Wizards vs FC Dallas July 3 7:30pm p/i/p [R]

Anyone coming down for this one?

 

Another road game, another suspension for Davy, another loss. We can only hope it isn't as ugly as last year's trip to Dallas. Moving on........

I can honestly say I am glad the 4th of July weekend game is on the road. My dog + fireworks - me being at home for dog to climb on/drool all over = some torn up sh!t in the house. Somehow I don't think I will have this luck again after the new stadium opens....

 

At least if Davy doesn't play we have a chance of him not getting sent off again.

HA HA HA!! Sam Pierron picked a shitty year to do 15 road trips ... him and maybe 3-4 others tops.

 

The wife and I were planning on it. At least, we WERE planning on it until the Wizards recent turn of shit form. Now we're hanging out here, and probably not even watching the match..

 

I don't need to go that far to watch a bad team. I can go to a Royals or T-Bones game and what poor play.

 

I know some of you don't like mixing it up (other than our defensive revolving door - no pun intended), but as the current players aren't doing it, dare we try something new? I mean, it couldn't hurt.

 

Two that I know of. I thought about it, but I need a dead weekend once in a while; I don't know how Sam does it.

 

Preaching to the choir.............

I think we need a divine intervention.

I'm thinking 3-0 loss or something close to it. I also predict I quit watching by halftime. That's the beauty of road games at least....simply change the channel if it gets too sickening to watch. I hope like hell they prove me wrong, but until something drastic changes, I just don't see it. The season isn't quite half over, so there is realistically time to turn it around, but the mental aspect has got to change in a hugetastic hurry.

 

-----Smith--------Karama-----
------------Wolff-------------
-Espinoza--Auvray---Jewsbury-
Harrington-Besler-Conrad-Myers
------------Puma-------------

 

Is that your prediction or hope?

I would like to see Bunbury in for Wolff.

 

hope...

Bunbury is possible, you could really put Smith/Kamara/Bunbury/Wolff/Davy(when avalible) in any of those 3 advanced spots. I just think this would play to our strengths a bit more. Really, Espinoza could be an attacker as well, he has shown just as well in space as anyone else.

 

I think at this point, we need to give Bunbury as many minutes as possible. I think he has the potential to be a good striker in this league if given the opportunity.

I respect Wolff and his body of work over the course of his career with the team and with the Nats but I think it is time for him to hang up the cleats. Let him finish out the season as an attacking option off the bench because he doesnt have the gas to go the full 90 anymore. I have probably been more lenient on him than anyone but he is getting to the point where he is damn near a traffic cone on the field at times.

Maintaining Wolff in the lineup reminds me of what Onalfo use to do with Morsink and others. I just dont understand the decision making process or what goes through their heads that playing certain players is the right decision. If the fans can see it, why cant the coaches?

 

Let me just say this isn't just PV. Coaches is the perfect term here, I was at Swope on day and casually heard one of the coaches mention that 'Wolff was our best player' ...

I do think Wolff is unfairly targetted, I know its a minority opinion. I don't think he is playing well but he is at the same level as the remainder of the team and is being scapegoated a bit. I would switch him out for Teal though ... we are playing for spoils right now, might as well give the lad some experience at center forward and NOT on the wing. This means Davy or Kei taking up that right wing slot ... not sure PV wants to give up Kei's goals, and Kei can't cross a ball anymore than I can grow a third nut.

That right side needs some help. Smith can play right. Short of Claudio ... maybe time to give Beesley a run as well?

 

I would like to see the players with the highest work rate on the field. Wolff does exert the effort--his work rate is good. My problem with Wolff is that he is what he does--chase and pressure--is something that any player can do--I don't know that he is any better at that than _______________ (fill in the blank) at chasing and pressuring. Can Wollf do more than that? I don't know what Vermes has defined his role as....(if it is defined).

 

You've seen SMith shoot? right?

he has no business up front, he needs to be back in midfield to pass the ball up front to someone (sometimes anyone) who can score.

SMiths finishing is very lacking imo

 

There to set up Kamara, as Kamaras pass might be worse that Smith's shot. In fairness to Smith, has actually had some good distace rips, a matter of inches or less on more than a few. I would argue everyones finishing is terrible, Karmara has 1 "finisher" goal (vs Philly). I will go out on a limb and say Smith would likely look a better finisher if he could set him self up like he has for the implied finishers.

Pushing Smith up top forces the use of his speed, and gives him the option to drop into the midfield and float without having defensive responsiblity. Pairing him with Kamara up top will force movement off the ball as well which we arent getting right now. Putting him at midfield would be a defensive liability, which I dont think we can afford with the current squad. Maybe a christmas tree type look more than 2 forwards.

Someone who "can" score? I would guess you mean Kamara, as Smith w/ A goal is the tied for 2nd leading scorer...

 

You put Smith up front and you have one isolated player because most of what we have going on starts or involves him -- guessing he is our assists leader on the season?

His finishing is fine, in fact he really made a name for himself as a youth player as a devastating finisher -- but almost all his shots for the Wizards come from range and those tend not to score that often. We don't create enough chances within the penalty area for any forward to score many.

Tis one of the things that pisses me off with Davy getting reds, he is one of the few others that can make a goal for a different player.

 

Nothing against him, but Josh Wolff is not our future, and we don't have much of a present. Might as well give Chhetri a runout, IMO.

 

we certainly couldn't score any less.

 

I've been a little behind on the injury status of players. Is Auvray supposed to be coming back? Where has Hirsig been? Still injured?

I'd like to see us trying playing with two holding midfielders in Auvray and Hirsig. We obviously don't have a central playmaker on this team so why even bother? Our backline needs all the help it can get.

Put Smith and Arnaud (or Wolff given Davy's suspension) on the wings and let Kamara and Chhetri or Kamara and Bunbury start up top. Let's play like Greece for a while, counter-attacking with 10 men behind the ball. Win a couple of games 1-0 just to build some freaking confidence.

 

Great, we have a #10 who can't even make it into the starting line-up. Another reason to love this team.

Unless his form dropped considerably, Hirsig was one of our few players last season who could actually maintain possession for any length of time.

Yes, I know. That's why Arnaud was my first choice. I guess Zusi might be a better option in Davy's absence.