Five Takes On The Five Stripes

The one where it’s tough to stay afloat if you don’t have a goat

1: A really poor start to the first half. Pepto Bismol FC came out hot and were relentless with their pressure and physicality. Credit to them, it worked. They did exactly what I think WE wanted to do. They played on the front foot and counter pressured their way to success. We got rocked. 

 

2: There’s flipping a switch and then there’s ripping the switch off the damn wall. I don’t believe we’ve ever scored 3 goals in the span of 9 minutes. It turns out that good things happen when you put the ball in the box and or get direct. I really don’t think it’s any more complicated than that. We just played with more aggression (that almost spilt over) started executing our game, particularly in the area of counter pressures and the 5 second rule. 

 

3: Saba is a total game changer. Grant it we had already managed to flip the script by the time he came on but he brings a style and an an energy that teams don’t seem to have an answer for. I know he’s meant to start but he might be the most effective super sub we’ve ever had. With Mosquera having been much improved I think it’s a legit option to roll on as is. 

 

4: The goals we scored all felt different in terms of their build up and finishes To be able to hit teams in so many different ways is reminiscent of 2017-2019. 

 

5: That was a statement. That was historic. Whatever happens with Miami going forward, however much more success they or don’t have in the Messi and friends era, Atlanta will always be the team that dealt them their first L. Might even have the added bonus of being the team that keeps them below the line depending on how the remaining games for them go.

The one where we lost hold but did not fold

1: I cannot believe Miles got beat like that. Seeing the ball out is the right decision And yes we see that called a foul at times but for me, it wasn’t.  I can’t be mad at the decision to try and see the ball out. It’s the right one for me. He just got beat. It did look like maybe the ball was out of play, but there was probably a small piece of it that was still on the line.

 

2: We had a decent initial response to the goal, but then the same thing happened that always happens when we give up the first goal. We get rattled and unraveled. However, surprisingly enough, we managed to do something we just haven’t done much of at all the past three years and that’s dig out a response when things are clearly not working for us at any level. That’s pretty huge in my book. Happy for Air Georgios but boy was he lucky not he sent off in for a second yellow for that elbow. 

 

3:Sosa looked liked a kid at a new school trying to play it cool but is in actuality totally lost. I don’t think he had a single meaningful touch, of the positive variety anyhow. The midfield was such a massive drop off until Tristan and Silva came on. I would have liked to have seen him subbed off much earlier. 

 

4: It’s amazing what players like Thiago can do. It’s even more incredible when they have the right pieces around them. Tonight’s two halves showed that very cealrly. Yeah he was still able to serve up a great hall to GG for the dunk, but Thiago was exponentially more impactful in the 2nd half and that’s not down to him working harder. 

 

5: OK we’re OK. Match kind of played out the way we thought it would with the given personnel on the pitch at different times. Clearly the window has been positive. We have identified needs and got the right pieces in. We have a clearly defined starting 11 and clearly defined depth pieces. When is the last time we’ve been able to say that? I feel really good about where the team is right now, we just need to stay healthy. Having Ozzie back will be helpful and who knows if this final player is going to come from Senegal or not but as it stands right now, things are pretty good.

The one where we don’t like Lucho mucho

1: Forget dripping in finesse Silva is drenched in it. Yeah he gets a little fortunate with the deflection on the pass to Mosquera but that controlled touch to set up the chance? The boy has real technically ability. If I have any criticism of him it’s that the boy wants to play with ball all the time and sometimes, you just need to boot it long or clear your lines rather than constantly trying to start an attacking sequence. 

 

2: So you’re telling there’s a chance but you’re also telling me that chance will be dealt with defensively? I can live with that. In the first half we did an excellent job of controlling the tempo and taking care of the ball. It’s why Cincy just didn’t have much. Hard to have much when you don’t have the ball. 

 

3: I’m really happy Mosquera scored but that does not take away the fact that he is not at the level needed. I’m sorry but when nobody is within 10 yards of you any direction, you gotta be able to take a ball down out of the sky. He scored a goal with an XG of 💯, and he scoffed 3-4 really good opportunities that I feel like Saba would’ve done more with. Unfortunately Saba never really got the opportunities that Mosquera did but i imagine we will in the future simply by starting over Edwin. 

 

4: The officiating was poor. But that’s not why we lost. We lost because we lost control of the ball from about min 60 onward. Cincy took advantage of that and just hit us with counter after counter until we conceded on a Goalazo +1. The goals didn’t feel like the soft goals we’ve seen so often, they came because we just stopped taking care of the ball. 

 

5: And because we lost control and didn’t take care of the ball, the attacking opportunities, via really good midfield combination play didn’t come and Saba never really got a chance to do much. It’s like we just sort of stopped doing what we had been doing so well. A couple of good subs from Cincy and maybe some tired legs from us and we just couldn’t handle it. We’re definitely playing better but we missed out on an opportunity to really make a statement tonight. But, Cincy is the best team in the league for a reason. 

The one where we score 4 in 404

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1: Do we have a midfield? I think we have a midfield. Amazing what 1-2 players can do for a team. Miami is probably the case study for this but still, we look all the way different. I said last week that I felt that maybe it was more Seattle being poor than it was us being good. This game helped to push back against that feeling, greatly. 

 

2: We’re seeing the game quicker. We’re combining really well in the attacking half with tight triangles, quick one-two passing, and an emphasis on quickly progressing the ball towards goal. It was really refreshing to see us be incredibly direct both with our attacking build up play and our counter attack opportunities. 

 

3: We overwhelmed Nashville with all of our new attacking options and the chances we created. After the first goal and especially after the 2nd we just never game them much time to catch their breath. It was just wave after wave of attack and counter attack. It was ruthless, it was relentless and it was something we have not seen in a long time. 

 

4: We have a Silva Surfer. Him & Muyumba just seem to glide up and down the pitch with and without the ball. It’s pretty amazing how much better everyone else looks when we have players truly suited for their positions that aren’t having to essentially pull double duty in terms of responsibility in key areas of the game. They’re force multipliers. 

 

5: I try to be at least a little critical in the takes. Even with our good performances, I try to find some things to be critical of. Lord help me I’m struggling on this one. Yes there were a few individuals mistakes, but they were covered. Perhaps we can still be even more clinical with our chances but my goodness, when’s the last time we bagged multi goal wins, against quality opposition, home and away AND kept clean sheets, back to back. If we can roll on to 3 or even 4….we might really have something going here. 

The one where Seattle looked rattled

1: Getting 3 points on any occasion is always a good thing. Even more so on the road against quality opposition. That being said, I think we were a little fortunate in how poor and how unlucky Seattle was. If we are going to make a run in these last games of the season, we have got to be more clinical in the final third. This game could have and should have been put away much sooner. Home or away, we need to be more ruthless. 

 

2: Mosquera is an unrefined speed monster. You can see the energy and ability he has, but often times he’s a little too anxious in his actions. He’s an interesting player. Right now he has the ability to be impactful but I think there’s more there than just being a little dangerous. If he stays with the club, he’d be one to watch next season in terms of his development. 

 

3: Muyumba was vey good. Notably he won 7/10 of his duels. I think once he develops more chemistry with the team we will see more attacking sequences and outright chances come off off those duels won. It really is a sneaky important stat. 

 

4: Georgios was a monster tonight. His head is gonna need an ice bath. Both goals came off from very strong headers, he won the ball via 4 tackles and I lost count of the number of big defensive headers he had. I think it’s fair to say that we’ve never had a #9 like him. That’s no disrespect to Josef who will always be a king and a legend here. But Georgios puts in more on both sides of the ball. I love it but I also find myself always waiting for the next injury to come for him. He works himself into the ground and has payed the price for it in his brief time here. It’s why a quality backup 9 years I’ll continue to be an important role for this club. 

 

5: If we can follow this performance up with a strong win against Nashville at home where we dominate the game and take our chances better and earlier, than I think I’ll be able to look back on tonight as a measured, controlled and maybe a little pragmatic performance. But if we don’t, I am gonna feel that a poor Seattle performance and some good fortune played a bigger role in the win tonight. 

The one where we have an untidy discussion

An hour discussion on Messi and his impact on the league, for better, for worse or for nothing. 

The one where we have broken records instead of records broken

1: 3 in the back hasn’t quite worked. 4 in the back hasn’t quite worked. Have we thought combining and going with 7? Ronald struggled in the first 45. Azul overloaded him and he was often caught in a tough spot having to almost mark two at once. I’d like to see us be able to adjust go to 4 in the back on the fly if need be before a half time talk but we also don’t quite have the personnel with the quality or versatility to do that. 

 

2: We showed more energy and than we did against Miami. Great? The chances and the chances at having chances were there and we just couldn’t pull the trigger. Too often we are not applying continued pressure. We’ll create a half decent opportunity, lose the ball, do a half decent job of winning it back, and then instead of going again, we slow it up and or go backwards. You don’t knock a prize fighter down by giving them a chance to breathe. 

 

3: Muyumba seems have to some quality. He passed at 92% with 45 touches in the and 5 duels won in the first half alone. For a bigger guy, he’s got speed and he’s pretty neat tidy on the ball and we played through him quite a bit. He’s got creativity and to his credit, he tried to create. Dude even hit a high pressure PK. Mosquera was equally impactful given the minutes he had and not just because of the assist. Maybe he’ll be able to continue to contribute from the bench after all. 

 

4: I hate it when a Ref has to be a take, but when they’re this bad 🤷‍♂️ He inserted himself when he didn’t need to. He missed calls that had a direct impact on the outcome of the match. He seemed to be completely uninterested in VAR. 

 

5: I have no idea how this result and being knocked out will affect Pineda and Boca’s futures but we are trending down and have now been knocked out of two tournaments. Garth was very clear with us at the start of the season. Time was going to be needed, but I suspect that even he is not content with how it’s gone and how it’s going. A change wouldn’t surprise me. Having Berry take a PK is probably a fireable offense alone, tho TBF, I was going with Puratta as one of the first 5 and he missed his too. 

The one where we can’t stay stable in the table

1: Heavy legs sums up this game. The contrast in energy was pretty stark and that was the quietest I’ve ever heard the Benz. Orlando definitely looked like the team with a full week between matches. We just weren’t making enough runs in behind or closing down space in our own third quickly enough. Very static all around. 

 

2: Losing Chol so early really f’d things up. He looked really good until he went down. Considering he’s really a depth player as is, we don’t have more/better depth to replace him. Etienne remains not it, and Mosquera doesn’t appear to provide much outside of pace and a couple quick turns on the ball. 

 

3: When Orlando was pushing early and really pressing us in our own third the outlet ball wasn’t on to relieve any pressure. Best we could do was just boot it away and give possession straight right back. Then once they got their winning goal, they sat deep, stay organized and were impossible for us to break down. 

 

4: Almada was really the only one really trying to provide anything. Even up until the very last minute, winning a foul and putting an absolute rocket on goal. It was a calculated if not also desperate move from Thiago to launch a one man rescue mission, but he couldn’t quite pull it off. 

 

5: We lack quality depth and the FO has to nail this window for us to be really contending after leagues cup. MLS is wild, in the span of ten days you can go from chasing down 2nd in the table to 7th. 

The one where we aren’t Berry good without a 9

1: The prevailing take from most is that our recent defensive success was been strictly down to having 3 CB’s. I contest that that individual performances were of more consequence than the systems itself. New England’s first two goals come from a mistake from Brooks (who honestly just got a little unlucky) and Sosa. Our last two matches were largely devoid of those mistakes. It’s not just the formation. 

 

2: Berry is such a known non threat that we actively avoid targeting him for anything. My lord Brooks beat him for the ball from Thiago in the first half and he started his run from midfield and still managed to have a go. It just can’t be understated how ineffective we are in the attack with out an effective #9 and how much Berry is not that. Maybe we should start Chol as the 9 when Georgios can’t go. I’d rather not because I think he’s more effective coming off the bench but…F it. 

 

3: Game state is everything. Doesn’t matter if we lose by 1 goal or a bajillion. Once we’re down were chasing, and more open and usually making more mistakes because we’re in our own heads and just taking more risks. To our credit, after the 2nd goal we didn’t let it get away from us and we gave ourselves enough chances to get back in. 

 

4: Even if we make miles a DP I’m not sure he sticks around. He wants to go to Europe and I’m not sure another $1 million changes his mind. It’s a lot of money but it’s not set up for life kinda money and he isn’t gonna earn much more than the only other DP CB in the league. 

 

5: We are missing a #9 and we came up against one of, if not the best, keeper in the league. Pineda rightly made personnel and tactical changes in the 2nd half and to his credit, we played much better. Yes New England let off some, but still it was just a much better performance. Not for nothing but when was the last time New England was really good? Oh right, when they had another elite goal keeper in Matt Turner. It says a lot about your team when the key reason why your’e in a good position is because of your goal keeper. 

The one where we Poutine a good performance

1: We’ve been much better defensively these past two matches. Like, night and couches better. We’re blocking shots and cutting off crosses and key passes before they can tune into real chances. Moreover we look comfortable and more aware and switched on. It’s been nice to see less last ditch emergency defending. 

 

2: Berry is the most peculiar player. I don’t think he’s completely incapable. Truly if he was just more dialed in, and proactive instead of reactive, I think he would be serviceable as a back up 9. He’s slow as fuck, no denying that but good grief he just doesn’t make up for that lack of speed in any other facet of his game. Where Georgios goes out and makes chances for himself, Berry waits for chances to be created for him and those chances have to be carried in on a silver platter for him and even then, he might still bottle it. 

 

3: Thiago was not at his best in the first 45 and we really need him to be. There were a few interception opportunities that would’ve tuned into big chances and his touch and control was just not good enough. BUT, he’s Thiago so all he really needs is one chance from 12-30 yards. I don’t have the stats right in front of me but of all the “in range” set pieces he’s taken, I’d wager over half of them have resulted in a goal and that is absurd. 

 

4: Sosa was outstanding. This is a tough game to come in and give near 90 on given the current circumstances. He did the job and then some. He didn’t really put a foot wrong against de foot all night and he had a chance on goal as well. 

 

5: There’s been a lot of criticisms and questions of the FO and of Gonzo, especially in the last few weeks. The team just got it’s best two wins of the season back to back. 🤷‍♂️ Feels like the team finally has a good understanding of what’s being asked of them and of each other. This was another very professional, organized and disciplined performance. It needs to keep going but it does feel like things are trending in the right direction.