4 Comments
May 1Liked by Jeremy Peterman

Great article Jeremy! I really enjoyed and appreciated the in depth analysis. Do you think our current roster is able to adjust in addition to an upcoming more favorable schedule? What position(s) would you target during the summer transfer window? What's your take on why last season's Zac & Zup combo isn't working and/or isn't effective as in the past...?

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Thanks for reading!

Last season, I thought that the roster composition was perfect for a pressing team. There hasn't been a ton of turnover at key positions, and the new additions (Antony, Rodriguez, Kamal, Crepeau) should be able to adjust to a more aggressive defensive style.

Article about transfers is coming next week, keep your eye out for it.

Last season Zac and Zup were relatively successful because they're very good at defending their own box. They're being asked to do a lot more with the ball this season and aren't as good on the ball as Araujo/Kamal. Both players will see game time this season, but they aren't first choice anymore with the new system.

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May 1Liked by Jeremy Peterman

Intriguing analysis. You listening, Phil? He has two fundamental challenges: too many players aren’t consistently good ball handlers, especially when pressed, and they take too long to pass. The opposite was evident against LAFC, a more precise and quicker passing team.

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Obviously we're missing Evander these last two games. He's a ball progresser extraordinaire, much like Nagbe, and he makes everyone's job easier. Others are crucial, too. McGraw's ball movement is slow and passing forward is non-existent, and I think when your defense is leaky with him in there, then you kinda lose confidence as a team and become more conservative. With K Miller and Araujo, it has been really good and the passing has been excellent and you can see the Timbers are mostly on the front foot like the second half of KC and Vancouver and the first half of LAFC and a lot of the Columbus game. I think E Miller on the right is a lot different than E Miller on the left. I think he's still good on the left, but his right side offense is better, too, because it seems more natural.

Speaking of Evander, who in Sam Hill gave him the "knock" in practice? Jeremy, did you see that happen? When they said he got a knock in practice, I couldn't believe it. In practice?

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