Post-match: Sunday Bloody Sunday - Crew @ NYRB - 2024 MLS Playoffs: Round 1, Game 2 - 11/3/24 4:30 PM

Yeah. He is most definitely in love with Crew. Poor kid. I blame his parents.

 

Surprised we got bumped in round one, but also not. Reminds me a bit of 2009 when we - as defending MLS Cup champs, and two seasons in a row SS winners - lost to RSL in the first round. Then, it was a team that simply never gave up leads at home… until we did. This year, hell, I just felt like we peaked a couple of months ago. We’ve looked disjointed ever since. Also, our roster simply isn’t good enough, certainly not as it’s been structured after Morris left.

And, yes, the process Garber used to select Miami for the CWC was bullshit. But I really hope Crew fans stop whining about Columbus not getting in. This team certainly doesn't deserve it.

Interesting off season. I sure as hell hope ownership, the FO and Nancy are on the same page regarding the need to reload.

 

We deserve it more than anyone else.

And really, it isn't about who got in, it's about the way the selection was made.

 

Completely agree.

I didn't really feel good going into the playoffs against RB after the decision day game. After game 1 of the series, I wasn't feeling us at all anymore. Also I'm actually not nearly as mad or sad as I would think I should normally be. NYRB has some dickhead players but they did what they needed to do and im almost kinda happy for them. Sorry to anyone if that makes me a bad fan.

Im slightly worried about the short term future because there's so much uncertainty around Cucho and Nancy, the two most pivotal pieces of this whole thing. Actually more worried about losing Nancy, because I trust Haslams to spend to get us whatever striker Nancy wants, and for him to get the most out of that player sooner than later. I don't trust Haslams to find a new coach though or for that coach to be able to get established well, soon enough.

 

I’d be more confident about 2025 with Bez running the FO. This off season will be a huge test for Tall.

 

Chelsea gets in because of a trophy they lifted with an entirely different team, not one player that lifted that trophy is currently on the first team, and even had different ownership.

So I don't get your point about the year we won and how we don't deserve it. The selections were made this year, and we are the current holders of the title. It should be us.

 

The other 8 are based on coefficients

 

We will know a lot about the team's future within the first week of the winter window. Issa needs to be working phones and lining up transfers now. There are plenty of open spots even before we start declining options and moving out guys like Matan and Yeboah. I personally feel like the potential dynasty ended tonight though.

Next year, teams will need to decide in February whether to do three DPs + three U22s or two DPs + four U22s + GAM. I expect the Crew will pick the latter, even though they should pick the former.

 

I dont think Nancy is going anywhere. He hasnt shown he can sustain or build. He is a good coach but still not good enough to go to a higher league. He struggles when opposing teams execute a physical counter attack strategy.

If the Haslams pay Cucho he will remain.

 

That was a really tough loss.

 

His coaching especially in game 1 did him no favors. Running out a formation they'd never played because a star was injured was not only stupid, it also could be interpreted as him not having confidence in his system when he doesn't have his top guys. The types of clubs who will be looking at him are going to be on tight budgets and looking for someone to spin straw into gold.

 

Interesting Season.

Makes me wonder how we would have felt about the season had we lost in PKs vs Tigres? That was likewise a 50/50 situation like tonight that could have had us out of Champions Cup earlier without our great run.

I sort of feel like most of the air of the team was taken out after losing to Miami at home.

As always, proud to be a fan of this team. Only bummer is that my future daughter won't be born into a world where the Crew are reigning MLS champs. I guess she'll just have to settle for them being the first team to win MLS cup while she was alive.

 

I think Nancy is a fantastic manager, but he's still relatively new at it. I think he's shown he's capable in two different environments. My biggest wonder about him in Europe is how much patience they will give him? We all hear that his teams take a while to adjust to his system and get better. Will a mid-tier team give him that much time to show those results? Also, he needs players that play a certain way. How much budget will a team give him to make some roster moves?

 

That's what I mean. There is not going to be a Cucho or a Diego or even a Lucas at any of the places who would hire him straight from MLS. He will have a lot of guys like Matan, Hinestroza, and AZ who don't move the needle, and he will be expected to get results almost immediately from them. We romanticize last season based on how it ended, but returns were uneven early. Nancy's first 14 games in Columbus were 5-3-6 W-D-L before the team started to turn the corner and string together results. He won't get that kind of leash in Europe.

 

Passes Per Defensive Action. Basically it’s a measure of how much the team presses defensively. The lower the number, the harder the team presses and interrupts the opponent’s offensive rhythm. The higher the number, that means the team is sitting back and letting the opponent control possession.

So this game the Crew pressed more and Red Bull sat back a little more than usual.

 

He made the playoffs year one in Montreal and won the Cup year one in Columbus. He gets fast results.