I just want to see some different things tonight, especially now that we're 100% less Kenergy.
Given that we're barely hanging onto 7th place, that Soph and Hina are out, and that Gale and KK either need to commit to the future or hit the bricks, here's what I'd like to see tonight and from here on out as often as possible:
GK: Arnold
D: Reyes, Obaze, Bruun, Muller (subs Payne and Hubly)
M: Coffey, Fleming, Moultrie (subs Hirst and Sheva)
F: Spaanstra, Linnehan, Turner (subs Weaver and D'Aquila)
It's time to see what the younger players can do and if they can do it together.
It's time to see if Fleming and Moultrie can find a way to coexist in a mutually-beneficial way.
And it's time to take some minutes off of anchors like Bruun and Coffey, and make sure Weaver remains healthy.
What would your line up be in a 3-5-2? Given how pathetic the Thorns have been in controlling the midfield, I think we need more people there. No more backs coming out of the back line to assist forwards (as Kling did for years when she was younger). Instead use right midfielder and left midfielder for that. It appeared that it's the best use of Reyes (who in my opinion is better going forward than a full back).
I kinda agree...but OTOH what could that be other than the usual Ken primordial "tactics" soup? That XI hasn't played together any more than any of the other rec-league assemblages Ken's thrown out there. They will have, at best, had his incoherent "training" since San Diego.
I mean...it's hard to find "mutual benefit" and "coexistence" and even "much of anything" out of what amounts to a pickup game. Hard even to see individual promise from such a mess.
On a different note, the nail salon I went to today had a TV on showing the Bloomberg channel, which I have never voluntarily watched, and they had a 20-25 minute segment about the NWSL. Mostly about the business aspect of course, and the new ownership groups coming in, but they touched on the abuse scandal and competion with the European leagues and the influx in foreign players this season. Nice to see the league being taken seriously.
Let me see... achy head, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiousness, shakiness, general lethargy? Yep that's Irritable Ken Syndrome. Worst part is how often it means crapping the bed.
I want to believe that Fleming's best position in the NWSL is at the eight (including because it would let Hina play a more attacking role when she's ready to play again), but I think we need to remember that Fleming being moved to the 10 wasn't just some bizarre coaching decision. She was really, really struggling in that role. At the 10 she can use her engine to be a pressing pest with limited impact for failures from being physically outmatched. In the eight role, those failures can be devastating.
I hope that, now that she's had time to adjust to the league, she can succeed in the box-to-box role, but the evidence is slim so far.
Yeah def agree. She has already played in the 8, and also as a pivot next to Sam and it didn't work well for the reasons you mention. It's the reason why Hina was moved lower to play more defensively in the first place. And, Hina has done such a good job that it's been hard to move her anywhere else now...though I personally feel she can be more effective with more attacking responsibilities given how she sees plays before most. Is that a 10? Is that as a more attacking 8? I dunno.
Jessie is a good player but KK brought her here with 0 consideration of how to use her with our other current starters. She's a square peg constantly being shoved into a round hole. She's not the most effective 10, either. I would still prefer we look for a starting level 10 during the offseason, because I don't think we have one in either Liv or Jessie.
As we've been saying for a long time now here....we just have a major balance and fit issue with this midfield.
It’s the one of the NWSL streaming service rotation that I don’t have access to, unfortunately and for the first time this season that really didn’t bother me too much.
OK. Look. I swear that prior to the game I had a feeling that the injury to Sophia Smith would be an excuse for starting Sinclair. Then I thought, naaaah, don't be so cynical and post that to the comments. I was right to be wrong even though I was right.
I’d suggest that without Smith and Sugita it’s arguable whether Portland is the better side. I’d guess a draw, but with both these clubs’ forms so poor? Hard to tell.
Both these clubs are the sort of “unpredictable” that goes with poor roster and matchday managing. Either one could implode and ship multiple goals as ABell4 point out happened in 2023. Hard to speculate just because both are so subpar
Not a social media guy so I'm kind of out of the loop, did we ever get a clarification on the nature of Hina's injury? I wasn't sure whether it was "just" a concussion or if there was concern for an orbital bone fracture or some such
Maybe this qualifies as an old man rant, but i'm still having trouble getting used to the new normal(?) of rooting for sportsball folks, and then when a favorite gets literally carted off the field and put in an ambulance... "well, that's all we'll ever know- whatever happened to her shall ever remain a mystery and we shall talk of it no more."
Is this a WoSo thing? Is it happening everywhere now? I can't imagine a Trailblazer player just disappearing without a word from the team for a month...
I kinda get the concern for privacy…but when you’re in a public profession AND your profession depends on your physical condition? That information IS pretty important to the fanbase.
Wait. What? Sophia Smith will not play? Did get she burned out? I know it's physically exhausting being the only one on the team that can score a goal.
Question about a 3-5-2. Does that mean the Portland's midfield should be able to own the that space? Does it mean that outside back don't go forward, leaving the left and right midfielders to serve that purpose instead?
I'm assuming that ownership is waiting for the end of the season to clean out the front office.
Soph picked up a knock (ankle) in the last match and had to be taken off. So her being out with the game on short rest was likely and confirmed yesterday.
Can’t believe it’s week 20 and there’s not been a clear and consistent starting 11 for multiple games. I still don’t know what the Gale style of play is.
I've decided that Gale's style of play is a serious of circles. The rings overlap each other, as the players run in circles so that different players at the top of each circle. The player at the forward side of the circle more forward in the attack (whether that is they best skill set at that moment or not). As the Jimi Hendrix song went: "If 6 turned out to be 9, I don't mind."
As the poet laureate, Popeye T. Sailorman put it, and I quote:
"That's all I Ken stands. I Ken't stands no more!"
I just want to see some different things tonight, especially now that we're 100% less Kenergy.
Given that we're barely hanging onto 7th place, that Soph and Hina are out, and that Gale and KK either need to commit to the future or hit the bricks, here's what I'd like to see tonight and from here on out as often as possible:
GK: Arnold
D: Reyes, Obaze, Bruun, Muller (subs Payne and Hubly)
M: Coffey, Fleming, Moultrie (subs Hirst and Sheva)
F: Spaanstra, Linnehan, Turner (subs Weaver and D'Aquila)
It's time to see what the younger players can do and if they can do it together.
It's time to see if Fleming and Moultrie can find a way to coexist in a mutually-beneficial way.
And it's time to take some minutes off of anchors like Bruun and Coffey, and make sure Weaver remains healthy.
What would your line up be in a 3-5-2? Given how pathetic the Thorns have been in controlling the midfield, I think we need more people there. No more backs coming out of the back line to assist forwards (as Kling did for years when she was younger). Instead use right midfielder and left midfielder for that. It appeared that it's the best use of Reyes (who in my opinion is better going forward than a full back).
I kinda agree...but OTOH what could that be other than the usual Ken primordial "tactics" soup? That XI hasn't played together any more than any of the other rec-league assemblages Ken's thrown out there. They will have, at best, had his incoherent "training" since San Diego.
I mean...it's hard to find "mutual benefit" and "coexistence" and even "much of anything" out of what amounts to a pickup game. Hard even to see individual promise from such a mess.
On a different note, the nail salon I went to today had a TV on showing the Bloomberg channel, which I have never voluntarily watched, and they had a 20-25 minute segment about the NWSL. Mostly about the business aspect of course, and the new ownership groups coming in, but they touched on the abuse scandal and competion with the European leagues and the influx in foreign players this season. Nice to see the league being taken seriously.
SurrenderBall lives. Sinc starts, Linnehan on walkabout.
ER nurse: "Should we call it?"
ER doc: "Call it."
I will be very surprised if we score at all.
Like, ever.
Apparently Rob Gale is missing tonight "due to illness".....hm.
Does it count as "due to illness" if I'm sick to death of watching him coach?
I think Siccadis has definitely made its rounds on STF...
Let me see... achy head, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anxiousness, shakiness, general lethargy? Yep that's Irritable Ken Syndrome. Worst part is how often it means crapping the bed.
ROFL
Wha? "We can't find him. Look? Nobody told me to do that."
Nothing a good sacking wouldn't take care of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syrKx26EfrY
I want to believe that Fleming's best position in the NWSL is at the eight (including because it would let Hina play a more attacking role when she's ready to play again), but I think we need to remember that Fleming being moved to the 10 wasn't just some bizarre coaching decision. She was really, really struggling in that role. At the 10 she can use her engine to be a pressing pest with limited impact for failures from being physically outmatched. In the eight role, those failures can be devastating.
I hope that, now that she's had time to adjust to the league, she can succeed in the box-to-box role, but the evidence is slim so far.
Yeah def agree. She has already played in the 8, and also as a pivot next to Sam and it didn't work well for the reasons you mention. It's the reason why Hina was moved lower to play more defensively in the first place. And, Hina has done such a good job that it's been hard to move her anywhere else now...though I personally feel she can be more effective with more attacking responsibilities given how she sees plays before most. Is that a 10? Is that as a more attacking 8? I dunno.
Jessie is a good player but KK brought her here with 0 consideration of how to use her with our other current starters. She's a square peg constantly being shoved into a round hole. She's not the most effective 10, either. I would still prefer we look for a starting level 10 during the offseason, because I don't think we have one in either Liv or Jessie.
As we've been saying for a long time now here....we just have a major balance and fit issue with this midfield.
Hina was moved lower because with Fleming next to Coffey it was too easy to press Coffey and hurt building out. Hina solved a lot of that.
Yep that's def true....there's several reasons why Hina was kept in that position as opposed to Fleming.
CBSSN: The Antidote to Hate-Watching
It’s the one of the NWSL streaming service rotation that I don’t have access to, unfortunately and for the first time this season that really didn’t bother me too much.
Well, at least the Thorns didn't lose.
OK. Look. I swear that prior to the game I had a feeling that the injury to Sophia Smith would be an excuse for starting Sinclair. Then I thought, naaaah, don't be so cynical and post that to the comments. I was right to be wrong even though I was right.
I’d suggest that without Smith and Sugita it’s arguable whether Portland is the better side. I’d guess a draw, but with both these clubs’ forms so poor? Hard to tell.
Yep: arguably (because Sam) our two best players unavailable and trying to fight off the general morass...on the road? I can haz trepidation?
Both these clubs are the sort of “unpredictable” that goes with poor roster and matchday managing. Either one could implode and ship multiple goals as ABell4 point out happened in 2023. Hard to speculate just because both are so subpar
Last time we were there we dropped that 5-1 bomb to lose the shield for a second season in a row. Assuming the worst...
Well hey, at least there's no Shield pressure this time, right? =P
I'm actually hoping we can end this season early so the owners can get an early start to work on fixing (and hiring!)
Not a social media guy so I'm kind of out of the loop, did we ever get a clarification on the nature of Hina's injury? I wasn't sure whether it was "just" a concussion or if there was concern for an orbital bone fracture or some such
Yeah not an exact timeline - but Hina very likely out weeks.
It was listed as a face injury.
Blargh, not good to hear but thanks all the same
Maybe this qualifies as an old man rant, but i'm still having trouble getting used to the new normal(?) of rooting for sportsball folks, and then when a favorite gets literally carted off the field and put in an ambulance... "well, that's all we'll ever know- whatever happened to her shall ever remain a mystery and we shall talk of it no more."
Is this a WoSo thing? Is it happening everywhere now? I can't imagine a Trailblazer player just disappearing without a word from the team for a month...
I kinda get the concern for privacy…but when you’re in a public profession AND your profession depends on your physical condition? That information IS pretty important to the fanbase.
Can we at least get a general statement saying a player sustained a significant injury and will be off the active roster? Too much to ask for?
My guess is both; coming off she looked badly dazed and her face was already swelling. So concussion plus facial fractures; cheek, orbit, both(?)
Wait. What? Sophia Smith will not play? Did get she burned out? I know it's physically exhausting being the only one on the team that can score a goal.
Question about a 3-5-2. Does that mean the Portland's midfield should be able to own the that space? Does it mean that outside back don't go forward, leaving the left and right midfielders to serve that purpose instead?
I'm assuming that ownership is waiting for the end of the season to clean out the front office.
Soph picked up a knock (ankle) in the last match and had to be taken off. So her being out with the game on short rest was likely and confirmed yesterday.
Is Linnehan healthy?
Also wondering. She's not been on the injury report, so I assume she's healthy. If she IS injured, why is she not being listed??
Still think she's in the doghouse after being caught tagging Ken's Subaru.
Too much talent and potential to vanish. What's the story? You MAYBE could use her energy.
She hasn’t been on the injury report in a long time. Keeping her out is definitely a coaching decision. A bad coaching decision
Here is a good discussion of a 3-5-2:
https://www.coachesvoice.com/cv/3-5-2-formation-conte-mourinho-guardiola/
Can’t believe it’s week 20 and there’s not been a clear and consistent starting 11 for multiple games. I still don’t know what the Gale style of play is.
I've decided that Gale's style of play is a serious of circles. The rings overlap each other, as the players run in circles so that different players at the top of each circle. The player at the forward side of the circle more forward in the attack (whether that is they best skill set at that moment or not). As the Jimi Hendrix song went: "If 6 turned out to be 9, I don't mind."
A different Hendrix song comes to mind:
There must be some kind of way outta here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion
I can't get no relief
Yeah. That one too!
-:D
No longer a Venn Diagram, now a Kenn Diagram.
So a youth team 🙃
On your last point you’re in a very big club. Sigh.