First, the stats. Metro are 11-9-9 after tonight's match. After starting 5-1-1, that makes us 6-8-8 in our last 22 games. 6 wins in 22. Paint that however you want, that's bad. At home, we are 5-6-4, or 19 of a possible 45 points. In those 15 home games, 17 goals, 19 goals against, -2 differential. Our last 7 home games: 1-4-2, 4 goals. Met 0, KC 0 Met 1, Chi 2 Met 1, NE 2 Met 1, Clb 0 (OT) Met 0, DC 2 Met 0, Dal 0 Met 1, NE 2 That's pretty abysmal for the second half of the season. Consider that tonight's goal by Jusko broke a streak of 353 minutes of regulation without a goal at home. 353 minutes! That's nearly 6 hours of shutout offense (443 at GS if you count the Open Cup Final). Our last first half goal at home? August 24th, Woly against Chicago, a game we ended up losing 2-1. We've scored 6 goals in the first half at home all year; 6 goals in 675 minutes or one goal every 112.5 first half minutes. Yes, it's nice that we've scored 11 in the second half and OT, but for the fans showing up we've seen less home goals than any team in the league (DC is tied but has 2 home games to go, I expect them to get at least 1). Since July 20th, when were 8-4-4 and in first place, we're 3-5-5; for some reason following the win in Dallas (the Woly OT Moon-Winner) our offense stopped, we've only scored 2 goals in a game twice since then. We haven't scored 3 goals in a game since July 12th. In those 13 games, we've scored 12 goals. I don't know how we got the "prevent offense", but it's killing us. We're 2 DC wins away from finishing 4th if we lose next week. I don't think the question for the forwards is who do we get, it's who do we keep? We havbe 6 listed forwards (though Clint sometimes plays as a mid): Mathis Jusko Moreno Magee Woly Nugent Of those...maybe Woly and Magee next year? We need 4 new guys.
With Moreno and Mathis gone, it will certainly clear a lot of cap space to sign a legitimate forward next season. Metros should explore the A-League (Dante Washington anyone?). Heck, look at what Brian Ching was able to do before he was injured. Speaking of curses, it seems like none of the local teams can score on FieldTurf. The Giants were supposed to have prolific offense, but are giving the ball away to the other team more than Richie Williams. The Jets.....well let's not even go there.
Those stats are just sad. But here's something to cheer you up: $600,000 of cap space from Howard, Moreno and Mathis. At least two allocations out of that bunch of well. And 2004's Metro starting 11: Walker XXX - Pope - Jolley Clark Gaven - Lisi - Barto Guevara Magee - XXX Of the nine names on that list only two were on the Metros in 2002. Only one was a real contributor. Bradley basically brought eight first-team players into the squad in one off-season with limited funds. Now he's got money to spend and only two "needs" to fill. I don't doubt he'll fill them, and fill them well. In addition: Grafer Wolyniec Regan Leitch DiGi LeBlanc Nugent Arena Williams I'm pretty comfortable with that (though if I had my druthers I'd launch Richie into the sun). Regan was overmatched by Joseph tonight, but everyone's been overmatched by Joseph for the past two months. Leitch and Digi are acceptable back-ups and LeBlanc, Nugent and Arena are developmental guys who Bob obviously likes in practice, and are likely to benefit from a year in the system. Mathis Moreno Juskowiak Addo Forchetti Galvan Ziadie These are the guys who aren't going to be back. I'm super-convinced Bob can upgrade upon that even without a first round pick. 2004 will be a good year to be a Metro fan. And though things have been tough for the past month, come December I think (hope) most of us realize that this was also a good year to be a Metro fan. We got a cup final, we got the playoffs, we got four rookies who will be big contributors to the team for a long time. It sucks to sit through shit football week after week - but at least this time we can go into the offseason knowing that there's a plan for next year.
Ball distribution in the offensive half of the field has been abysmal. Last night, since we have no decent outside mids, I'd guess that 85% of our attacks tried to go through the midddle, where Clark / Guevara / Mathis / whoever was met by three Rev defensemen and were disposessed. I don't think it's a coincidence that our lone goal came from a play where we started on the left, switched field to the right, switched back to the left, then centered in to Jusko. Does anyone know how many of our goals this season came off set pieces vs. run of play?
If you look at the season from a far, there was that stretch that I've put in bold from 6/14-7/12...make of it what you will. I gave up hope long ago about this team in terms of the theme of this thread. At this point, I think all we can do is let Bradley continue with his George Graham impression, and just hope for the result-that is is only reason I could give a person to pay to see this team; that they may somehow grind out an ugly, negative-football result and possibly advance to a final. Sad really, considering the amount of money some of us spend in support of this team.
the key word i all of this (also stressed on MSG by the announcers) is creativity...Even that Woly goal was very unusual, not of the kind of goal produced by team chemistry...so yeah, it's been for the most part 2+ months devoid of attack minded creativity
The metros are afraid to shoot. It seems no one has the balls to step foward and actual shoot the ball. Its pass...pass..pass...lose. The best shot from the Open Cup final was Ricardos blast from the 35yrd. No one expected it, and if it was on target it could have been a goal. Instead its pass..pass..pass. And if I was the coach Id be working hard on trapping skills.
The way the Metros are playing right now is simply not going to work for any team. Tight 2-touch passes dont create offence. The players really have to 1-time each pass for that tight football to work. Guevara and Lisi are to one ones who even attempt to 1-time any pass. Mathis, Williams, and Regan take way too long on the ball and allow defences to recover. If the other players can't 1-time it well enough then they have to start playing the long ball. We have the strength and the speed to do so with Magee and Juskowiak/Wolyniec.
That was the problem...holding the ball too long or pass the ball backward, allow opponents plenty of time to block the goal, so strikers has zero chance to shoot or, afraid to shoot.
Scoring droughts end just as suddenly and mysteriously as they appear. Quite possible that in three weeks time we could all be here wondering where all the goals have come from. All it could take is one of the many near misses to find net and the floodgates will open. It's really a small miracle that the Metros have earned 42 points with such a low power offense and a 2 man back line.
No way should we let Mathis go. The fact is this team overachieved this year. Get us a decent striker to go with john upfront with mathis bartholomeo and amado in the mid field with Rico as the holder and this team can go very far. This is rebuilding year. This team has come a long way.
If we had competent wingers, it would allow Gueverra to really play well I think. Maybe this lineup would be good... ------------Mathis-------------Gaven------------ ----------------------Amado--------------------- Edgar--------------------------------------Ziade -----------------------Clark-------------------- Digi---------Jolley------------Pope--------Leitch-- ---------------------Walker--------------------- I wouldn't put this lineup on the field, but it is an idea. I think that has been the most obvious problem with our team, the lack of wingplay (just to name one, also the obvious lack of quality play from some of our big name players on a weekly basis, not just Mathis, but also Gueverra who has his fair share of duds). Sure Leitch and Edgar have been trying to push up, but there is little or no overlapping on the wings to make our opponents adapt into uncomfortable positions. As a result, people just clog the center, and no one can really do anything, even when we try to play it wide. I am not sure what Bradley is going to do with the team. There is obviously going to be a lot of roster changes. What we have to consider though is that Bradley seems to favor the 2 d-mid role. Does that mean we switch to the 3-5-2??? Do we try a 4-2-3-1 next year, by bringing in a true target forward, and moving Mathis back to the midfield with Gueverra and Gaven??? These are huge questions. I have no doubt that Bradley will wisely use the SI slot and cap space Moreno provides wisely. I just wish Moreno had been healthy and motivated this year. I can only imagine how much better everyone on the team would have played, especially with another forward up top who can distribute and finish at will when he is playing well.
This is not some mid-table team in England. If Metro don't win MLS Cup I will be very disappointed. I won't be shocked, but I will be disappointed.
This year has definatly nothing to do with the past few years. That rebuilding phase is over because it didnt yield any results. Bradley was brought in and made some wholesale changes and it changed the entire complexity of this team. This year is defintaly the beginning of a new rebuilding effort by this organization. I dont see how u can fit this squad in with the rebuilding plans of the past. To me the 2003 Metrostars are like an expansion team. There is nothing now that resembles teams of the past except for very few names, stadium(soon to be changed, hopefully), team colors, MFO(unfortunatly should of been changed many years ago),...etc. In my book we haven't done bad at all for an expansion team. For this exact reason.... i'm already satisfied with this years team. Hey, i was expecting to be dead last in the east and maybe the league by this point. I would of never have thought to have made an appearance in an USOC final and in the playoffs. Hopefully, Bradley can make some key aquisitions next year and filter out some useless/un-needed players like Willaims, Ziadie, Moreno, etc...
No offense, but if you've thought all season that we have had the talent pool to cruise through the season and the finals then tell me where to get that stuff you've been taking because the reality is killing me from where I sit. V.O.R.
The last thing we need is Ziadie on the field. The only thing he knows how to do well is hmmmm. Actually Ziadie cant do anything well. Besides having a decent cross, his offensive ability is non-existent and his defense is average with many shakey moments. I like that formation because it would open up our game but to execute it well Ziadie would need to be replaced with a real winger who can be dangerous on the ball and in the run. Meanwhile, on the left side i think the left wing is more suited to Edgar's style of play then the left back position. Edgar should be able to cause many problems for the opposing defense with his speed and 1v1 skills.
Arisrules I could not agree more our wing has been very lacking. But the problem has been discipline not necessarily. They have been making the same problem all season when one person on one side of the field gets the ball for the Metros instead of spreading the field and trying to run into space everyone starts to gravitate towards the ball. Soon 7 of our players are within 15-18 yards of the ball making it easier for the defense to shut us down. They then start passing the ball around inside this box with little opportunity to break out. This has infuriated me all year and am surprised a man of Bradleys obvious talents hasn't picked up on this yet. With that being said we sorely need a striker to play upfront to be Owen to Wolyniec's Heskey. Put Amado Clint Rico and Bartholomeu in the midfield and we will supply more offense. It does have to be a big name striker either.