July 3rd, 2007 . 1:06 pm . By: Buzz Carrick

Global warming is something my administration is concerned deeply about in a deeply concerned way. It seems that liberals and God-less Tax raisers are trying to make me look bad by using such things as facts and scientific data. – President George E. Bush (Will Ferrell)

It’s only mid eighties outside today, but since we are living through the second great flood it’s humid as heck.  When the sun does peak out it’s boiling out on the field.

By far the most interesting thing today is the tactics.  Morrow’s mixing it up a little bit and using a formation that’s a bit different.  I won’t get into it too much as I don’t want to give away all the tactics.  But the gaffer did make a comment on it that I will share.

News Notes and Observations

- Marcelo Saragosa is suspended for the first US Open Cup game.  He got a red card in the USOC game against Houston last year so will miss the game against Atlanta.  Since McCarty and Wallace are both wit the U20s, it’s a mystery who might play in the midfield in that game.

- Ricardinho and Chase Wileman both can NOT play in the USOC game, but both CAN play against Tigres.

- No word yet on Ricardinho visa, but there is some good news. He won’t have to go back to brazil to get his visa.  Because Ricardinho was here on a tourist visa he can remain here during the process and will be able to pick up his visa from a Brazilian consulate here in the US.  FCD is hopeful it will be this week.

- There will be no TV broadcast from the Tigres game down in Mexico, nor will there be a video stream of the game on line.  At this point it’s only going to be broadcast on radio.

- FCD is targeting 1st of September as Cooper’s return date.

- Morrow wants to get Serioux some minutes tomorrow (Serioux won’t start) and has the DC game as his target for 100% match fitness.  Serioux did participate full speed in training today. 

- Alex Yi trained full speed with the team today and is cleared to play.

- Pablo Ricchetti stayed out late and worked on free kicks over a wall with Ferruzzi.

- Dario Sala has up some kind of small knock on his foot.  I don’t know if it’s something he picked up today or something that’s been bothering him. Dario often plays through small injuries so I still anticipate, at this time, that he will play tomorrow.  He did train most of the day.

Catching up with Steve Morrow

Are the tactics a 4-4-2?

“I wouldn’t really call it that. No. I’m playing more or less the same way.  But I want Abe Thompson, when we’ve got it in possession, to be just a bit higher up the field. I want him to be closer to Carlos and when we’ve got possession to be more a two up top. I still want the same movement from Juan and Arturo.  I don’t see it as a true 4-4-2.  I told the guys not too much has changed”

Buzz coach speak translator: The way we mix it up amazes even me.

Is the Change for personnel or for Chivas?

“It’s a little bit of both.  It’s a little bit of an adjustment from what I’ve seen in the last few games as well.  Its more of an option, more of a target right up top apart from Carlos and maybe try and have have more bodies in the box.”

Buzz coach speak translator: both.

On the back line vs. Houston:

“I thought all four of them did very well. They were very solid as a unit and I thought individually all those guys had a good game. So that’s consequently why I’m leaving it the same.  I thought offensively as well Bobby got forward well, Wags got forward well.  Against a very dangerous offense in Houston, they got a lot of dangerous players going forward and I thought we handled it very, very well.  You guys know my policy, that if players come in and do well they can keep their place in the team.”

Buzz coach speak translator: They kicked but so they keep playing.

On Drew Moor’s performance in Copa American:

“I thought he did well, I really did.  I thought he looked comfortable, he had a great chance to get a goal on the header. I think if you look at their goals I don’t think any of them were down to him, which is good for him as well.  I thought he looked comfortable throughout.  He looked relaxed and composed, I thought he had a good game. I’m talking about his own game individually.  I thought everything he had to do he did well.  He coped with everything, any test that was there in front of him he coped with well.  Bob’s got his way of playing, I don’t think that effected Drew too much.”

Buzz coach speak translator: My boy can play.  Much love.

On Chase Wileman:

“He’s still competing for one of those spots, he’s doing well.  The problem we have at the moment is we haven’t really had enough reserve games to take a closer look. I think we’ll have an opportunity in the next two weeks with the Tigres games, the Open Cup, and the reserve game in DC to have a closer look at him. He’s been very patient, he’s been getting better each week, I really do.  I admire a lot of his qualities, technically he’s very, very good.  No matter what situation we put him into he seems to cope with it very well.”

Buzz coach speak translator: I like him, I think I’ll keep him around.

Training

After a warm up run and stretching, Pareja divided the team into three groups and made the cones/poles agility work a competition by adding tiny goals to shoot on at the end of each run.  General note for you coaches out there, players sure seem to love drills that become competition.  Lots of cheers and taunting to be heard during this drill.

Second drill was the large end to end game that worked on the team tactics and shape for tomorrow.  I won’t talk about this part much beyond saying it was quite telling, but I will give you the part Morrow seemed willing to talk about.

Last drill of the day was some finishing and combination work in on goal that Morrow watched closely.

Lineup Prediction

As Morrow said it’s basically the same formation with Abe Thompson in for Oduro. Based on some things in training one might have been tempted to call it a 4-4-2, but Morrow says its just a shifted/lopsided version of the 4-2-3-1.  Perhaps we might even go so far as to call it a 4-2-2-2 if that makes sense. Arturo will most likely be swapping right and left all game, with Toja central, based on opportunity and movement up top.  Morrow did say flat out the back four will not change.

There will be some times when it darn sure will look like a 4-4-2 in the Chivas game, don’t let that fool you.  The movements, shifts, rotations and positing still make it the same shape FCD has played all year (which is a different, long winded, article).  They have not turned overnight into the pure 4-4-2.

Thought of the Day

Aaron Pitchkolan has saved his soccer career.

Let’s face it, a third season on the developmental roster was not a good sign.  I know he went down cause he was willing to do so for the good of the team, and who knows who might have been cut if he had refused.  But I think we all knew he was an emergency holding mid and really just a role player who worked hard.  This winter was going to be very difficult for him being out of roster options.

But after the move to center back that started this spring, and now with the top notch performance against Houston (where he was my Man of the Match for so far exceeding my expectations) he has really cemented himself as a valuable, versatile role player for this franchise.  I would even dare to say he’s moved ahead of Yi on the depth chart at center back.  He brings great work rate, positive attitude, and now a very solid performance when the coach calls on him.

I doubt Pitch will ever be an All-Star and maybe not even be a starter.  If he’s willing to play for mid level numbers, say in the $40k to $50k range (see Rhine, Bobby – career), then he could be a long running journeyman player that could help this organization for years.

He could be the next Ted Eck or Richard Farrer.

Categories: Practice Observations.

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