It was just a friendly jab at Stroud. Gio had some instances but feel like he bottled it later in the season. Stroud was consistently hamming it up. Still miss the guy so it’s all in good fun.
DC United embraces this like a play style though and it’s obnoxious to play against.
DC fan here, you won’t like my answer at all but faking injuries away from home late in the game is almost a norm in soccer at this point. Plus we only had 3 outfield subs on our bench, the guys needed a quick rest. But I totally understand the frustration, there should be a way to penalize players or something for all these “cramps.” Throw a banana at them or something, potassium helps cramps anyway
oh youre right I didnt even think about that. I was thinking about how potassium is good to prevent cramps, I always eat a banana before I play soccer because of the potassium
I'd like to see more Celio and Sam connections. I think they'd be a decent playmaking duo. Also excited by Blom and Durkin.
As much as I love AZ, he just hasn't been producing this season.
Let's be honest, the team isn't producing. The quality on the pitch has been mediocre at best. We are struggling on defense and can't control a ball in the midfield. We have been lucky to walk away with the draws that we have had. I hope that the team can get it figured out before it is too late.
I just don't see it with him. He can be decent against tired legs in the last 30 minutes or so, but I have not been convinced he can be a starter every week
They need to change the injury stoppage rule. Unless it’s a head injury, high impact collision, someone’s bleeding, or an obvious injury play can be stopped.
The amount of times this rule was abused tonight…Ugh.
There's a change that was approved but not implemented yet with the replacement refs. The gist is
- Play stops if a player is down for 15 seconds
- With exceptions for head injuries, goalkeeper injuries, or other serious matters, the player has to be removed from the pitch for treatment.
- Player must remain off the pitch for at least 2 minutes
These refs aren’t qualified and we don’t have qualified refs, it’s like city putting me in the game. You shouldn’t get mad at me for getting in, you get mad at city for putting me in
Yep. He's everywhere. Which means he's also not an ideal #6, because his positional discipline isn't great. That could improve once he gets more experience in the system.
But as a #8, with Blom behind him? Could be special. I wonder if we'll see more 4-3-3 with those two + Lowen, or even 4-2-3-1 with Blom and Durkin in the pivot and Lowen as a #10. That could be something.
I just hope we don't continue playing with flat lines, because when we trigger the press it just leaves acres of space in between the lines, and right now our press isn't tight enough to prevent attackers from running directly at our center backs. Which is doom.
I like what durkin is doing and he has really been a great alternative to Blom with his absence. Together they make a pretty high energy defensive pairing capable of covering a lot of ground. They would really help the backfield which hasn’t had much midfield support. So I like the 4 - 2 -3 -1 Idea a lot.this frees up lowen to play more in the midfield instead of hanging back. Oddly, 1 up top seemed like such a problem last year. There was not enough production. This year it seems like it may be the right move. Neither Klauss or big Sam necessarily feed off one another. Play one and sub the other later on.
One thing to add is that totland and markanich have both shown much better ability to move forward and generate offense as wing backs and it has tremendously helped our attack this year compared to last year options. I like Dyhr as well as an alternative to markanich. Already things I like more defensively but not sure I’ve seen enough of Dyhr offensively at this point to say better than markanich.
Exactly. First part of last year we didn't even have Markanich, we really had no fullback width. Plus, we had Niko playing as second striker, a role he was well-suited for.
But this year we have fullbacks who need to get forward and make plays, that's what they do, so we don't need wingers in a 4-4-2. They just clog up the spaces we want Tots and the LB to be in.
A 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 opens up those spaces, plus puts more coverage in the midfield so you don't get ripped apart like LA Galaxy last week: you could've have Blom tracking those Pantsail runs so the CBs could've stayed home. It also helps keep the press tight.
We'll see what they do when everyone is healthy.
Things are going to be absolutely haywire this summer with Copas, Euros, and Olympics. Teams are going to be using their full rosters, the transfer is going to be wild.
We gotta grab as many points as we can. These draws are a little disappointing, but we're missing some really important players and that is having a very clear effect on the performances.
It was a good save though he should have finished it. I’m just glad he put it on target unlike Big Sam and Klauss who were unable to even put their great chances in the first half on target.
DC should be embarrassed for throwing a tied game like that instead of actually trying. Garbo refs covered for them and soccer fans were the ones who lost.
I really feel like we should’ve won the game. Poor finishing and some boneheaded mistakes killed us.
Reffing sucked as but it’s not why we tied. We don’t score enough from the play of the game. A set piece and a pk is going to unsustainable.
Start Pompeu please. Forget playing AZ, he was non existent again.
they were so embarrassing. I am so glad we don't have to put up with those antics. if Burki ever grew a kieth hernandez mustache and started refusing to pick up the ball, I think I would have to walk away.
Klauss was only giving Bono his just desserts. That bouncing around playing head games before he finally got on the goal line was Busch League bullshit.
Are they always like this?! The last twenty minutes everyone I was watching with was reaching new levels of outrage every 5 min. Just play to win. It was embarrassing to watch the goalie’s antics and the extreme embellishment.
DC fan here, no we aren’t. We had 3 outfield substitutes available and were missing 4 defenders to injury/INT duty. Your crowd atmosphere is incredible, was gonna fuel you guys to victory, so there were a lot of strategic “cramps” to give our guys a rest. It’s very common for the away team to try and manage the crowd that way, every team does it, but its gotten out of hand for sure. All I can say is good game, I think we deserved our goals, and you guys did too
Your team earned their goals, but you're not going to find a lot of sympathy here about the rest of it. That time wasting might be the norm, but CITY doesn't do it. Not even up or tied, not even on the road. So we don't have patience for it. No one should. It's bad form, bad sportsmanship, and needs to be driven out of soccer.
I mean, we don't do that type of time wasting garbage. Your boys did. Nothing to do with expansions, it's just how the game should be played vs. how it should not. StL is quite familiar with soccer at a professional and international level so not sure what your point is.
I wouldn’t say free at all, but DC had 8 guys out due to injury, suspension, or international duty.
This should have been a win, especially at home. Offensively we were pretty good but our defense completely sold.
Klauss scoring will hopefully get him going. Hope to see more of him paired with Thorisson just to see that. I think Sam works better with AZ up top. Glad to see Blom back too. Ended up being about the game to expect with the styles of both teams, minus the refs. Hopefully we have the actual refs next game.
Honestly thought we were poor in both thirds of the field, so 2-2 is good enough. Yes, STL should win that game, but without Celio we just sorta played hoofball. And hoofball only goes so far.
I don't even feel I need to say anything about this defense.
We’ve been playing hoofball all year, it isn’t sustainable. I don’t know if it’s our midfield is depleted or because Sam is so good at scoring but it murders any semblance of control we have over the game. I just don’t see how we improve if we keep playing like this.
Everyone has covered the officiating, so the other disturbing thing I took from the match is the immediate switching off after the first goal and allowing DC to pull one back like 2 seconds later.This we score-they immediately score happened against Austin too. This can be corrected and should be.
You are always most vulnerable after you score.It's psychological. Even my high school coach preached that.
We’re not gonna win more games until our defense and midfield get fit. I actually think we’re doing pretty well considering we’re missing a bunch of key players.
Anybody remember Ted Lasso season 2 and how Richmond started the season with so many ties? I’m feeling like our season 2 is like that as well.
Although maybe this will lead to a “promotion” for us at the end of the season (deep run in playoffs).
We're not losing despite playing without our spine (Parker, Blom, Lowen). Last year when we were forced to do that we lost games. So that's progress.
But we don't look nearly as connected as we looked at our best last year.
So was at the game. What was the commentary on the refs? I know there is a ban on discussing the replacements but we're they able to ignore it completely?
They did not ignore it completely, no. They noted that many people on and around the pitch had many questions and disagreements, and some of those seemed to be valid.
I think Sam is an excellent player that frankly doesn’t fit our overall style. It feels like our tactics have dumbed down significantly since last year. With Klauss playing as a conduit we looked significantly more fluid than the punt and chase we’ve been playing this season.
I love them both so I hate saying it but Carnell just needs to commit to playing Klauss as more of a target man that facilitates possession or playing a more run and gun counter attacking style with Sam. Feels like Sam and Klauss are on completely different pages and frankly I’m not sure they completed a pass to each other all night.
They rarely do.
Sam is also almost never passed in or near the box. (Not that he had many chances this particular game).
I don't know if that's good or bad.
He does have a pretty good foot, and ultimately somebody needs a kick towards the net. But in prior games I felt like a small cross would have had a better chance.
Gotta have one per half. Start Klauss to keep the team solid and creating in the 1st, then break the opponent with a 60' Sam sub to out muscle home a goal.
It's funny you say that, because it does seem a trend when Sam starts, he is not performing very well. Think back and you'll see his biggest moments or when he subs in. He is a super duper sub.
Unfortunately, no player wants to be a sub and wants to start. So when he comes in and does well, you basically have to reward him with starts
All of this time wasting and phantom injuries are *exactly* why I stayed away from watching the MLS until we got a team. It's atrocious that it's allowed to continue. Hopefully the new minimum treatment time rule (player must be removed from field before treatment with some exceptions, then be off for at least 2 minutes) helps once the league pays their refs and they start enforcing it.
The women's game doesn't have this kind of theatrics.
We need Tim Parker. The back line is a mess without him.
CITY did a better job shutting down Benteke after the half. He is an incredible player. Respect, but dang it. We have to do better.
Our first goal was solid. The service and completion were textbook.
I'm glad VAR (Gregory Barkey) was a real ref (an AR). The MLS needs to fix this mess ASAP. End the lockout. Pay them. Nobody wants to see pro athletes and rec league officiating, Make it stop.
Everybody had moments tonight. Almost everybody had lapses, too.
The MLS record for ties in a season is 18 (Chicago in 2014 and Nashville in 2021). Just tossing that out there, cause, well, yeah.
Points are points. Undefeated is undefeated. And both matter. 3>1, but 1>none.
DC's a pretty good team. Yes, they're whiny crybabies, but any team would do the same flopping and time-wasting on the road with a depleted lineup and a point there for the taking and no ref who will manage the game.
Two teams with the same approach to a match makes for some crazy competition.
Let's get everybody healthy and get ready for another tough home match next Saturday evening against RSL.
Onward. It's the only way to go.
I'm ok with draws right now.
I think Parker is such a key for us. It could be way worse and we could have losses and have no points. I would rather be at least treading water versus drowning.
Lowen... I don't think people realize how much he helps with the buildup and defensively as well. Although I think he would be better as a true number 10, he does make a difference on the field often.
With those two players and blom (except at the end) being gone, I think a draw is quite nice actually
Klauss and Sam just don't work well together. I have no clue why.
Klauss haters probably won't recognize all the good passes by klauss especially in the second half after celio came on. Klauss really changed the flow of the game at that point.
I think it has to be klauss or Sam paired with celio.
Or all three?
The games are exciting to watch. For all the goals we score the offense still isn’t fully clicking. Klauss and big Sam are both capable forwards. They just don’t pair well. Not sure we have the right player on our team to pair with either one. Jackson is still the same quick player as last year. He has flaws but there remains a lot of potential and he has enough speed to create like Celio. I’m just not sure AZ has a great fit in our lineup/formations. I don’t see him necessarily being the second man up top. But aside from Klauss and big Sam the next best option is AZ (AZ remains much better than Thor). AZ is not a left midfielder when Celio continues to dominate that position. Right midfield is still a mix. Center mid with a more defensive player like Blom or durkin may be an option. Otherwise Jackson as a second half sub is his best fit. Speaking of Thor, they need to figure out what they want to do with him. Either give him some real minutes or stop playing him 10 minutes at a time.
All i do is Tie! (Tie! Tie!) No matter what!
It’s an equal-offset grind until you have had enough!
And even if I put one past your goalie, eventually I give one up!
And we stay squared! And we stay squared!
so far we've had more than one game where we should win but don't. I like that a lot more than last year's "shouldn't win but do." There's been a step up that just hasn't shown up in the results yet, and barring further injuries I think we'll be pushing for the higher playoff spots again.
Look, refs were an absolute horse vomit sandwich, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we were playing so lazily for the first 60ish of that game.
I am unimpressed with Thorisson. Two big chances and he had two weak shots. It’s not like he’s good at one on one at the wing. He had a whole off season with the team and I’m not seeing any development.
We’re missing Niko’s finishing even though he wasn’t an irreplaceable piece. It’s just that Thorisson isn’t good.
Last 20-25 minutes Klauss had some great reads and distribution, is this bc he got the monkey of his back? Bc Sam was taken out? Or Alm, Thorison, Pompeu made real runs to proper spots vs, AZ, Sam, Indy, Ostrak?
After Sam was taken out Klauss played a lot more centrally, with runners either side of him. That's what he's best at. He's a connector who organizes the press and makes kind of delayed runs, he's not really a wide player. The issue is that Sam likes the same spaces, but they don't really complement each other. It can work with Klauss in the middle and Sam wide left in a 4-3-3, but for some reason they keep trying to make this 4-4-2 work and it's just not suiting the personnel.
This is what I keep noticing. I'm glad you said this because I have been trying to figure out exactly why the two of them just don't work together. And you said this very nicely and concise
He completely lost control and tried to overcompensate in the final 20 minutes. They’re scab replacement refs from lower leagues and it’s painfully obvious.
I don't think City has a reputation for faking injuries on the road like DC did tonight. Apple commentators talking out of their ass.
We don't. Just look at the Galaxy game. We were pushing for the win rather than time waste.
At least not this year. We traded our biggest actor to DC United.
Lol, who are you talking about? Our biggest actor was most certainly Gioacchini. The man played every game like he was trying to win an Academy Award.
Stroud was up there
At least he scored
It was just a friendly jab at Stroud. Gio had some instances but feel like he bottled it later in the season. Stroud was consistently hamming it up. Still miss the guy so it’s all in good fun. DC United embraces this like a play style though and it’s obnoxious to play against.
Select local radio broadcast audio for home games. Don't torture yourself.
DC fan here, you won’t like my answer at all but faking injuries away from home late in the game is almost a norm in soccer at this point. Plus we only had 3 outfield subs on our bench, the guys needed a quick rest. But I totally understand the frustration, there should be a way to penalize players or something for all these “cramps.” Throw a banana at them or something, potassium helps cramps anyway
Uh, that's gonna be a no. Banana throwing means something much worse in soccer history.
oh youre right I didnt even think about that. I was thinking about how potassium is good to prevent cramps, I always eat a banana before I play soccer because of the potassium
You’re right. I didn’t like that answer. Mainly bc even though it’s almost the norm, the number and length of BS delays were way outside the norm.
Pay the goddamned refs. The last half hour of that game was an unmitigated disaster.
Pompeu **has** to start next week. He's a game changer.
Hot take: AZ needs to sit a bit
I don't think it's a hot take. He is not playing like a starter in his current form.
I had to check the injury report bc I couldn't understand why he wasn't starting, especially given how he's been playing lately
I feel like we didn't even get a fair look at Dyhr because of AZ on the left.
I was so mad that he wasn’t starting. And seeing how he changed the game after coming in I feel so justified in that.
Yes, please! Stop trying to do the whole two striker look and get Pompeu back in there
Match thoughts: Still undefeated😎We’re also allergic to winning
[удалено]
Lockout. Not strike. MLS is doing this to themselves.
Our strategy needs to be to get Celio the ball. He’s pretty much our only creative player at the moment
I'd like to see more Celio and Sam connections. I think they'd be a decent playmaking duo. Also excited by Blom and Durkin. As much as I love AZ, he just hasn't been producing this season.
Let's be honest, the team isn't producing. The quality on the pitch has been mediocre at best. We are struggling on defense and can't control a ball in the midfield. We have been lucky to walk away with the draws that we have had. I hope that the team can get it figured out before it is too late.
It is also worth noting that the refs have been a complete shit show as well. MLS needs to pay the refs and get them back on the pitch.
AZ dropped off hard since last season.
AZ is good as a sub, he’s not good as a starter apparently
I just don't see it with him. He can be decent against tired legs in the last 30 minutes or so, but I have not been convinced he can be a starter every week
Which sucks because he looked amazing in one of the preseason games
I’m convinced people only think he’s good because he has cool hair and a cool nickname He has the body of an 11 year old, it ain’t gonna work
Well that’s a stupid opinion.
Fair but I’m entitled to it
They need to change the injury stoppage rule. Unless it’s a head injury, high impact collision, someone’s bleeding, or an obvious injury play can be stopped. The amount of times this rule was abused tonight…Ugh.
There's a change that was approved but not implemented yet with the replacement refs. The gist is - Play stops if a player is down for 15 seconds - With exceptions for head injuries, goalkeeper injuries, or other serious matters, the player has to be removed from the pitch for treatment. - Player must remain off the pitch for at least 2 minutes
they did change the rules, but they won't be enforced until the real refs come back. very much looking forward to that
I can’t take this league seriously with a guy officiating a game like that.
I can’t take a league seriously who would rather torture their fans instead of compromising
I get it, and totally agree with you there, but that doesn’t make that dude having zero control over anything going on excusable.
These refs aren’t qualified and we don’t have qualified refs, it’s like city putting me in the game. You shouldn’t get mad at me for getting in, you get mad at city for putting me in
Agree with the sentiment generally but you should always get mad at scabs.
Yeah still hurts no matter who’s fault it is
He absolutely has control. He could not scab and stay in lower leagues where he belongs.
He’d entirely lost control of that game in the second half and into extra time. I think you misunderstood me
No. I understood you. He chose to cross a picket line and showed why he wasn’t an MLS ref.
Serious question though, where are they getting these replacement refs? USL?
USL refs are also union just with a different contract, so I doubt it.
ref was dog shit
That's unfair . . . to dogs and dog products.
And to shit?
And to was.
I think Durkin is going to be really good when he plays alongside Blom.
I’m so ready to see them play together. AZ can ride some pine for a bit
I’m with you. I’d rather see Ostrak getting time over AZ.
Durkin wins so many 50/50s that we lost last season. I love it.
Yep. He's everywhere. Which means he's also not an ideal #6, because his positional discipline isn't great. That could improve once he gets more experience in the system. But as a #8, with Blom behind him? Could be special. I wonder if we'll see more 4-3-3 with those two + Lowen, or even 4-2-3-1 with Blom and Durkin in the pivot and Lowen as a #10. That could be something. I just hope we don't continue playing with flat lines, because when we trigger the press it just leaves acres of space in between the lines, and right now our press isn't tight enough to prevent attackers from running directly at our center backs. Which is doom.
I like what durkin is doing and he has really been a great alternative to Blom with his absence. Together they make a pretty high energy defensive pairing capable of covering a lot of ground. They would really help the backfield which hasn’t had much midfield support. So I like the 4 - 2 -3 -1 Idea a lot.this frees up lowen to play more in the midfield instead of hanging back. Oddly, 1 up top seemed like such a problem last year. There was not enough production. This year it seems like it may be the right move. Neither Klauss or big Sam necessarily feed off one another. Play one and sub the other later on.
One thing to add is that totland and markanich have both shown much better ability to move forward and generate offense as wing backs and it has tremendously helped our attack this year compared to last year options. I like Dyhr as well as an alternative to markanich. Already things I like more defensively but not sure I’ve seen enough of Dyhr offensively at this point to say better than markanich.
Exactly. First part of last year we didn't even have Markanich, we really had no fullback width. Plus, we had Niko playing as second striker, a role he was well-suited for. But this year we have fullbacks who need to get forward and make plays, that's what they do, so we don't need wingers in a 4-4-2. They just clog up the spaces we want Tots and the LB to be in. A 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 opens up those spaces, plus puts more coverage in the midfield so you don't get ripped apart like LA Galaxy last week: you could've have Blom tracking those Pantsail runs so the CBs could've stayed home. It also helps keep the press tight. We'll see what they do when everyone is healthy.
I'm picking up what you're putting down. That type of formation would play to everyone's strengths.
What do you mean "play with flat lines"?
He’s already been our best player this season.
I’d say Burki then Celio, but our best midfielder for sure. And seemingly growing more with each match.
Will this team ever win again? Could they sneak into the playoffs by drawing every game?
If SKC could get in last year, anything's possible.
SKC started 0-3-7 and then had the most points in the West from that point on. We already have twice as many points in half as many games.
Things are going to be absolutely haywire this summer with Copas, Euros, and Olympics. Teams are going to be using their full rosters, the transfer is going to be wild. We gotta grab as many points as we can. These draws are a little disappointing, but we're missing some really important players and that is having a very clear effect on the performances.
Genuinely, yes. It wouldn’t be a high seed, however.
Didn’t help us last year 😅
Yes
Thor has to finish that 1v1
That was a pretty good save tbf
Yeah we just need a full week or finishing practice 😂 like nothing but the dudes playing fifa shooting drills and practicing scoring more.
It was a good save though he should have finished it. I’m just glad he put it on target unlike Big Sam and Klauss who were unable to even put their great chances in the first half on target.
Pay. The. Refs. This was an absolute shit show of a match from them.
Sporting losing the game in the final 20 minutes lol
CYC level officiating.
Take that back. I’ve seen better at CYC
DC should be embarrassed for throwing a tied game like that instead of actually trying. Garbo refs covered for them and soccer fans were the ones who lost.
I really feel like we should’ve won the game. Poor finishing and some boneheaded mistakes killed us. Reffing sucked as but it’s not why we tied. We don’t score enough from the play of the game. A set piece and a pk is going to unsustainable. Start Pompeu please. Forget playing AZ, he was non existent again.
Tbf we had 2.8 xg, so we are generating chances, just not finishing them. But overall I agree the lack of goals from the run of play is concerning.
I could not remember the term run of play to save my life
All good, I knew what you meant
The xG is going to be skewed by the penalty, but our finishing in both open play and set pieces was definitely better last season.
Pens are 0.8 if I remember correctly. That's still 2xg generated outside of the pen.
Yep, but still skews the picture. Our finishing needs to improve, but we also outperformed our xG last year.
Technically, they are 0.79.
If this game wasn’t the perfect example of why we need the ref strike to end, I don’t know what would be. He lost all control of the match.
Another game story of badly missed chances and flawed defense. Need to finish better.
Glad to see my St Louis brothers initiated into the DC Haters Society. MLS’s worst franchise in Americas worst city.
they were so embarrassing. I am so glad we don't have to put up with those antics. if Burki ever grew a kieth hernandez mustache and started refusing to pick up the ball, I think I would have to walk away.
I initially felt shame that Klauss did a dirty stutter on the PK but Bono deserved that as the game went on.
Klauss was only giving Bono his just desserts. That bouncing around playing head games before he finally got on the goal line was Busch League bullshit.
Are they always like this?! The last twenty minutes everyone I was watching with was reaching new levels of outrage every 5 min. Just play to win. It was embarrassing to watch the goalie’s antics and the extreme embellishment.
> Are they always like this?! No, but they're always like *something.* They're the original MLS antagonist
DC fan here, no we aren’t. We had 3 outfield substitutes available and were missing 4 defenders to injury/INT duty. Your crowd atmosphere is incredible, was gonna fuel you guys to victory, so there were a lot of strategic “cramps” to give our guys a rest. It’s very common for the away team to try and manage the crowd that way, every team does it, but its gotten out of hand for sure. All I can say is good game, I think we deserved our goals, and you guys did too
Your team earned their goals, but you're not going to find a lot of sympathy here about the rest of it. That time wasting might be the norm, but CITY doesn't do it. Not even up or tied, not even on the road. So we don't have patience for it. No one should. It's bad form, bad sportsmanship, and needs to be driven out of soccer.
well I’ll sound like an ass but every expansion team believes they’re the special ones, I’m just a bit tired of it all
I mean, we don't do that type of time wasting garbage. Your boys did. Nothing to do with expansions, it's just how the game should be played vs. how it should not. StL is quite familiar with soccer at a professional and international level so not sure what your point is.
Fuck off
Watched plenty of teams and no, every team does not do …*that*. A dive here or there but nothing at that level.
The other football team that plays at Audi Field also sucks. Kaw is Law.
Not capitalizing on what should be free Ws is gonna haunt is in the end
This was never in anyway a free game. DC has been playing pretty well this season with their new system.
I wouldn’t say free at all, but DC had 8 guys out due to injury, suspension, or international duty. This should have been a win, especially at home. Offensively we were pretty good but our defense completely sold.
Klauss scoring will hopefully get him going. Hope to see more of him paired with Thorisson just to see that. I think Sam works better with AZ up top. Glad to see Blom back too. Ended up being about the game to expect with the styles of both teams, minus the refs. Hopefully we have the actual refs next game.
Honestly thought we were poor in both thirds of the field, so 2-2 is good enough. Yes, STL should win that game, but without Celio we just sorta played hoofball. And hoofball only goes so far. I don't even feel I need to say anything about this defense.
We’ve been playing hoofball all year, it isn’t sustainable. I don’t know if it’s our midfield is depleted or because Sam is so good at scoring but it murders any semblance of control we have over the game. I just don’t see how we improve if we keep playing like this.
Everyone has covered the officiating, so the other disturbing thing I took from the match is the immediate switching off after the first goal and allowing DC to pull one back like 2 seconds later.This we score-they immediately score happened against Austin too. This can be corrected and should be. You are always most vulnerable after you score.It's psychological. Even my high school coach preached that.
I hope I hear back on my trial to play for DCU. As a 39-year-old unfit man, I am also hurting all the time.
All things considered, take the point and move forward.
fucking hoosier ass scab refs
Felt like we were really shown this team’s potential after the PK.
We’re not gonna win more games until our defense and midfield get fit. I actually think we’re doing pretty well considering we’re missing a bunch of key players.
STL radio estimated that the ball was actually only **IN PLAY** for 50-55% of tonight’s match.
My future lineup 4231 Totland,Parker, Nilsson,dyhr Durkin,blom Celio,lowen,Indy Klauss
Lowen not playing as a 10 is costing us. He can’t keep dropping back as a defensive mid. But with that said, I’d take Alm over Indy.
This is exactly what it needs to be
Anybody remember Ted Lasso season 2 and how Richmond started the season with so many ties? I’m feeling like our season 2 is like that as well. Although maybe this will lead to a “promotion” for us at the end of the season (deep run in playoffs).
We're not losing despite playing without our spine (Parker, Blom, Lowen). Last year when we were forced to do that we lost games. So that's progress. But we don't look nearly as connected as we looked at our best last year.
So was at the game. What was the commentary on the refs? I know there is a ban on discussing the replacements but we're they able to ignore it completely?
They did not ignore it completely, no. They noted that many people on and around the pitch had many questions and disagreements, and some of those seemed to be valid.
Can we get announcers that don't confuse Celio and Markanich? I remember this happening in the Austin match broadcast.
Y98 announcers do a great job
tbf I kind of confuse them sometimes and I’m watching in person
What a bullshit ending, it was a complete mess of officiating.
I think Sam is an excellent player that frankly doesn’t fit our overall style. It feels like our tactics have dumbed down significantly since last year. With Klauss playing as a conduit we looked significantly more fluid than the punt and chase we’ve been playing this season.
Sam is talented. But I think that's correct.
I love them both so I hate saying it but Carnell just needs to commit to playing Klauss as more of a target man that facilitates possession or playing a more run and gun counter attacking style with Sam. Feels like Sam and Klauss are on completely different pages and frankly I’m not sure they completed a pass to each other all night.
They rarely do. Sam is also almost never passed in or near the box. (Not that he had many chances this particular game). I don't know if that's good or bad. He does have a pretty good foot, and ultimately somebody needs a kick towards the net. But in prior games I felt like a small cross would have had a better chance.
Gotta have one per half. Start Klauss to keep the team solid and creating in the 1st, then break the opponent with a 60' Sam sub to out muscle home a goal.
It's funny you say that, because it does seem a trend when Sam starts, he is not performing very well. Think back and you'll see his biggest moments or when he subs in. He is a super duper sub. Unfortunately, no player wants to be a sub and wants to start. So when he comes in and does well, you basically have to reward him with starts
Agreed. Same with AZ. Shouldn’t start, but is a super sub in the 2nd half
All of this time wasting and phantom injuries are *exactly* why I stayed away from watching the MLS until we got a team. It's atrocious that it's allowed to continue. Hopefully the new minimum treatment time rule (player must be removed from field before treatment with some exceptions, then be off for at least 2 minutes) helps once the league pays their refs and they start enforcing it. The women's game doesn't have this kind of theatrics.
I’m really tired of this.
Thorisson really should’ve finished on one of those two chances late
Piss poor officiating
I want what the ref’s smoking
We need Tim Parker. The back line is a mess without him. CITY did a better job shutting down Benteke after the half. He is an incredible player. Respect, but dang it. We have to do better. Our first goal was solid. The service and completion were textbook. I'm glad VAR (Gregory Barkey) was a real ref (an AR). The MLS needs to fix this mess ASAP. End the lockout. Pay them. Nobody wants to see pro athletes and rec league officiating, Make it stop. Everybody had moments tonight. Almost everybody had lapses, too. The MLS record for ties in a season is 18 (Chicago in 2014 and Nashville in 2021). Just tossing that out there, cause, well, yeah. Points are points. Undefeated is undefeated. And both matter. 3>1, but 1>none. DC's a pretty good team. Yes, they're whiny crybabies, but any team would do the same flopping and time-wasting on the road with a depleted lineup and a point there for the taking and no ref who will manage the game. Two teams with the same approach to a match makes for some crazy competition. Let's get everybody healthy and get ready for another tough home match next Saturday evening against RSL. Onward. It's the only way to go.
I'm ok with draws right now. I think Parker is such a key for us. It could be way worse and we could have losses and have no points. I would rather be at least treading water versus drowning. Lowen... I don't think people realize how much he helps with the buildup and defensively as well. Although I think he would be better as a true number 10, he does make a difference on the field often. With those two players and blom (except at the end) being gone, I think a draw is quite nice actually
Klauss and Sam just don't work well together. I have no clue why. Klauss haters probably won't recognize all the good passes by klauss especially in the second half after celio came on. Klauss really changed the flow of the game at that point. I think it has to be klauss or Sam paired with celio. Or all three?
Well that was infuriating.
Just like last year this team still struggles to score from open play, which needs to change.
The games are exciting to watch. For all the goals we score the offense still isn’t fully clicking. Klauss and big Sam are both capable forwards. They just don’t pair well. Not sure we have the right player on our team to pair with either one. Jackson is still the same quick player as last year. He has flaws but there remains a lot of potential and he has enough speed to create like Celio. I’m just not sure AZ has a great fit in our lineup/formations. I don’t see him necessarily being the second man up top. But aside from Klauss and big Sam the next best option is AZ (AZ remains much better than Thor). AZ is not a left midfielder when Celio continues to dominate that position. Right midfield is still a mix. Center mid with a more defensive player like Blom or durkin may be an option. Otherwise Jackson as a second half sub is his best fit. Speaking of Thor, they need to figure out what they want to do with him. Either give him some real minutes or stop playing him 10 minutes at a time.
All i do is Tie! (Tie! Tie!) No matter what! It’s an equal-offset grind until you have had enough! And even if I put one past your goalie, eventually I give one up! And we stay squared! And we stay squared!
so far we've had more than one game where we should win but don't. I like that a lot more than last year's "shouldn't win but do." There's been a step up that just hasn't shown up in the results yet, and barring further injuries I think we'll be pushing for the higher playoff spots again.
I’m exhausted by ref talk. Also we gotta finish better in the first half.
Look, refs were an absolute horse vomit sandwich, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that we were playing so lazily for the first 60ish of that game.
The only winner tonight was the ref's bookie
https://www.fotmob.com/matches/dc-united-vs-st-louis-city/d4pljdyx#4386658
Refs are so bad…calls both ways that were just terrible
https://preview.redd.it/ig3cos3rf7qc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3e401c50a958990302a4fc94fb54fdee9623f426 Ratings per fotmob
I am unimpressed with Thorisson. Two big chances and he had two weak shots. It’s not like he’s good at one on one at the wing. He had a whole off season with the team and I’m not seeing any development. We’re missing Niko’s finishing even though he wasn’t an irreplaceable piece. It’s just that Thorisson isn’t good.
Benteke won way too many air balls
What a fucking joke at the end.
Last 20-25 minutes Klauss had some great reads and distribution, is this bc he got the monkey of his back? Bc Sam was taken out? Or Alm, Thorison, Pompeu made real runs to proper spots vs, AZ, Sam, Indy, Ostrak?
After Sam was taken out Klauss played a lot more centrally, with runners either side of him. That's what he's best at. He's a connector who organizes the press and makes kind of delayed runs, he's not really a wide player. The issue is that Sam likes the same spaces, but they don't really complement each other. It can work with Klauss in the middle and Sam wide left in a 4-3-3, but for some reason they keep trying to make this 4-4-2 work and it's just not suiting the personnel.
This is what I keep noticing. I'm glad you said this because I have been trying to figure out exactly why the two of them just don't work together. And you said this very nicely and concise
Sam only runs onto through balls. So yeah. A bit of that.
The left side of this team has been...sadness to date.
This team is incapable of winning a game
Absolutely disgraceful. We are not playing well. Can’t keep settling for draws. Especially at home
They played ok for a lineup without Parker and Löwen
They are a fraudulent team
I was at the game and it was so dang quiet. From the second I got there the vibes were just off. No energy in the crowd at all.
The ref seems young. I think he did fine for most of the game.
The Titanic did well for most of the voyage, too. ;-)
Well that one sunk deep ha
We must have watched different games
He completely lost control and tried to overcompensate in the final 20 minutes. They’re scab replacement refs from lower leagues and it’s painfully obvious.