Fact – Dave rules.

I am very curious to see what Sigi does vs. SJ. Surely if we’re debating this so much here and elsewhere, Sigi and Brian and Co. have been talking it over and hashing it out since 9 pm Saturday.

I want Evans back in the middle. I’m not sure the best way to do that.
I want the Freddyain (how long till that becomes a household term?) on the field together. Duh. ’Nuff said.
I want Jaqua on the field, too.
Um…win, please?
Got that, Sigi? OK. Go crazy.

Also: Zakuani.

Maybe Zak on the right, where Riley can pick up his defensive leakiness. Ljungberg on the left, since he tracks back better.

I am not Sigi, though. I have led no team to victory. But neither to defeat! Saturday can’t come soon enough!

Hey Dave, another great post. I was looking forward to your take on this game and I am certainly not disappointed. Just like it was early days when we won three straight in pretty emphatic style, it’s still early days now that we’ve lost two in pretty unfortunate circumstances. I think any coach who’s thinking “Ah, so that’s how you beat them” will soon find himself thinking again.

One thing I think is important to remember about this, and you did touch on this a little bit, is that while Dragavon and Eylander are both good goalkeepers, Keller is arguably the best American goalkeeper ever. Knowing that the guy between the posts is a living legend and still playing at the top of his game gives you the confidence to take more risks and play more freely. For example, knowing that it takes something truly extraordinary to beat your keeper means that your wingbacks can move forward at will without worrying about the space that they’re leaving back in defense. That in turn allows the Sigi’s Game/Total Football type tactics where the whole team attacks and defends en masse. The good news is that Keller isn’t likely to miss many more game, so that problem is likely solved for the forseeable future.

As for the Freddyain (by the way, how would that be pronounced? I want to say Freddy-ah-een, but to me everything that isn’t English is Portuguese, so I don’t know if my instincts are serving me well on that …. ) Right, as for them, I think the idea of playing Ljungberg on the right sounds good, but I wonder if makes it too easy for the opposition to isolate him. At the same time, having him in the center would seem to crowd out Montero.

Whatever they end up doing with the Freddyain, it seems clear that the two holding mids are an absolute necessity to allow our style of play to flourish. The possibility that intrigues me is Seba as a defensive mid next to Alonso. I know Evans is highly trusted by Sigi and has performed well in that role, but the idea of Seba’s workrate and speed next to Alonso’s toughness is a pretty appealing thought.

The final area I think we need to resolve is the set play situation. A team that gets fouled the way we do and earns corners like we do simply must produce from set plays. Right now we’re leaving a goal or two on the table each game because we’re not able to take advantage of all the opportunities our opponents are giving us. A team that gets fouled 18 times and earns two corners should have at least one goal to show for that, and probably more. The Chivas-brand foul-them-into-oblivion tactics have got to be punished and the best way to do that is to put the ball in the back of the net on a regular basis from set plays.

All in all, I think our chances are good against SJ. The Return of Keller (sort of like The Return of the King, but different) will help matters greatly, especially if the two holding mids scheme returns as well. It’s a little ironic that having our two best players start together for the first time ends up derailing things a little bit, but it’s not hard to understand why that is. The team has been preparing since January to play in a specific way that suited the available players. To change that scheme all of a sudden, even to accommodate our best players was always going to be disruptive. To combine that with losing Keller at the same time ended up being a little too much for the team to take on board.

Doh! Sorry Dave. That previous comment was getting a little epic, so I dropped it into Word, but I didn’t realize it would crap all that hidden CSS onto my comment when I pasted it back. My bad.

I like the idea of returning Evans back to the center with Alonso and pushing Ljundberg out to the right with Zakuani on the left if we stick with a 4-4-2. I like Seba´s work rate, but I don´t think he´s done an adequate job at either getting behind the defense or in serving quality balls into the center (what I believe to be the main jobs of wingers).
What about a 3-5-2 with Ljunberg, Evans, and Alonso in center and Zakuani on the left with Seba on the right? We have so many more games for the Freddyains to figure out their spacing in order to compliment each other.

Anyways, I´m excited to see what Sigi does. Despite losing two games, I still believe we have one of the most exciting teams to watch in MLS and I haven´t seen a team that we can run with. I believe that once things are figured out we can seriously contend for the Cup!

sorry…I haven´t seen a team that we can´t run with.

I definitely think that we have the talent and players to make this thing work for the long haul. Sigi just has to iron out his tactics and positioning.

I don’t think we have anything to worry about!

Personally, I am not one to panic. We are still in second place in the west. MSL teams are horrible on the road and win at about a 25% clip. Add in the fact that we played Chivas, the chances of us winning were small.

In my head, I have ran so many different starting combinations, but only Sigi has ultimate control. If I were to take anyone off (and move Ljunberg up front), it would be Jaqua, as I am not as high on his as others. Besides, I am still pissed at him for not hustling on the KC goal that he could have easily stopped.

Anyway, every thing is Sigi’s decision and with two Cups, I trust him to make the correct one.

My prediction is that we will win this weekend and be 4-2 and everyone who was worried can relax.

Coug1990-you know it is the MLS not MSL? just checking, Jaqua is going to stay in for the time being because in the preseason it was the Jaqua—Montero combination that got the scoring going. Sigi won’t drop that component until the Frel to Frem combination gets going. Then I can see Jaqua moved into another formation and Seba working his way in, maybe over to the right.

I am sentimental for the frenchman and I believe there is much that he can offer this team and his fire and fight will be seen. I believe Zak might be good for a couple of dynamic runs but will probably drift off if he sees too much gametime-he is a rookie by the way. I am perfectly fine with changing our wings in the second half, pound the wingbacks with our speed and break them down.

Kent,

I’m baffled by people who insist that a better player should be on the bench rather than starting. The same logic that you use for Zakuani being on the bench could be used for Ljungberg not starting so that he could also take advantage of the tired backs of the opponents.

Oops! Yes I know it is MLS and have typed the correct abbreviation on numerous occasions.

With 30 games plus the Open Cup matches, etc., Sigi will be able to and be forced (injuries, etc.) to play different combinations. Even though we have hit a speed bump, I still think we are one of the top for teams in MLS and once we get to the playoffs, anything can happen.

Dave,

Zak is only the better player at dribbling in the final third, the other two thirds of the field Seba is more productive. Zak doesn’t track back as well. Plus Seba’s dead ball stylings were better than any other player on the field (which I don’t understand, because he is tall and should be in the box). They are different players with different abilities and should be used as such, they are not interchangeable, and in a flowing open game where it is played back and forth, box to box Zakuani doesn’t fit, Seba does. Scott needs the assistance, as would any left back in our league.

If we decide to slow the game down and be very deliberate in our attack then Zak is my choice. This would represent a change in the strategy from the initial games where we dominated with wave after wave of attacks. Zak is not the full 90 player, at the moment he is the second half change, at the 60 or 70 minute. I am not proposing hockey-style shifts, if that’s what you were assuming I was saying?

From memory, Sigi’s subs in the second half have been primarily wingers, i.e. he is doing what I was proposing he keep doing. Change up the style, bring fresh legs to the attack, and modify the form of the team to suit the opposition’s adjustments. Llungberg isn’t a winger, he is a central playmaker CM/F so as great as hise speed might be, it is not crucial to his success on the team. He just needs his touches.

Dave, thank you for your insight! Can we get you voted in already?

thanks, this forum is more educated then MLSR for which I am grateful. I know Frel was a winger but aren’t SSFC placing him into the middle? Seba was a 10 or 11 and they are pushing him into a winger position, just like they are doing with Steve.

p.s. I am blind to Seba’s faults and do not see him as poorly as other seem to do. If only Seba and Zak had a bioengineered hybrid offspring then I would be satisfied.

As Sigi has said, Montero and Evans played all training camp together getting to know each others games, where they like the ball, when they are going to run, etc.

Since Ljunberg missed almost all of training camp, they just need time together to understand each other. They don’t click now, but both are too talented and too unselfish for this not to work in the long run.

Give them time together and we will laugh that we were even discussing what is wrong with them in the first place.

Have I told you lately how you effing rock? Nice analysis here, Dave!