Pre-match: Fire v. (rubber) D_C_ United 3.14.26 7:30 pm (CDT) Soldier Field and Apple TV

Topic change... All y'all check the weather and stay safe. I'm in the dangerous sheer wind and tornado spin out sector while some of you are in the sub arctic life threatening blizzard sector. Get to the liquor store, stock up and take tomorrow off if needed.


Ye have been warned.

 

Ya makin' a snow fort?

 

Nasty wind and rain here in Chicago.

 

I am thinking it will take more than one player to solve the problem

 

Sorry there was no Negative rep. That sucks. It was 64º today here and will be 14º tomorrow. That's crazy!

 

In comparing Saletros with D'avila, what I'm seeing is that Saletros is trying to execute a long through passes to the offense with poor success, and D'avila is playing almost universally "safe" passes, mostly laterally or backwards.

Pete (wouldn't fault either player necessarily - that was probably in the game plan)

 

Nearly 800 cancellations and more than 800 delays at Chicago O’Hare
I got LUCKY...
My international flight into Ohare tonight was directed to 'circle round while we try to find you a gate"...hour later we got one!
Customs agent told me they heard more than 50 were 'redirected' elsewhere...

Bonus, customs took maybe 5min, and that's because I got tapped for the random search and 'survey'(?).

Weather sucks here, but happy to be home and not in a hotel in who knows where

 

Unfortunately true.

Weird when the only meaningful change from last season is Guti's departure.
Isn't like Acosta or Kouame would have started over Davilla, Saletros and Pineda...none of which will be in discussion for MLS top 5 CM...least not yet.

And all the options played at RW have been blah, while Zinck's CAM play has been 'decent'....Id' prefer putting him back and find someone to play CAM over putting MHS out there and keeping Zinck at CAM.

Back to the beginning....Bamba, Zinck, Lod, Saletrso and Davilla have a strangely good vibe in the media and strangely different meters on the pitch. Who will be the one(s) to sync up?

P.S. Play Oregel.

 

Have we tried Lod in the middle? Maybe let Zinck play out wide and Lod or Oregel at the CAM. Bamba and Zinck have been all over the pitch trying to create overloads and pop up in both wings anyway.

Things will likely settle down once Gutman gets healthy since he and Bamba have really good chemistry together. The pieces are there, it is just not clicking yet. I'm glad it is still early in the season, but the Fire will look back at this lost 3 points at home at the end of season when it comes to seeding.

 

Expounding-ish LOL

I don't EVER like seeing Zinck on our defensive side of the field....odd choice...he is a 'not common' type of dangerous forward, in that he has more 'phone booth rondo' ability than most forwards AND 'runs downhill' at the defense...that's the magic sauce once the attack is on it's second pass in the attacking third. Light that sh!t back up!

Lod doesn't get on the front foot enough to play wing, 8 in a 4-3-3 is probably a decent fit...if he can't perform 'notably' there, play Oregel.

Fingers crossed Gutman and Bamba 'click'...

 

I don’t think we’re freakin out if that horrible PK call on Dean is reversed. He was pushed and got extremely unlucky having an inept ref at the helm. But football being football and luck being luck, everything gets amplified in loss. Not to say we don't have issues. For me, 1) Bamba and Zink have to release the ball quicker in their inverted roles. They are trying to do too much. It’s understandable being the top quality but it’s now hurting. Others might not see the pass, they do, it just needs to come, less touches sooner. 2) We have to switch the pitch much quicker. Like in one pass not 2 or 3. Are best chances come off these counters. I thought D’Avilla attempted this well against DC, but it was hard for him to execute from left side to right. Regardless he played well. Most guys playing centrally are very right footed so the pitch gets cut in half without telegraphing. I didn’t catch much of Franco’s five or so games last year but hoping he has this ability to switch with both feet .. and put some smack on drivin balls. 3) Speed needs to be utilized down the flanks. We’ve seen it down the right but Gutman will be back showing us this again like last year on the left.

 

Elliott not in practice today probably means he tweaked something during match Sunday. Keep your fingers it is very minor.
Likely explains why he was subbed off. Maybe I should have just assumed this was the reason. Sorry GGG.