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From the desk of Backdraft contributor Michael Giacometti comes this week's post-match analysis: San Jose really looked more composed than expected from the first whistle. It looked as though they had really been working together for a while and that the players seemed to gel--although, this isn't a surprise given the total amount of talent and experience they have on their side. Their match with LA gave some notion of how this match should have played out--but I was planning on refraining from all type of commentary of the kind and simply letting the final scoreline give a more accurate appraisal of the match. That being said, 3 points is 3 points, and the takeaways from this match were far more important than those of the 4-0 win over NE the previous week. The Fire could have simply said job well done and moved on to prepare for the trip to San Jose--however, that isn't always the case. The team has comfortable defensive depth to continue our good fortune of clean sheets. But to anyone who watched the match, it can be said that the record was truly and well in danger of being trampled on. This win was hard fought and not the prettiest; but again, I'll take the 3 points, and hope the lessons learned are managed by coach Hammer this week in practice.
The initial evidence of San Jose's performance was their pace--which we seemed to acquiesce to. The Quakes imposed their will and the Fire just played along--adding to problems with a slow start and disjointed passing. The long ball approach does not work all the time. A quick and well timed counter attack is always a lethal option--but when it is played as the standard attack, it doesn't seem to work. As the season wears on, we should be seeing a lot more midfield passing that is crisp, well-timed, and played to space. When set to that possession and attacking mentality, the Fire offense will be potent, and it was obvious the lineup missed Rolfe for his possession and distribution. Here's hoping he's not too banged up this season and stays off the injury report. Meanwhile, Blanco's tactical and playmaking abilities were held to a minimum, further handicapping the offense. For being built from the 'bottom up', as we've heard San Jose referred to before, they certainly seemed to know where the midfield was, as well as the attacking 3rd. Their control of the attacking midfield and working the ball up the flanks--and then into the middle, was cause for concern to my mind. The fact that they had the time on the ball to make such runs was disconcerting. The same can be said for the amount of shots the Quakes took from around the 18--only to be denied by faulty aim or Jon Busch. All too often Gavin Glinton seemed far too open, and Kei Kamara was able to turn the corner on his man whenever he wanted. These openings in our defense showed them the way, and between a few good moves and passes out of Ramiro Corrales and Ronnie O'Brien, the Quakes seemed to be buying more and more space on the field. On a positive note for our end of the pitch, Barrett continued to show hustle and commitment to retrieve balls when he lost them, and good field sense, showing the spirit of Frankowski during the run of play when the goal was scored. While the initial shot from Tomasz was decent, Barrett was in the right place at the right time, making a follow up run at the loose ball in the box which he calmly slotted into the back of the net. This sort of performance and freedom on the pitch may be just what both Barrett fans and critics have been waiting for. Most will say it is only temporary, and many are still considering Barrett out of favour after a disappointing run with the U-23s. Only time will tell, but the indicators are good for now. Defensively, Wilman Conde was back in the lineup and doing his job. Although Conde was not his previous self, showing some signs of rust, he was effective. Many were all too glad to see that Dasan and Soumare were also up to the task, and Robinson's return, while not expected, reinforces the roster. Depth will be crucial this year in a packed Eastern conference, especially as the Fire's sternest tests will be against teams also involved in other competitions, forsaking the benefit of rest. On the day though, between the skill of the back four, Busch's fingertip save of Glinton's bending shot in the 18th, Barrett's Fankowski-like goal, and a little bit of luck, the Fire escape Oakland and will be looking to next week's clash with the newly-contending Wizards. Busch earns a well deserved Man of the Match with Baky getting a close second for sticking up for Temo in the 50th--just try not to get carded next time, huh?
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