Post-match: Montreal Impact - San Jose Earthquakes (Saturday, 8/18) postgame thread [R]

It has been a great season, but this team has dropped WAY too many points against teams they should beat. You need to take care of business against teams in the bottom half of the table and playing on the road is NOT an acceptable excuse.

I know they will make the playoffs, but I really want them to play Champions league next season. The only way to guarantee that is to win the Supporters Shield.

 

Looks like 2011 all over again. How many shots on goal today? Did we even have a shot on goal in the 2nd half?
Frustrating watching those crosses into the box with only Wondo in there and about 4 defenders.

 

so lost lenny and hernendez next game, and likely Bernardez for at least one too. We are gonna be pretty thin at D next week. im expecting a Corrales--------Morrow--------Opara---------Beita back line next week.

 

http://www.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2012-08-18-mtl-v-sj/highlights?videoID=197051

In the replay at 37 seconds it looks like Camara pushed Lenhart's hand up into his own face and then spazzed out. Either way, that early in the game 2 yellows would be a much better call.
Hernandez' red is a different story.

 

the blatant stomping of Neagle on the first Montreal goal. It was a bad one. Thats one that the MLS council of super persons looks at and suspends you multiple games for

 

Lenny's red was huge...It left Wondo with no support up top for the balance of the game. back line was pitiful. Beita had his worst game of the year. After a solid 1st half, Hernandez collapsed - his red was the death nail. Some of the problems may have been international duty related - Beita, Chavez especially looked sluggish. (I realize Beita did not play but travel may have caused him trouble). Khari was also nearly worthless and uninterested off the bench. But, only 1 game, a lot of travel and a Impact team that was playiing well...

We'll be back...

Go Quakes...

 

well that was frustrating...I keep yelling at the TV "shoot the dam ball on goal" !
Seems Quakes were not aware that you are allowed to take a shot on goal from outside the box. Once Lenhart went out they only tried to serve the ball into Wondo who usually had 3, if not 4, defenders around him any time he was in the box. Reminded me of the LA game when (can't remember his name, the short midfielder, Magee?) went in to play goalie and the Quakes couldn't manage to get a shot on goal. Part of me wanted to see Sercan come in just to see someone fire in a shot from distance.

No Lenny-No Shea (injury)-No Jason.....I'm guessing Ike gets a start next week in place of Jason....gotta keep Beita and Morrow on the outside in back. At least next week's game is a home game.

 

As I said in the in-game thread (and Kelly Gray was saying in the latter stages of the game), we didn't take enough risks, running at defenders when we had fast players like Morrow, Chavez and Dawkins taking the ball down the flanks toward their penalty area. Morrow was too indecisive and aggressive even in attempting crosses, but in general we needed (especially in the early stages when we had all the momentum) to put pressure on them and get into their box for either shots or to try to draw fouls/PK's. Just too conservative and predictable, and as others have said, once Lenhart was off, the attempts to play high balls in to a surrounded Wondo were basically useless.

I can handle a loss here and there, but we can't afford to earn so many suspensions. We take too many dumb fouls and dumb cards. Lenhart is Lenhart, and there are going to be games like this. Lenny giveth, and Lenny taketh away, and it's becoming clear that we're going to be playing without him from time to time (and I think we're all getting used to this happening). Bernardez has enough skill and enough strength that he doesn't need to resort to some of these bad fouls. Hernandez... wow. Did he think he might get away with that one? Very stupid.

Between the suspensions and injuries, it's going to be tough to keep our momentum going. Goonies can't continue to spring surprises if they're not able to play. Thank goodness we have a deep midfield.

 

"Morrow was too indecisive and aggressive even in attempting crosses..."

Meant to say "too indecisive, not aggressive enough"

 

What really happened between Lenny and Camara

Camara's face turned toward Lenny, trash talking in Lenny's right ear. Lenny looking up and away pretending to ignore it while he "accidently" brings the back of his (Lenny's) right hand up into Camara's face. Camara's reaction was fast and furious. Lenny should not have been given a red for this.

 

I'm looking forward to the time when Lenny is such a draw that the refs treat him with a little respect. If he stays healthy and keeps it up, he is going to be a star.

 

Then again, notice the guy on the right side of the frame. He's looking the same direction as Lenny (ball in the air?) so maybe it really was an accident.

 

I didn't see it that way. I thought Wondo was hustling like usual (he won a few 50/50 balls where he had to get down and dirty). It was just that Montreal wasn't going to let him beat them. They marked him well, often surrounding him with multiple defenders. Once Lenny was out, it got a lot tougher for him to connect with people. There were one or two plays where we attempted to play longer passes to him on the ground with defenders behind him (a variation on the "target" type approach), and Montreal's defenders were beating him to those balls. It could have been Wondo not reacting quickly enough, but I tended to view it as very good defense.

 

Well that sucked. Yes, the Quakes dominated the first 20 minutes, and then the reds threw the game out of whack. Quakes were fortunate to get the PK goal. In any case, with Lenny out, the Quakes had no schtick it seemed. The aimless crosses with Wondo triple-teamed? Nope. Simon pressing the middle against four defenders? Nope. They had the ball enough near the 18, but couldn't come up with any reasonable chances. The only one who seemed to be trying to be creative and find an answer was Baca, who later in the game tried some deep central runs through the defense and almost connected with Dawkins a few times. That's something I really like about Baca - he seems to really hate losing and has a knack for finding whatever it is that he thinks he needs to do to help the team win, whether that's trying to press more on offense, run practically field length to chase a breaking runner on D, go outside to serve in a cross, or just be the holding mid / distributor guy in the middle.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Quakes weaknesses were exposed. The occasional Morrow mess-up to leave a guy free on the (attacking) right side of the Quakes goal (1st goal), the failure to close down attackers at the top of the box (2nd goal), and the slowness of the center backs, particularly Hernandez (3rd goal). All that was remaining was the chip over Busch and/or the failure of Busch to command the box. If they'd gotten those, they'd have hit them all. Still want to Ike paired with Bernardez at some point.

Anyway, hopefully the Quakes will look at this as a learning experience. They need to find more answers on offense. They can't just rely on the diagonal crosses in the box. Agree with S.J. Jim - deeper / more aggressive runs by the wingers / fullbacks would help for one. More vertical through runs on the attacks up the middle like Baca was trying a bit near the end (would really help if the Quakes had a quick forward). On defense they need to do a better job of closing players down at the top of the box, Morrow needs to avoid the bad mistakes that leave guys running free at the goal, and we need a faster center back (paging Ike Opara).

Quakes were actually perfectly in this one - it was anyone's game until the 60th minute or whenever Montreal scored their second goal. Then their lack of answers on offense became even more glaring as Montreal packed it in even further.

 

Without Lenny, and Gordon to a lesser extent, the Quakes forwards are a little soft in terms of being able to sort of bull their way through pressure and win balls deep in the box. Wondo is OK, but slow of foot and though he has good size and is reasonably strong, muscling through pressure or muscling guys off the ball is not necessarily his forte.

 

I agree. He has been very good in recent games, doing a lot of dirty work and really aiding us in winning balls and keeping possession. Lots of effort, for not much individual glory.

On a different note, I can't help but wonder if we shouldn't be employing another weapon of ours more often in games like this. As much criticism as he gets around here (and some of it certainly deserved), Khari Stevenson has a cannon for a right leg. When our offense is stifled, and our tactics aren't working, I think I'd like to see Stevenson come on a bit earlier, and see if we can't create some space for him in the center of the field. The man can change a game with one 30-yard bomb. Get him a shot from 18-20 yards, and he's not only a threat to score, he's a threat to knock a goalkeeper unconscious.

 

Come on guys, don't start defending Lenny or viewing the foul with homer glasses. He intentionally put his hand up in Corona's face. A blatant cheap shot. Camara's retaliation was worse, but it was a stupid, needless foul by Lenny. Ref should have given them both yellows. What I don't understand is why we were awarded a PK. We should have lost this game 3-0. I hope this team can regroup, FAST.

 

I'm guessing FY will have a talk with Lenhart. Earlier this season I thought I read an article stating that FY told Lenhart to be aggressive but no stupid fouls. Tonight it was a stupid foul....Lenhart screwed up, got a red, it hurt the team and it will hurt them next week against Colorado. Please no more stupid fouls....