Seattle Sounders Fall to Red Bull New York 1-nil - Quick Recap
by Dave Clark on Mar 19, 2011 6:57 PM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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It was another game where a supposedly deep starting lineup was forced into two adjustments. O'Brian White continues to fill in for Blaise Nkufo both spatially, and in his hold up play, but missed a few opportunities to score. The larger adjustment was made when Coach Sigi Schmid was forced by lingering injury pulling Steve Zakuani from the lineup.
The shift was intriguing. Erik Friberg went to the outside and Sounders fans got to see draft pick Servando Carrasco. The two CDM formation played at times like a bucket 4-4-2 and at other times like a 4-2-3-1. Either way it should have been better against the counter than we saw against the Los Angeles Galaxy, and for a majority of the game that was true.
Except for on the one goal by Juan Agudelo. Another game where Seattle died by the counter. A long ball and release where a young skillfull, technical and fast player had to beat one centerback and an aging fullback. He did, and the New York Red Bulls rode that goal to victory.
There were long stretches where Seattle didn't just absorb the pressure, but took the pressure and bounced out of it into the attack. Many of these plays involved two of Alvaro Fernandez, Fredy Montero and White. In the end Greg Sutton was the mediocre keeper who played better than he should and prevented what would be a tying goal.
We continue to see a pattern of substitution choice that could be only baffling. Flaco wasn't the problem, there actually wasn't a problem. He didn't seem tired. A better choice if more offense was needed would have been Lamar Neagle for Servando Carrasco. Roger Levesque is a better lead protector, than goal scorer against MLS first teams. And that sub should have been at about the 61st minute. Seeing Mauro Rosales in the game was a solid preview of his ability, but he likely should have been the 2nd sub, with Levesque as the third.
Part of this has to do with injury. A fully healthy Seattle club probably doesn't see ANY of those three on the pitch. Part of it has to do with Sigi's choices not making sense to us.
The original tactics were solid. The concept was true. Seattle got beat by an MLS Cup contender. Sure, Kasey Keller stopped a Penalty from Thierry Henry, but this was a match where Seattle was capable of a result and lost. They were not dominated. But, it is still a loss and next Friday's game increases in importance as many in the League will be down men for international friendlies, while Seattle will be a week closer to health.
Later this week we'll look at the Counter, and Rafa the upback.
Quotes & Stats below the break
Scoring Summary:
NY – Agudelo (Tainio) 70’
Misconduct Summary:
SEA – Hurtado (61’)
Lineups:
Seattle Sounders (4-4-2, right to left): Kasey Keller (captain) – James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez – Alvaro Fernandez (Mauro Rosales 68’), Servando Carrasco (Lamar Neagle 80’), Osvaldo Alonso, Erik Friberg – Fredy Montero, O’Brian White (Roger Levesque 73’)
New York Red Bulls (4-4-2, right to left): Greg Sutton – Jan Gunnar Solli, Rafael Marquez, Tim Ream, Roy Miller – Dane Richards (Danleigh Borman 90’), Teemu Tainio, Mehdi Ballouchy (Tony Tchani 68’), Joel Lindpere – Juan Agudelo, Thierry Henry (captain)
| NEW YORK | SEATTLE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHO
Shots
|
17
|
|
10
|
SHO
Shots
|
| SOG
Shots on Goal
|
6
|
|
5
|
SOG
Shots on Goal
|
| SVS
Saves
|
5
|
|
5
|
SVS
Saves
|
| F
Fouls
|
10
|
|
17
|
F
Fouls
|
| OFF
Offsides
|
1
|
|
3
|
OFF |
| CK
Corner Kicks
|
11
|
|
0
|
CK |
Seattle Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid
On tonight’s match:
“I thought New York had more of the game in the first half, the possession for sure. We knew that was going to happen. I thought we created some good chances of the counterattack during the first half but at the end of the day we gave up a bad goal. We got to be better than that.”
On kicking off the season with two straight losses:
“We have to move on. The league gave us the toughest schedule to begin the season with. It’s a punishment for having good crowds, you know that’s why we end up playing the opener and we have to go again on the road. It would have been nice to only play one game but it is what it is and we know we are a better team. When we play two of the better teams in the league and show that we can play them pretty even. Now we just have to make sure that we come out with the results.”
On starting midfielder Servando Carrasco:
“I thought it gave us the best chance to win the game. We knew Carrasco could help out defensively, which is something that we needed. We knew we wanted to counter and Carrasco is one of our better long passers of the ball. He can get the ball forward and open up the counter for us. (Erik) Friberg has got a good engine and you know he can get up and down which can help us double back on (Dane) Richards, which I thought we did a good job on him for about 65 or 70 minutes and then when the game opened up and he got some chances.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC FORWARD FREDY MONTERO
On tonight’s match:
“Tough match. We can see once again that whoever doesn’t score gets scored on and that’s the truth.”
On the difference between the first and second half of the game:
“We lost possession of the ball in the second half. We gave up on the counterattack which is the way we wanted to play and they managed to score a lone goal that gives them the victory and the three points.”
On the next match versus Houston:
“We have to come up with a new game plan and we have to win. We have got to keep our head up and realize that this is not the end. We have to keep on moving forward. We have done some good things on the pitch but it is obviously not enough. We have got to give more.”
On his hopes of being called up to the Colombian National Team:
“I have to get back to my highest level, two games have passed and I want to score. If that’s enough to go back to the National Team then I will welcome it. Every Colombian player wishes he can wear the jersey for the National Team.”
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC DEFENDER JEFF PARKE
On tonight’s match:
“You know it’s up and down. They ran us over the field the first 25 minutes and then we settled in a little bit. In the second half, I felt that we had a better level of play but we missed on some chances and they capitalized on one of theirs. It’s frustrating and tough to swallow but we have a new game next week so we have to move on.”
On how the team can move on to face Houston:
“Finish our chances. We are going to come up with chances and we have to do better defensively keeping them off the board so that we can give ourselves a chance to sneak one at the end for three points.”
On coming back to New York:
“It’s beautiful. It’s nice. It’s good to be back. It’s even better to see they have a great stadium and a great crowd and I look forward to playing here in the future.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS HEAD COACH HANS BACKE
On if he thought the missed penalty kick by Thierry Henry early on would come back in hurt the team:
“Yeah, it happens in most of the games. We started very well in the first 15 to 20 minutes. [We] missed a penalty but, anyhow, created some decent chances and then suddenly we looked a little bit wide open for Seattle’s breaks. I think they had four good, really good chances in the last 25 of the first half. In the second half, I think we controlled it in a good way. I liked our intention, the build-up, so we don’t force it too much as we did last year and fully deserved to win at the end of the day.”
On the emergence of Juan Agudelo in tonight’s game:
“Yeah, he surprised me today. We all know that he has decent pace, that he is an athlete. He is very hard to play against but I was very happy with his decision making today. In our build-up, I don’t think he had many, many lost balls or unforced errors compared to last year. He played safe now.”
On Thierry Henry’s penalty kick and who decides who takes the penalty kicks:
“In the preseason, we didn’t have that many. [Rafa] Marquez scored against Atlas from the penalty spot. I can’t remember the shootout we had against Atlante in the friendly but we scored, I think, four out of five. Normally, it is good that the captain steps up and takes the penalty after nine or 10 minutes.”
On the play of Greg Sutton:
“Great. He had some key saves in the first half. With a tricky guy like [Fredy] Montero, he’s definitely a player who can make a difference, I think he saved two or three from Montero. Yeah, he had a great game today, [Greg] Sutton.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD JUAN AGUDELO
On scoring his first MLS Goal:
“It feels good. I know people have been saying, have been waiting for me to get that MLS goal and it’s great to do it at the opener. There’s a lot of people here. I’m just really happy.”
On the goal:
“I noticed that they had a high line and the defenders were biting a little bit behind me when I was trending toward the ball so I just cut and looked for the long ball. It was a perfect ball by Teemu (Tainio), couldn’t have been played better. I just tried to get my body in front of the defenders, saw the goalkeeper come out, took a shot and it was 10 times better because that’s what I was trying to do, curl it toward the far post. As a player I think that’s special, when you try to do something and it works out perfect.”
On Seattle’s defense on the goal:
“I knew he (Leo Gonzalez) was going to try to come hard, and if he would have fouled me it would have been a red card. I just tried to get in front of him and if I got fouled, I got fouled, if I didn’t get fouled I’m going to take a shot. And I was able to take a shot and score.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS MIDFIELDER TEEMU TAINIO
On setting up Agudelo’s goal:
“I saw there was a big space behind him and he made the first cut, so all I had to do was play the ball behind the defense in front of Agudelo and he did the rest.”
On the match:
“We didn’t create that many great chances. Of course, it’s the first game of the season, you have to remember that, it’s the early days, so when guys get to know each other and play more games I think it will come more easily. But I think when teams come here they try to close us down. We were able to keep the ball on the ground and play the short passes. But like I said, sometimes we have to play the direct balls. We have to find the solution when to play the long ball or when to keep it on the ground.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS DEFENDER JAN GUNNAR SOLLI
On his first MLS match:
“I think I played a safe game. I wasn’t trying to do too much, it was my first game as a right back. I played seven friendly games and none of them as a right back. Me and Rafa (Marquez), we managed to – and also the back four – I think we were pretty solid. Of course we gave away a couple of chances but that’s not only our fault, it’s a whole team and, I think we gave away a couple of too easy big chances. But in the end we controlled the game, we didn’t get dragged into too much in the way Seattle plays.”
On playing with Rafa Marquez:
“You have to listen to a guy like him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s really good at making me stay in the right positions all the time. I think we did well in the way we communicated and the way we were helping each other”.
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Can someone please tell Fredy
That it’s ok to pass to players that don’t speak spanish. OBW might be the second coming of Drogba or could be a complete waste…we’ll never know with the passing pattern today.
It’s an offense that feels more pick up game with your friends in a park and you picked up a couple strangers to fill spots then a team that is executing on all cylindars.
OBW going the route of frustration that all others playing along side Fredy have gone. 1) Try until 2) You get frustrated not getting the ball and drop back and finally 3) ball hog because you know no one will pass if back if you pass it to them.
Or making
a short pass to someone that’s open instead of attempting to shoot on goal or cross into the box or even those dumb long passes to no where.
I thought the middle of the field was very empty of Sounders most of the game
We didn’t seem to have a controling presence in the offensive half in the middle. We had good joy down the wings, but Corasco and Alonso stayed too far back.
that too
but things its the things that i notice them keep doing when they are close to the box that doesn’t work where a pass or a shot etc would done better really ticks me off.
well weren't they intended
to be CDM’s? would make sense that they stayed back.
by Scott Brandt on Mar 19, 2011 7:30 PM PDT up reply actions
one could have come up at times, and they did
but if there is width from one of the fullbacks the wide mids should dive in
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Friberg
Friberg did this well, on the rare occasion that Leo entered the attack.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 21, 2011 8:38 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh come on
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 19, 2011 7:29 PM PDT up reply actions
Can we please for the love of all that is holy stop looking for ways to blame Fredy for everything?
For heaven’s sake Fredy is one of the best players on the team. He is not the problem, he’s nowhere near the problem. You know who is the problem? Players like O’Brian White. You know why? Because they aren’t good.
by Aaron Campeau on Mar 19, 2011 9:28 PM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
I agree on the Montero bit...
…but I’m not just yet convinced about OBW. Of course, I’ve only seen him for 180 minutes. I’m more of the opinion that the jury is still out on him. I thought he had some good moments tonight when he was dropped back towards midfield, but he didn’t show much in the final third. I know, I know, he’s a forward, and needs to be best in the final third, but having seen Zakuani improve over the last couple of years makes me think that other successful collegiate players might improve given some time.
Universal to every fanbase
Seems to be that if something goes wrong, people like to blame the best player on the team.
Writer: CougCenter Twitterer: @GradyClapp
by Grady Clapp on Mar 19, 2011 10:41 PM PDT up reply actions
OBW misses chances
he is a center forward by trade. This isn’t Brad Evans getting a run-out at center forward, this is a former college start who gets paid because he is supposed to score… yeah, its only been two games, which is the ONLY reason I’m not giving up on him…yet
maybe there;s a reason Toronto didn’t want him?!
...that's MISTER Keller to you!!!
by malcontentjake on Mar 19, 2011 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Would a player of greater quality have made the chances that OBW missed?
Twice it was with the ball basically in the keepers hands already.
Those are moot points. No one makes those.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I'm not looking for ways to blame him
It’s just blatenly obvious he only likes to play with his friends. Anyone not in his inner circle gets incredibly frustrated playing with him. Instead of getting more cohesive as time goes on, our offense gets less cohesive the longer the group is together.
I would vehemently disagree
If it was as obvious as you think it is, something would be done about it. And how, exactly, does that explain his seeming ability to work just fine with Steve Zakuani and Nate Jaqua?
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 20, 2011 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions
You think he plays well with Nate Jaqua
Seriously?
Oh, definitely.
Probably more no-look flicks and passes between those two than between any other pair. They know where the other is, and know where they’re going.
by Cornchops on Mar 20, 2011 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 4 recs
Yes and No
This is true. But they also seem to have trouble finding the net. Which is really the crux of the problem.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 21, 2011 8:37 PM PDT up reply actions
Except they find the net
more than anyone else besides Zakuani.
by Cornchops on Mar 22, 2011 8:41 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
100 Points
Wa our goal. Now its shot. Who else should shoulder the blame? Hmmmm?
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 21, 2011 8:36 PM PDT up reply actions
There's also a disturbing trend of Seattle turning into a long ball team at half
I don’t have trouble with the long ball, but when Seattle’s strength is its technical ability and is having success with that it can’t try to do the long ball and sprint game.
Maybe when Zakuani, Fucito and White are all on the pitch at the same time, but not in this game and espeically not with these players. Two games in a row Seattle switched orientation like this, neither was it appropriate.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
yeah. i noticed this too.
for the sounders long balls arent going to work most of the time.
also sigi needs sub training.
if his subbing of fernandez continues i can see another dp leaving
then
whats the point of even having DPs if all they is keep leaving. Yes season is still young and there are 32 games left but I wonder when is the FO gonna held sigi responsible for our on the field problems instead of replacing players that leave (non expansion draft/retirement) or Seattle gets rid of.
When is it time to consider that maybe sigi isn’t the person for the job of HC.
This is on Sigi
We are yet to score a goal. Subbing Fernandez early when he clearly is not this issue is frustrating beyond words. 2 CDMs killed the offense and didn’t improve the defense. And I won’t even bother brining up Blaise N’kufo (although I just did).
by _zorbthegeek on Mar 19, 2011 8:19 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
I don't
think playing a two CDM in a 4-4-2 formation is the answer maybe in a 3-5-1 formation but i doubt we’ll see that happen.
personally i like a 4-2-3-1 formation
pretty much all the top teams use it with tons of success
I have a ton of problems with Sigi's tactical approach but there was nothing wrong with playing a defensive formation tonight.
by Aaron Campeau on Mar 19, 2011 9:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Agreed
Most any team in the league would love to hold NY to zero and try and find a goal somewhere. I have no problem with the approach, especially given the injury situation.
The substitutions did leave most, including me, scratching our heads.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 3:38 AM PDT up reply actions
So oddly just over 25% of Shots on Goal result in a goal
Seattle “should” have outscored its opponents 3:2+the penalty. Of course that’s over many seasons, but let’s recall the Sounders opened against two of the best teams in league.
Zero points suck. The Subs are baffling.
Things aren’t broken.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
That is why
i’m not ticked of the results. But i’m frustrated at issues that continue to happen with no long term solutions in sight. I mean solutions that last multiple seasons not short solutions only last half a season (ie N’kufo).
Its the difference between being ticked off and disappointed.
We could have come out of these games with 1 or 3 points. Instead we are at zero. Not entirely unexpected, but comparatively speaking we didn’t play that badly. We just want to see some goals fall.
by magistermilitum on Mar 19, 2011 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions
I must be in the minority
I still don’t see Alvaro bringing that much where I think it’s crazy to see him subbed off. I thought he looked much better tonight than he did on Tuesday, for sure, but in my view, he doesn’t seem to be on the same page with his teammates a lot of the time. He’s also not particularly quick, and I don’t think it was so unreasonable to put Rosales in for Alvaro tonight.
I didn’t like Levesque for White, though I thought it was reasonable to take White out, so I guess I could say I half agree with Sigi there.
But for the most part, I’m not a big believer in the impact of subs. They are the easiest thing to latch on to, but I don’t think they are the most important. Usually when I look through just about anyone’s player ratings, subs get incomplete ratings and have nearly no impact on the game. I don’t think that’s where the Sounders are winning or losing games.
Ultimately, I’d say my only concern so far is our ability to neutralize counter-attacks. That and for as much as we’ve failed to convert on set pieces in the past, it seemed like we weren’t generating many set piece chances tonight, so I worry about that to some degree. The offense hasn’t clicked yet, but I think it will come. We’ve been dangerous too often so far for me to get too down on the offense.
I agree with much of what you have written
but who subs when is important. Most of the good offense involved Alvaro tonight, losing him hurt.
But I don’t think using matchday player ratings to evaluate a sub is at all proper. Several people doing ratings of Sounders games think that effort is more important than actually having skill or tactical awareness.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
Hmmm..
I don’t think we were watching the same game, Dave.
Fernandez gave the ball away no less than 10 times on incredibly lazy passes. He had some good moments, yes, but let’s not forget that he’s a DP. He isn’t playing like a DP. The same mistakes he made tonight he made against L.A., which is probably why he was subbed.
Subbed off in the 62nd minute against L.A. and in the 68th minute tonight.
The bottom line for me is that we’re not getting the production out of him that we need to, and I’m not sure he’s worth an incredibly valuable DP spot.
If
it wasn’t for the transfer fee we paid to get Alvaro, he wouldn’t be a DP.
How long does that make him a DP for then?
I assume the whole length of his contract, but if it is shorter or can be made shorter then great.
I'm not sure I would characterize any of Alvaro's passing as lazy...
…although to be honest, I’m not sure I could distinguish a lazy pass from a not-lazy pass. What you say about Alvaro losing the ball, though, goes with my sense that he’s been a bit of an offensive black hole these last couple of games. The ball gets to him, and he sort of does well enough on an individual skill level, but has seemed to have real issues linking up with teammates. Now, I’m kind of an optimist, and I kind of wonder if these guys just need a bit more time playing together to sort things out.
Alvaro almost reminds me of Ljungberg sometimes where he’ll play a ball that, in and of itself, seems like kind of a good idea, but no one else on the team had remotely the same idea. I’m curious if other people have gotten that impression. That seems like something which can be improved with time, hopefully. After all, isn’t part of the idea with a younger DP that he can still improve?
YES
I also think this needs to be pointed out: he just doesn’t seem like a “winger” to me. I want my wingers to run at people, use their legs, make the fullbacks work. Flaco just seems to hold the ball up; he plays like central player. I want my wingers to be wingers, and he hasn’t been that.
...that's MISTER Keller to you!!!
by malcontentjake on Mar 19, 2011 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions
This is why
Nyassi started over him last year. I’ve taken my share of grief over saying that last year, but now that the evil Nyassi is gone and Flaco is starting, nirvana still eludes us on the right.
And you honestly believe Nyassi would be doing better?
There’s just no way Nyassi has any kind of positive effect that Flaco didn’t bring in these last two games. He certainly wasn’t the only problem last year, but I don’t think anyone ever said that.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 20, 2011 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions
The Ball Simply Stops
the second it gets to Fernandez. Sometimes you’ll get a pretty decent pass from him. Sometimes even a nifty pass. But you never see this guy carry and take the ball at the offense and in my mind, that’s exactly the problem. Agudelo scored last night because he had a set. He was willing to take on a very good CB and defender and beat them. Frankly, it could have just as easily gone the other way. But he took the chance. Fernandez looks afraid to bring it. How many times did he have the ball wide open on the wing, only to stop, look around, and allow the entire NY team to catch up to our offense.
Black hold indeed. I like the guy, but there is something VERY tentative in his game right now. Sigi needs to tell him to take the ball like his pants are on fire, challenge the offense (this goes for a lot of our offensive players), make them commit and then spring a player with a pass.
you cant spring players who are not there
Most of the time there was very little support for the front four when the Sounders were on the attack.
by Jo-Jo on Mar 20, 2011 7:03 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
That's kind of my point
the reason the players aren’t “there” is because pressure is, at best, being inconsistently applied to the defense when he has the ball. Running at the defense and forcing them to react is a basic tenant of good offense in nearly every running sport. If Fernandez simply turns quickly, runs at or around the defense, they have to cover, usually with a double team. Once that happens, OBW, Montero, etc., are all looking at space in the box. Instead, we the ball gets stopped, the defense gets back, here comes the cross and, gee, no one’s open. I don’t expect Fernandez to run at and beat the defenders (although at a DP salary, we probably should expect that occasionally)…. just apply pressure and force their hand.
so you would rather see him take on the entire defense like sanna used to do
And dribble the team out of an attacking opportunity? Personally, I don’t mind seeing him hold the ball up and wait for the attack to build. The other mids need to get up and support because the forwards are going to be moving towards the box. He’s been left with no support centrally, and he is not speed burner so screaming down the wing isn’t really an option either. You can go at defenders all you want, but if there isn’t a teammate with 50 yards of you then you’re just going to end up taking on three defenders and turning the ball over. Personally, I’m glad we’ve got him there, as more of a technician than Sanna, because I got tired of watching him dribble the ball right into a turnover.
by Jo-Jo on Mar 20, 2011 8:14 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Wow, really?
that’s what you got out of reading my post? What part of “occasionally” sounds like every time?
Actually, Fernandez has VERY good speed, not much quickness. It takes him a while to get up to full speed, but once he is, he’s credible.
Yeah, really.
That is what I gather from reading your comments. What in my comment sounded like “every time”?
by Jo-Jo on Mar 20, 2011 11:21 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
The second you said Sanna
I want Flaco to push the ball, not dribble into the defense (although you’ve got to do that sometimes) and create a sense of urgency both for our offense and the opposing defense.
maybe instead of pressing
A calm, strong on the ball attacker who makes good decisions will benefit the team more.
by Jo-Jo on Mar 20, 2011 6:08 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I definitely don't take the ratings as a be-all, end-all...
…but it jives with my feeling that subs don’t generally have a big impact on the game. I’ll keep an open mind, though, and try to pay more attention to the matter.
Games like
this i end up turning it off coming on here or watch something. Last 4 out 5 MLS games (including playoffs) i ended up stop watching and it really becoming a habit. Its a habit i really want to get rid of.
Any suggestions?
I do fine with meaningless games but its usually games that matter that i have the habit of stop watching them.
Why do you stop watching?
What are you talking about? Unless its 4-0 or something they have a shot at coming back (until the final minutes anyway).
Very confused by this comment.
by magistermilitum on Mar 19, 2011 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
I lose
interest in watching that is why. Soccer is still a new sport for me. I barely watch the other Seattle sports anymore cause i am no longer interested nor really care.
I started watching the sounders cause it was new and fresh.
I want to be where i watch the entire game regardless of how the team performance and the ref’s performance for that matter.
Pick a player to watch
no matter what else is happening, you can just watch one player to see how they move without the ball. Very educational.
Nos Audietis
by sidereal on Mar 19, 2011 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Just don't turn the game off
Take a couple deep breaths. It’s only fun if you let it be.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 19, 2011 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
this is also a great suggestion
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 19, 2011 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions
not
sure if that helps cause i don’t drink.
there's always glue... :)
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 19, 2011 10:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Rubber cement is where it's at. It's what got me through middle school.
I write for Stumptown Footy, SB Nation's Portland Timbers blog.
by thehemogoblin on Mar 20, 2011 12:43 AM PDT up reply actions
I think I figured out
Why you and I are the only fans of Eintracht west of the Mississippi.
Who would of thought teen years spent with Elmer’s made the difference?
Oh, and yay for us. About freaking time.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 3:47 AM PDT up reply actions
It's because my mom grew up about 30 minutes outside of Frankfurt and always rooted for Die Adler as a child.
How’d you end up rooting for Eintracht Frankfurt?
I write for Stumptown Footy, SB Nation's Portland Timbers blog.
by thehemogoblin on Mar 20, 2011 11:41 AM PDT up reply actions
Spent a year in Frankfurt
As a foreign exchange student. First taste of what soccer supporters could be. And my first taste of hating all things Bavarian except the beer.
I’m a true believer that the Bundesliga plays the most appealing and beautiful ball in the world- not the best teams, but the most attractive soccer.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions
Results aside
What an awesome advertisement for American soccer tonight, I thought it was an excellent mix of technical soccer, with the physical flair that seems to characterize the MLS (not over board like it so often gets).
Great players, great atmosphere, wide open
by ClosetCoug on Mar 19, 2011 10:48 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
The shoulder challenge against Leo
Was nearly overboard.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 3:48 AM PDT up reply actions
I have no problem with the use of hips/shoulders yesterday
the push-offs and pull-downs were an issue, but only because they weren’t called both ways.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
In general
Neither do I. In this case it was right at the border of too much and okay. It was a REALLY strong shoulder off the ball. Agreed that it would be nice for the ref to be consistent with regards to this.
Also, TV angle was crap for determining- but the through ball looked offside, no? I know I couldn’t really make a good decision, but wondered if this is what others saw as well.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Frankly a lot of that was due
to the fact that the game was played on grass, in a great stadium. A lot of the stuff that made the game look attractive last night wouldn’t work on artificial surface.
That isn't true
As you could tell the field was in poor shape already. IN GAME ONE it had potholes and burnt/dead grass. The ball did NOT travel true as it would go from fast to slow and bouncy.
For their first game.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
You really love that rubber tire surface, don't you?
I thought their field looked great, and frankly led to attractive football at times. I don’t get the love affair people have with that fake field.
Artificial turf beats the hell out of a beaten, worn, and destroyed natural grass field
which is exactly what you would see at Qwest with two teams (three when Husky Stadium begins renovations) playing there.
I have no love affair with Field Turf
I have a love affair with truth.
The near side of Red Bull Arena was burnt and pockmarked.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
And it still looked and played
Ten times better than the bouncy tire field in Seattle.
Thoroughly outplayed and beaten
by both teams we’ve played so far. 11-0 on corner kicks tells the story. Frankly if I was the New York coach I’d be all over my team this morning asking why, with that kind of domination, they only scored one goal.
“Meet the New Sounders…ta da….ta da
Same as the Old Sounders…ta da…ta da”
(With apologies to Pete Townsend)
11-0 on corner kicks is a horribly misleading stat
If that’s the best you can point to, I’m not sure there’s a conversation to be had. Corner kick are easily the most misleading stat in the game.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 20, 2011 9:58 AM PDT up reply actions
It takes 20 to equal a goal
Shots on Goal is a much better measure.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
No
Actually scoring goals is a much better measure. Something, you will note, we are apparently incapable of doing.
there is no relationship between past goals and future
So it is an awful way to discuss future.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
by Dave Clark on Mar 20, 2011 12:51 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
No, it's not 'the best I can point to'.
Zero goals in 180 minutes of football is the best I can point to.
The corner kicks are merely indicative of attacking football in the other team’s penalty area.
But then you knew that, didn’t you?
Dude, you're wrong
Goals are indicative of results, that’s really all. If you’re looking for signs, and not just trying to read the scoreline, you really need to look at scoring chances and shots on goal. In both areas, the Sounders have done well. Last year, they were the best team at earning corners, what did that get them?
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 20, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions 5 recs
Dude?
Jeez, my mistake. I thought I was discussing this with an adult.
Thius just in…. Goals are what the game is all about. Scoring them. If you score more than the other team, you win. It’s a simple philosophy.
Dude.
And I thought you were interesting in actual analysis
There’s really no point in discussing “whoever scores more wins.” If you have any interest in taking a deeper look, please feel free to enlighten us.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 21, 2011 11:26 AM PDT up reply actions
Here's a nice primer:
The Goal Value of Corners: Zero.
I don’t think there’s any reasonable way to say that the Sounders were ‘thoroughly outplayed’ versus LA. They were thoroughly outplayed at times yesterday, but the period during which they conceded the goal wasn’t one of them. Giving up 2 goals in 2 games to MLS Cup contenders is great defense. And generating more than 10 shots on goal is great. They just didn’t go in.
Nos Audietis
Really?
Shots on goal launched from 30 yards, which Montero does every time he gets the opportunity, proves nothing.
We got thoroughly outplayed for most of the game yesterday, and we largely survived on luck.
“They just didn’t go in”….the refrain we heard all of last season and what we’re hearing now as an excuse for not scoring. There’s a reason they don’t go in. It’s because they’re lousy shots.
Montero maybe had two long shots
Both of them were good. We also had several other chances much closer. Not seeing your point.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Mar 20, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
+1
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions
I'll elaborate...
How many high level goals are scored collecting rebounds from wicked outside strikes. Honestly a couple of Fredy’s shots have been nastier than Juninho’s “wonderstike”. I’m happy with him testing the keeper on occasion as long as he puts his strikes on goal. Which he has.
"But who would listen to Little old me anyway?"
-by thehemogoblin
by Little old me on Mar 20, 2011 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions
Agreed
Sutton was giving up rebounds left and right. The more often we can force that to happen, the more the players will be looking for second-chance opportunities to score. And in the last two games, Fredy’s done a pretty good job of keeping the strikes on frame, and it hasn’t been excessive yet.
The point is really quite simple
You are among a large group of Sounder fans still in awe of guys being able to string two passes together and think that we should all be happy with that.. Fans that expect more for their money simply don’t ‘get it’
Chances mean nothing. Goals mean everything. I couldn’t help but note that Vancouver scored 4 times in their season opener. Oh yeah, they won.
The point really is quite simple
And the fact that you’re not getting it despite 10 tries of explaining it to you doesn’t bode well.
Here’s another one.
You’re sitting at a blackjack table and you draw a ten and a two. You hit the 12 and you get another 10 and bust. You lost. Are you a bad blackjack player? Were you outplayed? I guess so, because all that matter at the end of the day is winning hands, right? So if you hit a 19 and get a 21, that was a great play because winning hands is what it’s all about, right?
Nos Audietis
by sidereal on Mar 21, 2011 2:25 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
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