Hopefully we can score one against SJ, though as an away game, I expect it to be 1-0 or 0-0. I expect multiple goals against toronto and philly.
We've only let in 5 goals in the last 7 games, including 3 shutouts. If this team has one thing, its defense.
And that's where championships begin. The next step is some firepower and we've almost missed the boat on that for the season.
It's true that it all starts with defense but we really do need a proven goal scorer and a real quality attacking midfielder or two if we hope to go anywhere if we qualify for the postseason. San Jose currently has a +18 GD while we're even on GD. Your prediction might not be far off.
This team lacks so much. We all talk about adding a striker, someone who is bigger and can hold the ball up top, but there is more that is needed. We essentially play 6 defenders and only 4 attackers. And those atttackers are not very good. Oduro had a great start last year, but he has no touch, can't shoot well, and has very little if any tactical sense. We basically throw the ball long and hope he can outrun someone. Nyarko has no shot and while I love his effort, he too seems to lack any tactical sense. Yes, we need a taller striker, but we also need an attacking midfielder who can move the ball through the middle and set up others. We cannot keep playing Pardo and Pause. One of them needs to sit and be replaced by a two way player. Our defense is ok, but I am very tired of watching a totally inept offense. It's no fun. Show me some creativity, some skill, some attack.
Particularly in a frickin friendly. I know they don't matter, so why not cut loose a little bit? Orr Barouch as a lone striker? Ouch. He may lack skill and ability, but at least he is slow.
I think this is what frustrates a number of us the most. The game against NY and Villa again last night hammer this point home. At no point in time last night did we show any signs of putting together a fluid attack. Someone (I think Fanaddict) made a comment in another thread about how inept our backups were yesterday. It's no wonder Frank sticks with the same lineup for the most part game in game out. The end result of that is those players are tired from playing too much when you need a system of rotating your entire squad to keep some as fresh as possible.
Ironically, it was the NY home game where -- for the first time in a loooooong time -- I had that feeling that we would come through offensively. When the ref blew the call where the ball crossed the goal line that would have given us the lead, I thought, "no worries, we will get another, and maybe another." What a great feeling that is and one we used to always experience. What a difference a few weeks makes. With Grazzini pulling the strings and Rolfe, Oduro and Nyarko all getting forward, things were good. Last night was just a friendly, but how depressing to see the ball get into an advanced position (at least once or twice) and seeing no one getting forward. It was like the darkest days under cdlc.
Yeah, that was painful to watch. Part of the problem was he was getting no service form the midfield, who seemed to prefer passing to Aston Villa defenders, so he started dropping back further and further to get the ball, and as you said, he is slow, and not the most skilled dribbler. If he were able to sit in and around the box and get good service, I think he would perform considerably better. Or he might still suck, but it's clear that our current tactics don't suit him