The one where 🥱

1: Cubo Torres should be in his prime and he just hasn’t produced. Currently he’s little more than a reserve player who can step in when we really don’t have anyone. A striker for the sake of having a striker. Honestly I was surprised to see him resigned. But, with Lisandro still out because of the death of his father, he was really the only option tonight. He didn’t get much service tonight but even when he does, it doesn’t come off. He skied another ball of the bottom of his shin in the box around the 12th minute. He doesn’t have to produce double digit goals. He doesn’t even have to find the net all that regularly but you have to, bare minimum, put shots on frame especially when they sit up nicely for you. 

 

2: The first half did not look good. The team looked and felt like how I look and feel which is to say tired and low on energy. We had no pressure on the ball and no control of the game. We could not find a way to build out of the back. All we had were long hopeful balls. Low percentage passes. We looked like we were trying to find the game and instead the game found us. Basically it didn’t look like anything we’ve seen so far. I did like Heinze’s reaction immediately after full time. He was out on the pitch consoling and encouraging the boys. This is a process and I do like that energy, we just didn’t have it on the pitch tonight. 

 

3: Lazy defending. 3 yellow cards from sloppy late tackles in the first half alone, ugh. Also, and I hate to quote Alexi but......set pieces, set pieces, set pieces. We have go to get better at restarts and corners. Balls are starting to find the net and when we aren’t playing well they’re an even bigger problem. 

 

4: For the first time Sosa was so-so. He was taken off the ball too many times. He couldn’t win the ball back. Successful tackle % was low. Some of that is due to the revs shutting him down. Word might be getting out on what we have in Sosa. Bruce Arena and the Revs were certainly alert and aware to why he brings. 

 

5: The boat has sprung a leak. Whatever happened to Barco hopefully is not serious. We’ve been “On a boat!” since the start of competition but we know this story all too well. A stretch of good games, followed by an injury. It appeared to happen off the ball too and non contact injuries can often be even more serious and long lasting.