MLS Match Day 13 - Orlando @ TFC - Saturday July 17 7:38pm - Our House

[ag futbol]

Missed the game but watched the extended highlights. Clearly the team plays better football under Perez and Armas has had no idea what he was doing. Players actually working together to link passes in the final third and no putting our defenders in exposed situations making them look far worse than they are.

Interplay between Solteldo and others was great. Between that and Pozuelo it gives teams a lot to chew on. I still think it might take some time to get the most out of this and that likely results in a much improved 2nd half of the season but one where we don’t make playoffs.

Team needs to make roster adjustments in all the obvious areas and to be honest we should consider moving out some of our prospects.

[OgtheDim]

What did you mean by that? I couldn't see any of that on-site.

Usually, every bench player goes down the pitch to warm up. Both games, Perez doesn't send down guys who are unlikely to get on (keeper, 3rd choice in a position, etc). Last night, Peruzza & Okello sat with the backup keeper when Jozy et al were warming up.

[ensco]

I thought Orlando did a pretty good job of “last man” defending, which is what you need to do against Yefe. The result was fair. We had more chances but they had excellent chances that they didn’t take. I don’t blame Auro as much as I blame Bono on the goal. Go get the ball! The Bono thing must be in the whole team's head. You can’t win if you think you are giving up a boneheaded goal per game.

Oh man Yefe. Remarkable display. Yefe needs Jozy out there. He needs an elite target man who knows where to be and what to do. But it was also a Chemistry lesson - Pozo was not clicking. Need to figure out how he fits with Yefe I think. He can’t be a true AM given what Yefe does. He is not quite sure of his role now and drifting to the wing is not the answer, I wonder if he might be better off as a false 9 directly receiving service from Yefe. Also his shooting especially seemed off, never put his foot through the ball. Oso another candidate for a false 9 type role. Whatever you call it, the player receiving the ball from Yefe at the edge of the box has to be capable of finding/creating a little something, making a quick move, and bam! converting… We will score 4 or 5 a game like 2018 Atlanta United if we figure that out.

[Yuushalinsky]

If there's anything that we really need, it's a chant about the Killer O's:

Pozuelo, Soteldo, Endo(h), Osorio - throughout the season right now imo these have been four of our best players on both the attacking side and the defending side.

[Yohan]

I thought Orlando did a pretty good job of “last man” defending, which is what you need to do against Yefe. The result was fair. We had more chances but they had excellent chances that they didn’t take. I don’t blame Auro as much as I blame Bono on the goal. Go get the ball! The Bono thing must be in the whole team's head. You can’t win if you think you are giving up a boneheaded goal per game.

Oh man Yefe. Remarkable display. Yefe needs Jozy out there. He needs an elite target man who knows where to be and what to do. But it was also a Chemistry lesson - Pozo was not clicking. Need to figure out how he fits with Yefe I think. He can’t be a true AM given what Yefe does. He is not quite sure of his role now and drifting to the wing is not the answer, I wonder if he might be better off as a false 9 directly receiving service from Yefe. Also his shooting especially seemed off, never put his foot through the ball. Oso another candidate for a false 9 type role. Whatever you call it, the player receiving the ball from Yefe at the edge of the box has to be capable of finding/creating a little something, making a quick move, and bam! converting… We will score 4 or 5 a game like 2018 Atlanta United if we figure that out.

Pozuelo needs a chat with Victor Vazquez to understand how a playmaker supports a guy like Soteldo/Giovinco

I didn't think Pozuelo had a horrible game, but he could have done a lot better getting himself involved.

But, not every game is going to be like Soteldo getting so many opportunities for 1v1 opportunities. Other teams will figure it out and double team Soteldo and try to mark him out of the game.
Which leaves space for other TFC players to exploit, and Pozuelo and Bradley the time to make those killer passes.

[Richard]

A potential issue with Soteldo is him holding the ball too long, yes he can beat several players on the dribble but he needs to find a pass to an open teammate or take an early shoot.

Hopefully with Altidore being back it gives him more confidence to spread the ball around, than just Poz.

[FootBallAZ]

You just make this stuff up lmao.

I was in section 206.
The trainer literally ran full speed than pulled up .

The one who was carrying the medical bag.

Even when he walks off at the end you could see him limping



I literally couldn't make this up.

If our own trainer gets hurt 10 steps onto the pitch .

Maybe it's time to re visit them

[Richard]

I was in section 206.
The trainer literally ran full speed than pulled up .

The one who was carrying the medical bag.

Even when he walks off at the end you could see him limping



I literally couldn't make this up.

If our own trainer gets hurt 10 steps onto the pitch .

Maybe it's time to re visit them

Haha I wasn't doubting what you were saying. I miss typed and meant to say "cant make this stuff up."

Wonder if anyone got a video of it lol.

[MightyDM]

Random observations:

Poz looks not fully fit. On TV at least he looked really gassed in the close ups

Nani is becoming dirty as he ages

Jozy has lost weight.

Perez has a lot of faith in Endoh. Interesting.

[jloome]

Random observations:

Poz looks not fully fit..

He was heaving for air before his last free kick attempt. I wonder how much training outside in 30C whether has limited their cardio. At BMO they'd have been indoors on equipment.

I don't know what they had down there, but conditioning has looked an issue for us forever, I think.

[SoccMan2]

So unless it’s me seeing things but how long before a coach says enough is enough with a player before they just stop playing them? Auro unless it’s just me but how many screwups that lead to goals can a team take before telling him to pack his bags and go? I’m counting at least 5 mistakes by this guy just this season alone that have lead to goals and last night was another on the Orlando penalty call. Put the blame all you want on Bono but this is all on Auro , enough is enough with this guy seriously !

[jloome]

So unless it’s me seeing things but how long before a coach says enough is enough with a player before they just stop playing them? Auro unless it’s just me but how many screwups that lead to goals can a team take before telling him to pack his bags and go? I’m counting at least 5 mistakes by this guy just this season alone that have lead to goals and last night was another on the Orlando penalty call. Put the blame all you want on Bono but this is all on Auro , enough is enough with this guy seriously !

No, Bono easily could've reached the ball first, the replays are clear. It was a bad pass, but Auro also stopped a shot from point-blank range in the first half that was a certain goal, and he marked Nani out of the much of the game.

He was one of our better players yesterday, other than the pass -- which, though ill advised, could easily have been handled.

Watch the replay: Bono goes to catch the ball, realizes he's there first and just assumes the ref is going to call it as unplayable if he lets it go out. He literally pulls away from it, lets it go past him and turns to block out the player.

He then blocks out the player who is charging towards HIM, not the ball, assuming he's going to catch it and trying to force a mistake.

Bono just made a really bad call on the play.

[Mikmacdo]

So unless it’s me seeing things but how long before a coach says enough is enough with a player before they just stop playing them? Auro unless it’s just me but how many screwups that lead to goals can a team take before telling him to pack his bags and go? I’m counting at least 5 mistakes by this guy just this season alone that have lead to goals and last night was another on the Orlando penalty call. Put the blame all you want on Bono but this is all on Auro , enough is enough with this guy seriously !

auro did a great job on nani. think you might have some kind of agenda against him as hes one of the better fullbacks in the league.

[jloome]

Pozuelo after the game: "“We know the referee don’t help us too much because we are from another country, we are from Canada,” said TFC star Alejandro Pozuelo when asked about the penalty.

I think he was actually talking about him and Soteldo being repeatedly fouled without calls in the first half.

I also think he's right. I think if you statistically modeled games reffed by Americans involving a Canadian team, their implicit biases are stronger as a cultural norm.

Similarly, if you stick a Canadian ref in... he will always defer to our ridiculous sense of self-deprecation by shitting on Canadians more.

It's the same as having an American commentator versus Steven Caldwell. The first will give you jingoistic reminders ever ten seconds of his Americanism, the second will remind you that we're all sinners on the march to oblivion.

So we get stick either way.

May just be my own bias or misperceiving home/away bias as nationalistic, but the shitkicking we've generally taken from refs in this league, for such an offensive/possession-minded club, is mind-numbing sometimes.

Or maybe PRO just has shit refs who can't read the MLS game at its year-on-year increasing speed.

[East Coast Red]

Auro unless it’s just me but how many screwups that lead to goals can a team take before telling him to pack his bags and go? I’m counting at least 5 mistakes by this guy just this season alone that have lead to goals and last night was another on the Orlando penalty call. !

It's definitely not you. Those errors leading to goals must be close to double digits already, there were 3 in the season opener alone. And it's the nature of them, really bad rookie errors for the most part. I know Auro divides opinion, but for me he just isn't up to playing at this level. Some people do have a very high opinion of him, but for me, I just don't see it.

[jloome]

It's definitely not you. Those errors leading to goals must be close to double digits already, there were 3 in the season opener alone. And it's the nature of them, really bad rookie errors for the most part. I know Auro divides opinion, but for me he just isn't up to playing at this level. Some people do have a very high opinion of him, but for me, I just don't see it.

He seem a very solid defender about 80% of the time, but he has at least one brain cramp per game, sometimes more.

[Toronto Funk]

Was at the game. Usually in 115 but was sitting in 207. Very different perspective of the field, but still missed being in 115.
The team looked so much better than in the Armas days and Soteldo was a delight to watch. Once he Poz fully click, with Bradley cleaning up begins and Jozy finishing - look out!
Looking for a run now and making some noise in the dance.

Armas was playing checkers with our players, Perez is playing chess.

[portu]

We’re playing much better, but this backline and Bono is still horrific and is going to cost us. I’m not sure what a new coach is supposed to do about it to be honest. Having Poz and Soteldo out there as well as not playing an idiotic system will keep the opposition honest. But it’s still a disaster. If you genuinely believe there’s hope for this season then it might be worthwhile shipping assets to acquire a bonafide centreback or two.

[ag futbol]

Pozuelo after the game: "“We know the referee don’t help us too much because we are from another country, we are from Canada,” said TFC star Alejandro Pozuelo when asked about the penalty.

I think he was actually talking about him and Soteldo being repeatedly fouled without calls in the first half.

I also think he's right. I think if you statistically modeled games reffed by Americans involving a Canadian team, their implicit biases are stronger as a cultural norm.

Similarly, if you stick a Canadian ref in... he will always defer to our ridiculous sense of self-deprecation by shitting on Canadians more.

It's the same as having an American commentator versus Steven Caldwell. The first will give you jingoistic reminders ever ten seconds of his Americanism, the second will remind you that we're all sinners on the march to oblivion.

So we get stick either way.

May just be my own bias or misperceiving home/away bias as nationalistic, but the shitkicking we've generally taken from refs in this league, for such an offensive/possession-minded club, is mind-numbing sometimes.

Or maybe PRO just has shit refs who can't read the MLS game at its year-on-year increasing speed.

Your making me like Gareth Wheeler, not sure how I feel about it

[East Coast Red]

Pozuelo after the game: "“We know the referee don’t help us too much because we are from another country, we are from Canada,” said TFC star Alejandro Pozuelo when asked about the penalty.

I think he was actually talking about him and Soteldo being repeatedly fouled without calls in the first half.

I also think he's right. I think if you statistically modeled games reffed by Americans involving a Canadian team, their implicit biases are stronger as a cultural norm.

Similarly, if you stick a Canadian ref in... he will always defer to our ridiculous sense of self-deprecation by shitting on Canadians more.

It's the same as having an American commentator versus Steven Caldwell. The first will give you jingoistic reminders ever ten seconds of his Americanism, the second will remind you that we're all sinners on the march to oblivion.

So we get stick either way.

May just be my own bias or misperceiving home/away bias as nationalistic, but the shitkicking we've generally taken from refs in this league, for such an offensive/possession-minded club, is mind-numbing sometimes.

Or maybe PRO just has shit refs who can't read the MLS game at its year-on-year increasing speed.

Montreal and Vancouver fans have been saying this for years. Personally, I just think MLS refs are just awful in general. Biased? Maybe, Rubbish? definitely.

[Richard]

There is a clear bias against Canadian sports teams. Just look at the Raptor pre Kawai, during and after. It took the Raptors getting a bonified superstar to have the refs call the game fair.

It's crazy how this league is again not protecting it's MVP and star players, Gio wasn't respected either early on but the referees improved after a bit of time.

[jloome]

Biased? Maybe, Rubbish? definitely.

Yeah, true enough. The standard has improved significantly since the early days of TFC but it's still awful reffing by the standards of the Premier League or La Liga. The small things those guys catch that I was sure they got wrong until the replay... Here? Very rare.

[JoesphNdo]

I don't think the referees are anti us specifically, they're just awful and especially with small tricky players. Seba got the shit kicked out of him and we saw the same thing yesterday. The league needs to do better at protecting its skillful players

It doesn't help that they take a North Korean like attitude to media. There was, I thought, a clear penalty in the first half. It was certainly a talking point for the game. But it's never shown again and never shown on any highlight package. That infuriates me, they just won't acknowledge the existence of things that may make the refs look bad

[East Coast Red]

It doesn't help that they take a North Korean like attitude to media. There was, I thought, a clear penalty in the first half. It was certainly a talking point for the game. But it's never shown again and never shown on any highlight package. That infuriates me, they just won't acknowledge the existence of things that may make the refs look bad

100% agree.

[ag futbol]

I don't think the referees are anti us specifically, they're just awful and especially with small tricky players. Seba got the shit kicked out of him and we saw the same thing yesterday. The league needs to do better at protecting its skillful players

Totally agree. It was karmic justice to see all those free kicks go in but he never should of had to put up with the level of hacking he did.

Some of these refs really over-think what the see out there. It’s like Laryea (or some other player) gets fouled in the box and the mental gymnastics start about how it wasn’t a foul. When really, MLS defenders are often undisciplined not made to pay for it frequently enough.

[jloome]

Totally agree. It was karmic justice to see all those free kicks go in but he never should of had to put up with the level of hacking he did.

Some of these refs really over-think what the see out there. It’s like Laryea (or some other player) gets fouled in the box and the mental gymnastics start about how it wasn’t a foul. When really, MLS defenders are often undisciplined not made to pay for it frequently enough.

Yesterday, the ref got distracted for a couple of seconds and that was all it took for him to call a throw-in the wrong way that wasn't even debatable; our player was four feet away from the ball when Orlando's player kicked it out.

The ref was so disconnected from events thinking about something else that he just called it against the guy who grabbed the ball first, Delgado. On a professional basis, it was a sad sight.

[ag futbol]

Yesterday, the ref got distracted for a couple of seconds and that was all it took for him to call a throw-in the wrong way that wasn't even debatable; our player was four feet away from the ball when Orlando's player kicked it out.

The ref was so disconnected from events thinking about something else that he just called it against the guy who grabbed the ball first, Delgado. On a professional basis, it was a sad sight.

Shouldn’t his linesman save him there? Sort of embarrassing if the crew can’t sort that out

[andyc]

Shouldn’t his linesman save him there? Sort of embarrassing if the crew can’t sort that out

The linesman was worse. Multiple times he didn't make a call and the ref bailed him out even when the ball was closest to him...

[OgtheDim]

...
Or maybe PRO just has shit refs who can't read the MLS game at its year-on-year increasing speed.

I'd say more this. PRO lets a lot of fouls go, especially tackles from behind.

[East Coast Red]

Yesterday, the ref got distracted for a couple of seconds and that was all it took for him to call a throw-in the wrong way that wasn't even debatable; our player was four feet away from the ball when Orlando's player kicked it out.

The ref was so disconnected from events thinking about something else that he just called it against the guy who grabbed the ball first, Delgado. On a professional basis, it was a sad sight.

I did literally laugh out loud when I saw that. Complete brain fart by the ref.