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Overall they stuck to the script of trying to get a point, but I have some issues that some men done touch on already..
-That should be the last time we seen Stern and Yorke up top. Stern should come on for Dwight in de dregs is Dwight need a rest. This chest trap and screen and draw a foul ting is REAL mess! Yorke was really working for 2.
- Birchall and Whitley in the middle, did not work last night. Whitley was a non factor, Birchall was a little better but they both could have been subbed at the half. Distribution just was not there.
-Yes the game plan was to defend and get a point but we gave them WAY too much respek when we had a chance to counter attack, we just did not look interested in attacking AT ALL..
-The back 4 was absolutely solid..Avery deserves a BIG UP (esp. for the save he make with his buttocks!!)..the fellas get tired at about the 70th minute and it showed..we started to GIVE THEM the flanks to let them serve balls and run at us..
-The goals. 1st goal (yes Jack have to hold on to that ball) but if Edwards was not roast, he coulda get some kinda header (dive if you have to) on the ball that came across for de man to slap at goal..tiredness.. 2nd goal (another ball Jack coulda done better with..esp. at this level) but that is a hard luck..tiredness did us in..overall Jack was solid though.
I don't know if anybody watched the Panama / US game, but even though the US dominate, Panama made them work defensively as well, their forwards were not afraid to RUN at the US defense..granted they gave up 3 goals but they could have scored 3 as well..we never really threatened last night and it showed, the mexicans never seemed hurried at all. I hope that in August, while we respect what the US can do, we take the game to them a bit more than we did against Mexico last night..
That was a hard game (of backs and forwards) tro watch last night, because I know we have more to offer on the offensive side of the ball, but you have to do what you have to do, so tactically beene man has to be commended. I think he could have used the subs a bit earlier though..Tiger would have been better suited for the left side than Theo (in my OPINION), he just does not seem comfortable out there and was very predictable (never ran at the defender, always cutting back)..
We are still in the hunt but realistically we cannot afford to lose more than one more game, I think we need to go 3-1-1 in the next round, starting with a win in that game in August..
I still on the wagon..GO WARRIORS!
Jack - 7.5 (solid, better than I thought he would have been)
Atiba - 7.5 (solid)
Dog - 8 (solid)
Giraffe - 8 (solid)
Avery - 8.5 (MOTM...got tired and just started to pass blade!)
Birchall - 6.5 (will get better with time but stuggled for most of the game)
Whitley - 6 (non factor)
Stern - 6 (non factor)
Yorke - 8 (did what he could)
Theo - 6 (non factor)
Edwards - 7 (the only man that looked like he wanted to run at them)