Let's be honest. After the stirring fightback against Argentina, you always knew the heavy legs and emotional comedown were going to cost the US against a side built to grind out results. While there were significant flaws, the performance was actually better than I expected and, save for a set piece let down and a possible missed PK call by the ref, the song might have been a more satisfying one come the final whistle.
Talking points?
* The US will never be a top-tier team with Jonathan Bornstein in the side. Too excitable on the ball. Poor technique. Miserable in the air. Sure he can run for days, but then he needs to, considering how terrible his positioning is. Ugh to the power of whatever high number you choose to insert here. Fullbacks in the modern game, particularly the international game, need to be solid on the ball as a starting point because so much possession cycles through them with the midfield and center of the pitch normally choked off. This becomes doubly important in games where the US has the majority of possession against a team sitting deep.
* By contrast, Tim Ream should start any game where the US can reasonably expect to control the ball and the tempo. Not every pass or touch was perfect, but his calm on the ball and ability to slot passes through narrow gaps, and over distance to boot, makes him a huge asset in such games. Forget the substantial number of dots connected on the ground — I lost count of the number of times where what looked like a boot clear, and would have been such had Onyewu, DeMerit, or Bocanegra been the hoofee, found the feet or chest of a target upfield. Add in the two sticky situations (a slip with nobody behind him and a Paraguay forward closing in plus Bocanegra's ill-advised ball toward goal along the goal line) that he handled with admirable aplomb, and you've got all the important boxes checked on your technical center back examination card. I'm not saying he's right for every situation. He doesn't dominate physically or aerially, and it didn't look like they were even sending him forward for set pieces. But against most of CONCACAF, I'd be inclined to pencil him into the first XI.
* I said it in the Argentina reaction post, and I'll say it again here. For a team that relies on set pieces as much as we do, the loss of Holden is going to be a major blow to our Gold Cup hopes. Donovan's set pieces are like his play in general: flashes of magic separated by long spells of mediocrity or worse. Holden's balls are consistently dangerous, and the big boys who get on the end of such balls are going to be feeding on scraps this summer.
* Agudelo's feet are incredibly quick. Watch them. Astonishing that he's so strong at fighting off defenders for the ball to hold and distribute as well. Eighteen, huh? I'm trying to hang onto my pessimism and "ware the hype machine!" stance, but...damn.
* I can't decide which one annoys me more, Dempsey's flopping and griping and never seeing a shot he didn't like (while only managing about one in seven or less on frame, though damn if that one isn't usually out of the top drawer) or Donovan's magical disappearing act for massive chunks of the game. Having to take set pieces was sometimes your only reminder he was on the field. I guess Dempsey making sure he's involved, for good or ill, has to put him in better stead, doesn't it? And he's still quality on the ball (even if he holds it far to long at times).
* Speaking of holding too long. Can Jermaine Jones stay well down the depth chart please? I feel like I'm on a one-man crusade against the poor dude, and I'm a touch worried that I don't see more hue and cry about this, but he just doesn't inspire confidence. I don't know if it's his sometimes petulant behavior. Or the times it doesn't seem he cares enough to try...to hold onto the ball, to make the tackle, to bust a gut getting forward. Edu and Junior weren't flawless in the first half. Both squandered possession, often in bad areas, but there was more dynamism in midfield and the front line was linked better to the back. Tired legs were obviously a factor, but so was Jones.
* Chandler keeps impressing. Again, not terrific, but you see the tools and the promise there (and the ability not to shank every cross to the middle of next week...hi Frankie!). Likewise, Lichaj looked good getting forward without sacrificing defensive responsibilities when he came on. They may still be behind Dolo on the depth chart, but I think the future at right back is pretty secure. Now if only one of them could slot in on the left, we might be cooking with gas...
All right. I'm sure something I've forgotten will come to me as I'm drifting off to sleep tonight, but those are my initial impressions coming out of the game. We're a good team, technically and tactically sharp. With the glaring exception of left back, we've got quality throughout the team. The big hole, and it's the one that punishes us time and again in games against tactically disciplined, compact teams with reasonable technical skill, is in creating good chances. We fashioned a few, but nowhere near enough considering the possession we enjoyed. True, much of the finishing was wasteful, and the international game, particularly when evenly-matched opponents play on two days rest, rarely yields many chances. That said, the lack of a cutting edge, of the ability to finish chances or even half-chances, doesn't become a major factor when the hand wielding the blade doesn't put it consistently in positions to hurt the opposition.
There Can Be Only Juan? | a USA Match Reaction
Considering my first half thoughts would have boiled down to "physical, got bodies around Messi, kept shape," the stirring second half that saw the US really make a credible match of it leaves me with a few more talking points to get through. Let's do so, shall we?
* There can be only Juan? Fantastic to see an 18 year old playing with that kind of confidence — a confidence that inspired the rest of the team. He deserved to be the man with the goal and combined well with Altidore to boot. Tough to bank on a teenager, but he looks like the best option we've got to pair with Jozy. All of that said...let's take a moment to remember that a quick, multi-goal-scoring start to a national team career doesn't always end well. Not to be a downer, buuuuut. EJ? Sorry.
* No one to Holden? Does anybody else here doubt that a healthy Stuart Holden plays atop that central midfield triangle if he's healthy? Yeah. Me neither. The Jones-Edu-Junior triumvirate was too many wrecking balls, not enough architects. However, I'm going to chose another point where we may end up missing Holden just as much. Set pieces. Yes, yes. I know that the US goal came courtesy of a Landon Donovan free kick, but there is no way in hell that Donovan serves balls as consistently dangerous from corners and free kicks as Holden does. Considering the percentage of our goals that come from set plays, it says here we're really going to miss him in the Gold Cup.
* Jesus Jones? Jermaine Jones. Bench. Please. Sure, we've waited a long while to see him get a solid run in the side, but I just don't like him. Yes, he's played at a high club level for a long time, but I'm beginning to see why he has trouble with coaches. There's this sense of constant petulance about him that rankles. He only seems to do hard work and get stuck into tackles when it suits him, puts on an attitude of constant suffering, doesn't value possession as much as the situation seems to merit, and seems to feel he's entitled to his spot. Maybe I'm reading this all wrong, but I'm just not feeling the love.
* Born to lump? Easily the worst aspect of a good US performance was the distribution from the back. Long ball has its place. No muss, no fuss is generally a good idea against the likes of Argentina. We saw quite a few occasions where putzing about on the ball led to trouble when the confidence started to flow in the second half. Then again, players at this level should have a little more accuracy on the hoof clear. It wasn't just the centerbacks either. Howard didn't distribute well, and only one fullback really contributed to the attack [1]. However, that one was pretty promising. Chandler bustled down the right flank both with and without the ball and (oh my freakin' god, I can't believe I'm going to say this) hit some nice crosses. With he and Lichaj pushing through, maybe those hard-to-fill fullback spots might be getting a little competition.
So, some notes of caution, and a little bit of worry about the utter domination suffered in the first half, but Bob, despite once again maybe picking the wrong side to start, made good changes at the half and produced a second half display that saw the US go toe-to-toe with a true world power and not look half bad. There are a handful of rusty guys trotting around out there, but some promising signs from the combinations of Junior and Edu in central midfield and Agudelo and Altidore up top. A little more width from the fullbacks (which, to be fair, we did see from Chandler in the second half) and this is a pretty well rounded team.
U.S.A!
* * *
[1] From the run of play. Bocanegra's header on the free kick caused the rebound that Agudelo pounced on.
* * *
Programming note: For those interested, there will be a DC United match reaction, but it might take a couple of days. See you on the other side.
My Kingdom for an Editor!
So they're going to put a picture of Becks on the captain's armband?
(sigh)
For the future reference of the good folks at Sports Illustrated...
Ain't That a Pitch?
Great story, and one of those that highlights how having access to pristine pitches isn't the most conducive environment for developing great technique and ability in tight spaces (otherwise known as the "poverty produces footballers, plenty produces automatons" argument). Or so I'll insist to my daughter when we head out to the mix of weeds and fescue growing on hard-baked clay that passes for our local fields. Usually neatly mown though. And usually nail-free...
Better Late than Never? | a DC United Match Reaction
Apologies for the lateness of the match reaction. I was beholden to Match Day Live for this one, and the ridiculous "local blackout" applied (sigh). In any case, I do have a few thoughts, but I won't belabor any points. Quick and dirty time. Ready?
* Stars of the Show - Sure, Davies gets all the plaudits in the world for a brace on his return, but for my money it was Pontius and Wolff (WTF?!? Really?) that were a cut above. Both just looked sharp on the ball and played quickly and with confidence. Last year, it was Najar that had that look. In this match? He had it in flashes. But I also saw those same signs that worried me in pre-season. God, I hope the kid isn't coming down with a nasty strain of the CRons. In other attacking player news...
* Sit Ngwenya - Terrible. Heavy doesn't describe the first touch. Spent ages making decisions. Put any attempted finish into orbit. Two other strikers managed to score in this game, and Brettschneider tallied in the reserve game. I'll take those three and toss Quaranta and Pontius and Najar on the pile of guys I'd like to see line up at forward before Ngwenya gets another shot. Bleck!
* Win Ugly - Not so many great chances created, but the difference (and I know it's one game, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume a trend) is the ability to finish what few chances come along [1]. After some of the slick, quick, possession play in Charleston, I was disappointed to see so few coherent passages of play. Also, the incisive through balls were missing from the equation. Plenty of scrap, too little quality. I'm hoping that's just first game jitters in front of the noisy home crowd, but our goals were the result more of bad defending than good approach play. Still, the finishing (Ngwenya aside) was solid. Also solid?
* Solid "D" - Outside of the questionable penalty, the Crew had few good chances, and though the defense bent, it never really broke, with last minute heroism and a few moments of luck spackling the gaps. Here's hoping the Bum Hammy Hammer didn't come down too hard on Zayner.
* Armband deserved - McCarty didn't play particularly well. He was on the ball a lot and fought hard, but his passing wasn't connecting the dots like it was in Charleston. That said, putting the ball in Davies' hands for a decisive PK [2] demonstrates exactly why Olsen gave him the armband. If Davies manages a 10-15 goal season (or, dare we hope, better), I'll look back at this moment as the one that launched him there.
* Weaknesses abound - Our crossing was nothing much. Not that it would have mattered. Crew defenders were cutting them out or winning ever header anyway. Maybe Brettschneider or Pontius in the box makes a difference in that equation? On a semi-related note, set pieces were weak in both directions. McCarty's delivery wasn't good. Nobody really attacked the ball. Defensively, if we were going to break, it was going to come via a corner or free kick. This was a problem in South Carolina as well. Worrying trend.
So not the most optimistic of reactions to a 3-1 win in the season opener. There are certainly positives to be taken. The finishing and defending were both better. By contrast, the strength (if there could be said to be one) of last year's team was in the middle third, a strength sadly lacking here. Still, last year we could win that middle third and still get hammered because of weaknesses in the attacking and defensive thirds. So...net gain? Perhaps. I think the passing will get sharper moving forward, so we may yet prove stronger in the middle as well. For now, I revel (albeit cautiously) in (1) a win, (2) a three-goal performance, and (3) Davies getting off the mark.
Vamos United!
[1] That, and a generous dollop of luck. Last year we were the ones hitting posts or suffering from "superkeeper syndrome." Karma or fortune favoring the brave?
[2] Both Charlie and Benny mention McCarty's involvement in the post-match quotes. McCarty, at least in the selected quotes and to his great credit, does not. Class.
* Stars of the Show - Sure, Davies gets all the plaudits in the world for a brace on his return, but for my money it was Pontius and Wolff (WTF?!? Really?) that were a cut above. Both just looked sharp on the ball and played quickly and with confidence. Last year, it was Najar that had that look. In this match? He had it in flashes. But I also saw those same signs that worried me in pre-season. God, I hope the kid isn't coming down with a nasty strain of the CRons. In other attacking player news...
* Sit Ngwenya - Terrible. Heavy doesn't describe the first touch. Spent ages making decisions. Put any attempted finish into orbit. Two other strikers managed to score in this game, and Brettschneider tallied in the reserve game. I'll take those three and toss Quaranta and Pontius and Najar on the pile of guys I'd like to see line up at forward before Ngwenya gets another shot. Bleck!
* Win Ugly - Not so many great chances created, but the difference (and I know it's one game, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume a trend) is the ability to finish what few chances come along [1]. After some of the slick, quick, possession play in Charleston, I was disappointed to see so few coherent passages of play. Also, the incisive through balls were missing from the equation. Plenty of scrap, too little quality. I'm hoping that's just first game jitters in front of the noisy home crowd, but our goals were the result more of bad defending than good approach play. Still, the finishing (Ngwenya aside) was solid. Also solid?
* Solid "D" - Outside of the questionable penalty, the Crew had few good chances, and though the defense bent, it never really broke, with last minute heroism and a few moments of luck spackling the gaps. Here's hoping the Bum Hammy Hammer didn't come down too hard on Zayner.
* Armband deserved - McCarty didn't play particularly well. He was on the ball a lot and fought hard, but his passing wasn't connecting the dots like it was in Charleston. That said, putting the ball in Davies' hands for a decisive PK [2] demonstrates exactly why Olsen gave him the armband. If Davies manages a 10-15 goal season (or, dare we hope, better), I'll look back at this moment as the one that launched him there.
* Weaknesses abound - Our crossing was nothing much. Not that it would have mattered. Crew defenders were cutting them out or winning ever header anyway. Maybe Brettschneider or Pontius in the box makes a difference in that equation? On a semi-related note, set pieces were weak in both directions. McCarty's delivery wasn't good. Nobody really attacked the ball. Defensively, if we were going to break, it was going to come via a corner or free kick. This was a problem in South Carolina as well. Worrying trend.
So not the most optimistic of reactions to a 3-1 win in the season opener. There are certainly positives to be taken. The finishing and defending were both better. By contrast, the strength (if there could be said to be one) of last year's team was in the middle third, a strength sadly lacking here. Still, last year we could win that middle third and still get hammered because of weaknesses in the attacking and defensive thirds. So...net gain? Perhaps. I think the passing will get sharper moving forward, so we may yet prove stronger in the middle as well. For now, I revel (albeit cautiously) in (1) a win, (2) a three-goal performance, and (3) Davies getting off the mark.
Vamos United!
* * *
[2] Both Charlie and Benny mention McCarty's involvement in the post-match quotes. McCarty, at least in the selected quotes and to his great credit, does not. Class.
Warts and All
So I watched the first half of First Kick last night, desperate for my initial 2011 fix of domestic ball with the training wheels taken off. Not having a particular rooting interest for either team (beyond wishing it were possible that both could lose), I found myself a detached viewer, imagining, as I suppose is only natural for the inherently insecure long-term American soccer fan, what someone from foreign climes peering in at our exotic little strain of the game would think or what assumptions they might make about MLS given this brief window into our world.
I'm sure the first impression would be one of surprise. The standard "Americans don't get (and don't want to get) football" attitude, while sadly true for a majority of the US sporting public, seemed to be dashed against the rocks of a 30k+ crowd that really seemed to be into the game. And singing. In the rain. On a Tuesday night. And the game got off to a flying start, with some sure touches and nice passing sequences generating half-chances both ways in the opening minutes. But things dropped off from there.
The rain did no favors to the surface for the TV-watching audience, and the surface in turn did few favors for the players. Veteran observers will have forgiven the poor touches, lack of sharpness, and muddled play on a combination of the wet plastic carpet and the fact that this was the first game of the season. No matter the stature of the league or the quality of players assembled, they always need a month or two to really bed into the season and gel as a team. Still, there wasn't much attractive to watch from a neutral perspective.
And that goes for dress as well as play. The Sounders' home kits are an abomination. Let's forgive for a moment the neon green. Pair that color with black, white, or even navy and it's not so hideous. But with a lighter blue? And to take said combination and throw random silver slashes about so that the result looks like the fabric store's deep-discout rack spontaneously exploded? Awful.
Add in two keepers in long pants [1] and the LA coaching staff rocking the Trucker Hats and Tracksuits™look, and you'd be forgiven somewhat if your abiding image of Major League Soccer, Mr. Anonymous Foreign Guy, is this horror show...
Hey, wait! Those Mutiny jerseys look suspiciously like...never mind.
In any case, I can't say whether this notional foreign dude would have been impressed with the second half as East Coast time caught up to me at the half. Watching the highlights of the remainder of the game this morning, the LA goal was certainly well struck, though Keller of 3-5 years ago probably manages to tip it wide. So I have no idea if the play improved enough to provide a distraction from the shiny plastic, the blinding jerseys, and the trucker hats, or if the crowd's enthusiasm dampened in the drizzle [2].
What I do know is that I'm glad MLS is back, warts and all.
[1] Off the top of my head, I can only think of three MLS keepers that consistently wear long pants...not that there's anything wrong with that (save for when Saunders was at his most "beach-bummiest" two years ago), but what are the chances of having 2 out of 3 on display here?
[2] I don't think it did. In fact, I'm not sure if it was an audio editing flub in the highlights or just pure, mind-numbingly willful ignorance combined with a fierce devotion to cliché on the part of the dude calling the game to say that Juninho's strike "silenced the crowd" when on the highlights they were clearly still singing.
I'm sure the first impression would be one of surprise. The standard "Americans don't get (and don't want to get) football" attitude, while sadly true for a majority of the US sporting public, seemed to be dashed against the rocks of a 30k+ crowd that really seemed to be into the game. And singing. In the rain. On a Tuesday night. And the game got off to a flying start, with some sure touches and nice passing sequences generating half-chances both ways in the opening minutes. But things dropped off from there.
The rain did no favors to the surface for the TV-watching audience, and the surface in turn did few favors for the players. Veteran observers will have forgiven the poor touches, lack of sharpness, and muddled play on a combination of the wet plastic carpet and the fact that this was the first game of the season. No matter the stature of the league or the quality of players assembled, they always need a month or two to really bed into the season and gel as a team. Still, there wasn't much attractive to watch from a neutral perspective.
And that goes for dress as well as play. The Sounders' home kits are an abomination. Let's forgive for a moment the neon green. Pair that color with black, white, or even navy and it's not so hideous. But with a lighter blue? And to take said combination and throw random silver slashes about so that the result looks like the fabric store's deep-discout rack spontaneously exploded? Awful.
Add in two keepers in long pants [1] and the LA coaching staff rocking the Trucker Hats and Tracksuits™look, and you'd be forgiven somewhat if your abiding image of Major League Soccer, Mr. Anonymous Foreign Guy, is this horror show...
Hey, wait! Those Mutiny jerseys look suspiciously like...never mind.
In any case, I can't say whether this notional foreign dude would have been impressed with the second half as East Coast time caught up to me at the half. Watching the highlights of the remainder of the game this morning, the LA goal was certainly well struck, though Keller of 3-5 years ago probably manages to tip it wide. So I have no idea if the play improved enough to provide a distraction from the shiny plastic, the blinding jerseys, and the trucker hats, or if the crowd's enthusiasm dampened in the drizzle [2].
What I do know is that I'm glad MLS is back, warts and all.
* * *
[2] I don't think it did. In fact, I'm not sure if it was an audio editing flub in the highlights or just pure, mind-numbingly willful ignorance combined with a fierce devotion to cliché on the part of the dude calling the game to say that Juninho's strike "silenced the crowd" when on the highlights they were clearly still singing.
We Win Trophies!
(In pre-season....sigh)
Just a roundup of some thoughts in the aftermath of DC United's retention of the Carolina Challenge Cup, in no particular order.
The McCarty-Boskovic combination isn't one that works in isolation. I think they can do well in central midfield together, but only if they have a holder/destroyer behind them. I was confused by the pattern of play that saw McCarty getting forward with Boskovic sitting deep with the Pirlo deep-distribution brief, both because (1) McCarty functions just as well in the same spot, (2) McCarty is much more useful sitting deep as he's able to break up counters more effectively than Boskovic, and (3) McCarty wasn't as influential playing higher. I thought we looked much more vulnerable to the counter (a particular weakness of last year's side when the midfield failed to screen an often disorganized defense) than in either CCC match thus far.
Having said all of that, Boskovic came on stronger in the second half when the midfield was pinched on the left, effectively allowing him to play in a central midfield three alongside King and Morsink with Burch given the run of the entire left flank (where, surprisingly, he did a fair impression of a wingback, though one good cross in ten doesn't exactly set this fullback's heart aflutter). Boskovic's biggest contribution in this position was pinged balls to the flank, which is presumably why Olsen was playing him in the deep-distributor spot in the first half.
In defense, watching Ethan White made the letting of Julius James go make a certain kind of sense. White was strong and quick and demonstrated more quality on the ball than James. If they were fighting for the #4 spot behind Jakovic, Kitchen, and Brasesco, James does start to look unnecessary. That said, I'm not certain I'd start Kitchen at the moment. HQ can rave all they want about leadership and maturity and readiness for this level, but Kitchen was certainly to blame for the second goal, and I'm pretty sure he was the one who failed to close down DeRo, allowing the cross that created the havoc in the box that resulted in the PK for TFC's first. Those are the type of mistakes I'm sure he'll cut out going forward as he learns what he can and can't get away with at this level, but the question is whether to let him learn by doing or by watching.
Up top, Davies' finish early in the match was sharp, Ngwenya puts himself about, and Brettschneider does the same, but I still feel we're short of quality in creating chances. I expect that a more confident Davies will create more chances for himself, but I'm a little concerned with the wide play. Either defenses are (understandably) keying on Najar or he's resting on his laurels a bit. Last year he insisted on being an impact player. From what I've seen thus far, he's more petulant and less willing to attack at will. Maybe he's been told to pace himself. Maybe he's playing within himself, just getting fit before he blossoms in the regular season. We shall see. (Wouldn't be pre-season without rampant optimism or doom-and-gloom mongering, would it?)
Overall, there were patches of play I really liked, as there were in both of the previous CCC matches. These were the quick, one-touch transitions and the ability to switch fields quickly and with precision (hell, even Morsink was getting in on the act!). That said, these sequences are not what needs to improve. Despite our dire record last year, we often looked good possessing the ball in the middle third. Where we fell apart were (1) creating and finishing chances and (2) mental lapses and general disorganization in the defensive third. Until we show consistency at either, the only trophies we'll be winning are pre-season ones.
Just a roundup of some thoughts in the aftermath of DC United's retention of the Carolina Challenge Cup, in no particular order.
• • •
Having said all of that, Boskovic came on stronger in the second half when the midfield was pinched on the left, effectively allowing him to play in a central midfield three alongside King and Morsink with Burch given the run of the entire left flank (where, surprisingly, he did a fair impression of a wingback, though one good cross in ten doesn't exactly set this fullback's heart aflutter). Boskovic's biggest contribution in this position was pinged balls to the flank, which is presumably why Olsen was playing him in the deep-distributor spot in the first half.
In defense, watching Ethan White made the letting of Julius James go make a certain kind of sense. White was strong and quick and demonstrated more quality on the ball than James. If they were fighting for the #4 spot behind Jakovic, Kitchen, and Brasesco, James does start to look unnecessary. That said, I'm not certain I'd start Kitchen at the moment. HQ can rave all they want about leadership and maturity and readiness for this level, but Kitchen was certainly to blame for the second goal, and I'm pretty sure he was the one who failed to close down DeRo, allowing the cross that created the havoc in the box that resulted in the PK for TFC's first. Those are the type of mistakes I'm sure he'll cut out going forward as he learns what he can and can't get away with at this level, but the question is whether to let him learn by doing or by watching.
Up top, Davies' finish early in the match was sharp, Ngwenya puts himself about, and Brettschneider does the same, but I still feel we're short of quality in creating chances. I expect that a more confident Davies will create more chances for himself, but I'm a little concerned with the wide play. Either defenses are (understandably) keying on Najar or he's resting on his laurels a bit. Last year he insisted on being an impact player. From what I've seen thus far, he's more petulant and less willing to attack at will. Maybe he's been told to pace himself. Maybe he's playing within himself, just getting fit before he blossoms in the regular season. We shall see. (Wouldn't be pre-season without rampant optimism or doom-and-gloom mongering, would it?)
Overall, there were patches of play I really liked, as there were in both of the previous CCC matches. These were the quick, one-touch transitions and the ability to switch fields quickly and with precision (hell, even Morsink was getting in on the act!). That said, these sequences are not what needs to improve. Despite our dire record last year, we often looked good possessing the ball in the middle third. Where we fell apart were (1) creating and finishing chances and (2) mental lapses and general disorganization in the defensive third. Until we show consistency at either, the only trophies we'll be winning are pre-season ones.
Turkish Delight
Great turn and finish. The start of rebuilding his confidence and career or has he just found his level?
United v. Battery | Some Post-Match Thoughts
McCarty was my MOTM. Not only did he slot the great ball through to Pontius for the opener, but he nearly connected on a few others of that same ilk and did reasonably well to serve balls from free kicks (despite a seeming lack of aggression on the part of his teammates in attacking said balls). Particularly impressive, at least to those of us used to the Burch/Quaranta species of cross-field ball, was that he switched the point of attack quickly and with precision, often while under pressure.
I think the McCarty addition is going to be key. Last year we could choose between having a combative central midfield or stick Boskovic in to prompt but thereby leaving his partner, and by extension the rest of the defense, exposed. Also, Boskovic is more of a connecter of balls in tight spaces, not a prompter from distance, which McCarty is. Consequently, the way Boskovic wants to play (and can be most effective in an attacking sense) requires him to be further up the pitch when playing a central role. McCarty's string pulling allows him to operate effectively from a deeper position, meaning United usually had numbers back against the counter, often a weakness last year.
Jakovic also looked good, both defensively and in picking out balls to advanced players. Particularly encouraging was the one burst forward into the opposition box. I remember him stepping out from the back line on a number of occasions in his first season and hope to see more of that this year, particularly with two deep central mids ahead of him providing a solid base for doing so.
Najar had me worried for the first 15 minutes or so. He looked petulant and lacking the hard-nosed effort of his rookie year. Also, his touch seemed unusually heavy and he didn't look willing to take on defenders. Fortunately, that seemed to change as the match wore on. Still, the seed of doubt has been planted in my mind. He's still awfully young to have experienced the type of success he did. Here's hoping I'm just being my natural pessimistic self.
Despite combining for the winning goal, I wasn't particularly enamored of the Wolff-Ngwenya strike force. They never looked particularly threatening. Likewise the fullbacks, who did little to impress, particularly 1v1 defensively and with what, one or two decent crosses between them? Or is that being too generous? The other glaring weakness for me was in defending set pieces, where United never looked really comfortable.
Overall impressions? Some good spells of possession. An encouraging performance from McCarty. Two goals resulting from getting behind the defense — something we failed to do often enough last year. A reasonable defensive effort spoiled by a terribly soft penalty. Not a bad outing.
PS: Am I the only one who winces whenever Charlie Davies heads a ball? I mean, just knowing about how he came by those scars. Makes me queasy just thinking about it.
I think the McCarty addition is going to be key. Last year we could choose between having a combative central midfield or stick Boskovic in to prompt but thereby leaving his partner, and by extension the rest of the defense, exposed. Also, Boskovic is more of a connecter of balls in tight spaces, not a prompter from distance, which McCarty is. Consequently, the way Boskovic wants to play (and can be most effective in an attacking sense) requires him to be further up the pitch when playing a central role. McCarty's string pulling allows him to operate effectively from a deeper position, meaning United usually had numbers back against the counter, often a weakness last year.
Jakovic also looked good, both defensively and in picking out balls to advanced players. Particularly encouraging was the one burst forward into the opposition box. I remember him stepping out from the back line on a number of occasions in his first season and hope to see more of that this year, particularly with two deep central mids ahead of him providing a solid base for doing so.
Najar had me worried for the first 15 minutes or so. He looked petulant and lacking the hard-nosed effort of his rookie year. Also, his touch seemed unusually heavy and he didn't look willing to take on defenders. Fortunately, that seemed to change as the match wore on. Still, the seed of doubt has been planted in my mind. He's still awfully young to have experienced the type of success he did. Here's hoping I'm just being my natural pessimistic self.
Despite combining for the winning goal, I wasn't particularly enamored of the Wolff-Ngwenya strike force. They never looked particularly threatening. Likewise the fullbacks, who did little to impress, particularly 1v1 defensively and with what, one or two decent crosses between them? Or is that being too generous? The other glaring weakness for me was in defending set pieces, where United never looked really comfortable.
Overall impressions? Some good spells of possession. An encouraging performance from McCarty. Two goals resulting from getting behind the defense — something we failed to do often enough last year. A reasonable defensive effort spoiled by a terribly soft penalty. Not a bad outing.
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