I can't say that I am disappointed because I gave up all hope long ago. We all know that the quality that LAFC brings to the field is far superior to what SKC has. We knew it was going to be a loss, we just didn't know by how much. And, it didn't take a team like LAFC to highlight the points of weakness for SKC. That was exposed long ago by most of the teams that SKC has already played. Were there glimmers of hope? Yes. 1. Thommy demonstrated how a proper 8 looks. If he stays healthy, I think he will be the future leader of the midfield. What he also did is demonstrate just how good he is compared to our home grown guys (Hernandez and Duke). We got so excited when they both started playing better that we didn't realize just how far they still have to go. 2. Agada brings a lot of enthusiasm to the game, but is still pretty raw. But we saw something out of him in his brief appearance that I don't think I've ever seen Shelton do,,and that is put a nice power header on goal. He has got a long way to go, but its promising. PV knew the game was toast after they scored the second goal. So, he just cleared the bench and let the clock run out. The playoffs are out of reach, so the guys are just playing league games for pride now. And, I would put the odds of SKC winning the USOC at about 7%. If they get lucky and make it out of SAC with a win, I have absolutely no confidence that they could win the next one.
I'll say it again, Arango is quality. He does nothing but score goals. What a contrast to the worst starting CF in MLS. Also the CB situation is cataclysmic.
Watched the PV post game presser...he gushes over Thommy and his movement and a lot of the things he does being exactly what the team need at his spot. The whole time I am thinking to myself yeah I agree but hasn't it been the exact opposite with Shelton for entirely too long and yet he is in there game in and game out. I shouldn't let this get me so angry since its been PVs modus operandi for so long but god damn put literally anyone else in his spot please. Any time he's on the field its a 10 v 11. He should never see the field again for SKC after the Austin game unless we have multiple injuries.
Gareth Bale, on fresh legs, running at Isi without any pressure from anyone, and then making his move and scoring is hardly on Isi. We look at Isi, down in the defensive posture, trying to defend a much better player one on one and think, why do we give up these goals so all the f'ing time. Go back and look at how this play begins. Our defensive set is horrible, and given the situation, it was idiotic. Isi from the right CB spot sends a good long ball to Logan on the left touch line. Logan chests it down in space and moves forward a few yards, passes into the center. Duke, apparently thinking Uri is making a run, steps over the pass. Uri, who was making more of an amble than a run, maybe thinking Hernandez should get there from 30 yards away first, rather pointlessly sets himself in a defensive position 7 yards from the ball. This does nothing to slow down the counter, however, and the KC defense at this point is Isi on the right side and fontas on the left. LAFC make the pass to the center circle, and Fontas steps over from the left side. The LAFC player spins off fontas, Fontas stays with him. At this point, SKC has no one on the entire left side of defense and so Isi is running to provide left cover. Bale, who a second earlier could have reached out and touched Uri, takes off on a run into about 40 yards of unoccupied space and receives the ball. Uri is jogging back, so Bale is facing the just settling into the spot Isi, and no one else. Bale, and it should be noted that on the planet, there are very, very few players who run at people as well as he does, feints to his right, an area in move Isi should probably ignore but as he has no support, he takes the feint seriously. Bale then cuts back towards center (his left) creating a very nice pocket of space. Uri, whose jog has brought him within three yards of a position where he can provide help, is able to get a great view as Isi gets turned centrally and Bale slots into the near post. Pierre has managed to almost get back into a position from which he can help, as has LogaN. but not quite. So we let Arrango and Bale work a 2x2 on Isi and Fontas, on a play that forces our CBs to switch on a run (clearly not fontas strong suit) against two really good attackers, and one very much a world class talent who has made his hundred million for his ability in that exact situation. Blaming Isi for that goal really, really misses the point of what went wrong, which was everything. SKC has never had a CB on whom you'd place money to win that duel 1 on 1. But it wasn't a CB failiure. It was a systemic failure. Both fullbacks were pushed far upfield. The Dmid who was supposed to drop deep to provide defensive cover was diddling about in the attacking half and then refusing to sprint back. Duke, FFS, why? He has to be aware of what the field looks like if he's going to do that. The second he looked at where his stepover was heading, he should have been ina balls out run to help defend (would not have made it, but still).
The pressure on the defense to be perfect, game in and game out, has broken the squad. When you can't score, and your opponent knows that your CF is a cardboard cutout impersonating a soccer player, the defense knows it can't make a mistake. Our defense is below MLS average at every position, but it's not fair to blame them. Blame PV for playing Shelton. Dude is not an MLS center forward. Arango....he is, but he would never play here because he doesn't do the "dirty work" PV wants out of that position.
So I watch almost all of my SKC on screens (two games in person last year, probably none this year), and the disadvantage of a screen is that I don't get to see the dirty work Shelton is doing. What is it? On the big stuff, shooting, passing, dribbling, he hasn't been very good. On the middle range stuff, defending,making runs that open space, holding the ball to create time, he's no better. What's the dirty stuff he's doing? Is he pantsing opponents off camera?
The dirty work Shelton does is mostly the aimless running (aka pressing) that PV prefers over goal scoring as the main responsibility of the CF.
I too have to watch on a TV so I can’t see everything Shelton does off the ball. But, here is a Reddit post from a person I don’t know or know of, but he makes a lot of sense with his comments: https://www.reddit.com/r/SportingKC...urce=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
I mean it's not that much different than the stuff most people here have been saying all season. I'd given him some leeway to start the season because he did all the "little things" with his off the ball movement and pulling defenders that made others successful (Salloi was most successful when Shelton was in the middle for him). The problem is that Shelton isn't doing any of those little things this year. He literally is the worst forward in the league at this point.
I can't say I'm surprised by the Reddit take. There are dozens of forwards in MLS who press better than Shelton, at least by the eye test. As for defending and holding the ball. Some other random Shelton's season stats: Ints: 1 Duels won, number and percent: 161, 41%, Tackles: 3 Fouls committed (hey, it slows down a counter): 19 Turnovers: 54 Successful dribble percent: 52% It's just a big bowl of meh
i've really been trying to find reasons to cheer for him lately (cuz what else are you gonna do, Vermes will play him), like when he at least makes decent runs or holds up the ball well for once or one of his presses resulting in a kick out of bounce, just anything. The last couple of games I've at least found a situation or two where this was the case. This game, absolutely nothing. Pure S***.
Lastly, I am growing tired of all the fawning and glowing coverage of Bale. Yes, he was a great player in his prime and has skills, but give me a break. The MLS web site trumpets “Golazo!” over his goal against the worst defense in the league and their backup keeper. Let’s face it, the goal was just ok. We’ve seen much better from lesser players (cue up the video of Christian Nemeth against Portland). Most of the MLS keepers would have blocked Bale’s shot.
It wasn't a world class goal. I think you're overstating his demise. the fact that he had a massive falling out with Real isn't really a point against him, certainly not at MLS level. A year ago, he played 20 games in the premier league, scored 11 goals and added another 5 in cups (europa, FA and EFL). That means two things: He's fragile, but when he's healthy he is still impressive. There are a lot of things you don't get with Bale these days. Goals from that situation are not one of them. For everything he's lost, he is still a beast with space on the wing to run at defenders. You are correct, lots of MLS goals are better. Nemeth's was in a different league. Bale's, however, seemed inevitable. Now, truth, lots of good MLS wings would have salivated at that amount of free space, in a one on one with a center back and a young keeper in goal. As i said earlier, it wasn't just that Bale had the ball, it was that he had in that situation, when we had completely abandoned any notion of defense. I fully believe that if we hadn't handed him that, and were actually set up to deal with it, we could have dealt with that. Imagine just Ilie, in his dropped between the CBs role, and how that would have changed everything about that play.
Exactly. Let's not begrudge the league for promoting, or the fans for getting excited about seeing, a player of Bale's quality and reputation in MLS. This was the first (and probably only) game I attended in person this year. Took the family. Both my kids play college soccer and my son, who doesn't care too much about MLS, was super excited to see Bale live. He was one of the many that cheered when he scored. Did that annoy me? Sure, but Bale was playing for RM and Tottenham and carried Wales to a WC bid. If it gets people talking about MLS and packing MLS stadiums, then fine. As for the goal, the best part of that action was Bale's pass into space to Arango. The finish was just a cherry on top.