Tag: Red Bulls

The Day After (Red Bulls)

Well, there goes our season. With all three of our DP’s starting for the first time ever, Lampard started brightly, but ultimately failed miserably, Pirlo looked at a loss, and our team succumbed to another loss to our neighbors.

Season Of Discontent 

We’ve mentioned this before, but this is our inaugural season. Add onto that the fact that we constructed a practically new lineup in June, and it makes sense that we’ve had some trouble this season. After that 11 game winless streak, the additions of superstars was supposed to kickstart our season, and in certain ways it has, but we looked really out of sorts against Red Bulls.

Despite a bright start, we failed to take our limited amount of chances and lost to a team that’s just plain better than us. Maybe not in individual quality, but certainly in team play. We’re just not there yet. It’s the sad, sad truth.

Where’s The Pace?

Villa, Pirlo, Lampard, Mix, McNamara. Those are all our players who are meant to score goals, or be directly involved in doing so. The fact is, most of those guys are slow, and not one possesses any real pace. ‘Balance’ is a term that is thrown around in European football for good reason. You can’t have a team of only pacy tricksters or only playmakers. Our attack not only lacks pace, it’s depressingly void of it. Our counterattacks are simply too slow, but it’s not their fault. Who is Pirlo supposed to aim for? He kept overhitting passes to Villa, but maybe it wasn’t entirely either of their faults. Villa simply doesn’t have the pace to catch those long balls, but Pirlo has literally no other options. Pirlo is used to playing on teams that know how to posses the ball, on teams where you’ve got 20-something-year-olds future Balon D’or winners sprinting to get on the ends of your passes, rather than 33-year-olds and whatever Tommy McNamara is.

It’s at times like these where we miss the presence of a player like Khiry Shelton, or even Poku in a more advanced role. Yet, this entire season we’ve hypothesized over who should be starting and who Kreis is leaving out, but we’re nearing the end of this season and the plain fact that it really wouldn’t change that much. The team we fielded was pretty good, and we need more time, and hopefully a different manager, to take us into the new season. But, in that new season, someone who can actually run would be a welcome addition.

We have a long end to this season ahead of us, but we’ve gotta stick by them, and who knows, something might click. The positive from having our playoff chances diminished every game is there is more liberty to experiment. Often times when teams have nothing on the line, no threat of relegation but no chance of anything else, they let their young players get a run out, experiment with different lineups, and plan for the next season. It would be well advised for us to partake in some of those activities. With Kreis, we never really know, but maybe with nothing on the line he’ll loosen his tie, grow some nuts, and give us some reason to trust him.

On To The Next One

We play DC United on Thursday. Did we mention DC are top of the league and in stellar form? Yeah, that’ll be fun.

(on to the next one)

NYCFC vs Red Bulls: Preview

The season is nearly ending. Well, the regular season, that is. And if NYC don’t get their shit together then these 12 games will be the only ones left.

Frankly, it’s probably better we don’t make the playoffs. This team isn’t quite ready to compete for a title, and throwing us in the playoffs could just be depressing. Better off we have the break, flesh out who the hell is playing for this team, and figure it out.

But we also have three DP’s who aren’t getting any younger. Oh well.

Give It The Best You’ve Got

At this point, we’ve lost to the Red Bulls twice this season, quite comprehensively (in terms of quality of play) on both occasions. This derby could start becoming like Manchester United vs Man City, in the days when City were fielding such legends as Jo and Roque Santa Cruz, before the money came in. Which is ironic because they own us. Shouldn’t all this money we’ve invested have us doing better? Ah, the perils of an expansion club. As QPR know all too well, you can’t just blindly throw money at footie and expect results. But then again, QRP never had Pirlo.

Point being, let’s give ’em a run for their money. Sure, we desperately need the win, the three points, and some semblance of local dignity, but most of all we just want to play the best football we can against a side that is doing pretty well right now.

Lineups

NYRD (4-2-3-1): Robles (GK), Lawrence (LB), Miazga (CB), Perrinelle (CB), Lade (RB), Martins (CM), Dax (CM), Grella (LM), Kljestan (CAM), Sam (RM), B. Wright-Phillips (ST)

-Bradley’s brother, Shaun, could start wide, but manager Jesse Marsh has made it fairly clear that the players in this lineup have earned their place and Shaun will have to do the same.

-New DP signing Gonzalo Veron is not expected to start, but will likely come off the bench. The 25-year-old Argentine winger is an interesting prospect, with certain talent and creativity, yet his sub-par goalscoring record and injury concerns throughout the years means it will take time to convince the Red Bulls faithful that he’s worth a coveted DP slot.

-Defender Ronald Zubar is out with a quad injury.

NYCFC (4-2-3-1): Saunders (GK), Iraola (RB), Mena (CB), Facey (CB), Angelino (LB), Pirlo (CM), Jacobson (CM), McNamara (LM), Lampard (CAM), Mix (RM), Villa (ST)

-While Lampard surely doesn’t deserve a starting berth over Poku from last weekend’s performance, it’s Lampard and he’s gotta play. It’s possible we’ll see Lampard come on in a holding role as he did as a sub, thus allowing Poku to play. The issue arises, then, who’s the defensive cover in the midfield?

-Wingert’s got a hamstring problem so he won’t play. Khiry Shelton somehow is STILL injured, with a left quad problem. MAYBE he makes the bench, but don’t count on it. Oh, how we do miss him.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned eariler, this is a big game for NYC for all the obvious reasons. It’s the last Hudson River Derby of the year, so let’s hope NYC can give us something to cheer for.

PS If Ned Grabavoy plays at any point, I quit.

The Day After (Red Bulls)

Last night we were humiliated at home, beaten 3-1 by our rivals the Red Bulls. Here are some thoughts.

Wake Up and Smell The Sucking

On my 45 minute ride up to Yankee stadium from Brooklyn (still better than going on the PATH….) I turned to my father to talk about the upcoming game. I told him that it’s funny that we’re going into this game as slight favorites, only 3 games ago we were the worst team in the league with no hope.

It’s amazing how short the memory of the football world is. I’ve seen it for years in Europe, and it’s funny to see it happen here. A team, a player, or a manager, can go from being considered the cream of the crop to the worst piece of shit within a month. I remember when Cristiano Ronaldo was on top form a year back and people were questioning whether Lionel Messi had shown us his best and was on a downward spiral. A year later, Messi wins the treble in emphatic style and people are back to praising him.

And, of course, many people stick by these teams, players, or managers, but it’s really quite remarkable how ubiquitous an opinion in footie can become once it’s expressed. It’s as if journalists are too stupid to have their own opinions, so once a few articles are written everyone follows suit.

Thus, reminiscing over the insane amount of articles I read before last night’s match, I couldn’t help but be struck by the collectivity in opinions, and even phrases. “NYCFC on the up”…”Red Bulls falling”…etc etc.

The play on the field last night was a wake up call. NYCFC just aren’t a good team yet. We’re brand new, and we won’t be truly good for a while. This Red Bull team have been playing together for a bit, and have an identity.

We were almost the worst team in the league a month ago. A few lucky breaks does not make winners. Last night was case in point.

I Remember Middle School

NYC’s play last night reminded me of an 8th grade boy about to lose his virginity. The first 10 minutes are the most exciting you’ve ever had, and then you lose your focus and by the time it’s over you’re confused and she’s disappointed.

But seriously, there’s an almost childish mentality amongst our team. The first 15-20 minutes, we scored a goal, we had some silky (albeit frustratingly unnecessary) back heels, and some good passing.

Yet as soon as it was Red Bull’s turn to do something, we got bored and lost focus. The rest of the game was typified by wayward passing, lethargic movement, and a genuine lack of communication between our players. The true NYCFC way.

The Team

Yes, I could talk about how McNamara inexplicably is able to score goals yet not pass the ball at a 5th grade level. And I could mention I don’t think Ned Grabavoy was on the field last night.

But the truth of the matter is, our team just isn’t good enough. Yeah, there were poor individual performances, but it’s not like a few changes would’ve really changed that much.

We all love to play backseat manager. “Oh if only he played so-and-so”…”Why doesn’t he switch to a 4-3-3?” etc etc. Hell, I do it all the time. But the truth is there’s no magic formula that can transform the team we’ve got into a winning machine. Unless you’ve got a device which can make 11 clones of Kwadwo Poku, we’re shit outta luck. And if you do have that device, I seriously question your moral code that you’d spend your time using it to help a mediocre MLS club.

Yeah, Pirlo and Lampard will help, but we’re a brand new club, and I’ve heard patience is a virtue.

The Future

Here’s the good news, NYCFC has a bright future. We’re a piece of crap team that already manages to attract talent that most MLS teams would only dream of. I don’t care how much you think we’re just pawns in Man City’s chess game, our owners have a fuckload of cash and don’t like losing. They’ve seen how many people turn up for the shit we’ve got now and they’re smart enough to understand the economic gold mine that is NYC. They know how to run a football team, and I guarantee you in 5 years we’ll be MLS royalty.

We’ll look back at this first season when we get all the bandwagon fans down the line and say “I was there when we were shit.” And fuck, we’ll be proud. Because we suffered through every loss and every second and we’ll look back on players like McNamara and Grabavoy and RJ Allen and we won’t be able to believe that guys like that played for our club.

So forget “on to the next one.” This season will be tough, whoever we play. We’ll win some games with our reinforcements, and that’s exciting. But the real reward will come in a few years. In many ways, we’re going to end up being a lot like Man City. After years of mediocrity and suffering we eventually become the top 3 in the league, never to look back. And it’ll be so much sweeter when we win whatever they’ll be calling the trophy in 5 years time. Because we’ll remember the shit we sat through, and we’re better for it.

NYCFC vs Red Bulls: Preview

Ah, the day is upon us. With all the twitter competitions, the meaningless press conferences, and the overrated blogs, it’s easy to forget that this whole schpiel is about a 90 minute footie match. And how enticing this footie match is indeed.

Form

If you had told me that coming into this match NYCFC would be in far better form I’d probably chloroform you, squeeze your body into the back of my trunk, drop you off at the nearest sanatarium and think nothing of it.

But somehow NYCFC have won 3 MLS matches in a row while Red Bulls were winless in 5 consecutive matches before their scrappy 1 nil midweek home win versus RSL. The Red Bulls even lost, AT HOME, to the Philadelphia Union. Not even NYC have lost to the Union at home, and we’ve sucked for most of this season.

In fact, the Red Bulls’ hot streak ended just after beating us 2-1 in Harrison. Weird vibes, man.

Point is, the Red Bulls haven’t played particularly well the past few games and NYC have exceeded prior expectations, occasionally playing quality football. Going into this game at home in the Bronx, this is a pretty good scenario to have.

Lineups

Red Bulls (4-2-3-1): Robles (GK), Duvall (RB), Miazga (CB), Perrinelle (CB), Lawrence (LB), McCarty (CM), Felipe (CM), Zizzo (LM), Kljestan (CAM), Grella (RM), Wright-Phillips (ST)

-Kljestan is back from serving his suspension and should slot into his preferred role right under the striker.

-Lloyd Sam might make it to the bench, but probably still needs another week to recover from his groin injury.

NYC (4-5-1): Saunders (GK), RJ Allen (RB), Facey (CB), Hernandez (CB), Wingert (LB), McNamara (LM), Grabavoy (CM), Jacobson (CM), Mix (CM), Ballouchy (RM), Villa (ST)

-As per usual, we’d love to see Poku instead of Grabavoy. Last time out Kreis opted for Grabavoy, as Poku had played a full match in midweek. That choice ostensibly payed dividends, as NYC won in Toronto. Although Grabavoy had little to do with that win, he will be trusted in this derby match because of his “MLS experience.”

-As with last game, one of Calle or Williams should make the bench. Shelton is recovering well from a left knee sprain, but if he features at all it would be coming off the bench.

Final Thoughts

With a crowd of at least 45,000 people, it’s hard not to be excited for tomorrow’s derby.

One thing to keep in mind is that while form certainly is influential, often what makes derby matches so great is the fact that both teams want to win this game so much more than other regular league games. When this happens, the play from both sides improves and the game becomes impossible to call. Each team puts forth an inspired performance to match the other and we often see some of footie’s finest moments.

Yet, this isn’t a traditional rivalry as of yet. Sure the first game was heated, but right now the fans of the opposition teams are the ones who are making this a “derby” match. Most of the players are using the “oh-it’s-just-another-3-points” PR tactic.

But soccer players are rarely the best speakers, we’ll see on the pitch how both sides feel about this matchup.

Until then, Death To The Red Bulls.

The Day After (Red Bulls)

I’ve been contemplating a theory for some time that seems more and more likely with each passing game.

Sure, it makes sense that City Football Group would spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars for a quality MLS team which would play in New York City. That’s possible.

But the more likely story is that this is merely a billionaire’s social experiment. I can see the conversation now: “Let’s pretend to actually build a soccer team, acquire some people who can reasonably pass for professional players, and see how long the masses keep watching before they realize this is simply a very expensive practical joke!”

Damn billionaires.

Passing

Forget that Red Bulls were down to 10 men for almost AN HOUR of that match, and forget that as soon as our two poster boy players were taken off the field we scored a goal, we can’t fucking pass.

For those of you who don’t know, which in this case is NYCFC coaches and players, passing the ball is important in soccer. It’s how you get the ball from one guy with a shirt to the other guy with a shirt. But remember kids, he’s gotta have the same color shirt as you!

Seriously, I usually try to stand up for our boys in blue after mistakes but I am at a loss for words with some of the passing that occurred. I just can’t believe that these guys get paid to do some of the crap that went down last night. Horrible communication between players and a ridiculous amount of misplaced passes. It hurt me physically and emotionally to watch that game.

Damn Ned Grabavoy.

(on to the next one)

Where do we go now? What is the rest of this season look like for us? Will they give us a discount on our season tickets? Will be buy a desperately needed 3rd DP? Would anyone even come at this point? Is Frank Lampard hoping he tears his ACL so he doesn’t have to partake?

I’m not entirely sure what the future holds. But I’m just a guy writing a blog, I can only watch so many shitshows before I lose my mind.

on to the next one.

NYCFC vs Red Bulls: Preview

On Sunday, May 10th NYCFC will hop across the hudson river to play the Red Bulls at 7 p.m ET.

Form

Simply put, the Red Bulls are playing quality football and NYC aren’t.

Barring a recent defeat to New England, the Red Bulls were undefeated until that point.

It’s funny that NYC’s only win of the season came against the only team that has beaten the Red Bulls.

Point is, Red Bulls have a better squad, are playing better, and are a much better team. But this is a derby match. Anything can happen. If NYC go to Jersey looking for blood, the nature of this tie might make that possible.

NYC will need to go out there hungry and smartly if they want a win that could potentially kick-start their poor season.

Lineups

New Jersey(4-2-3-1) : Robles (GK), Duvall (RB), Miazga (CB), Perrinelle (CB), Lawrence (LB), Martins (CM), McCarty (CM), Grella (LM), Kljestan (CAM), Sam (RM), Wright-Phillips (ST)

-Center back Zubar could make his long awaited return from injury, which comes at a good time with Matt Miazga heading off to the U-20 World Cup with the US team.

-Winger Sal Zizzo is out with a fractured tibia, which is a shame as he was starting to put together a good run of form

-Roy Miller is also battling injury, but should make the bench

NYC (4-5-1): Saunders (GK), Williams (RB), Hernandez (CB), Wingert (CB), Brovsky (LB), Jacobson (CM), Ballouchy (CM), Mix (CM), Grabavoy (LM), Shelton (RM), Villa (ST)

-Nemec is still recovering from a left ankle strain but could make the bench.

-Hernandez looks to be ready for the start, but has been dealing with injury issues.

-Javier Calle is unlikely to make the bench as he’s still dealing with a left adductor strain.

Final Thoughts

Everyone’s excited for this one.

The MLS get to hype up a rivalry. NYC get to talk about how we actually play in NYC. The Red Bulls get to talk about how they actually play soccer.

We’re betting on a tie. While Red Bulls will be fancied for all the obvious reasons, in a game of this heat and passion, it’s likely to be a 1-1 game. But let’s hope NYC can get a win, however unlikely.

Godspeed, gents. Godspeed.