So, putting last night's brutal performance behind us, the husdon warriors head back to the bandbox that brought them their best- and worst- performance of the year: San Jose. Missing for the Metros: Jonny Walker- GK Cornell Glen- F Fabian Taylor- F Tenyewa Bonseu- D Eddie Pope- D Craig Ziadie- D Amado Guevara- M Which leaves: Galvan Rey, Sergio F Magee, Mike M-F Wolyniec, John F Clark, Ricardo M Flores, Gilberto M Gaven, Eddie M Lisi, Mark M Vaca, Joselito M Leitch, Christopher D Parke, Jeff D Regan, Tim D Arena, Kenny D Stammler, Seth D Brenes, Pablo D/M Wells, Zachary GK Injured: 16 Bradley, Michael M San Jose will be missing Landon Donovan, but that is it for callups. Thier injury report lists : OUT: DF Chris Roner (R ankle surgery); DF Eddie Robinson (L hamstring rupture); DF Todd Dunivant (L quad strain); MD Chris Brown (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: DF Troy Dayak (upper back sprain); M Ronnie Ekelund (neck infection) So, neither side at it's best. Lineup speculation? Conservative: ------Galvan Rey------Wolyniec------ Gaven------Lisi------Clark------Vaca Leitch------Parke------Arena------Regan --------------- Wells------------ Unconservative: ------Magee------Wolyniec------ -----Gaven------Lisi------Vaca----- ---------------Clark-------------- Brenes---Parke----Stammler---Leitch --------------- Wells------------ Our current records: ----------GP---W---L---T---PTS Metro-----9----3---2---4---13 SJ--------9----3---3---3---12 Knowing Metro, we'll win this game 3-1 for absolutely no reason. Saying that, considering we're sending out our B team, a tie is as much as we could honestly expect. I'm guessing that Bradley isn't going to want to throw the book completely out the window, but I wouldn't mind seeing the likes of Brenes, Stammler and Gilberto out there- even if only for a half. We're missing tons of guys, might as well see what the bench can do. I've only seen Stammler and Gilberto in the Boavista game, but this might not be a bad time to roll them out, see what happens. The game is this Saturday, June 12th at 10:00pm ET. As such, there will be no ESC Watch Party at Nathan Hale's. The game is on MSG, and will be on HDNet for those 7 of you so equipped.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I will like this, becouse in the end of two week, we will know if Galvan and Ziadi stay or live, and look for they sustitute, pronto. [mod note: you need not quote the entire post. Selecting specific parts and deleting the rest aids in readability. thx]
A potential backline of Leitch, Parke, Arena and Regan, with rookie Wells in net could make the 5-5 match a distant memory. The Elias Sports Bureau and the Guiness Book of World Records have a weeks notice to get to this game.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread A year older and wiser, I have a feeling Arena would play better than he did last year- though, he would be hard pressed to do worse. He may never be MLS starting material, but he played confidently and well against Boavista, FWIW. I'm not saying that he should be playing more often, just that I don't fear his name in a lineup as I did last year.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I'm willing to venture a prohecy. As long as SGR is on the field, we will not outscore the opposing team.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread San Jose will also be missing Pat Onstad and Dwayne DeRosario to Canadian National Team callups. And Jamil Walker injured his ankle in the game vs. Canada on Wednesday.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I think we'll see Brenes on Left D, and Leitch at Right D. With Parke and Regan in the center. IN the future I guess Brenes will be more of a mid, but I think this game he plays D Of course you can have Regan at RB Leitch at LB maybe play two D-Mids (I'm thinking out loud here) Hm - here's better : Wells Clark----Parke---Regan----Leitch Lisi Gaven Brenes Vaca Galvan-Rey Woly
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread Anyone interested at a watch party at Celtic Corner?
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread No. BTW, looks like Magee-Woly will get the start as SGR is injured... MetroStars - OUT: MD Michael Bradley (R foot stress fracture); DOUBTFUL: FW Sergio Galvan Rey (L hip flexor strain).
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I thought I read somewhere that a watch party was being held at Gallegher's(?) on 3rd Ave between 33rd and 34th. Anyone?
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I think there is a Metro party there. If anywhere, we'd all be at Kettle of Fish, but that isn't confirmed.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread Where will the ESC gather -- Kettle of Fish? I take it the Metro party at Galleghers is a more official, front office afair.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread boom pow surprise. There will be some kettle o' fish action.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread Sucks that Magee seems to be the only good dead ball taker on the team. We have too many good fwds and mids in front of him to get him on the field regularly. He was one of the few Metros who played well overall tonight too, among Gaven, FLores and Wells. Everyone else was mediocre except Woly, and especially Lisi. Bad games from both.
SJ 3 METROS 1 The forwards- Woly ripped a left footer that just went wide, and Magee couldn't connect on a header on Lisi's cross. If Guevara was there you'd like to think that one of his passes would have sprung one of them free for a goal. No subs for these guys when it was apparent that they were both gassed around the 75th minute. Thank you SGR. The midfield- Lisi was horrific, Vaca was invisible and Flores, despite some good flashes, spent more time on the floor than on his feet. Gaven was the only one who seemed to have a heartbeat with a tough shot on Leitch's throw-in and a blast that was saved in the 2nd half. The defense- The usual breakdowns that would have made even Portugal blush. Kenny Arena was largely invisible in the first half, but he couldn't hide the entire 90 minutes. On the second SJ goal, there was an obvious handball on Ching, but Arena still had a chance to stop him, but he looked like a clumbsy oaf trying to get in front of the shot and fell down like a drunken sailor. On the last goal, he basically got run over by Mullan despite his large frame and simply jogged back behind him. Leitch looked like a Zombie and Clark made a half-hearted attempt at getting in his way. Rico looks like the kid we all had on one of our youth recreation teams at one time or another. You know, the one who really doesn't want to play defense, but the coach has no other spot for him so he has to stick him somewhere? The positives? Parke was phenomenal as he pulled-off several veteran-like plays. On one, he stopped Mulrooney cold on a 30 yard run and on another he shielded the ball with his body near the goal area, frustrating Ching into a foul. His goal was Woly-enesqe and seemed like a replay of the goal vs KC two weeks ago. The goalkeeper- Wells did well in his debut. Bobbled one cross early on, but made a great stop on a breakaway. Can't blame him on any of the goals. How was Ching left so wide open late in the match after you've just tied the match 1-1, despite 6 players out for national team duty, on the road against one of the best teams in MLS? After Parke's goal, bunker-down, get the point and get out of Dodge.
Re: Metro v. San Jose- June 12th- Pre Game Thread I was hoping for a 1-1 draw after Parke's goal, but I was pretty nervous about it. Fear confirmed on the Brian Ching touchdown reception in the second half. I will say that San Jose deserved to win, but if that's not a handball, what it? Looked like a Terrell Owens vintage 1 hand grab, but anyway. Worst moment of the game was the 1 on 4 that somehow resulted in a goal. Not sure what those four defenders were watching, but that was a very ugly goal for a Bob Bradley team on concede. Playing with 8 guys out of your lineup you'd have to expect a road loss to the defending champions, but again a tie was within our grasp and we let it go. No dwelling on it, but we have to sack up and play like men against LA this weekend. No more folding softly at home, playing wins into 1-1 ties. I don't care if Bradley's kid is out there on crutches, take that crutch and hit someone with it.
Get no defense out of Vaca & Gavin during transition to defense. A far side mid has to play defensive when a ball side back attacks. Our outside mids watch the play at first before falling back then it's to late to get back. Also at times when an outside back attacks ball side he should get an interchange of positions with an ballside outside mid. Our outside backs both get caught up field. Both backs should never get caught up field. So who is left to defend on a counter? We need more descipline and organization during transition to defensive once we lose the ball.
1) Our Midfielders failed to keep the ball, they simply could not pass the ball to the front. SJ midfielders killed out midfielders. 2) Overall poor passing from our team. 3) Parke was outstanidng.
Parke made some good plays, but he also made some rookie mistakes. Arena was a pleasant surprise until the final goal, where as one poster pointed out, he was worthless. Vaca and Lisi were awful. Flores was full of running and has some nice skill, but looked like a guy playing his first game in the league. Gaven is a hell of a talent. Bob needs to shake-up the formation or the lineup or... Jesus, I don't know. Something. The teams he's put out the past five weeks look like they've never even practiced together and watching this team take the field week after week is slowly and surely killing my will to live.
This was the worst I've ever seen Mark Lisi play. Abysmal is pretty much the only way to describe it. It seems weird to think this way about a kid not yet old enough to vote, but with Guevara out, the Metros needed to concentrate on getting the ball to gaven as often as possible, because all of the other attack avenues seemed to be shut down. They didn't do this and Eddie disappeared for long stretches. Maybe, long term, that's just as well as it would be a pretty huge responsibility for a 17 year old kid. Gaven wasn't at his best either, but I think you'll find that any dangerous chances the Metros had last night (other than set pieces) had Gaven heavily involved. Too many long balls, not nearly enough possession, and some poor passing from lots of guys (Wolyniec, Lisi and Bruce Jr. especially) pretty much doomed the Metros. If the Metros had held on 1-1, it would have been a great result considering their play.
It's a travesty with the Ching goal. What a way to lose the game, but sometimes you get the breaks, sometimes they go against you. I think we deserved a draw. Midfield labored all night to produce any quality. Vaca and Lisi were horrible, Gaven was better but not great. Magee had a lot of hussle but it was also one of Woly's poorer games. Does anyone know if any of the internationals be back for next week?