004

Your team is on top of the league. Your team has the best road record in MLS. Wolff and Arnaud are both on the points leader list. Meola is #2 in GAA. The schedule only gets favorable from here out. Preki and Igor aren't even back yet. Matt Taylor finally showed that he can be the "get to the goal" type of striker we were waiting for.

Things going forward:
-What happens when Preki and Igor are healthy? This team, who everyone said should just "hold on" until they got healthy has shot to the top of the table. Do we insert them into the lineup immediately, or work them in gradually? Would Preki be better served as a "super sub"? I personally feel that removing one of our midfielders and inserting an Igor/Preki (one starts, one subs for him) combination as the creative force behind Wolff and Arnaud would be perfect.
-Can they bring this ability to seal the deal home? We've historically been good at home and we're looking at a lot of home games. But we've still got a bitter taste from the NE meltdown that we must get rid of.
-Can this defense continue to play so well? Meola isn't evactly standing on his head like he did in 2000. His GAA is all about his defense this year. Garcia is starting to worry me, by getting beat so much around the outside. Shavar and Jimmy have been rocks so far.
-Will the city get behind a winner? I was worried at first that the expected great things from the Royals would pull away from the casual sports fan crowd this summer. Now, with a contender in town, will attendance follow? The next two games should have nice crowds, one for fireworks and one for Freddy. After that, going into August, do we get good numbers?
-Any moves before the trade deadline? Some rumors about strikers coming here, but I don't think we mess with this team save a major injury. We've only gotten better after each game, so leave a good thing alone.

All in all this season could turn out to be a great one.

Blong · Jun 21, 2004

Weren't we in first around this time(roughly) the last two seasons, and then went through disastrous spells after the All-Star Game?

BenC1357 · Jun 21, 2004

Wizardscharter said:

Taylor's 2nd: Wow. Nice show of speed, decisiveness, accuracy, and power. It's the best 5 hole I've seen (that I'm going to mention) since the 1st round of the NHL playoffs. Good run by Klein too. Matt could have picked him out as well. Brown was in his first game back, if you're wondering if Adin would have had that a game or two later - it didn't look like it. Great shot.

I wonder who the woman was that told him to lose the porn 'stache.

Numbers:

KC is second in the West on goal differential. KC is leading the LA series 3-0, with 2 of the 3 remaining at Arrowhead.

KC now has more home games remaining than road games. KC also has the least number of road games remaining in MLS.

KC's home and road attendance are both 6th ranked.

Offense is 4th (and improving) and defense is 2nd (Colorado).

KC's staring forwards (The Javy Line?!?) have 5 GWA and 2 GWG.

Taylor's double is KC's only of '04. I'm not saying he's ready to start. I am saying read the above stat again and imagine how Taylor considers his opportunity from the bench. Very soon it could be Davy and Matty up front with Kleiny and Guti on the wings....it's like a kindergarden roll call...OK, back to stats.

Shavar is #3 in MLS in hacks called - Davy leads MLS by 17 in being hacked. Seventeen! I hear in SJ next week on the back of Davy's jersey it will just say "Kick Me" above the 22.

Klein (KC's designated CK taker) is 9th in CKs, KC is last overall. Not an alarm given the effectiveness of the counter. KC has also scored on some of the few corners earned this year. On Preki's return that number should increase as the style will be more driven towards sets, I would think. At worst, it's an opportunbity to look different later to those teams KC plays now.

Exec. Sum. of shots and finishing numbers: KC is still well below average in getting the ball on frame. When they do, they score at a hair better than MLS average pace. It's improving of late, but you don't get NE every week either. Gomez needs a penalty 2 miles for every long shot over the bar. That is all.

KC is the only club with a positive GD on the road. KC and LA are the only 2 teams that score predominantly in the later stages of each half.

KC has allowed 3 goals in the first half, 9 in the second. Do teams figure out KC at halftime, or just when they have to increase the pressure later to tie? Is this indicative of superior weekly prep by KC staff or a weakness at halftime or just good D?

Is SJ too old? Their shots drop signifigatly in the 2nd half. They are the only team to have any dropoff at all. 3 games with SJ are late season after 8/14. On the other hand, Ching is leading MLS in goals.

If it seems like KC plays in their end after halftime, they do...big time. Total shots against are about 3:2 after half time. This is a sign of some good teams, because trailing teams throw everything forward late. No problem as long as Garcia doesn't lose people like today and counters work. It will get tougher and the Revs deserved better than 3-1.

How to lose to KC: Let them score first, 5-0-1...0-1-0 when trailing at the half, though.

If you hadn't noticed, teams are hitting posts. This happens sometimes when teams think they have to be perfect to score. Anyone remember the last time teams hit posts often? I do, it was 2000.

Top 5 obsticles:
5. Preki gelling upon his return
4. Shooting when tied
3. West teams
2. A Cup run
1. Themselves/Complacency

Of KC's 4 loses, all are by just 1 goal. 13 games, no blowouts. KC scores late, can defend, can win on the road, doesn't get blown out, and by all accounts maintains discipline well. That's the land and a good foundation. If they continue to shoot better, that's the house.

-oot
Click to expand...

Dave, I read this post of yours in the NE post game thread. Felt a lot applied here as well.

Buzz Killington · Jun 21, 2004

I think we could possibly put one or both in, someone has to take the spot that Walsh and Gomez are holding right now. The only problem is, will we continue to have the passing and possession that we have now once these guys come back? Because both are known to hold the ball on their own quite a bit.

On the trade front, I don't know if we go looking for any new players, we seem to be set up front, with Wolff, Arnaud, and Taylor, plus when Igor comes back he can play there. The spot where we looked deep at, defense, hasn't looked as good, since the guy we had considered trading, at least the one on this board that was considered trade bait, Garcia, has not been playing very well lately. Maybe it's time to lose the hair, or stop trying to attack as much, or both.

Wizardscharter · Jun 21, 2004

Blong said:

Weren't we in first around this time(roughly) the last two seasons, and then went through disastrous spells after the All-Star Game?
Click to expand...

'03 July 26 - September 20, 0-7-2 in league play and another USOC loss to Colorado.

'02 August 10-21, 0-4-2 with blowout losses of 5-1, 4-0, the 8-3 aggregate CCC Morelia pasting, and even the draw was goalless. Also, I think Diego was out with the broken orbital in Rocester all August.

'01 August 4-25, 1-3-1 in MLS with 2 blowout losses.

'00 In August KC lost two straight at home amazingly; to LA 5-1 and then to Miami.

Yeah, Augusts have been a difficult thing for the guys in blue.