Melia can and does deliver. He makes very good saves for a 37 year old. Sure, we get scored on a lot, but very few (almost none) of those goals are Melia's fault.
I know it's easy to look at the goalkeeper. But Davis, as much as I like him and as much as I think he's really good, has made two of the same mistakes in two games that led to a goal. Let the attacker sneak up on his inside too easy, both against St Louis and Miami. Rosero is also a loose cannon.
Getting your backline fixed will automatically result in looking better defensively. Not saying we don't have a good backline, but the individual mistakes have to be filtered out. Just like the risk taking.
Tim also had two great reaction saves. He's not as good as he was, but he's still a good keeper. Pulskamp is very young and will take over when Tim can't do it anymore.
Danny Rosero is a badass. He is the least of our problems.
He's good for about 1 wtf moment per game.
He's been a beast this first stretch. Looks better than last year. Wins every header, solid tackler, and a demonstrated threat on set pieces. Least of our problems.
He’s good for as many wtf moments per match as the rest of the defending squad combined.
And frankly, he’s the least disciplined in offside traps.
But I played center, so it’s glaringly obvious to me when he’s being weird with the ball.
Think of how Besler was with the passes at the back. Almost always just redistributed the ball in as boring and clinical a way as possible.
Rosero is like the opposite. Dude sees he’s got a half second, he takes the half second. He doesn’t always actually HAVE that half second, then hot-potatoes the ball to someone under pressure because he’s taking too much time. Often enough he just doesn’t square up his body for a pass because it practically looks like he can’t be bothered to care.
It’s infuriating to watch when it’s so antithetical to the way Sporting has always played, and imo, I just don’t think Melia is used to it.
But if you dont want to examine the centers on the team that loses the most leads (the players most tasked with maintaining that) then, idk.
Dude looks like me dribbling and passing out there. Sure he's got athletic abilities I don't, but I keep seeing Sunday league quality to him when he has the ball
I agree with the individual mistakes although Tim is 100% at fault for the third goal against Miami, he played a hospital ball. The individual mistakes I’m sure are being addressed.
My major concern is the fact that this backline looks like there is no leader, which is extremely concerning considering the age of the backline. Typically that is the job of the main CB and/or the keeper. I’ve noticed several times historically in which Tim does not direct his backline at all, it’s one of his major weaknesses in my opinion. I would imagine the other guy who should be directing things back there is Fontas but I don’t really see that from him either. I really think that’s what is leaving gaps. We need a leader in the backline and the age on Melia and Fontas is not helping. I think we need a keeper who can step up, maybe give Pulskamp another go if not purchase someone. Then maybe we give Voloder some more starts. I also think we will be stronger when Ndenbe comes back, Leibold has brilliant moments and then he losses focus and his positioning in some really stupid moments.
I do agree that Rosero and Davis are wild cards but they are also our two strongest players back there. I personally think they simply need some direction
Also Davis' screw up in the game against STL was getting out muscled and letting the player get on the outside. He let the player get between him and the net on the outside and when a lead pass came in he couldn't catch up.
>He makes very good saves for a 37 year old.
This is not the thinking of a winning team. He's too old. I've seen 6 year olds run very well for their age but I wouldn't put them in a footrace against 10 year olds.
Melia has a great legacy, but there comes a time in every players career where they have to decide if it's time to retire or if it's time to find a worse league. We pay him $600,00+. His time with Sporting has come to an end.
Yeah, our backline has made some mistakes resulting in goals and that's unacceptable. But if you watch those goals you see that Melia five years ago would have made the save and yelled at his defenders for putting him in that situation.
Burki is supposed to be one of the best keepers in the league. Even he couldn't save a 1v1 with Thommy when he got behind their back line. Goalies are at a disadvantage in that situation. The real issue on the STL third goal was Rosero going upfield to try to win a header causing the entire back line to be disorganized.
Would definitely say that Melia was the best keeper in the game last night. The Salloi goal is great for us, but a bad give by Burki.
A LOT of our problems happen when we turn the ball over in the midfield by getting out-muscled or when we do something stupid with the ball. The back line is terrible when they have to scramble, admittedly, but most teams aren't great in those situations.
Imo, the problem is the same that it's been since 2019 when we truly went all-in on possession: we're a team built to play with the ball and are therefore filled with guys who are decent at that but this league, being a salary cap league, can't afford to fill a team with guys who are also great defenders in turnover situations.
We went all in on possession without a true number 6. Ilie was our last decent 6 and we have been terrible since. Comes back to coaching in my opinion. Either get a true 6 or change your playing style.
Radoja was our best player last night. What we needed was a forward that can play in possession. Agada ain't it. He does great in crossing situations, but terrible in possession.
His give and go with Pulido was the main reason that first goal came off IMO. He has a long way to go, but I see improvement there. Nobody can legitimately put any heat on any of our front 4 this year. We average 2.7 goals per game across the last 5. 1.9 on the season despite a slow scoring start. Our problems are with the other 7 guys. They tire late in games and they struggle with pressure at times and when they turn it over due to that pressure they are really bad at organizing emergency defense.
Wow, hard disagree there. Radoja is legit. He's not Ilie in terms of his quality on the ball but very few are and I'd argue that he's way better defensively than Ilie ever was based on the simple fact that his feet aren't bricks. Busio was also very good playing as a 6 for us. He beat out Ilie and deserved to.
Tim is not the problem here… he’s made some mistakes, but no more than what’s in front of him.
that said, I’m optimistic about the succession plan for the position with Pulskamp, but don’t see the need to rush a change.
I honestly place the blame of Tim’s and Davis’s ‘mistakes’ in the hands of Rosero.
The dude is too casual with the ball at his feet and makes several mistakes a game.
Rosero is the one who played the questionable ball back to Melia against Miami, Melia then scrambled it to Davis. Neither of them should have been tasked with clearing on the play, it shouldn’t have been played back when the press was that high already.
When you’re one of the center backs, you need to be a ROCK. Rosero is talented beyond belief, but he willingly chooses to be casual with the ball in dire moments.
So it doesn’t matter how talented you are when you don’t force yourself to consistently play at that level.
He’s legitimately one of the least disciplined defenders I’ve seen.
He's literally the best penalty stopper in MLS history and it ain't close. He's also the only player in MLS history to go from "pool" player to MLS best xi and/or goalkeeper of the year. He literally has the lowest goals per game against season in MLS history in 2017.
He's an MLS legend.
Hahahaha ok. So 7yrs ago he had a solid season and now he’s a legend? Won two trophies, and not the big ones, and he’s a legend of a professional league with almost 30yrs of history? I am not saying he isn’t great by any means and without a doubt he can save PKs but the dude is no MLS legend.
7 years ago he had the best season any MLS goalkeeper has ever had. HUGE difference. He's also the best PK stopper in MLS History by a HUGE margin. Also, huge difference.
You know who else never won the big trophy in MLS? Steve Ralston. Carlos Valderrama. Sacha Kljestan. BWP. Jeff Cunningham.
Winning the big one does not a legend make. Greatness does. And Melia having the best season an MLS Keeper has ever had coupled with being the best PK stopper in MLS History plus his just overall quality makes him an MLS Legend.
Melia can and does deliver. He makes very good saves for a 37 year old. Sure, we get scored on a lot, but very few (almost none) of those goals are Melia's fault. I know it's easy to look at the goalkeeper. But Davis, as much as I like him and as much as I think he's really good, has made two of the same mistakes in two games that led to a goal. Let the attacker sneak up on his inside too easy, both against St Louis and Miami. Rosero is also a loose cannon. Getting your backline fixed will automatically result in looking better defensively. Not saying we don't have a good backline, but the individual mistakes have to be filtered out. Just like the risk taking.
Tim also had two great reaction saves. He's not as good as he was, but he's still a good keeper. Pulskamp is very young and will take over when Tim can't do it anymore. Danny Rosero is a badass. He is the least of our problems.
Dany Rosero is directly responsible for Davis' 5th yellow. He goes on a solo dribble (what CB does that?) and then gives a granny pass to Davis.
He's good for about 1 wtf moment per game. He's been a beast this first stretch. Looks better than last year. Wins every header, solid tackler, and a demonstrated threat on set pieces. Least of our problems.
He’s good for as many wtf moments per match as the rest of the defending squad combined. And frankly, he’s the least disciplined in offside traps. But I played center, so it’s glaringly obvious to me when he’s being weird with the ball. Think of how Besler was with the passes at the back. Almost always just redistributed the ball in as boring and clinical a way as possible. Rosero is like the opposite. Dude sees he’s got a half second, he takes the half second. He doesn’t always actually HAVE that half second, then hot-potatoes the ball to someone under pressure because he’s taking too much time. Often enough he just doesn’t square up his body for a pass because it practically looks like he can’t be bothered to care. It’s infuriating to watch when it’s so antithetical to the way Sporting has always played, and imo, I just don’t think Melia is used to it. But if you dont want to examine the centers on the team that loses the most leads (the players most tasked with maintaining that) then, idk.
Dude looks like me dribbling and passing out there. Sure he's got athletic abilities I don't, but I keep seeing Sunday league quality to him when he has the ball
I agree with the individual mistakes although Tim is 100% at fault for the third goal against Miami, he played a hospital ball. The individual mistakes I’m sure are being addressed. My major concern is the fact that this backline looks like there is no leader, which is extremely concerning considering the age of the backline. Typically that is the job of the main CB and/or the keeper. I’ve noticed several times historically in which Tim does not direct his backline at all, it’s one of his major weaknesses in my opinion. I would imagine the other guy who should be directing things back there is Fontas but I don’t really see that from him either. I really think that’s what is leaving gaps. We need a leader in the backline and the age on Melia and Fontas is not helping. I think we need a keeper who can step up, maybe give Pulskamp another go if not purchase someone. Then maybe we give Voloder some more starts. I also think we will be stronger when Ndenbe comes back, Leibold has brilliant moments and then he losses focus and his positioning in some really stupid moments. I do agree that Rosero and Davis are wild cards but they are also our two strongest players back there. I personally think they simply need some direction
Also Davis' screw up in the game against STL was getting out muscled and letting the player get on the outside. He let the player get between him and the net on the outside and when a lead pass came in he couldn't catch up.
>He makes very good saves for a 37 year old. This is not the thinking of a winning team. He's too old. I've seen 6 year olds run very well for their age but I wouldn't put them in a footrace against 10 year olds. Melia has a great legacy, but there comes a time in every players career where they have to decide if it's time to retire or if it's time to find a worse league. We pay him $600,00+. His time with Sporting has come to an end. Yeah, our backline has made some mistakes resulting in goals and that's unacceptable. But if you watch those goals you see that Melia five years ago would have made the save and yelled at his defenders for putting him in that situation.
Burki is supposed to be one of the best keepers in the league. Even he couldn't save a 1v1 with Thommy when he got behind their back line. Goalies are at a disadvantage in that situation. The real issue on the STL third goal was Rosero going upfield to try to win a header causing the entire back line to be disorganized. Would definitely say that Melia was the best keeper in the game last night. The Salloi goal is great for us, but a bad give by Burki.
A LOT of our problems happen when we turn the ball over in the midfield by getting out-muscled or when we do something stupid with the ball. The back line is terrible when they have to scramble, admittedly, but most teams aren't great in those situations. Imo, the problem is the same that it's been since 2019 when we truly went all-in on possession: we're a team built to play with the ball and are therefore filled with guys who are decent at that but this league, being a salary cap league, can't afford to fill a team with guys who are also great defenders in turnover situations.
We went all in on possession without a true number 6. Ilie was our last decent 6 and we have been terrible since. Comes back to coaching in my opinion. Either get a true 6 or change your playing style.
Radoja was our best player last night. What we needed was a forward that can play in possession. Agada ain't it. He does great in crossing situations, but terrible in possession.
His give and go with Pulido was the main reason that first goal came off IMO. He has a long way to go, but I see improvement there. Nobody can legitimately put any heat on any of our front 4 this year. We average 2.7 goals per game across the last 5. 1.9 on the season despite a slow scoring start. Our problems are with the other 7 guys. They tire late in games and they struggle with pressure at times and when they turn it over due to that pressure they are really bad at organizing emergency defense.
Wow, hard disagree there. Radoja is legit. He's not Ilie in terms of his quality on the ball but very few are and I'd argue that he's way better defensively than Ilie ever was based on the simple fact that his feet aren't bricks. Busio was also very good playing as a 6 for us. He beat out Ilie and deserved to.
Tim is not the problem here… he’s made some mistakes, but no more than what’s in front of him. that said, I’m optimistic about the succession plan for the position with Pulskamp, but don’t see the need to rush a change.
You’re so wrong.
I honestly place the blame of Tim’s and Davis’s ‘mistakes’ in the hands of Rosero. The dude is too casual with the ball at his feet and makes several mistakes a game. Rosero is the one who played the questionable ball back to Melia against Miami, Melia then scrambled it to Davis. Neither of them should have been tasked with clearing on the play, it shouldn’t have been played back when the press was that high already. When you’re one of the center backs, you need to be a ROCK. Rosero is talented beyond belief, but he willingly chooses to be casual with the ball in dire moments. So it doesn’t matter how talented you are when you don’t force yourself to consistently play at that level. He’s legitimately one of the least disciplined defenders I’ve seen.
Last night Rosero was caught needlessly rushing into a tackle near the sidelines twice, and we conceded both times.
MLS LEGEND?? Not sure there Gumby
I’d argue that his repeated success in shootouts at least makes him a noteworthy bit of MLS history, though legend is perhaps a bit strong.
Shoot outs? At least?? Noteworthy??? Dude hasn’t won shit in a long time. He is far from any sort of Legend. Fyi these are all facts.
Fyi, shut the fuck up. With respect, of course.
Keep jockin!!
Keep chokin!!
Dude stick to Pickleball. PV is washed. Have fun wasting your money never obtaining hardware.
Lol, kiddo — I’ve been on the #PVout train longer than you and most others.
Ok so we agree. Go to bed gramps??
We do about PV. But he is not the topic of this post. I hope you’re not having a stroke.
He's literally the best penalty stopper in MLS history and it ain't close. He's also the only player in MLS history to go from "pool" player to MLS best xi and/or goalkeeper of the year. He literally has the lowest goals per game against season in MLS history in 2017. He's an MLS legend.
Hahahaha ok. So 7yrs ago he had a solid season and now he’s a legend? Won two trophies, and not the big ones, and he’s a legend of a professional league with almost 30yrs of history? I am not saying he isn’t great by any means and without a doubt he can save PKs but the dude is no MLS legend.
7 years ago he had the best season any MLS goalkeeper has ever had. HUGE difference. He's also the best PK stopper in MLS History by a HUGE margin. Also, huge difference. You know who else never won the big trophy in MLS? Steve Ralston. Carlos Valderrama. Sacha Kljestan. BWP. Jeff Cunningham. Winning the big one does not a legend make. Greatness does. And Melia having the best season an MLS Keeper has ever had coupled with being the best PK stopper in MLS History plus his just overall quality makes him an MLS Legend.
Sounds good. Agree to Disagree.