Match Day 34 - The End of the Beginning - Chicago @ Toronto - Sunday Oct 23 4pm

I have no confidence in this team, this team is headed for another first round choke.

Way to support the team Buddy!

Remember....this is a supporters board!
We have had our best year ever, there is no reason they can't go all the way this year!
Even if they do not get past the first round.... I for one am totally looking forward to being at BMO filed for TFC's first ever play off match...Woohoo!!:scarf::drum:

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Originally Posted by Richard

I have no confidence in this team, this team is headed for another first round choke.

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Originally Posted by JoesphNdo

83% is not good for that position. Look at the amount of times he gets the ball in his own half and makes a lot of quick simple passes back to defenders or to somebody beside him. There's nothing wrong with that, in fact i wish that's all he did with the ball because the problems arise when he thinks he's better than he is, but it skews the pass completion %. What I would love to see with Bradley is turnovers per game which I'd bet is way way too high for a defensive mid fielders and our points per game with him vs without

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He had the lowest % of completed passes of the 4 midfielders. His total # of passes wasn't much different than the other 3 either. As for him being a long ball specialist - wow.. that is an amazing claim. His long free kicks and corners are particularly bad and he may have a record for the number of long passes ending in a goal kick that I have ever seen. He would be a much better player if he kept his passes to <15 yards.

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Originally Posted by Hamilton_Red

He had the lowest % of completed passes of the 4 midfielders. His total # of passes wasn't much different than the other 3 either. As for him being a long ball specialist - wow.. that is an amazing claim. His long free kicks and corners are particularly bad and he may have a record for the number of long passes ending in a goal kick that I have ever seen. He would be a much better player if he kept his passes to <15 yards.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5iDsv8gPzc



That's an insane pass. He's the only player in the league that can make that. His set pieces aren't up to much, but he can put a ball on a dime in open play.

And again, Pass completion percentage doesn't matter if all you do is pass sideways and backwards. He was the only one (bar a couple times from Cooper) who was forcing the play and trying difficult passes into dangerous areas, hence the lower pass completion percentage. It was not because the others were better passers on the day.

Put me on a field and have me try ten long passes a game and I'll eventually land a few too, though. You can't look at the odd highlight as evidence of a great passer. You wouldn't worship a quarter back who goes for the end zone every single play for the few passes that look amazing when they come off because they only tell part of the story

It was one example of a talent he demonstrates often.

And no. Watch that pass again. That's not just a long pass, that's a through ball from just outside his own box that split two defenders onto an onrushing attacker, hit with the inside of his big toe. That's not a pass the average person off the street can hit in ten tries. That's world class.

Bradley has faults. There's no reason to make others up. His passing range is not a problem.

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Originally Posted by molenshtain

It was one example of a talent he demonstrates often.

And no. Watch that pass again. That's not just a long pass, that's a through ball from just outside his own box that split two defenders onto an onrushing attacker, hit with the inside of his big toe. That's not a pass the average person off the street can hit in ten tries. That's world class.

Bradley has faults. There's no reason to make others up. His passing range is not a problem.

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Yep. He makes many good passes per game and many dangerous ones. I would like to see him on the left side of the diamond. When he was in Italy, he was often on the left of a three-man mid or a diamond with a DM beside him (De Rossi in Roma!), so he helped with defence, but he wasn't the anchor. That allowed his box-to-box ability to shine and also allowed him to use his dangerous passing a bit further up the field.

I just want to see the team come out of the gates fast on Sunday and lay down a game that sets the tone for the playoffs.

^
We will drink to that!

Honestly, if we don't get three points from this game we're in trouble for the playoffs. Chicago is long out with nothing to play for. We better win.

They better win.

I'm running out of underwear to call lucky. :smilewinkgrin:

FWIW

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MLS/status/789531743846076416

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Originally Posted by OgtheDim

They better win.

I'm running out of underwear to call lucky.

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Ewwww!!! :ack2: Way more unnecessary info than needed!

Wait a second...you drink Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and think I'm the ewww one? :)

****

Ur right. Inserted a smilie to show I wasn't serious.

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Originally Posted by OgtheDim

Wait a second...you drink Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and think I'm the ewww one? :)

****

Ur right. Inserted a smilie to show I wasn't serious.

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Nu, nu, nu, nu, nu, nu, nu. I like Captain Morgan's BLACK Spiced Rum (with some A&W Diet Root Beer mixed in). Get it RIGHT!!!!! :wink5: g:D

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Originally Posted by Canary10

Osorio has sent people in on goal multiple times. I've seen him play quite a few clever slide-rule balls in. Finishing hasn't always been there unfortunately. He's not going to be the Diaz kind of AM who can beat people and set up, but I think he's underrated for his ability to make the last clever pass.

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Thats how I see his play. Lots of examples, too. Could we find someone better, like Diaz? Yes. Does Oso make lots of effective plays? Absolutely.

for me, the issue is actually formation. We need to adapt and that means a 3-5-2. Best use of this roster, protects the back and allows Bradley a bit more freedom to make those awesome forward runs.

I'd like to skip tomorrow. Stoked.

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Originally Posted by molenshtain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5iDsv8gPzc



That's an insane pass. He's the only player in the league that can make that. His set pieces aren't up to much, but he can put a ball on a dime in open play.

And again, Pass completion percentage doesn't matter if all you do is pass sideways and backwards. He was the only one (bar a couple times from Cooper) who was forcing the play and trying difficult passes into dangerous areas, hence the lower pass completion percentage. It was not because the others were better passers on the day.

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He connected once over a year ago and thats proof he has great`passing range? He`s put similar attempts out of bounds multiple times.

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Originally Posted by SirBobSaget

He connected once over a year ago and thats proof he has great`passing range? He`s put similar attempts out of bounds multiple times.

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so have guys like Gerrard and Lampard, for their entire careers. They're really hard passes to make on a regular basis. Bradley is pretty good at them. Like I said, That's one example of the types of world class passes he can make. It's one example, but he does it a lot. He misses occasionally, but so does everyone.

Every time we go on a not winning spurt, somebody becomes the target of ire. Win tomorrow and this particular talk will stop. As I said in the other threads, Osorio was playing too high for the first half. That was adjusted in the second and Bradley was not being overrun.

Bradley is a world class player. One of the best players we've and the league has ever had. Stats don't mean everything. Just watch him play. He's our captain and he's the one that will be leading us into the play-offs. Let's get behind him and the boys and take the championship this year. I'm super excited for our first home match EVER! Go REDS! All for One!

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/FireConf/status/789642362154876928

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Originally Posted by jiforio

Bradley is a world class player. One of the best players we've and the league has ever had. Stats don't mean everything. Just watch him play. He's our captain and he's the one that will be leading us into the play-offs. Let's get behind him and the boys and take the championship this year. I'm super excited for our first home match EVER! Go REDS! All for One!

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I'd love for him to get a goal and a couple of assists tomorrow & a clean sheet. It would be great to see him play at his peak.

If NYC loses and we draw, what happens? GD? Head to head?

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Originally Posted by Brooker

If NYC loses and we draw, what happens? GD? Head to head?

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They'll stay in second and us third.
First tie breaker is overall wins.

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Originally Posted by Ivy

They'll stay in second and us third.
First tie breaker is overall wins.

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Gotcha.

I might make it out to this game, otherwise I'll be helping the TV numbers. Mon the wee Reds!!

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Originally Posted by jiforio

Bradley is a world class player. One of the best players we've and the league has ever had. Stats don't mean everything. Just watch him play. He's our captain and he's the one that will be leading us into the play-offs. Let's get behind him and the boys and take the championship this year. I'm super excited for our first home match EVER! Go REDS! All for One!

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Yeah put Bradley back in Serie A or any established league you'll see what a player he is.

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Originally Posted by jiforio

Bradley is a world class player. One of the best players we've and the league has ever had. Stats don't mean everything. Just watch him play. He's our captain and he's the one that will be leading us into the play-offs. Let's get behind him and the boys and take the championship this year. I'm super excited for our first home match EVER! Go REDS! All for One!

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Whats the definition of World Class? Top 5 .. or even Top 10 at their position? Bradley isn't anywhere near world class.

Here are the facts
TFC record this season 13W - 9L - 11D -> 1.51 Pts/G
With Bradley Starting 8W - 6L - 9D -> 1.43 Pts/G
With Giovinco Starting 12W - 8L - 7D -> 1.59 Pts/G

The team is actually performing worse with Bradley in the lineup and are performing much better when Giovinco is in the lineup. For 6 million / year you can get a player that will actually improve your teams Pts/G (like Giovinco) and also not miss 1/3 of the season off on international duty. Show me another World Class MLS player that drags down their teams Pts/G.

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Originally Posted by SirBobSaget

Whats the definition of World Class? Top 5 .. or even Top 10 at their position? Bradley isn't anywhere near world class.

Here are the facts
TFC record this season 13W - 9L - 11D -> 1.51 Pts/G
With Bradley Starting 8W - 6L - 9D -> 1.43 Pts/G
With Giovinco Starting 12W - 8L - 7D -> 1.59 Pts/G

The team is actually performing worse with Bradley in the lineup and are performing much better when Giovinco is in the lineup. For 6 million / year you can get a player that will actually improve your teams Pts/G (like Giovinco) and also not miss 1/3 of the season off on international duty. Show me another World Class MLS player that drags down their teams Pts/G.

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Exactly 8 wins out of 23 games.... your are not even top 5 in MLS with that record...never mind world class. TFC plays better when he was away. He was a top player...he could be a top player...he hasn't been this season. If he can find his form TFC has a chance of winning the MLS Cup.