TFC @ RSL Post-match thread
We lost 2-1. Dero scored late on a PK as a 2nd half sub.
Didn't expect a win coming in and never really recovered from the 2-0 halftime deficit.
Chicago Fire are next in the league and we're at home again.
Mo still needs to go but Preki should be given a break.
We were really lucky to get this close in the game - the PK was debatable and to any of our 2-3 chances RSL had 3 of their own. The game could've ended easily 5-1 or 6-2. RSL showed they can play, we just showed our usual painful to watch attempts to connect more than 2 passes together...
Last edited by marquis; 05-01-2010 at 10:42 PM.
"It wasn't really a good effort by our group in the first half,"
"For the next game we need to come to work from the first minute. A lot of guys had played a lot of minutes and we were hoping to give some guys a rest and keep it tight, but unfortuntely we gave up the goals and that gave us a mountain to climb."
Preki's words. he fucked up. please don't do it again!
I missed the game tonight because I was at a buddy's wedding. It's shame to hear that DeRo and JDG didn't come in until we were down 2-0 in the 2nd half. I guess Preki took the NCC match more seriously than tonight's match. Hindsight is 20/20 but I don't understand why Preki didn't start DeRo and JDG to give us a fighting chance to start the match and sub for them in the 2nd half...
Moderator
He thought, and reasonably so I might add, that he could play a heavily defensive style of game, and rest our key players until at least the second half. DeRo looked gassed in his limited time on the pitch, so he clearly needed the rest.Originally Posted by ManUtd4ever
He didn't count on us gifting them a goal early in the game, and then looking absolutely flat afterward - until it was too late.
I still don't think Preki made a mistake in sitting JDG and DeRo. It they needed the rest, then they needed the rest. This is a 30 game season, and I'd much rather have a healthy DeRo for most of those games, than have him strain something, or run himself into the ground. Preki wouldn't sit him for the fun of it.
Tough result, but it was on the road, and capped off a week in which we had two big wins already. I'm going to try and see the forest for the trees on this one, and simply hope they bounce back next Saturday.
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
I'd agree with this. Many are professing that we can't play a defensive style of game and while we did go down 2-0, the players we've got this year aren't the ones that blew leads over and over. It was worth a try and if anything will be something to learn from when we need this style again.
Despite the result, the gamble almost paid off. Nane's header in the first half was beautiful. If we convert there, it's a new game. Combine that with OBW's crossbar in the 2nd, and surprisingly, the match was closer than it looked.
The resting is bullshit. We are a few games into the season. Let them sit out a practice then. But the season is very, very early. They gotta be fit. I don't think Lampard or Malouda have missed a game for Chelsea this season. If they are not fir enough, then there is a problem there.
Not sure that I agree, other than the result was pretty much as expected.
As a manager, your job is to put the best team on the pitch to give you the opportunity of a result. That did not happen tonight. I believe it fair to say that Preki expected to bring in DeRo and JDG for the second half, on the presumption (and it is a big one) that the game would be scoreless at the half.
DeRo and JDG are both players that have an impact on a game. They can, indivudally or together, control the flow of a game. It becomes much tougher for them to accomplish that if the game already has a flow before they step on the pitch.
Add to that the consideration above - it is reasonable to expect that they would play unless lightning struck and we jumped ahead early. Sound time management of playing time, especially for attackers, is to have them play about 60 minutes and then take them off in favour of fresh legs. That opportunity has generally been available to the team this year and it has been done. So resting them for the first half seems a little strange to me.
Take one more thing into consideration. Preki is a disciplinarian coach. JDG and DeRo do not seem like the type of players that would respond well to that type of coaching style (just my opinion there). While Preki may not sit either for the fun of it, it is a Mike Kennan-esque move to sit them to make a point. See JDG in New England. The problem is, when does making a point cross the line into hurting your team.
With one week off already in the early part of the season and a schedule that is no less gruelling than anyone elses, the time to "rest" players may be with lighter off day workouts than to sit two top caliber players and hand the game to an opponent.
Just my 2 cents.
Preki gambled tonight and lost.
At least he had the balls to try something unorthodox,unfortunately defense left him hanging, not midfield or striker in the first half.
We have 7 games in next 4 weeks we better get prepared for lineups like this in the near future.
Exactly. Preki is going to have to try and be as clever as possible to manage this line-up especially with Hardin out and presumably Gomez the same. We have some depth but not a lot.
Considering this was game 3 in 7 days and we were playing at 1400 metres, something had to give.
this is the only thing that is relevant.
We need to just forget this game and move on.
While I understand what Preki was thinking behind his first half lineup, it seems to be it really put the Reds behind the eight ball right out of the gate, playing a defensive game is not the best way to go for TFC as the Reds need to score and without DeRo on the pitch that is most likely not going to happen.
The teams needs to be proactive when it comes to running their game on the pitch, but what do you expect when you consider this was their third game in six days. I see a chance for a win come Saturday against the Fire.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
this team is too shallow talent wise to field the lineup preki did. especially in the first half, we looked like the D2 side. i can understand wanting to give some of the better players a break, but i really feel that resting JDG AND DeRo AND OBW was a little much for this lineup to handle.
credit to RSL for putting in a good performance tho.
btw.. anyone else notice how poor our team is at receiving a goal kick? it seems to usually guarantee a loss of possession lately
We are the most boring team to watch. Slow paced, barely create any chances.
Another season relying on home games it seems...
I am an avid TFC supporter. HAven't missed a home game since inception. But we are the shittiest MLS team to watch. This is the worst TFC team in 4 years. We look like a bunch of beer league players. Give away the ball cheaply. Can't string 3 passes together. Stand on our heels. No movement away from the ball to create space. Etc. We cut our best quality midfielder in Guevera, because Preki didn't like him. Robbo had a bad season last year, filled with injuries. Again Preki cut him because he didn't like him. Now we have an overpriced DP, which we could have paid 3 quality players with that money which would have been better served. Mo has figured out in 4 years that we have a poor back line.
Sounders 1 KKKrew 1
The Sounders play sexy football but can't score for shit.
Just to make it clear... when Dero and De Guzman were on the pitch the score line was 1-0 TFC.. I can understand resting one of them, but both? It just seemed idiotic.
Agreed.
they played the same in SC. vs rsl
Well, I guess we'll need to wait till the 5th away game of the season... or the 6th.....Originally posted by LesH: (in the pre-game thread)>
Sometimes the ice needs to be broken and TFC needs to get the first point or points on the road this season, right?
Will it be tonight, the next away game or the third away game?
or...errrr...till next year maybe?
it's week 6 and we only got 6 points! this is bull shit!!
We are also only 6 pts out of 1st place. I love the mediocrity that is MLS....the only league in the world where you can take 6 points from a possible 18 and still be in whith a shout!
I believe "parity" is the word you're looking for.
I'd prefer it than an oligarchy of a small number of teams always hogging the top *coughlaligacough*...or at least an oligarchy that changes on a frequent basis.
Yep.
Still possibly the only known RPB to appear on Masterchef Canada.
(I think?)
Parity breeds mediocrity....I meant what I said because the whole league is, well.....mediocre!
Moderator
Of course the entire league is mediocre. It isn't a world class league. That doesn't really speak to the idea of parity.
The NHL and NFL also enforce the idea of parity, yet they also still have really good and really bad teams. Parity just ensures that the really good teams won't have a strangehold on the top of the league until the end of time, and the teams at the bottom have an equitable chance to become a really good team, without bankrupting themselves. They just have to draft smart, and have an eye for trades.
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
Right now it looks like NY and LA are running away with it.
If it keeps going like this we'll find out if it's true that a league needs "premiere" teams in the big markets to be successful.
This was your typical Away game, They were slow cautious, and always rely on the long ball.
For Preki to actually succeed with what we THINK he was attempting to do, yes we need to address some of those needs that we had cried so long for.
A true backline general.
A pure goalscoring striker.
If we can get that, this wouldn't be a risk...I still hold out a hope for a road win sometime this season (since we are going to need a few), but this isn't going to work.
Still possibly the only known RPB to appear on Masterchef Canada.
(I think?)
We'll need minimum 8 points on the road to have any chance for playoffs, because WE WILL drop at least 8 points at home this season.
That's 1 win and 5 draws or 2 wins and 2 draws.
Playing like we are since the beginning of the season, these 8 points will be impossible to get!
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