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American Soccer |OT| Life, liberty and the pursuit of the beautiful game
- Thread starter Askani
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smokeandmirrors
Banned
Man Portland sure got a ton of cards.
Also apparently there was a huge fight in the Cruz Azul Alajuelense game that I kindawant need to see.
Also apparently there was a huge fight in the Cruz Azul Alajuelense game that I kinda
Which ones?
This is who I think needs to move on from Portland.
Defenders
Liam Ridgewell: for me is the weakest link on defense. Every Timbers game I have watched he is making at least one mistake that puts his team in a bad way.
Jack Jewsbury: Played 19 games and has committed 17 fouls this season. Good guy, and I loved him on the Wizards, but it's time to hang them up.
Donovan Ricketts: While not the weakest link.. I would like to see Jake Gleeson take over.
I would probably drink his bath water if asked. Look at this dude:
Midfield
Diego Chara: Sixth in the League in Cards, and dude is mediocre at best.
Forward
Gastón Fernández: 7 goals in 31 games is not going to cut it.
Defenders
Liam Ridgewell: for me is the weakest link on defense. Every Timbers game I have watched he is making at least one mistake that puts his team in a bad way.
Jack Jewsbury: Played 19 games and has committed 17 fouls this season. Good guy, and I loved him on the Wizards, but it's time to hang them up.
Donovan Ricketts: While not the weakest link.. I would like to see Jake Gleeson take over.
I would probably drink his bath water if asked. Look at this dude:
Midfield
Diego Chara: Sixth in the League in Cards, and dude is mediocre at best.
Forward
Gastón Fernández: 7 goals in 31 games is not going to cut it.
I only started following Portland in July, and haven't seen every match, but I think Chara has been really useful at times. Fernandez too. He's an AM, scoring goals isn't what he's in the team for. He is getting a bit old though.
I don't think Ridgewell is the only one too blame for the defensive blunders, but same as Fernandez, he's getting old, so selling him might be the best option. Agree about the rest.
There will be some gaps to fill though. Mostly defenders.
Portland Timbers Owner Tells Timbers Army “STFU”: http://awfulannouncing.com/2014/por...ortland-timbers-owner-tells-timbers-army-stfu
On one hand, it's good for Supporter's to ask questions of their club. And it's fantastic that you can actually connect with ownership. However that shouldn't have come from the Supporters Group account. Keep that stuff to your personal account. While he could have handled it better, kudos to Paulson for caring enough to fire back and get angry. He should be angry.
On one hand, it's good for Supporter's to ask questions of their club. And it's fantastic that you can actually connect with ownership. However that shouldn't have come from the Supporters Group account. Keep that stuff to your personal account. While he could have handled it better, kudos to Paulson for caring enough to fire back and get angry. He should be angry.
O'Rourke, Kalif, Harrington. For sure. They were all an absolute dumpster fire last night. Zakuani is a given at this point. I think Kah probably needs to go too, even though he didn't start last night. I wouldn't be sad to see Paparatto go either.
Ridgewell has turned our defense from a dumpster fire to passable. No way he's leaving. He's the best player in the back 4.
Jewsbury I could see leaving, but at a bare minimum he's SMART and doesn't turn the ball over. He gets beaten with pace, sure, but at least he's smart. I would much rather have seen him last night instead of O'Rourke, but due to yellow card accumulation he couldn't play. He is getting old though, which is why I could see him leaving.
Ricketts I agree with. I think he's getting old... and Ricketty.
I COULD NOT DISAGREE WITH YOU MORE about Chara. Dude isn't mediocre at all, he's a beast. He never gives up, and wins balls ALL. DAY. LONG. I think in the RSL game he had something like, 14 recoveries in the first half? That's an insane stat. Absolutely MONSTER insane stat. Dude is an integral part of our midfield.
Fernandez, yeah, maybe. He gives us some depth and isn't super expensive ssooooo yeah. I'd keep him, personally.
Defenders. Yeah. That. Ugh. We need those. We need a new CB to pair with Ridgy, and probably a new RB or LB. Or both. I also think we could use someone else in our midfield just in case Will Johnson can't recover well.
The TA account was a mess last night. It certainly doesn't speak for me. Whoever was running it shouldn't be in charge of it.
When Philly signed Mbolhi I thought Portland should have traded for Blake. Have him back up Ricketts for the rest of the year and then take over in 2015. Gleeson did well with Sac Republic, though, maybe they'll give him a shot next season.
I don't get Jack Jewsbury, not sure what the Timbers ever saw in him...
I don't get Jack Jewsbury, not sure what the Timbers ever saw in him...
U.S. U-18 coach Perez names 36-player roster for week-long training camp
Head coach Javier Perez has called in a 36-player roster ahead of the camp, which is set to take place from Oct. 23-31 at U.S. Soccers National Training Center in Carson, California. Every player selected by Perez is born in 1997, signaling a focus on the upcoming qualification for the 2017 U-20 World Cup.
Among the players selected, all but one player is registered with Development Academy clubs, while every player currently has ties to an Academy club. Headlining the roster are five players with ties to the LA Galaxy, as well as four players affiliated with each of Real Salt Lake AZ and Chicago Magic PSG.
Head coach Javier Perez has called in a 36-player roster ahead of the camp, which is set to take place from Oct. 23-31 at U.S. Soccers National Training Center in Carson, California. Every player selected by Perez is born in 1997, signaling a focus on the upcoming qualification for the 2017 U-20 World Cup.
Among the players selected, all but one player is registered with Development Academy clubs, while every player currently has ties to an Academy club. Headlining the roster are five players with ties to the LA Galaxy, as well as four players affiliated with each of Real Salt Lake AZ and Chicago Magic PSG.
Ives: The MLS Under-23 Best XI
Not sure how Shane O'Neill doesn't make it until "best of the rest"...
Not sure how Shane O'Neill doesn't make it until "best of the rest"...
Ridgewell and the whole back line are just awful, awful defenders.
You are right about Chara, I am just flat out wrong about that guy.
TopDrawerSoccer: Where Are They Now: The 2013 U.S. U20 World Cup Team
Still can't believe Tab Ramos started a backup CB from UCLA.....
Still can't believe Tab Ramos started a backup CB from UCLA.....
ActStriker
Member
Now I can plan!
Timbers fan, checking in to lament.
The Timbers defensive woes are not just a product of poor play by the back four. The midfield has struggled mightily this year. So many of the goals conceded, especially the heart breaking ones, have been on rushes that last year's team didn't allow.
It's not something that I can pin on any one player. The tactics that worked so well last year have been solved, and Porter couldn't make the adjustments. Though I do think Kah and Harrington have just not been good this year. I don't expect them back.
The Timbers defensive woes are not just a product of poor play by the back four. The midfield has struggled mightily this year. So many of the goals conceded, especially the heart breaking ones, have been on rushes that last year's team didn't allow.
It's not something that I can pin on any one player. The tactics that worked so well last year have been solved, and Porter couldn't make the adjustments. Though I do think Kah and Harrington have just not been good this year. I don't expect them back.
ActStriker
Member
Soccer Twitter says so
Yes. He's not even a regular in this Anderlecht side, but he has his moments now and then.
sazabirules
Unconfirmed Member
I wish he was still with the team. Hopefully he is the first of many Homegrown players that have a successful career overseas.
He is a regular starter. he was injured a few weeks ago, that's all.
Hmm, yeah, I guess he is this season, my bad. He wasn't always last season, Bruno was first choice back then. My point was he's not really "shining" yet.
Cornballer
Member
- Steven Goff: Sunil Gulati says USSF and MLS are on the same page
jamesinclair
Banned
I'd say a solid half thousand
New York Red Bulls vs Montreal Highlights
Olimpia vs Portland Timbers Highlights
That first Olimpia goal was amazing (lol at the defending). My poor Gleeson.
Cornballer
Member
- Galarcep on Goal.com: Three years after considering leaving the game, Greg Garza sees his career thriving
Armchair Analyst: On the evolution of the game in MLS
Here's the lede to one of the first stories I wrote for this website:
I wrote that at the start of the 2011 season. At the time, MLS was coming off the lowest-scoring year in league history, and Real Salt Lake were an absolute outlier in how they valued the ball and used possession as a cudgel both in attack and defense. They were a lot of fun to watch. The rest of the league? Less so.
Slowly and surely, over the last four years, most of MLS has followed RSL's lead. The league as a whole is significantly less direct in 2014, as these numbers pulled by Alex Olshansky of TempoFreeSoccer - one of the most essential blogs out there - illustrate:
MLS v EPL passing style (2011-2014). Teams both sides of pond becoming less direct
A few things to notice:
There is also a nod to parity here. MLS teams, good and bad, have seen their PPP increase at a fairly uniform rate throughout the table.
It's more stratified in the EPL, with the good-to-great teams making huge jumps, while the bottom of the table PPP teams have seen a more measured increase. That's because the talent gap between Manchester City and Crystal Palace is larger than the talent gap between the Galaxy and the Fire.
Here's the lede to one of the first stories I wrote for this website:
I wrote that at the start of the 2011 season. At the time, MLS was coming off the lowest-scoring year in league history, and Real Salt Lake were an absolute outlier in how they valued the ball and used possession as a cudgel both in attack and defense. They were a lot of fun to watch. The rest of the league? Less so.
Slowly and surely, over the last four years, most of MLS has followed RSL's lead. The league as a whole is significantly less direct in 2014, as these numbers pulled by Alex Olshansky of TempoFreeSoccer - one of the most essential blogs out there - illustrate:
MLS v EPL passing style (2011-2014). Teams both sides of pond becoming less direct
A few things to notice:
- The Fire are last in the league in passes per possession (PPP) in 2014, at 2.50. In 2011, that would have put them 4th in MLS.
- The 2011 RSL team averaged 2.83 PPP, leading the league. That's good for 12th in 2014.
- Of the top three MLS teams in PPP (LA, CLB, RSL), 29 of 33 starters were on the club's roster in 2013. Continuity matters.
- The correlation between high PPP and winning soccer seems to be getting stronger (need more data!)
There is also a nod to parity here. MLS teams, good and bad, have seen their PPP increase at a fairly uniform rate throughout the table.
It's more stratified in the EPL, with the good-to-great teams making huge jumps, while the bottom of the table PPP teams have seen a more measured increase. That's because the talent gap between Manchester City and Crystal Palace is larger than the talent gap between the Galaxy and the Fire.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
Very cool.
It's interesting that the English game, and, by proxy, the U.S. game are moving toward a more possession oriented game when the rest of the continental giants are moving away from it.
It's interesting that the English game, and, by proxy, the U.S. game are moving toward a more possession oriented game when the rest of the continental giants are moving away from it.
smokeandmirrors
Banned
we are bad team but this CONCACAF tournament shows how bad MLS is away from home and how far it has to go as a league.
Don't tell Garber that though.....
jamesinclair
Banned
Classic mls.
Although to be fair Mexico is having a bad showing this year. Not that they won't win again, but it won't be an all Mexico semifinal
It's depressingly true.
Hasphat'sAnts
Member
It's because MLS doesn't have the "ath-uh-letes" to play the gegenpressing game
¯\_(ツ
_/¯MLS sides are filled with too many mediocre to bad players. The depth we have as the top division in this country is just horrendous. Many of these guys don't belong even in the third division in most nations.
But Garber can't bear to hear that. It hurts people's feelings or something...
But Garber can't bear to hear that. It hurts people's feelings or something...
Go DCU, I guess...
MLS teams are never gunna win down in Mexico/central America if they don't commit more regular starters to those games. Watching dudes like Lawrence Olum get beat over and over again is no fun. I wish more teams without any chance of being in the playoffs (like MTL) somehow snuck into CCL
MLS teams are never gunna win down in Mexico/central America if they don't commit more regular starters to those games. Watching dudes like Lawrence Olum get beat over and over again is no fun. I wish more teams without any chance of being in the playoffs (like MTL) somehow snuck into CCL
smokeandmirrors
Banned
Hopefully a salary cap increase could alleviate the depth problem, even if only a little.
we have guys like Olum, Peterson, Sapong on our roster. These guys would never make it to the third divisions in most nations.
we are bad. we have injuries. but MLS squads reduced to their second choice players would suffer the same fate. But sure, everything is hunky dory. Garber sure believes it.
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