tmcmurph Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 What's wrong with a 4-4-2? It's not like Rosales contributes anything as a CM besides giving the ball away. Our coach (and previous coach) seem wedded to the 4-5-1 formation. It sort of makes sense because we don't possess the ball as much as the other teams so we spend most of our time defending and the 4-5-1 is very strong in that regard. Maybe we could possess more if we were in a 4-4-2 but I've seen it played once this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well it was a draw on the road but I expected us to take it to them a lot more considering they'd played on Thursday. Kind of disappointed that we settled for a 0-0 draw. I thought the Montreal - Columbus game was more interesting and fun to watch. Manneh just couldn't pass today. Constant turnovers by him. Nobody but our main spine (Ousted, Waston & Laba) really looked good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well it was a draw on the road but I expected us to take it to them a lot more considering they'd played on Thursday. Kind of disappointed that we settled for a 0-0 draw. I thought the Montreal - Columbus game was more interesting and fun to watch. Manneh just couldn't pass today. Constant turnovers by him. Nobody but our main spine (Ousted, Waston & Laba) really looked good. +1 Manneh really struggled out there, a lot of the team looked like it was their first time playing on turf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Watched the Sounders game and the Impact game, but was unable to catch this one. How did RT do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 His usual peppy DM self. Can't recall a single decent ball into the attacking third though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerpro Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Watched the Sounders game and the Impact game, but was unable to catch this one. How did RT do? I thought he was pretty poor. Although most of his teammates weren't during much either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 His usual peppy DM self. Can't recall a single decent ball into the attacking third though. Agreed, nothing stand out about the performance good or bad. He did a good job at closing down space and making it tough for Portland, as usual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masster Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Watched the Sounders game and the Impact game, but was unable to catch this one. How did RT do? The radio broadcast team singled him out for praise for covering a lot of ground, but that was probably the only productive thing he did. Besides that, I thought he was actually kind of poor. Watching that game and this season in general made me think that he is a player that probably needs to leave Canada and go out of his comfort zone if he is to grow or progress further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 They say defense wins championships, so all power to it. Ours is good. No shame to have a good keeper either. This was the sort of game we were winning by getting a goal late earlier in the year, winning 0-1, Ousted having a good performance--so we are close to where we were at our best. Thing is, in terms of play, passing, team cohesion, it is not that great. We get better results than the quality of our play. Portland will be rested and will wait for us at BC Place, they'll try to hit us on the counter to get their goal and then bunker down. I think our only choice is accept the challenge, go at them, hope the defense keeps us in, and attack them. Use the early adrenalin. I think I am going to miss the damn match since it'll be shown at 4 AM in Europe, bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 They say defense wins championships, so all power to it. Ours is good. No shame to have a good keeper either. This was the sort of game we were winning by getting a goal late earlier in the year, winning 0-1, Ousted having a good performance--so we are close to where we were at our best. Thing is, in terms of play, passing, team cohesion, it is not that great. We get better results than the quality of our play. Portland will be rested and will wait for us at BC Place, they'll try to hit us on the counter to get their goal and then bunker down. I think our only choice is accept the challenge, go at them, hope the defense keeps us in, and attack them. Use the early adrenalin. I think I am going to miss the damn match since it'll be shown at 4 AM in Europe, bastards. The Caps have a strong defensive foundation (double holding mids in front of back four) but it's a team built more on graft rather than craft: I understand that injuries and form have affected Morales but when he came on late, the quality of his passing was much better than the stuff I saw earlier in the match. I've watched Rivero as often as possible and for all the good stuff he does in the lone striker role up top, he always seems to miss a chance that should be put away, and Sunday was another example. They still seem to be missing that key alternate scoring threat from the wing. Watching the match yesterday, with Rivero's off the ball runs in support, I thought a guy like DeRo in his prime would have really lit it up out there with his ability to cut in-land and shoot. That's the kind of attacker they need (or maybe they have him and he's hurt) to really take it to the next level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 I think I am going to miss the damn match since it'll be shown at 4 AM in Europe, bastards. Jeff, you are at the age where you should be waking up at this hour as a matter of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Jeff, you are at the age where you should be waking up at this hour as a matter of course. I've written and re-edited about 5 replies, all brilliant by the way, but all confirming that famous comment from Ted in Victoria: "Jeffrey S was an asshole". So I'll just say you are right and hope nature does its business and gets me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob.notenboom Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 I've written and re-edited about 5 replies, all brilliant by the way, but all confirming that famous comment from Ted in Victoria: "Jeffrey S was an asshole". So I'll just say you are right and hope nature does its business and gets me up. Good thing it's not on at 3:30 in the afternoon. You'd be eating supper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Well so ends the season. Second in the west and third overall, a playoff home game and our first V's Cup. Our scoring woes continued and that will need to be addressed in the off season but all in all a good year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 The Caps have a strong defensive foundation (double holding mids in front of back four) but it's a team built more on graft rather than craft: I understand that injuries and form have affected Morales but when he came on late, the quality of his passing was much better than the stuff I saw earlier in the match. I've watched Rivero as often as possible and for all the good stuff he does in the lone striker role up top, he always seems to miss a chance that should be put away, and Sunday was another example. They still seem to be missing that key alternate scoring threat from the wing. Watching the match yesterday, with Rivero's off the ball runs in support, I thought a guy like DeRo in his prime would have really lit it up out there with his ability to cut in-land and shoot. That's the kind of attacker they need (or maybe they have him and he's hurt) to really take it to the next level. This. Yet again. Tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 So who is done with the Caps now? Likely Kah, Earnshaw, Sampson, hopefully not Techera. Would like to see a polite send off for Rivero and Morales too, but not sure that is happening in either case. Shame, given the incredible Impact made by any number of deserving DPs In this league over the last month or two. Would welcome the sale of Mattocks off season; the two sides have exhausted their usefulness to each other. And then to dream of which Canadians might actually break Into this side next year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerpro Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Morales with his DP salary is an albatross around their neck now. Get rid of Kah, Sampson, Flores, Rosales, Morales, Earnshaw and Mattocks. Sign a high level striker, a winger and a strong CM. Marco Bustos is ready to play, play him. Froese too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 That was ugly. Vancouver never looked like they would score, at least Earnshaw had a bit of spark. Mattocks was invisible, Morales poor (nice cross field through ball to Valeri though in the first half)... really the only guy who looked likely to create was Techera at times but he had no support even when he could beat a man or two. Rivero isn't the player that he looked to be in April, no fault of his own I just don't think he's that great in comparison to other DPs. Vancouver didn't look like they had any hope of scoring besides diving for a PK. Reminded me of CMNT, decent possession at times but poor set pieces and no creativity in the final 3rd. I know it sounds crazy but Robinson should have put Kah up top since Vancouver was clearly only getting balls wide and losing every key header. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 The Caps sure looked poor last night. For all the hype about the great scouting the Caps did in South America, those players were nowhere to be found. Have to think the utter lack of execution during the playoffs will put a damper on what has otherwise been a fine season. And also, Caps are 0-3 when they play a playoff game without a Canadian seeing the pitch. Playing Teibert would not have helped them, but just saying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 So who is done with the Caps now? Likely Kah, Earnshaw, Sampson, hopefully not Techera. Would like to see a polite send off for Rivero and Morales too, but not sure that is happening in either case. Shame, given the incredible Impact made by any number of deserving DPs In this league over the last month or two. Would welcome the sale of Mattocks off season; the two sides have exhausted their usefulness to each other. And then to dream of which Canadians might actually break Into this side next year... Kah is still a decent 3rd CB and not too expensive so he'll probably stay one more year. Earnshaw & Rosales are probably done. Techera? It all depends on how much of a transfer and salary. I doubt he'll be back. Mattocks will probably be gone. His international duty with Jamaica has got him some notice. He has some good points but doesn't play the lone forward role well and as long as we're playing the 4-5-1 that means he will be limited to wing play. Morales & Rivero will both be back. Hopefully with an injury free off season Pedro can get back to his form. As long as we play the 4-5-1 we need a player who can do the things Octavio does. If we can find a better version great but he'll do and hopefully his shooting will improve. I think if he would just one time some of those balls in the box he'd do better but he seems to always want to cut one too many times. I think Kianz is going to leapfrog both Teibert and Bustos in the depth chart and get more time than either next year. Flores? He's young but way too inconsistent yet. He also would require a transfer fee I think so I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 The Caps would be absolutely insane to bring Flores back. Don't see any value that he would bring over anyone else currently on the squad. Plus he's Honduran, so he can suck it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Tim Parker looks to be a big positive at CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Narcotic Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 The 'caps pretty much have to go with Morales and Rivero for another year. In addition, Laba is a DP so he will have to be TAM'd if the 'caps want to get another DP player in. Unfortunately Techera will probably need a DP tag after his transfer fee so the 'caps are looking at using all three DP tags just to keep the same group around that looked so poor last night. On the plus side, Kekuta Manneh should improve again next year and should be a threat to get 10 goals and 10 assists and Techera can likely do the same if the 'caps bring him back. Carl Robinson has been aggressive in using loans to get players in without using a DP tag and I suspect he'll use the strategy again to get someone like Romiel Quioto in. However, I hope he stops using the loan tactic for non-difference makers. We've already seen Sebastian Fernandez, Flores and Diego Rodriguez get a bunch of time wasted on them for no return at all. There are plenty of internal options for those sorts of players (Ben McKendry and Christian Dean) without high-risk swings on foreign players with uncertain contract situations. Structurally, the big issue is that the 'caps just cannot keep the ball or transition it from back to front with any consistency. This is on the triangle of Laba-Koffie-Morales and also on Robinson for how he chooses to play. Fixing this next year will be a big test for Robinson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_twelve Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Despite yesterday's performance I think the 'Caps still look like a strong team. Lots of young players in the midfield makes me think they could make a favourable trade or two. A consistently in form striker and improved movement/vision from the midfield 3 is plausible for next year. Manneh coming off was a huge blow last night, he looked the most dangerous and Rosales was such a liability on the defensive end. No hustle going back and there was one sequence where he attempted two slide tackles and missed ball and player by a wide margin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Yea once Manneh came off we were never the same. Very strange sub of Rosales for Manneh. I was expecting Mattocks. He has played the left wing and has similar pace to Manneh but Rosales has just lost too many steps so the "vet gambit" failed. I wouldn't say the Uruguayan experiment has failed. We are a different team with Nico on the pitch and when both Nico & Pedro are healthy and play then we look a lot more threatening offensively. Some, like Diego, have not looked good (even at the USL level) and won't be back. Rivero has 10 goals (only 1 from a PK) and 3 assists so not great but not horrible either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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