Semi-Finals - 1st Leg - October 1

[Scorpio]

Good games for both the Caps and Impact on Sunday. I think this is great for soccer in Canada overall.

Gonna get this going, so whats everyone's predictions for the semi's?

And again, I won't be using any of my tickets at either game, so if you want (free) tickets in Van or Mtl let me know asap. (I think I changed my settings correctly to now display my email)

Update: Tickets all gone in both cities.

Cheers

[Bratworst]

hey scorpio,

I would definitely take u up on the offer (assuming you haven't already given the tics away).. how can i get in touch with you?

[tmcmurph]

I pick the Caps to do to Portland what we did to Seattle during their dream season

Montreal vs PR ? That is a tougher one to call. I'd love to see both Canuck teams in the finals.

No easy games left now. Just very tough home & away games. At least the teams don't have to travel across the continent. Worked out nice this year.

[Cyrus]

The commentators on the Team 990 kept going on (and on and on) last night on how Puerto Rico had a Champions League match on Tuesday in Mexico, so they would be jet-lagged and tired, and this would play to the Impact's advantage. As far as I'm concerned, Puerto Rico is done for from the Champions League, with 2 points from 4 matches. They aren't mathematically finished yet, but it would take a major miracle. I expect them to completely sandbag tomorrow's match against Cruz Azul. I mean to not even to fly out their top team. We could be seeing a 10-nil match in the Champions League.

That being said, I hope that Puerto Rico sends their first team to Mexico City, and play their absolute hearts out. Because to beat these guys, Montreal will need any edge we can get.

[masster]

Portland was far and away the best team in the USL this season. However, securing 1st place early, they stumbled a little bit down the stretch. Now they had a bye week. In the meantime, Vancouver has been playing important games and looks more sound defensively than they have all year long. If I were a betting man though (and I am) I would still put my money on Portland. The Whitecaps will give the Timbers all that they can handle at Swangard, but they have looked very, very poor at PGE Park both times they played there this year.

[Peter Schaad]

No matter the results, there will be decent crowds in all 4 remaining games. Puerto Rico's CCL game tomorrow throws a kink in their plans, and we've seen the first round bye bite teams in the rear too often. A Vancouver Montreal final would be quite something given their league performances this year, and all the player connections. AND OF COURSE, that little Nutrilite 6-1 loss would be a nice story-line too.

[nolando]

I'll pick up Caps tix if you have them.

[Cheeta]

Fair comments on both match ups. I honestly can't see PR not putting in at least a game effort tomorrow in CCL. And given the close fixtures dates and travel that PR has to have endured of late it all can't add up to anything but good news for Montreal.

Thought the Impact looked fairly decent in their fixtures, not great but sharp enough and four goals by four different players is always welcome this time of year.

Montreal might be starting to find their stride (finally) just as attrition is getting at the Islanders. Tough match up for Montreal though, no matter how you slice it but I'll go out on a limb and call for a Montreal victory in this series. By 1 aggregate goal.

I am not going to bet against Portland. And the rest might have done them more good than harm. Opening the series at Swangard is a great advantage to-boot, especially given that bit of rest they've been allowed with the by.

Portland to win. I could be wrong, this one might be down to penalties in the end but then again (as I suspect) it might not be. We'll know how close this test is going to be by half time Thursday me-thinks.

A Montreal-Portland final would look brilliant on Fox. Good crowds, good footie, winner takes all. Nice.

[Grizzly]

Puerto Rico is far from eliminated from their Champions League group. They need 2 victories and for Saprissa not to win twice but that is certainly possible. Moreover, Cruz Azul is already through and will certainly play a B-team against them. PR has already played well in the past against the Cruz Azul A team so would have to feel capable of a result against the B team in a nearly empty stadium in Mexico. I fully expect PR to play their top team on Tuesday, they would be crazy not to. A tired PR will obviously be to the Impact's advantage but PR is a tough team under any circumstances and are very consistent. They have also shown against Rochester how they are able to deal with adversity and comeback and win convincingly.

As much as we all would like an all Canada final it seems the least likely outcome to me. I don't put much stock in Portland's late season poor form. They played many reserve players and were not motivated. I also think the bye week will not hurt them. There are also reasons that PR and Portland finished higher than Montreal and Vancouver. If we compare Montreal and Vancouver, we see two very different teams the former being a veteran team that for various reasons underachieved all year but is finally starting to play to their potential. Vancouver by contrast is a team that is to some extent rebuilding with youth in order to have players that will be able to play for their MLS team in two years. While both did well to beat the higher seed in the 1st round, Montreal dominated Charleston for two games while Vancouver squeeked by Carolina with not an insignificant amount of luck such as the missed penalty. I think given that PR will be tired and Montreal is playing up to their capability the series is 50/50 either way. I would pick Portland as the strong favourite over Vancouver 70/30. I see the chance of a PR-Portland or Montreal-Portland series as 35% while Vancouver-Portland at 20% while Montreal-Vancouver at merely 10%.

[Grizzly]

Puerto Rico is far from eliminated from their Champions League group. They need 2 victories and for Saprissa not to win twice but that is certainly possible. Moreover, Cruz Azul is already through and will certainly play a B-team against them. PR has already played well in the past against the Cruz Azul A team so would have to feel capable of a result against the B team in a nearly empty stadium in Mexico. I fully expect PR to play their top team on Tuesday, they would be crazy not to. A tired PR will obviously be to the Impact's advantage but PR is a tough team under any circumstances and are very consistent. They have also shown against Rochester how they are able to deal with adversity and comeback and win convincingly.

As much as we all would like an all Canada final it seems the least likely outcome to me. I don't put much stock in Portland's late season poor form. They played many reserve players and were not motivated. I also think the bye week will not hurt them. There are also reasons that PR and Portland finished higher than Montreal and Vancouver. If we compare Montreal and Vancouver, we see two very different teams the former being a veteran team that for various reasons underachieved all year but is finally starting to play to their potential. Vancouver by contrast is a team that is to some extent rebuilding with youth in order to have players that will be able to play for their MLS team in two years. While both did well to beat the higher seed in the 1st round, Montreal dominated Charleston for two games while Vancouver squeeked by Carolina with not an insignificant amount of luck such as the missed penalty. I think given that PR will be tired and Montreal is playing up to their capability the series is 50/50 either way. I would pick Portland as the strong favourite over Vancouver 70/30. I see the chance of a PR-Portland or Montreal-Portland series as 35% while Vancouver-Portland at 20% while Montreal-Vancouver at merely 10%.

[Intru]

Players in Mexico

GK:

Behonick - Myers

DF:

Jones - Alexis - Villaroel - Krause - Veris - Arrieta

MF:

Villegas - Noah Delgado - Gargan - Marcelin - Telesford

FW:

Jagdeosingh - Hansen - Fraser - Nuñez- Fabrice Noel

Players flying in to Montreal from Puerto Rico tomorrow:

Steele

Vélez

Addlery

Henry

Gaudette

Other than Addlery, Steele, Henry and Guadette all key player made the trip to Mexico. It looks to me that Clark plans to play a mixed team.

To me his gona start out with:

Behonick

Jones-Veris-Krause-Arrieta

Gargan

Telesford-Noah-Villegas

Hansen-Fraser

Subbing in key players like Noel, Marcelin and Jag later in the game to give the attack a boost when the altitude gets to the players on the field. Probably subbing out Arrieta or Jones for Alexis or Villaroel to prevent them from getting to tiered.

[Vic]

Fall off my chair laughing if it's another PR/Caps final and the games played in Vancouver again.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Fall off my chair laughing if it's another PR/Caps final and the games played in Vancouver again.

Do some research!

[Allison A]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Fall off my chair laughing if it's another PR/Caps final and the games played in Vancouver again.

If it's a Vancouver/Puerto Rico final, I can guarantee you 100% there will be a finals match in Vancouver.

[Vic]

Odds are both games there.

[Allison A]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Odds are both games there.

No

[Guest Jeffery S.]

I agree Vancouver is doing better, but I agree with many here that it does not look like enough.

Caps have solid keeping, and the defence has been better lately.

The midfield is still badly coached in my opinion. There is a huge gap between the front and back lines, which Teiter does not know how to fill, and widens by sending mids out wide, thinning out the centre. Nash is asked to go forward, go back and hold, direct traffic, and the other mids just play as satellites around him, none of them really taking full responsibility except for their little parcel on the field.

The strikers are good, with decent subs and a bit of variety out there. The Caps usually score, but this semi will need to score a bit more than usual.

I find it a bit much that after an entire season Teitur has still not settled into a clear bunch of starters. It is not a rotation system, it is simply a coach still playing around with the system, in the last few weeks of the season.

Going two games without giving a goal vs. Carolina was excellent, but from what I saw of the return leg (all of it on usllive) the rival was really below par. It is hard to imagine Portland will play that badly.

[Vic]

The beauty of playoffs is logic is only half of the equation. Form, coaching and luck are the other 50%. Their form is good enough and their coaching is great. I like their chances.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

The beauty of playoffs is logic is only half of the equation. Form, coaching and luck are the other 50%. Their form is good enough and their coaching is great. I like their chances.

Could you explain to us just how the coaching is "great" at the Whitecaps, if that is what you are referring to?

[Vic]

Sure, I was referring to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Wilkinson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teitur_Thordarson

[tmcmurph]

Hey Allison, good to hear from you again. I suppose the Timber's Army is pumped for this series. I'm glad the teams get a short trip for their games.

Portland is the team to beat this year and we are ready for it. I don't buy the unsettled lineup stuff. Injuries and other situations have forced the coaches hand a lot this year. We have 4 legit strikers ready and as to the comments about the midfield you can say that about most midfields. But considering Jeffrey gets to watch Barca play I can see where that would bias his opinion. Few if any midfields in the world can compare to them.

Looking forward to the watching both games. Just tell the traveling Army not to waste beer throwing it on Wes Knight

Cheers

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Sure, I was referring to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavin_Wilkinson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teitur_Thordarson

What I am saying is Teitur did very well with a team he inherited and added a bit to last year, and is doing only average with a team he is fully responsible for and still trying to build this year.

I don't think he is bad, and when the Caps are good they are entertaining, which is something (hasn't always been the case).

But I don't think he is really top notch, and I don't think he has the quality to take the team into MLS. He is lacking some basic tactical concepts and has been as inconsistent as his lineups.

Next season, not the remaining luck of this year's playoffs, will be the key for me, because the overall assessment of this season has to be a C+/B-, regardless of what sort of results they get in the next week.

[Allison A]

quote:Originally posted by tmcmurph

Hey Allison, good to hear from you again. I suppose the Timber's Army is pumped for this series. I'm glad the teams get a short trip for their games.

Portland is the team to beat this year and we are ready for it. I don't buy the unsettled lineup stuff. Injuries and other situations have forced the coaches hand a lot this year. We have 4 legit strikers ready and as to the comments about the midfield you can say that about most midfields. But considering Jeffrey gets to watch Barca play I can see where that would bias his opinion. Few if any midfields in the world can compare to them.

Looking forward to the watching both games. Just tell the traveling Army not to waste beer throwing it on Wes Knight

Cheers

Yes, it should be a fun series, and there will be alot of fans making the trip north. I will be making the trip too.

Not sure what to expect of the Timbers, who really took their foot off the gas once the league title was pretty much guaranteed, though a few of the losses at the end of the season were just plain bad luck off unlucky bounces, which were bound to catch up with us eventually.

The loss of Cameron Knowles at center defense, who was likely to be all-league defense (still might be) and broke his leg in Montreal, is still being felt, but the rest of the roster is healthy, and we'll just have to see what affect the two weeks off had. I saw them scrimmage vs. Kitsap during the layoff and they didn't look too good, though they were also holding back a bit to avoid injury, but they are also going into a stadium where they have won 1 game in 14 tries, so getting a win or a draw would be huge for their confidence.

The Timbers have also not lost a road game since that season opening 1-0 loss in Vancouver, so their confidence on the road is probably pretty high too.

Should be fun.

[tmcmurph]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

What I am saying is Teitur did very well with a team he inherited and added a bit to last year, and is doing only average with a team he is fully responsible for and still trying to build this year.

I don't think he is bad, and when the Caps are good they are entertaining, which is something (hasn't always been the case).

But I don't think he is really top notch, and I don't think he has the quality to take the team into MLS. He is lacking some basic tactical concepts and has been as inconsistent as his lineups.

Next season, not the remaining luck of this year's playoffs, will be the key for me, because the overall assessment of this season has to be a C+/B-, regardless of what sort of results they get in the next week.

Yes next season will be the real test. Last year he did great in the regular season and playoffs. This year the team had 2 problems. First they were spotting teams 2 goal leads then they were allowing late goals giving away 2 points.

With the injuries and other problems I still think he has done very well and has them playing very solid at the moment. I think the Caps brought him in with the idea of him being the coach for MLS. He is doing a great job bringing the young players along (Luca, Marcus, REB). I think they will keep him.

This year's grade would be a B from me.

[Intru]

Only two regular playing against Cruz Azul