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Whiskey Brothers Aught Five give their weekly take on the Fire's play: What do we need to do to win in RFK?
1. What did you think of the team's performance last Saturday? What worked well, and what needs to be improved on?
Flanagan: I’d give us a B+ bordering on a B. I thought it was an excellent opening performance. We looked aggressive, brave, and willing to attack, and didn’t sag back and look to just counter either, at least not until the last twenty minutes or so (this was understandable, as we were on the road, playing in a stadium we hadn’t ever recorded a win in). Right now, I don’t believe we’re quite match fit or sharp yet. With about thirty minutes left, we seemed, slowly but surely, to begin fading. Once this occurred, as understandable as it was, our shape and tactical discipline began vanishing like a fart in the wind. Due to this, we made some silly individual mistakes that should melt away as everyone settles into the groove of the season, but at the time, I was near sure we’d concede a second, at any second. All in all, we coped with our own mistakes and their heavy pressure and desire to level the match.
I think we should give credit to Hamlett for how he mentally prepared the team: the players communicated well (especially Busch, as Steve mentioned last week), supported, and sustained – both collectively and individually – the team’s level of mental toughness. Dallas came close, yes,but three points is three points. We’re off and running. Mostly, I would’ve liked to have seen the front players hold the ball up better for the last twenty minutes of the match. The quality of the ball to them wasn’t often great, – again, fitness – but when we could find them, their touches weren’t great – again, this comes own to match fitness.
We have to cope with crosses better – i.e. early ball contact and denial – and our shape and organization must improve. We lined up and played pretty much as I predicted in our last roundtable. However, I had Mapp on the right because he did well there in the mid part of last season, and I also thought his league experience and adaptability would make him a better candidate than Pappa to cut in on his left foot from the right wing. I also thought he did well getting forward as the deep man during our right wing attacks (keep an eye on this, because his effort level in such situations was shit last season). However, both our goals came through his awesome left wing play. Hamlett obviously got that one totally right. Pappa did well, too, though I thought he struggled when we didn’t have the ball, and he also missed sort-of-a-sitter – off a Mapp cross – that he was forced to take on his right which he probably would’ve buried if it had been on his left. When he found the space and confidence to cut in on the right, he did well. I remember one brilliant piece of play that resulted in a high velocity knuckler that forced a fine save.
Tom: We may have won for the first time in a decade in Dallas, but there were plenty of negatives to go along with the undoubted positivies. On the plus side, Nyarko and McBride seemed to combine well, and Justin Mapp indicated he might make a few of us swallow our words if he continues to play with that kind of verve. We lacked an ability to up the tempo at times last year, but with Blanco out of the lineup, we were getting down the flanks and delivering the ball much faster. With Nyarko's ability to run and McBride's strength, delivering from deep at speed is crucial, and we managed this consistently.
On the downside, the defense continues to look surprisingly shaky. Let's not forget that after a fantastic first half of 2008 defensively, the Fire went into a tailspin late in the season, conceding 15 goals in the last seven regular season games. We were lucky to only concede one to Dallas. The question is whether this was offseason rust, or whether there are fundamental weak points defensively that other teams have figured out. Concentration and communication still seems to lapse all too often, as witnessed on Dallas' first goal and in the playoffs at Columbus last season.
Irish Steve: I thought the Fire’s performance was fantastic on Saturday night, especially considering they hadn’t played a competitive game in 4 months. Dallas created few chances and most of those came off the back of a Fire mistake. On the wings, Tim Ward and Pappa played well together on the right and Sega and Mapp did the same on the left. Up top, I thought Nyarko and McBride had great individual games but they needed to combine more. I remember at least one occasion where Hamlett was yelling at Nyarko to get closer to McBride and to stop stretching the field so much. The team performance overall was brilliant and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season.
2. Would you start Rolfe and/or Blanco, and if so, who loses their place in the team?
Flanagan: As I understand it, Blanco is our most recent virus victim. My Blanco-views are clear and public. His brilliant free-kick, however, was just another example of why I so wished a 29 or 30 year-old Blanco would be lacing up for us this season, but whatever. Furthermore, as I understand it, Rolfe has just shaken this same virus after laboring under its dehydrating effects for around two weeks. That’s rough, and that’s a significant chunk of preseason to miss.
After Dallas, I see no reason to make any changes that won’t be forced on us – unless Prideaux is ready. Rolfe and Blanco should both play some reserve minutes and continue coming off the bench until Hamlett is positive they can both last for at least seventy or eighty minutes. Otherwise, they’ll both severely limit Hamlett’s ability to adapt his substitutions to the unique flow and temperature of any match moment. If you play two players that cannot perform at a high level for a big chunk of any match, you’re praying for all to play out to plan, but we all know that’s nearly impossible.
Also, I think we all feel and are predicting that Nyarko will have a huge part to play in whatever succes we earn this season. A fit and sharp Nyarko and Pappa could’ve turned the tide in Columbus last year. As it happened, both had no individual grounding in the squad when they stepped onto the field, due to their severe injuries. I think allowing each player to gain an on-the-field foothold from the season’s jump-off will prove massively important in August, September, etc.
This said, where and when do Carr and Banner fit in? We do though have wide-depth now, which is awesome, and I think Hamlett should let Mapp and/or Pappa play their way out of the team.
I thought Blanco coming off the bench to seal the game was awesome. We needed that goal and it broke their back. If Hamlett can hold off, make Blanco prove his fitness and worth, then when he does step into the starting 11, everyone will feel better about it. Much will depend on Blanco’s attitude, and no one can ever convince me that he’s an every-match player, least of all him.
Tom: There's a stronger case to make for starting Rolfe than Blanco, even though the latter is probably more likely to return to the team, just due to his reputation. Rolfe should be close to full strength, and he can always do a solid job at right-mid, even if it's not his best position.
It would be tough on Nyarko for him to miss out to restore Blanco, even if, as his free-kick showed, he does still have a lot to offer in flashes. The question is whether he is worth the risk starting, given his lack of fitness, and how he and McBride would combine. The alternative of playing him in midfield would leave us seriously exposed away from home, unless Pause transmogrifies into Roy Keane.
Irish Steve: Based on last week’s performance, I would not start Rolfe or Blanco against DC. Ye,s DC are a better team than Dallas but nobody who started the game in Texas played badly enough to be dropped for the DC game. We all saw how deadly Blanco can be when he comes off the bench and I think having game changers like Blanco and Rolfe on the bench can only help. If they are needed in the second half, throw them in, but they don’t need to start. It's safer not to play players who have had less preseason training than others. It will take Rolfe and Blanco a few weeks to get to match fitness and starting them in the second game of the season could cause more problems later in the season. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
3. If Prideaux is fit, do you start him over Tim Ward?
Flanagan: Ok, I thought Tim Ward had a fine, fine debut for us. Obviously, we have a player here, as well as some potentially solid depth at right-back, which we didn’t have before. Thorrington can now stick to midfield, and the tension derived from the who-the-fuck-knows-about-what’s-happening-with-Dasan situation has eased some in my own mind. He’s big, he looks strong, and he won a variety of different challenges, which means he’s mobile. I can’t really remember him getting caught out, but he didn’t really get forward too much – nothing new from our right-backs. I’m less concerned with his attacking abilities at this point, though.
I think his performance is further enhanced when one considers that the cover he got from Pappa wasn’t immense by any method of calculation. Here’s what I see happening with the Pappa-Thorrington-Ward triangle:
1. If Pappa can’t do a better job covering, Thorrington has to pick up the slack, which increases the burden on his role in midfield, as he must get forward and get back to slot in beside Pause to a more crucial level than I'd like..
2. I thought switching Van der Bergh to the left was astute on Dallas’ part. He was able to find space constantly withinside (yea, that’s a word, I swear) our right-side triangle. Ward did well to keep him in front of him, but VdB and Dallas spotted that, and the directive was clear: get the ball to him quick, whenever he had space, get the ball on his right, cross early and from deep. Whatever you think of VdB, the motherfucker can cross the ball maybe better than anyone in the league. We struggled, and rightly so, to deal with his deliveries, the mean shape and pace of which was ferocious.
3. We have to contact the ball earlier, higher up the field, when facing such players. Pappa didn’t do well enough, and by dropping him deeper in the second, we lost one of our out balls. Since Dallas’ play came largely down the left, Mapp got a touch isolated. Also, Thorrington had to remain deep to cover and to receive the ball short when someone other than him tried and did/could win it back.
4. Given our apparent rustiness, it’s easy to say that we didn’t play well enough out of the back. This deficiency/problem was compounded by how increasingly deep (too deep, in fact) we played as the second half wore on. Our forward passes out of midfield must improve. We can’t weather that kind of pressure match in, match out.
5. This noted, if a dumbass like me can observe this, then so can DC. If this is true, then Hamlett saw it too, and as long as he gets us out in front of it, we should be fine.
Prideaux is an excellent defensive left back and shackled near every winger he faced last season. He has the experience, no doubt, and if Ward can’t surpass Prideaux’s obvious offensive deficiencies, then why start Ward? Let Ward learn from Prideaux and bring him along slowly and methodically. Let him develop. Undoubtedly, Prideaux would provide a more sound foundation for Pappa’s flair while also easing the defensive half of Thorrington’s box-to-box responsibilities. All are positives.
Tom: No, Ward should keep his spot. Ward did not disappoint at full-back despite it being his first appearance for the Fire. I saw him at training last week, and he looked very comfortable alongside Conde and Soumare. He may have bounced around the league a bit, but he obviously has some talent, and it's worth exploring just how much he can bring to the team with a few starts. Prideaux is certainly solid, but Ward doesn't deserve to be dropped after helping create two goals and doing little wrong. Let's see if he can keep it up. Of course, it's also possible either him or Prideaux will fill in at left-back for this game with Segares on international duty.
Irish Steve: No, I think Ward is a much better attacking full back than Prideaux, even though the latter is more experienced. Ward did nothing in the Dallas game to suggest that he should be on the bench against DC. It looks likely that DC will be playing with 3 in the back which will allow Ward more space to move forward. It was Ward who passed the ball to Nyarko for the first goal against Dallas and Ward also passed the ball to Mapp which lead to the Fire’s second goal from the penalty spot. Prideaux is a fantastic squad player and I could see him starting at left back in place of Sega but I don’t think he will beat out Tim Ward for the right back position.
4. How do you best fill the gaps left by Soumare and Segares' absences?
Flanagan: I'd go with either:
a. Ward – Prideaux – Conde – Woolard or b. Prideaux/Ward – CJ/Conde – CJ/Conde – Woolard
I prefer a., because I’m more comfortable with those two center-halfs covering for those two backs. As much as I fucking love CJ, a legend, make no mistake, Prideaux and Conde have just been on the field together way more than CJ has with either. However we line up, Pause’s cover will be more important than usual. Woolard is a natural slot-in. I think he’s a super prospect, which is comforting, as so many believe Sega will head to greenerpastures sometime soon. I was so happy we protected him during the expansion draft.
Tom: This is a tough call. CJ deserves the chance to step-in in many respects. With Conde next to him able to cover a lot of ground, CJ should be able to play a commanding role and cover somewhat for the loss of Bakary's height and strength. However, if Dasan is fit, he may well be the better option. Dasan is more athletic at this point in their respective careers, and when I've seen him play at centre-back, he's been a dominant figure. I would go with Dasan if healthy, myself.
At left-back, I'd like to see Woolard step-in, as he looked very composed as a rookie last season, and should be able to fill in for the absence of Segares without too much trouble. Last year, Segares seemed to wear down during the season, so having Woolard able to step-in for games here and there to give Sega a break would be a big bonus for the team. Hamlett might ask Prideaux or Ward to switch flanks, but I would go with Ward - Conde - Robinson - Woolard.
Irish Steve: Like the rest of the team, the Fire’s defense is very deep. Yes, the players that are brought in are not internationals but they are solid and experienced MLS players. CJ Brown will be chomping at the bit to play after missing much of last season through injury. I feel much more comfortable having CJ play in the middle especially when he has one of the best center backs in the league, Wilman Conde, playing next to him. As for the left back spot, Daniel Woolard played extremely well when called upon last season and he is the obvious choice to replace Sega but Brandon Prideaux can also fill in on the left if needed. Regardless of who Hamlett chooses I will have no qualms about the strength of our backline.
5. How should the Fire approach DC away from home?
Flanagan: If DC are as defensively poor as they were last season, than we should do exactly what we did last season when we were away to them: “Attack! Attack! ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK!!!”
This said, we had a similar backline out there on our first visit there last season. CJ played, if memory serves. Obviously, we can’t go flat out, but if our attacking six are out for blood, we should be right around their necks within the first twenty. Though I always want us to, I don’t think it’s crucial we get the first goal. We didn’t in Dallas, but that’s no reason to be complacent.
Tom: DC had a mediocre pre-season, and judging from their first game against LA, they haven't solved their defensive woes. They had the game in the bag, and let a not-very-good LA team tie them up from 2-0 down in the second half. It ended 2-2, but the Galaxy even had chances to steal it at the death.
Though we don't have the quality of a Landon Donovan to deliver the ball, I'd fancy if we push hard on the counter-attack, we can cause them a lot of problems. If Mapp has the energy he did last Saturday, that would be a huge boost.
We have to watch out for Gomez, though. If Pause can keep a lid on him, and Conde handles Emilio, we'll be in good shape.
Irish Steve: I talked to Hamlett at the Fire luncheon and he said they are going to DC to win. DC may be better than Dallas but they are a very beatable team. They will be without two of their starting back four and are predicted to play a 3-5-2 formation. Without Blanco, the pace in the attack is lethal and I think the Fire will look to counter DC whenever possible. I think DC will find it very hard to contain the speed of Mapp, Pappa and Nyarko. If DC play with five in midfield the Fire may find it hard to control possession, but as we all know, possession means little if you can’t score. Having said that, though I would obviously love a win, anytime you are away from home a draw is acceptable.
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It's becoming obvious that while we have depth in the back we aren't going to have a stellar back line this season. Our two most promising defensive players are Baky and Sega but both will miss extensive amounts of time with their national teams.
Dasan and Woolard are going to have to be prepared to become the players we need more quickly than perhaps they know. They can't hold back due to injury fears and are going to have a lot of ground to cover if our most often played wingers are Mapp and Pappa, our least defensive minded midfielders.
CJ's experience combined with Busch might be more important than the youthful athleticism of the untested defensive players.
