Ha ha ha, boy am I late with this one. But with no further ado, here are my final grades and such from the 2008 season:
Top 5 Grades (Season & Playoffs, minimum 15 games):
5-Dema Kovalenko 6.04167
4-Jamison Olave 6.06423
3-Robbie Findley 6.08344
2-Andy Williams 6.12655
1-Nick Rimando 6.66667
Honorable mention goes to Chris Wingert, who missed the list by approximately .0001, and Will Johnson, whose 6.41667 would have made the list but he appeared in only 12 games for RSL.
Regular Season Heroes (min. 15 games):
3-Robbie Findley 6.058
2-Andy Williams 6.180
1-Nick Rimando 6.633
Not surprisingly, since the playoffs were only 3 games, the top 3 are the same on both lists.
Clutch Performers (Top 3 Playoffs, min. 2 games):
2 (tie)-Nat Borchers and Javier Morales 6.667
1-Nick Rimando 7.000
All 3 players had a nice playoff run and it shows here.
Manliest Men (most RR Man of the Match awards, regular season and playoff):
3-Jamison Olave 4
2-Nick Rimando 6 (5 + 1 playoff)
1-Javier Morales 6 (4 + 2 playoff)
Although it was a tie and the top, I give the award to Javi for getting 2 of his 6 awards during RSL's playoff run.
And now, the awards no one wants, the low scorers for 2008:
Nerves of Butter (Lowest Playoff Scores, min. 2 games):
3-Robbie Russell 5.333
2-Clint Mathis 5.000
1-Kyle Beckerman 4.667
Russell parlayed an atrocious Conference Final into a 3rd place showing, while Cleetus and Kyle each made a solid run of subpar form throughout.
Season Suckers (Regular Season only, min. 15 games):
3-Kenny Deuchar 5.621
2-Ian Joy 5.333
1-Yura Movsisyan 5.106
Even some very clutch goals couldn't save Yura, who killed himself with some terrible early season form and way too many missed chances and selfish plays.
Big Loads (Reg. Season and Playoffs, min. 15 games):
3-Kenny Deuchar 5.6333
2-Ian Joy 5.3165
1-Yura Movsisyan 5.1732
Again the full season and regular season awards mirror each other. Let's hope that Yura can be in good form all season this year and not just for the last 6 games or so.
Based on all this, with some help by my own subjectivity, here are my Top 3 RSLers of 2008:
Honorable Mentions: Borchers, Williams, Wingert
3-Jamison Olave
Made some big mistakes at times, but was overall a beast in the back and his 4 Man of the match awards were double what any other defenseman got.
2-Javier Morales
Had a midseason dip in form that hurt his score (only 5.79), but when he was on, the team usually won. Plus, even with the rough patch he still came up with a (tied for) team-high 6 Man of the Match awards.
...and your 2008 Royal Review RSL MVP is:
1- Nick Rimando
What can I say? RSL's most consistent performer not only kept "super-prospect" Chris Seitz bolted to the bench, but he also won all 3 2008 grade awards as well as tying with Javi for most Man of the Match awards. It's hard to argue with that kind of performance, even if it was from a goalkeeper and not a field player. Congrats Nick Rimando!
And now, in about 6 hours, your 2009 season!
PS-If you want to see the grades for every player, for every game, I have uploaded them to http://drop.io/royalreview for you to download or just look at. They are in Excel format, bothe the new version and in a version for Excel 97-2003. Enjoy!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Quick Update
Ah yes, MLS 2009 has begun, and our (well, at least my) hometown Real Salt Lake take to the field starting this Saturday! I'm hoping to have a short game preview (no promises) later this week. I do promise, however, to get my final 2008 grades up BEFORE RSL takes the field this weekend. I've got one more game to rewatch and then it is done. Anyway, it should be an interesting season; I can honestly see RSL anywhere from 1st or 2nd in the West down to 5th or 6th. I think we'll learn a lot this weekend. Also, I hope to get my predictions back up and running, but after the embarrassment of last week's results on mfls.com, that remains to be seen!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Coming Soon: A New Season
2009 is upon us, and with it, a new Ben Cup. There is no logo (yet), but the games are locked and loaded. This year's Ben Cup will take place on April 11th in Sandy at the River and on May 23rd in DC. Of course, the Review (and the Edgell Supporters) will have full coverage as the games draw near.
But before we move on to the '09 season, I have some finishing up to do from last year. I promise I will have the full season grades available for 2008 BEFORE first kick '09. Granted, that's not the November 2008 timeline I was looking for, but at least it is realistic! I will also update the sidebars and everything for the new year.
But for now, thanks for sticking with the Review after the last 5 months of inactivity (although RSL's 5 months of near-inactivity have contributed to that) and we should be back up and running soon, so stay tuned. Until then, and as always, GO RSL!
But before we move on to the '09 season, I have some finishing up to do from last year. I promise I will have the full season grades available for 2008 BEFORE first kick '09. Granted, that's not the November 2008 timeline I was looking for, but at least it is realistic! I will also update the sidebars and everything for the new year.
But for now, thanks for sticking with the Review after the last 5 months of inactivity (although RSL's 5 months of near-inactivity have contributed to that) and we should be back up and running soon, so stay tuned. Until then, and as always, GO RSL!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Expansion Draft '09
So with Seattle coming into the league MLS is subjecting everyone to yet another expansion draft. According to Garth "You didn't tell them about my pubes did you?" Algar Lagerwey on the Bill Riley show, RSL can protect 11 players, 3 of which must be internationals. Also, Gen. Adidas players (who don't "graduate" from the program this year) are automatically protected. Another interesting wrinkle is that if Seattle chooses a developmental player, then they must offer the player a senior roster spot. The full rules can be found here. So here is who I would keep and who I think RSL will keep protected:
Gen. Adidas/automatically protected:
Beltran
Nimo
Seitz
(Nik Besagno should lose his status this year from what I've heard)
My protect list:
1 Beckerman
2 Movsisyan
3 Borchers
4 Johnson
5 Findley
6 Rimando
7 Wingert
8 Williams
9 Morales
10 Olave
11 Espindola
I struggled on my last pick or two, but decided to go with Williams over Deuchar (and Russell) for my final pick. Why? First, because I think the team flat out plays better when Andy is in the game. I'm not sure that is generally the case with Kenny D (although it has been at times). Secondly, I think Seattle is less apt to use an international spot on Deuchar than they are to take the American (for MLS purposes) Williams. And lastly, simply to pay back some of the loyalty that Andy has shown this franchise, pay cuts and all. And for those questioning my keeping Big Nick protected, I have two good reasons. One, while he is completely under-recognized since he plays in Utah, I think he has been one of the top 2 or 3 goalies in the league over the last 2 years. Secondly, if you keep Nick, you may be able to find a buyer for Chris Seitz, get a decent return on that investment, and still have a quality man in the nets. So who does RSL lose in this situation? Here are the most probable losses:
Russell-Can play multiple positions, solid defender
Sturgis-Good player on the rare occasion he isn't hurt
Deuchar-Big target forward, but can he produce in MLS
Now that list is for if I were in charge of RSL, which, obviously and unfortunately (for me), I am not. So here is the list I seem the team coming up with.
Projected RSL protect list:
1 Beckerman
2 Movsisyan
3 Borchers
4 Johnson
5 Findley
6 Joy
7 Wingert
8 Russell
9 Morales
10 Olave
11 Espindola
I know that's a lot of defenders on the list, but I'm not sure who RSL keeps over them. I think Kovalenko is unprotected solely based on his salary. I think Deuchar may go as he seems to be on the outs with the coaching staff/team right now. I think Williams is out based on his minute playing time in the playoffs combined with the fact that he oftentimes struggles going a whole 90. Sturgis is out as he is never ever healthy. Rimando is out because Seattle already has a keeper in Kasey Keller and because of Seitz already being protected. On the other hand, I think Joy makes it on locker room and leadership qualities, while Russell is in based on his ability to play multiple positions. That being said, I would not be surprised to see someone from the former group replacing one of the latter two. Who are the most probable losses in this scenario?
Williams-Gives you possession and some creativity in attack
Sturgis-Young, talented, perma-hurt
Rimando-Trade bait?
For another view of the upcoming draft, check out WV Hooligan's team-by-team look at the expansion draft (you can start with RSL). Highly recommended.
Gen. Adidas/automatically protected:
Beltran
Nimo
Seitz
(Nik Besagno should lose his status this year from what I've heard)
My protect list:
1 Beckerman
2 Movsisyan
3 Borchers
4 Johnson
5 Findley
6 Rimando
7 Wingert
8 Williams
9 Morales
10 Olave
11 Espindola
I struggled on my last pick or two, but decided to go with Williams over Deuchar (and Russell) for my final pick. Why? First, because I think the team flat out plays better when Andy is in the game. I'm not sure that is generally the case with Kenny D (although it has been at times). Secondly, I think Seattle is less apt to use an international spot on Deuchar than they are to take the American (for MLS purposes) Williams. And lastly, simply to pay back some of the loyalty that Andy has shown this franchise, pay cuts and all. And for those questioning my keeping Big Nick protected, I have two good reasons. One, while he is completely under-recognized since he plays in Utah, I think he has been one of the top 2 or 3 goalies in the league over the last 2 years. Secondly, if you keep Nick, you may be able to find a buyer for Chris Seitz, get a decent return on that investment, and still have a quality man in the nets. So who does RSL lose in this situation? Here are the most probable losses:
Russell-Can play multiple positions, solid defender
Sturgis-Good player on the rare occasion he isn't hurt
Deuchar-Big target forward, but can he produce in MLS
Now that list is for if I were in charge of RSL, which, obviously and unfortunately (for me), I am not. So here is the list I seem the team coming up with.
Projected RSL protect list:
1 Beckerman
2 Movsisyan
3 Borchers
4 Johnson
5 Findley
6 Joy
7 Wingert
8 Russell
9 Morales
10 Olave
11 Espindola
I know that's a lot of defenders on the list, but I'm not sure who RSL keeps over them. I think Kovalenko is unprotected solely based on his salary. I think Deuchar may go as he seems to be on the outs with the coaching staff/team right now. I think Williams is out based on his minute playing time in the playoffs combined with the fact that he oftentimes struggles going a whole 90. Sturgis is out as he is never ever healthy. Rimando is out because Seattle already has a keeper in Kasey Keller and because of Seitz already being protected. On the other hand, I think Joy makes it on locker room and leadership qualities, while Russell is in based on his ability to play multiple positions. That being said, I would not be surprised to see someone from the former group replacing one of the latter two. Who are the most probable losses in this scenario?
Williams-Gives you possession and some creativity in attack
Sturgis-Young, talented, perma-hurt
Rimando-Trade bait?
For another view of the upcoming draft, check out WV Hooligan's team-by-team look at the expansion draft (you can start with RSL). Highly recommended.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Looking Ahead to 2009
On the Bill Riley show last night, Garth "No way. Way." Lagerwey mentioned that the first game next year will be on MARCH 21st. He did not know if it was home or away, but oddly had a date for it... Anyway, mark the calendars; only 122 days to go!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Playoffs: Round 2-Western Conf. Final : NY @ RSL: Frustration From Defeat
Cue the fat lady. RSL's 2008 season is over. Looked at in the big picture, this season was a massive success, with the team making it farther than I think anyone really expected. However, on the day after, it is tough to swallow. Especially when RSL proved they were the better team and yet had nothing to show for it.
Really, this game boiled down to the fact that our strikers (especially the starters) are not that good. Yes, Yura has scored some HUGE goals as of late, but he still misses way too many easy ones (he also needs to get a new move, the bulls seemed to have figured out his little hesitation stepover thing). Mathis was largely useless and missed an absolute sitter. Late in the game he was hounding the refs as he couldn't get a call and I found myself saying out loud, "Clint, shut up. You missed an easy one that would've tied this game. Yes, the ref may have missed some calls, but you've got to take care of business on your end too." After 3 hit posts, 3 or 4 open net sitters that were shanked (Olave is up for World Shank of the Year after his effort. There's a reason he's a defender.), and numerous other wasted opportunities (when will this team learn to crash the box?) it was an incredibly frustrating evening. And that was just for the fans. I can only imagine how it was in the locker room afterwards. Overall, it was a game the RSL could have and should have won. But they didn't put their (8,000) chances away and the energy bovines put their 1 away. It happens. Unfortunately, it happened in the biggest game of the year. On the plus side, I don't see any situation where the bulls are not absolutely flattened by Columbus. And it will be sweet!
Pros:
-RSL outplayed NYC in basically every facet of the match.
-A true sellout crowd. Not only that, it was loud and boisterous, as it should be. Even the non-supporters sections were standing for the final 15.
-The fact that RSL even made it this far.
-Chris Wingert coming over to the fans after the game to show his appreciation. Unfortunately, he had swapped jerseys with Mendes and 3/4 of the crowd thought he was with NYC. The insults and middle fingers were flying as Chris tried to plead his case. Priceless comedy.
Cons:
-RSL didn't outplay NYC in the one place it counts: the scoreboard.
-That NY gets the Western Conference trophy even though they are in the Eastern Conference. That is messed up. In this case, the trophy should go to the runner-up (RSL) or, my preference, to the regular season conference champ (Houston).
-It was friggin' freezing Mr. Bigglesworth.
-The fact that with such a big crowd, many I'm sure at their first game, RSL couldn't put together a better scoring night.
Grades:
Nick Rimando-8 Very composed in the net. Nice game.
Robbie Russell-3 Horrendous. Contributed to the NY goal, killed our attacks all night.
Nat Borchers-7 Very solid.
Jamison Olave-5 Point(s) off for the terrible missed tackle that set NY's goal in motion.
(Andy Williams 72)-6 Did OK off the bench, would've liked to see him out there MUCH sooner.
Chris Wingert-6 Average game for Chris.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Terrible. Completed maybe 1 pass all game. He has really regressed the past month or so.
Dema Kovalenko-6 Active out there.
(Robbie Findley 59)-6 Tons of effort.
Javier Morales-6 A little too lax at times, but decent.
Will Johnson-5 Had his moments but missed a couple great opportunities.
Clint Mathis-4 Totally useless.
(Kenny Deuchar 91+)-6 Really too late to grade, but made a presence in his short stint.
Yura Movsisyan-5 A little too much diving, a bit lacking results wise.
Coaching (Kreis)-4 Offensive subs needed to come much earlier. It took the whole north and west ends chanting "Andy! Andy!" for 15 min. before he got Williams in the game. Deuchar sub was too little too late. Mathis should not have been in the game 90+ minutes. At the beginning of the 2nd half the team seemed to lack fire and focus.
Ref grade (Jair Marrufo)-5 Let the "beautiful game" turn a bit too much into the "sweet science". Nothing egregious, but he let a bit too much slide.
RSL Man of the Match: Nick Rimando
With the lack of any standouts, "Big Nicky" wins for his steady night in goal.
Assclown of the Match: All the NY players who were suddenly massively injured late in the game, rolled on the ground for 5 minutes, and then got up and walked off the field with no problem.
Seriously, this shit needs to stop. This is worse than the basketball "we're down 25 points with 2 minutes left and can't win, but let's foul every time the other team touches the ball". If you can't win without basically cheating then you don't deserve to win at all. Play some ball and earn your win, don't cry your way to victory. disgraceful.
And now, some pictures from last night, courtesy of El Spam (click on them to view them full size):
Heading in to "The River"
Pregame warmups (from my crappy camera phone)
Leo warms up the crowd with the help of explosions
Ready to kickoff
What passes for a halftime show in Utah (Mt. Crest HS marching band)
Setting up for a corner
Javi gets ready to take a corner
As always, thanks for stopping by. As soon as I get some time, I will have a post-season wrap-up with full player grades and the 2008 Knighthood Ceremony (aka the Royal Awards). And, as always, go RSL (or as some like to say it: Come on ya Reds!)!
Really, this game boiled down to the fact that our strikers (especially the starters) are not that good. Yes, Yura has scored some HUGE goals as of late, but he still misses way too many easy ones (he also needs to get a new move, the bulls seemed to have figured out his little hesitation stepover thing). Mathis was largely useless and missed an absolute sitter. Late in the game he was hounding the refs as he couldn't get a call and I found myself saying out loud, "Clint, shut up. You missed an easy one that would've tied this game. Yes, the ref may have missed some calls, but you've got to take care of business on your end too." After 3 hit posts, 3 or 4 open net sitters that were shanked (Olave is up for World Shank of the Year after his effort. There's a reason he's a defender.), and numerous other wasted opportunities (when will this team learn to crash the box?) it was an incredibly frustrating evening. And that was just for the fans. I can only imagine how it was in the locker room afterwards. Overall, it was a game the RSL could have and should have won. But they didn't put their (8,000) chances away and the energy bovines put their 1 away. It happens. Unfortunately, it happened in the biggest game of the year. On the plus side, I don't see any situation where the bulls are not absolutely flattened by Columbus. And it will be sweet!
Pros:
-RSL outplayed NYC in basically every facet of the match.
-A true sellout crowd. Not only that, it was loud and boisterous, as it should be. Even the non-supporters sections were standing for the final 15.
-The fact that RSL even made it this far.
-Chris Wingert coming over to the fans after the game to show his appreciation. Unfortunately, he had swapped jerseys with Mendes and 3/4 of the crowd thought he was with NYC. The insults and middle fingers were flying as Chris tried to plead his case. Priceless comedy.
Cons:
-RSL didn't outplay NYC in the one place it counts: the scoreboard.
-That NY gets the Western Conference trophy even though they are in the Eastern Conference. That is messed up. In this case, the trophy should go to the runner-up (RSL) or, my preference, to the regular season conference champ (Houston).
-It was friggin' freezing Mr. Bigglesworth.
-The fact that with such a big crowd, many I'm sure at their first game, RSL couldn't put together a better scoring night.
Grades:
Nick Rimando-8 Very composed in the net. Nice game.
Robbie Russell-3 Horrendous. Contributed to the NY goal, killed our attacks all night.
Nat Borchers-7 Very solid.
Jamison Olave-5 Point(s) off for the terrible missed tackle that set NY's goal in motion.
(Andy Williams 72)-6 Did OK off the bench, would've liked to see him out there MUCH sooner.
Chris Wingert-6 Average game for Chris.
Kyle Beckerman-4 Terrible. Completed maybe 1 pass all game. He has really regressed the past month or so.
Dema Kovalenko-6 Active out there.
(Robbie Findley 59)-6 Tons of effort.
Javier Morales-6 A little too lax at times, but decent.
Will Johnson-5 Had his moments but missed a couple great opportunities.
Clint Mathis-4 Totally useless.
(Kenny Deuchar 91+)-6 Really too late to grade, but made a presence in his short stint.
Yura Movsisyan-5 A little too much diving, a bit lacking results wise.
Coaching (Kreis)-4 Offensive subs needed to come much earlier. It took the whole north and west ends chanting "Andy! Andy!" for 15 min. before he got Williams in the game. Deuchar sub was too little too late. Mathis should not have been in the game 90+ minutes. At the beginning of the 2nd half the team seemed to lack fire and focus.
Ref grade (Jair Marrufo)-5 Let the "beautiful game" turn a bit too much into the "sweet science". Nothing egregious, but he let a bit too much slide.
RSL Man of the Match: Nick Rimando
With the lack of any standouts, "Big Nicky" wins for his steady night in goal.
Assclown of the Match: All the NY players who were suddenly massively injured late in the game, rolled on the ground for 5 minutes, and then got up and walked off the field with no problem.
Seriously, this shit needs to stop. This is worse than the basketball "we're down 25 points with 2 minutes left and can't win, but let's foul every time the other team touches the ball". If you can't win without basically cheating then you don't deserve to win at all. Play some ball and earn your win, don't cry your way to victory. disgraceful.
And now, some pictures from last night, courtesy of El Spam (click on them to view them full size):
Pregame warmups (from my crappy camera phone)
Leo warms up the crowd with the help of explosions
Ready to kickoff
What passes for a halftime show in Utah (Mt. Crest HS marching band)
Setting up for a corner
Javi gets ready to take a corner
As always, thanks for stopping by. As soon as I get some time, I will have a post-season wrap-up with full player grades and the 2008 Knighthood Ceremony (aka the Royal Awards). And, as always, go RSL (or as some like to say it: Come on ya Reds!)!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Gameday. Real Salt Lake against the Energy Bovines for the Western Crown
Wow. Think back 12 months ago as RSL fans everywhere sat home and moped while the MLS playoffs swirled around them. Eddie Pope had left. Woe was everywhere. Life as we knew it had ceased to exist. Famine and pestilence spread across the Wasatch Front. Have I made this melodramatic enough for you? Nevertheless, how many of us truly believed that RSL would not only make the playoffs in 2008, but would be hosting the Western Conference Final? I can't imagine too many. (On a side note, how sad it is to have this amazing run happen the year after Eddie Pope hung it up. Thanks again Eddie, you were pure class!) But life is funny like that and here we are.
Can RSL beat this team? Absolutely. RSL outplayed the bulls just a few short weeks ago in the Rio Tinto opener, a game they gave away and that ended 1-1. With a similar effort tonight (and some actual finishing: I'm looking in your direction, Yura), RSL can easily be through to the MLS Cup final. That being said, NYC's dismantling of Houston last weekend cannot be understated. I'll be honest, the thought of RSL going to Texas to face the Dynamo? Kinda scary. So the fact that NYC did it, and with such seeming ease, does give me pause. If Richards and Angel both bring their best tonight, it could get ugly.
So I think the key tonight, and something that is easier said than done, especially for this team, is for RSL to get on the board first and then keep the pressure on. Don't let the energy bovines get the boost from an early lead. If we do get the first goal, great, but don't then go into defensive mode. Keep the pressure on and put them away if the opportunity arises. Take advantage of the home crowd and the altitude and win this sucker!
So now it is time for my prediction. I think the home team factor will be enough to get RSL through if they play smart. RSL 2 - NYC 1.
Other assorted thoughts:
-Who will play tonight? Do we see Dema over Andy again? Will Cleetus roam the field once again? Will Espi be fit enough to play a role?
Here is my starting 11:
GK: Rimando
D: Wingert, Olave, Borchers, Russell
M: Williams, Johnson, Beckerman, Morales
F: Yura, Findley
Top 3 subs: Dema, Espi, Deuchar
Who do I see actually starting?
GK: Rimando
D: Wingert, Olave, Borchers, Joy
M: Dema, Johnson, Beckerman, Morales
F: Yura, Mathis
Top 3 subs: Williams, Espi, Findley
-I am sick to death of hearing of the "massive upset" over Chivas TST. It was a 2 seed vs. a 3 seed! Not a big difference! On top of that, many (especially actual fans, not sportswriters) predicted RSL to beat TST. In fact, RSL was predicted to win by a nearly 2-to-1 margin by Soccer by Ives readers. Not exactly scientific, I know, but it does prove a point. This was most certainly not the giant upset every media outlet wants to make it.
-This is worth a post of its own but can we stop with the "leader of the points table takes the championship" BS. Not going to happen. Nor would I want it to happen. The playoffs are genuinely exciting and there is a palpable sense of tension to them. Anyone who says different is either a) lying, b) a eurosnob elitist who doesn't actually watch MLS, or c) warped beyond belief.
Can RSL beat this team? Absolutely. RSL outplayed the bulls just a few short weeks ago in the Rio Tinto opener, a game they gave away and that ended 1-1. With a similar effort tonight (and some actual finishing: I'm looking in your direction, Yura), RSL can easily be through to the MLS Cup final. That being said, NYC's dismantling of Houston last weekend cannot be understated. I'll be honest, the thought of RSL going to Texas to face the Dynamo? Kinda scary. So the fact that NYC did it, and with such seeming ease, does give me pause. If Richards and Angel both bring their best tonight, it could get ugly.
So I think the key tonight, and something that is easier said than done, especially for this team, is for RSL to get on the board first and then keep the pressure on. Don't let the energy bovines get the boost from an early lead. If we do get the first goal, great, but don't then go into defensive mode. Keep the pressure on and put them away if the opportunity arises. Take advantage of the home crowd and the altitude and win this sucker!
So now it is time for my prediction. I think the home team factor will be enough to get RSL through if they play smart. RSL 2 - NYC 1.
Other assorted thoughts:
-Who will play tonight? Do we see Dema over Andy again? Will Cleetus roam the field once again? Will Espi be fit enough to play a role?
Here is my starting 11:
GK: Rimando
D: Wingert, Olave, Borchers, Russell
M: Williams, Johnson, Beckerman, Morales
F: Yura, Findley
Top 3 subs: Dema, Espi, Deuchar
Who do I see actually starting?
GK: Rimando
D: Wingert, Olave, Borchers, Joy
M: Dema, Johnson, Beckerman, Morales
F: Yura, Mathis
Top 3 subs: Williams, Espi, Findley
-I am sick to death of hearing of the "massive upset" over Chivas TST. It was a 2 seed vs. a 3 seed! Not a big difference! On top of that, many (especially actual fans, not sportswriters) predicted RSL to beat TST. In fact, RSL was predicted to win by a nearly 2-to-1 margin by Soccer by Ives readers. Not exactly scientific, I know, but it does prove a point. This was most certainly not the giant upset every media outlet wants to make it.
-This is worth a post of its own but can we stop with the "leader of the points table takes the championship" BS. Not going to happen. Nor would I want it to happen. The playoffs are genuinely exciting and there is a palpable sense of tension to them. Anyone who says different is either a) lying, b) a eurosnob elitist who doesn't actually watch MLS, or c) warped beyond belief.
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