Dallas BURN vs. San Jose Quakes Sat 7:30 PM (CT) Tailgate begins 5/5:30 Cotton Bowl Broadcast on HDNet TV The Burn have their fist defeat behind them. The questions now are about how they will apply lessons learned in the 3-1 loss to the gals. Communication failures and a little lazy late-game ball watching by some are sure to be addressed. What tactics do we use to shut down a team where the goals come from all over? How do we get goals in the net for us? Can we get Waibel red-carded again without injury to one of our players? About the quakes... 7 of the 11 men on the field walked away from last week’s game with points for a goal, an assist, or both. Scoring Summary: SJ -- Brian Ching 2 (Landon Donovan 3, Brian Mullan 1) 13 SJ -- Chris Brown 1 (Landon Donovan 4) 24 SJ -- Landon Donovan 1 (Brian Ching 1, Chris Brown 1) 43 SJ -- Ronnie Ekelund 2 (penalty kick) 58 SJ -- Craig Waibel 1 (Jeff Agoos 2) 60 Misconduct Summary: SJ -- Craig Waibel (caution; Reckless Foul) 54 San Jose Earthquakes – Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel, Jeff Agoos, Troy Dayak, Ramiro Corrales, Brian Mullan, Ronnie Ekelund (Ian Russell 89), Richard Mulrooney, Chris Brown (Dwayne De Rosario 89), Brian Ching, Landon Donovan. Substitutes Not Used: Arturo Alvarez, (ankle sprain – R) Ryan Cochrane, Jon Conway, Steve Cronin, Tighe Dombrowski, Wes Hart, Jamil Walker. TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Ronnie Ekelund 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Chris Brown 2); FOULS: 16 (3 tied with 3); OFFSIDES: 3 (Brian Ching 3); CORNER KICKS: 7 (Jeff Agoos 4); SAVES: 2 (Pat Onstad 2) 3 of their players are out with injuries OUT: DF Chris Roner (R ankle surgery); DF Eddie Robinson (L hamstring rupture); DF Todd Dunivant (L quad strain)
Bump. I ready to see the Burn score some GOALs this weekend. Our team speed should create some chances against their backline, but our forwards (and you too, Ronnie) must finish their chances. Must fix the left back problem, Behnke vs. Mullan is asking for trouble. As much as I like Brad Davis and want him to have that break-out game, he's going to have a hell of time this weekend vs. Ekelund and Mulrooney. Simo gets to try and keep red-hot Lando off the books. Good luck to him. So, is this the weekend that we make a change? Pareja for Davis? Pareja for Quil, Davis wide left? Reyes for Salyer? Gbandi for Behnke? Kries for EJ or Toni?
Questions heading into Dal v. SJ: Dallas: Is Gibbs fit? Is Jolley fit? Was Davis subbed for injury or tactics? Is Reyes ready for 90? How does this team react to their first loss? SJ: Does Waibel start (after his goal) or is there a shake up in the back? Why does Arturo Alvarez see so few minutes? How does this team react to giving up 5 and losing a two goal lead late at home? Lots of questions coming into this one - primarily around the form of both squads. Was the Burn's 4 game unbeaten start for real? Why can't Kinnear get this Quake side into form? SJ swept Dallas 4-0-0 last year - so they come into the Cotton Bowl looking for 3 points and no less - plus 3 puts them in 2nd in the west (depending on the KC-DC outcome). Although they scored 5 last week, they had only scored 5 in the first 5 matches of the season - on pace with Dallas at 1 goal per game through 5 games. But on the whole, I'd consider this Quake team an attacking team, and I think the Burn's best chance will be to play solid compact defence and use quick counter-attacks to take advantage of a slow SJ defence. The speed on our wings and up front should cause real problems for Agoos, Dayak and the SJ defence. Wednesday Lineup Guess: Ching_Donovan Brown_Ekelund_Mulrooney_Mullen Corales_Dayak_Agoos_Hart(Waibel) Onstad Nhlecko_Johnson Quill_Davis_Valakari_OBrien Gbandi_Gibbs_Jolley_Salyer(Reyes) Garlick I think Gbandi gets the nod at LB to counter Mullen's speed and if Reyes is ready for 90', I think he probably goes on the right. Valakari must be a destroyer in the middle and I think Davis will have to do a lot of defensive work as well - it appears to me that Mullen, Mulrooney, Ekelund and Donovan (and now Brown and Ching) really work well together. With Brown being a striker playing LM, and Corales being a LM playing LB - I think that is where the Burn try to break through. Imagine ROB and Reyes making deep runs down the right all night. Weather forecast for Sat. is currently - 40% chance of scattered T-storms 85/64 - so maybe some rain and about 80 degrees at kickoff.
Pareja for Davis? Pareja for Quil, Davis wide left? Reyes for Salyer? Gbandi for Behnke? Kries for EJ or Toni? As much as I would love to see Oscar play and Quill sit to move Davis left, until we get a clearer idea of full match fitness for Oscar and Reyes, and others nagging injury status, a lineup is still fuzzy to me. I don't think Gibbs groin problem will go away soon, we could see Benke for him and Gbandi left. Jason has played 90 minutes in reserve, but can he go a full speed 90 and who would you pair him with? I hope 3rd Degree or someone can give us a practice observation report. I'm especially wondering about Coach Clarke's attitude and perspective, besides player fitness. How bad did the LA loss affect team psyche? Is it printable or suitable for the Family Side? I'm hoping the Burn come out Saturday like gangbusters to get a win before going on the road for 3 weeks.
Good preview by a Smurf fan (from Chicago, no less) on their boards: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2494388&postcount=4 br13, apparently Arturo Alavarez is still hurt.
San Jose still has issues and has not re-gained its 2003 form. Great time for the Burn to catch them.
TIGHTEN UP THAT DEFENSE! Everyone was saying last weekends game would decide where this team is, we got a wake up call. Now we need to really push hard to win this and show that we're not a team thats going to give up, we need the points because we're about to go on the road for 3 games straight. Davis-Make the passes count. Simo-Don't let Donovan breathe Jolley and Gibbs-Play like you did the first 4 games Behnke and Salyer-Ya'll played well and have earned your starting spaces, but if you play the same way you did at the end of the game last weekend expect to quickly lose them to Gbandi and Reyes (more so Behnke). EJ and Nhelko-Keep up not scoring and then you'll be seeing lots of bench time. Don't forget we have Kreis, Rhine, and Thompson (I still wanna see this guy get a shot). The whole team just needs to step up and show everyone (including theirselves) that we are one of the top teams in the league.
This rebound game will be a good test of the teams character. I would like to see a couple of goals as well.
Marc Conelly's article on MLSnet.com this week is about our very own Ronnie O'Brien - and it ends with "Four Quick Questions" for one this weekend's opponnents - the smurfs Four quick ones Questions for San Jose Earthquakes defender Ryan Cochrane Most underrated player on your team: Ramiro Corrales. Most underrated player not on your team: Kelly Gray, Chicago Fire Best nickname on your team: "Beast" -- Troy Dayak. Smartest advice from a coach you've ever received: Have fun when you play.
Your REFEREE for this match....[drum roll]...practice your vocals for "Who's Your Father?"[/drum roll] - he has a history of calling Penalties when he refs the Burn. REFEREE: Marcel Yonan. SAR (bench): Greg Barkey; JAR (opposite): Bill Dittmar; 4th: Richard Heron MLS Career: 44 games; FC/gm: 29.4; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 1; pens: 3 Games involving Burn: P6 W2 L4 T0; FC/gm: 25.7; Y/gm: 2.5; R: 1; pens: 3 Games involving Earthquakes: P12 W6 L5 T1; FC/gm: 27.4; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 4; pens: 2 Meanwhile on the injury front...Waibel has a groin strain and Jamil Walker sprained an ankle is Tuesday's practice INJURY REPORT: DALLAS BURN QUESTIONABLE: DF Cory Gibbs (groin strain) SMURFS OUT: DF Chris Roner (R ankle surgery); DF Eddie Robinson (L hamstring rupture); DF Todd Dunivant (L quad strain); PROBABLE: Craig Waibel (R groin strain) YELLOW PERIL: DAL: Chris Gbandi (10 CP in 2 gms)
Report from the Smurf's defeat of Sporting (yes, THAT Sporting) last night: http://quakemagic.matchnight.com/qmdefault.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=385 Apparently Donovan came in at the half in the attacking midfield position and scored 2, set up 2. That performance vs. Mexico has sparked a Mathis-like run of form for the kid. Simo will have his hands full Saturday.
I think this should all but seal that he'll be playing in the midfield in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday - so maybe: Ching_DeRosario Donovan_Mullen Ekelund_Mulrooney Corales_Dayak_Agoos_Hart Onstad With the defensive problems last week - can they go three in the back? Has Kinnear ever used a 352?
I've got a bad feeling about this. We stink against San Jose. To be honest, I would be happy with a tie and us scoring more than 1 goal.
Smurfs at Dallas Burn (Cotton Bowl) – 8:30 p.m. ET FSN – Bay Area VYVX Conf.# 1637821 HDNet KU BAND - AMC 9, Tr. 23 ** Direct Kick Channel: DirecTV: 794 Dish Net: 463 InDemand
She is a younger writer for the DMN, she did the sidekicks beat for a while. I am fairly sure she played some college ball somewhere. Knows the game, but is not usually on the Burn beat. She has done a few game reports before for them. Unless I am confusing her with someone else. Steve Davis is taking a vacation to the European Championships... or he will be if he has not left yet.
as this game gets closer I'm getting worried. I really hope we have what it takes to come out of that loss with a poise to win. Simo, meet Landon Donovan. Don't let him breathe! Hopefully a 2-1 win for us, but I'll take a draw.
I think based on recent SJ form v. Dallas - you are absolutely dead on here. Hope for a win - but even at home I think I'll be pleased with the point.
I won't just repeat the comments I made in the post that was linked in this thread earlier. Instead, I'll just address some comments and concerns I found on here: I'd be very (admittedly, pleasantly) surprised if Dominic Kinnear started Landon in midfield on Saturday. His combination with Brian Ching was very effective against the Metrostars, so I'm certain that Dominic would still like to test the total effectiveness of that partnership. I agree that Landon will be a handful for Valakari, as he will be forr any defender and defensive midfielder he encounters. He shredded the best in the league last year (Curtin, Bocanegra, and Armas) in the MLS Cup final, and has only faced opponents with moderate success this season, altohugh I agree that his performance against Mexico gave him a much-needed boost of confidence. I think the negativity is unwarranted. Dallas is still a very fast team with serious skill, and the Earthquakes would be stupid to take Dallas lightly (as some of the Quakes fans have here at Bigsoccer.) The Burn employ a style very similiar to the 2003 Colorado Rapids, a team that caused nightmares for San Jose last season. San Jose is abysmal against the counter and Dallas' overall team speed will cause serious problems for a slow, aging San Jose back line. I noticed in the game against LA last week that when Gibbs came out, Behncke moved to the center with Jolley and Gbandi moved out left. If Gibbs is still out on Saturday, I suspect that we'll see this defensive line-up again, although I don't know how effective Gbandi (or Behncke) will be against a Brian Mullan who is quickly returning to form. There seems to be no need to replace Salyer. While he had a so-so day against LA, he has looked very sharp on the right this season, and hasn't played himself out of the starting eleven just yet.