Pre-match: MLS Cup 2012: Houston Dynamo @ LA Galaxy - Sat December 1st, 3:30pm CST

Ok, here's Steve Davis laying out his argument about why Petrescu is a bad idea for the final.

He makes a good point about what happens later in the game when refs "just let them play" early in the game.

He also suggests in passing that the Dynamo are more likely to benefit from this ref, but that's a tangential point in this piece.

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/20/mls-cup-referee-assignment-announced-why-its-bad-news/

 

So far we've had pretty good luck with the refs. Everybody was worried about Toledo, in 2 games, and he was never a factor. Salazar, well, I thought he did well, just don't ask DC. I think Petrescu will work out too. I hope.

 

nailed it!

i'm forgetting the exact game at BBVA that he reffed. it was chippy and he let things go but on inconsistent basis which caused player confusion as to what was a foul and what wasn't which caused the match to delve into a hack fest.

help me out here. was it the LA Galaxy game or the NYRB one?

 

New York. He handed out 2 yellows to NY, that's it.

 

In the LA game Mike McGee threw a ball at him. Petrescu never seems to command any respect as a ref, that I noticed for sure.

LA may be the worst with in-game mob scenes around refs.

 

I think Toledo has been quite good this year. If there was a "most improved" in the referee category, he'd certainly receive it.

Anyway Petrescu is pretty good, it favors us anyway.

 

I got word that THE viewing party will LIKELY be at Lucky's Pub. Makes all the sense in the World.

Also, there should be a welcome thingie at the airport, no specifics yet.

 

Bobby Boswell is on the current edition of the MLS ExtraTime podcast.

I think he (maybe it was someone else - don't recall) pointed out that in last year's MLS Cup, not only were we missing Davis, but we were also playing four central defenders across the back. You can't expect your attack -- or even counter-attack -- to function well when both outside backs are actually central defenders. Having one central defender as an outside back is a weakness. But having both really displeases the soccer gods.

This year, we should have Ashe back at outside left, and Sarkodie as a true outside back on the right. People have pointed out the differences in midfield from last year. That's obviously big. But the changes at outside back will also be an important difference from last year.

 

that's what i kept telling aeslehcevuj@ when he wanted to bench Ashe and play Taylor, Cameron, Boswell & Hainault across the back!!! that would have been terrible.

 

juvechelsea

You tagged him all wrong, I did it for you. You're welcome.

 

maybe if we say his name three times we can invoke his spirit like Beetlejuice.

juvechelsea

 

C-C-C-Combobreaker

 

... juvechelsea

 

That Cup game last year was sort of a mismatch (I know, we were tied for a while, anything can happen, blah, blah - but it really didn't play out that close) and I think this year it is far closer. Taylor was a wreck at left back and without Davis we couldn't get anything going in the midfield. That and the three legit DPs they had vs. our zero legit DPs.

Our midfield is quite a bit stronger this season going into this game and the backline has settled in nicely at all four positions. I expect a closer game.

 

Hope so, WC. A closer game than last year's 1-0 score would mean either a tie or we win!

 

That game last year was not nearly as close as the 1-0 score indicated. We almost never threatened offensively and were on our heels about 2/3rds of the game. Even at 0-0 I think a moderately objective viewer would have felt that LA was going to get one in and win it.

 

In a reply to a post in the LAG game thread

i don't see where it says anything about batteries and/or flashlights........ the smoke bombs/flares understandable.

and i wish they opened it up on the streamers rule.

this might be for the tailgate thread but it also says no tailgating.. are we allowed to or no?

 

And if they put us in a parking lot with walls all around us in the back 40

 

doom on LA.

that is all.

at least for now

 

Is that in Vietnamese?
"Doom on you

Bastard usage of Vietnamese phrase "Du Mhan Yhu" meaning "Go f### yourself". Used in military circles, esp regarding Murphy's Law."

 

Pretty high stakes for this game. Now that might seem like an obvious statement being this is THE Championship game -- the MLS Cup final. But it actually goes beyond that.

The winner of this game can make a reasonable claim to be the greatest team of MLS 2.0. Should the Dynamo win it would be 3 MLS Cups, 4 finals over the last seven years. Should LAG win it will be 2 MLS Cups, 2 Supporters Shields and 3 finals over the last four years. You take one cup away from either of those records and the other record seems to clearly outshine.

For me, this Cup is a grand final and could not be better. Heck, it would kinda be appropriate for the league to announce that the Anschutz trophy will be retired after this game and the winner gets to keep it.

 

A little late, but I like the way this man thinks...
http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/ussoccerplayers/2012/11/why-houston-will-win-the-2012-mls-cup.html

 

Oh come on! Don't be such a homer! Everyone knows Seattle Sounders FC is the greatest team of all time, in any league, ever!