to IT MATTERS A LITTLE
The Crew can't win the Carolina Challenge Cup after the Chicago loss last night. Yes, just a preseason cup and all but I think it will give a nice boost to the winner (DC - only needs draw this weekend against Crew).
to GOALS MATTER LESS.
..To winning anyway. After all, you only need one a game right? The Fire like to play this type of game. Last night they showed their continued love affair with a loaded MF. Gumming up the works for a 1-0 victory. "How much goals matter" is a tricky conversation but you could frame it this way (within the parameters of Major League Soccer): The Crew had one of their lowest goal scoring years last year, 1.26 Goals per Game. 3rd worst in their history, to be exact. Take out the team history leading NINE penalty kicks and it drops down to below a goal a game and 2nd worst in team history (0.94). AND STILL. The 2011 Crew flirted with 1st place in the East for the majority of the year and made the playoffs. All with poor goal scoring and a negative goal diff.
to GOALS PUT BOTTOMS IN SEATS
So, there is that. I want to see goals. Crew needs more goals. This year's preseason matches haven't filled me with warm fuzzies though. Only ONE goals against three competitive teams (Malmo, Seattle, Fire). Add in C of C and The Battery games and it is still only 5 goals in 5 (1 PK).
to NEMANJA VUKOVIC AT LB
If anything looked impressive to me last night it was the play of Vukovic whipping well placed crosses into the box. The Crew will need backs overlapping and making runs this year with two big men, Vargas and Heinemann, waiting in the box. Good to see even Josh Williams doing it. Warzycha experimented with Francis (who is losing grip on LB position) in MF last night.
to FINLAY IS IRONMAN
Ethan Finlay passed Gruenebaum last night as the guy with the most pre-season minutes. I've updated my stat sheet. LINK. Here are the top 5 (MINS : PLAYER)
417 : Finlay
405 : Gruenebaum
380 : Marshall
374 : Mirosevic
359 : Tchani
to WHERE ARE HESMER, JAMES, MERAM, AND BALCHAN
They saw good minutes last year. Veterans Hesmer and James both have nagging injuries. Only a little over one week left till the regular season. Meram knocked ankles with Eddie Gaven last week and will be out till the end of March. Balchan is still nursing a sports hernia and word is he needs surgery. I expect the first few games this year will be like last year... warm ups that happen to matter (long sigh).
to AND WHERE THE HECK IS ANOR?
I don't know. That's why I'm asking. Haven't seen him past two games.
to LINGERING HOT TOPICS
Left Back situation could be cooling off with Vukovic moving in. So what else now?
1. Mirosevic learning this league in all her physicality and "style". He hasn't made a splash yet. Most are expecting him too, though. How many games will it take? 5? 10? Will it take all year? Not sounding the alarm yet but the club is expecting assists, set ups and goals from his spot at the top of the diamond.
2. Tchani is a big dude. Yesterday he played a solid game, maybe his best game with the team. But his spot is also being hawked by O'Rourke and Gehrig. Any team using that CDM as a stopper should fill it with a gritty and strong, lead by example type guy. Tchani is only one of those three things. O'Rourke and Gehrig have all three things.
3. Many might not know but Justin Meram is about the same size as Vargas. And fast. And creative with the ball. And should be playing in any and all the following positions: F, CAM, LW, LM, RM, RW, CM and General Manager (Concessions Supervisor, optional). In that order. The team seems to like to use him on the right or left side of their diamond. Same spots as with Dilly Duka. Both these guys should probably be in the middle.
Perhaps Warzycha should flatten out the diamond into an orthodox 4-4-2?
to FLATTEN THE FORMATION, SIMPLIFY, GO NUTS!
GK: Gruenebaum
D: Miranda, Marshall, Gehrig, Vukovic
MF: Gaven, Anor, Duka, Meram
F: Mirosevic, Heinemann
Only Meram isn't able to make it into my dream "orthodox" line up right now. Pop Finlay in there and hohohoYOWdaHOdaHammaDownOHWEE! (Cavs fans). Running with a stopper isn't going to win the Crew a whole lot of playoff games. Especially if your CAM has to drop back to help, as he did last night.
Warzycha could drop Miro back and pull Heinemann for Renteria if he wants to play 5 in the middle. Add Tchani for Anor or Duka and you bunker down.
to MIX IT UP
Mix it hard. Mix it good. The Crew can score no goals in a 5-5-0 formation, too. Warzycha's teams have been scoring less and less run of play goals each consecutive year.
2009: 1.23 GOALS PER GAME
2010: 1.10
2011: 0.94
The Crew's MLS Cup year in 2008 was 1.50. In 2001 it was 1.88, but that was in a different league with different rules. Regardless, ask anyone who works in a performance based industry and they will tell you that three points of data on your measurement system in one direction is a trend. In this case, goal scoring trending down (BAD).
to EL TORO NEGRO. THE DEER.
Emilio Renteria is a Goal Scorer. He has been trained to do so.
Hold.
Turn.
Attack.
Shoot.
That is Renteria. Last year Renteria started 14 Games. Crew won 5 of them. Lost 6 and drew 3. In those 14 games he started, the team was outscored by 6. That's nearly a half goal per game. You could blame that on a number of factors but the team goal difference was only -1 agg on the year (-0.03 p/GM). Emilio's half goal was the 2nd worst on the 2011 Crew (Duka was, by far, the worst at -0.65 goals against per game).
For the record, Heinemann and Anor had the best GF and GA lines. +0.50 and +0.33 respectively. Both had winning records when starting as well.
Just asking questions here today. Saturday is technically the last pre-season game for the Columbus Crew. March 10th sees the team off to Colorado for the first regular season game.
I find it hard to fathom that the 2012 Crew could score less goals than last year. I also find it hard to believe that after 374 minutes (4+ games) of preseason play that Mirosevic hasn't found a run of play goal or assist.
A lot hinges on this player for Crew fans and Supporters. Mirosevic is a year into his 30s. Patience is needed for any player making his way to a new country and a new league for the first time. Got it. Thanks.
- Brewery District, Columbus Ohio, Thursday.
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The morning is the only proper time for me to write to a beautiful Girl whom I love so much: for at night, when the lonely day has closed, and the lonely, silent, unmusical Chamber is waiting to receive me as into a Sepulchre, then believe me my passion gets entirely the sway, then I would not have you see those Rhapsodies which I once thought it impossible I should ever give way to, and which I have often laughed at in another, for fear you should [think me] either too unhappy or perhaps a little mad. - Shanklin, Isle of Wight, Thursday. Keats.
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