Columbus Crew Vs. Seattle Sounders, Recap: Happy With A Point, All Things Considered
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 7, 2011 7:31 PM PDT
in Sounders: MLS Regular Season
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A tie at the end of a stretch of three games in eight days, on the road against a team riding a six-match unbeaten streak and doing it without several starters available isn't the worst result in the world, but it was hardly confidence inspiring either. Give the Seattle Sounders credit for pulling out a point, though, as they definitely looked like a tired bunch by the time the final whistle blew in their 1-1 tie against the Columbus Crew.
On the positive side, Fredy Montero came up big when he needed to. The Sounders' highest paid player scored his second goal of the season off a gorgeous cross from Erik Friberg in the 7th minute. That helped the Sounders keep the momentum for much of the first half, and gave hope that they might even steal all three points.
But the Crew were much better in the second half and seemed destined to find the equalizer. They finally got it when a penalty was awarded in the 67th minute. Replays did not sure a clear foul, but Patrick Ianni definitely made contact with Chad Marshall on the corner kick, and Emilio Renteria easily converted.
From there, it was really all Crew, who out shot the Sounders 16-7, had 57 percent of the possession and completed about 120 more passes. Although the Sounders didn't exactly look awful, they were clearly on their back heels during the final 25-plus minutes.
It's hard to feel like we really could have expected much better, though. Brad Evans was a late scratch when he turned up with a hamstring injury, Mauro Rosales was totally unavailable and Nate Jaqua was deemed fit enough only for about 25 minutes. The starting lineup, in fact, featured four different players from the one that started on Wednesday.
Of the replacements, Servando Carrasco was easily the best performer. In many ways, he's like a much more skilled version of Nathan Sturgis. He doesn't get too involved in the offense, but he's got a great knack for winning balls and showed a toughness that was quite refreshing. He may very well be the Sounders' best pick in the draft. Of the other additions, Roger Levesque and Leo Gonzalez both had up and down games. Gonzalez started well enough, but faded late. Levesque made a nice play to temporarily preserve the lead when he cleared a ball off the line, but was otherwise a general non-factor on offense. Jeff Parke, in for Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, was solid if unspectacular.
I won't blame anyone for feeling less than secure heading into next Saturday's Cascadia Cup match against the Portland Timbers, but the Sounders should be a lot healthier. If a 1-1 tie in these circumstances is really a disappointment, our expectations are too high or this team is doing just fine.
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Is there a site anywhere that keeps track of real time points per match?
It’s hard sometimes to get a read on the standings when we’ve played 2-3 more games than most everyone else in the West.
Also, I’m too lazy to do the math right now.
Writer: CougCenter Twitterer: @GradyClapp
Indeed
This seems like it should be included as a sortable option on any good table. The only one I know of is:
http://www.settingthetable.info/
Also good but not always updated:
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS.html
We're going to start posting a ppm here
Just takes a bit of doing
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 7, 2011 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions
Hey, I'm not complaining
This just means that Seattle and Portland are tied going into their first MLS match. This should be fun.
Fucito showed some flares when he was on.
Like right when he got on, he got a chance to cross it, and had there been someone there ready to rebound off the keeper’s deflection, we may have walked out of there with a 2-1 win.
Neagle looked good for the brief time he was on
He played some crucial defense to preserve the tie and made a couple threatening runs although no one really connected with him on those.
Survival mode
As the hours have passed, I’m more and more content with the point. They ended this game gassed, but I thought this was a much better overall showing than Weds. Given the injuries and the workload of the past week, and yielding only on the PK, that’s a helluva job.
They’ve survived a five-game stretch we all knew was tough – that injuries made much tougher – with eight points to show for it.
Rest up. Get as healthy as can be. And look at all those home games coming up.
Anybody catch the altercation between Sigi and a crew player?
Not sure quite who, or what it was about…would have like to see Sigi lay the smackdown though…
La Vecchia Signora Forever!
It was Robbie Rogers
Sigi coached him with teh Crew and Robbie was being a bit of an ass by bitching at the ref after teh match.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 8, 2011 7:55 AM PDT up reply actions
When can we start to blame the medical / training staff?
Not that I’m always looking to point a finger or find a scapegoat, but missing 4 potential starters sucks. Granted 2 have nothing to do with anything other than dumb luck (unless of course OBW has some underlying condition that was missed).
But the muscle strains are ridiculous. I’m beginning to wonder if the boys aren’t being trained properly. Rosales, Evans, Fucito (earlier). Is Sigi pushing them to hard? Or is he getting bad information from the medical staff? Is the training staff missing something in the training? This is not the first year where “over-use” injuries have plagued us. Both Ianni and Jaqua suffered “sports hernias” last year I believe, well Jaqua’s left over from year 1, but what a fiasco that was, coming back too earlier etc.
Personally in quickly looking at the resume of the medical director and head trainer, albeit they are impressive, they don’t seem to stand out as “soccer specific”. Head trainer has experience in USL. How about getting somebody with EPL experience. And the anybody trained in orthopedics in the U.S. I’m sure grew up living and breathing college football. Anyways, with all the injuries I was curious if the FO has looked into this. I’m sure that they have because they seem to have been on top or at least aware of all of the previous issues.
http://web.me.com/lienc/Site/Sounders_Talk/Sounders_Talk.html
probably never
Sounders have some of the most qualified medical staffers in the league. Dave Tenney, the head fitness guy, is regularly written up in industry publications and is considered one of the top fitness guys. The Sounders, in general, probably spend more money on fitness/training than any other MLS team. I’m as frustrated by all the injuries as the next guy, but I really don’t think the culprit is underqualified or overmatched staff as much as it dumb bad luck.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 8, 2011 7:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Thats what I figured
so we’re just that unlucky. Well at least things should be nowhere but up from here!
http://web.me.com/lienc/Site/Sounders_Talk/Sounders_Talk.html
The Medical Director was with the team in the USL too
Oh, and he’s the best brain surgeon on this side of the country.
The training staff has also won the league award in that category last year. Remember Hurtado is playing at a high level less than a year after a major ACL reconstruction. Standard recovery is 12-18 months.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
agree with Jeremiah and Dave.
I don’t think an EPL guy is any upgrade. Soccer appears to just be a high-risk sport for strains and pulls, even most EPL teams have several players at a time with various little things that keep them out for a few weeks.
Much better game
J, thought Montero looked much better. Better “ball to feet” passes from him on several occasions. Great header, obviously. He didn’t have many scoring opps overall. Wish he wouldn’t get dispossessed as often, but he lacks strength. So you have to live with it in MLS. But he still applies no defensive pressure.
Can see why you were happy with the tie, at least given the coaching decisions. BUT they weren’t good. Poor midfield possession overall, especially offensively.
Leo has become a liability. Gets beat too often. Levesque can’t play TF, and is too slow. So listening to Sigi saying he needs a big body up top, and then putting Levesque in, is a joke. The starting lineup was too slow from the attacking positions. Jaqua at wing is useless. Not starting Fucito was absurd. There was no speed except with a Def CM, who can’t shoot. Waiting until 8 minutes left to put him your best speed and attacking option, who also had fresh legs, was insane.
Overall, when you play defensively, and hunker down with 85 minutes left, you are putting far too much pressure on your D, and setting yourself up to lose the lead. And he did. And then it was too late to do anything about it.
To say the coaching staff lacks strategic creativity is putting it mildly.
So given that, you have every reason to be happy with a tie.
wow
wadayano!!
someone else who thinks the coaching staff consistently puts the questionable starting personnel on the field, followed by hackneyed substitutions. way to go fray!!
by roadrunner11 on May 8, 2011 12:58 PM PDT up reply actions
To Brian Floyd
Now maybe you’ll understand why Levesque is not a choice at TF, and Jaqua was indeed the only option, if you’re Sigi and you insist on rationalizing why you need one.
Sigi likes big/small pairings
And Jaqua couldn’t start. What would you have done?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
by Dave Clark on May 8, 2011 11:29 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Started Jaqua
I don’t necessarily agree that Jaqua couldn’t start. I do hear the “being fit” argument, but am less willing to accept it. I also don’t consider Levesque to complete a “big/small” pairing. He just isn’t a TF – versus Jaqua he can’t hold up the ball well, has little body mass, doesn’t draw multiple defenders as a result, is much weaker on headers, and slower with the ball at his feet. Jaqua is also a much better passer. So I would have taken my chances to get 50-60 minutes from him, and create more scoring chances.
There was ONE SOG, and 7 shots total. And only 43 minutes of possession.
OR, I would have slid Fernandez up top, and put Fucito on the LW. I know you have advocated Fucito playing out wide. This would have been an excellent opportunity to do that.
But there was no attacking speed. And so Columbus controlled the game.
Then when it came time to subbing Montero, I would have moved Fucito up top, and Fernandez back to LW, if it fit the substitution pattern.
Certainly far more effective an approach that bringing Jaqua on (anyway) as a RW, where he has more running to do (if you buy the not-fit argument), and maintaining 0 attacking speed.
Started Fucito
Levesque isn’t a target forward and provided none of the things the offense needs from one.
Yeah Brian, your Levesque love is just out of hand
by Aaron Campeau on May 8, 2011 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions
Like someone said earlier...
..he’s our very own Willie Bloomquist. “Gritty”…add you’re other qualifiers as you see fit. Just need to change his kit # to 16 and we’ll be all set. Actually I did this in a season of FIFA11…heh
by Timm Higgins on May 9, 2011 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
Wow, thanks for putting words into my mouth, champ
I said one thing and one thing only: I didn’t expect Jaqua could start three games in eight days. I was right. And I also didn’t offer an alternative, as well.
So if you can kindly point to where I advocated Levesque, I’d greatly appreciate it.
What makes you right?
Because you say so? Jaqua went 30 minutes playing wing, which requires more running. So he couldn’t have been that tired. I’m pretty sure you have no clue as to his level of fitness.
Next time step up and make another reco then, which you didn’t. Essentially the only alternative being discussed was indeed Levesque. Now you’re backpedaling. But yes, you did just say Jaqua was not the only choice. Woopie.
Do you go to practices?
Do you know the players’ fitness levels? Do you watch them train? Because I do.
I said this:
And Jaqua should not play, nor do I expect him to. Three games in seven days doesn’t seem feasible for him, nor did he look all that fresh in the last game.
There’s a reason I didn’t advocate lineups as it had been discussed between the authors and we were trying to limit influencing the discussion to let the readers form their own opinion. But, again, thanks for making broad, sweeping assumptions.
Perhaps I do
I’m fairly certain my “insights” supersede your own. Interpret that anyway you wish.
Ok, champ..
And I don’t remember seeing you at the team hotel in Columbus.
Your insight has changed quite a bit in a week, hasn't it?
nate’s a little rusty. cut him some slack. he played pretty well overall and still doesn’t have his full fitness either.
So he was fine to play 50-60
On two days rest after playing 60+ on three days rest after playing 70+? If he was fit to play, he would have.
And what’s your big gripe, anyway? When did the team play best on Saturday?
Ahhh, Censorship. An ephemeral victory for you.
Bravo. Your “borderline” personality arguments are the envy of every reader. I bow to your ego, self-proclaimed omniscience, and out-of-the-loop knowledge.
If you needed the last word so bad, you could have just asked. But to block me? Act of a real coward.. and not a realistic solution to your problem.
See you around
You realize two things, right?
1) You weren’t banned at all and 2) I wasn’t the one that warned you.
You're not blocked/banned
And I was the one who did it.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 8, 2011 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions
If Jaqua was fit to start, he would have started
You can either trust us or not, but I guarantee you that Sigi would rather start Jaqua over Levesque all things being equal, which they obviously weren’t/aren’t. If you want to say Sigi should have started Neagle or Fucito or gone with a different formation all together, that’s totally fine and a matter of your opinion. But if you are going to say that your alternative is to have Jaqua start, I’m simply telling you that I really doubt it was an option.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter
by Jeremiah Oshan on May 8, 2011 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions
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