The summer swells anon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR9DjdMrpHg
******
Have at It People
The summer swells anon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR9DjdMrpHg
******
Have at It People
a real test of skill and strength - I'm expecting a draw here but I want us to win - we can't afford to be lackadasical and good form is always appreciated.
Portland has been good, but not great lately. 2-0-5 in their last 7 games. We'll need our offence to be rolling at 110%, but I think we can take this one.
Do we have Kaye back yet? Love that we have Laryea now so if we could just get Kaye back in the lineup it would be golden.
Well let's hope our guys don't get too banged up as Portland has the most yellow cards in the league sitting on 73, I thought Nashville had a lot but i guess they only had 57. I liked seeing the ref very early on pointing at Insigne and saying no more fouls on him.
Again... hoping...
https://formation-images-cdn.homecro...t4SCXOThaY.png
Toronto FC, MLS
We find ourselves navigating a tumultuous sea to MLS Playoffs, unable to 'Ever Rest'!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGzOfXITytg
Portland is a tough opponent for anyone. Probably the most consistently underrated franchise in MLS. With that said, if we play like we did last weekend (with some better defending on setpieces), we should be able to grab 3 points.
And how good has McNaughton been? He's really grown in the last few months. Starting to make me move away from thinking we need a DP CB and just a regular depth-kind-of CB. And Mavinga has looked solid the last few games again too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Inbetween
Excellent choice!Quote:
Originally Posted by OgtheDim
Need better defending, regardless of not having quality CBs. Conceding three goals is unacceptable. MacNaughton is on the right track, but needs to do better, you don't run away from attackers.
Time is running out for Jiménez. Eight games with no goals or assists. Either produce or Akinola takes your spot. Frankly, I would prefer to start Akinola until JJ shows improvement.
If all goes well, TFC win 3-1.
We shall see.
Looking at the quality of our eleven - over 450 caps between Canada, US and Italy including 6 active players - all experienced but McNaughton. Pretty impressive that he’s holding his own as a late blooming CPLer.Quote:
Originally Posted by James17930
And yeah, I sense Mavinga’s had a wake up call. And it would be to his advantage to be smarter (less reckless) defensively… his speed won’t last forever. All the same, his ability to carry the ball out of the back and pass should suit Bob’s style and be to our good advantage.
As others have pointed out, two of Nashville’s three were bullshit. On the first, Bono did nothing more than he had to do to stop the strike, got the ball only, and the man went down when he stepped on top of Bono. If anything it should have a foul in our favour.Quote:
Originally Posted by ronzilla
The second was clearly offside. Bad reffing, bad VAR. It’s naive to think a ref can see anything under the lights with crap video on a screen. Our culture is a bit dumb when it comes to screens and video.
All to say, that was in essence a 4-1 win.
Quote:
Originally Posted by los sonadores
Only one goal was questionable. The other two were legit.
Even Nashville’s announcing crew, in replaying the penalty “block” by Bono in slow motion, admitted it wasn’t a penalty. Sapong is already over him and reaches back with his foot, kicking off Bono, who has already passed him.Quote:
Originally Posted by ronzilla
And Bunbury was clearly offside, too. They showed several angles in the TSN replay and he was a half yard off, not even close.
I have zero doubt those were both terrible calls.
Need to win all the home games to make playoffs.
Portland are decent but I suspect that we'll have too much for them with a fully fit team.
3 1 or 2 0 win imo
Bookies seem to like us at 3-1 to win by 1 and 10-2 to win by two, according to bwin.Quote:
Originally Posted by leedsandTFC
portland are yet to beat a team from the east (2 draws, 2 losses), and are yet to win an away game outside cascadia (wins vs sounders and van only away wins all year).Quote:
Originally Posted by jloome
they are a decent side especially going forward but with a week to prepare at home and a full complement to choose from we should have too much for them.
Portland smothers games in the midfield. They make the game chippy & ensure there is no flow. They can be destroyed with a decent through ball but you have to have your guys given the time to make that pass.
I suspect JJ might have a decent game if Insigne & Bernardeschi & Oso & Kaye(?) can get on the ball with time.
This is the sort of game where Nelson's patented "getting into a good area and then stopping to think while they all get back into position" technique is going to really hurt us. Like a defender showing a forward to his weak side, I suspect Portland will give up space to Nelson.
Yeah, there was one 2 vs 2 counter in the first half last game where Nelson should have given it to Insigne but instead goes and then inexplicably stops, gets surrounded and loses the ball. You can imagine how pissed Insigne was on that one.Quote:
Originally Posted by OgtheDim
No doubt the game plan will be double on Ingisne and Fede, and let Nelson have the ball. And also target us on set pieces like Nashville did.
The first part is every team's gameplan against us and the second one wasn't designed specifically for us. That's the Smith strategy; counter and/or try to earn free kicks in dangerous areas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hala Hrvatska
Bono was reckless on sliding out when the forward had no angle and it was 100% penalty. Just a dumb play by him.Quote:
Originally Posted by los sonadores
Second goal, Bradley beat again easily on a header and its in the back of the net. Not sure if onside or not, but should have never even happened.
And we did get lucky mcarty missed from point blank in the 4th minute when Oso left him...then another one around the 18th minute when (again) Bradley let Romney have a free header...and then the last play of the game, we gave up another free header that just missed the back post.
4-3 was a fair result I think, and glad to get out of there with the 3 points.
Nelson did really well in the last game; his stat line was solid and he was in the league’s young players of the week round up. But obviously we saw in Charlotte how well Kaye works with this system.
I suspect if they try to double either winger, it’ll open huge holes for Oso and Jimenez to move into, which then shifts the rest of the defence over and leaves the back post open for the other winger.
It’s sort of why Bradley uses it, I think. If your two most skilled and quickest players are both wingers, the middle clears out really frequently. Jimenez hasn’t seen much of the ball in scoring positions but he does make very solid dummy runs, so that contributes as well.
A lot depends on which ref we get and how much they get away with. If it’s Fotis Bazakos, we might be in trouble, as you could basically shoot a guy with a Smith & Wesson M&P .40 cal and he’d wave ‘play on.’
If it’s Victor Rivas, all of our skill players should just retire before the game because he misses fucking everything.
Watching how we defend set pieces, that would be every team's strategy on us I think, especially when we are playing at home.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud
This is a typical attitude for some. All season we've defended set pieces well enough as most of our issues came from getting caught on the break from the wings but we happen to have a match against a team that targets this as a main part of their offense and scores so this is now our achilles heel. And of course it has to be pinned on MB.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hala Hrvatska
Charlotte also targets this and MB got a WHO Scored rating over 9 and I saw no mention of this then. Or ever really before this week.
Typical attitude of some? I can't offer my opinion? If you think we defend set pieces well, then I guess we will agree to disagree. My post didn't single out Bradley, you did that yourself it looks like. But if you didn't see him qet beat very easily 3 times in the air by journeyman romney plus not track the man beside him on the final header, then what can I tell you. He should not be man marking on corners in particular because he can't/won't. Put him on a goal post. Mcnaugton got beat on the third goal, but he battled and went up, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Oso flat out let Mccarty open in the 4th minute and put up his hand to claim offside which of course was not. And Bono also is part of the problem as he can't command the box on crosses. We need to collectively do alot better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud
MB had a good game vs Charlotte, as did everyone else and I am looking for that this Saturday night again. What else do you want me to say. If someone plays well, I'll say it. Someone doesn't, I'll say it.
Cheers, Illl be there Sat night cheering the boys on to victory. Its now a "final" every game down the stretch. Must wins and if we get into the playoffs, we will be dangerous.
It is a typical attitude for some. When the currently hated TFC player does well: silence. Any mistakes therafter by him or anyone else plus us dropping points with a draw or loss will usually end up being attributed to the hated player in some way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hala Hrvatska
Also you did mention MB. Did you forget this one a couple posts up?
Quote:
Second goal, Bradley beat again easily on a header and its in the back of the net. Not sure if onside or not, but should have never even happened.
And we did get lucky mcarty missed from point blank in the 4th minute when Oso left him...then another one around the 18th minute when (again) Bradley let Romney have a free header...and then the last play of the game, we gave up another free header that just missed the back post.
I didn't single out Bradley, i mentioned Oso too right in that one. And you'll note I was kind enough not to mention who left the man for the last header...)Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud
But okay, did you see Bradley get beat repeatedly or not by Romney? Or is it just me and Section 223? )
And do you think we defend set pieces well, or not?
Over the entirety of 2022? Yes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hala Hrvatska
Last weekend? No.
I guess we'll agree to disagree. Watch this Saturday at the inevitable mayhem in our box and on set pieces against. I guarantee we'll give up big chances off set pieces. And its not about player personanel, its about being willing to be committed to mark your man and win the 1 vs 1 battle in the air.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud
PS if you don't mind answering, did you see Bradley get beat repeatedly by Romney the other night or not? And very badly at that. If you attribute it to me "hating" Bradley (you edited your post to slide that in so that's why I am asking), then I guess I just am curious if you saw the same thing me and my buddies and son all saw. And my man Section 223 also.
Cheers. And "see" you Sat night if you are going. Should be a great one, the weather will be great, time for 3 points.