The Strikers let two points slip away on a beautiful night at Lockhart Stadium.  The second half breakdown—now becoming increasingly common—permitted the Silverbacks to steal a second half goal and ruin what had been a decent performance.

The alternate line-up anticipated the Strikers U.S. Open cup game at San Jose.  Out were Stewart, Restrepo, Pecka, Lorenz—though they would be called on to try to salvage the game.

Strikers (2-4-3)

Glaeser

Blake     Orozco     Shanosky     Stahl

Gabor

                    Morales ↔   Ramos (Restrepo)

Anderson

Hassan  (Lorenz)   Otte (Pecka)

Atlanta Silverbacks (0-5-4)

Illyes

Moroney     Lancaster     Burciaga     Cox

Paulini (Turcios)    Gonzalez

Horth     O’Brien     Colaluca (Carr)

Navia

The Silverbacks’ 4-2-3-1 didn’t offer much in the way of attack early in the game, and the most consistent mode of attack was for them to send a long switch from the LB to the RW.  The crosses were predictable and easily defended by Stahl.

In the first half everything was going right for the Strikers.  Blake was making deep runs down the right side, and when he wasn’t Ramos pushed forward on the right after switching positions with Morales.   If fact, almost all the attack came up the right side of the field.  Stahl was less adventurous and seldom moved up the field, which limited the threat the Strikers could pose.  Gabor did well, was calm on the ball, and distributed effectively.  He appears to relish the chances, and more game time may reveal Gabor as a permanent in the formation.  Anderson was enjoying his freer attacking role.

The Strikers breakthrough came early in the second half as a deflected Otte shot popped up to Anderson who struck the ball full volley, hitting the underside of the crossbar and netting the Strikers lone goal.

But after that the game shifted.  The Strikers began to lose possession of the ball.   Gabor was slipping and sliding all over the field.  The most troubling was Atlanta’s sub Carr, whose speed and footwork gave the defense fits.  Blake was essentially pinned back having to deal with him, so the attack lost its width.   The goal itself was reminiscent of the Fresno Fuego’s goal a few days before.  Defensive miscommunication led to a ball that dropped into a crowded box and Atlanta pipped one.  Shore’s changes did little to alter the dynamic.  The Strikers ended the game in this shape:

Glaeser

Blake     Orozco     Shanosky     Stahl

Gabor

Pecka    Lorenz

Anderson

Restrepo     Morales

The general confusion that descends on the Strikers in the second half of games is troubling.  They generally control possession, create chances, and then fall apart when pushed.  While other teams are coalescing (like S.A. Scorpions, Minnesota, and P.R.I), the Strikers can’t keep it together enough to pull out the victory.

Hopefully, the Strikers can rebound with a win against Florida Derby foe Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Everything went wrong for the Strikers on a rainy night at Lockhart Stadium.  The team that is shaping up to be the Strikers bugbear, the as-yet-undefeated Minnesota Stars FC, handed the Strikers a well-deserved 3-1 loss.  A new line-up, poor play, and poor coaching have this Strikers team hemorrhaging goals and plummeting toward the bottom of the standings.

Strikers (2-3-3)

Glaeser

Stewart     Shanosky     Stahl     Lorenz

Gabor

Motagalvan (King)       Pecka (Orozco)

Restrepo (Nagime)

Thompson     Anderson

Minnesota Stars FC (4-3-0)

Van Oekel

Dias     Tchoupe     Davis    Kallman

Hlavaty     Takada (Wasson)

Ibarra (Ibrahim)      Nunez (Bracalello)      Venegas

Walker

The Strikers came out with a number of significant changes.  The absence of the FBs Laing, for the Jamaican National Team, and a regular on the still-unsettled right forced changes.  Lorenz dropped from the left midfield, and the right back spot—after the failed Granado experiment—was filled in by Stewart.  But both men lack the requisite speed to get up the flanks, and after several miscues early in the game, their reluctance to make the runs to the corner drew the game into the midfield.  That’s where the problems started.

Ironically, the Strikers controlled the ball for large parts of the first half.  But even before Anderson’s goal, the Strikers began to display a sloppiness in the midfield that gradually doomed them.   The inability to connect began in the final third with the forward triangle miscommunicating and misfiring.  Eventually, the confusion moved into the midfield.  The platform midfielders lost ball after ball.  And in the 45’ it was Motagalvan’s absolutely preposterous giveaway at the top of the Strikers’ box that led to Walker’s injury time goal.

The substitutions made by Shore in the second half clearly indicate his desire to recapture control of the midfield.  But the changes were dreadful.

When Motagalvan came off, Restrepo moved to the right, which effectively took him out of the game.  The defensive responsibilities don’t jibe with Restrepo’s game, and though he was mostly ineffective (and extraordinarily selfish at times) early, he was getting on the ball.  The problem that followed was the loss of the AM spot.  Anderson was supposed to fill it, but he drifted to the left, essentially giving the Strikers three forwards and no playmaker.  Gabor then had a large swath of free space in front which Minnesota took control of.  Restrepo was removed, and he responded by petulantly assaulted innocent water bottles on the sideline.

Gabor

Restrepo     Pecka

King     Thompson     Anderson

↓

Gabor

Restrepo     Orozco

King     Thompson     Anderson

 ↓

Gabor

Orozco     Nagime

King     Thompson     Anderson

But the midfield was hopelessly lost.   The utter confusion was obvious.   There was no one to link the midfielders and the forwards, and there was a lack of depth and movement to the attack.  Defensive shape was lost, attacking movement was nonexistent (except for the efforts of Thompson, Lorenz, and Nagime), and the game degraded.

Minnesota got a second on Glaeser’s one mistake.  Trying to intercept a cross, the ball appeared to skip of the tips of fingers and dropped at the six and was put away by Ibarra.  The third found the center of the defensive live exposed and Bracalello slotted past a sliding Glaeser.

Shore deserves some criticism here.  The line-up was faulty.  Why wasn’t Blake on the right and Stewart in the center?  Where was Hassan?  Morales?   If Shore thought that this game could serve as a warm up to a team that might start in the Open Cup game Tuesday or if he was resting players for that game, the choices were poor, considering the home stands don’t want to get drenched for a throwaway.   That being said, Gabor showed promise and will improve, and he deserves a start on Tuesday.  Motagalvan, even, wasn’t terrible early but his giveaway clearly affected him.  And Anderson continues to inspire (though he fades late).

The Strikers report is here, the NASL here, and the box here.

Strikers 0 –Puerto Rico Islanders 2

A miserable performance led to 2-0 defeat to the Islanders Saturday night.   The Strikers, though employing periods of possession, failed to create many chances, and they were unable to cope with the speed and width of the Islanders or to create any really dangerous chances of their own.

Strikers (2-3-2)

Glaeser

Granado     Stewart     Stahl     Laing (Pecka)

Shanosky

Morales (Otte)      Lorenz

Restrepo

Anderson     Hassan (Thompson)

Puerto Rico (4-1-1)

Martin

Edwards    Cunnigham     Needham     Martinez

Richardson  (DeRoux)   Van Shaik     Fojo     Foley

Fana (Hanson)    Addlery (Ramos)

In this game the Islanders lined up in what appeared to be a more conventional 4-4-2.  Seldom did Fana drop back into the AM role as happened the last time the teams met.  As the game played out, the Islanders were able to stretch the Strikers, especially on the counter.   The FB pushed up the left side, pinning Laing back and Foley did significant damage on the right hand side with his speed and dangerous attacking runs.

The Strikers had a couple changes to the line-up.  With Herron and King out, Anderson got the start—deservedly so, after scoring in the last game—but he is a poor compliment to Hassan.  There was a visible lack of chemistry and thus little interplay.

Restrepo was called upon for all creativity in the midfield.  He was dangerous, involved, but had absolutely no help from the forward line.  Lorenz ably supported him on the left side, and, it can be said, that the most consistent performer this year has been Lorenz.  What he lacks in flash, he makes up for in hard running.  Morales was on the field—little more can be said.  Shanosky had another sketchy game: bad passes, heavy-footedness, lack of mobility, little presence.  The problem of Shanosky will need to be addressed by Shore.  Without a DM able to cover ground and control the game the 4-3-1-2 is ineffective.

Stewart and Stahl appeared slow and couldn’t cope with Puerto Rico’s speedy front.  Outside, Laing was ineffectual.  Laing’s play hasn’t shown the combativeness of all of last season.  Crosses were overhit, runs were frequently half-speed, and the demeanor was subdued, muted even.   Laing isn’t the most emotional, but something seems to be amiss.   Perhaps it is the frustration that he has been restrained by opponents who prevent Laing’s releasing by pressing high on the right.  With Granado on the right, the Strikers’ lacked speed and defensive posture.  Granado was tortured all night by Foley, who only seemed to get stronger as the night progressed.  And where Laing’s crosses were consistently overhit by ten to fifteen yards, Granado’s barely entered the box.  Glaeser, as always, was good.  He makes the saves that keep the Strikers in the game (a tipover, a Fana one-on-one stop) but the support isn’t there.

At the half-time interview, Coach Shore said that, in the squad on the field, there were “people who didn’t come to play.”   The entire effort was listless and uninspiring, especially in the final third of the field.  Hopefully, the Strikers will tighten up before the coming home game a nuisance team Minnesota Stars FC.

The Strikers’ write up is here, NASL here, and Puerto Rico’s is here, and the box is here.

The Strikers earned a hard-fought draw after falling behind early against the Railhawks.   This game was almost could have been called “Brian Shriver’s Revenge” as the former Striker came away with a goal and an assist.   Only some hard defensive work, counterattacking, and spectacular shooting salvaged the game.

The Strikers came out with the line-up they utilized at the beginning of the season with the exception, of course, being Thompson.  Morales was back in, not because Pecka didn’t acquit himself in the last game, having been forced to move to DM, but because Shore perhaps felt that Shanosky would fare better in this game—although that proved wishful thinking.

Carolina’s  4-2-3-1 pitted the shifty Shriver against Laing on the left and Zimmerman, who added a brace, against Blake on the right.  It seems that generally teams have realized that the way to unsettle the Strikers is to push the ball wide at every opportunity to occupy the backs, let the narrow midfield chase, and starve Restrepo of service.

Strikers (2-3-1)

Glaeser

Blake     Stewart     Stahl     Laing

Shanosky

Morales (Pecka)        Lorenz

Restrepo

Hassan        Thompson (King, Anderson)

Carolina Railhawks (0-4-2)

     Elenio     Stockley     Krase     Low

Lowry     Nurse

Shriver      Palacio (Shipalane)    Zimmerman (Da Luz)

Schilawski (Garey)

Shriver’s goal in the 42’ highlighted some of the defensive confusion.  A bad pass from Stahl that was intended for Restrepo was picked up the midfield by Carolina and then sent through to Zimmerman.    As the Strikers’ defense collapsed on the ball in the box, Shriver made an unmarked run from the right.  Laing, who had, as expected, pushed up in possession, could not help.  Then soon after the break the Railhawks would go up two as Shriver received wide and his cross found Zimmerman in front of the goal. 2-0 Railhawks.

Laing responded at the hour mark in with a powerful curling left-footed freekick to the upper corner.  It was a goal against the run of play, but instilled a sense of confidence in the Strikers.  However, the Railhawks added a third when a long through ball found Zimmerman.  Glaeser made the save, but the rebound bounced to Zimmerman who slotted the ball into an empty net.  At that point, the Strikers seemed finished.

But Shore’s timely substitutions brought the team back from the brink.  Although he only played twelve minutes after coming in for Thompson, King provided the set up on a counter, running through to receive a deep ball and slipping a short pass to Restrepo, and Restrepo buried the shot in the far side netting.  When King pulled up lame with a hamstring pull, Anderson came on and secured the draw.  A deep run by Restrepo led to a one-two with Anderson, who cut across the top of the box and deftly curled a right footer to the far upper corner.  The best thing about Anderson’s shot was its calculated coolness.  Anderson, we now know, has the confidence to take (and make) the spectacular shot.

The biggest questions for the Strikers after this match concern the midfield and the partner for Hassan.  Shanosky was ineffectual.  Is it jitters or fatigue after getting more playing time or does he need to improve generally?  Shanosky has shown glimpses of dominance, but he must maintain a higher level or the things that he brings (size, power) will be diminished by what he lacks (speed, consistency).  Pecka is waiting for his chance.  Whichever ultimately provides the most secure platform for Restrepo creativity will be the man.

Thompson cannot be the partner Hassan needs.  The Strikers were ineffective in the run of play and only came alive when speed was on the field.  King set up one goal and Anderson scored the other.  With Herron gone, the Strikers must find a capable replacement, one who’ll compliment Hassan and give Restrepo another outlet.  Perhaps the best option, as with the King substitute, is to let Hassan play the holding forward while a smaller more mobile forward wheels about him.

The Strikers will get a week’s rest before a return match with the Puerto Rico Islanders.

The Strikers recap is here, the Railhawks here, and the box score is here.