MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Austin Berry and Matt Hedges are both starting now at Chicago and Dallas. We could have had either of them in the 2012 draft. Intead we drafted Silva for a position we don't even really have any more. Silva's good, but we all knew our needs and decided not to draft for it.
They are a very scrappy team, that really tries to beat the hell out of the opposing squad in the midfield. Successful, without a doubt, but otherwise I find them quite negative tactically. Seen them play a lot of games that were borderline unwatchable because they take as many tactical fouls as they can get away with... and then some.
^^^ Cool man glad to hear it got taken care of bud.
You can see this either way. So, did Kansas play REALLY badly on Saturday, or did Mariner's tactics actually work against them and closed them down so they couldn't play? They certainly had a tough time breaking TFC down. If they have been opening up teams a lot easier than TFC, maybe Mariner got something right?
Last edited by starter; 08-21-2012 at 09:56 AM.
We probably DO need only a couple of tweaks actually.
I'm going to suggest something that I don't think many will agree with:
I think some of our problems start with our goally. Don't get me wrong - I think Kocic is a GREAT shot-stopper. He's clearly kept us in many games this season. BUT, his communication seems very poor for a goally. Organising a team starts from the back, and a few times this season Kocic clearly hasn't been vocal enough. I think this is where having a veteran goally with a lot more experience would really help TFC. Jimmy Nielson may be an old guy for Kansas - but his experience is invaluable for them. Kocic doesn't have anywhere near as much experience even though he's 27 years old. I really think TFC would benefit from a more veteran goally like Nielson.
Kocic really should have arranged the wall better for that free kick on Saturday, and his position should have been much better. Equally I thought Kocic was at fault for the first Portland gaol last week - he should have come for that cross. He started to come - then stopped, ended up in no-mans-land, and we conceded. A vet goally would have known either to commit and go for the cross (he could have easily punched that ball away) OR stick to the goal line. He did something in between, and it gave away a goal that was a basic goalkeeper error.
We've got a defence full of early 20 year olds, we really need a vet goally to bark out instructions and make commited moves. I don't think Kocic gives us anything like that right now.
Again, I'll say its hard to fault a guy who's kept us in so many games and made so many fine saves. But a vet goally might be what the whole team needs right now.
Frankly thats nonsense. Toronto's problems are almost entirley due to an ineffective midfield. Shown perfectly at the weekend by Kocic blasts down the park bypassing them and their subsequent inabilty to retrieve the ball, hold the ball, pass the ball, move for the ball, tackle for the ball and find positions around the person who briefly happened to have the ball. As a result they repeatedly gave up possesion and end up back tracking where they are disorganised and in turn place not only too much pressure on the defence but for prolonged periods also. Any defence under that strain will eventually crack and if it doesnt its down to luck. To suggest that Kocic wall positioning cost them the game is absurd. The game was lost after about 15mins. It was only a matter of time. They had no game plan that would win a game only one that would possibly cause a clumsy mistake or a fortunate set piece and then it would be backs to the wall. We've all seen how well backs to the wall works for us.