I'd have liked to get more Ben Cup content up this week, but work has been crazy. If you haven't already, check out my interview with DC Ben, done after Leg 1. Some good stuff there. Also, on a quick non-BC related note, the infamous 'anonymous' appears to be calling us RSL fans out after last weeks crapfest in Toronto (check the comments at the bottom). Stand up for yourselves and be heard, RSL fans! Do I smell a new rivalry coming on?
Anyway, here's some keys to tomorrow night's game:
1) Abuse Gonzalo Peralta. He was awful in Salt Lake and, by all accounts, awful last week at home in DC. RSL needs to take the game to him and force him to prove that he can defend.
2) Cover Emilio. Yes, he has been worse than terrible all season, I agree. However, one of these days he is bound to break out of it, you don't have a 20 goal season by accident. He got free a couple times at Rice Eccles and luckily didn't make RSL pay. At RFK I see that having a different outcome.
3) Come out with purpose and attack always. RSL has never played well in "bunker mode." Yet, they try to do it all the time. For a prime example of why RSL should not do this, see last week's 1st half. Enough said.
4) Solid defense. Yes, this is an obvious one, but it needs to be said in this instance. Sturgis is out for at least a couple weeks, so it will most likely be Talley back at d-mid. He's been very up and down this season. Hopefully he's up tomorrow. In addition, Ian Joy has been VERY shaky all year. If he's in, we need some better play from him. I say if as there are grumblings that Beltran and Olave may both start this week. If that happens, we need the defense to gel quickly. Can it happen? Let's hope.
5) Remember, it's the Ben Cup, relax. RSL always wins the Ben Cup. They have a 4-0 lead. No worries, just relax and let nature run its course. RSL having the Ben Cup is just the natural order of things.
Lineup I'd use: GK-Rimando; D-Wingert, Borchers, Mantilla (Olave if injuries are too much), Beltran; M-Kovalenko, Williams, Beckerman, Morales; F-Deuchar, Findley (Espi is out injured)
On a side note, I still rate Findley WAY above Movsisyan. Wake me when Movs does something, ANYTHING, productive in an RSL kit.
Lineup I expect: GK-Rimando; D-Wingert, Borchers, Mantilla (Olave if injuries are too much), Joy; M-Talley, Kovalenko, Beckerman, Morales; F-Deuchar, Findley
Royal Prediction:
United will be too fired up. Between the 4-0 shellacking in Leg 1, the 2 game losing streak, the run of bad form for many key players, and the backing of what still looks to me to be MLS's most passionate crowd, I just think there are too many things for DC to use as motivation in this one. Ben Cup stays in Salt Lake, but it won't be pretty. DCU 3 - RSL 1; RSL wins Ben Cup 5-3.
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