1. This Midfield Is An Embarrassment Of Riches
About 28 minutes into Friday’s win vs the Switchbacks, Taylor Davila finds a ball just outside 18 yards, and without hesitating blasts it into the box. One of the things I most admire about the 23 year old’s game is that he’ll take a shot from just about anywhere. He’s fearless. He sees a ball, the light in his head goes green, and he tees off. And when he doesn’t have the ball and is tasked to defend, he’s somehow even better. Davila ranks second on the team in interceptions and tackles won. He’s the definition of a box to box midfielder. He’s got to be our best two way player, right?
Well, about 28 minutes and 4 seconds into Friday’s win vs the Switchbacks, Davila’s shot pings around in the box, leaving almost every player’s head snapping back and forth in search of it. Every player but Elijah Wynder, who with preternatural awareness closes in on the loose ball before anyone else even knows where it is. Elijah buries it calmly for our first goal. Wynder the elder demonstrates yet another skill in his toolbox, a chest that already contains things like “stunning recovery speed” and “ridiculous stamina”. And so far this year he’s been able to use these skills to climb up to third on the team in goals, while leading the team in duels won. Okay, maybe he’s our best two way player.
Come on, don’t make me choose. Both of these guys have been instrumental in consistently winning the midfield for us. They are absolute menaces for team’s to deal with on both ends of the pitch. And on Friday, there really wasn’t anything Colorado Springs could do to contain them.
2. Ball Don’t Lie
The Ronaldo Damus penalty was a clear and classic case of “ball don’t lie”. And in this instance neither did the post. Amadou Dia made an absolutely stellar tackle that was wrongly whistled as a foul in the 36th minute. If you want to take a look at it in slo mo, you can do so right here. This wasn’t just a clean tackle, it was practically sterile. Obviously the referees don’t have the luxury of slow motion, or replay of any kind. But the hope is that if you’re going to make such a pivotal call, one that could alter the course of the game, the evidence would be a lot more conclusive.
After the game Danny Cruz spoke to the media about the game’s many missed calls. “We have to continue to improve as a league from an officiating standpoint. When we win a game and both coaches go up to the referee and tell them that it’s not good enough, our hope is that people listen”. This is a sentiment that anyone who’s watched more than a few minutes of USL Championship soccer would fervently echo. It’s a very common complaint to hear at the tailgate and in the stands, but rare to hear from a coach in front of a camera, especially Danny. I applaud his candor. It’s validating to hear it come from the gaffer, and not just the dude a few rows in front of you who screams it 4 letters at a time after finishing his 12th Miller Lite. Still, you gotta admire the passion.
Dia had another stand out moment called back about 5 minutes later. He netted what was probably the goal of his life from 20+ yards out before it was whistled dead after Totsch trucked a guy in the box. Okay, this time the call was right. But damn, you couldn’t just let us have this one? If ever there was a time for a make up call, it was right then. Give the man his golazo.
3. We’re A Second Half Team
19 games in, City has pretty firmly established their identity as a strong second half team. So far this year we’ve outscored our opponents in the second half 31 to 11, a goal diff of +20 for those of you keeping score at home. We’re also averaging more shots (8.52 to 7.94 ) and more shots on target (3.42 to 2.78) after halftime. The fellas always ramp up the urgency, Cruz consistently makes the right adjustments, and the numbers reflect that. And boy oh boy, was that on display against the Switchbacks.
In the second half City more than doubled it’s first half total of shots, shots on target, touches in the opposition’s box, and crosses, while taking 8 of their 14 total corners. We had 6 set pieces in the game’s final 10 minutes, and forced keeper Christian Herrera to make 3 of his 4 second half saves after the 80th. For stretches it looked like a training session with the boys getting multiple bites at the apple before finally making their breakthrough in the 95th minute. Colorado Springs, meanwhile, didn’t take a shot for 39 minutes.
4. “At this club we’re going to fight to the end”
The Switchbacks had a real problem keeping players marked in the box and controlling loose balls on corners, which is a real shame for them because, as mentioned, there were 14 of them. On the winner Totsch lined up just outside the penalty area before making a run to the near post and heading in Davila’s second chance ball from the right. He was wide open. Totsch is particularly good at moving in the box to free himself for headers. He made pretty much the exact same run in the 57th minute, driving a header just wide on a cross from Ray Serrano. Again, it was wide open spaces. He heads, he pens, he defends, he tucks. There is nothing on a soccer pitch this man cannot do.
A 95th minute winner makes you feel pretty good as a fan. There may be no better feeling. A lot of the time grinding out a win like this instills more confidence than watching any number of blowout wins. But hearing Totsch speak about the team after the game is what really solidifies belief for me. “We have the players we need to win. And we believe that. And I love every single player we have, and I know that with the guys we have we’re gonna do big things.”
Sean Totsch is third on the USL Championship all time appearances list, only one other player has clocked as many career minutes as he has, and no one has raised nearly as many trophies. If anyone in the history of this league knows what a championship caliber squad looks like, it’s this guy. If he thinks we’ve put together a winner, I have no reason to not believe him. We might just have a winner on our hands.
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