My biggest beef with the team right now is the lack of creativity. They only seem to be able to do things one way. I am talking coaches and players alike. Through this tough stretch we have seen virtually the same line up and subs over and over no matter what the results. Other teams know exactly what is coming at them with the Stars. The team needs an injection from someone else on the roster.

You mean like the new guy they just signed?

0-0 vs 10 men from a team at the bottom of the table.

More of the goddamn same. Wynalda's purchases seem to have had a big impact, but we did the same thing we always do, slowly get the ball to the box, fall apart, scramble.

Dias had a great first half, Ibarra and MVO had a good game.

Is our pool of players deep enough to replace the other 8 starters? Because I'd be fine with that. Nobody was bad, necessarily, but it just isn't working, is it?

That is what a game looks like when the other team defends well. The ball stayed in the middle third for 98% of the game.

*Atlanta also took two points from (*second/third place) Tampa last week.

I would not replace any of the 11 that started the game tonight in Atlanta. The ball is just kinda round right now... it happens.

The NASL league is pretty tight this year with all 8 teams having at least 5 draws and 6 teams having more than 6 draws in just 20-23 games played.

25 out of 85 games have ended in a draw this year.

Yes, their defense is much improved, but it's easy to defend when the Stars were giving them all the time in the world to fill their box with defenders. We've lacked the pace, teamwork and creativity to get through a defense before it swarms the box.

Yep, but that is really nothing new. The link between the midfield and the forwards has been missing for a while. We have few players who can make that killer final pass through a crowded area.

I commented a few weeks ago that we have been attacking straight up the field. We attack straight into the pressure and then don't get through, go figure! We were doing it again last night. In a build up attack you have to move the ball by switching fields when you approach the final 1/3. That movement across the field gives time for attacking runs to be created when space between the defenders opens up caused by that ball movement.

If the defense is compact then move them across the field before going forward to penetrate into the box. No space = no fun!

I would also mix the attack with counters, but we don't seem to have those players with superior speed this year.

I don't remember all that many set plays last night??

This is the time of a season where the coaches earn their pay by creating a new plan to attack. The other teams seem to understand what they will be defending against. Time to create a little surprise.


Or,
Pick up the pieces and go home.

-Up. back, switch...

-Up. back, through...

-In, out, in...

-Out, up, back, switch, in...

-Out, up, in, back, through...

Move the ball anywhere but straight into the pressure...
Then... go straight into the pressure and through...


Train new patterns of attack into the att 1/3.

There is just no creativity. Everthing is too predictible. I thought there were some great 1 v 1 opportunities we failed to take. Be selfish and take a defender on. #GuttedAgain

8/19/12

Manchester City vs Southampton
The last ten minutes of the first 45.

Man City is currently showing exactly how good quick ball movement within the attacking 1/3 can beat an organized, compact and bunkered in defense...

The quick ball movement is created by the players who do not have the ball. The supporting movements and positioning of the support players is the key to beating compact defenses. The player on the ball must have more than one option close to them to maintain possession in a small area.

Possession skills are important when using this style of play. If the possession skills break down then so does that attacking styles main strength. That is when the coach should change his team's attack to a quicker and more direct counter attack style or play possession out wide more and serve the ball into the box.

If the team can't switch styles in the middle of the game when it is not working, then the midfield battle goes on until time finally runs out. The team does not have control when the game is a midfield game of back and forth ping pong. Whoever has the most luck on that given day, usually wins.

The ball is round for even the best teams sometimes.

The Manchester City vs Southampton EPL game kinda turned sloppy by both sides and Man City won 3-2 after some big defending mistakes by Southapmton.

Man City has used up one of their luck cards very early in this new season.