FiftyFive.One

• Voices From Soccer's North •

  • Please #PANIC Responsibly

    Alex Schieferdecker

    March 14, 2017
    The Angle
    Please #PANIC Responsibly

    It is a remarkable achievement that Minnesota United FC, which entered this MLS season with the lowest expectations of any team since Chivas USA’s doomed final season, has nonetheless managed to perform at a level so abject that even the naysayers have found themselves at a loss.

    Needless to say, the starship #PANIC is now cruising at ludicrous speed.

    But #PANIC is only useful when it breeds action. As a form of therapy, it’s barely an improvement over hitting oneself with an iron skillet. Minnesota’s start to life in MLS has been extremely bad, but that doesn’t necessarily merit an extreme response. So while the usual bromides might not satisfy, that doesn’t mean they’re not true. Let’s consider them all the same.

    It’s too early

    To start, Minnesota has played roughly 6 percent of its entire season. There are 32 matches left to be played, and an entire U.S. Open Cup (2013 D.C. United, the worst team in MLS history, actually won the Open Cup that year). There is a lot of time left to fix things and an entire transfer window to bring in reinforcements. Given all of this, it is unquestionably too early to say anything definitive about how this year will be viewed in terms of results, except that the start was truly terrible.

    But the 2016 Seattle Sounders started with three consecutive losses, and ended up winning MLS Cup. And Houston kicked off 2016 with a 3-3 draw and a 5-0 win over FC Dallas. The Dynamo ended the year with the second lowest goals scored in the league, and finished 26 points behind their in-state rivals. These two examples from the last season alone show that major turnarounds (for good and ill) can be accomplished, and that season-starting form can be illusory. The Loons are tied on points with LA. The Galaxy played closer games, but they’ve still lost them, and ultimately it’s the results which are the most significant thing. On that count, there hasn’t been time enough for Minnesota to meaningfully fall behind.

    There will be parity

    MLS is a very even and unpredictable league. Even an NASL or USL team, forced to play in MLS, would likely win a few matches. The good news is that Minnesota United is better than that hypothetical team, and any honest assessment of the 2017 Minnesota roster compared with the 2016 Minnesota roster would conclude this. The Loons have captured all the wrong kind of headlines by losing by four and five goals, but these results are on the fringes of normal soccer scores, and the same distribution will assert itself over the course of the season, if only by randomness.

    In two games, United have played teams who finished almost faultlessly, and who would seem to have highly potent attacks. Not all MLS teams are similarly constructed. Not all MLS teams will be able to so easily exploit the Loons’ weaknesses. It hardly needs to be said in this case that the stats do not tell the whole story, but they still say something interesting.

    In Sunday’s match, the Loons outperformed Atlanta in a key metric, expected goals. That doesn’t tell us that Minnesota were the better team, because obviously they were not, but it definitely suggests that losing 1-5 and 1-6 is not a sustainable pattern.

    There will be adjustments

    There’s fleetingly little doubt that the same Minnesota defense that has been twice decimated would continue to struggle if sent out every weekend. The good news is that there is the possibility and imperative to make changes. One improvement will happen organically, as right back Jérôme Thiesson practices with the club and gets to know his teammates. Essentially playing pick-up soccer on Sunday, Thiesson struggled out of the gate, but eventually found his legs and ended up looking quite solid.

    Other changes could come in the form of personnel shifts. Brent Kallman and Joe Greenspan had their moments in preseason. The former looked especially good, while the latter has some experience in the league. We may see one of those men in place of the beleaguered Vadim Demidov on Saturday in Colorado. That may improve the situation.

    Changes could also come at left back, whether that means the reinstatement of Justin Davis or moving Francisco Calvo out to that position. Suffice to say that there are options. Despite the fact that the back line has been bungled so far, it’s evident to every observer with a pulse that it needs to be improved, and it seems safe to say that the club will be working on doing so for the majority of this week.

    There is a plan

    The Loons have made no secret about looking long term. In statements from just about every member of the front office and technical staff, it’s been said that the club is not fixated on winning immediately. Rather, it is concentrated on the future, especially 2019 when the new stadium will presumably open and the team will have two years of play under its belt.

    You can think that this is absolutely idiotic — and goodness knows there are valid reasons for doing so — but if so, criticize the plan on its own merits. In the meantime, keep in mind that early hiccups do not necessarily have anything to do with where the club will be in a year or two. The nature of the team’s opening losses was obviously much more ugly than nearly anyone anticipated, but the fact that the team have begun with two defeats is not, in and of itself, a surprising occurrence. So while it’s absolutely essential, in my view, to keep the heat on the club for this dreadful first impression, don’t let it cloud your view of where the club is headed.

    It’s been frustrating to read a lot of concern trolling on the web about how the team wasn’t ready for this league and this challenge. That may well be the case, but it misses a bigger point. Take, for example, Minnesota’s next opponents, the Colorado Rapids, who will likely finish above the team in the table. Loons fans would be insane to accept a swap of circumstances with a fan of that club. Minnesota’s long term outlook, given its stadium, branding, and grassroots infrastructure, is stronger than that of many teams in the league, including some teams that are pretty good right now. So keep some perspective.

    Things usually aren’t as extreme as they seem

    We live in a time of extremities, where the middle ground seems increasingly hard to find on a number of issues. But it still exists in the vast majority of situations in life, and we shouldn’t lose sight of that fact. The Loons may well end up being historically bad, but they also may not. All we can say for sure is what has already happened has been poor, and any projections for the future are only as responsible as the conservativeness of their assumptions.

    #PANIC, Minnesota United FC, MLS
    Next
    Previous

    15 responses to “Please #PANIC Responsibly”

    1. Sean in the UP of MI Avatar
      Sean in the UP of MI
      March 14, 2017

      Well put. It’s hard to properly evaluate a new squad with little chemistry that’s only played in a downpour (in front of the most intimidating fans of the league) and a snowstorm (in front of a huge home crowd for the first time).

      Reply
    2. Jake Rueter Avatar
      Jake Rueter
      March 14, 2017

      I agree with many of the points you make here, Alex. Well done, and thanks for talking me off the proverbial cliff.

      I will say, however, that MNUFC’s plan must be criticised on one particular point so far. Despite an apparent focus on 2019, through two games we’ve seen Heath pick aging veterans over players who still have room to develop. This is especially concerning to me given AH’s assertions that his Orlando team was “too young”. AH seems to be focused on immediate results, leading to MNUFC being in a weird place between developing talent and trying to win now. Further, the holes that exist in this roster are being filled by late-20s European vets who will not be contributing members of the club in 2019.

      MNUFC needs to pick an approach, stick to it, and be honest with it’s fans as to what they are doing. “We’re building something special here” means different things to different people. I’m happier watching a losing team if it’s clear that we’re trying to develop our young players for the future.

      #FreeCollinMartin #FreeBrentKallman

      Reply
      1. Alex Schieferdecker Avatar
        Alex Schieferdecker
        March 14, 2017

        I agree, and I sanction this as a valid reason for #PANIC. Also my comments on the pod this week about GKs.

        Reply
      2. Kevin Hill Avatar
        Kevin Hill
        March 14, 2017

        Thank you, Jake. This is everything I have been feeling but unable to put it into words. I’d like to see Venegas given a chance as well. At the very least, he is faster than Taylor.

        Reply
      3. Eric Beckman Avatar
        Eric Beckman
        March 14, 2017

        I fully endorse this, especially the observation that we’re in a “weird place between developing talent and trying to win now. ”

        I want to see a few young, talented players learning to play at this level. Hopefully, this is what Dunladi brings. The veterans should be there to prevent disaster (not working) and help the future develop (not discernible). “The future” could include established players like Molino and J. Venegas with potential to be more along with some youngsters.

        Reply
    3. Peter S. Avatar
      Peter S.
      March 14, 2017

      Good points. It’s still frustrating to see our guys lose twice in that fashion.

      Reply
    4. Eric Beckman Avatar
      Eric Beckman
      March 14, 2017

      This is all true, but the expanses of space in which the Atlanta attackers found themselves on Sunday… Check the second goal and see how Atlanta’s best (?) player, Almiron, literally has time to slow nearly to a stop and circle around the ball to get in the possible shooting angle…Tough to watch.

      Reply
    5. Scherbs Avatar
      Scherbs
      March 14, 2017

      Great article! Here is the line up i’d like to see: Ramirez up top, Ibarra/Venegas/Molino in mid. Schuller right behind them and either Demidov or Warner playing right in front of the back line. and Davis, Calvo, Kallman, Thiessen in back. We have to shore up the back. Sort of 4-2-3-1.

      Reply
      1. Alex Schieferdecker Avatar
        Alex Schieferdecker
        March 14, 2017

        My preferred line-up as well, though I call it a 4-2-2-2

        Reply
    6. MmattN Avatar
      MmattN
      March 14, 2017

      “It’s been frustrating to read a lot of concern trolling on the web about how the team wasn’t ready for this league and this challenge. ”

      Definitely frustrating but to be honest this morning I was kind of bummed the attention has begun to already go elsewhere. It was nice to kinda feel like the center of attention of MLS, even for the wrong reason. Been waiting to be part of this leagues story for a long time.

      Reply
    7. Benjamin MacKenzie Avatar
      Benjamin MacKenzie
      March 14, 2017

      Reasoned, rational analyses of an issue in a clear and objective style? I’m not sure you can call yourself a sports writer with that kind of attitude!

      Great piece, thank you for writing it.

      Reply
    8. John Asbury Avatar
      John Asbury
      March 14, 2017

      I don’t think it is fair to let the fans wander in the wilderness for two years. We are in the league. We need to up our game and invest in some DPs to just be competitive. I’m not delusional. I do not think we will make the playoffs for five years (or expect us to make the playoffs), but I want to see us be competitive. I don’t think we will be competitive with the team that has been put out there…ever. That’s no fun. I don’t want to return to the days of 9,000 fans at a game.

      Reply
    9. Lightning Striker Avatar
      Lightning Striker
      March 14, 2017

      I was speaking with a person of great expertise after the game, and he made a profound statement that: “it will be hard if not impossible to attract high quality players without a DP on board”. I’m not opposed to the FO plan to build slowly, but please do so from a strong position at the back. We can not follow the decade of Toronto’s wandering in the wilderness before making the playoffs. They NEVER seemed to find need to secure the defence. When they finally did, they made playoffs > MLS Cup Final. Peace and futbol.

      Reply
    10. Matt Avatar
      Matt
      March 14, 2017

      Great article. Like your point about Thiessen. The first couple of goals can be pinned in no small part to his being thrown into the deep end of the pool, so I look forward to seeing his continued progress.

      Would be interested in seeing Greenspan get a shot for Demidov. The height he adds as an target option on set pieces could be an asset.

      Reply
    11. Tim Larson Avatar
      Tim Larson
      March 16, 2017

      Everything is going to plan…trying not to peak too early!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to Our Newsletter!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Subscribe Now

Recent Posts

  • Miguel Ibarra’s My Friend: The end of an era in Minnesota
  • Photo Gallery: Minnesota United FC Loses First-Ever Playoff Match
  • Matchdays Twenty-Nine Through Thirty-Four: Playoff Spotlight
  • Photo Gallery: MNUFC Draws LAFC In Final Home Match
  • MINvLAFC Open Game Thead

Copyright © 2023 FiftyFive.One

Design by ThemesDNA.com