Published 2025-08-27
tag(s): #vélezsarsfield #coloradorapids #fútbol
I am thinking of making my football posting more regular - I don't expect much reader
interest, but I need an outlet for my thoughts. So.
Now that I have tag navigation, and potential readers can easily
find all the fútbol posts, I might share this in the
Rapids subreddit - so potential readers can find it. And start weaning myself off reddit,
for reasons exposed
before.[1]
Speaking of reddit, I will quote a couple things I wrote about the matches here, expanding
them a bit.
Before jumping into the Rapids analysis, there's some good news, but much shorter, on the Vélez Sarsfield front.
Vélez won last week the second leg of its knockout game against Fortaleza for Copa
Libertadores.[2]
The first leg, in Brazil, was a 0-0 tie where Vélez played better on the first half, but
didn't capitalize on controlling the ball.
On the second half, we played worse. Lots of hoofing the ball as soon as we touched it, but
then we didn't win any duels. You would think after 10 minutes of that, the players would
realize that "urgency doesn't mean only kicking the ball forward", but no. Only the
last 10 minutes there was some proper football played.
The second leg we played much better, but the reality is that Fortaleza didn't really show
up to the game. They didn't generate any danger, no creativity on the ball, nothing. I am not
complaining, we won 2-0, but it wasn't a great test for the team IMO.
Next Libertadores match will be against Racing (another Argentinian club) mid September.
We also won a game in the local tournament. Reminder that relegation is "worst team of this
year, and worst team over the last 3 years". I still didn't write my "Hoagie and
football" post...but 2023, the year my allegiance to Vélez was awakened, we were very close to
falling down - and that season still plays a role in our average calculation. So we need to
place well enough this season to stay away from the relegation-by-averages zone.
I didn't watch the game, but listened to it on the radio. Which made me think a lot of my
grandfather, so another post to write in the near future...
The game
against Minnesota showed us a new approach for the Rapids - summed up as sit back, bet on
counters.
The following weekend we played Atlanta, who aren't doing too hot. So just like the Vélez
match against Fortaleza, it wasn't the most taxing test for the team.
And finally this last weekend we played LA Galaxy, who destroyed us last year, but are (were?
#spoiler) doing terrible this season.
Another thing to note is that our new playmaker, most expensive signing in Rapids
history[4] was on the bench against LAG. Paxton Aaronson. Another US
National Team player, repatriated from Europe - just like Djordje Mihailovic. Except he is
younger, and signed to a five years contract. Quite the bet...
We played a 3-4-3 again. We scored on the 18', off good ball movement.
And Atlanta tied in the 21' 🤦 off really bad defending: no pressure on a talented player
running in front of our goal, so off course he took a great shot and that was it, 1-1.
Second half we only managed to score off a penalty...
Brief digression, it was a good PK, as it came to happen off our pressure to score. I would
still prefer scoring from open play or a set piece. But I'll take it.
Second goal at around 70'...and we were extremely lucky not to concede after that, since to
tap-in from one of the Atlanta players was deflected off one of his teammates.
I commented on reddit...Second half something changed [...] we attacked more in the middle
and Harris stopped being invisible.
. I am happy that I noticed that, as on the press
conference for last weekend's game our coach said:
The 4-2-4 won us the game last week. So, the three in the back, we weren't as sharp in it last game. We changed at halftime last game, and that sparked press, sparked energetic football. It gives us an extra attacker on the pitch to go after LA.
Chris Armas, quoted
in Burgundy
Wave, under the headline "Another Switch in Formation".
My read from that half was a bit different[3], because while we had
possession and movement, we weren't that effective until the PK, and we also allowed quite a
few shots - including the failed tap-in. So there was still more to tweak on defensive
aspects. In my opinion, of course.
LA Galaxy is still playing Leagues Cup, so they started a lot of younger/bench players.
Six minutes in, it was 1-0.
Ten minutes into the second half, 2-0.
Ended 3-0, but could have been worst.
Quoting myself from the MNUFC analysis: Makes you wonder what will happen when we play a
team that is more creative on the ball, and makes good use of their possession [...] Even
today, Steffen had to make a number of close saves to keep things even in the first half, and
only 1 down in the second
.
Well, thanks to Steffen heroics we didn't end even worse than 3-0.
I will be honest: I think if we managed to defend well for the first 15 minutes, the result would have been very different. I didn't see anything in the game to make it a "gulf in quality"...except when their trio of starting attackers were subbed in. But we were down 2-0 by then.
What I did see though, was an extremely flaky defense. You can't leave unmarked players right
outside your box. You can't have opposing players make a cross more comfortable in the pitch
that I am on the couch. Or in the second LAG goal, have a player make a run unchallenged for
like 20 meters.
Not pressuring crosses, and unmarked players behind your back, have been staples of the Rapids
defense for all of this year. You would think by this point in the season they would have been
addressed - but here I am, complaining about it.
Speaking of pressure, I think that is the start of our problems last weekend. Our attempt at
a high press in a 4-2-4 was just lacking. LAG dragged people up the pitch and made the nicest
passes across our lines. Going back to my quote about "what will happen against a more
creative team"...well, this. They find ways to bypass you thin 2-people midfield, because the
pressure of your attackers is very disjointed: one guy goes up to press, but no one is even
near the next LAG defender, so he gets the ball with time and space to find the next passing
lane.
They could cover 80 meters in three passes, and then our defense let their attackers shot at
leisure.
The third goal was a typical Gabriel Pec counter, he is too fast and clinical finishing for
us...but maybe if we didn't have to spread all around the pitch chasing a result, we
could have closed lines to frustrate him. Chasing the game? we were just playing into his
hands.
I will admit we were having an unlucky night: Aaronson came in and hit the woodwork, every ball deflected landed on a LAG player. But still. We just played bad fútbol.
Oh, and Ku-DiPietro read my comments online from the previous week and played a horrible game, in all cases held the ball more than he should have, made bad passes, or tried to dribble in bizarre places. I hope he calms down a bit, he can have good vision, and needs to use it.
Maybe this needs to be a separate section on the blog, but that's just too much work. It took over a year to have tags - imagine a new section =P