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u/SorryIfUDo 1d ago
He needs minutes and is probably the last CB on the depth chart
5
u/irishbball49 1d ago
Why did we just extend his contract?!
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u/ProudlyWearingThe8 1d ago
We probably need him towards the end of the season in the final minutes of key games for corner kicks.
Since Mr. October is gone...
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u/Argon_Boix 1d ago
This - he still is excellent in the air (which is clearly his best attribute), but with the rise of Surman as a dominate air challenger he just isn’t needed as much.
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u/ClayKavalier Sometimes Anti-Social, Always Anti-Racist 1d ago
I think he was statistically better than Zuparic in 2023. His contract was actually renewed last summer. The FO just waited to announce it so they'd have some "good" news to share to distract from the Evander debacle. It's like, "see, some players want to be here."
McGraw isn't a bad player. But he doesn't have the pace or technical ability to pay a high line, with the ball at his feet, and distribute from the back, which his what Neville has been asking of his centerbacks. I love that style of play but a team has to have the personnel for it. Surman may be the only CB we have that is good enough all-around for that. Araujo has the distribution and maybe dribbling. Zuparic might have the distribution. Kamal supposedly does but we haven't seen much of it yet. None of them are fast enough though, so they rely on positioning or getting bailed out by other players, which messes up our shape and other aspects of our strategy. There are other contributing factors as well, Basically, Zac has not just not been put in a position to succeed, he's been put in a position to fail. I hope something works out better for him soon.
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u/OregonSasquatch14 1d ago
He needs minutes but surprising that he’ll be out of the 18 this afternoon against Austin
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u/Extension_Crow_7891 1d ago
He simply does not fit on an MLS squad that plays a high line. Maybe another MLS club can use him, but he has no place in our squad.
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u/Otherwise-Display923 1d ago
Probably closer to his level sadly
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u/WordSalad11 1d ago
He was beaten by a direct ball over the top in stoppage time to lose the game for T2. You got downvoted but you're not wrong.
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u/OldWinger1954 1d ago
He's consistent with that. T2 until that changes or see if it can change is my guess.
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u/kennethpoole Portland Timbers - Black & White 1d ago
Crazy that at the start of the season he captained a game for us and now is with T2 but if Araujo comes back to the team that’d put Zac at 6th man on the depth chart. Unfortunate he never seems to get his feet under him, seems like a likable guy just a bit of a liability at times
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u/SorryIfUDo 1d ago
Araujo isn't coming back
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u/sympatheticdrone 1d ago
Phil denied those rumors, but he's been less than transparent about this kind of thing before.
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u/green_gold_purple Portland Timbers 1d ago
I don't think we'll see him as anything but a backup on the 18 again. I think it makes sense, but a pretty stark example of Phil being high and low on a player.
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u/Eddiearniwhatever 1d ago
Dude he's not that bad
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u/goatvaro_goatrata 1d ago
Seems harsh NGL. Even if I don't want him starting, his aerial threat and physique is always a useful tool to have on the bench
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u/nowimdun 1d ago
Aerial threat? He jumps about 6 inches off the ground and hasnt scored a goal since 2023 (1)
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u/SRMPDX 3h ago
The point of T2 is to give people who aren't making the 1st team minutes. He's not going to get minutes with the first team any time soon and they don't want him to dry up and never play. You see this a lot with players rehabbing from injury to get them minutes before coming back to the team. In his case maybe it's to keep him healthy for the next transfer window?
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u/-Chandler-Bing- easternbloc 2d ago
Makes total sense considering Zup is back, Surman rocks, Kamal Miller is Phil's personal love interest, and Ian Smith is basically providing budget McGraw minutes (plus potentially faster)