Comments on: Monday Morning Gaffer: Real Salt Lake vs FC Dallas

By: twotone

twotone — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:52:13 +0000

it looks to me that FCD mgmt has done one thing good this year…..they’ve gotten Dom hooked up with the Michael Johnson place and they’ve helped him harness his speed and turn him into a fast soccer players, rather than a fast guy on a soccer team.

By: Wheezer

Wheezer — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:20:15 +0000

RSL wins games when Beckerman gets forward and makes runs. He didn’t do that at all. I think Richetti and Saragosa decided to cut him off earlier and not let him be able to get in the attack. Richetti at least in the first half seemed to be up higher. Maybe Saragosa was also helping Beckerman, but they

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:06:54 +0000

Glad they got a win on Saturday, but I thought the attacking was poor. I seem to remember FCD being better at stringing short 1- and 2-touch passes together 2 years ago, and somewhat last year.

And to me, entertaining, attacking soccer builds up with a surge of players going forward alongside the player in possession of the ball, with movement in many directions (like Barca, Roma, Arsenal, etc…even Chivas USA does this to some extent). Too many times it seemed that FCD would hoof a ball to the corner and race to it for a wild cross or to earn a corner kick. As is the criticism with the EPL sometimes, the goal of attacking in soccer shouldn’t be to win a corner by playing out-of-control dashes to the corner. And other times it seemed that all FCD attackers would run away from the FCD ball possessor in hopes of getting a long ball; I’d prefer to see folks going to the ball, away from it, parallel with it — generating some kind of movement rather than the ‘run and hoof it’ approach…

Anyway – enough for my rant. I’m glad FCD got a win, and I think they play some of the most attractive soccer in MLS when they are on their game.

By: marco4

marco4 — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:30:42 +0000

All things considered – coaching change, suspension, injuries, national teams, etc – I don’t think we could have expected anything more from the players who were there on Saturday. Only real negative was Rhine’s bonehead move. Hate to say it, but I had written that game off when RSL scored. Full marks to the team for their effort and resilience. Now keeping my fingers crossed that this was the boot in the arse that Toja (and also Alvarez) needs to get going.

Also, question for Buzz… What do you make of the fact that Kreis wouldn’t speak to the media after the game? Is he under that much pressure that he couldn’t speak after a road loss? Sure, his team probably could have done better with the lead, but leaving it up to his players and assistant coaches to handle the media after all that doesn’t exactly reek of strong leadership from the head coach.

By: JPB4

JPB4 — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:06:26 +0000

Wallace looks terrible out there, he just is not ready at all to be a player at this level. Not sure what you are seeing……

By: Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:18:03 +0000

That space between MF and DF is what Saragosa is supposed to be shutting down. I thought he was ineffective in this role at times Saturday night. I think he is best suited as a sub in situations where we have the lead (not too common of late heh).

By: Skeeter

Skeeter — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:20:54 +0000

Beckerman is one of those guys you absolutely hate when he is with another team and love when he is in your shirt. He could play for my team anytime.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:45:26 +0000

Beckerman? Really?! Yuck.

By: hutchtx

hutchtx — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:55:25 +0000

Great write up as usual. It will be interesting to see who starts on Wednesday against Houston.

P.S. Maybe Toja read your game grades last week (ie as when you were discussing those colored shoes and said that after the LA game, everyone should be wearing black), because he had black shoes instead of white on Saturday.