RR, what's up with RSL? They don't seem to be as dominant lately.
RR, what's up with RSL? They don't seem to be as dominant lately.
RSL being in third place in the West at the mid way point is a bit if a surprise to me. Nowhere near the team they were under Kries. The fact the rapids are on top of the table is a shocker. KC and Seattle have tanked. What the heck is wrong with them?
I can sum up SKC pretty quickly.
1. They have no width attacking
2. They have no individual creativity minus Benny, but he's been off
3. They have no business playing a high press 4-4-3
4. They have several on their roster who are simply low-end players and add nothing
You combine that with (as I noted very early this year) definite system wide improved play in the MLS........and you get mid to low table results. Teams are upgrading all over the league and SKC has been stagnant. They let their only creative attacker leave in the offseason from a team that already had difficulty scoring goals. For all the talk about MLS being a retirement league for old European players, it's the infusion of those experienced pros that has led to SKC's inability to keep pace, both directly and indirectly. Whether good or bad, the MLS was in need of the professionalism and experience from players who have succeeded at the highest level. That's how far behind we were/are. Case example #1 is Drogba. Highly ineffective and prodding his last year at Chelsea, he made Montreal a contender immediately. Case #2: Watch Gerrard in LA. That midfield is rarely disorganized. And they create better than any other team right now. It's not his play directly that made the difference, but how he elevated the game of all those around him.
SKC dismantled NYCFC tonight.
I honestly have no clue what SKC will do the rest of the way. They are a complete unknown to me and I watch most games. They looked top-tier tonight. 2 weeks ago I was hoping they could put it together and just make the playoffs. The team that played tonight was something I had not expected.
SKC dismantled NYCFC tonight.
I honestly have no clue what SKC will do the rest of the way. They are a complete unknown to me and I watch most games. They looked top-tier tonight. 2 weeks ago I was hoping they could put it together and just make the playoffs. The team that played tonight was something I had not expected.
Really interesting season at the midpoint.
Alot of transitioning of teams. I think many teams are now seeing the positives of the more experienced player rather than the more athletic player. Pirlo took heat over his comment about "too much running" in the MLS, but he was 100% correct. It only my opinion, but it's like the powers-that-be at most clubs assigned potential/value based on athleticism and not skill. And nowhere was it more evident than the All-Star game v. Arsenal. I was almost crying with joy seeing MLS players controlling midfield. Was it against Arsenal's best? No, but I haven't seen that ability from anything MLS-related. If those are the players redefining the league, then we are in good shape. And if that's how MLS is finally starting to play, that means our young soccer nation will follow suit. When I was 12 years old, watching MISL games, as the only viewing option, was all I had to look up to. When kids' only experiences are with poor coaching and mimicking arena leagues, what can really be expected? US-Soccer is going to explode in the next 20 years. The issue will be, can we construct a system to consistently create world-class players. They aren't grown on trees. They are made.