Post-match: Los Angeles Galaxy - San Jose Earthquakes (Sunday, 4/21) postgame thread [R]

Would have been a nice boost if we would have come all the way back to tie, but nope, we can't have nice things. Occasionally they are dangled in front of our faces. 2-0 lead on the road? Nope, not today homie. Down a goal and up a man with 25 minutes to play?. Nope, not today homie...

 

he gets canned a couple of days after game at Levi's when LAFC embarrasses the Quakes

 

1-8-1, 3 points, 0.33 PPG... fire Luchi Monday morning and give Ian Russell a shot... who cares about moral victories.

Start Bieganski over Yarbrough, what do we have to lose
Start Kikanovic over Pellegrino

Really there's no reason anyone over the age of 30 should be starting on a team that's 29/29 in the standings... it would make more sense to play some 16-18 year old homegrown kid.

Transfer window closes on Tuesday, what has Chris Leitch been doing for the last two months??

 

Just embarrassing. Back to the fun thread...

In the recent past, I could alleviate the pain by rooting for my adopted hometown team, a pretty good Revs club, but this year they've decided to give us a run for the wooden spoon. This year just blows all the way around.

 

Well, there's always Dallas. Oh............well, nevermind.

 

I thought it would be a wild tie...came close. We only look decent when we have to chase the game with both fullbacks pushed way up. But we can't collectively play D...we just take turns making bad decisions or losing 1 v 1 battles. The first goal for example is a nothing play...Yarbrough boots it to midfield...they win the header and cut out two Quakes right away....Akapo is pushed up and trying to pick up in the middle...Yueill tries to cover Akapo's RB space, but the back breaking bad decision is Rodrigues rushing up from deep cover to try and jam Puig...super dumb...he just opened the door...he can see Yueill is still racing back but doesn't have an angle...and Beason is the only Quake back...Dude, try to keep everything in front of you and contain to buy a few seconds of time...Beason doesn't have recovery speed so we're screwed. The defense can't keep from shooting itself in the foot game after game.

I didn't like seeing Gruezo or Pelle in the line up...or the freaking 4-3-3.

I don't want to see Pelle anymore...there isn't enough there. I though the subs were good with the exception of Bouda, who drove me nuts....he just entirely gummed things up...pretty clueless stuff from him.

I'm not a fan of Luchi's tactics or coaching...but I always want to see the boys fight hard and they never gave up. There are signs of life. Maybe they believe in themselves more than Luchi's ability, but there is something there...that keeps them going...and that could be the foundation they need to turn things around. And if they do, it will have everything to do with their will and heart...and very little to do with Luchi.

I'd like to see the 4-2-3-1 and focus on a connected midfield and back line...cut out the spread out clown car D....play counter...the team has fight, put them in a better tactical formation to succeed and build some confidence.

 

Anyone know the MLS record for lowest PPM? This could be a record-setting team.

 

Not a fan of those "low liner" goal kicks that Yarborough was hitting. There's a good chance they get cut out by the opponent, and because they are low liners, there's no time to really contest for it and slow them down. So it could be quick uncontested win for them, and it's off to the races. That's what started the 1st goal sequence. The low liner goal kick. I cringed a bit when I saw it, and sure enough...

 

I don't mind the low kicks...but we had a couple players anticipating we would either control or possibly get into position for a flick...they both overcommitted at the same time...on what was at best a 50-50 ball. LA defender simply goes up and cleanly wins the header driving it into the central space they just vacated.

 

Not a great idea when your opponent’s attack has a significant speed advantage on your defense. We were actually doing a decent job of slowing down their counterattack at times but that kind of ball does not suit that purpose. Of course there were other issues downstream from that as well.

 

1-8

 

From Luchi's postgame, sounds like the Yarbrough line drive goal kick was a set play they had worked on that (obviously) didn't go as planned, i.e. it backfired. 'Brough kicked it in a line towards Judd who barely got of the ground for the header and it was easily won by the Gal defender behind him. I think the plan was for Judd to flick it onto Espinoza, who was running behind. But that header went sharply the other way to a Gal midfielder, pass to Puig, pass to Joveljic, layoff to Pec, goal. 1-0 Gals.

The first [LA] goal was a setup play and built up from the goalkeeper that we worked on and we know where to play and how to win.

And then...

"Set pieces and transitions are hurting us.”

I'm not sure what's left...

 

yeah, Espinoza is running right channel behind Judd for the flick on...looks like Akapo and NIko should have been the drop options, unfortunately Niko is the only central mid....gruezo is still much deeper. Niko overcommitted way too high...that's why the middle was wide open. Still Rodrigues, put himself in no man's land...opened up the back line.

 

Typo...

Tampa Bay in 2001 with 14
but really it's
DC United in 2013 with 16 ... funny they won US Open Cup that season over RSL

Also worth noting that there have been so many all time great seasons in recent years that the 2012 Quakes (66 points) have dropped out of the top ten

 

I think I’ve figured out what this season’s about. It’s the inverse of the 2012 season - a karmic payback. Instead of good team, good luck, we have bad team, bad luck. Instead of last minute wins - the Goonies, we have last minute losses - the anti-Goonies, etc.

What’s really spooky is that the name “Luchi” is the exact alphabetical inverse of the name “Frank”!! OK probably not, but they both have 5 letters!! Spooky, eh?

 

The announcers in effect mentioned that bringing in Bouda did not help, that we lost some structure and continuity.

Or maybe Marie, we know what he is capable of as far shooting the ball and testing the goalie.

 

’Brough actually did a good job getting the ball right to Judd, but he got badly beat on the header. I mean the defender was like 2 feet higher than him, and Judd is 6’3”? I think it would have helped if he had jumped.

 

The set piece defense on the second goal was all bad. Espinoza flinched and broke open the wall which gave Tsakiris room to stick out his chicken wing.

That Gonzalez can't set up his starting team correctly this late into the season shows how far over his head he is. He needs to start two attacking wings with a center forward for the team to have any chance, so Benji (replacing Cowell) and Espinoza with either Judd or Jebo. Pelligrino is depth player quality in this league.

The team spirit and fight are still there. For how much longer?

Bad hire. Next.

 

1-8-0

 

I think we're shooting for team with Most Goals Against, at least we lead the league in something.

 

Two last thoughts:

Pelligrino is wasted money, add him to the long list of San Jose busts.

Our entire team is Espinoza, without him we'd be a complete pile of shit.

 

It’s past time to make a change. Let Ian have a go and maybe we may the finals of the Open Cup and who knows maybe we can win it.

 

The Open Cup doesn't really mean all that much.

I seriously doubt though that the Quakes can win that tournament, regardless of who their coach is or will be.

I mean they made a comeback last night but they were also down 3-0 and 4-1.

The game was pretty much over early on.

The Quakes simply aren't talented enough to be major competitors.

 

DC United won the Wooden Spoon and the Open Cup in same year not long ago.

 

Sometimes bad MLS teams win USOC because 1) lots of MLS clubs play B teams or AB combos, and 2) the crap shootedness of single elimination tournaments.