The Charge have been in the forefront, intergrating their foreign players into a comfortable atmosphere. Fitschen was made captain year 1. And Kelly Smith was the captain year 2, prior to season ending injury. Pichon let's her emotions show, the joy she has when she and her team plays well. Liu and Zhao were NOT made to feel outcasts at all. This year, it appears half the roster will be entirely new. One hopes Scasna and Hoffmann are welcomed are heartfully as past foreign players. They shall be by the Charge loyal fandom, or at least by me.
I dont think that the new intl players will have any problem acclimating themselves with the rest of the team. Our team has relied on intl players to be the scorers since year one, when they are scoring goals its easy to fit in. I think I read that Hoffman and Scasna both played in the German league, so they should be familiar with each other at least. Makinen has been in the league, and Pichon and Smith are all ready acclimated. I think that the team as a whole should fit together well. They seem to be all highly technically skilled players, and that makes for some attractive soccer. As long as the forwards and Kelly are burying the ball into the back of the net, we'll be OK. I think that we shouldnt name any of the intl's captain though. There seems to be a curse on the captain getting a season ending injury. Fitchen broken arm, Smith torn ACL. I'd leave the captainship with Jen. She's been ass't captain both years, and hasnt managed to get hurt!! KSP
But even she had off-season surgery on her stress fractured foot....we'll make Coach K do double duty as captain, thereby eliminating the injury bug from the field Paul
My concern is I expect 8 new players to be on the squad, and it will take some time to work out chemistry, on the pitch and off of it. And with 4 of the 5 matches away, there's one poster who will be panicing is the team gets off to a slow start.
who me panic? personally i think kirk made too many changes for what the team produced...but i also think he made good decisions, the key is for the vets to produce in the beginning of the season, and yes adam you are right as always...DONT PANIC
you're not the resident sky falling felon... as to changes, basically it's the bench being replaced, and the Chinese, and Iverson... It'll take into May to work out chemistry fully, and since the April matches are away, if the Charge happen to lose both, our resident pessimist needs to look at the season in perspective and NOT make the 1st home match a MUST win... people produce far better in a relaxed situation.
my thing with changes is that it seemed to me that the ones kirk made did not addiquitly replace all the needs there. we had 8 moves for 5 needs and met 3 of them Backup goalie Speed off the bench Target forward im not convinced that we replaced the 2 wings and i pretty much know we didnt replace a CD. now if you go 3-5-2 that becomes moot and it looks more and more like the way to go...but i see alot of holding mids, an attacking mid, but not alot of service, then again hoffman can prove me dead wrong and im not going to pass judgments on the qualities of new players til i see them, i trust kirk too much for that. but i will say that the formation we had for the past 2 years doesnt seem to fit this side. which means not only do you have 8 new players but a new formation and system to learn...i dont expect much in SJ then again expecting the charge to win on the west coast defys kirk's system he almost never plays with a full deck on the west coast, and i cant blame him, and boston is the toughest place to win in the WUSA , id expect an 0-1-1 to be a good place to start going into the home opener against NY who i still see as being in cap trouble and still dont think have all the tools to win...and i dont think kirk would let them show up with their head up their asses again like they did last july!
I don't believe Benson and Mitts are the prototypical outside backs in 3-5-2. I'd much prefer them with 4 in the back with their ability to go forward. Mitts is more a wingback in 3-5-2, and Benson can handle being in the back, but you take away her great ability to get forward. I see the mids playing without true wings, which enhances the ability of Mitts and Benson to go forward. As to central defense, we shall see, but last year in camp, we were fretting over Fitschen and Iverson emerged. Between Kraus and Hall and McVeigh and Makinen and Fair, some one will emerge . The skill level of the mids is higher than last year, so the ability to possess the ball, raises the time of possession and offers less time for the bad guys to attack... With Pichon and Smith and Scasna, the other guys will have enough to worry about.
only caviat to that is that i would say that we knew a little more about Iverson when fitchten retired than we know about the defenders now. My thing is Fair is a right back Kraus is a wing back Hall probs wont make the team Makinen was traded due to poor defense Mcveigh could be the emerger but she seems more and more like a mid to ME, doesnt mean that she isnt a good defender. Then there is moving mitts to CD which i wouldnt be crazy about but she would do a good job there. and im NOT panicking. just concerned about our lack of depth in the central defense.
i doubt he picked up mak for defense kraus and mcveigh were good pickups...but kraus is not a CD and Mcveigh as all rookies must do...must prove herself
My view is generally, the Charge should be controlling the game via their own possession game, meaning a good portionb of the game defending will be defending a transition or counter game. So a central defender with mobility who can cover space is a need. And Fair could fit this type need. As to Makinen not defending in DC, again it's a question of system and confidence. For whatever reason Gabarra and Makinen lacked confidence in one another. getting MAkinen healthy, and confident, who knows what role she can fill. McVeigh, we know nothing about. OK, we go to San Jose. It's Tullock and Tietjen in central defense. I think Hall will be a reserve, and be the 3rd central defender like last year.
Tactically, to me, the position of central defender is the last thing I look at when filling a team. From experience, unless a kid is a total screw-up, just about anyone can play that position. And if the kid can't play that position, she most likely doesn't have the skills nor the smarts to play anywhere else on the field. Some people have made a career out of moving to the central defense. Real's Fernando Hierro was his team's & Spain's best holding mid, then when shifted to central defense, really stabilized that team. Manchester United's d-mid Roy Keane, for years, was spoken in the same breath as Patrick Vieira & Edgar Davids. Hip problems have slowed him down a bit, but SAF's found a home for him in central defense. When MUFC take the field tomorrow, I expect Keane to start back there & shut out Leeds' Aussies. No worries mate.
Tullock was drafted to be Fitschen's replacement last year, while McVeigh gets her feet wet, Tullock in the backline is an attractive possibility. But when McVeigh is ready, then Tullock returns to midfield. That's what I see happening, but Krikorian is judge and jury here.
yes but to play Adam Z cerca November...would it be a waste of talent to be playing tullock at CD? its not a big deal but lacking the big deals makes you the power, lacking the small stuff makes you the team on the wrong end of the 1-0 2-1 decisions. i wouldnt say im worried, at least not by board standards but i would say it is something that has still to be resolved.
In the ideal world midfield is Tullock, FAir , Hoffmann and Smith.. I could see Tullock moving back and either Monroe or Makinen starting in midfield. And then see what happens. Although Tullock would be my holding mid, her ball skills in defense, settling and initiating play forward, is a novel concept in womans football... not many defenders do it... let's turn tullock into beckenbauer!!
Yes. If history teaches us anything the past two years, and even I realize it now, is that it's not how you start, it's where you finish. Don't peak too soon, which is what I think happened last year. Don't rest half the starters at the end of July *at the expense of momentum*. Remember, the Freedom didn't have that option last go-round. And build said momentum at the end of the season like Washington did last year and SJ in the inaugural year Paul