RCTID Making The Grade: Episode 2 - Timbers @ LAFC
For a moment there... and I'm just saying "just for a moment"... I felt like stepping off the barstool and peeling off my Timbers jersey. I didn't, but boy oh boy was that uncomfortable.
Playing like that in the snow is one thing, but playing in perfect soccer conditions is another and there are no weather-related gimmes in this edition!
For the purpose of these musings, this game was about as crystal clear as one can get. As mentioned already the weather was perfect, the referee didn't really miss much, the other team was playing good soccer and the Timbers... well... let's talk about that shall we?
I mean, how many of you cringed when we saw THE SAME EXACT STARTING LINE UP AS THE COLORADO DEBACLE?!?!?!? (and who ever invented the alternating question mark/exclamation point because that is a brilliant piece of punctuation! Don't you think?)
I also feel like Jeff's goalie garb looks an awful lot like what Tim Howard was wearing last week when he shut down the Timbers. I'm a big believer in karma and let's just say I don't like the direction this is headed...
In my opinion, this should have been an opportunity here to mix things up a bit and to test the waters, specifically at right back, center back and striker. But that didn't happen. So who made the grade???
I really, really didn't want to do this, but let's start again with the defense...
Zarek Valentin, Larrys Mabiala, Julio Cascante and Jorge Villafana = F
At least make one freaking change! It's early in the season I know but I'm not worried about "chemistry" just yet as I am about finding a functional foursome. But surprise, surprise, surprise, no changes (yes, that was heavy sarcasm as we have seen Gio's penchant for consistency in the face of adversity).
You know that expression, "Fool me once..." Well, the Timbers were fooled last week a couple of times by that simple ball across the front of the goal. Let me remind you: first, when Kamara tapped one home and again on the game winner (yes, I feel like a tie in this case was a loss) to Shinyashiki, even though technically it went all the way through to back post. So ok, that is an issue right? Yeah, weather conditions were tough but there were more such opportunities that seemed to open up to the other squad that didn't result in a goal (thankfully) but was still representative of bad form.
AND THEN YOU LET IT HAPPEN TWO MORE TIMES????
That first goal, meh, congested area, the wrong head gets on the ball (but could Guzman have worked any harder without taking Kaye down?)...
The last goal, Vela, what a jerk. Just kidding, he was good, real good, but you expect your defense to contain not sit back in awe like I was...
But the second and third goal... Back to that expression of "Fool me once..." That just needs to be fixed. Too many balls are coming across the box unimpeded and honestly LAFC probably should have scored earlier (amazing save by Attinella). Why can the opposing defense step in front of and impede our crosses but we can't seem to do the same thing?
You notice I haven't mentioned any Timbers by name yet right? We need to get some sort of balance up the right side of the pitch to what Villafana is trying to bring to the left. And our center backs just need to figure it out. I could start but we've still got seven more to go...
David Guzman = C
I am still happy that Guzman was not seemingly hampered by whatever he pulled up with in the Colorado snow. But he was anything but not average. And yes, I meant to say that he was average. I don't know if if was contagious or if it just had something to do with proximity to the ball, but it seemed like all the Timbers were a little off this day and, well, that impacts the coach's rating down below.
Diego Chara = F
Dude, you're on a yellow, just cut the $hit and play hard but under control. I expect more from Chara. I expect red cards on tackles that send guys to hospitals, not for some chivalristic slap in the face to signal a duel on some faraway knoll with swords or pistols or whatever. And yes, I may have just made up a word!
I'm not saying there was any momentum, but if we had any it was lost there. That said, I feel like we actually played better at 10 men that at 11. Just saying...
So Chara doesn't get to enjoy a happy reunion with Adi and Powell next weekend in Cincinnati. Maybe he didn't want to travel to the state of Ohio but what's our record sans Chara? Oh yeah...
Andy Polo = C
Maybe Polo should play in snow more often. The dangerous situations he created last week were almost non-existent this week. He was a shadow of himself and I don't argue with the early substitution. Again, I feel like better support behind him would allow him to be more explosive and more situationally impactful. I think against Cincinnati Moreira gets the start and that actually gives me a bit of hope in a rather otherwise bleak outlook.
Diego Valeri = B-
Again, off a dead ball within 40 yards of goal I'm not sure there is anyone else I'd rather have than Valeri behind the ball. Froze the keeper and beautiful placement resulted in a solid goal #1 for Ebobisse and a tie game! Alas, it was not to last. So while his assist was sublime, I'm still a bit concerned with Valeri in the run of play. That MVP year is still fresh in my mind when it seemed every touch and every step was perfectly timed and perfectly placed. Unfortunately I have a different candidate for MVP in mind this year (more on that below).
Sebastian Blanco = B-
Even Blanco couldn't save us. You know how you always have one player who you think can actually will the team to victory? I think Blanco is that guy, but it just wasn't there this day. Maybe he was still suffering from some mild frostbite or possibly had left something on the sun-soaked sand nearby (I think in LA 13 miles is considered "nearby").
Jeremy Ebobisse = B-
He scored. And I'm glad he did but then I'm not glad he did. I am still not sold on him as our starting striker. He seems to disrupt flow more than create it and I just can't seem to jump on the bandwagon. No, I'm happy that he scored. Good for him, but he should have scored more - he should have been more creative than trying to shove the ball through a flying defender and well-positioned goalkeeper.
Dairon Asprilla (subbed on for Polo at 65') = C+
Asprilla gets points just for that hair (I will admit I'm a bit jealous). He didn't do a whole lot out there, but given the conditions Gio may have just felt Dairon was the spark we needed to pull us back from a three goal deficit. And at least he got some playing time which is more than any of the defensive subs could say...
Tomas Conechny (subbed on for Valeri at 74') = C-
So... I don't get Conechny. I just don't. I have seen this substitution since last year and it always seems like he is a little lost and/or a little over his head. I'm not sure what Gio sees and I would much rather see a hybrid Midfielder play up than a Forward play back. If you play soccer you know what I'm talking about, especially down a man. I do ding him a bit for being less than average in the run of play and 15+ minutes is plenty of time to make your presence known. Speaking of which...
Lucas Melano (subbed on for Ebobisse at 80') = A-
For the Timbers at least in terms of overall impact and play, Melano gets my vote for Man of the Match (I don't actually get one nor do I think there is a MotM for the losing side). That run he made with the ball from midfield to the box through 5-6 LAFC defenders was AWESOME and showed the speed and touch that was missing from others. He seemed to find ways to get involved and get the ball and be of some present danger to the LAFC defense, even a man down, and that was refreshing, enjoyable and, yes, amongst the failing grades, brought a smile to this sensei's face.
If he isn't starting in Cincinnati...
Giovanni Saverese = D-
He has to know what he's doing right? There is a method to his madness, right? Last year a horrible start led to a lengthy unbeaten streak, right? Except the mad scientist in him is nowhere to be seen and there has as of yet been no tinkering to what has been a horrible, horrible defense to start off the year. Look back at all subs and not one has been defensive. Not one. And waiting until 80' to sub in Melano for an ineffective Ebobisse? And did Conechny do anything? I would have rather tried to see what our defensive alternates could do then waste the Conechny sub. And yeah, Paredes should have been on the bench and subbed in for, well, sorry, you're right, Asprilla brings the offensive fireworks Paredes has yet to display.
Extra Credit... Most Vela-uable Player?
Carlos Vela was so smooth and so fun to watch and was there anyone else out there on the pitch? He is my early call for MVP which means it likely that LAFC could find itself going deep into the playoffs. And did you see Will Farrell dancing away at the end of the game? That move sure looked familiar and I love me some Elf but dang I was getting very disturbed seeing the God of Wedding/Funeral crashers rocking the LAFC gear!
See you in Cincinnati!
I'm going to state it here first, but I'm projecting Dielna for Cascante, Moreira for Valentin, Melano for Ebobisse and Paredes for Chara (if Flores starts I'm going to throw a styrofoam brick at the TV).
Finally, I hate it when my gut feeling is validated and the gut feeling coming out of Colorado was this day in LA. But if you want to relive the misery, here is a link to the MLS recap:
Playing like that in the snow is one thing, but playing in perfect soccer conditions is another and there are no weather-related gimmes in this edition!
For the purpose of these musings, this game was about as crystal clear as one can get. As mentioned already the weather was perfect, the referee didn't really miss much, the other team was playing good soccer and the Timbers... well... let's talk about that shall we?
I mean, how many of you cringed when we saw THE SAME EXACT STARTING LINE UP AS THE COLORADO DEBACLE?!?!?!? (and who ever invented the alternating question mark/exclamation point because that is a brilliant piece of punctuation! Don't you think?)I also feel like Jeff's goalie garb looks an awful lot like what Tim Howard was wearing last week when he shut down the Timbers. I'm a big believer in karma and let's just say I don't like the direction this is headed...
In my opinion, this should have been an opportunity here to mix things up a bit and to test the waters, specifically at right back, center back and striker. But that didn't happen. So who made the grade???
I really, really didn't want to do this, but let's start again with the defense...
Zarek Valentin, Larrys Mabiala, Julio Cascante and Jorge Villafana = F
At least make one freaking change! It's early in the season I know but I'm not worried about "chemistry" just yet as I am about finding a functional foursome. But surprise, surprise, surprise, no changes (yes, that was heavy sarcasm as we have seen Gio's penchant for consistency in the face of adversity).
You know that expression, "Fool me once..." Well, the Timbers were fooled last week a couple of times by that simple ball across the front of the goal. Let me remind you: first, when Kamara tapped one home and again on the game winner (yes, I feel like a tie in this case was a loss) to Shinyashiki, even though technically it went all the way through to back post. So ok, that is an issue right? Yeah, weather conditions were tough but there were more such opportunities that seemed to open up to the other squad that didn't result in a goal (thankfully) but was still representative of bad form.
AND THEN YOU LET IT HAPPEN TWO MORE TIMES????
That first goal, meh, congested area, the wrong head gets on the ball (but could Guzman have worked any harder without taking Kaye down?)...
The last goal, Vela, what a jerk. Just kidding, he was good, real good, but you expect your defense to contain not sit back in awe like I was...
But the second and third goal... Back to that expression of "Fool me once..." That just needs to be fixed. Too many balls are coming across the box unimpeded and honestly LAFC probably should have scored earlier (amazing save by Attinella). Why can the opposing defense step in front of and impede our crosses but we can't seem to do the same thing?
You notice I haven't mentioned any Timbers by name yet right? We need to get some sort of balance up the right side of the pitch to what Villafana is trying to bring to the left. And our center backs just need to figure it out. I could start but we've still got seven more to go...
David Guzman = C
I am still happy that Guzman was not seemingly hampered by whatever he pulled up with in the Colorado snow. But he was anything but not average. And yes, I meant to say that he was average. I don't know if if was contagious or if it just had something to do with proximity to the ball, but it seemed like all the Timbers were a little off this day and, well, that impacts the coach's rating down below.
Diego Chara = F
Dude, you're on a yellow, just cut the $hit and play hard but under control. I expect more from Chara. I expect red cards on tackles that send guys to hospitals, not for some chivalristic slap in the face to signal a duel on some faraway knoll with swords or pistols or whatever. And yes, I may have just made up a word!
I'm not saying there was any momentum, but if we had any it was lost there. That said, I feel like we actually played better at 10 men that at 11. Just saying...
So Chara doesn't get to enjoy a happy reunion with Adi and Powell next weekend in Cincinnati. Maybe he didn't want to travel to the state of Ohio but what's our record sans Chara? Oh yeah...
Andy Polo = C
Maybe Polo should play in snow more often. The dangerous situations he created last week were almost non-existent this week. He was a shadow of himself and I don't argue with the early substitution. Again, I feel like better support behind him would allow him to be more explosive and more situationally impactful. I think against Cincinnati Moreira gets the start and that actually gives me a bit of hope in a rather otherwise bleak outlook.
Diego Valeri = B-
Again, off a dead ball within 40 yards of goal I'm not sure there is anyone else I'd rather have than Valeri behind the ball. Froze the keeper and beautiful placement resulted in a solid goal #1 for Ebobisse and a tie game! Alas, it was not to last. So while his assist was sublime, I'm still a bit concerned with Valeri in the run of play. That MVP year is still fresh in my mind when it seemed every touch and every step was perfectly timed and perfectly placed. Unfortunately I have a different candidate for MVP in mind this year (more on that below).
Sebastian Blanco = B-
Even Blanco couldn't save us. You know how you always have one player who you think can actually will the team to victory? I think Blanco is that guy, but it just wasn't there this day. Maybe he was still suffering from some mild frostbite or possibly had left something on the sun-soaked sand nearby (I think in LA 13 miles is considered "nearby").
Jeremy Ebobisse = B-
He scored. And I'm glad he did but then I'm not glad he did. I am still not sold on him as our starting striker. He seems to disrupt flow more than create it and I just can't seem to jump on the bandwagon. No, I'm happy that he scored. Good for him, but he should have scored more - he should have been more creative than trying to shove the ball through a flying defender and well-positioned goalkeeper.
Dairon Asprilla (subbed on for Polo at 65') = C+
Asprilla gets points just for that hair (I will admit I'm a bit jealous). He didn't do a whole lot out there, but given the conditions Gio may have just felt Dairon was the spark we needed to pull us back from a three goal deficit. And at least he got some playing time which is more than any of the defensive subs could say...
Tomas Conechny (subbed on for Valeri at 74') = C-
So... I don't get Conechny. I just don't. I have seen this substitution since last year and it always seems like he is a little lost and/or a little over his head. I'm not sure what Gio sees and I would much rather see a hybrid Midfielder play up than a Forward play back. If you play soccer you know what I'm talking about, especially down a man. I do ding him a bit for being less than average in the run of play and 15+ minutes is plenty of time to make your presence known. Speaking of which...
Lucas Melano (subbed on for Ebobisse at 80') = A-
For the Timbers at least in terms of overall impact and play, Melano gets my vote for Man of the Match (I don't actually get one nor do I think there is a MotM for the losing side). That run he made with the ball from midfield to the box through 5-6 LAFC defenders was AWESOME and showed the speed and touch that was missing from others. He seemed to find ways to get involved and get the ball and be of some present danger to the LAFC defense, even a man down, and that was refreshing, enjoyable and, yes, amongst the failing grades, brought a smile to this sensei's face.
If he isn't starting in Cincinnati...
Giovanni Saverese = D-
He has to know what he's doing right? There is a method to his madness, right? Last year a horrible start led to a lengthy unbeaten streak, right? Except the mad scientist in him is nowhere to be seen and there has as of yet been no tinkering to what has been a horrible, horrible defense to start off the year. Look back at all subs and not one has been defensive. Not one. And waiting until 80' to sub in Melano for an ineffective Ebobisse? And did Conechny do anything? I would have rather tried to see what our defensive alternates could do then waste the Conechny sub. And yeah, Paredes should have been on the bench and subbed in for, well, sorry, you're right, Asprilla brings the offensive fireworks Paredes has yet to display.
Extra Credit... Most Vela-uable Player?
Carlos Vela was so smooth and so fun to watch and was there anyone else out there on the pitch? He is my early call for MVP which means it likely that LAFC could find itself going deep into the playoffs. And did you see Will Farrell dancing away at the end of the game? That move sure looked familiar and I love me some Elf but dang I was getting very disturbed seeing the God of Wedding/Funeral crashers rocking the LAFC gear!
See you in Cincinnati!
I'm going to state it here first, but I'm projecting Dielna for Cascante, Moreira for Valentin, Melano for Ebobisse and Paredes for Chara (if Flores starts I'm going to throw a styrofoam brick at the TV).
Finally, I hate it when my gut feeling is validated and the gut feeling coming out of Colorado was this day in LA. But if you want to relive the misery, here is a link to the MLS recap:
As always, comments welcome below!
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