Starting XI without Grimandi

Carrieri Schmidt

Spencer
Chung Henderson
Mastroeni

Rizo Fraser Stewart Hart

 

What Grimandi rumor?

 

Ten, no Eleven!?

I cannot believe it....

"Carrieri/Bartlett
Chung/Henderson/Butterworth
Mastroeni/Balboa
Rizo/Fraser
Garlick" ???????????????

OK that's a joke, but bringing back the "legends" of the past isn't so exciting. I love Balboa's game, but have no confidence that he'll ever be fit to play as an All Star. As I have stated many times on this board, youth & potential are better for the Rapids than good (or Great) players well into the downside of their careers.

If Grimandi really is going, which I guess I have not been able to estimate given April 1st as the day it was leaked, then I am somewhat stunned that the Rapids could do this yet again...Marquino, Amocachi(spelled? I've blocked it out!), and now Gilles, Roberts, or maybe BOTH!?

Fitness at 5280 isn't the same as sea level, so I hope it's not Hanki failing to recognize the few months it takes to really get the lungs up to speed. Second, the war will be over by opening night at this rate, making it a curious explanation to leave. I'd understand being 'bummed' or 'upset' or 'against' but I recall he's to play Midfield Defense, not Secretary of Defense (that requires a more personal committment to war).

OK, If no French-one, Spencer isn't fully fit, and Balboa isn't just for show and is OK....I'd love to see

Carrieri/Schmidt
Henderson/Chung/Roberts (I love this idea)
Mastroeni/Balboa
Stewart/Fraser/Herdsman
Garlick

But, jeez, what do I know, really? I haven't seen a game since LA last year and the new guys + training camp can always give us a suprise. Schmidt seems to have earned a starting shot, even if he was left free by schemes that tried to take away the Chung/Henderson effect.

RLH

 

Re: Ten, no Eleven!?

It seems pretty concrete that Balboa is retiring and going into a booth somewhere. I suppose they could do the one-day signing thing that's been kicked around here, but I wouldn't expect to see him suited up for a game.

.................Carrieri.....Spencer...
...Chung.....................................Henderson...
.................Beckerman.....Mastroeni................
....Rizo...........Fraser....Stewart.....Hart.....
...........................Garlick................


Schmidt and/or Roberts sub in midway through the second half.

With this Grimandi fiasco, one things's for sure... that noise that Beckerman hears for the next week or so is the sound of opportunity knocking.

 

Keep in mind that Spencer hasn't played a full half of soccer at this point in the preseason, and with one exhibition game to go, I doubt we'll see him start the opener.

Also, when I talked with Carrieri after the Mines game Tuesday, he said that Hanki is looking to use him in a wide right midfield position to get more fire power on the field. That said, we could be looking at a lineup along these lines:

---------Schmidt-------------Roberts------------

Henderson---Chung------Pablo----------Carrieri---

Rizo------Fraser----------Stewart--------Hart----

---------------------Garlick------------------

Then, when Pablo is out for Nats duty, you slide Beckerman in. This is only a possibilty. I would probably expect to see this for the opener:

----------Schmidt--------------Carrieri----------

Chung-------Beckerman-----Pablo-----Henderson

Rizo--------Fraser---------Stewart-------Hart

-------------------Garlick---------------------

 

I think this speculation shoudl be "Starting XI should Grimandi not play right away."

Figure that if Gilles stays, he'll definitely wind up as a regular starter at some point in the season.

If he leaves, then it's likely the Rapids will regain that discovery pick and use it on a new player, who would be very likely to command a starting spot. Rumors have begun that the Rapids have already targeted a specific replacement for Grimandi. Thus the big question might be whether or not Hankinson is looking for another central midfield player, or perhaps someone new to add even more power to the back line.

Whether Grimandi stays or not, it's unlikely that he or his replacement will be starting at home against San Jose, and thus I think that JoeyClams' lineup with Beckerman in midfield and Schmidt/Carrieri up top is what we'll see lined up in 9 days.

 

I like the idea of playing Spencer as a withdrawn forward or A-Mid (assuming he's healthy). He's proven in the past that he'll contribute to defense in the midfield as well, so I don't see him as a liability in that respect. That said, if Grimandi really is out, I can't wait to see Beckerman play more.

I'm also a fan of putting Carrieri out wide, sliding Chung into the middle, and putting Spenny/Zizi/Schmidt up top.

I've heard Zizi is big, but is he fast? If so, then I'd love to seen him out wide as well. Of course, I've never see Zizi play, so I have no idea if that role suits him or not.

I'm still feeling pretty optimistic about our side, if only because we still have depth and flexibility at forward and midfield (the defense is another story).

 

I like Carrieri a lot but think with our team's defensive history, he may be best left at forward. Has he ever played on the outside midfield? He goes from being first defender on a turnover and slowing the attack to having specific space he has to protect and fighting for a lot of 50/50 balls in the midfield. I would want him to at least play some pre season games there before he gets inserted there for a regular season game. A lot of his strength at forward comes from his persistence and charging the goal. Will this translate to outside mid? I don't even know if he can cross the ball consistently.

But Hankinson could be thinking about using guys more with more flexibility because didn't both Henderson and Chung get some time in Florida at forward? Zizi played linebacker, er... midfielder against School of Mines. Maybe he was thinking about pulling Carrieri back at times. But Carrieri has played all his preseason at forward so it may have been a good idea to get him in the midfield some.

 

He did play outside right in the second half against Mines.

I agree that he is best at forward but I think Hanki wants to utilize all the traits you mentioned as an outside midfielder. Will this come to fruition? I doubt it. But it does show that Hanki is at least thinking of ways to get all of his best attacking options on the field at the same time. He may be thinking that the best way for his team to win is to score a lot of goals and win games 4-3 or 5-4. They have scored 26 goals in preseason. That said, they have only let up 8. That's pretty impressive for a defense that every pundit is pointing to as the reason for picking the Rapids last.

In any case, I expect to see my second option as the starting lineup on the 12th. If Gilles is gone.

 

Remember also that Hankinson yearns for the kind of "total football" where every player winds up everywhere on the field.

Just as he's ready to use Chung in floating roles rather than pure wingers, I can easily see the available players as part of an attack that it based on around movement and communication.

This however is extremely difficlut in MLS. Regardless of the talent on the team, you need to have a serious understanding with one another, total confidence in the concept and a willingness to make supporting runs and work equally hard for each of your teammates.

With MLS teams struggling to keep the same roster for more than 4 months at a stretch, I'm not holding my breath that the Rapids can accomplish this.

Which isn't to say that Hankinson isn't willing to give it a try -- nor that he won't at least incorporate some of the concepts.

Were we to see the likes of Carrieri or Zizi lining up wide at the opening kickoff (or Spencer in central midfield), I'm sure you'd wind up seeing them spending just as much time up at the front as they do out wide.

 

Good point about Spencer... I suppose there still is too much of a question mark there to assume a starting position.

I think the line-up above is intriguing, but aren't Chung and Henderson at their most effective when they're out wide on the left and right, respectively? Note that I haven't seen any of the preseason activity in person, so I'm just guessing at this based on what I know from last year and have read online from others.

In any event, I might tweak the midfield to look like this:

Chung-------Carrieri-----Pablo-------Henderson

Let Carrieri run up top as an attacking mid and use Chung and Henderson out wide. Then again, Chung is probably the stronger candidate for managing traffic through the mid-field. The plethora of attacking options makes for an interesting dilemma.

 

Nope, its got to be this:

Henderson---Chung------Pablo------Carrieri

Chung is a much better holder and distributor. Carrieri is more suited doing the dirty work running up and down the flanks, getting behind the defense. Carrieri is wasted as an attacking mid.

 

Herdsman

For the Donovan factor, I would expect Herdsman to be in the lineup just to mark him, as he has the speed to avoid the breakaway a la the Venezuela goal.

I hope to see Roberts, but have no feel for if he's ready to start and go 60 or 90.

RLH

 

Re: Herdsman

You don't sit better players simply because one guy has speed. At least, smart coaches don't.

Not to mention, it's not like Donovan is that fast of a player. He can certainly break by a lot of players, but he's more reliant on being smart enough to make the best runs into open space, finishing his chances and spotting his teammates. It takes a complete skillset to defend against a player like this, not just wheels.

 

Greenie - Donovan is fast - exceeding fast. Smart, great touch, blazing speed.

Ricardo55 - Venezuala layed down and died as Donovan went by. They were worn down.

One quick point about that goal. Neat and efficient, nicely tucked into the corner. Boca, McBride and finally Kirovsky all hit something (kirovsky hit the goalies face) from point blank. They had nothing but goal and the goalie in front of them. It took 3 shots from point blank range. That is the prototypical US player (yes, I know boca is an up and comer).

Donny brings in the new era.

 

Re: Re: Herdsman

Actually, as a coach (not smart, but my teams generally win) I think Herdsman to manmark Donovan is a very good idea..... also, Donovan is a VERY fast player.

 

Norcal, Ricardo -- so you would then argue then that Herdsman should be a regular starter for the Rapids at this point? And where do you propose he line up?

Most teams have at least one "very fast" player. By this reasoning, Herdsman should be starting 20+ games this season.

Yes, Donovan is fast. But he's not so fast that Herdsman is the only one on the Rapids that can keep up with him. Stewart is no slouch in the speed department, and Hart can not only keep up with Donovan but can punk him down to the ground as well.

For all the speed you gain in putting Herdsman on the field to mark Donovan, I think you lose out in far more important areas. Herdsman showed improvement last year, but I still think he's far from holding a complete defensive skillset.

Furthermore, if you put Herdsman on the field purely to mark Donovan then you're allowing him to be pulled all over the field and out of position. An attacking 4-4-2, which the Rapids have employed throughout the majority of the preseason, relies not on specific man markers but rather intelligent play in defensive space. Put Herdsman in the center as a marker and the Quakes have a lot of space at the top of the box to work. Put Herdsman out wide as a marker and the Rapids lose the ability to attack up the flank.

If the Rapids were playing a 3-5-2 or a defensive 4-4-2, then using Herdsman to purely mark Donovan might not be such a bad idea. But with an attacking style it just seems to be contrary to what the Rapids have been developing.

For the most part, professional coaches will only go so far as to make a significant change in lineup or strategy to face a particular opponent. Generally speaking, this is done when facing a superior opponent and/or obtaining 1 point from a draw is acceptable.

When the Rapids went up against the Galaxy in the playoffs last year, it was understandable that both lineup and strategy changed.

Of course, it didn't really work. The Rapids came off a great series win against Dallas and changed their personnel and tactics, and were swept by the Galaxy. For all the effort spent on marking Ruiz, the Rapids couldn't keep him off the board. Arguably, it wasn't the Rapids' defense that cost them the series against LA, it was the strength of the Galaxy defense and the lack of production from the Rapids offense (I'm looking at you, Musa ************ing Shannon).

San Jose is already a struggling side in 2003, and with the opener at home the Rapids should not be in awe of All That Is Donovan. They should play their own game, their strategy, their pace. Their best players. Force San Jose to alter their tactics to face the Rapids, rather than the other way around.

If the Rapids control the midfield, San Jose will struggle to build more than an occasional significant attack either through or to Donovan. And so what if Lando scores gets one? This year's Rapids are built around offense, with goal-sniffers galore.

I'd hate to see that thrown out the window in the first game of the season just because of one player.

 

I am wondering if Hankinson is thinking that he wants Herdsman ahead of Stewart anyway. Herdsman played a lot in the last preseason games. I haven't been to any practices, though. But Herdsman played the majority or started at School of Mines and Baton Rouge. He also got a lot of time in Mexico and Florida. Hankinson may have him in his plans to start or play big minutes.

Can you effectively assign a central or defender to mark a forward specially, especially one as skilled as Donovan? A defender can always be assigned to pick up a forward coming out of the midfield, but it seems harder to assign a defender to shut a guy down completely. I would think that you would give up a lot of space in front of the box as Greenie pointed out. Or if you pull him forward to be on Donovan earlier, you lose the space behind him and someone has to cover there. To use Herdsman this way, I believe you would need to stick him in the midfield. If you go 3-5-2, we go with the dreaded 3 backs. I would rather not see the Rapids traditionally shaky D in that formation. I know this preseason has gone well but it has been 4-4-2 exclusively. If you go 4-4-2, we lose the opportunity to keep constant pressure on the other back line with our midfield. Herdsman's first responsibility would presumably be marking Donovan. So I suppose he would be on the bottom of a diamond formation in the midfield. I don't know if Herdsman has that good of passing skills to contribute any substantial offence. I know he went in last year late in a couple of games at forward but that appeared more defensive. This would also make Pablo the offensive minded midfielder in the middle. So we would have to really count on the other four guys exclusively to create and score.

All That Is Donovan is pretty much. I remember seeing him with the ball pull away from an Argentinian defender down the flank. And I agree that he can finish better than most and has great passing vision. But San Jose lost two key players to Europe and DeRosaria is kaput. They are hurting. I agree that the Rapids should play it strait up and see how they do. They need to get established as a team to be feared on the offense, as they have been gearing up for all off season.

If Herdsman starts, fine. But keep him in the back as a traditional central defender and maybe assign him to come up and help out the midfielder on Donovan when he approaches our goal box. I have to admit that Herdsman's speed is amazing. I doubt any other Rapid could keep up with him. I also thought he had some good games at the end of last year and did well against Dallas. But we should be good enough to beat San Jose without a designated shut down man on Donovan.

 

No argument here. If Herdsman is considered by Hankinson as our best starting candidate then i'm all for it. I just don't want to see a situation where the Rapids keep changing players based on their opponent.

After all, we don't see too many opponents changing themselves up to face the Rapids.

Then again, Hankinson has changed lineups around for lesser reasons in the past...

 

From what I've seen in training, I think Carrieri and Schmidt is a more likely pairing at this point.

Zizi still looks a little too raw and not fully aware of how best to play with this team and/or within Hankinson's game plan.

 

After thinking about it, we are at home, and playing a 4-4-2 so maybe shadowing Donovan with Herdsman is over reacting. Still, SJ is without many of its tools, so if you can nuetralize Donovan that should be a win for us.

Herdsman at least on the field is an idea. I mean I think we are four across the back like:
Kotschau/Stewart/Fraser/Hart.......
which looks a little dicey to me. Except for Fraser I think Herdsman in for any of the other three is a toss up. With Herdsman at least you gain the speed to stay with Landon. My opinion is that Landon 1 v 1 with all four potential starters in the back is trouble, at least Herdsman has the recovery speed to track Landon down.

I have general concerns about the defense. If Gilles had stayed, I wondered if Mastroeni would have slid back to central defense with Fraser. Anyway, can't wait for Saturday night.