Pre/In/Post - Matchday 14: Toronto at DC United, Sat 15 June, 7pm

[Yohan]

Considering how terrible DC has been this season, this might be one away game TFC takes at least a point... if they play like they did vs Philly.

-------------Bendik
Richter-Caldwell-O'Dea-Morgan
Osorio---Laba---Hall---Convey
-----Earnshaw---Brockie

Swamp Earnshaw out for Koevermans if Danny K does well in reserve game (7 June at Pittsburgh). Because Earnshaw is colder than Hoth right now, and he no longer has a lock for starter spot

[gate7]

start a healthy Frei....


...for his offensive merritt

[notthesun]

---------------Bendik--------------
Russell---Caldwell---O'Dea---Morgan
Osorio----Laba------Hall-----Convey
----------Brockie---Koef-----------

If Koef is ready for a start, give it to him. Brockie has earned one as well. Silva has been better off the bench than starting this year and I feel like he should have something to prove coming into this game.

I don't think it'll happen, but I'd like to see Russell start at RB over Richter just because Richter literally cannot cross the ball. Even if Russell puts in one good cross for every five attempts, that's still improvement. With Henry suspended and Califf in purgatory I can't see anything other than Caldwell-O'Dea-Morgan as the rest of the backline.

D.C. is somehow worse than us. This should be 3 points.

[Fort York Redcoat]

DK doesn't need a full 90 on a plastic pitch, though. I'd predict an early sub spot before a start this weekend.

[ManUtd4ever]

I thought RFK had natural grass. In that case, Koevs should sit the entire match. It's just not worth the risk, and it's not as if we're battling for a playoff spot.

[Fort York Redcoat]

^wiki confuses me. After checking its listed as grass(Prescription Athletic Turf)

That's a footie Oxymoron, no?

[ensco]

I agree. Koevs needs to be protected.

If he shows anything like the form he had over 5-10 games, he should be traded.

The cupboard here is bare, and a lethal finisher on a short term contract could actually bring a lot back.

[Pint]

Didn't want to start a new thread.... Anyone considering going to Pittsburgh for the reserve game Friday night?

[jloome]

I agree. Koevs needs to be protected.

If he shows anything like the form he had over 5-10 games, he should be traded.

The cupboard here is bare, and a lethal finisher on a short term contract could actually bring a lot back.

Heart says no, head sees the math. He's never averaged much better than 20 games a season, which as someone here noted once when I pointed it out is pretty low; and he's on the back end of his career, injury wise.

But doing the sheer math isn't always the only consideration. He's loved by fans, if he does stay (reasonably) healthy, he's good for double digit goals. And, to top it off, his deal is so prodigious that I think the best we'd get back would be a package of potential that the trading team is unsure of, even if it's two or three players, or a couple of players and a pick.

We wont' get a major starter unless it's for us eating Danny K's salary and the other team keeping its players salary, and for it to be a major starter, it will probably have to be a malcontent (or seen as one, ala Convey in San Jose and KC).

You add those factors in and I say we're just as well off keeping him and doing the right thing by a player for a change.

[OgtheDim]

IIRC, its his last season on his contract. Let him finish and then go in another direction.


Back to the OP........probably our most winnable road game of the season. Of course this means DeRo will kill us.

[Relja]

What happened to Agboss?

[West220Side]

----------------------- Bendik --------------------
Richter/Russel -- Caldwell - O'dea -- Morgan
-------------------------------------------------------
------------------Laba--------Hall------------------
Convey ------------------------------------Osorio
----------------------Silva---------------------------
------------------Brockie----------------------------

Okay, here I go. Joe Bendik gets the start in net for Toronto against DC for the following reason(s) mainly because last match he actually didn't hoof the ball up the pitch until the end of the match when the entire team started to buckle. He rolled the ball out, and distributed it nicely which is something he really needed to work on. If he hadn't shown improvement in that area I would have started Super Stefan Frei.

Defense - is fairly simple, Eckersley is still injured for about two/three weeks so we're going to just draw a rightback out of a hat, we're throwing Caldwell in at centreback because he has only made 1 mistake to my count since stepping foot on the pitch, we're moving O'dea back to centre because he's not a leftback, and starting Morgan to provide width going forward.

Midfield is a given Hall has improved to much to take him out of there until the summer window when somebody "big" is bought. Laba is a clear starter every match he's able to show more and more especially last match when we actually kept the ball at his feet. Osorio proved he can start on this team and brings a much needed energy to the pitch, Convey is the really ... only decent winger we have.

Going forward we're starting Brockie over Earnshaw because well don't kill me but he's scored five goals and I believe two of those were penalties so really in my eyes he's only finished three chances and he's missed some CLEAR sitters. Brockie brought life to the pitch while he was on it, and we need that. Give the lad a chance at forward. Play Silva behind him for his creativity.

What happened to Agboss?

During the New England game it appeared he was injured and I figured thats why young Doneil Henry was picked over him, but he was on the bench over Califf against Philadelphia.
Califf may be on his way out. I don't want Boss starting, he's a great young player, showed a lot of skill and promise but c'mon here's our chance for Nelsen to move O'dea out of leftback and back into the middle with Henry suspended.

[OgtheDim]

Laba to get a yellow.

Out next game.


Seems to be his lot in life.

[cmonyoureds]

I was hoping there'd be another "Time of Final Goal" poll in here.......

[Initial B]

^82 minute: DeRo scores to give DC a 1-1 tie.

[trane]

Heart says no, head sees the math. He's never averaged much better than 20 games a season, which as someone here noted once when I pointed it out is pretty low; and he's on the back end of his career, injury wise.

But doing the sheer math isn't always the only consideration. He's loved by fans, if he does stay (reasonably) healthy, he's good for double digit goals. And, to top it off, his deal is so prodigious that I think the best we'd get back would be a package of potential that the trading team is unsure of, even if it's two or three players, or a couple of players and a pick.

We wont' get a major starter unless it's for us eating Danny K's salary and the other team keeping its players salary, and for it to be a major starter, it will probably have to be a malcontent (or seen as one, ala Convey in San Jose and KC).

You add those factors in and I say we're just as well off keeping him and doing the right thing by a player for a change.

I have to agree. The problem is that the FO still thinks they can push for the playoffs-which I do not see at this point-we would need to get a string of wings pretty fast for that too be a reality. Therefore getting space to bring in a younger CF, would be key.

[Ajax TFC]

Bendik
Richter - Agboss - O'Dea - Morgan
Laba
Brockie - Hall - Osorio - Convey
Koevermans

Lots of flexibility there if we have to adjust on the fly. You can move Hall back next to Laba to make it a 4-4-1-1, you can move Brockie and Convey forward to make it a 4-3-3, or you could move Brockie next to Koevermans and Osorio out wide to make it a 4-4-2, or move Brockie up and Convey and Hall back to make a 4-3-1-2. All would be fairly smooth transitions.

[gdg_9]

Bendik
Richter - Agboss - O'Dea - Morgan
Laba
Brockie - Hall - Osorio - Convey
Koevermans

Lots of flexibility there if we have to adjust on the fly. You can move Hall back next to Laba to make it a 4-4-1-1, you can move Brockie and Convey forward to make it a 4-3-3, or you could move Brockie next to Koevermans and Osorio out wide to make it a 4-4-2, or move Brockie up and Convey and Hall back to make a 4-3-1-2. All would be fairly smooth transitions.

I like the flexibility... But I'd leave Caldwell in instead of Agboss. I've liked his no nonsense game so far.

Also, I question whether Koev's is fit enough for a starting role yet. Maybe start Earnshaw and bring Koev's on at 65' or so.

[Abou Sky]

Laba to get a yellow.

Out next game.


Seems to be his lot in life.

It's because the refs as racist and he is brownish

[Ajax TFC]

I like the flexibility... But I'd leave Caldwell in instead of Agboss. I've liked his no nonsense game so far.

I don't like having two slow CBs, and I want Morgan in at LB to give Koevermans service meaning O'Dea goes back to the center. Plus Agboss never did anything to lose his spot in the first place. He just got unlucky with an injury.

Also, I question whether Koev's is fit enough for a starting role yet. Maybe start Earnshaw and bring Koev's on at 65' or so.

He looked good for 45 minutes in the reserve game two weeks ago. that will have been almost a month before this game. It shouldn't take him a month to go from 45 minutes fit to say 70 minutes. We NEED someone up front who can 1) score, and 2) hold the ball up. That makes even a not 100% Koevermans worth playing as long as there's no risk of re-injury. If he tires, sub him out.

[Derko]

^82 minute: DeRo scores to give DC a 1-1 tie.

No comment on that prick

[OgtheDim]

It's because the refs as racist and he is brownish

He was like that in Argentina, by all accounts. A lot of yellows, very few reds, no goals. Difference between him and Henry is Laba knows better then to go in from behind when on a yellow - 1 year older and about 200 points more in soccer IQ will do that for you.

[Super]

I thought we played really well against Philly, and I believe we will continue to improve. We're competitive, but we have a few errors to fix (such as conceding late goals). Add a player or two, fix a few errors, get the entire team fired up, and I think we'll see an end to our misfortunes.

2-1 win for TFC.

[jloome]

No comment on that prick

I don't want to rile the whole thing up again, but you notice that they gave him the DP deal and now Olsen is suggesting he doesn't have the legs to start anymore.

[Marc"2L"]

I don't want to rile the whole thing up again, but you notice that they gave him the DP deal and now Olsen is suggesting he doesn't have the legs to start anymore.

Yeah, this sounds like a perfect time for him to prove that wrong....

[Yohan]

The two serious injuries dero had last year or so took a lot out of old man dero. Father time finally caught up

[cochrdoc]

Is this the battle of the shits

[Ultra & Proud]

Yup DeRo is one of those players we used to freak out about having on our team (old, over the hill, washed up). Good thing he got his DP deal (somewhere else).

[Oldtimer]

Please don't turn this into one of those endless "DeRo threads." If you discuss DeRo, it should be his impact on this particular match, not his past history with TFC or other teams.

[Initial B]

Like I said: DeRo scores in the 82' to give DC a 1-1 tie. Just because the soccer gods hate us. :P