Pozuelo is classified as 2nd best player in Belgium league but cant get a sniff for Spain international level. Makes me wonder
Pozuelo is classified as 2nd best player in Belgium league but cant get a sniff for Spain international level. Makes me wonder
Not selected for Spain for World Cup 2018: Morata, Marcos Alonso, Bellerin, Fabregas, Pedro, Sergi Roberto, Javi Martinez, Bartra, Callejon,...
So what's your point? You wouldn't want any of these players at Toronto? Years ago, the national squad used to consist of almost only Barça and Real Madrid players.
I'm hoping this guy makes Jozy, Hams, Boyd etc. look like world beaters. If he can do for us what his skills promise this could be a fantastic addition.
still keeping my 7 - Vazquez jersey in high rotation though.
Next we scrounge up some TAM wingers to utilize the crazy space out wide this guy will create.
All this uncertainty this year is really making this quite exciting.
I agree and also I think this will fix at least one of our problems. Not sure if this will fix our speed in attacking but at least it will give us a different look. We kind of got caught being too predictable and the smart teams figured out how to defend against us. Hopefully Pozo has that good AM quality to drive the offense and dictate play.
In retrospect, the surprise departures of Seba and VV may not have been the worst thing to happen to the franchise. They left a significant void in the lineup, but it also forced management to retool sooner than we anticipated. If we end up with younger capable replacements, we're better off in the long run.
In a way it removes the stress to overperform - with essentially the 2017 roster back in place, we'd have had to truly test the narrative that last year was all down to injuries. (really, only Edwards, Beitashour and Hagglund are gone)
Now, with VV and Seba gone as well as vdW cast aside, we can just let the narrative of 2018 ride and not worry about it any more, and start thinking about the next dynasty.
Pozotivity!
I'll grant that
Add Armando Cooper, Tsubasa Endoh and Benoit Cheyrou to that missing list.
You could argue that the following players barely factored into the season at all.
(Starting 11 players average about 2700 minutes a season)
Drew Moor only played 568/3060 minutes
Jozy Altidore only played: 877/3060 minutes
Chris Mavinga only played: 935/3060 minutes
and to further that, these guys only played about 1/3 of the season
Vazquez 1440 /3060 minutes
Morrow 1790 /3060 minutes
People don't realize the significant amount of time Starting 11 players in key roles did not feature in 2018.
Last edited by jabbronies; 03-06-2019 at 04:24 PM.
Endoh is back of course and although Cheyroux had extremely limited minutes in 2017, he was a very important player and person plus he made the key interception that led to the Vazquez goal in the MLS Cup Final. He finished on a high note and it's a shame he didn't stay in Toronto. He'll be a fine coach one day.
Sorry, didn't mean to derail the discussion here - I absolutely agree that the limited minutes of the starting 11, which are all down to injuries (freak and/or cumulative stress over the two seasons + CCL previous), were THE story of last year.
What I meant to say was that, if VV and Seba were still in the lineup this year, you'd have to start expecting that, with the resulting starting 11, some people would have expectations that we'd work our way back to a similar dominant position - after all, it would look very similar (Auro for Beitashour being the only immediate change). And any failure to reach that dominant position might tarnish the reputation of the 2017 squad - at least as far as the "best season/best team" statements went.
I know, I know, it was hyperbolic, but it was a nice thing to say to ourselves up until we lost the CCL penalties.
What I want to focus on is how we shape up now. 2017 is truly gone now, it is part of our history, not part of our present.
I for one am excited to see how things unfold as this team learns to play together.
Pozuelo highlights on Youtube are a fun rabbit hole.
not posting links due to the recent rick-rolling that I was a victim of
Hopefully the team is watching all the tape and trying to anticipate the kinds of passes that will be coming their way.
What I’m excited for is someone in our midfield who can actually hit one from distance. I don’t think as a club we have ever had someone who could consistently do that (maybe Aketxe). Will keep teams honest. No one respects Bradley, Osario, or Bradley from distance. Pozo will though, and that will create a little space in the box
Pozuelo will be decent for us. Now it's up to the strikers to finish what he delivers to them. That'll be the big story line this year.
I'm not worried about Jozy finishing, I'm worried about him being healthy.
Everyone else is under scrutiny from me right now.
I agree. I am not convinced by any of the strikers so far. I really want Hamilton to have a breakout year but he can't seem to maintain any consistency. This could be a big year for him. He needs to step up.
Boyd has made just about the worst first impression possible for a new striker. And Akinola is way too raw yet.If Jozy can't stay healthy we could be in trouble up top.
Pozuelo Watch: He played 88 minutes today in his last home game for Genk as they won 1-0. Some applauded and some jeered when he was subbed off. One more game with Genk before he arrives.
Ricketts was our backup striker before and we managed just fine.
The question is whether or not the formation changes. If we play with wingers (which seems to be the intention) then there’s no need (and no budget with which) to sign a talented striker as backup.
No way they sign a new striker after renewing Jozy’s contract and implying a change in formation that makes a secondary striker superfluous. Boyd, Akinola, and Hamilton are the backups.
I'm just watching the highlights from the Genk - Lokeren game. Wow it's good that Genk won in the end, because another obvious goal was not awarded to Genk in the 43rd minute. The ball was so obviously over the line. I forget there are still important leagues that don't have video review OR goal-line tech.
Pozuelo was involved with Genk's one goal, and with most of their other chances as well.
Well that was the funny part, there definitely is a VAR system (no goal line tech) in Belgium and also in that match. But hey welcome to Belgian competition:
The communication line between the VAR and the referee was not working for already more then 30 mins at the moment of the ball over the line, could have been because of the extreme storm weather that day. As backup they have "walkietalkies" but they only worked for 7 mins during the match and were also broken.
That means that for more then 30 mins they haven't found a third communication option between the VAR and one of the pitch referees in this modern society we are living in.
Side note: The VAR-van was just outside the stadium and was only 150 meters walking for the 4th referee. In stead of being able to fix the communication problem in this 30 mins or one of the referees that just ran to the VAR-van to watch the crucial moment; they chose to do absolutely nothing.
Just to show you again what kind of details can decide whether you will be champions in Belgium or not with our playoffsystem in mind. Imagine losing your best player
I personally don't understand why there were people even cheering for Pozuelo, neither I understand why our coach kept on putting him in the line-up and showing to our competitors that even at home against a team that is already relegated to 2nd division, we can not live without Pozuelo apparantly. In a couple weeks we suddenly need to play against the top 5 teams and battling for the title without Pozo and with not a single minute practiced without him.
I still expect that Pozo will not start that last game since the return of Sander Berge and probably we finally can play with our midfield Malinovsky - Heynen - Berge. Another possible reason he kept on putting Pozo in the line-up is to make sure we have the Europa League qualification round ticket by winning the regular competition which we won now. But that ticket you already have when you end 4th or 5th in that playoffs of 6 teams, so it remains ridiculous to start with Pozo all the time.
Now it's definitely time to start life after Pozo and making the team ready without him.
Last edited by ForzaGenk; 03-14-2019 at 11:21 AM.
I feel for you.
I still have some questions about the mentality of a player who leaves his team right before the playoffs are about to begin. And with European Champions League riding on it. If the shoe were on the other foot, I guarantee people here would be screaming. This is far "worse" than what Giovinco did in my opinion. I guess we'll see.
I am looking forward to seeing him. Really has an eye for the pass from what I've seen. Jozy will benefit tremendously. I think maybe a record goals season for him.
I guess there won't be another team that triples his salary again watching his age, so you'll all probably be able to enjoy his quality on the pitch for some years. Although there was ofcourse a lot of hate from many Genkfans towards him during the last matches, he remained an exceptional player and for me he still played decent even with his head in another continent.
Our striker Samatta has now already 20 goals in competition (should have been 21). I don't know about Jozy but if it is a striker who is smart in movement ( quick running behind back of central defenders, a nose for the free spot in front of goal, strong with the head between central defenders,...) , he will definitely have some goals assisted by Pozo. But Pozo mostly gives the pre-assist I think like Hazard also does with Chelsea: starts the attack by dribbleing between 2 players, finding the free guy on the wing who gives the assist for our striker.
Last edited by ForzaGenk; 03-14-2019 at 12:13 PM.
We put him in a tough position as if we didn't get the contract signed we may have gone to someone else and he might not get the same salary increase. Very tough position for everyone.
Hopefully the rest of your team gets motivated by the common goal of becoming champions without him. And hopefully he will spark us back to being champions.
Thank you for the update on the VAR situation at that game. Football isn't perfect no matter how hard we try.
I'm going to need a Genk away jersey with his name on it. Want to do a jersey swap? I'll mail you any of the TFC jersey you wish in exchange for an XL Black Pozuelo one
https://webshop.krcgenk.be/en/produc...?colour=127606
Our last year 2018 jerseys and 2019 on this page - http://www.torontofcstore.ca/Toronto_FC_Jerseys
If you want to then send me a message,
Again, It's not necessarely the fact that he chose for the money that frustrates the fans, because that's how football goes and he is definitely not the only one, but mainly the timing and the "how" he left. He had the same salary offer already in the end of december/ begin january from Al Ahly. A soap that lasted untill one of the last weeks of january (31 jan. closure of our transfer periode FYI). Around the 20th january he gives a press conference stating that he will stay loyal to the club. During the soap in january Genk probably had some back up nr. 10's in mind but after the press conference (and the agreement on mail?) everyone was full focus on battleing for that title with Pozo.
Suddenly after our transfer period ends with no possiblity of replacing him (except for garbage out of contract), Pozo goes in full legal fight with the club to leave and put a knife in the back of the club, the fans and his colleague players where some of them could also make a huge transfer but chose to go for that title.
And I'm sorry I don't have a jersey of Pozuelo. I suggest you try perhaps with the fanshop of Genk or you might try with someone at the Genk forum before he burnes his jersey, but I'm afraid you will get very annoying reactions (or risk to be banned immediately) if a TFC fan asks for a jersey of Pozo to be fair