RSL at Los Angeles, Sat 10 Mar 8:30 MST [Pre-, PBP, Post]

Excited!!!

Which of our starters will not make this roster?

as in, not in the 18?

Will-Hernia
Nat- Mysterious ailment that seems to NEVER GET BETTER (over re-act a bit?)


Everyone else should be in the 18. I doubt Sabo and Javi start, but I hope that I am wrong in that regard.

great question
this is what I think we'll see
[LINEUP-4-4-2]Espy, Sabo, Ned, Javi, KB, Alvarez/Gil, Wingert, Olave, Schuler, Tony, Nicky[/LINEUP-4-4-2]
Bench: Reynish, Cruz, Tanaka, Gil/Alvarez, PJ, Arnoux, Velasquez?

I think both Sabo and Javi will be told to try and do between 45-60 minutes.
Both will be predetermined subs.

PJ will come on for Sabo
Gil/Alvarez (the non-starter) will come on for Javi

Making a bench, especially with all the new guys, is way too difficult. I'm not sure who will be on there.

Lets all hope LA has a really exhausting game against TFC on Wednesday. Has flight issues. Picks up 15 injuries and David Beckham discovers his mouth can stay shut.

FINALLY!!! I hate the offseason! If everyone is healthy I think this will be a good game.

I think we will see this:
[LINEUP-4-4-2]Espy, PAJ, Ned, Gil, Kyle, Alvarez, Wingert, Olave, Schuler, Tony, Rimando[/LINEUP-4-4-2]
Bench: Reynish, Cruz, Tanaka, Javi, Sabo, Enzo, Velazquez
Subs: Sabo for PAJ ~60, Javi for Gil ~60, one other tactical sub depending on scoreline.

I just think that after last season, JK will want to bring back Javi and Sabo very slowly.

Damnit. I was really enjoying the offseason where we did absolutely nothing. Now I have to worry about us winning games week in and week out?!?

Ha.

But seriously, guess I need to get to buying direct kick since they don't show many RSL games in Austin

with LA more than likely rolling out a reserve lineup, you are probably a lot more right than me with the lineup.

What we all need to hope for is LA to lose at TFC. If they do, no way in hell Arena would put out a lot of his first team players in this one. If they win or get a draw at TFC, though, then Arena would likely put more starters in this one.

I think TFC's attack will give the new Gonzalez-less LA defense a headache. Hopefully that Kovermans (sp?) guy can find the net a few times

Until you said this, I'd forgotten that LA might trot out the backups. If LA were to start their best XI, I was pretty much ready to chalk this one up as a loss anyway, so why not throw some reserves out there to allow starters to heal? But if LA goes with a lot of twos, does Jason roll the dice and put out his best XI in an attempt to steal 3 points?

You've got to figure that pretty much nobody will get 3 points in LA this year, so if you have the chance against their reserves, maybe you go for it. That essentially gives you a 3 point head start on everyone else in the league.

We are going to LA at a good / bad time - good if TFC can pull off the win on Wednesday, bad because we're not fully healthy to start the season where we can take full advantage of a possible B-team. I see us getting a draw if we do play a B-team and possibly losing if we see their A-team. Three games in a week is a lot so maybe they sacrifice Saturday's game to ensure they win both CCL games.

Come on TFC - show how much you've improved on Wednesday.

In the 'wishes were fishes' category - I wish we were playing this one at home - they hate playing in the cold. Beckham complained about that last April. And I hope that TFC knocks out LA from the CCL. I Can't stand this super-team talk by their owner.

i'm not at all surprised by Nat still being out, those damn quad injuries suck. plus it sounds like he went from a quad strain, then probably over exerted himself with the injury and either ruptured his quad tendon or got tendinitis. just know this: any and all injuries associated with muscles/tendons of the thigh SUCK ASS. quads, suck. hamstrings, suck. hip flexors, suck. tendinitis, suck. adductors, suck.


anyways, cant wait to get this show a rockin. hopefully LA stinks up the joint in toronto so they have to focus more on their return leg.

the irony of that coming from a kid who grew up and play for Manchester United is incredible.

If we don't have Wingert for this game we are ********ed. We might as well put a sign up on our left side of defense that says "goals come this way".

I have no faith in Tanaka... yet

Is there a known timetable for Nat's return? I don't recall seeing one...

Also, is Wingert going to be able to see for this game? That was a nasty cut.

I have no predictions whatsoever for this game, but I'm looking forward to it.

Just got my game tickets for this game. Flying out on Friday. Can't wait.

Is Sabo really healthy to start?

If Wingert can't go, slide Tony left and put Tanaka right. Won't be the worst thing in the world, one thing I think Tanaka needs to learn is to become a little more meaty in his challenges, committ to that challenge, he has good speed. In the games I saw him play in DDC, he seems a little slight framed, need some more muscle on that guy. And Lalo.

My guess is LA bunkers in Toronto, Bruce-ball, comes out with a draw and tries to take it home in front of that massive 8k crowd.

They'll play a mixed squad against us this weekend, no becks, Keane or Donovan until late possibly. We win 2-1, their defense is extremely porous. One of their CBs is 5'8" for crying out loud.

TFC is, IMO a team to be reckoned with. They got pretty together and pretty good towards the end of last year. They have great home field support.

Toronto is a good dark horse pick to win the East.

I'd be happy with a draw in LA. The road-road-home series with Seattle and LA are the keys to making a Shield run and having home field in the playoffs. And I say that knowing that RSL did fine against the big-guns last year and dropped more points against the trailer trash of the league.

Nat was supposed to be back now ish, but has since added another injury to the same area and it could be a bit.

Wingert said in a tweet that he was doing everything he could to be back for the 10th.

not from what i heard from garth's radio interviews over the last month, basically garth has stated repeatedly since early february that they expect Nat to be back in early APRIL. recently in the interviews it sounds like Nat has been progressing slightly ahead of schedule, but is still not near game fitness to even be a sub. i would expect Nat back sometime at the end of march at the earliest.

I think this will be it with one exception. My guess is that you'll see Steele out there instead of Alvarez.

Except that Wingert will typically play on the right this year, with Beltran at the left. I don't know why, but I am fairly comfortable with Tanaka. We'll have to see in a real league match to be able to measure for sure.

One other exception: I highly doubt Wingert will be able to go. Assuming he can even see out of that eye by then, can you imagine what it will look like if he opens those stitches up on a header? The picture he posted on Twitter looked like something out of one of those Saw movies.

Maybe he could wear the Calen Carr headgear? It sounds like he's planning on trying to be out there, but you may be right.

Nat declares himself, "Doubtful" Saturday, and says he will sit out Saturday.
http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Nat-Borchers-3-05-12.mp3

So glad the season is starting.

I believe we might be able to steal this one.
Hopefully we manage to get a goal early.