Congrats to John Pulskamp, our only healthy goalkeeper.... Correction, I mistyped early and listed Kinda as out, my apologies - Vermes: Dia, Melia, Zusi, Thompson, McIntosh out... Pulskamp will be the keeper, SKC getting short term loan of another keeper. Tim should be back in the next few weeks. #SportingKC— Thad (@TheBackpost) April 15, 2021
We're definitely gonna see a serious bundle of youth minutes this year, haha. Starting off grand! Does that mean that Walter and Isimat-Mirin are both good to go? I couldn't remember if they had off-season knocks or travel issues.
Walter has been in preseason, Isimat-Mirin was late to preseason b/c of travel issues. I could see Isimat-Mirin not playing due to lack of fitness, I think Walter is good to go.
I don't even have a good guess what our lineup will be. I think I know the forwards but the midfield could be anything... Should be fun! I'm much less invested this season due to, you know, not being able to watch games ever, but I miss this team and am really stoked to see them get rolling again.
PV on radio today welcoming the fact NYRB will undoubtedly attack us at will. I’m not so sure I share his public enthusiasm for that at the moment.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to be disappointed, but I am hoping to see a mid-line of Kinda, Walter and Busio, with Busio or Walter playing the 6. I do think that, right now, Ilie understands the position better than Busio, but I never really got Busio until I saw him in that role. He has a lot to learn, but play him there, as a regular starter, and IMO by the end of 2021 he gives us more in all facets of the game than Ilie. And from day one, he gives us a lot more going forward.and stepping into passing lanes to disrupt. I'm not sure about one on one defending. I may be wrong, but I'm thinking the rest of the 11 is easy to pick, with the only question being whether people are fully fit, Issy and Pulido prime among them.
Since my ESPN+ is only good for watching Serie A and all the MLS teams I don't give two $hits about, and my Paramount+ is only good for the NWSL, I will watch KC WOSO and Inter (the real one). I could purchase other streaming media, but you know.....regional sports networks and such. And I thought the days of using chat boards to follow MLS were over.
I'm on DAZN in Berlin, something I bought for MLS (though it also gives me bund, serie a, la liga and ligue 1. Still, while they have the rights to show SKC, they've opted against it tomorrow. I really wish there was a consistent way to watch the games
Unless I get real savvy with shadier watching practices soon... I basically am done being able to watch SKC games until the Bally assholes get their heads out of their asses or large public gatherings get a little more safe for those of us helping care for immunocompromised or elderly family. Sigh. Luke is right, I might end up on here following the chat to see how it's going.
Speaking of shadier, I was thinking of the VPN route. I am hoping that Sporting come up with something like the CW solution that Minnesota figured out. Until then, it will be twitter and here....
I have to wonder how Minnesota's contract with Bally Sports North differed from SKC's that allowed them to get away with it.
I use a particular site for streaming UFC fights that's a super solid stream without much bs. They do list Bally Sports Midwest and the current feed is perfect. Of course they're currently showing a StL feed inconsistent with what is on Google Fiber here. I'm hesitant to put the address on here so maybe there's a direct route I could share it for anyone that wants to give it a try.
Funnily enough the ESPN+ stream worked for me... Is it because Bally didn't air it? And major hype for Salloi getting a good goal and back in the thick of things. Tons of questions about this team but I'll take a gritty win and a broken duck for our prodigal youth.
given our injury situation and starting on the road, i'd have been happy with one point as long as we didn't look awful doing it. pleased with three. my biggest concerns are the black hole up top if pulido isn't there (please no more busio up there), which looks like it's going to be a regular thing with him, for varying reasons, and our overall lack of team speed. there were times where i thought it was in slow motion watching our guys run. against better offenses, and especially those with speed, we're gonna get torched repeatedly.
Watching Fontas have a foot race with White tonight was almost painful to watch, against any forward with speed Fontas still scares the crap out of me.
3 pts, and xG was essentially the same score. so we deserved the win, even in geekland. The MLS page stats are different, and I don't quite get them. But interesting that while possession was dead even, we had 0 offsides called, while they had 6 or 7. This says we were waiting on the game, I'd think. I couldn't see it. Our passing accuracy was better than their's barely, 68 to 66 percent, But Walter, Shelton, Martins, Lindsey and Busio were all above 73 percent. Still, despite a world class, or crappy luck goal (perspective) we won, and Salloi gave us the best 77 minutes he's had since he lost his mojo.
Didn't watch the game, for reasons detailed previously (spending money for Hulu live, ESPN+, Paramount+ apparently isn't enough these days). Did see the highlights. For all the hype surrounding the Salloi goal, I was expecting to see a golazo. What I I saw was a tap in. Good job for not pulling a Wondo. For those who missed it, the Wondo shank in front on an empty net to tie Houston was pretty epic. This is the benefit on not having BS and BS+. I can concentrate on games like San Jose vs Houston. Benefit.....
What is generally average passing completion percentage? It looked to me like both teams were not connecting well yesterday and curious if those 66 and 68 rates are low.
Despite following for years, I've never played organized soccer and I'm self-educated, so my ability to properly dissect things is admittedly pedestrian. That said, I thought Walter looked good on the ball, Fontas was slow (and I agree that he is going to get torched multiple times this year) but he seemed to always get in the right spot at the right time to break up a dangerous situation, Kinda was meh - seemed like he couldn't connect his passes reliably - sans the nice secondary hockey assist to Shelton on our second goal. His PK was poorly taken and 8 of 10 times is saved when the goalie goes the correct direction (he did - and we'll take the luck). Salloi was okay, but I didn't find his performance extremely notable beyond being at the back post for Shelton's excellent cross. Pulskamp was great for a first start despite a couple of bobbles and one dramatic mis-play of a pass back to him. He wasn't tested for great saves and the one goal allowed is a goal no matter who the keeper is. He made a nice two-handed punch and also came well off his line to clear danger once. Solid first game for the teenager. I might be wrong here, but I thought Lindsey was terrible on the offensive side of the ball. The eyeball test said turnover machine. Now NYRB were high press and swarming on defense, but still he seemed particularly poor to me. I've not looked at the stats, so I leave it to you, dear reader, to refute my claims. All in all, super pleased with 3 points. It really could have been anywhere on the range.
Since moving out of the KC metro area, I find the $6 a month to watch SKC and most of the other MLS games fairly inexpensive, especially after buying a pair of season tickets for 14 years.
ESPN+ is a great value, no doubt. That said, its ridiculous that you can't watch your hometown team if you live in (gasp) your hometown. I watched Inter vs Napoli. Passing was 88% and 92% respectively. Passing completion in the mid 80s is typical in the better leagues. Passing percentages in the mid 60s is terrible.