LEAGUES CUP 2024: Los Angeles FC - San Jose Earthquakes (Tuesday, 8/13) pre/in/postgame thread [R]

You might want to mark this day on your calendar. I agree with you completely.

Wilson is our best defender, he should recover pretty much completely. Munie is at least acceptable as a backup. Ian said that Munie would compete for a starting job next season. Rodrigues plays much better with Daniel behind him. Costa is competent. Akapo is decent, and Benji might take his job.

Or defense is OK when they are healthy. Maybe sign another defender or two for depth and in case of injuries. <fingers and toes crossed here>

We NEED to ditch Jebo, Judd, Pellegrino, Gruezo, and a few of our "subs." That will give us enough roster space to do something reasonable.

Get those guys off our roster, replace them with competent players, and we'll be better.

And we should entertain any offers for any of our players. I'd part with Espinoza for enough money.

This has been a craptastic season. I want us to keep Ian as head coach so that we get some continuity and also I think he's good. He's been able to breath some life back into a corpse. With a full pre-season and a few new players, I think that Ian can improve our team.

At this point, I'm hoping that we can make the playoffs most seasons with at least a couple of spots below us.

And Fisher is an evil, narrow-minded, penny-pinching, bag of crap!

Go Quakesfans!!

 

Honestly, she'd look sexy in a paper bag.

 

Anybody surprised? If you are you haven't been paying attention.

When they showed the players available on the benches i literally laughed out loud at the comparison between the two.

We've played one exemplary game all season long and that was against Chivas, where we looked like world beaters, the rest of the year it's been the same steaming pile of shit.

 

We've looked better in recent matches, but nothing like a quality team. We did well against the GoatShaggers, as you said. We weren't terrible against the Galactofilth. We spanked Necaxa! And then we looked decent against LaFck excepting some tragic defensive breakdowns.

And we looked reasonably good in our last two or three league games. Not necessarily good enough to win, but we didn't look like a dumpster fire.

On the one hand, we're objectively not good. On the other hand, losing feeds on itself. We're going to need some rebuilding, but also a lot of resetting in the coming off-season.

This has been one of our worst seasons ever. We've been a dumpster fire most of the season. But we are looking better under Ian. And not better enough, but he has to fix both organization and mental focus. Our guys have imploded repeatedly this season, there's less of that with Ian at the helm.

I stopped watching after LaFck's fourth goal. Maybe I should have watched the rest, but I just couldn't stomach anymore.

Go Quakesfans!!

 

Luchi and Letich created this mess,

 

Sounds lame to say about a 4-1 game, but I think we were competitive. At 1-1 we were kind of taking the game to them, and then of course, last play of the half we give up that soft PK. Then, still, start of 2nd half we're looking pretty good - going toe to toe, Yueill missed a good chance to tie it, and then 'Brough. 'Brough.......really? And that was pretty much the ballgame. 4th goal was a counter when we were going all in to try to get back into the game. It happens.

 

Yep.

 

This guy got it right.

While watching the first half, I was thinking that Ian "lovers" were right. The midfield was more dynamic and pressuring at the appropriate times. Yes, Munie made the wrong decision, but he is a young player. Then, we get a goal, only to lose our defense structure late in the half (Rodrigues got sucked too far into the middle) and give up a PK. I don't blame Yarbrough on the PK as he had too come out and attack the player who had a ton of space. In real time, I thought that it was a PK, but on reply, it was debatable, but enough to overturn from the replays show to us.

The second half was OK until Yarbrough screwed up big time (almost did the same in the last game). Game over. On the 4th goal, Rodrigues over plays and gets beat one on one. Shocking!

It's hard to decouple that we are "playing better" only to continue to make mental errors that our central defenders made in the game and a GK who clearly shouldn't be playing in the MLS anymore (USL?). So, it's hard to grade Ian because "looking better" is not enough in my book, but in his defense, we need to replace Rodrigues and Munie to the bench and get a new GK (at least backup to Daniel who can make basic plays). Our bench is horrible and Jebo has shown improvement under Ian, but I'm not sure dropping back and playing more of a holding role is what the Quakes need (as opposed to a player who puts pressure on the central defenders).

I like the comment that success for Ian would be having the Quakes not win the Wooden Spoon. I'm still inclined to keep him another year even if we do win it, but only because the whole is so deep.

 

What Ian and Leitch need to be doing, is preparing to work hard in the offseason, to be prepared or almost fully prepared instead of half assed like this season.

 

I believe players need time to get used to playing together. The more the better. That's why, if there was really any desire to change the culture in San Jose, Quakes would be bringing in game changing players now.

Unfortunately, summer transfer window closes today. Leitch was missing in action the whole way, not a peep from that dude. Utterly useless.

But that's what you'd want to see, players getting signed to multi-year contracts, almost a total rebuild, many of our current players become bench depth or moved off the roster...

...keep Espinoza, Hernan...but everyone else is benched or moved. I'm not at all confident about players who are injured all the time...

...but this is SJ so we will tinker around the edges, keep Ian regardless of the results, wait until we're well into the offseason before making a couple of moves, and the moves we do make won't move the needle much, more like for like swaps...

...the commitment to progress just isn't there and the people we have running the show are not up for it.

 

It actually wouldn't take that many moves to get significantly better results if they're the right moves because we also should have Daniel and Wilson for (hopefully) the majority of next year. Our biggest problem by far this year has been GKing. 61 GA on 45 expected! That is completely unheard of. If we had even average GKing we'd have much better results. If average GKing is GA = GA expected then that's 16 less goals conceded! That turns a lot of losses into ties or wins, and ties into wins.

So get Daniel back, and even if his performance is average, and Wilson is just OK, we're already well ahead of this year. And then add a couple of key pieces - I'd say top priorities are striker, left winger, and center mid and we'll be much better.

 

LAFC is the better team playing at home, but the fix was in for them, regardless. No need for gnashing of teeth. Quakes played respectably, for the most part, a few brain farts notwithstanding.

Fisher is still the owner, so expectations should be had accordingly.

 

you're banking on Daniel and Wilson being healthy and reliable, for me they're risky. we need a starting goalie, CB, striker, LW'er, center mid...and a bunch of players not named Judd who can be ready to come in off the bench and win games for us.

for me this team needs a complete overhaul if the goal is to be competitive in MLS. And we need to forget about relying on youth development...that was the pitch this year, the kids! well that's going no place, our best prospects are bailing out as fast as they can, we have no training facility...we've had a little help from the academy kids (Niko & Muni) but we can't rely on youth development at this stage if we ever want to turn a corner.

 

Well we need to upgrade the backup keeper position but JT might also be ready to play next year. Remember, we're on our 3rd and 4th string keepers this year due to injuries.

I think Munie has done well enough - bad decision last night notwithstanding, to be a good backup at the very least if not a starter. So Wilson-Rodrigues-Munie-Beason, that's not a bad CB group. I suppose we could use one more for depth but not a high priority IMO. "Striker, LW'er, and CM" I've already mentioned. Remember that if we get a starting level striker, Jebo becomes Judd - the depth / alternative at striker, assuming we keep Jebo, and so we've already upgraded that spot. I think he has one more year on his contract? Not sure.

 

My gnashing of teeth is related mostly to our 50th anniversary season of shame. Leagues Cup was a nice little distraction but its 100% pathetic that Leitch was a no-show for the summer transfer window, given the season we're having and the Quakes track record since he joined the team in 2009.

 

Quakes could've used this window to bring in players for next year, give them some time to get familiar. They would've had the remaining games this year and the whole offseason find some chemistry.

We just disagree about how much work this roster needs. For me, it needs a ton.

 

Something could still be announced today, but remember I predicted that we would do little to nothing this window due to lack of room under the cap and the budget. Also, remember that we may have a new coach next year, and I'm not sure how much sense it makes to make big moves now when the season is done and toasted and when we don't know what priorities a new manager would have in terms of style of play and roster needs.

"There you go making excuses again!" They're not excuses, they are realities.

 

I know these all sound like logical realities to you...but for me they're feeble excuses. Nothing is going to change with this team, unfortunately.

 

They sound like realities to me because they are realities.

 

If it's any comfort and/or looking on the bight side, even mighty Miami and reigning Leagues Cup Champions, got eliminated when the Quakes did!

I guess we should be satisfied to a point…..

 

The only men on this roster who I think should be safe from any form of replacement is Daniel, Wilson, Espinoza, Lopez, Costa, Kikanovic, Munie and Tsakiris.

Everyone else is expendable that includes young guys. They need to sell Ochoa if we really have no plans to use this guy, other wise, sit damn Yarbrough if Daniel can't go the rest of the year.

 

I’m glad to see you include Benji. He’s been surprisingly good at RB and seems to have a whole new lease on life since Ian took over.
Today I’m unhappy about losing to LA, although not surprised, but mostly I’m thinking about what a massive failure Leitch has been as GM. Not only did he fail to have the roster ready at the start of the year, but he failed to do a damn thing over the summer, and, dude doesn’t even have the decency to face the fans. Sooner he’s gone the better.

 

Shawlee and Leitch need to be replaced, more so Leitch then anyone else. Shawlee needs to go because he's just a bubbling yes man con man.

Problem is, we have a front office full of nice guys, and a guy who doesn't really care. Nice guys always suck the pipe first.

We have a good coach finally, in a room full of idiots.

 

So con men are nice guys?

 

They con nicely?