People keep saying that Justin Glad played put of position but am I mistaken when I say that he played right back for most of his time with the USMNT? Is he going to be the starting RW with Herrera playing starting left wing?
Maybe, then, we shouldn't be the very last team to start playing preseason games, only two weeks from First Kick?
IsmitjeSuper Moderator Staff Member #678Feb 8, 2019 This Pacific Rim Cup game is brutal. Even more so than most preseason games. The carpet there looks like old generation turf. @Ismitje ’s post from the 2018-2019 Off-season thread. We looked bad in last year’s preseason too. Also we were all wondering why Johnson wasn’t playing against Arizona in a preseason game. Well, he was injured.
Pretty sure I remember talk that he would potentially replace Beckerman back before he moved to the first team. So he is probably a bit more dynamic that being just a Centerback. That said, if they plan on having him central this season, he probably should focus on that as it's a position you have to be familiar with your teammates. I wouldn't test a CB on the outside unless I saw them as my #3 back and wanted to see if they could start on the outside.
If RSL gets off to a slow start, remember this. Preseason prep is important, for fitness, for team chemistry and for early season readiness. Doesn't really feel like RSL has taken this serious in last couple of years, but this may be the worst case of that. MOST teams started preseason games in Jan, 2 full weeks or more before RSL's first game. AND the average number of games is 6. RSL has 3. Only 1 other team has less than 5. While I agree that an individual preseason game (and result) isn't the end of the world - HALF of the preparation of your competitors does seem concerning to me. I wish someone could explain the thinking for this. Hopefully we aren't seeing stories like this again in 2020: https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2019/05/07/ten-games-into-season/ "But through the first 10 games, Real has accrued only 10 points and sits eighth in the Western Conference table, two spots below the playoff line. The team is 3-6-1, has already lost two games at home and has struggled to put together a full 90 minutes of soccer throughout the season. If this sounds familiar, it should. The stumble out of the gate fits right in with RSL’s starts the previous two seasons. The team was 4-5-1 at the 10-game mark last season and 2-6-2 in 2017." ATL – 5, Jan 24th CHI – 6, Feb 1st CINCI – 7, Jan 25th COL – 7, Jan 29th CBUS – 8, Jan 24th FCD – 9, Jan 29th DCU – 6, Jan 28th HOU – 5, Feb 5th LAFC – 4, Jan 25th LAG – 5, Feb 4th MIA – 6, Feb 7th MUFC – 6, Feb 1st MTL – 5, Jan 28th NSC – 6, Jan 30th NER – 5, Feb 10th NYCFC – 5, Jan 15th NYRB – 8, Jan 24th OCFC – 8, Jan 25th PHI – 6, Jan 29th PTFC – 6, Feb 1st RSL – 3, Feb 15th SJE – 5, Feb 3rd SSFC – 5, Jan 22nd SKC – 5, Feb 1st TFC – 6, Feb 8th VAN – 6, Jan 28th
And LAFC, the team with four, will be playing CCL games starting this week (as will NYCFC, Montreal, Seattle, and Atlanta).
Season preview is up on Garber's website. A couple of interesting points: 1) Pundits have RSL projected 8th to 12th ... in the West. That's not good. But maybe not far off. 2) Projected Starting XI has Damir and Everton holding with Baird and Jeizon on the wings. Anybody really expect that? At least at the beginning of the season I'm still expecting Beckerman in the XI. Hope I'm wrong. Do we expect Jeizon to break starting XI or will we see Meram in that role until Jeizon or another of the young attacking players begins to make their mark? 3) Article laments lack of RSL firepower. I think we were all waiting for that signing this off-season. Where are the goals going to come from? Who do you anticipate leading this team in scoring? https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/02/17/2020-season-preview-real-salt-lake
Another article on the Garber site (actually more precisely, an updated one) about depth. Do you agree with Doyle here? Despite being picked 8-12th, he calls RSL "loaded". https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020...d-status-western-conference-ahead-2020-season
Meram isn't on that depth chart... So, yeah, they do their homework... Makes it a bit hard to trust anything they say.
To be fair, it does say the last update was Feb 10th, and we signed Meram on the 11th, so it makes sense he's not listed.
How the hell can RSL be "loaded" but only be projected to be 8th to 12th? I guess, to him, "loaded" doesn't mean "loaded with talent" but "loaded" like your baked potato at Applebee's.
Loaded like, we can play 2 to 4 players at any position. In that sense though I would say most teams are loaded.
I know none of these "pundits" thought we deserved to be in 3rd last season, but to drop from 3rd to 12... damn.
Savarino is worth 9 spots in the Western Conference I guess. Unless they think the tactical brilliance of Petke made the difference last season.
Probably has less to do with this and more to do with the massive signings the west has seen this offseason.
If he plays in at least 30 games I expect Johnson to get the most goals. Otherwise, Damir. But regardless, I don’t expect us to be particularly dangerous in attack. I absolutely agree with you that KB will start in the early season.