Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame/during-game thread [R]

Including the USOC, August 20th will put us past the 2 month mark since we've won. That's 7 losses and 2 ties, and only 7 goals (4 of which were PKs) in that span.

We sucketh.

But it is "Beat the Record" night, and the crowd will be somewhere between 30,000 and 80,000. I haven't heard an update on how many vouchers have been distributed, and we have no clue as to what the redemption rate will be, but it is likely that there will be fans in the upper deck at Arrowhead for soccer.

 

I think this could be a very good match or a dud. KC is, as Mr. Mead put it, sucking. However it is 'break the record' night, so there should be an electric atmosphere.

 

If we play the way we did against DC we'll lose this match and with Colorado on fire we have a very good chance of watching our lead shrink to three points. I'm making a prediction right now, Faria won't play a single game for us this year so stop counting on him to fill Ching's shoes. And even if by some miracle he does play for us, he won't make an immediate impact. Start Roner over Waibel in the back, Mullan and Walker up front with Donovan dropped back. Frank better sort it out before it's too late.

 

Yeah, I agree Colorado is the team I'm worried about. But maybe we need somebody breathing down our necks to force us to put it in high gear. I too would like to see Roner start. But I don't like the idea of Mullan up top and LD moved back. He's just not as dangerous back there, and we don't have the raw talent to convert his passes. He stands a better chance of making something out of nothing if he's closer to goal or converting on a pass. I think Mullan is much more useful to us from the wing. He's gotten quite good at attacking the goal from there, just dribbling in and forcing something to happen.

 

It is time to soundly beat a team other than Dallas....and let it be KC in front of as many KC fans as Arrowhead can hold.....

but I doubt it....

Quakes 1 (Corrales 39)
KC 1 (Simutenkov 59)

 

> Start Roner over Waibel in the back, Mullan and
> Walker up front with Donovan dropped back.

Agree.. with.. Beerking....... Can't... breath........ Head... hurting.......... Stomach... churning........ Mouth.. slightly.. dry.....

Start Walker
Start Walker
Start Walker

 

Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame thread

Have you seen our latest injury list?! It is getting beyond ridiculous. Now Agoos is questionable, and Ronnie Ekelund and Richard Mulrooney have been added to the list as nursing injuries. This is the time when we need to get everyone healthy and start gelling for playoffs. And what's with Arturo. He's not listed as hurt, yet he wasn't on the bench against DC. What gives?

 

OMG! OMG!!

Cowboy's gonna start!!!!


But Goose won't.

 

Quakes played their best half of the season when they played KC about 5 weeks ago in KC, going up 1-0 on a Donovan goal (though they couldn't add to it by the break). After the half KC played better and before you knew someone (I forget who) picked up a red and the Quakes had to hold on for a memorable 1-0 victory.

I think KC will have trouble containing DeRo and Landon up front. Keep Mullan at right wing where he's so dangerous and Corrales out on the left. The boys didn't play bad in DC except for the first 10 minutes so they have to come out ready and hopefully won't be experiencing the blahs after flying across 1/2 the country, but even though it's a foreign crowd, playing in front of 40,000 people should be energizing in and of itself.

If Onstad can keep the soft goals to a minimum - and I believe he will, in part because the defense in front of him will on top of their game, and also because KC's offense isn't very good - the Quakes could and should escape with a 2-1 glorious victory, halelujah, hallejuah.

Donovan '32
Preki (PK) '41
Mullan '76

 

Mullan should definitely stay out on the right flank, and Donovan should stay up top. I don't think we need to start Walker. If we were in a desperate situation, I think Walker would have gottn his start by now. Walker should come in as a sub though.

 

Won't happen. I think that the team would be more dangerous right now with Donovan and Walker up top but with a playoff spot clinched FY is going to keep starting DeRo to try and have him 100% by the playoffs. It will be DeRo and Donovan starting up top at least until Faria is ready to play. Look for Jamil at about the 70 to 75th minute mark.

 

I'm starting to get excited about this game and the upcoming games before the playoffs. Judging from comments from Yallop on the Quake website and from Dayak on Quakemagic, it seems the team is going to use the remaining games to start really jelling and working the kinks out, with an all-out focus on the playoffs. Should be a fun rest of the season.

 

To add to Andy's post.....

WE SUCK!


After watching the last two months I'd pay your team a quarter if they'd just stand over the ball and let 90 minutes run off, thus assuring KC gets at least a point.

 

Then start Walker with DeRo up front. Walker gets a goal every 90 minutes, Donovan takes more than 200. Besides, Donovan has been looking tired/lackadaisical lately He isn't running and he isn't shooting. Drop Donovan into midfield.

 

Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame thread

better yet, drop him from the starting IX to remind him that he may be a poster boy of US soccer, but for the EQs, he needs to produce...remmeber his "I can score in every game" statement? well, he must have been chilling with David Blaine, because LD can disappear in a match very quickly....

and the last time FY sat him (vs Metrostars), he came out fired up and actually worked for the ball on the pitch...

 

I like that idea, and it would give Ekelund's ankle a week off as well. But will FY like the idea?

 

I'm a DC fan, but for the purposes of this argument, i think you are right. I've thought about this on the national team as well. LD is such a good passer that i think his talents are somewhat wasted as a frontrunner. it would be better, in my opinion, for him to be playing as a central midfielder positioned right behind the forwards where he can find himself running at the defense, instead of having his little body in amongst the trees (defenders) banging.

 

Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame thread

Start Walker and Alvarez up front, who says these guys can't play? We picked them up for a reason. Walker has the speed and Alvarez has the "moves". Donovan does play better in the midfield, why not try it out in the first half? If it doesn't work out, then put DeRo and Donovan up top, heck our guys need a break before the playoffs to get off their injuries.

 

Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame thread

Yeah, this sounds like a good deal here. However, I'm surprised at the comment that Donovan plays better at midfield. It seems every time he's been dropped back into midfield, he's accused of "disappearing." That's probably because then you don't see him being dangerous up around the box.

 

When Donovan is forward, he is forced to not disappear when people send bad passes up top and Donovan has to use his excelent speed and ball handling ability to try to catch up to them. But he has long periods of inaction there as well. I think it would be better for him to learn to seek more of the action.

 

Kansas City - San Jose (Saturday, 9/20) pregame thread

Good analysis. And how does he learn this? Maybe a view from the sidelines? Not that I'm advocating that.

 

> And how does he learn this?

If I knew how, I'd be a coach. I'm just good at compaining.