OK, so maybe it's not a bunch of college kids defeating the Soviet wrecking crew in hockey, but it was still a HUGE win, especially for a team that has struggled so mightily on the road. I'm still giddy about the game so not much for commentary, but I do want to mention what a big difference it makes when the midfield shows up (compare this game to game 1 and you'll see what I mean). Anyway, on to the grades!
Player Grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Possibly could have had the 1st goal, although not totally his fault. Otherwise stellar.
Robbie Russell-3 Only real weak link on the night. Really bad, 2nd goal is on him.
Chris Wingert-6 OK game for Chris. Still not on 2008 season form, but not bad.
Nat Borchers-7 Steady game for Nat.
Jamison Olave-7 Was it a penalty or no? Wasn't given so he stays at 7.
Andy Williams-8 Was an absolute animal in the first half. Really nice to see Andy score to lock it up after the year he's had!
(Jean Alexandre 91+)- Not on the field long enough to get a rating
Kyle Beckerman-7 Solid most of the night and, most importantly, didn't get a 2nd yellow so he's available for the conf. final.
Javier Morales-8 Finally looked like '08 Javi.
(Clint Mathis 82)-6 Not much of a chance to do a lot as the Crew were in desperation mode when he came on.
Will Johnson-7 As always, extremely active.
Robbie Findley-7 Was a little worried the pressure would get to him on the PK but he calmly put it away.
Fabian Espindola-7 Earned the PK that put RSL on top for good.
(Yura Movsisyan 65)-6 Solid, but like Mathis, got caught up in the Crew's desperate attacks.
Coach grade (Kreis)-7 Not sure how much was him and how much was the team just doing it themselves, but the squad kept motivated after going down 2-0, which is a complete unknown for an RSL team on the road.
Ref grade (Toledo)-4 As usual, a terrible game for Toledo. Missed some big calls for the Crew and called way too many fouls on RSL that he didn't call the other way.
RSL Man of the Match-Andy Williams
What can I say? The guy looked like a world beater for much of this one. The goal was just icing on the cake.
Assclown of the Match-Frankie Hejduk
Normally I'm a Hejduk guy, but his incessant whining brings his AOTM, just beating out teammate Alejandro Moreno who put on the biggest show of flopping this side of Blanco.
Showing posts with label CLB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CLB. Show all posts
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
MLS Playoffs 2009: Game 1 vs. Columbus
First off, congrats to RSL for pulling off a near-miracle and making it to the playoffs. However, once you're there, can you do anything with it? The reds were out to do just that over the weekend.
It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and with it being Halloween, there were plenty of costumes to gawk at. On a related topic, have you stopped at gawked at the total morons bemoaning the loss of freedom of religion to the left-wing gay conspiracy (led by President Obama, of course) just outside of the stadium? It is truly a testament to America's freedom of speech that such lunacy is allowed in public. But I digress. Back to the game. Realistically, RSL needed an effort much like the 4-1 shellacking they put on the Crew at the River earlier this season to give themselves the best chance to get to the Eastern Conference Final (note to MLS: fix the screwy playoff system. NOW!). Unfortunately, some extremely tenative and mediocre play through the midfield made this impossible, but after working out the jitters RSL was able to control the game for the most part. However, the mids weren't really able to work the balls up front in any sort of dangerous position for most of the game, limiting RSL's chances. And after Findley missed a shot into the side netting in the 83rd, I think most fans were thinking we were looking at a 0-0 tie on the day. And that's what made the goal in the 88th that much sweeter. Yura took a quick throw in from WillJ that broke him free from the defense and put a pin-point pass into the box that Robbie toed home for the game-winner. And the place went, for lack of a better term (cover your eyes, children) apeshit. It was a combo of being excited for the goal and just total relief that RSL had FINALLY broken the ice. So although it's not the multi-goal lead that I (and I'm sure RSL themselves) would have liked, it's at least a lead. Well done RSL, and good luck in Ohio. Bring home the Cup boys!
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Not a lot to do
Chris Wingert-7 Steady
Nat Borchers-7 Solid as always in the back
Jamison Olave-7 Kept his head straight and had a nice game
Tony Beltran-7 Very active, looked good
(Robbie Russell 79)-6 Not a lot of time to put his mark on the match
Andy Williams-5 Like the rest of the midfield, too may turnovers
Kyle Beckerman-5 Meh
Javier Morales-3 Just awful. Passed consistently to CLB, no defense, no hustle.
(Clint Mathis 75)-6 Nothing special but anything was better than Javi Saturday
Will Johnson-6 Probably the best in midfield on a bad day for MFs
Robbie Findley-6 Scored a goal but was a bit rough most of the night
Fabian Espindola-5 Never really read any of Robbie's runs right
(Yura Movsisyan 65)-9 I'm a Yura-hater for the most part, but he was spectacular and RSL was a different team with him on the field Saturday.
Coach grade (Kreis)-8 Usually his subs are inexplicable to me, but these were good (recognizing that Javi was killing us was a good move) and his team pressed to get a W.
Ref grade (Geiger)-5 Inconsistent on calls as per usual in MLS.
RSL Man of the Match-Yura Movsisyan
Left Rio Tinto with a great performance that hopefully will get RSL one step closer to MLS Cup 09.
Assclown of the Match-Frankie Hejduk
Went in 2-footed on an RSL man (can't remember which off the top of my head) that I have often seen a red given for. Wasn't even given a card, so you'd think he'd be happy right? Oh no, he bitched for 10 minutes. Assclown.
Quote of the Day-"The Italian pedophile" in reference to Columbus's Gino Padula, who does, in fact, look like an Italian pedophile. Good job guys standing behind me in section 1!
It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon, and with it being Halloween, there were plenty of costumes to gawk at. On a related topic, have you stopped at gawked at the total morons bemoaning the loss of freedom of religion to the left-wing gay conspiracy (led by President Obama, of course) just outside of the stadium? It is truly a testament to America's freedom of speech that such lunacy is allowed in public. But I digress. Back to the game. Realistically, RSL needed an effort much like the 4-1 shellacking they put on the Crew at the River earlier this season to give themselves the best chance to get to the Eastern Conference Final (note to MLS: fix the screwy playoff system. NOW!). Unfortunately, some extremely tenative and mediocre play through the midfield made this impossible, but after working out the jitters RSL was able to control the game for the most part. However, the mids weren't really able to work the balls up front in any sort of dangerous position for most of the game, limiting RSL's chances. And after Findley missed a shot into the side netting in the 83rd, I think most fans were thinking we were looking at a 0-0 tie on the day. And that's what made the goal in the 88th that much sweeter. Yura took a quick throw in from WillJ that broke him free from the defense and put a pin-point pass into the box that Robbie toed home for the game-winner. And the place went, for lack of a better term (cover your eyes, children) apeshit. It was a combo of being excited for the goal and just total relief that RSL had FINALLY broken the ice. So although it's not the multi-goal lead that I (and I'm sure RSL themselves) would have liked, it's at least a lead. Well done RSL, and good luck in Ohio. Bring home the Cup boys!
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Not a lot to do
Chris Wingert-7 Steady
Nat Borchers-7 Solid as always in the back
Jamison Olave-7 Kept his head straight and had a nice game
Tony Beltran-7 Very active, looked good
(Robbie Russell 79)-6 Not a lot of time to put his mark on the match
Andy Williams-5 Like the rest of the midfield, too may turnovers
Kyle Beckerman-5 Meh
Javier Morales-3 Just awful. Passed consistently to CLB, no defense, no hustle.
(Clint Mathis 75)-6 Nothing special but anything was better than Javi Saturday
Will Johnson-6 Probably the best in midfield on a bad day for MFs
Robbie Findley-6 Scored a goal but was a bit rough most of the night
Fabian Espindola-5 Never really read any of Robbie's runs right
(Yura Movsisyan 65)-9 I'm a Yura-hater for the most part, but he was spectacular and RSL was a different team with him on the field Saturday.
Coach grade (Kreis)-8 Usually his subs are inexplicable to me, but these were good (recognizing that Javi was killing us was a good move) and his team pressed to get a W.
Ref grade (Geiger)-5 Inconsistent on calls as per usual in MLS.
RSL Man of the Match-Yura Movsisyan
Left Rio Tinto with a great performance that hopefully will get RSL one step closer to MLS Cup 09.
Assclown of the Match-Frankie Hejduk
Went in 2-footed on an RSL man (can't remember which off the top of my head) that I have often seen a red given for. Wasn't even given a card, so you'd think he'd be happy right? Oh no, he bitched for 10 minutes. Assclown.
Quote of the Day-"The Italian pedophile" in reference to Columbus's Gino Padula, who does, in fact, look like an Italian pedophile. Good job guys standing behind me in section 1!
Friday, April 3, 2009
2009 Game 2: Crew vs. RSL: Beatdown Supreme
Hmmm... So was game 1 just an "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" situation or something? Because this looked like a completely different team out there this week. RSL looked energetic, they pushed the action, and, most importantly, finished some chances. Hopefully RSL can build on this one and go on a *gasp* early season winning streak!
First half grade: B+
RSL certainly started off with a bang, when about 1:30 in, Will Johnson hit a blistering free kick from about 30 yards that Will Hesmer just parried away. The ball dropped right to Robbie Findley who put it away for an early 1-0 lead. I like the move of letting someone other than Javi take a kick every now and then, and it certainly showed it can pay dividends here. Columbus seemed to take control soon after, culminating in a Jason Garey goal in the 22nd on a classic RSL scrambling-nonsense defensive play. Momentum swung back to RSL 7 minutes later when Columbus keeper Hesmer inexplicably kicked a clearance directly into Robbie Findley at the top of the box. Findley collected the ball, calmly ran around Hesmer, and neatly tucked the ball away. 2-1 RSL. RSL played fairly strongly the rest of the half and took that lead into halftime.
Second half grade: A+
Wow. RSL basically laid 45 minutes of complete domination down on Columbus this half, and it showed with RSL scoring 2 more (and if Yura could finish, it would have been about 4 more). In the 62nd, Yura and Robbie proved that they CAN work as a unit with Yura taking a ball out wide left of the box and playing a gorgeous cross in to Robbie in the box. Findley then hit an equally gorgeous header into the bottom left corner of the goal. 3-1. Just five minutes later, Kyle Beckerman opened his scoring account for the season, rifling a header (off a Mathis corner) past Hesmer and into the net for a 4-1 lead. Findley was then pulled soon after, to a standing ovation from the home fans, or else I'm convinced he would have gotten a 4th. RSL nearly struck again a few times, but the Columbus D held for the last 20 minutes and RSL won going away, 4-1.
Full game grade: A
A very VERY solid home opener for the reds, which hopefully portends good things to come. Even with Columbus missing Hejduk, they still are a good team, last year's champions, and RSL took it to them. Well done.
Positional Grades:
Defense: B-
Midfield: A
Forwards: A-
Player Grades:
Nick Rimando-6 Caught a bit out of position on the goal, but otherwise made good decisions.
Tony Beltran-6 MUCH improved over last week's disaster.
Nat Borchers-7 Solid in the back.
Jamison Olave-6 Made some big plays, but showed his careless/lazy side quite a bit in that first half.
Chris Wingert-6 Struggled at times, but overall ok.
Clint Mathis-8 Another stellar game from Clint. Where was this last year (and in 05)?
(Ned Grabavoy 75)-6 Did well in limited time, should have an assist, but Yura was busy at Grand Suck-tral Station.
Kyle Beckerman-7 One of KB's better games in a while. Maybe he should go on ESPN.com more often?
Javier Morales-6 Quiet game but made the plays when needed.
(Jean Alexandre 85)-6 Didn't have a lot of time, but looked energetic.
Will Johnson-7 The early free kick (that led to the RF goal) was a doozy.
Robbie Findley-9 Made the most of his chances and was rewarded with RSL's first hat trick! Awesome!
(Andy Williams 70)-6 Decent in a brief stint.
Yura Movsisyan-5 Bonus point for the assist, but he has got to work on his finishing. He missed another 2 or 3 this game that a drunk monkey would've scored on.
Coach grade (Kreis)-7 Kept his team on the attack and with the right mentality. Nice to see RSL not let up, even with a 3 goal lead.
Ref grade (Prus)-7 RR whipping boy Alex Prus apparently got some contacts or something. Certainly wasn't perfect (although for him it may have been), but a decent job all around.
RSL Man of the Match-Robbie Findley
Gee...that was a tough decision...
Assclown of the Match-Alex Prus
For making me eat my words (see the Ref grade section). The bastard.
Pros:
+Robbie Findley comes alive.
+Is Clint for real? Finally?
+RSL gets a nice win over a solid team.
Cons:
-Weather, increased ticket prices, poor marketing, a Thursday game, and some community apathy lead to a horribly small crowd.
-Yura still can't finish, even the easy ones.
What we learned:
1) RSL may just be a team to be reckoned with after all.
2) Columbus needs Hejduk to have a chance.
3) Luis Miguel Escalada may not be with the team much longer. I know he is coming off and injury and was listed as questionable, but it's a bit surprising Jason didn't give him even 5 or 10 minutes of garbage time late.
And now, up next for RSL: The beauty, the pageantry, the wonder...The Ben Cup 2009. Kicking off April 11th in Sandy, UT! YES!
First half grade: B+
RSL certainly started off with a bang, when about 1:30 in, Will Johnson hit a blistering free kick from about 30 yards that Will Hesmer just parried away. The ball dropped right to Robbie Findley who put it away for an early 1-0 lead. I like the move of letting someone other than Javi take a kick every now and then, and it certainly showed it can pay dividends here. Columbus seemed to take control soon after, culminating in a Jason Garey goal in the 22nd on a classic RSL scrambling-nonsense defensive play. Momentum swung back to RSL 7 minutes later when Columbus keeper Hesmer inexplicably kicked a clearance directly into Robbie Findley at the top of the box. Findley collected the ball, calmly ran around Hesmer, and neatly tucked the ball away. 2-1 RSL. RSL played fairly strongly the rest of the half and took that lead into halftime.
Second half grade: A+
Wow. RSL basically laid 45 minutes of complete domination down on Columbus this half, and it showed with RSL scoring 2 more (and if Yura could finish, it would have been about 4 more). In the 62nd, Yura and Robbie proved that they CAN work as a unit with Yura taking a ball out wide left of the box and playing a gorgeous cross in to Robbie in the box. Findley then hit an equally gorgeous header into the bottom left corner of the goal. 3-1. Just five minutes later, Kyle Beckerman opened his scoring account for the season, rifling a header (off a Mathis corner) past Hesmer and into the net for a 4-1 lead. Findley was then pulled soon after, to a standing ovation from the home fans, or else I'm convinced he would have gotten a 4th. RSL nearly struck again a few times, but the Columbus D held for the last 20 minutes and RSL won going away, 4-1.
Full game grade: A
A very VERY solid home opener for the reds, which hopefully portends good things to come. Even with Columbus missing Hejduk, they still are a good team, last year's champions, and RSL took it to them. Well done.
Positional Grades:
Defense: B-
Midfield: A
Forwards: A-
Player Grades:
Nick Rimando-6 Caught a bit out of position on the goal, but otherwise made good decisions.
Tony Beltran-6 MUCH improved over last week's disaster.
Nat Borchers-7 Solid in the back.
Jamison Olave-6 Made some big plays, but showed his careless/lazy side quite a bit in that first half.
Chris Wingert-6 Struggled at times, but overall ok.
Clint Mathis-8 Another stellar game from Clint. Where was this last year (and in 05)?
(Ned Grabavoy 75)-6 Did well in limited time, should have an assist, but Yura was busy at Grand Suck-tral Station.
Kyle Beckerman-7 One of KB's better games in a while. Maybe he should go on ESPN.com more often?
Javier Morales-6 Quiet game but made the plays when needed.
(Jean Alexandre 85)-6 Didn't have a lot of time, but looked energetic.
Will Johnson-7 The early free kick (that led to the RF goal) was a doozy.
Robbie Findley-9 Made the most of his chances and was rewarded with RSL's first hat trick! Awesome!
(Andy Williams 70)-6 Decent in a brief stint.
Yura Movsisyan-5 Bonus point for the assist, but he has got to work on his finishing. He missed another 2 or 3 this game that a drunk monkey would've scored on.
Coach grade (Kreis)-7 Kept his team on the attack and with the right mentality. Nice to see RSL not let up, even with a 3 goal lead.
Ref grade (Prus)-7 RR whipping boy Alex Prus apparently got some contacts or something. Certainly wasn't perfect (although for him it may have been), but a decent job all around.
RSL Man of the Match-Robbie Findley
Gee...that was a tough decision...
Assclown of the Match-Alex Prus
For making me eat my words (see the Ref grade section). The bastard.
Pros:
+Robbie Findley comes alive.
+Is Clint for real? Finally?
+RSL gets a nice win over a solid team.
Cons:
-Weather, increased ticket prices, poor marketing, a Thursday game, and some community apathy lead to a horribly small crowd.
-Yura still can't finish, even the easy ones.
What we learned:
1) RSL may just be a team to be reckoned with after all.
2) Columbus needs Hejduk to have a chance.
3) Luis Miguel Escalada may not be with the team much longer. I know he is coming off and injury and was listed as questionable, but it's a bit surprising Jason didn't give him even 5 or 10 minutes of garbage time late.
And now, up next for RSL: The beauty, the pageantry, the wonder...The Ben Cup 2009. Kicking off April 11th in Sandy, UT! YES!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Game 17: THE Crew at RSL: Good buds, good times, good results
I finally made it to my second game of the year, this time accompanied by my lovely wife and a charming fellow by the name of DCU Ben (who, on a side note, was allowed 10 seconds to look at the Ben Cup before it was returned to its rightful place). With lovely weather and some good company, a good time was had by all. Anyway, on to the game!
First half grade: B
The Royals came out with a bang-bang combination. The first was the shocking forward line of Yura "I play like a 4th grader" Movsisyan and Tino "Still just a rookie" Nuñez. The second was Javi Morales' gorgeous free kick goal from just outside the area in the 4th minute. What a wonderful way to start off a game! From there Columbus looked shell-shocked, letting RSL control the game and mounting very little offensively. On the other hand, RSL was a bit sloppy and unnecessarily killed a few offensive opportunities by slowing the attack too much (especially Movs), but they play reasonably well for the most part and took a well deserved lead into halftime. 1-0 RSL.
Second half grade: C
Whatever was said and done in the Columbus locker room at halftime sure worked, as the Crew looked like a completely different team in the second half. Part of it I think stemmed from the realization that the combination of Nuñez and Yura posed no threat. On top of that, the Crew came out motivated and RSL looked a bit complacent. THE was able to mount attack after attack (aided by some shaky defending by the defenders, minus Olave), but poor finishing doomed them. However, that all changed in the 64th with the insertion of Robbie Findley. From the moment he stepped on the field, he looked like a man on a mission, just barely missing a goal wide in the 70th. Minutes later (with the help of a fresh Kenny Deuchar, on in the 69th), Findley gave RSL the insurance goal it sorely needed, taking a touch around the keeper and burying it in the top of the net. Columbus futiley tried to answer back, but to no avail, RSL wins 2-0, and takes over first place in the West for the first time ever.
Pros:
-Findley looked great.
-Morales' free kick.
-Olave once again was a beast in the back.
-RSL is in first!
Cons:
-The backline (minus Olave) was pretty awful.
-Especially Beltran, who was consistently hesitant AND out of position.
-Beckerman was also hesitant and mostly useless.
-The clock stopped at 45 and 90, making it so you had no idea how far into stoppage the game was.
Game grade: B-
Yes, it was a 2-0 win, but it was a surprisingly lackluster 2-0 win. With the exception of Olave and Findley, no one really stuck out and the front line of Nuñez and Movs proved useless. While I think Tino has a future and is just not ready for prime time yet, I presonally think it is time to let Yura on his merry way. The dude sucks period. He killed way too many attacks with his clumsy footwork and slow mind. Back to the game, it was, nevertheless, a solid win over a good team and topping the standings (although both LAG and TST are only a point behind with a game in hand) should do wonders for the confidence of the team.
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Tested little, but solid when called upon
Tony Beltran-3 Absolutely awful. Mistake prone on nearly every play all game.
Nat Borchers-5 Some good plays, others were awful.
Jamison Olave-8 Nearly single-handedly shut out the Crew.
Ian Joy-5 Pretty meh.
Andy Williams-6 OK game, didn't seem to do a lot.
(Nathan Sturgis 89)-6 Very short appearance, nice to see him on the field!
Dema Kovalenko-6 Poor early, but really came on late.
Javier Morales-6 Brilliant goal, kind of dissapeared afterwards.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Poor touches, bad decisions, and worst of all, seemingly none of the passion he is known for.
Yura Movsisyan-3 Absolutely useless. I can has pink slip?
(Robbie Findley 64)-8 A one-man wrecking crew. Really should have had two or three.
Tino Nunez-5 OK, but not ready to basically be a lone striker (Movs didn't count).
(Kenny Deuchar 69)-6 Active, and got an assist, but missed a gimme goal.
RSL Man of the Match:
Robbie Findley and the kid in about row 20 of E37 (TIE)
Robbie changed the whole face of the game by providing RSL with strike ability that they had been lacking all game. He then put the game away with a sweet 78th minute goal. The kid earns it for his priceless line halfway through the national anthem: (in a whiny five-year-old voice) "Do I have to stand up?" Priceless.
Assclown of the Match:
The people running the scoreboard at Rice-Eccles
I wanted to give it to Schelotto for his Blanco-worthy diving, but I'm giving it to the crew at the stadium for not keeping the clock running into extra time like they usually do. Fat lot of good it does us to know there are four minutes of extra time when we don't even know how far into extra time we are. KEEP THE CLOCKS RUNNING, ASSCLOWN!
First half grade: B
The Royals came out with a bang-bang combination. The first was the shocking forward line of Yura "I play like a 4th grader" Movsisyan and Tino "Still just a rookie" Nuñez. The second was Javi Morales' gorgeous free kick goal from just outside the area in the 4th minute. What a wonderful way to start off a game! From there Columbus looked shell-shocked, letting RSL control the game and mounting very little offensively. On the other hand, RSL was a bit sloppy and unnecessarily killed a few offensive opportunities by slowing the attack too much (especially Movs), but they play reasonably well for the most part and took a well deserved lead into halftime. 1-0 RSL.
Second half grade: C
Whatever was said and done in the Columbus locker room at halftime sure worked, as the Crew looked like a completely different team in the second half. Part of it I think stemmed from the realization that the combination of Nuñez and Yura posed no threat. On top of that, the Crew came out motivated and RSL looked a bit complacent. THE was able to mount attack after attack (aided by some shaky defending by the defenders, minus Olave), but poor finishing doomed them. However, that all changed in the 64th with the insertion of Robbie Findley. From the moment he stepped on the field, he looked like a man on a mission, just barely missing a goal wide in the 70th. Minutes later (with the help of a fresh Kenny Deuchar, on in the 69th), Findley gave RSL the insurance goal it sorely needed, taking a touch around the keeper and burying it in the top of the net. Columbus futiley tried to answer back, but to no avail, RSL wins 2-0, and takes over first place in the West for the first time ever.
Pros:
-Findley looked great.
-Morales' free kick.
-Olave once again was a beast in the back.
-RSL is in first!
Cons:
-The backline (minus Olave) was pretty awful.
-Especially Beltran, who was consistently hesitant AND out of position.
-Beckerman was also hesitant and mostly useless.
-The clock stopped at 45 and 90, making it so you had no idea how far into stoppage the game was.
Game grade: B-
Yes, it was a 2-0 win, but it was a surprisingly lackluster 2-0 win. With the exception of Olave and Findley, no one really stuck out and the front line of Nuñez and Movs proved useless. While I think Tino has a future and is just not ready for prime time yet, I presonally think it is time to let Yura on his merry way. The dude sucks period. He killed way too many attacks with his clumsy footwork and slow mind. Back to the game, it was, nevertheless, a solid win over a good team and topping the standings (although both LAG and TST are only a point behind with a game in hand) should do wonders for the confidence of the team.
Player grades:
Nick Rimando-7 Tested little, but solid when called upon
Tony Beltran-3 Absolutely awful. Mistake prone on nearly every play all game.
Nat Borchers-5 Some good plays, others were awful.
Jamison Olave-8 Nearly single-handedly shut out the Crew.
Ian Joy-5 Pretty meh.
Andy Williams-6 OK game, didn't seem to do a lot.
(Nathan Sturgis 89)-6 Very short appearance, nice to see him on the field!
Dema Kovalenko-6 Poor early, but really came on late.
Javier Morales-6 Brilliant goal, kind of dissapeared afterwards.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Poor touches, bad decisions, and worst of all, seemingly none of the passion he is known for.
Yura Movsisyan-3 Absolutely useless. I can has pink slip?
(Robbie Findley 64)-8 A one-man wrecking crew. Really should have had two or three.
Tino Nunez-5 OK, but not ready to basically be a lone striker (Movs didn't count).
(Kenny Deuchar 69)-6 Active, and got an assist, but missed a gimme goal.
RSL Man of the Match:
Robbie Findley and the kid in about row 20 of E37 (TIE)
Robbie changed the whole face of the game by providing RSL with strike ability that they had been lacking all game. He then put the game away with a sweet 78th minute goal. The kid earns it for his priceless line halfway through the national anthem: (in a whiny five-year-old voice) "Do I have to stand up?" Priceless.
Assclown of the Match:
The people running the scoreboard at Rice-Eccles
I wanted to give it to Schelotto for his Blanco-worthy diving, but I'm giving it to the crew at the stadium for not keeping the clock running into extra time like they usually do. Fat lot of good it does us to know there are four minutes of extra time when we don't even know how far into extra time we are. KEEP THE CLOCKS RUNNING, ASSCLOWN!
Sunday, July 8, 2007
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
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
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