COQ | Match Thread: Mexico U24 vs Canada U24 | March 28 @ 9:00pm Eastern 6:00pm Pacific

[costarg]

I guess we met realistic expectations given the situation, some stood out, but we just didn't exceed as much as we could have.  I still feel a little robbed, qualifying was closer than i thought at the beginning of the tournament.

I would've loved to see more of Tajon, Lucas and Ballou on the field together at the same time.  We needed all of them when we were down 1 vs Mexico.  Having Brym and Bair in there was a waste of a man and a cheap attempt at playing an orthodox formation. 

We did well defending in the 5-4-1 the first 45, ideally we should've attacked with 5-2-3 with Tajon, Lucas and Ballou moving up.

 

 

[Kadenge]

With respect to rating player performances, keep in mind that it is sometimes easier for defensive players and keepers to stand out on a weaker team vs offensive players. Keepers can make great saves;  defenders can win the ball and then distribute...more noticeable and individual. Forwards and attacking mids rely more on their teamates to function as a unit. Many have given examples of forwards trying to beat 3/4 players and the play dying. Think it had more to do with the fact that if you dont attack with numbers or with shape, it is easy for the opposition to swarm the ball carrier without any concern of leaving other players unmarked. As soon as Tajon, Dias, Tabla got o the ball they were surrounded by at least 3 mexican players. With support those 3 would look a lot different. Tajon is a different player with NER and I think he will have a very stong season this year.

[El Diego]

It is difficult for me to be upset with the end result considering the team we sent and the effort given. But I can't help but be left with a sour taste in my mouth with how the goals against Mexico were conceded. My biggest problem with the Pantemis giveaway is that even if he makes that pass to Norman, we are still in trouble with the Mexican press. If you are not really solving the problem, why try such a dangerous solution? This basic risk-reward analysis was missing a number of times when we played out from the back, notably Norman twice losing the ball when he tried to make a pass into Baldisimo. The problem was that even if he does complete the pass to Baldy, the ideal outcome is that Baldisimo passes it backward to keep possession. So why even play such a dangerous ball?

Anyway, I can appreciate that the staff are trying to implement a consistent system throughout all age groups, and as much as I would have loved to see our boys win I am of the opinion that results at the senior level are always the end goal. If that is the process that Biello is following, I can accept this tournament.

[Free kick]

37 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

With respect to rating player performances, keep in mind that it is sometimes easier for defensive players and keepers to stand out on a weaker team vs offensive players. Keepers can make great saves;  defenders can win the ball and then distribute...more noticeable and individual. Forwards and attacking mids rely more on their teamates to function as a unit. Many have given examples of forwards trying to beat 3/4 players and the play dying. Think it had more to do with the fact that if you dont attack with numbers or with shape, it is easy for the opposition to swarm the ball carrier without any concern of leaving other players unmarked. As soon as Tajon, Dias, Tabla got o the ball they were surrounded by at least 3 mexican players. With support those 3 would look a lot different. Tajon is a different player with NER and I think he will have a very stong season this year.

Agree completely.  One of the downsides of the shape we adopted (and i agree that these tactics were a necessity for this game) is that when suddenly have you the ball,  there isnt that support on the ball.  So yes, everyone looks surounded and suddenly trying to beat several defenders.  Thats becasue you dont have the numbers going forward.  
 

with that,  I disagree with some of teh comments that TB tries to do too much by himself.  From the New England games and highlights i saw this past year,  i did not see anything resembling a selfish player. 

Edited March 29, 2021 by Free kick

[MtlMario]

For me personally it went all downhill after the EL Sal. game.

[archer21]

On 3/29/2021 at 12:13 PM, Free kick said:

Agree completely.  One of the downsides of the shape we adopted (and i agree that these tactics were a necessity for this game) is that when suddenly have you the ball,  there isnt that support on the ball.  So yes, everyone looks surounded and suddenly trying to beat several defenders.  Thats becasue you dont have the numbers going forward.  
 

with that,  I disagree with some of teh comments that TB tries to do too much by himself.  From the New England games and highlights i saw this past year,  i did not see anything resembling a selfish player. 

I think in this tourney he tried to do too much by himself. He sometimes played too selfishly but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is a selfish player. He may have been told to play that way by the coaching staff, or he may have believed that with the squad we had, that’s what he needed to do. I think if he were playing with the MNT, he’d play much differently because that’s not the type of play that we’d need from him.

[ag futbol]

I think Tajon wants to to take players on and if he gets around the box, he’s aggressive about attacking. I would say he occasionally demands the ball but I don’t at all see that as a bad thing. He always has objective in mind (shoot, cross, beget past his man) which a lot of the other players we fielded lacked. 

My criticism would go a lot of other places first.

[An Observer]

On 3/29/2021 at 11:38 PM, Kadenge said:

With respect to rating player performances, keep in mind that it is sometimes easier for defensive players and keepers to stand out on a weaker team vs offensive players. Keepers can make great saves;  defenders can win the ball and then distribute...more noticeable and individual. Forwards and attacking mids rely more on their teamates to function as a unit. Many have given examples of forwards trying to beat 3/4 players and the play dying. Think it had more to do with the fact that if you dont attack with numbers or with shape, it is easy for the opposition to swarm the ball carrier without any concern of leaving other players unmarked. As soon as Tajon, Dias, Tabla got o the ball they were surrounded by at least 3 mexican players. With support those 3 would look a lot different. Tajon is a different player with NER and I think he will have a very stong season this year.

I was basing my negative comments on offensive performance when they did have time on the ball but either held onto it too long when there was an easy outlet or purposely ran into dead ends. That being said, I didn’t really have much of a negative impression in that regard with Dias or Tabla. It was more Tajon and some of the others like Brym