State of the midfield...

I have said it many times before.....I just don't get all the love for Joseph. He obviously is reckless in tackling, he loses the ball more often than he makes a great pass, he doesn't shoot at all. I don't get it. If Joseph is supposed to be an AM, I would much rather have Zusi out there.

 

Replace Joseph with Espinoza and you have the same comments from his rookie year...

 

Perhaps I'm just seeing what I want to see, but I see a creativity there that we don't get from the rest of our guys - an ability to do things 1v1 which we generally lack and seeing passes that other players aren't seeing.

I actually think a number of his turnovers stem from his intended targets not seeing what he sees. I at least distinctly recall one play at Columbus where he picked a perfect pass but Bunbury didn't see it and wasn't ready for it. In this manner, I guess I'm saying that sometimes a turnover is the fault of the passer, but sometimes it is the intended target that causes the turnover as well.

He's young and still quite raw. He's not synced up with the team - the time he missed at the beginning of the season is showing and that is to be expected.

Ironically enough, it's Jacob Peterson who seems to be best paired with Peterson Joseph at this point. The Columbus goal was a prime example of it, but Vermes said after the NE game that Jacob Peterson makes some of the best runs off-the-ball right now, which is exactly what Peterson Joseph needs, since he reads those types of passes well (at least as far as I'm concerned). It's funny b/c of the name connection, but I just don't know of any of the other forwards really making that run that JP did for the goal and I don't think that Zusi/Espinoza necessarily reward that run consistently either. If they get more time together in the future I wouldn't be surprised if it happened again.

 

As far as Cesar is concerned, and particularly in relation to Nagamura... while any offensive production you get out of your DM is nice, and we do like to rotate players around in the midfield, so having someone who can make a cutting a pass or two is a great thing to have, their job is absolutely not to contribute to the offense whatsoever.

The last time that Cesar saw the field was the Chicago game. The breakaway goal in that game has to be considered his responsibility since he is the holding midfielder and it's his job to make sure that we don't fall to a quick counter while the outside backs are pushed up the field. I have to figure that, particularly when PV is expecting for teams to defend and try to counter, PV isn't going to feel terribly comfortable with Cesar being out there if he gets drawn too far upfield.

Just saying, it's not a coincidence that Chicago was the last time we've seen Cesar...

 

Last season things seem to stabilize and the team started getting results when Cesar-Zusi-Roger started together and played nearly the rest of the season. I think this was after Arnuad and Smith were injured? IMO when available those 3 should start the rest of the season. They all have the best chemistry together and know how to cover for each other. everybody else seems like they are playing out of position and dont play with the same energy and control of the game . Sat was a real battle for the 3 in there v 5 from NE and contributed to the lack of good scoring chances. Jacob needs to stay up as a winger. he played well saturday but I dont see him as a longterm solution as a midfielder

 

Would be interesting, but unless PV is down on both CJ and Teal at the same time, shouldn't happen... Putting JP in front of them is a misallocation of resources.

What we really should be asking for is not that he takes the spot but that we see him rotate into that spot for periods in a match. One thing I love about how our team operates is that we mix things up quite a bit during the game - wingers switching fields, rotating defenders and midfielders to allow those defenders to push up into space that the opposition leaves available. Swapping wingers and wing backs. I think that all of this was a huge component to our success in the first 7 and we haven't been doing it as much in the most recent games since we haven't been able to have a consistent squad to be comfortable with doing that - partially because of injury but also just the congestion.

Honestly, when you consider the style we want to play and the insane number of games we have been involved in recently, it's no terrible surprise we haven't been doing as well as we would like.

 

Agreed - and honestly the position I would love to see filled is an additional backup for the two Zusi/Espinoza spots, but finding someone who is good enough to slot in behind those two and yet be in a position where they wouldn't want to be starting and still need more development is difficult. In that manner, Peterson Joseph is a really good fit - he needs more work to be what he can be and isn't who we want in there on a daily basis, but can come in when we need him to and not do poorly (except for that ridiculous decision at Houston).

 

He actually seemed to be playing in that spot for a while on Saturday, after Thomas came on for Convey. Sapong shifted to the wing.

This. Hopefully SKC's forwards can get back to doing this and being less predictable now that Convey is good to go. It will be tougher in the midfield until Espinoza returns, although I am still curious whether it would work for Convey to be the AM and Zusi to take the box-to-box role, with Peterson as a winger again.

 

PJ could be a real change of pace compared to what Zusi brings but he's got a lot of maturing to do. He needs to hang with Roger more

 

JP makes some amazing runs...once he gets in sync with the rest of the mids recognizing his tendencies, he will make all the mids look good as they feed him. When other teams start trying to better counter and mark his runs, that is going to free up attacking space away from him...but who do we have that is going to fill that free space?

 

I think several factors are at work here. While one of the fittest teams in the league, our high tempo style that we try to play (see the first seven games) demands the team be fit. Now we have reached the grind point of the season. Lots of games, lots of little naging injuries that players are playing through and we dont even know about, hot weather....it all ads up. For a defense first bunker team this all takes a toll, but I dont think it hurts their style as much as it does SKC's. I wouldnt be suprised to see a continuation of midfield changes and .500 play for the next 4-6 weeks, then a resurgence of the high pressure and "normal" starting 11 in September when everyone has had some rest and the grind becomes the playoff push. From our play style the last month I am starting to think this is partially by design. Peter has played in the league, knows what a real grind the summer months are, and is trying to get through it using all the assets available to set us up for a push in the final 1/4 of the season.

Course, I may be wrong

 

My thoughts on this: 5 of our next 7 are at home....they had better push for more than .500 in that stretch if they hope to make the playoffs and get a decent seed. 4 of last 6 are on the road, including two trips to RBA. Now is the time to get as many points as we can, even if the schedule is packed. Since all are against the East, you could almost consider them 6 pointers from here on out. These home games where we aren't getting wins against what I consider to be mid-table teams is probably going to cost us down the road. We have Columbus, DC, NY, TFC, and Houston at home, plus NE and TFC on the road in this upcoming stretch. We need to get the majority of those points to stay in the SS/home field race.

 

I've thought about this a bit over the last few days and I really hope Bobby is the answer to giving us some play up and through the middle. It seemed like we were really starting to get him going around the LA/RSL games. I'd like to see Roger and Graham take the shots from 25 yds when they are open - it seems like our mids are always pass-first at the top of the box, so we swing it around to the corner of the box or to the wing and then cross it in - hoping that someone can get on the end of it or find it in an ensuing scramble. I want these big boots to make the keepers make some saves and even then we'll get some scrambles and rebounds...

 

First, let me say that I totally agree, b/c what I'm about to say will probably seem like I don't...

Definitely need to get more shots off from outside the box, and while shooting from the outside can change the perception of opposing goal keepers regardless of their effectiveness (just knowing that a team is willing to shoot from outside can change how they approach situations, how quick they come off the line, etc.), the only way that it's going to actually be more effective than making that pass to the flanks, like we tend to do, is if it is a good strike: if it's off target then it simply results in a turnover via goal kick and if it's too weak then it results in a turnover via a simple grab by the keeper. I suppose if it is blocked by a defender then it can go for a corner (which we love) or catch the keeper off with a deflection (i.e. Collin's goal at Houston last season), could go for a throw in the attacking third (another set-piece opportunity with a long throw, albiet less effective this year - totally different conversation there)... or, probably more often than the rest of these, gets blocked and cleared easily or blocked away from goal and allows their defense to reset.

If we dump the ball off and get a cross in from the side, unless that cross is really poor and goes out of bounds or into the keeper's hands (which we actually tend not to do, IMO at least) then the expected payoff is - a shot from much closer range, a corner (chance at an own-goal, always good having defenders running towards their own goal), picking the ball up on the other side and putting another cross in or a defensive clearance. A shot from this situation is less likely to be held onto, less likely to be blocked by a defender and requires a much better save than that of a shot from distance, though obviously it can still easily go out for a goal kick and is arguably a more difficult shot to execute as both the cross and the shooter have to execute correctly.

All this is to say, I want to see more shots from distance because I know they can do it, but I guess I'm not unhappy if they decide to dump the ball off, when it seems they could have a shot, as they may not feel the opportunity is sitting up for them to hit it without blasting it into the stands. I guess I want "look for a shot first, pass second" - try and set it up, but not at the expense of possession or the opportunity for another chance via a cross. Easier said than done...

 

(Went ahead and put this in a separate post as it seemed to stand alone, separate from the previous)

The reason I don't think we have seen Zusi taking these shots on is due to confidence, which he seems to be lacking (in comparison to last year) as a whole. Seems to be overthinking things a bit and resulting in poor shots when he does get an opportunity or two. That's what I see, I could totally be wrong. I do think that he was running on a huge high in confidence during his breakout last season - most of what he touched turned to gold, and he seemed to be able to do anything at times.

Thinking back, I find it somewhat interesting that it seems it all started with that game at Dallas and that insane FK goal he had, something he said was the result of Arnaud telling him to just hit it... I wonder if he, being as soft-spoken as he is, could use the leadership of another (older?) player urging him to try things that he isn't doing.

Which actually makes me wonder if we actually suffering from a lack of leadership in the squad. We lost experienced, vocal and fiery players like Bravo and Arnaud and replaced them with Convey and Nagamura (to an extent)... who don't seem to be the most vocal, outspoken guys (from what I see out of them in games or in the videos). Seems like Convey has the experience to give him the credibility, at least.

Jimmy and Cesar are the only players over 30, and Jimmy doesn't really have the opportunity to be leading the field players all that often, Cesar honestly seems to be at odds with the rest of the team at times (I'd almost say 'aloof'). Nags and Convey are both 29 and are already addressed above, Olum is 28 but still new to MLS, Kei is 27 and lacks maturity at times, Peterson at 26, only a 7 months older than Graham.

Of course, age isn't the only important factor, but I do think that we might have a leadership void in the club right now. Not out of the question for someone to step up, but I do wonder if it could be affecting us.

Last thing I'd say about all of it is - I'm not actually advocating we go and get a 30+ year old just for the sake of having another; I actually like the fact that we have built around a relatively young team - it may not help for this year, but if we can keep the squad together for the most part then I think that'll be a distinct advantage a few years down the road. I would just like to see someone either step up or brought in that can bring a team together, pump-up and push players forward and get everyone on the same page when necessary.

 

I figured Vermes just really emphasized pushing it to the wings instead of taking outside shots. Zusi does have a goal from outside the 18 this year (against Dayton).

 

And Philly

 

After the last 2 games, Espinoza is the key. Never want to hold a guy back, but I hope his future is with SKC

 

I was thinking the other day that with the CCL berth it'd be kind of cool if Roger stayed and we drew some Honduran team like Marathon and he got to play a competetive club match in Honduras while still playing for us.

 

^^^or Honduras WCQ at LSP...

 

In terms of the way we attack, I don't know if just shooting more from distance is the key, but we do need to be more dynamic with the approach. I really feel that the biggest victim here is Bunbury, who seems to excel when he is running onto balls behind defenses. If we are to insist upon pushing it wide with every attack, it should be Kamara we are sending the crosses toward.

At a certain point, I think defenses figured this out and have been sitting back a little in the box to clear it out. If Convey and Sinovic are both healthy, our dual flank attack becomes more difficult to defend, especially with Kamara crashing from the other side. But we need to have a credible threat up the middle, be it shooting from distance or through balls for Bunbury/Saad. Perhaps Peterson Joseph can help with that, as he showed with is nice assist to Peterson in Montreal??