I don't have the context to say if those moves good or bad Add Tillman for $500K and Mario Gonzalez for $3M. They also sold Rossi, Arango and Rodriguez all for ~$6M each. Thorrington is considered a very good GM who built LAFC so I'm sure he knows what he is doing. If you look at the players he moved vs those he brought in it is very clear how they plan to play moving forward. They went with faster players all with very high work rate with the exception of Tillman.
I get it but I preferred Bob’s lafc as a neutral . I'm just saying he's got a lot of skilled ball players but has decided to play a pragmatic style that is working for him. Bob's LAFC teams played pretty ball but got undone in the CCL final by lack of depth when Memo Ochoa simulated their star 6 out of the final with a bogus red card. From the USMNT perspective, it shows that Tillman and Acosta can be a rugged 8 duo.
In the end as I said Dolo displayed great coaching by adjusting his scheme twice to suit his squad over the course of this season. Recognition, adjustment and getting the squad to buy in. That is top notch management. I get that you preferred BB's LAFC but despite LAFC's huge talent including prime Carlito, BB's playoff record in his 4 years were R1, SF, R1, DNQ. Dolo won MLS cup his first year, turned over the squad and is playing for MLS cup his 2nd year. I have been a huge Tim Tillman supporter and I would never describe him as rugged. In fact TT needs to become much more physical. Acosta will definitely mix it up.
That's always been an easy path for lazy coaches. Little skilled early matured kids, you can win plenty of U-1X with them.
Playoffs are coin flips though, they've won some flips and lost some. They've lost the CCL final and the Leagues Cup semi this year and didn't look as bad as they did in beating Seattle. Seattle's counterpress was choking the life out of LAFC before and after they scored one goal against the run of play. LAFC only drew one save in the entire game.
LAG bought into the Kleiban nonsense for some reason. Then, of course, the Kleiban's got themselves excommunicated. Pegasus is exactly right about the successful FCD academy players. I'll never forget what the Bayern Munich director said about why they started the collaboration with the FCD academy. ATHLETES. Access to ATHLETES. He said that Chris Richards was like an elite basketball player on a soccer field. They want THAT. I just saw this quote from the much-discussed Bielsa the other day. Makes total sense. We all know that this is what they want. We see MLS coaches and USMNT coaches trying to find these types of 8. People on the youth boards kept trying to turn Paxton Pomykal into a 10. NO! That's not what they did. They turned him into a two-way player. Into an 8. They turned Brandon Servania into an 8. Tanner Tessmann. An 8. The list goes on. 🗣️ Marcelo Bielsa: "The hardest player to find in football is the 8. I named it 'the Modric', who defends like a 6 and attacks like a 10. He has the ability to defend, the skills to attack and understanding the game in both directions." pic.twitter.com/oFbhgpMBvQ— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) December 4, 2023
If your point is that Seattle had the better game in their match, I agree but Seattle lost anyway. Seattle is sitting at home with a better team while LAFC is playing for the cup on Saturday. That is 100% due to Dolo's management. Compare the way LAFC lost to Leon and especially Monterrey earlier in the season to the way they beat Vancouver, Seattle, and Houston. Big change in the way they play and effectiveness of their game.
The Houston v LAFC highlights shows how LAFC wants to play and some of the reasons that Tillman is currently a lock for them.
LAFC was almost even in possession against Leon, so I see the difference in that case...from an approach perspective LAFC conceded early in both matches so who knows if they planned on defending deep or not. Statistically the recent matches are very similar to how it played out vs Monterrey. Monterrey was just better than Vancouver, Seattle, Houston and Philly (60% possession against LAFC in a 0-0 at Philly.) Biggest difference in the effectiveness of the approach has been Crepeau not giving up the same soft goals McCarthy did, IMO.
Not talking about statics or possession %, just the match approach. LAFC has been structurally much more sound and patient. After the Monterrey match where they were up 2-0 at '60 and cruising and ended up losing 2-3 Dolo said it was in their nature to want to keep attacking to get another. That was an adjustment that he had to figure out to make and get the team to buy in. Dolo changed that mindset, now the squad is very comfortable and composed defending for stretches knowing that springing Denis running at back peddling opponents is their ace in the hole.
I haven't thought about that game in months but I recall them defending extremely deep for almost the entire game, and eventually conceding three soft goals on a penalty, own goal, and rebound. Palacios was missing for that one too. Maybe it's just proof Cherundolo had this vision early, tried it against Monterrey and it failed. Then he got buy in and execution got much better starting with the Galaxy game when Crepeau returned to action. There are still some games where they dominate the ball but they are still direct, with very little build up. They have been very good defensively and comfortable counter attacking since that game.
My point is only that he's played a style that's not as entertaining and that the better results in playoffs have been coin flip wins. Dolo's coaching didn't make Crepeau make those 2-3 very good saves or the ref decide to play on when Chielini cleared out Roldán outside the 18 and stood up looking like the cat that swallowed the canary. Those were good luck, soccer is a lot about luck. I give him credit for his very good free kick success, being smart enough to pair Tillman and Acosta, for the defensive solidity of the team but, a team not drawing a save until the 95th minute while playing the whole game in their own half doesn't strike me as a coaching masterpiece in a match of equals. If anything,Dolo has the better squad, and it's strange for them to play such a style.
BREAKING: Colorado Rapids are in advanced talks over a potential deal to sign USMNT GK Zack Steffen from Manchester City, per sources.No deal is done. Complicated, but progressing. TBD.Steffen, 28, been with City since 2019. Would be huge get for COL. https://t.co/LYuhEVf7vf— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) December 7, 2023 Steffen on his way back to MLS it looks like.
This would be a bad idea for Colorado. He's not better than they could get from the draft or as a free agent.
I question Steffen's durability, the lack of which seems to impact his effectiveness when he is able to get on the field.
I dont think this squad can control games the same way Bob's team did. I think pressing high and then defending deep actually protects Chiellini (rarely has to defend in space) , and allows Bouanga to be a counter attacking wrecking ball. Arguably that gets the most out of two of their best players.
Depends on cost. But yeah, generally you can get quality MLS keeping very cheaply. I'm still holding out a bit that Steffen's issues have been somewhat injury related. I'd like to see him get a run of constant play.
If they can get him to agree to a salary under $400k, then he's probably worth the gamble. But they'll probably end up making a deal for something stupid like $1.2M.
The last 5 MLS Cup-winning keepers and what they were making that year. Crepeau---$300K Johnson---$510K Room------$400K Frei---------$340K Guzan-----$700K
I disagree. I don't believe that Tillman is about any kind of defensive solidity. Timmy is MLS-elite press resistant, only bettered by Nagbe as far as players not named Messi. I thought that the following was highly entertaining:
If we look at the top earning GKs: St Louis ($1.6M), Orlando ($980K), and Philly ($950K) would be in the range I would expect Steffen to be asking.
I expect that's what he'll be asking for as well. I don't think he merits it in 2023 (or 2024) though. But in the end that's between he and the Rapids.
Yup. In a salary capped league, it really doesn't make sense to use significant cap space (or a DP slot) on a keeper. You can probably sign Josh Cohen for 1/3rd the price of Steffen and be virtually the same in terms of results on the field. But hell, this is how Colorado hasn't won anything in almost 15 years. I suspect there are some highly paid keepers that have won MLS Cup, though. Brad Guzan with Atlanta? I wouldn't even use a foreign player slot like Dallas did on Paes. Cuz you can find a Brad Stuver on the MLS discard pile, and he'll be just fine for you. Call FCD and enquire about Jimmy Maurer, etc. And work on developing academy kids.........................like Chicago has just done with Slonina and Brady. Like Columbus has done with Schulte. That list goes on. Pulskamp seems to be the heir apparent in SKC.
Rapids have a thing for over the hill ex-US keepers. I'm actually hoping Steffen isn't over the hill but will be good now that he's had surgery. I still wouldn't spend too much on a keeper but we haven't heard a number yet and to be fair it's the best way a bad team could stay in games.
Sure, a good keeper might be the best way for a crappy team to have a chance. But is Steffen that guy right now?