My observations of the match…

Loyal1 · 05-08-2005, 02:35 PM

What a disappointment 🙁

Whitfield waiting for a little help was a replay of Tiger waiting for attackers v. San Jose. I think that too often Whitfield took too many touches that allowed the defense to adjust.

Kamler might has well have stayed in the midfield. Things picked up enough that he didn't really have to do any goaltending. I think it's official now: he is the most versatile player in MLS just edging past Jorge Campos.

RSL players seemed to wait for the ball to come to them and allowed countless passes to be intercepted. I think it may be a product of fieldturf where the ball gets to you quicker.

Chivas seemed to play with more "let's not get our coach fired yet" type of spunk. Though scoring only on a cointoss penalty call shouldn't make them too giddy.

grumble, grumble

Aerick · 05-08-2005, 02:40 PM

Deuce, I guess you're right about the O'Brien conundrum - not many options left.

As for DJ's save percentage stat - I think is the best way to rate the effectiveness of a keeper. Granted, you'd rather the percentage stay the same with less shots and consequently, less saves. However, no one can say now that DJ doesn't have the experience!

Takkie · 05-08-2005, 02:47 PM

yeh, the most infuriating thing was the sheer amount of times that a pass was interepted by chivas because an RSL player just waited to let the ball come to him, instead of going out to get it

Jim Umber · 05-08-2005, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Takkie

yeh, the most infuriating thing was the sheer amount of times that a pass was interepted by chivas because an RSL player just waited to let the ball come to him, instead of going out to get it

I agree totally. We have to be agressive in the middle. Often I've noticed that the middle is filled only with opponents. There are no ReAL players anywhere near, so who's going to get that ball that was just kicked up in the air and not passed to any particular person? Right, the opponents. How discusting.

I also agree with your remark about the goalie not having to stop so many shots. The point of the defense is to make sure the ball doesn't come near the goalie. The point of the goalie is to be there, just in case someone slips. They're relying on him all to much. Although, to be fair, they also sometimes do a great job.

Forwards, midfielders and defenders, all need to be more consistant.

bordelais7 · 05-08-2005, 09:54 PM

- Rojas may have improved, but he was still pretty bad. Repeatedly got beat one-on-one, slow to get back...I think the difference is that this time around he knew he was fighting for a starting job. At least he was better than Akwari, though. Pretty shaky and scary game from him.

- My MOTM: 1) Pope, 2) Countess, 3) Tiger

- Very frustrating game to watch. I can't tell if we really suck at finishing, or if we're just unlucky. And I'm not a pro at officiating, either, but isn't an appropriate call on a short-range seemingly unintentional hand-ball an indirect free-kick? I'm not saying that we deserved to win by any means, but that call...I dunno.

- Does O'Brien know he's not in the A-league any more? Crap, that guy is invisible.

- Liked Kamler's game. He's becoming more solid at D-mid (and not too shaky as keeper, either), and he made a couple of good runs. I still wish we could stick him out on the wings and find another option for the back of the midfield, but options aren't exactly our strength right now, I guess.

- Did we go 3-5-2 at the end?

- I usually think that the dreaded "altitude factor" is blown out of proportion in sports. But I'm wondering if it's perhaps playing a part in all of our long balls and crosses, particularly on the road, being consistently short. If we could overhit balls instead of underhitting them, we might actually be able to hold posession for more than one pass.

- If we could beat the Galaxy, that would absolutely turn everything around. Pretty big "if" though, at this point, but I'm sure a packed house will help...

Deuce · 05-09-2005, 08:09 AM

Apparently RSL is now labeled "Injury Prone"

Quote:

Subbed out:
Injury-prone Real Salt Lake could have used the old MLS rule allowing a fourth substitution for a goalkeeper Saturday against Chivas USA.

The team had used all three substitutions, including one to replace injured Clint Mathis, when Chivas' Francisco Mendoza crashed into goalkeeper D.J. Countess.

Countess, who leads MLS with 35 saves, rolled around in pain but got up to make a save before play was stopped. Brian Kamler, wearing the jersey of backup goalkeeper Jay Nolly, moved from midfield to goal but didn't face a shot.

Chivas, which abandoned its free-spirited offense and left forwards Matt Taylor, Isaac Romo and Arturo Torres on the bench, took its first MLS win 1-0 on a controversial penalty kick in the first half. Salt Lake defender Marlon Rojas was called for a handball, though the ball was drilled into his arm and replays showed he might have been out of the penalty area.

Dadof3 · 05-09-2005, 09:12 AM

No such thing as an unintentional hand ball call = indirect. Any hand ball is direct. I do not have a problem with the call...just the immediate decision that the ball was in the area.

Ratings (10 all world...1 nightmare)

DJ = 8...solid again. Get healthy quick. Really should have drilled the idiot who turned his back to him and clobbered him on the clearance. (I would have bet big bucks on Pearce getting his yellow within 1 min of him hitting DJ.)

Akwari = 4...got back-doored too many times (partially due to no midfield pressure on Ramon)...had to laugh when the commentators mentioned that RSL was missing Pierce's contributions to the offense... 😕

Rojas = 4...still has suspect positioning...uses his athleticism to catch up with players which worked against Chivas, but not any other team in the league.

Pope = 6 ... solid except for the gradeschool stab at Ezra as he glided by.

Dunseth = 6 ...a bit less solid. Neither of our centers had much to do until Chivas whipped in the crosses.

Kamler = (play 4...willingness to go into the goal 8) Commentators kept going on re how Ramon was having his best game this year...wonder why? We had as much defensive pressure in the midfield when he was in goal and we were a man down.

Mathis = incomplete.

Williams = first aweful, then incomplete.

Tiger = 8 ... If he scores he gets the 9. Showed bite, athleticism, dribbling, speed, heart...all the things that have been lacking from Mathis' and Williams' games this year.

Brown = 5 ... Not enough speed or quickness to be truly dangerous, but he shows nice knowledge of the game and gets the most out of his limited physical abilities. I do wish DJ would target him instead of Kreis on long balls.

Whitfield = 6 ... I like the speed and the defensive presence...but his skills are what they are...substandard.

Leighton = 5 ...well, this was a huge step up from the 1 I gave him the first game. He does knock the ball around well, but really suffers from lack of speed. Cannot beat anyone 1v1. Scary part is, was still better than Williams or Mathis.

Kreis = 6 ... I wish he had finished his half-chance. Did a great job setting up Dipsy (I lost a bet that we would not turn the corner once this year for an easy finish from the 6)...As always, he worked his A$% off for the whole game. Needs to tell DJ to target someone bigger so he can pick up the scraps.

Dipsy = 4 ... Got in the right space, took the right shot, forgot to get it in the air 2 feet to keep the keeper from having any chance.

Ellinger = 3 ... Teams are allowed to have a bad energy game from time to time, but this team is making a habit of it on the road. It looks our leaders are not doing a good job of leading...so the burden of getting this team mentally prepared to play is on the Coach...some credit for the half-time talk, however. Also, there is no way that Williams should have been on the pitch 😠 ...he is obviously not fit. Coach seems to be fixated on his golden triangle...the sooner he realizes that one is hurt, one is old, and two play no midfield D whatsoever, the better.

As always...do not criticize if you do not have a suggestion, so...

(I suggested the box midfield last week, but without Williams, we do not have the personnel)...

Regular back four...(Pope, Dunseth, Pearce + Akwari, Benhke, Rojas...just doesn't matter...they only get exposed because our midfield sucks both offensively and defensively)

Whitfield showed he needs to be on the pitch and cannot play centrally (lack of skills)...so how about a pinched 3-person d-mid...throw Kamler and Whitfield on the outsides...but have them pinch...and put the Tiget in the d-mid to win the ball with free reign to go forward when he can. Put Mathis at the A-mid. Have Kreis with another forward...Brown if we want to lump it to forwards' heads, Dispy if playing to feet.

So a 4-3-1-2. Will this solve all of our problems? Unlikely 🙄 ...but it really cannot be worse.

bordelais7 · 05-09-2005, 09:28 AM

Quote:

had to laugh when the commentators mentioned that RSL was missing Pierce's contributions to the offense...

Yeah, what exactly where they talking about? Does Pierce even have an assist in his career?

Quote:

Whitfield showed he needs to be on the pitch and cannot play centrally (lack of skills)...so how about a pinched 3-person d-mid...throw Kamler and Whitfield on the outsides...but have them pinch...and put the Tiget in the d-mid to win the ball with free reign to go forward when he can. Put Mathis at the A-mid. Have Kreis with another forward...Brown if we want to lump it to forwards' heads, Dispy if playing to feet.

I like how that gets Kamler into a more natural position, but I don't think Tiger would fly at d-mid. He's too offensive minded, it seems, and I think he might leave us even more exposed than with Kamler back there, pinching notwithstanding. Might be worth a shot though, as we're short on alternatives. I had a dream the other night that we drafted O'Rourke. Man, that would have been a nice solution. Besagno had better be good 😉

Quote:

No such thing as an unintentional hand ball call = indirect. Any hand ball is direct. I do not have a problem with the call...just the immediate decision that the ball was in the area.

So unintentional is treated the same as intentional? Seems harsh.

Dadof3 · 05-09-2005, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bordelais7

So unintentional is treated the same as intentional? Seems harsh.

If the hand ball is unintentional, it is not supposed to be called at all. Re blocking crosses, the assumption made by the officials is that if your hands are away from your body...even if used for balance...and your hands/arms block the cross...then the hand ball is called because they assume it was intentional.

Deuce · 05-09-2005, 10:07 AM

I think the hand ball call was right but the location of the spot was wrong!
Rojas was clearly out of the box when the ball struck his hand!

It should have been a free kick from outside of the box... not a PK!

but that said...
I don't see anyone writing the team off because of the loss... what I do see is frustration being vented here on this forum = healthy...
I would rather read about peoples frustration and know i am not the only one...
rather than read about how frustrated fans pelt opposing players and officials with projectiles thrown from the stands.

This forum is a place to vent frustration as well as discuss the team and matches.
The same people that are upset now are the same people that will be singing praises when we do well.

just let it flow and be happy! :D