Post Game: LA @ TFC. Time to Repaint the Woodwork

[bdiddy]

I have to say - I really do like what I see in Tchani - a couple of times he's made some great headers on to players that were able to make runs. He's a big strong body and other players have to grab/clutch and drag down to get away.

Once he gets more experience playing with the team/system he's going to be tough for a lot of players to handle. He made some good passes, overall I am really happy with his play.

I'm not sure how anyone would have given a Martina a 4.5 out of 10 on a rating. He was playing with no outside help. Gargan played so far back he had no opportunity to pass on the wing, he was double teamed all game long (and still managed to beat defenders).

We want players like him and Stefanovich running at defenders - we want them to be putting pressure on their defense. We haven't had these types of players in a long time, that attack from out-wide with skill. Yet people complain when they don't make it everytime? We need a bit of selfishness sometimes - how many times last year did we see too many extra passes when a shot would have been great. I don't htink Martina had his A game going.

But overall he was solid and causing their backline issues.

Yourassowsky looked great coming on, maknig good runs, causing problems and opening up space. Well done.

[Fort York Redcoat]

It's funny everyone is all over Toledo and Reyes last couple of games, when I thought they did a pretty good job. However, this was some of the worst officiating I've seen and there no ref-bashing threads (maybe cuz he's not latino?)
Why can we never get Alex Prus or Jair Maruffo? I guess they only ref the top clubs.
On another note, good result last night.

Shocking inconsistencies last match and we let him know it. (Regardless of his background 2mil...)

[levyashin]

0-0 ,1 pt won now 2 wins against D.C. and columbus and we are looking good.Gargan,Harden and Peterson need air-lifted out .team for saturday;
frei
borman-----------williams-----------------cann------------yourofski
deguzman-------tchani--------stephanovic
martina----------gordon--------santos.

[Davenport]

I just watched the condensed version on Gol TV.
They were the highlights ?

An over the hill Beckham stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
He never wasted a ball and his crosses were perfect. He made the rest of them out there look very ordinary. Not good for the future of the league.

Does every young player TFC sign have to be a midget ?

The refereeing was embarrassing.

[MG42]

1 win in 5 games...

[Fort York Redcoat]

An over the hill Beckham stood head and shoulders above anyone else.
He never wasted a ball and his crosses were perfect. He made the rest of them out there look very ordinary. Not good for the future of the league.

Does every young player TFC sign have to be a midget ?

See Tchani, Williams.

[ManUtd4ever]

1 win in 5 games...

Which would have TFC tied for the 2nd most wins (and overall points) in the Eastern Conference at the moment. Everything is relative.

[Fort York Redcoat]

1 win in the first 5 games...

amended..

[DangerRed]

Which would have TFC tied for the 2nd most wins (and overall points) in the Eastern Conference at the moment. Everything is relative.

Wow, people complain about people being negative, but your optimism for this team is boundless.

We were blatantly outclassed last night. Half of the "shots" we have on the sheet were slow trickle passes to the opposing keeper, and LA's buildup and attack were better than most of what we've seen so far this season.

But no, neither side deserved the win, everyone's seen a lot of positives, and it's all relative.

God forbid you actually criticize the team when it needs criticizing.

ONE WIN IN FIVE GAMES. At any point of the season, to me that's poor.

[Oldtimer]

It's funny everyone is all over Toledo and Reyes last couple of games, when I thought they did a pretty good job. However, this was some of the worst officiating I've seen and there no ref-bashing threads (maybe cuz he's not latino?)
Why can we never get Alex Prus or Jair Maruffo? I guess they only ref the top clubs.
On another note, good result last night.

Nothing to do with Latino lol. Toledo has had criticism for years from all over MLS. If you think he's any good, you are definitely in the minority.

The ref today was better than Toledo (let the play flow more rather than impose himself as much on the game), but he was still not very good, and missed some very clear things.

[Oldtimer]

Wow, people complain about people being negative, but your optimism for this team is boundless.

We were blatantly outclassed last night. Half of the "shots" we have on the sheet were slow trickle passes to the opposing keeper, and LA's buildup and attack were better than most of what we've seen so far this season.

But no, neither side deserved the win, everyone's seen a lot of positives, and it's all relative.

God forbid you actually criticize the team when it needs criticizing.

ONE WIN IN FIVE GAMES. At any point of the season, to me that's poor.

LA is one of the best teams in the league.
We were missing what strike force we have.
We expected the team to do quite poorly this year (they are rebuilding), so they have exceeded expectations.

Some people's pessimism over this team is boundless. Just recognize it's a glass half empty, glass half full thing. Everyone knows that this team aren't world-beaters yet.

[MG42]

Which would have TFC tied for the 2nd most wins (and overall points) in the Eastern Conference at the moment. Everything is relative.

With 4 teams below us with a game at hand and 2 teams bleow us with 2 games at hand. Everything is relative.

[DangerRed]

With 4 teams below us with a game at hand and 2 teams bleow us with 2 games at hand. Everything is relative.

+1,000,000.

[ManUtd4ever]

Wow, people complain about people being negative, but your optimism for this team is boundless.

We were blatantly outclassed last night. Half of the "shots" we have on the sheet were slow trickle passes to the opposing keeper, and LA's buildup and attack were better than most of what we've seen so far this season.

But no, neither side deserved the win, everyone's seen a lot of positives, and it's all relative.

God forbid you actually criticize the team when it needs criticizing.

ONE WIN IN FIVE GAMES. At any point of the season, to me that's poor.

First of all, my comment was based on the current standings, not a positive or negative assessment of anything.

Furthermore, if you read my initial post after the match, you would have noted that I was in fact critical of the team's performance last night. In fairness though, it was a patchwork lineup with 2 key pieces missing.

I disagree with your assessment that TFC was badly outplayed. I thought both clubs were unimpressive. If you look at the quality scoring chances created over the course of the entire match, there were only a few for both sides. TFC missed 3 easy headers, and LA missed a few chances including hitting the post and crossbar.

A draw was a fair result in a bland game that was probably a reflection of both clubs playing on short rest.

[DangerRed]

LA is one of the best teams in the league.
We were missing what strike force we have.
We expected the team to do quite poorly this year (they are rebuilding), so they have exceeded expectations.

Some people's pessimism over this team is boundless. Just recognize it's a glass half empty, glass half full thing. Everyone knows that this team aren't world-beaters yet.

Wait, so one win in five games and a backwards performance last night isn't "quite poorly" to you? Damn, I'd be scared to see your definition of "quite poorly," then...

[LucaGol]

LA is one of the best teams in the league.
We were missing what strike force we have.
We expected the team to do quite poorly this year (they are rebuilding), so they have exceeded expectations.

Some people's pessimism over this team is boundless. Just recognize it's a glass half empty, glass half full thing. Everyone knows that this team aren't world-beaters yet.

Couple of points:

1. LA is the best team in a ridiculously small sample size
2. "Best team" in MLS does not really hold much weight due to parity
3. LA was missing their best player
4. LA was playing on the road

5. Santos and Gordon are a "strike force" now?

6. We expected the team to do quite poorly, I guess the "re-building" party line has worked for MLSE, hook, line and sinker

What are we exactly "re-building" with? This is a salary cap league where there's more personnel turnover then your local grocery store hiring high-schoolers for summer jobs.

There's no reason not to have a competitive team on the field annually. End of. Get proper scouts in proper regions of the world and give us a product worth rooting for.

I'm not getting artificially excited because the bar is set so low that I might step on it. Sorry.

[Beach_Red]

LA is one of the best teams in the league.
We were missing what strike force we have.
We expected the team to do quite poorly this year (they are rebuilding), so they have exceeded expectations.

Some people's pessimism over this team is boundless. Just recognize it's a glass half empty, glass half full thing. Everyone knows that this team aren't world-beaters yet.

Yes, they have. Last year this team would have let in late goals and turned these 0-0 games into losses. This year we hear nothing but complaints about the back four even after two games not allowing a goal.

And yes, everyone knows this team isn't where it's going ot be but we should also consider that the first game of the season was the worst the team will be all year and there may really be steady improvement all season long, actually building towards something.

Isn't that what we wanted?

[Pachuco]

I love how the comments regarding LA knocking it off the woodwork end there, without mention of our 2 headers that ended up right at the keeper. Inches either way on any of those shots (LAG and TFC), makes a difference for both clubs.

Good result. In particular, +1 for the performances of Cann, Gargan, Frei, Peterson, JDG, Stevanovic, Yourassowsky

There is a big difference with generating offense in the run of play and basically getting two headers off of two free kicks. What LA's offense was doing looked a whole lot more dangerous then what our offense managed. Sure it's a game of inches, and maybe if Plata puts in the header BMO explodes. But that's not what people are saying, when people refer to LA's chances it's because they really looked alot more threatening then we did.

I personally love how people talk about taking the point because Maicon was missing when they had their best fucking player out with an injury. This isn't the LA you all think you know. This isn't the LA with Edson Buddle. You take away Donovan from this team and they should lose every road game they play.

[ManUtd4ever]

With 4 teams below us with a game at hand and 2 teams bleow us with 2 games at hand. Everything is relative.

So what? The point is that other than Philadelphia, no other club has secured more points at this point in time, and TFC also ranks 2nd in goals scored in the eastern conference despite last night's scoreless draw. Remember, TFC is rebuilding, with the majority of players on the roster being new to the club. I would say that it could be far worse.

[DangerRed]

First of all, my comment was based based on the current standings, not a positive or negative assessment of anything.

Furthermore, if you read my initial post after the match, you would have noted that I was in fact critical of the team's performance last night. In fairness though, it was a patchwork lineup with 2 key pieces missing.

I disagree with your assessment that TFC was badly outplayed. I thought both clubs were unimpressive. If you look at the quality scoring chances created over the course of the entire match, there were only a few for both sides. TFC missed 3 easy headers, and LA missed a few chances including hitting the post and crossbar.

A draw was a fair result in a bland game that was probably a reflection of both clubs playing on short rest.

Then if your comment was based on the standings, allow me to repeat, there are 4 teams below us with a game at hand and 2 teams bleow us with 2 games at hand. If that gets you excited about our point tally, I would caution that this excitement is mathematically assured to be very temporary.

LA hit the bar three times, forced a handful of mission-critical saves from Frei, while we muddled around the park for 90 minutes. I was shocked when Cann got man of the match, which should have clearly gone to Frei.

There were people all around me thanking their lucky stars that the Galaxy was out of form last night. You're right, Galaxy was not rested, and thank god for that.

[ryan]

1 win in 5 games...

1 loss in 5 games....

[Jack]

I understand the comments from you guys. We are certainly a work in progress and there is a ton of work to be done. But there is no denying the glimpses we've seen so far. There is potential, which is leading to a more positive outlook. Whether or not that potential gets turned into anything remains to be seen.

[ManUtd4ever]

Then if your comment was based on the standings, allow me to repeat, there are 4 teams below us with a game at hand and 2 teams bleow us with 2 games at hand. If that gets you excited about our point tally, I would caution that this excitement is mathematically assured to be very temporary.

LA hit the bar three times, forced a handful of mission-critical saves from Frei, while we muddled around the park for 90 minutes. I was shocked when Cann got man of the match, which should have clearly gone to Frei.

There were people all around me thanking their lucky stars that the Galaxy was out of form last night. You're right, Galaxy was not rested, and thank god for that.

Granted, Beckham and Barrett should have scored, but Zavarise, Tchani, and Plata also should have scored.

As for the balance of the game, from my vantage point at the stadium, the bulk of the play was in front of my section all night; LA dominated possession in the 1st half, and TFC controlled most of the possession in the 2nd half.

Again, our depleted lineup was a factor. Despite what some people make of Gordon and Santos, they are both integral to the flow of our offense, and considering that they were both unavailable at the last minute, I'll gladly take the point.

[MG42]

So what? The point is that other than Philadelphia, no other club has secured more points at this point in time, and TFC also ranks 2nd in goals scored in the eastern conference despite last night's scoreless draw. Remember, TFC is rebuilding, with the majority of players on the roster being new to the club. I would say that it could be far worse.

I know it could be worse, but the fact we are currently in second place right now is meaningless when we have played more games than most of the teams in the conference. Why is this so hard to understand? Say we are playing above expectations - sure. Say we are rebuilding - absolutely. Say it could be worse - no doubt. But this "we're in second place" optimism needs to be checked.

TFC ranks tied for second in goals scored? Check this out - they are also tied for second in goals allowed.

I guess all this doesn't even matter so early in the season though lol

[ACSertL]

Tchani was a little frustrating to watch last night mainly due to his hot and cold play. His passing was woeful at times but I thought he was an absolute beast when he would take the ball forward. A little more consistency in his passing and we're looking at a really solid player.

I'd also like to add that the parity argument can go both ways. If "best in MLS" is relative to parity than so is "worst in MLS" as well.

[LucaGol]

1 loss in 5 games....

Here's some more accurate math ... 6 points in 5 games ... when you should be getting a little more than 1.5 points per game to make the playoffs, 0.3 off is a big deal.

But I guess we shouldn't expect playoffs this year, so ya ...

We'll just "re-build", tank and draft Ryan Nugent-Hopkins first overall. He's the centre we've needed for a long time.

[Pachuco]

Granted, Beckham and Barrett should have scored, but Zavarise, Tchani, and Plata also should have scored.

As for the balance of the game, from my vantage point at the stadium, the bulk of the play was in front of my section all night; LA dominated possession in the 1st half, and TFC controlled most of the possession in the 2nd half.

Again, our depleted lineup was a factor. Despite what some people make of Gordon and Santos, they are both integral to the flow of our offense, and considering that they were both unavailable at the last minute, I'll gladly take the point.

If you are going to talk about our lineup being depleted you can't just ignore the fact LA was missing one of the best players in the league and certaintly their best offensive threat.

[LucaGol]

Tchani was a little frustrating to watch last night mainly due to his hot and cold play. His passing was woeful at times but I thought he was an absolute beast when he would take the ball forward. A little more consistency in his passing and we're looking at a really solid player.

I'd also like to add that the parity argument can go both ways. If "best in MLS" is relative to parity than so is "worst in MLS" as well.

I can see the future Tchani being an All-star in MLS. I honestly do.

The fact of the matter is ... right now he is still super-raw. Questionable timing and poor passing range.

His vision is good because he's clearly picking out the right options ... he's just not executing.

I would also like to see him dominate more physically for his size.

But I do see the potential. Him and Sanyang would have made good partners in a proper 4-3-3 with De Guz in the middle, allowing JDG more creative freedom from deep. But alas, we jettisoned Sanyang cause we were very stacked at such positions. Clearly.

[ManUtd4ever]

If you are going to talk about our lineup being depleted you can't just ignore the fact LA was missing one of the best players in the league and certaintly their best offensive threat.

Absolutely. If Donovan, Gordon, and Santos were healthy, it would have likely been a far more entertaining match last night with more scoring chances created on both sides of the pitch.

[ACSertL]

I can see the future Tchani being an All-star in MLS. I honestly do.

The fact of the matter is ... right now he is still super-raw. Questionable timing and poor passing range.

His vision is good because he's clearly picking out the right options ... he's just not executing.

I would also like to see him dominate more physically for his size.

But I do see the potential. Him and Sanyang would have made good partners in a proper 4-3-3 with De Guz in the middle, allowing JDG more creative freedom from deep. But alas, we jettisoned Sanyang cause we were very stacked at such positions. Clearly.

The bolded pretty much sums up how I feel about him. Very well put.