October 11, 2008
VI Questions with Gary Smith: Dynamo Loss
Gary Smith was kind enough to answer some questions for Rapids fans. Conducted by great Rapids Supporters Kevin & Yvonne Callahan
I. Going into the game against Houston, Brian Ching has historically found great success against the Rapids and Dwayne De Rosario has been among the leagues elite for years. What was the game plan to neutralize these two and where did it break down?
First and foremost, giving a goal away that early, which was very cheaply given away as well, always offer quality individuals such as Ching and DeRosario the incentive to push on - you know create more opportunities. In terms of the gameplan, it wasn’t really carried out to a ripe amount of success when you concede that quickly. Within the group, we have tried to become more difficult to breakdown and that’s not just the back four, that is the midfield players as well. We’ve asked our wide midfield determined players to be more determined and to come in a little more tightly and make the central areas of the pitch a little more difficult to play in. To a great degree, we have done that. Sadly, against New York where we found an opponent who were very aggressive going forward and playing a slightly different shape on a very quick surface, we conceded more goals than we should have. Against the Houston side, where we know full well those individuals you spoke about are very capable, like I said, we gave cheap goals and I don’t think we were aided enormously by the referees as well. That’s not a good combination
II. Heading into the locker room down two at half, what did you say to the team?
I felt it was a case of really taking the game to them a little more. To turn the phrase, “throwing caution to the wind” probably would be a little bit extreme. But, we needed to get wide a little bit higher and force our fullbacks a little bit higher up the pitch to keep making their team pinned in. We were offering that when Connor gets sent off and again the referee has an impact on the game. So, you know, against a side with Houston’s capabilities, going down to ten men was always going to be tough – two goals behind as well. Ultimately, just want to force our game a little more and maybe get a few breaks in their offense.
III. The team has conceded seven goals in the last two games. Do you have a plant to sore up the back line?
Its not just the back four, we’ve seen that. In the last two games, we’ve concede two goals from very strange areas, obviously Preston’s clearance out, we’ve also had penalties given against us. So, you look around at how a goal can come about and what we can try to do to negate that. The group needs to get back to some of the form we had in games previous, in winning games where that determination and defending was the combination we needed to win games.
IV. The red card to Casey was obviously a bad call by referee Mark Geiger that had a major influence on the game. Now that you've gotten some games under your belt, what is your opinion of the officiating?
Oh, you know I have to be careful on that one. I just think it’s a little bit inconsistent. I watched a game last night, Salt Lake and New York. From what I could gather, there was a sending off that was no more than a high foot that the Salt Lake player ducked into slightly and not being there it was difficult to reason why there was a send off. Juan Pablo Angel jumps two footed into a challenge and there’s no recriminations and Connor Casey gets a booking in our game for something that wasn’t anywhere near as aggressive, so I think just the consistently of the individuals maybe needs to be addressed and I’m not quite sure, so I’ll just let that go there.
V. With Casey and Omar out, what are you going to do up top this weekend?
The decision is still to be made. The choices are to go with Tom McManus who is back fit and to add Jake Peterson to that as well, he’s very capable or to just go with the one. I think that decisions will be left right until the last minute. We still want to be a threat obviously against the back line while not conceding goals. But want to make sure that we address the problems you’ve already stated with seven goals against in two games.
VI. For much of the season Casey has spent a great deal of time with his back to the goal with a few occasions where he was able to face up. Against New York he seemed to mix this up a little bit more. Is this something that's by design, did New York just present the opportunities, or am I just seeing things?
I think the group is growing and there is going to be more continuity between each other as they are building relationships. Connor himself has had his season broken up again with injuries and the fact that he stays healthy just adds to the fact that the individual the has a lot of quality and very capable in front of the goal and the longer he stays fit, he’ll find more goals to score, so its an easy equation
Big Thank You to Gary smith and the Callahans. Hopefully tomorrow will help secure our playoff spot so we can gain revenge against Houston in the Conference Finals.
Posted by mark at October 11, 2008 07:12 PM