The first goal is the key Saturday. If we get it quickly then I would expect the game to turn very ugly. If they get it quickly then it is going to be a tough game. If it goes to 50-60 minutes without a goal then Bradley will have to bring in an all out attacking team and we should be able to get a goal off the counter.
MikeL--I couldn't disagree more about being compact and absorbing pressure. What the Metros are all about is their midfield. They have probably the second best midfield in MLS. We not only have a better midfield, but we put 5 guys in midfield (sometimes 6 when Moreno drops back) and we have a workrate and aggressiveness second to none in MLS. In short, before Nowak even talks about how to neutralize Gaven or Guevara, he has taken out the single biggest strength the Metros have. If we seek to be compact and absorb, we play back more and concede the Metros the initial possession and midfield to some extent. That would allow them to get started. Bradley's remarks after the game were VERY telling. He talked about how the team had Gaven back too far in midfield--that they're stronger when he's able to push forward and play almost as a third forward. But the team was so busy trying to possess and win the ball from us, he couldn't get forward. He can't play as a third forward against us when he have 5 bodies in midfield. I don't want Eddie Gaven with the ball at his feet playing with their frontline. I want him (and Guevara) surrounded in a congested midfield. Also, when we congest midfield and play aggressively after the ball, the Metros tactic is to push up their backline (to help win the ball). What happens then? They're more reliant on an offsides trap and more vulnerable to counter goals. Nowak knew it--which is why he had Stewart making long sprints all first half--in hopes he'd get at least ONE blown off-sides trap or mistake or favorable call. In short, the best way for us to grab a counter goal is to push forward--and force the Metros backline to move up (which gives Stewart, Gross, Gomez and others lots of space behind the defenders). I think we can expect the Metros to try longer balls by Guevara (to get past the midfield congestion). A lot of what we saw in the last game at RFK--cross or long ball to the far post (say, to Wolyniec) who then crosses back to an overlapping player in the middle. So if we aren't sloppy on marking their target players and we prevent Guevara and Gaven from having clean outlet opportunities, we'll frustrate this tactic. The best way to beat these guys is to continue to do what we've done the past 3-4 games. Play aggressively, contest the ball, don't play passively, don't seek to bunker, force Gaven and Guevara back and into defense, get numbers in midfield. We do those things and we take away their strengths. And then the Metros look purposeless. Again, I'm not saying we should book our tickets for the Conference finals. But I bet if you asked KC, Columbus, LA, or even SJ, Colorado and especially NE which playoff team they'd like to be playing at home (if they could choose from any of the other 7 MLS playoff teams), they'd all pick the Metros. Metro right now is playing the worst of the 8 MLS teams. And just like DCU limped into the playoffs in 2003, so has Metro.
This is a great game to bring Adu out at the beginning and get the Metros focused on him. If he's taking fouls it will take some of the focus off "cry-baby Guevara" and Shaggy.
Well, we're definitely sitting pretty now--Jeff Bradley picked the Crew to advance to MLS Cup (beating DCU). That means we're in good shape to make the Finals!
I didn't say we had to be compact and absorb pressure. I said we had to absorb pressure. I didn't mention the way in which to do that.
Mike--this is BIG SOCCER. If you can't put words in people's mouths or distort their comments, than what is the world coming to? I can't believe you'd stoop to this level to insist upon accuracy in your comments!
No, I said we should start Denton over RIMANDO. Who needs a GK anyway? What we need is more overlap from the back!