Blu eight thoughts3/2/2024 ![]() ![]() The left side of the defense were given fits on Sunday. 94daBo元qd- JMoore Quakes NovemCristian Espinoza is a Marvel That could be trouble for #Quakes74 today. With the context of the previous tweet, no team scored more from corners and set piece situations this past season than #SportingKC or improved as much from last season defensively on them. Two more set piece goals against San Jose drove the point home. PV probably deserves some credit for figuring that out. These series of beautiful charts show Sporting aren’t only the best but they are one of the best defensively too. The same SKC team that never seems to score from set pieces? How can that be true? But then, I did notice lots of goals coming from set pieces when I looked back at the season. I don’t know about you, but a few weeks back when it was said on the broadcast that Sporting KC were the best team in the league at set pieces, I about did a spit take. It’s something to watch as the playoffs continue, though you’d hope Alan Pulido will be healthy and able to play the majority of the minutes at center forward from here out. He did have a child since the final game of the season and I’m sure that’s messing with his sleep schedule. Go back and watch the tape and you’ll see he only runs a few times. Usually he’s a bull in a china shop ( though that expression may be a bit of a myth) running all over the place causing havoc and destruction. ![]() But when he got on, he appeared to be gassed within about 10 minutes or so. I really felt the game was crying out for an Erik Hurtado substitution, as outlined above. 1C7TTHKahT- Paul Kennedy NovemWhat was Wrong with Hurtado? The only younger player: Jozy Altidore, who scored in 2006 when he was still 16. Three of the four youngest players to score in the MLS playoffs did it this weekend. Lots of uncharacteristic errant touches and passes from Busio, but he made up for it in the end. I’d love to see what that was without the late goal. On he ended with the second highest rating behind Roger Espinoza. He really should have scored twice, but it all worked in the end. The final stat line for Busio was impressive with a somewhat lucky assist on a corner kick and a quality goal. Obviously it really worked that they stayed on as Khiry assisted Busio on what looked like the game winning goal. How wrong would both of those been when it came to the late Busio goal? The other sub that really could have been made was bringing off Khiry Shelton. However, I think the case could have been made that Roger Espinoza and Ilie Sanchez were the best midfielders and if Gadi Kinda had come on, it could have been for Busio. I don’t think the two are related as it was no one that had just come on that made any mistakes on the play. The first subs didn’t come until the 93rd minute. The game was screaming for an injection of energy. Make it happen US Soccer! Busio’s Playoff Breakoutĭuring the game I was definitely talking to the television about how Peter Vermes needs to use his damn subs. The conversation this morning has turned to why has Tim Melia not had a United States National Team call up? I get that he’s 34 and there is somewhat of a youth movement going on but the man deserves to play for his country, even if it’s just a January camp and a single cap. I said to my family, who have been through enough shootouts to know, that most of the shots will still go in but you just have to save one or two. Just imagine if Melia hadn’t been hurt and knocked out of the Double Post game in 2015. If you stayed up and watched the Portland Timbers and FC Dallas PK shootout then it only further cemented how amazing Melia is. Second time an MLS team has failed to score during a shootout ( that stat about who did it the first time blew my mind). I hit this pretty hard last night with all the amazing stats coming out about Melia’s performance. Lots of good and of course lots of bad when six goals find the back of the net. What a game! Sporting Kansas City and the San Jose Earthquakes put on quite the display yesterday afternoon and into the evening.
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