As 51黑料 City SC moves toward the end of its season, it can only hope that that goes better than the end of most of its games.
In an alternate universe where City SC could close out games, holding on to leads in the final 15 minutes, City SC would be a playoff team. It has lost 15 points from winning positions in the second half of games this season, which right now is the difference between being in 14th place in the West 鈥 which is where they are 鈥 and being tied for seventh 鈥 where they would love to be. And not blowing those leads would likely have some residual value, helping to chase the doom and gloom away that permeated the team for much of the summer.
City SC, which makes yet another trip to the West Coast to face Vancouver on Saturday, has allowed more goals in the 75th minute or later than any team in the league. It has allowed a goal in the 85th minute or later in four straight games, two of which turned potential ties into losses. And that doesn鈥檛 even include the Open Cup game with Minnesota, where City SC gave up goals in the 85th and 88th minutes to turn a win into a loss and elimination.
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The most recent example was last Saturday against Chicago, who City SC led 2-1 in the second half before giving up goals in the 67th and 87th minute to lose 3-2. Since the start of June, it鈥檚 also happened against Minnesota in MLS play (allowing goals in the 75th and 90th) and Portland (55th and 91st).
鈥淐hicago was a very, very tough loss,鈥 said midfielder Eduard Lowen, 鈥渏ust as many losses we鈥檝e had throughout the season where we played a really, really good game, and we would have deserved a win or at least a point, and then getting scored on that late and in the way we lost. It鈥檚 frustrating, for sure.鈥
The search for a cause has been elusive, but it led to a lengthy discussion of the topic in conjunction with the team鈥檚 Tuesday film session that pushed the team getting on field back more than 45 minutes. One thing the team is looking at is communication. As the game progresses, the players have often been getting increasingly spread out on the field, but not always communicating to others about that gap. That鈥檚 leaving more space for opponents to get the ball and create scoring chances. So in 11 v. 11 segments in practice this week, the coaching staff was stopping play in the equivalent of the 70th minute and telling everyone to start talking more.
鈥淚 wanted the guys to be more communicative, more intense,鈥 interim coach David Critchley said, 鈥渟o at the end of the practice now, I鈥檓 asking for more from these guys. So you need to tap in, mentally, and your body, physically, needs to be able to do it as well.鈥
鈥淲e press a lot,鈥 said midfielder Marcel Hartel, 鈥渟o maybe some guys are not on 100 percent anymore, but then we have to communicate it in the game that we maybe step a bit back to stay a bit deeper so that we don鈥檛 just have one guy go in the press and don鈥檛 have energy in this situation to press with him. So we need more communication also on the field. If our front four have not the energy to press anymore, that we step a bit back so that we don鈥檛 concede that goal so easy.鈥
鈥淲e鈥檝e just got to be more awake, more sharp, even especially in the last 20 minutes or so,鈥 Lowen said.
That won鈥檛 be the only thing on City SC鈥檚 mind against Vancouver. The Whitecaps were, for a while, the hot team in the league, but they have come down to earth with just three wins and two ties in their past 10 games. But the team is a hot commodity again after signing German superstar Thomas Muller. No one knows how good Muller is than the German-heavy City SC roster.
鈥淥ne of the biggest players of all time, for sure,鈥 Lowen said. 鈥淭he trophies he鈥檚 won, how many trophies he鈥檚 won, how many titles, how many goals he scored, I think he鈥檚 in a top 10 all-time goal scorers in the Champions League. He鈥檚 one of the best players of all time.鈥
Muller, an attacking midfielder, won 13 Bundesliga titles in 16 seasons with Bayern Munich 鈥 parity is not a thing in European soccer 鈥 two UEFA Champions League titles and a World Cup. He has 10 goals in World Cup play; only eight players have more.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a special, special person for us German guys,鈥 said Hartel. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a German legend. He鈥檚 achieved so much in his career. We are very happy that he鈥檚 here and playing for the MLS. That means a lot for a lot of guys from Germany.鈥
Muller, who turns 36 in September, came off the bench and played 30 minutes for his Vancouver debut on Sunday against Houston and scored a goal, only to have it erased on an offside call. He could be making his first start on Saturday.
鈥淩espect what he鈥檚 done as a player and respect him,鈥 Critchley said, 鈥渂ut not give him too much respect, where you give him too much space, give him too much time, I think the best way you can respect him is know his strengths and try to combat it. So the role of our double 6s (most likely Lowen and Chris Durkin) will be pretty important in this game, just trying to eliminate the space for him. He had a goal against Houston that was called back, but I think it was his third or fourth touch. He hits the volley bottom corner. So in those types of areas, in those types of spaces, just to be hyper alert and try to not give him any time and space, because you did see the quality in the finish.鈥
