https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...;v=QBoCKAO_mWo
*******
Onwards
Have at It People
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_c...;v=QBoCKAO_mWo
*******
Onwards
Have at It People
This game is CRYING OUT for effin' Jozy Altidore.
Can’t say I’m surprised, Atlanta was always the biggest threat in the East, and LAFC, Seattle and “Zlatan” (maybe not his team), the biggest threats out West - frankly we will be a solid underdog against every team left...time for Jozy and Omar to get on the pitch and for TFC to put on their “big boy pants”, and grind out a result....
Really happy to play them. Gotta beat the champs to become the champs.
The Atlanta stadium and crowd is amazing. Martinez's goal was sick, but they can be
weak at the back. We got this.
I have a lot of time for Atlanta fans - but like LAFC, they have no clue about their opponents. The journalists who cover that team are not better. To most of MLS punditry, we are underdogs in this match but at least will be discussed in terms of what we bring to the game. To Atlanta fans & journos, we are a character development plot device in this week's soccer procedural TV show.
The closest thing Atlanta has faced to us in the playoffs was NYRB - and Armas botched that up by deciding that was the week he was going to go against team dynamics & make a drastic change to NYRB's philosophy (NYRB has never recovered)
Expect to hear a lot about "well the Campeones cup showed we can play against a determined squad".
They are a very good team - I expect us to lose simply because their attack style is exactly what we can not handle well - fast counter over the top followed up by quick passing towards a shot.
But, GAWD, the narrative surrounding them is self-centred without any self-awareness.
^They have won a lot of playoff games but they have not yet faced someone with our pedigree.
Ignore the predictions. Sports is full of teams that are more dangerous than their regular season records in knockout series. It was obvious that NYCFC not actually a big favourite. You heard Torrent postgame. He didn’t really have the horses, and he knew it all along.
Atlanta has gone long stretches, all season and in both playoff games, where they have been listless and/or really weak at the back. Now they have no Parkhurst.
This is one is a tossup if Jozy can go. Without him Atlanta is a slight favourite.
I would have Philly but Atlanta does not scare me. Atlanta under De Boer is not the same Atlanta that was under Tata. They have had and are prone too falling flat. Hopefully Jozy is fit and ready to go. If he is I really like our chances. If Atlanta starts Pogba, Laryea will absolutrly torch him on the wings. Our only other trip to the Benz this year was a 2-0 loss BUT we were the much better team in the first half and should have been up 2 or 3 - 1. The 2 goals we gave up was a Zavleta brain cramp special and horrible man marking. Regardless of how the game finishes, they have surpassed what I expected them to do mid summer. It's the conference finals and we are the underdogs. I like it!! After all we have a Fuckin good team :stogey:
Come on you beautiful Reds. I love being the underdog. Nobody would have picked us to be 2 wins away from MLS Cup Champions.
Fuck the world! Let's be having yaaaaa!
Not scared either. Should be a great game. At least it's a full week break; fingers crossed The Beast is back. I remember that glorious game in Atlanta with Jozy and Seba, where Seba ended up (pretending to) drink from the tossed beer cup. On occasion, TFC has shown that they can replace Seba by committee.
One worry for me though if Jozy can go: that it leads to Vanney sticking Pozuelo back on left wing. Pozuelo has stated that he'll do what the coach wants, but that it doesn't work well for him to play there. I gotta agree. I don't mind them switching back and forth during the game, and Poz being on either side for a bit especially to get a break from man marking. But if he is positioned there for longer, he doesn't have the speed to beat people down the wing. Instead he ends up with far less touches than in the middle, and less chances to create. We have better options for either wing.
Something I just noticed - the final four are the Supporters Shield winners plus the last 3 MLS Cup champs. Stacked
I'd like to see a poll on the playoff format - old vs. new. I wonder if they will stick with this format.
This team was lying in the weeds all season, completely under the radar and they knew when to turn it on.
Do we know what the away section is? Flights booked already!
I agree Poz needs to be in the middle.
Too late to go there for next week but why haven't we tried a 4-4-1-1 with an attacking bent. Any thoughts?
Think we could go to our traditional 3 in the back for Atlanta with the Wingbacks going crazy. Poz and Jozy upfront, with Marky, Osorio and Bradley in the middle. Hard not to play Endo & Benezet though (glad we have options)
:scarf:
COYRs
Buffery writing today in the Sun that both Jozy and Omar are expected to go v Atlanta.
I'm very confident, but win or lose, I am so very proud of this team and staff the way they gutted out the last 2 months.
Well done lads...fuckin' good team!
As much as I would love to see TFC win, I feel like there isn't too much pressure to win. Regardless LAFC will be almost impossible to beat (the league wants them to win) so there isn't much pressure and we have already had a memorable season.
I truly believe we win MLS Cup next year no matter what... Bradley will sign as a TAM to replace let's say Gallardo and we will sign another incredible DP and have a very similar team as this year but have a full 34 matches with them (no Gold Cup, no Champions League)
I liked how the 2 game aggregate allowed more time to build animosity between teams and drama for fans. But the one and done rewards higher ranked teams with home advantage. So I'd lean more in favour of any format that gives more importance to each regular season game.
I love being the underdog.
From "worst team in the world" to "Fooking great team".
My new signature.
Fun things happen when Toronto plays in Atlanta in the playoffs (I'll leave the Jays highlights for someone else!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f46J22PkMK4
(We won that game and that series btw. As underdogs.)
You don't understand because it made no sense. :lol: Whoops.
I don't know how I got it in my head Seattle would be hosting... so yes, I definitely agree, they're very likely to park it as the away team. LAFC has so much quality though and Seattle isn't the defensive rock they used to be.
I can't see LAFC not taking it, but either way we have a juicy match up in the finals if we can make it. It's either a tiebreaker against Seattle in their barn or we defend 2017 TFC's place as the best MLS team of all time.