Remember how everyone used to complain about Cooper going out wide to get the ball? He scored a boatload of goals that way last year. This year he’s done a good job of sticking into the middle and the goals have dried up. It makes our offense too predictable since the defenders don’t have to worry about where he is. Gonzalez easily handled Cooper last night, but that’s mainly because he never had to worry about where Cooper was — Hyndman has him too static. I thought Wallace and Shea looked good. And Richetti may be the captain (and to his credit he took the blame for the goal), but it looked to me last night like the real leader out there is Drew Moor. He was the one who seemed to care the most about winning. They hardly created a chance last night, especially after Shea got subbed.

Between this and the Real red card last year, I’ve had it with Saragosa. The fact he can’t even spell “offense” is bad enough, but throw in the undisciplined play and he’s basically worthless. I don’t care that he can “break a guy in half”; if he can’t do it legally, there’s no point. Moor’s a better RB than Saragosa, and Bruno has better range and smarter play in midfield.

I’ve held out on this, but if Hyndman forgives Saragosa for this red card and keeps starting him, I’ll officially give up on FCD’s coach.

What FCD needs to realize is that fans are not only starting to give up on this year. But they’re in danger of having them give up on next year as well.

If this season finishes the way it’s started, an average team next year won’t draw, because fans won’t trust it to be average.

FCD is faced with two possible paths turn this around now, or go with youth. Going with youth would give fans hope for next year.

Teams have figured this team out. Stop Cooper and FCD can’t beat you,simple really. Cooper is a goal scorer and goalscorers need chances. FCD doesn’t get any and rarely gets the ball to Cooper in dangerous areas.
Due to the coming absence of the two pets SH may finally get the right players on the field.

I also liked Wallace and Shea. They both need to start at this point.

I think Cooper is having problems because there is no other threat on the field right now. Make him stay central – they’ll figure it out. As far as Ferreira is concerned,keep in mind that Schelotto was in the league for a year before he started doing anything, and I think F-dog is looking like he’s gonna need some more time as well (no, the two are not equal in talent, haters). The main problem is that the guy is an oompa loompa, but he’s the best ball handler on the field at any given time.

As we walked through the club after the game I passed within 5 feet of Rocha, already dressed and having fun with his girlfriend. For a split second I thought about telling him how I felt about his play, but I let it go. After all, he’s just a kid.

I guess I have to ask why it took so many of you so long to realize Saragosa is not a starter in MLS.
Anyone still on the SH knows who should be starting bandwagon and if you aren’t there is a good reason? I believe that is his biggest weakness. He doesn’t know how pick the best players and/or where to put them.

We need to keep Saragosa around; he can bring his BFF Kaka from Milan and all our troubles will be solved!

The Saragosa Red card was just horrible, plain and simple. Undisciplined players cannot be allowed to play on the field in any professional league, not just MLS. Wallace’s range (and shot) he showed was just amazing, even though it was obviously a learning experience for him. He will be fine with PT. Ditto for Shea. The problem is that the U-20’s beckon for Wally. The 3-5-2 is the best formation for FCD until the window opens up and they can make changes; however, even when it does, who expects the FO to make the correct ones?

Ironically, it was the Galaxy who first gave up on Saragosa, and FCD brought him in to plug a hole, IIRC. Since that time, Saragosa has been my least favorite player. He lacks so many things you need to be successful in this league. Last week, he was repeatedly burned at RB, so Hyndman had to make a formation change to accomodate that fact. I guess the Hyndman plan is to continually play Saragosa and rearrange the deck chairs during the game to hide the fact that he is a tremendous liability, no matter where you slot him.

I would live to clarify my remarks regarding Saragosa as a starter on this team. I do not believe his place in the starting XI is not simply a question of his ability. I also think his veteran status figures into his place. In fact, I think it is reasonable that Hyndman has stuck with Saragosa due to his experience.

The thing is, Hyndman knows as well as anyone that talent level alone does not get the job done. That is why younger players are such a gamble in a pro league- you may get their talent, but you’re also going to get their learning curve and mistakes will be made.

Saragosa does not show the talent level to overcome his mistakes, both mental and physical. Yet he still offers a strong, fit, physical presence to the team. I think this is a valuable asset; I just don’t believe it merits a starting role once you figure in the mental mistakes and lack of ability to make good decisions with the ball. I think if you’re holding a late-match lead, Saragosa is a valid option off the bench. But if you’re going to get the mistakes anyhow, why not play a younger player if you’ve no better option. Hyndman doesn’t have a better option, so I think living with the growing pains of youth in his place seems like a good choice.

I could be wrong. Damned wrong.

FCD desparately needs to hold the ball better.

Saragosa – no dribbling, bad passes…watches his passes.
Bruno – good dribbler, iffy passing, teammates don’t give him the ball, so they must not trust him.
Ferrera – needs a mate to play with.

How can our forwards and wingers be effective if there isn’t enough linking in the middle of the field. You need two midfielders that are strong on the ball, know where each other are and use each other to get the ball down the field or get themselves out of trouble. I thought I saw Dax and Ferrera beginning to learn about each other and bam that was over????
It would also be some Def via Offense.

First, I thought Dello played well at RB, and should be given more time there. But as I wrote on another blog, since SH seems insistent upon playing Bruno, why not try him at that position. In the style of Cherundolo, Hedjuk, . Short, tough, fast, can run all day and pass the ball from deep positions.

Sounds good Brooks.

I don’t know what the big deal is. Saragosa did exactly what he’s done, consistently, for the last two years – hurt the team through poor play. The good news is that SH CAN’T play him for a whole game. Wait a minute… Now that I think back on it, that head shove of his was flagrant, dangerous, malicious and practically lethal. Any way we can petition the league for a multi-game, Ricardo Clark kind of suspension?

A 20-game suspension would do nicely.

Sargosa – Out, Dax – In

Rocha – Out, Avila – In

Cunningham – Out, Shea – In

Everyone who has ever played left back – Out, Wally – In

nothing about Tom Sanchez? howdid he play?

My opinion on Tom Sanchez is that he didn’t look like a difference maker. Might be because we were playing a man down, but he didn’t really capture my eye at all in the same way that Shea and Wallace did.

@baconboy

Pardon me, but are you nuts?

Maybe I am being a bit grouchy, but Sanchez played both sides of midfield and did very well in both roles.

Perhaps Shea caught your eye because he’s way over 6′ tall and has a glowing blonde mohawk? And Wallace is one of our two only black players. Yes, both those players performed well, but they tend to stick out, too.

And whether any of the three are “difference makers” remains to be seen. Right now, this team has no difference makers. The whole league only has a handfull. FCD has got to perform better with what they have. Unless they hit the jackpot this summer, this is what you’ve got. Sorry to break it to you, but Superman is NOT on his way to save the day.

/grouch

Oh, I forgot Burse above.

Damn me.

Sometimes, I suck.

Perhaps I am nuts, but I just wasn’t impressed. I didn’t pick out Shea because of his hair or height, but because he hit the post, managed to get behind the defense several times and put the ball across the middle, etc. Wallace I picked out because he was consistently hitting passes that no one else was hitting. I remember that several times he was stuck on the touchline and switched play effectively in ways that opened up the attack. You know when someone hits a nice ball and you just mutter under your breath, “Nice pass”…I did that plenty of times for Wallace, but can’t remember ever saying that for Sanchez.

And when I say ‘difference maker’ I don’t expect a player to be Zidane, but only relative to the competition. I mean someone that can win his own 1v1 battles consistently and put the defense in awkward positions. I saw Shea do that, I saw Wallace do that, I saw Burse do that, but didn’t notice Sanchez at all…and I was looking.

John Wooden used to say that you shouldn’t mistake activity for achievement, and it seems to me that is exactly the mistake that SH makes.

But Sanchez only played a little while and I certainly thought I qualified my statement by noting that he was playing in difficult circumstances. I’m happy to be proven wrong over what remains of our season.

Shea hitting the post to me showed he is not a striker, he should had finish that ball, wasnt that hard and had an “open goal” just the keeper to beat.

baconboy,

Sanchez’s work rate was quite laudable on both sides of the ball. Fair enough to suggest he wasn’t a “difference maker” per se, but being a man down with the struggling Kenny Cooper as the lone striker, that wasn’t likely anyway.

Here is some perspective for you. Given Rocha’s attitude and mental state, why not play someone like Tom Sanchez or Eric Avila on the right wing. They will at least fight hard up and down the field for the shirt, and neither one of them are suspect to the temper tantrums of a five year old on a silly throw-in ball. I suggest giving Sanchez a start, reserving Avila off the bench for a strong offensive spark (he is still not showing defensive prowess just yet).

Sticking with more Saragosa/Rocha antics? A bad decision. Ironically, they were the real “difference makers” of the game Saturday! For L.A.

I partially blame SH for Rocha’s lack of fitness mentally and physically. For whatever reason, FCD was not able to inspire Rocha to work harder in the off-season, and for whatever reason, FCD was not able to manage him in a way that led to appropriate influence toward what he does on the field, which is to go chasing after a guy who steals the ball from him to foul him.

The only way SH will turn things around is to bench the head cases, and play people who have a strong internal locus of control and/or the younger players with a strong personal incentive to get more MLS minutes and really show their worth.

- Dax
- Avila
- Shea
- Wallace
- Peri (maybe too soon for him)

I say remove the tired, lackadaisical, head case loaner/foreign players like Rocha and Saragosa from the lineup for the next five games. It just might reveal our team’s potential, and in the process help Rocha in particular to get his head straight.

At least Tom Sanchez showed some strong fight on the ball up and down the length of the field. As a coach you’ve got to reward that type of play. With Pablo at center back (despite his big mistake early) and Sanchez fighting for possession, we did not do what we have done over and over again for the last couple years, which is to roll over in the last 30 minutes of the game and lose the tie or the lead.

Nathan remarked:

“Sargosa – Out, Dax – In

Rocha – Out, Avila – In

Cunningham – Out, Shea – In

Everyone who has ever played left back – Out, Wally – In.”

Amen! You and I are watching the same 2009 Hoops. In addition to Avila in for Rocha, it is possible to give Sanchez a look too.

For defense, I will say that Danny Torres has started to impress me in the last couple efforts. So this at least gives us some options to try

Moor—Richetti—Wallace

knowing that we can also move to a four man back with Torres (or perhaps keep Wallace on the bench consistently as a sub). Either way, I would like to see Wally get some more minutes, which I think he will.

Once George John is healthy again, he needs to go back in. He has earned his starter role and we need his size, grit, and bold 1-on-1 marking.

The problem with our defense has been Marcelo Saragosa and Blake Wagner. Truly pathetic. To a lesser degree–only because he has been constantly injured upon arrival–Steve Purdy. he has been a real let down for us, as he was supposed to be the big savior of the defense coming in from the German 2nd division according to SH and Ellinger.

What I hope to see as soon as George John is healthy? how about the 3-5-2 set-up with Captain Pablo Richetti playing very deep as a flex mid/defender, partnering with Dax to transition the possession forward and direct the communication. We need two midfielders who are tough on the ball and can maintain possession and direct tight passing on the defensive side of midfield. NO MORE AIMLESS, “HOPEFUL” LONG BALLS FROM THE BACK. PLEASE SHELLAS! THEY ARE EITHER (1) CLEARING IT, OR (2) PASSING IT TO AN OPEN TEAM MEMBER.

Exchanging Avila for Sanchez and Torres for Wallace in this line up works just fine for me. Also, once Sala is healthy he takes goal of course (as long as we re-introduce him to the white lines of the box)

——-Burse
Moor———John—Wallace
—–Richetti (flex 3 or 4 back line)

————DAX

Sanchez———-VDB

———Ferreira

—–Shea——–Cooper

Bench should include
- Lambo
- Peri
- Avila
- Torres

Bench does not need to include
- Rocha
- Saragosa
- Wagner
- Cunningham

Cunningham needs to have a retirement party. I will bake the cake. Speaking of cakes, please sign a proven, quality striker that has fewer than 30 candles on his cake.

I’ve been saying this all season… Saragosa should be in the stands, Rocha should be on the bench (I’m fine with him in the stands as well). Glad people are finally catching on

Agree with many above, the following shouldn’t be dressing:
- Rocha
- Saragosa
- Cunningham

Rocha may earn his way back through practice.

Dax, Avila, Wallace, Sanchez, and even Davies probably need to see the field so they can be better utilized/assessed/developed. I haven’t given up on Wagner entirely, but he needs to earn his way back in.

FCD has plenty of problems but KCjr is not one of them. This team (with the current line-up) is incapable of getting him any good chances. I note with interest that on another bad MLS team JP Angel has scored less than Cooper. Wonder if red bull fans are calling for his head ?

Just curious who you think has called for Cooper’s head? All the comments on this post have mentioned that he is ineffective, but either because of the coaching or the players around him – not because of any lack of effort or skill on his part. I haven’t seen anyone suggest that Cooper should be benched.

It’s time to just admit that there isn’t much talent on this team. SH can’t coach and can’t evaluate talent. I won’t list the strong players he & Ellinger let go and brought in his boys like Torres, Bruno, Purdy……
NOTHING will change until the coach goes and that can’t happen so we are stuck.