Post-match: The (Other) Cup: #MUSTWINGAME - Crew v Inter Miami - '24 Leagues Cup Round of 16 - 8/13/24 7:30P

You can't have a team this good and come up empty on trophies. Being taken out of the USOC eliminated that one. CCC was the one I most wanted and we finished one bad meal short. The Supporters Shield is unlikely at this point. That leaves this one and MLS Cup, and the path that opened up last night looks a lot more manageable. I think Nancy also knows that we're on the outside looking in to claim the last CWC spot, despite being at the top of the Concacaf rankings, and he will need a couple pieces of hardware to validate us being the best choice.

 

Like Cucho has never shot when he should have passed....

And there was a defender in the way/vicinity between them.

If Cucho had not quit on the play, he'd have been wider open on the rebound. His whiny @$$ is never gonna be in my first Crew XI.

------------------Friedel--------------
Hejduk---Marshall---Fraser---Lapper
-------------Nagbe----Mais--------
Warzycha---Guille---Meram
-------------------McBride-------------

-----------------Steffen------------
Clark---Mensah---Dooley---Valenzuela
----------Carroll---Morris--------
Cunningham--LZ--Cucho
------------------John----------------


----------------Hesmer--------------
----Moreira---Camacho---Parkhurst---
-----------Trapp---Artur------------
Gaven--------Pipa--------Rossi
--------Zardes-----K. Kamara-------

Hardest omissions: Afful, Padula, Dante, JWP, Gonzalez, J. Bush, A. Williams, Elcock, Oughton, DOR, Buddle, West, Bliss.

 

We'll have a shot at a trophy on Sep 25 vs Club America in the Campeones Cup. One game for a trophy. I wouldn't be surprised if we play them for the League's Cup too.

 

The Final last year was loud as f#ck!

But it was indeed rocking last night.

 

That was a great game last night. The stadium wasn't full and there were lots of kids in pink shirts but it was loud.

Not sure how Yannick Bright got out of Columbus without being charged with assault and battery. Barton gave him the "no more" speech after his 3rd foul in the first 20 minutes. Then let him continue to foul away the rest of the match.

I thought Tata outcoached Nancy in the first half. Miami was playing at a faster pace (other than the cannibal). Rojas and Gomez were very good. Biscuits was cleaning up everything and we weren't credited with a shot on goal (though Moreira had a soft header that rolled toward the net).

The half time subs helped and we finally woke up after an hour. Then it got good. I expect we'll see Schulte for the rest of the season and Ramirez as a first choice forward. Was Dajuan Jones gimpy when he left? He and Farsi and Afsten will share the wing spots. Not sure why Cheberko was subbed out, he seemed to be playing well.

 

You want to try and give the new guys and Hagen some run. We have a decision on Bush at the end of the year. And Jones & Chambost need integrated into the system. As do Herrera & Jackson. And the post-Morris CM is still taking shape.

Plus, these games are every 3-4 days and we have a congested schedule to finish. 1-2 GIH on most teams, + Campeones Cup, plus another GIH if we make the final (knock on wood). So some rotation is a good idea.

 

Not a major trophy. Doesn't go up on the stadium facade. Not a factor in CWC or other future tournament participation. It will be nice but if that's all the Crew wins this year I'd consider the season a failure.

 

If we win Saturday, we will have the next game rescheduled. There's a 3rd place game on the 25th with the final on the 26th. Like the Olympics, win Saturday and then you play in a medal match.

 

So now you're quibbling that a trophy isn't good enough? Agreed that we don't list the Trillium Cup among our achievements but Campeone's cup is a step up from that. It's at least as good as winning USOC.

 

Twinsies. Except I turned around and kicked the dog in anger.

Kidding!

It was really the cat.

 

To your points on the XI.

1) Leagues Cup is not as important as the regular season games. Nancy will, and should, use it to integrate new pieces (Gressel & Rossi last year) so that more of the bumps are ironed out before we get back to MLS matches.

2) We have to rotate some anyway. Games are every 3-4 days. Ramirez is 33, he needs some half days, days off to be fresh for the stretch. And we have 2 make up games vs most teams + Campeones Cup left.

3) I thought Nancy had it just about right. He tinkered early vs a team that was gonna sit back & counter, but got the more cohesive parts in the game for the 2nd half. Arfsten back on the left, and Matan for Zawadzki. I'd expect some more rotation next game.

4) I think Rossi is the team MVP.

Rossi: GP/GS; MIN; G/A, PTS (2/G, 1/A)
MLS: 23/21; 1,894; 9/10, 28
CCC: 7/6, 587, ---------3/1, 7
LC: 2/2, 165,------------4/0, 8
------------------------
Totals: 32/29; 2,646; 16/11, 43

Cucho:
MLS: 18/17; 1,498; 13/8, 34
CCC: 6/5; 486;--------2/1, 5
LC: 2/2, 157;-----------0/2, 2
-----------------
Totals: 26/24; 2,141; 15/11, 41

Ramirez:
MLS: 17/11; 971; 7/4, 18
CCC: 4/1, 118; 0/1, 1
LC: 2/1, 112; 1/0, 2
------------
Totals: 23/13; 1,231; 8/5, 21

3 person total: 81/66; 6,018; 39/27, 105

In all comps. 3 guys over 100 (2 over 40 and 1 over 20) might be new things. Stern probably had 60-70 points one year by himself. Maybe Kei one year too in all comps.

I will have to update those stats look at all comps in some of the post 2010 years to verify. Will try to get it done by end of year.

 

Do we know how the last CWC spot will be allocated?

 

Why yes, yes we do.

Don Garber is waiting to see what Miami can win to justify that as being the criteria for the last CWC spot.

It's just one more reason - or maybe the main reason - to enjoy last night's win. One less path for Don to use to send Miami where he's absolutely desperate to have Miami go. I'm guessing he got off his sofa and kicked his dog out of frustration. At 2 -0 he was positive he had what he needed.

Doubly so after FCKY lost.

If that sounds unduly cynical, I honestly don't think it is. He wants Messi & Co in the CWC so bad he can taste it. He'll wait until the last second to announce the criteria while praying that Miami gives him one.

It will just kill him if he has to leave them home in favor of Columbus.

 

The game highlights are invigorating. What a rush.

 

With all due respect, you crazy.

 

Bingo. If the Crew win MLS Cup and Leagues Cup while beating Miami in both of those, we'll almost certainly be #1 in Concacaf rankings. And that will make Don look really stupid and draw a fair amount of negative press to him and MLS if he still puts Miami in over a team with that resume. It would essentially downgrade both of his signature trophies to put the Supporters Shield as the determining criterion.

 

Athletic is reporting that the favorite to choose is a playoff between the MLS Cup and Supporters Shield winners. It's still TBD.

And having seen cucho in training, he can be a diva.

 

The NyCFC gm would be moved at what point ?

 

Re: your Tata out coaching Nancy in the first half (agreed), he was getting a fair amount of criticism from Twellman for not making substitutions earlier in the second half. Gressel (their first sub) came in after our first goal. We immediately scored again in the 69th minute. Then again in the 80th. Tata didn’t make additional subs until the 84th.

He and Nancy have quite a coaching rivalry developing.

 

The first, second, and third place teams in Leagues Cup qualify for next year's Champions League. It makes a lot of sense to prioritize Leagues cup to at least get that far.

 

It wasn't so much the late subs, it was changing tactics to bunker ball. Playing not to lose will absolutely get you rolled by a Nancy freight train. To date, about the only way to beat this team is playing high and interrupting passing lanes. Bunker ball does neither.

 

I don’t know. Miami created plenty of chances to score another goal or two late in this game. At times, they shredded our defense. Then again, we did theirs late, as well.

 

Well, you only get to play in Campeones because you won the league the year before. In that regard, it is more prestigious than LC, because only a champion can win it, AND you have to beat a champ to win it. On the other hand, it is just one game.

But aside from fake rivalry Cups, I'd put Campeones lowest. I am just trying to decide if LC is a fake rivalry cup or not. I am going with YES.

1. CWC
--------
2. CONCACAF Cup/League
3. MLS Cup
4. Intercontinental Cup
----------
4. Supporter's Shield
5. USOC
------------
6. Campeones Cup
7. Leagues Cup
-----
8. Superliga

YMMV, of course.

 

Going down a goal usually forces teams to stop playing bunker ball!

 

By your reasoning, MLS Cup is equal to Leagues Cup. Everyone has a chance to win both of them every year.