7/7/07 RSL @ Columbus

So much for 07/07/07 being the luckiest of days. RSL, despite most of the team coasting through the game, hung with a surging Columbus team and then, as is becoming customary, had it all fall apart at the end. Final result: RSL 0, the Spew 2.

The first half of the game was pretty even. The possession seemed about even with the only difference being that the Crew used the possession to mount attacks, while RSL, as usual, looked lost. That's not to say Columbus looked very dangerous (they didn't) and other than 1 or 2 shots were completely harmless. RSL had a few chances in the half (the wasted Williams free kick/"shot" from just outside the box comes to mind) but never really mounted a decent challenge. Also, for some reason, Carey Talley was AWFUL. No hustle and turned the ball over immediately on the few times he touched it, but he spent most of the half just standing there. Awesome...way to earn that $120,000 Carey... All in all, a pretty slow, boring first half. On a side note, the Directkick feed for the game featured only crowd noise for the audio until just after half time. Even during commercials (pre-game and half time) you would only hear things going on in the stadium. It was kind of fun to hear the CC PA guy and their crowd's chants. Which, by the way, were terribly uninspired. My personal favorite was this gem: "Go home Salt Lake, go home!" Wow...intimidating...
1st half grade: C-

The second half went much like the first for the first 30 minutes or so. Only 3 RSL players seemed to actually want to win or care about the match at hand: Esky, Rimando, and Eddie. Everyone else was just on cruise control, which is obviously the best way to break out of a season-long slump! If you need a win, just mail it in! Pathetic. Anyway, it was pretty even again in this half, although I must say the refs were a little whistle happy on the fouls. Then, IT happened. Probably the absolute worst penalty kick call I have ever seen. Kotschau has position and tackles the ball away (and gets all ball). Somehow that is a PK. Just awful. Schelotto puts it away and it is 1-0. It is here if you want to see it (scroll down to where it says "07/07: Guillermo Schelotto buries PK", that's it). Soon after this, a now dejected AND lethargic RSL team gives up another goal when Danny Torres decides he doesn't really feel like playing defense, so he'll just pretend he is. He let Moreno send a cross in and a very nice finish by Gaven made it 2-0. Then RSL fell apart, as did the refs. RSL seemed to get a yellow card a minute the rest of the way, while Columbus somehow didn't ever get called even for a foul (note the 23-8 discrepancy in fouls called, or the 5 cards to 0). RSL didn't help the matter by doing things like Esky's bizarre super late hit on Schelotto (nice acting and diving by him on it by the way) which got him a second yellow, aka a red. RSL limped to the end for a 2-0 loss.
Half grade: F

Pros:
-Esky (until the red)
-Eddie Pope
-Nick Rimando
-Medhi got a yellow and is now suspended for the next match for card accumulation! He has been awful all year and I think we'll be better off.
-Jack Stewart didn't start!

Cons:
-Basically the rest of the team besides Esky, Eddie, and Nick.
-Esky's poor decision that got him a red and will sit him next game.
-The team has given up, you can see it in their play. I'd be shocked to see another win...
-The passing, poor all year, was especially atrocious in this game.
-The midfield proves itself to me to be more and more useless with each passing game.
-The absolutely terrible PK call. What was this guy watching? (and furthermore, if that's a PK, why is Hejduk's bodyslam of Esky just minutes later NOT one???)
-Danny Torres' decision to be like Stewart and give up a goal.

Game grade: D-

Player grades:
Nick Rimando-8 Another great game wasted
Jean-Martial Kipre-6 Had moments, but too many mistakes
---(Jamie Watson 82)-6 Hesitate to grade him, due to his late sub, but had a nice late run
Eddie Pope-7 This game is exactly why he's retiring. I'd hate to have to anchor this team too!
Daniel Torres-5 Pretty quiet until the second goal that he basically gave the Spew.
Ritchie Kotschau-6 Decent game, penalty called on him was dubious at best
Carey Talley-4 Just awful and no hustle
Atiba Harris-6 Passing was bad, effort was ok
Andy Williams-5 He's not the answer at a-mid either. Passing was very bad for his position
---(Chris Lancos 87)-NA Not enough time to do anything
Mehdi Ballouchy-5 More mistake prone soccer yay
Alecko Eskandarian-7 Played more left midfield than forward (due to poor midfield play), but was all over in the game.
Robbie Findley-5 Didn't show up.
---(Chris Brown 64)-6 quiet, quiet game

RSL Man of the Match: Nick Rimando