Are we still waiting on paperwork for Arrieta? I thought he was supposed to join the team this week and expected to see him as a bench sub.
Every report I've said indicates he'll make his debut against Montreal. I believe he arrived with his family to Columbus late last week after a couple weeks off. He probably wasn't ready to go.
Dear Crew Thank you for playing well when I brought new people to a game that had a large crowd. Normally when I do this we either get blasted or the game is so boring the crowd is dead. More of this for the future please!
Well done all the way around. If Williams keeps this up he is getting the honor of having his name on the back of a 2012 jersey. James looked better and god can he bring out the worst in Espindola. It is kind of funny. Midfield was actually part of the transition. Eddie was great. Tchani should always play in the middle. Renteria was strong (did not see the dive and due to the time change it only recorded from the 12th to the 45th minute). And of course Andy was one with the ball. Still not a big Schoenfeld fan but the guys works hard and that can count for a lot sometimes. Anyone know why Vargas is not getting a look?
I noticed this too. I really like James but sometimes feel he's a little too hot-headed. He clearly knows how to push other hot-heads' buttons though, which is good for a card here and there.
I still don't think James looks fully up to game speed, but he did exactly what you have to do to beat Fabian Espindola. The more upset Espindola becomes, the more he takes himself out of the game. Kudos to James for getting Espindola to do all the work for him.
I did not mind the late start if we're going to get a game like *that* (I also got to spend some time listening to the Irish band on the concourse). We finished twice in the box and Renteria got off a great blast, though saved. Columbus has come a long way as a soccer town from when I first moved here in the late 1970s when only a couple HS even had teams to a place where the captain leading our pro team onto the pitch is a local product. We should savor that. It was a nice relief from a lousy weekend without power. Heck, I still don't know who won the Euros.
I was happy to see Mirosevic get minutes but now i am in a quandry... gah..i might vomit in my mouth a little but...Tchaini should start in the middle with Danny O and Mirosevic. That means *gulp* a 4-5-1. I HATE the 4-5-1 with RW at the helm but I can't take Tchaini out right now cos it looks like he has his feet, 2 goals in the past two games. Put Mirosevic up high withdrawn forward and I suppose Renteria, providing he actually makes a run across goal from time to time. (our forwards run straight up the field. watch them...you dont see many back post to front post runs (vice versa)) Gaven and I still like Meram on the wing because I dont think Birchall has played himself into a starting role. Another quandry... When Marshall returns, he obviously gets the spot back. But do we sit Williams? My opinion hell no. That Williams kid is a beast and talks a lot of shit on the field. I love when that happens and he backs it up.
Even if we don't fill the roster back up in season this year with the draft and off season sigings I'm looking at him as a cut going into next year. Seems like he's barely making the 18 as it is, when Arrieta gets in the lineup it seems like that will push him off.
I just realized we have 50% of our line up as new this year. That's 2 years in a row that we have had such a huge turn over. I wont use it as an excuse but at some point one would think a consistent line up would add value to the club and confidence.
1. Very much so, yes 2. I did not think Tchani had a good game a week ago when some people seemed to be reluctantly saying he did. Saturday's game against RSL, he was pretty good all around. 4. Yes, this is one of the biggest reason's on hanging on the outside of the Fire RW bandwagon right now.
I have one or two, but I am unsure how they came out as I can't exactly access my camera at the moment as my house is without power (and I cannot upload to my work computer from the camera).
Does FSO ever replay Crew games thru the week? I'd like to watch this game since the late start jacked up my DVR.
I'm going to check out there FSO video OnDemand and see if it shows up there. i heard that prior matches are sometimes put up
...or use the flavor of the month formation: (4-2-4-0 or 4-6-0 depending on personal taste) Andy G Miranda James Williams Vukovic Tchani DOR Birchall Miro Gaven Meram ...or some variation thereof. Hey, the Spanish just won the Euros with a strikerless formation. If our strikers stink, go strikerless.
Some thoughts from the game... 1. Traveled in from MN and this ended up being a great game to catch while I was in town. I was worried since it was Fake Salt Lake and our form has been a bit dodgy as of late but really felt that we put together a competent game and FSL seemed out of their element as a result. 2. Tchani - Not completely sold on him yet but he has redeemed himself some these last couple of weeks. I would say we have gotten the better end of the trade with TFC in the end now. 3. Glowsticks+Smoke+Chanting=Awesome. And not the "two hotdogs for a dollar" awesome either.* There were some nice goals in the game but that visual of the Nordecke is probably what I will always remember from the game. On a related note, I wondered why another section closer to me (I was in 106) started up a different chant while the middle of that display. Instead of joining into the chant, they tried to start "De-fense" instead.... Sigh... *Yes, an Eddie Izzard reference.** ** Yes, a Terry Pratchett footnote reference too.
Finally got internets tonight, so a few things, most of which have already been touched upon 1. James still has Espindola in his back pocket. Winding up his opponent is probably James' best attribute. Who better to do it against than Espindola, who he already owned last season? This matchup really couldn't have come at a better time for James, it will do his confidence a world of good after a few shaky performances coming off injury, I think he'll feel he is now officially back and it'll help both him and the team. 2. Mirosevic coming on in that withdrawn role, getting him as close to the area as possible. It nearly paid dividends within seconds, and he really looked up for it. All fitness aside, hopefully the sub appearance will have lit a fire under him. 3. Kudos to Warzycha, he said at halftime he wanted to exploit Wingert, who was the clear weak link in their back four. Personally, I don't think it is because Wingert is a poor player, it's only because Wingert is no center half. If you watch the replay of the first goal, Wingert just runs goalside and slightly behind Renteria, never bothers to put in a challenge. It's something a fullback can get away with, shepherding the player wide knowing that he has that cover behind him. Can't get away with that though as a center half. I also suspect that in RSL's scouting report, they just said, "You know what, that Renteria's a f***ing carthorse with the turning circle of the Exxon Valdez. So don't worry about him."
Yeah I really liked that quote also. Both men have been real leaders with a huge desire to get out on the field and contribute but constantly hampered with injuries. And both really had some bite in their tackle, Duncan is more even tempered though. To me that was an almost perfect comparison. But you are right poor Danny if you are going to follow Duncs.