I do remember in 2017 when we had a few notable injuries and it was up to Jay Chapman and a bunch of the supporting cast to treat water (which they did quite well).Originally Posted by ensco
This feels similar in some ways but I’m not sure LI as the cavalry will be enough to push us over the hump. The lack of a usable striker is really a shadow over the team right now. The options top to bottom feel pretty bad, even if Dio returns.
They have to get the Italians playing provider with less-talented players, and not just looking to score, basically. We have the lowest number of touches in the box in the league.
We do not have a single striker with a touch inside the six-yard box and I don't believe any of them have more than one shot from inside the penatly area, the 18-yard box, other than Peruzza, who got two poor ones off in the last game.
That's after eight games.
The thing is, they KNOW how much offensive talent the Italians provide, and that Oso and Kaye can chip in goals as well. So fixing the defense and team movement has clearly been the priority.
Now we need goal, and chances in the box.
Hard to argue with fixing the back first. Honestly seeing a competent keeper and an organized backline has been great to watch
I think our scrubs actually won most of those games when Altidore, Bradley, and Gio were all missing to various degrees in July-Sep 2017. They would have had to do so given we set the points record.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Sean Johnson went the full 90 for the US Wednesday night in their 1-1 draw with Mexico in Phoenix. With travel, regeneration etc. I will be curious on what are the odds we see Thomas Romero in net Saturday night. Sean will either have to fly back to Toronto, only to travel with the team to Philly on Friday or fly directly there and have no training for the next before the match. Will be interesting to see what Bob decides.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
Yeah, hence the talk of great depth. It didn’t seem to matter who we played.
My guess is Bob still plays Johnson. I'm sure he wants to have the best 11 out there, we don't really want to drop more points and philly is a pretty capable team so hopefully another draw would be a good result. Guessing Insigne might start and go for 45-60 mins?
I think Sean will play. Doesn't seem like a guy who would say no.
Interesting that the only place I saw discussion of possible TFC suspensions for the post game last week....was in here.
Berna on a 1 & done for the next is not surprising - Puig is as well for LAG - Seba was the same - offensively interested, defensively trying but doing striker tackles.
You're being generous. Two of Fede's cards were for dissent, beaking at the Ref. Somewhat unnecessary although I'd rather he's that passionate than he doesn't care.
I think MLS is having real issues with the level of refereeing, and are facing kind of a conundrum.
Just to pick our game last week, their were 12 players on the pitch who know what proper refereeing looks like, in Europe and South America. A whole bunch of guys with Euro and World Cup experience.
But if they start suspending those types of players, ie Fede or Richie.... it would cause a deep dive on looking at the refs calls, and if those are in fact blown or missed calls, that would then cause a "mickey mouse bad look" for the league. Mickey mouse bad looks aren't what Apple was promised.
So I think the solution is that are turning a blind eye to behaviours that look pretty much like automatic suspensions, when said behaviour is born out by a review of the facts.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
FWIW
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/1649068841308135427
^ Didn’t Molinaro report Diomande was back training with TFC last week? New or re-aggravated injury? Ditto, perhaps by others reporting and not Molinaro, on VV?
Not sure if it was Molinaro, but yes, Diomande and Vazquez were both training at some point recently. Hedges is good news, but sounds like (so far) we won't see him this weekend.
Last edited by Graeme; 04-20-2023 at 10:50 AM. Reason: Spelling
Haha yeah on the 18th he said that Diomande was in full training..sooo what is it now?
We seem to be getting our "so what happens when MB isn't available" situation.
Last edited by OgtheDim; 04-20-2023 at 10:59 AM.
^
Second week in a row. Interesting. Let’s see what BB does.
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 04-20-2023 at 11:51 AM.
Muscle injury, so they likely have limited duty even when resuming training. Another week, at least, I'd suspect.
This year is a little different. We have the fifth-best difference between expected goals and expected allowed in the league; the only thing letting us down is touches in the box and having a central attacking presence.
Our defensive strength is so much greater this year than last that we can win a LOT of 1-0 games if we can actually get a striker scoring regularly. None of ours even have a touch in the six-yard box after eight games, and only a few in the 18.
Offensively at least, we're basically playing with 10-10.5 men all the time.
Last edited by jloome; 04-20-2023 at 12:51 PM.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/1649094006104637460?s=20
That goal last night (a baaad defensive giveaway) was the first he's given up in an international in 800-plus minutes, apparently.
I’m expecting a version of what worked best last week: Osorio, MAK and Servania as the midfield. Insigne plays a half, maybe, and JMR there when Insigne’s off.
Maybe what’s trickier is what the midfield looks like when MB is back….
I’d like to see Diomande can get on the field. There’s been nothing to suggest we don’t desperately need a striker and he’s the hope… the sooner the better. With Kerr out I’d give Perruza another half to see if he can begin to adjust to the speed of the Italians game.
Also have to think that if either Ayo or Peruzza can get even one goal they would gain some confidence.
edit: And if Diomande does get on the pitch, even for 15, it should be with Insigne and Bernie.
Last edited by los sonadores; 04-20-2023 at 03:20 PM.
Berna questionable for phila game
Yeah just saw that from Davidson. That’s really too bad.
And still limited minutes for Insgine, along with possibly none for Diomande and Vazquez.
So we might be down Hedges, Bradley, Insigne, Bernadeschi, Diomande and Vazquez.
Eep.
So before we were saying a draw would be a good result; now I think we'll be sacrificing goats for one.
That's definitely not a good sign. Think I will skip watching this one.
Best we can hope for is a start the car kind of draw.
This is our thing now and I am sticking to my draw prediction no matter who plays.
Only draws.
1-32-1 season record.
My dream is 3 - 30 - 1
Have to beat Montreal twice.
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