"I wonder if there's an opening for the Colombia NT coaching job?"- Juan Pablo Angel is a bad man. In just three games, he's becoming the MVP of the league. 3 goals and 2 assists have him racing up the Golden Boot standings. And if you count their 3-1 loss in the US Open Cup, he's still averaging a goal a game with the Toros Rojos. I think he's earned a spot on Colombia's Copa America team.
- Arena should ship Reyna to Real Salt Lake. He's a waste of space, and as the last two games have shown, they don't need him. I know they'd waste one of their DP spots, but his salary and what they're getting from him in return makes any kind of deal worth it.
- Unfortunately we couldn't catch the game live last night so I had to check the highlights this morning. Shoe and I headed over to Silverbacks Park for some PDL action last night.
- The Silverbacks U-23s played a great game last night as they beat Bradenton 3-1, leaving them just one win away from the US Open Cup. If Central Florida beats Cocoa this afternoon at 5, the Mini-Backs will need a win at Carolina tomorrow. If Central Florida can't pull out the victory, all Atlanta will need is a tie in Browns Summit. (Browns Summit is just north of Greensboro, and yes, I've been there before.)
- We really enjoyed watching last night's game, it was quite a difference in style and tactics from the senior team. The boys had some great buildups and really looked like a team, as opposed to the senior team just lobbing balls over the top.
- This was the 2nd PDL game I'd seen as I also made it out to a game last season. For those who don't know anything, I've really enjoyed watching these games. And in the two times the Silverbacks senior team has taken on PDL teams in the Open Cup, they got killed in one and were taken to extra time in the other.
- I'd love to go up to Browns Summit tomorrow, but I'm off to Charleston for the Silverbacks-Battery game. I'll miss MLS Saturday action as well, hopefully the trip will be worth it.
5 comments:
I think that the Silverbacks ownership is English football oriented since at least one of them is from England and of the EPL matches I have watched, the English play long ball more than any league. Maybe I can make the trip to Atlanta to watch the PDL team.
I am watching the Railhawks and Vancouver match and I am noticing that Vancouver also plays a lot of long ball. Their coaches must also have an English background.
Vancouver's coach is Bob Lilley, an American. He's been with the Hershey Wildcats and Montreal Impact in the past, and he's never had a losing season. I don't remember the Hershey teams as relying on the long ball exclusively, but it's been a while since they were around. I haven't seen enough of Vancouver this season to really say either way.
I don't mind playing to a target man up front, as long as there's a strategy to it. My issue with the Silverbacks loss against Carolina a few weeks ago was that Antoniuk was left by himself up front, there was too large of a gap between himself and the midfield. If you send long balls to a target man, and he then either controls and turns, or plays them back to a midfielder, or flicks them on to a running forward, then you have some sort of a plan. If you're just kicking the ball as far as you can out of the back, then I'd rather watch something else.
I'm not sure how much of an influence the ownership of the Silverbacks has on the style of play. It's hard to say without seeing what's done in practice every day. I was pleasantly impressed with the passing of the PDL guys. I don't think they have unbelievable individual talent, but they play very well as a team. That says a lot about the coaching to me...
In the Vancouver-Railhawks match, every ball that vancouver played forward in the second half was a long ball over the top. I guess since the Railhawks were packing it in so much that the coach decided he could not get it forward any other way.
I think it was a little of both. Vancouver does look like they play a more traditional long ball style of attack.
Carolina, especially with a lead, was sitting with pretty much everyone camped in their own half. They played almost like a 6-5-0 formation with the lead, just killing it off. That can make it hard to do anything with style against it.
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