Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Kenn, You can go here for a fan perpsective on player "grades" so far: http://soundercentral.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1104 I'll post or send you more shortly. David
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 up-to-date stats for Seattle and Milwaukee: Seattle: http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2004/roster/22379.html Milwaukee: http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2004/roster/22346.html
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Stats I got, thanks. I'm actually cool with "official" information - but the stuff I can't get is the stuff that you folks who watch the teams all the time can add.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Are you working this game for FSW? I was in Columbus for the US/Grenada match and hence missed Seattle's visit to MN, so no insight there. Milwaukee - it seems like they're coming around a bit after their atrocious start. Not sure if that was due to the hangover after the long indoor season or what. A number of people seem to have taken some offense at Milwaukee's tactics and the antics of their players and coach. Such people have all been opposing fans of course, so take that for what it's worth. I will say there's definitely some offensive talent there for the WU, with Johnny Torres the most dangerous player in the match that I saw. They've also recently signed Jamar Beasley, but I don't know that that's all that notable really. What else... their goalkeeper, Larkin, has terrible hands and drops a lot of balls. Which you would think would be a hindrance for a keeper, but he gets by somehow I guess. If you troll around the boards over at usldiscussions you can probably find some more opinions. I know some Thunder and Timbers fans have travelled to recent matches in Milwaukee and could also comment on the stadium situation and such if that interests you at all.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Here you go, Kenn. I can send you a word doc. if you want... -------------------------------------------------------------------
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 More: Seattle has used a 3-5-2 configuration in its last two road matches. This is a bit unusual, considering most fans believe that the midfield has been the weakest point this season. To be more precise, the midfield hasn't performed well in service to the strikers or in retreating to help the defenders. Perhaps Schmetzer feels they just need "numbers" in the middle to correct this. Newcomer Jonathan Bolanos is the guy to look for along with Farrell, at least on the attack. The Sounders are a traditional road team, to an extent. They will play for the early lead, then hope to defend it if they get it. Welton Melo showed he is dangerous on the counter attack, scoring a solo effort in the 90th minute against the Battery to clinch a 3-1 win. Seattle's defense absorbs a lot of pressure. Teams are usually able to get some kind of organized attack going against the Sounders, but usually it amounts to a series of "nice tries," but no goals. When leading at any point in a match, the Sounders are 6-1-1. There only two blown leads were at Minnesota when they lead 1-0 until two late goals, and at home in their season opener when they were ahead of Edmonton 1-0 until a stoppage time penalty kick was surrendered. The Sounders have come from behind to win matches just twice this year. They trailed 1-0 at home to both Calgary and Milwaukee, then rallied for late 2-1 victories. The way to beat Seattle: score first.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 This might help: http://soundercentral.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1104
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Thanks to one and all. Yes, Sean Wheelock and I are doing the game Friday on FSW.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Keep your eye out for this guy: This little prat managed to get 2 yellow cards, incited Portland's two central defenders into a fight (who then both got red cards) and get tossed all in the span of 9 minutes. Yep he was in the game for 9 whole miutes and accomplished alot in that short time. You should ask him if his coach sees him as an enforcer and sends him in there to specifically pick a fight with opposing teams best players? The other thing to watch out for with Milwaukee is their god awful constant music and announcements that play 90 minutes continously. You may have to turn down the on-field mics.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 Nino scored the game winner on the Thunder last Saturday. He got an earful from the supporters. Endlessly being called a "rodeo clown", when he came in to the game the crowd sang him a, "send him off" chant. When he scored that goal he made sure to celebrate in front of us... Silly rodeo clown. As for things to watch I can only really comment on Milwaukee. Todd Dusosky (sp?) is a brute of a forward and will be the key to Torres's success. If Todd can hold the ball near the penalty box watch for Torres to come streaking. Greg Howes is always has a presense at the game in Milwaukee's midfield. Jamar Beasley has really helped Milwaukee on the left side of the field by giving them someone who can get a shot on target from that side of the field. This has helped free up Torres a bit more. And watch Jim Larkin give his goal kicks, he never takes them on the left side of the net.
Re: Milwaukee - Seattle Friday night 7/2 mods, Is there anyway we could add an R to the thread title? So people who watch tonights game can discuse it here. thanks
2-2 game. Ibrahim Kante looked like Shaquile O'Neil out there tonight. Jamar Beasley seemed way too tenative and Milwaukee has nothing on the right in the back. SCOTTY and SCHMIDTY were playing like they actually needed Larkin telling them what to do.
well, i only saw the 2nd half. no first half or overtime. from what i saw was a very clean half of soccer. no crazy music, just normal messages from the announcer. kenn - very good job. too bad that sean talked too much. And to Sean, It is WISCONSIN, not "Wesconsin." It is just like "Oregen" being pronounced "Or-e-gon."
The Sounders are a completely different team with Jonathan Bolanos as the midfield "quarterback." He creates consistent opportunities for the forwards, a big piece that has been missing. Seattle deserved the road point, to be sure. Milwaukee, as I had suspected would happen, has stepped up their play considerably. They still remain 6 points behind Seattle in the race for the last playoff spot in the West. In the meantime, Seattle inches to within 4 points of the division lead with 20 points on a 6-2-6 record. Several teams above Seattle have matches later tonight, including Vancouver at Portland. A-League Standings: http://www.uslsoccer.com/statistics/index_E.html
Thanks to everybody for their help before the fact and their kind words after the fact. Didn't help keep me from a very large brain fart, but, hey, it happens sometimes.
These guys struck as being extremely bad. Yes, and what's with the coach having to tell these two guys what to do with EVERY touch--the coach was even shouting where to stand to these guys. I mean yes, these two are terrible soccer players, but hey, at a pro level, if you have to be told where to be on every play, perhaps you're not a player that belongs at this level.
Phantom goal notwithstanding, I thought both of you did a good job. It also seemed like they turned off the blaring music in Milwaukee for one game, but the PA announcer was still at a high annoyance level. I love the FSW Friday games, but I wish one feature of the Friday night A-League video webcasts from a few years ago had survived:. the chat room feature where the fans could interact with the announcers. That was something cool and unique, which means of course, it never had a chance of lasting.
That would have been fun, Allison, but if you'd seen the booth we were in, there's no way we could have interacted with anyone who wasn't in our headsets or who didn't walk right up to us.
Those were Saturday video webcasts, and I wish they had remained with or without the chat room feature. It gave fans a chance to watch a game of the week without having to order up digital cable.