Without Montero Who Plays at Forward?
by Dave Clark on Mar 31, 2011 6:58 PM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
Email
Print
Life without Fredy Montero will start this weekend, hopefully only this weekend due to his injury and recovery. Tomorrow the lineup card will be posted, and you'll see who we expect Sounders coach Sigi Schmid to start as his two forwards, but today let's just look at what could happen. First let's look within Sigi's Arrow, second at changes that could be inspired by San Jose Earthquakes stadium and then by just outright let's do something different.
Same for Same
Lamar Neagle - Once seen as the back-up to James Riley's back-up back in '09 Neagle is now seen as WF and RW type player with a bit of a scorer's touch. Ok, a lot of the touch at lower levels, but his time with the Sounders has been limited to sub play so far, and though he may have more of those intangibles (heart, desire, etc) than Fredy Montero he certainly doesn't have the skill on the ball.
David Estrada - He is on the roster. He's a withdrawn forward by trade. He has decent footwork and a bit of speed. He's also still developing and like Miguel Montano is a player for which the Reserve League exists.
Injuries rule out Mike Fucito at this time. Roger Levesque is obviously seen as a sub in many roles, not a starter in this. Pat Noonan is not going to start.
Buck Shaw is smaller
O'Brian White and Nate Jaqua Paired - Seattle used the twin towers as a prevantive measure last year. But that was with two slower types. OBW could play as a runner off of Nate's target and would force odd decisions on set-plays with two large bodies in the box. This would also change the way Seattle crosses the ball from their more typical low trajectory at the feet of runners (hopefully) to the head of either of a near/far post pairing with either the other wing or the center mid there. With a smaller stadium Seattle could go with a the larger bodies in the middle as speed is a little less important.
Now for Something Completely Different
Mauro Rosales - Certainly we've all been thinking of him as an attacking mid. But he does have some time as a forward, even as recently as '09 with River Plate in their 4-3-1-2. His energy probable wouldn't last a full game but 60 minutes to start by a man who clearly wants to show that he is not done with his career might just be that inspiration, although Seattle would lose his one touch crosses from the flank.
Steve Zakuani - Anyone else remember Akron in '08? They were merely good then, not OMG amazing. They were fueled by a certain young striker named Zakuani. And while he is the left midfielder of the present and future Seattle is a lot deeper on the wings than at forward. Overall this would be a defensive improvement (mainly by who ever plays left) but it would also mean that Seattle's offense would continue to funnel through its best attacker on the pitch.
Sigi has choices for his game without Montero. Which do you prefer?
64 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Is Fucito out for sure?
This quote by Sigi makes me think he could at least potentially come on as a sub:
(On Mike Fucito…) “He just rolled his ankle right at the beginning of training, so just as a precaution they took him in and we’ll see how he’s doing.”
Which, let's be clear makes me sad
because he was supposed to be the #2 at WF
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
If there wasn't the rolled ankle today just imagine what this site would be like?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
anyone but noonan.
and i dont want to see them rush anyone back to fast from injury (like fucito)
+1
“Pat Noonan is not going to start.”
I hope you’re right Dave. I fear that you’re wrong. Sigi has a weird attachment to ‘his’ players.
yeah im afraid of that too
I hate to say this but I think sigi will start noonan. I’m praying he doesn’t but he seems to really like and really stick with his guys
by Sandra_R on Mar 31, 2011 8:06 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
That's my main criticism of Sigi - some times it really doesn't seem like the team is a meritocracy.
La Vecchia Signora Forever!
I agree to some extent
but I’d say this is true of almost all the coaches I follow in any sport, college or pro. Coaches just have different POVs on players than fans do.
If Noonan Starts...
…I am going to lose my G.D. mind. Seriously. If Brad Evans starts at FW I am going to be furious, but less angry. To me these are the two least desirable choices, which means this is what I think Sigi is going to do.
Le sigh.
by _zorbthegeek on Apr 1, 2011 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions
The 2 options that most intrigue me...
are OBW and Jaqua or see Zakuani return to the forward position.
Who would Zakuani pair with… Jaqua? Is Jaqua ready for a full 90?
When I asked myself the question of who should start.
I answered back “Why not try Rosales?” I’d like to see it.
I think Jaqua has a pretty good record of wrecking shop on narrower/smaller fields.
I’d like to see the Jaqua/OBW combo, with Nate giving way to Rosales or a defensive player, depending on the late game situation.
I'll stick with what I said earlier today
Jaqua for 60 minutes, replaced by Rosales (hopefully) or Noonan (hopefully not) at WF. Jaqua and Rosales’ lack of fitness might make this problematic if neither’s ready to play 45+. I think White’s set at TF while Montero’s out and Jaqua’s needed at WF.
I don’t think we’ll see younger guys like Neagle or Montano, simply because Sigi’s got to be feeling some pressure to get some points and will lean on his vets.
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. We are all around you, there is no escape.
Probably wouldn't happen, but...
It would be interesting to see Zak move up to the WF spot with OBW. Tetteh could slot in on the left and Friberg on the right. It’s a lot of speed up front and the wings will be well-defended allowing whomever is in the middle and our full-backs to come forward into the attack more often. It would be a pretty risky line-up though with a rookie starting and Zak playing out of position.
Tetteh hasn't made the 18 yet
Hard to imagine Sigi starting him Saturday.
I’m intrigued (and have been) to see what Zakuani could do in the middle, but I just get the feeling Sigi wants to stabilize the lineup. That would mean somebody replacing Montero and no other changes.
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. We are all around you, there is no escape.
Rosales
From what little I’ve seen of him, I want to see more Rosales. I love his tenacity and he looks like he would be an excellent poacher. The heart with which he plays makes me think of Tevez.
Alvaro Fernandez
I’d love to see his good heading skills and touches in space in the center of the park in a role that doesn’t require much defense.
No matter what the lineup
Maybe there can be some lessons learned from this. With the right decisions, we could see very positive lineup changes in the future. At this point I don’t think a little premeditated experimentation would hurt.
Who knows, maybe a forced line-up change results in some serious thought, creativity and logic and makes for some nice surprises on Saturday….either way I’ll be wearing the colors and shouting at the TV. GO SOUNDERS!!!
Countering style 4-2-3-1 with Carrasco?
With this being an away game, our goleador being injured, and it being on smaller pitch, why not sit back and counter with Carrasco in the lineup? I’d imagine a lineup similar to NY:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~White~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Zakuani~~~Fernadez~~~Friberg~~~~
~~~~~~Alonso~~~~~~~Carrasco~~~~~~
~~Gonzalez~~Hurtado~~Parke~~Riley~~
If we weren't 0-2-1
If we had seven points right now I could see this lineup happening, though probably with Evans playing for Carrasco and sitting back farther on the pitch than he normally does. But my guess is Sigi opts for an aggressive lineup – the team really needs to build on last week’s strong offensive play and get Jaqua and Rosales more minutes.
I’d be really surprised if it wasn’t OBW and Jaqua starting, though that makes the sub situation trickier to figure out. The idea of moving Zak up top for this game really has merit, especially since I think he’s always been bottled up on the wings on San Jose’s narrow field.
by wannascribble on Mar 31, 2011 11:36 PM PDT up reply actions
...It will be Brad Evans
Just watch he’ll do it just like he did last year. If he does do that at least we could put Friberg in the middle
Yeah...
Kind of surprised no one else mentioned this. I really don’t want him starting but I’d put money on it that he gets the nod with Friberg back to the middle and Fernandez back on the right.
And for everyone getting down on Noonan… just remember, out of all the mids and forwards on the team, he has the most big game experience in MLS. Hands down. I know he didn’t impress last year, but he was injured and he looks a lot better now.
Jaqua and OBW would be an interesting combo. Same with Zakuani and OBW. I wouldn’t mind seeing either of those combos. But my preferred choice is Rosales.
Except they have more options than Evans
unlike last year
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
How does
Rosales do on the left wing? I really think Zakuani getting the nod up top would be great.
Maybe even give Montano a shot on the left wing. I want the kid to get minutes, he’s got the potential.
by SounderEvertonRomaFan on Mar 31, 2011 11:50 PM PDT reply actions
yep i wouldnt mind either of those.
we dont know what rosales does there but he should be okay..
even though i wouldnt mind montano playing i doubt thats what sigi will do
The small field in SJ
would be bad for Montano’s game IMO. He needs bigger spaces so he can run at the defense in order to be effective.
Just figured it would be good to debunk the small-field myth
The dimensions at Buck Shaw are basically the same as Qwest. Not sure where this started, maybe because Spartan Stadium really was tight, but Buck Shaw is 72×115. Had this confirmed by numerous sources.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Apr 1, 2011 9:01 AM PDT reply actions 2 recs
70x110 yards
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. We are all around you, there is no escape.
All of this ragging on Noonan gets a bit old...
I thought Noonan looked good against Colorado. Throughout his career, he’s been prone to injury, but he’s also been good enough to earn 15 caps with the USMNT. When he got most of his playing time last year, Alonso was out, and the team in general looked dreadful. While I would rather have a healthy Fucito than a healthy Noonan, I’m not going to say his career’s over until I see him out there with a decent central midfield.
At this point in his career, I don’t think Noonan’s any kind of savior, but we could do a lot worse for our #3 WF.
I actually like Noonan on the roster
But let’s not delude ourselves into believing he’s anything like the player who was once considered one of the best in MLS. That was like two major surgeries ago.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, North American soccer editor SB Nation and of course follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on Apr 1, 2011 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions
Why have so many given up on Noonan?
It seems we have never seen him fully healthy and integrated into the flow of the team. I like the presence he brings., he looks like some one you don’t want to f@#k with. We lack a little toughness still out there, don’t we? Be honest!
by seattle dude on Apr 1, 2011 11:58 AM PDT up reply actions
i think its because he is never healthy who is to say he will get healthy again
by Sandra_R on Apr 1, 2011 12:10 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
could say the same thing
about Fucito, just sayin. If you want a guy contesting with Omar Gonzales, is it the wee Fucito?
by seattle dude on Apr 1, 2011 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
Which of his injuries have been from contact with an opposing player?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I like Fucito too
he just seems snake bit with injury, so how’s he going to take the punishment in the middle? Noonan looks like he would be dealing out some hurt, giving as good as he gets.
Not saying he's one of the best in MLS...
….I’m just saying that the bitchfest which ensues every time his name is invoked got old a while ago. Having a veteran on the bench to balance out some of the youth can be a good thing.
Give Noonan some love
every car in the garage can’t be a corvette, you gotta have a coupe de ville in there too. Beside that, remember when he made that putt in Caddyshack!
by seattle dude on Apr 1, 2011 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
Except Noonan
is more like a rusted out 1980 Dodge Omni Horizon that has a bald compact spare on the left rear and the windshield duct-taped in place.
You will hear us on Brougham, you will hear us on Occidental, you will hear us on King. We are all around you, there is no escape.
Ouch! But, what scares me is
that I remember what ’80 Omni looked like! But, you gotta give him credit just for still running in that shape! HA
Options
As I stated in an earlier thread, I’d like to see the Jacqua/OBW match up on the small field.
But another option that I could see would be to have OBW or Jacqua paired with Friberg in the middle, Zakuani and Fernandez on the wings, Evans and Alonso in the MF. With Rosales and Jacqua/OBW coming off the bench.
I agree that Rosales may be the more intriguing option, but don’t see him as 90 minutes game fit yet. Nor do I see Sigi going with the reserve youngsters when he has Friberg, Fernandez, Jacqua, OBW, Zak, Evans and Rosales available.
Thanks
I had my computer open and was writing this post when his post hit the thread. So the two posts crossed paths. Watching Arlo White’s scouting report today that SJ may be succeptible to fast wing play may also flavor the decision making process.
by Abbott Smith on Apr 1, 2011 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions
ok so montero has not traveled and fucito is for sure out
Sigi mentioned jaqua, rosales and zakuani as possible replacements
by Sandra_R on Apr 1, 2011 11:37 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
Joshua Mayers
via his twitter feed
by LoiteringWithIntent on Apr 1, 2011 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions
Just when I juggled my fantasy roster
to bench Hurtado and start FM. Freddie was due for a brace at least this week! agh. Hope I get a mid auto-subbed for fm cause i started all three forwards this week.
by seattle dude on Apr 1, 2011 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions
You won't
The auto-subs only work forth same positions. It’s onemofnthe downsidesmof doing a three forward line.
bummer, i won't use that formation again
unless i’m out of roster moves late in a segment. at least i didn’t put the arm band on FM. Any body else refuse to sign rsl, la gal or pdx timmie players? Hate those teams so much I can’t bring myself to have em on my fantasy side!
by seattle dude on Apr 1, 2011 12:39 PM PDT up reply actions
yep it was josh
Montero could join the team later but I think that’s unlikely
by Sandra_R on Apr 1, 2011 12:01 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
But what good is a veteran
That hasn’t seen any real game play in almost a year? Case in point…Hurtado. Amazing player right?? But after being out almost an entire season, he had to be pulled because he’s just not firing on all cylinders.
Let him play in reserve league and prove that he’s really up to par and then I’ll give him a good look.
A good point
Although Sigi has stated Hurtado was simply rested due to fitness, which I’m inclined to believe until we see him sit for more than a game at a time.
Nos audietis in somniis
Nos audietis in altum
Lack of match fitness for Hurtado
is due to being injured for so long that he hasn’t been able to get to 100% yet, I didn’t mean to imply that he had been pulled for any other reason or discipline he’s just not quite there yet, and he DID play in the reserve league game which would indicate that he’s being worked to get back in shape.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
