I would have to say so, given the entire reason for keeping this core together this long was to give them one last hoorah at the thing. Even worse would be not winning a single piece of legit hardware (come on now, the RMC doesn't count and we all know it) and not advancing out of the group.
I didn't go back through the game thread, I only read the last page...is the meltdown as bad as I presumed it would be? This is bigsoccer, after all. At this point, here's what I think RSL needs to advance: Two home wins Multiple-goal home win over Herediano Draw with Tauro on the road Oh, and we need to trade someone for a trainer.
It was about what you'd expect from all of us. So right now the most important game of the group is: 8/30/2012 Tauro vs Herediano Assuming we beat Tauro at home on 8/21, this is the next match of our group. This will go a LONG ways in determining what we must do in order to advance. If Herediano wins, we basically have to win out (and potentially big), we would also have to at least match what Herediano did in Panama.
I was going to post the same thing this morning, and now I don't have to. Where we see it most is in the central core. Borchers, Olave, Beckerman, Grabavoy, Morales. I see it in terms of injury frequency, in terms of raw speed, in terms of guys just getting worked on defense by younger quicker legs - particularly in the open field where position isn't an ally, in terms of the desire and endurance to press forward, in terms of how fatigue affects touch on the ball etc. Unfortunately I know these signs of decline all too well. In my head for a couple of years now I've been trying to feel my way towards the 'right number of new guys' to bring into the main rotation every year. And I think it's probably 3 to 5 (depending upon your definition of 'main rotation'). This team is still capable of advancing in CCL and winning the MLS cup, but it's going to have to be healthy and fresh and we're going to have to use our depth more. I take heart from how we were just cutting Herediano up down a man. That was impressive. It's too bad we couldn't steal a point from some of the passing quality...but the quality faded in Herediano's box.
Finally some voice of reason! I don't think the sky is falling or that JK has "lost" the team. I think our team is indeed getting older. It shows with the injuries. IMO we are sitting pretty good in the MLS standings...not only are we second in the conference, but we have the second most points in the league. I don't quite get all the bemoaning. And yes...we have only one real trophy, but keep in mind we are a team that is barely out of it's infancy....we are good....we'll be shaking it up a bit this offseason (I hope). We could be a lot worse....we could be the cRapids right now.
to play devil's advocate: This team could very easily be our "Stockton to Malone" era. How many titles did they have to show for that? Unlike them, though, we aren't coming up against the best team/player in our league's history. We just simply don't perform well under pressure I have faith that Garson will keep a decent squad around, but what we did in the last couple of years in terms of player quality and records was amazing. I am afraid we'll look back in 2 or 3 years and go "man, those were the glory days". All we'll have to show for it was a MLS Cup in the year that we were an average team that got hot at the right time.
He's had knee troubles since long before the 2011 ASG. It didn't help, but maybe his legs start to go away this season anyway, no way to walk it back to see.
Depends, I think. If another team in our group shows surprising dominance, then no, not a failure. But, that is very unlikely. So, I think most likely it will be a complete failure should we not progress out of group.
With how much the staff talks about this tournament, it would be a disaster if we don't make it out of the group stage.
I agree with the first part of this statement. Like the Jazz of the late 90's, RSL '10-'11 won a lot of regular-season games, was almost untouchable at home, but couldn't quite close the deal on multiple occasions. I disagree with the second statement, though: RSL was facing the best player in the league's history (Donovan), and it's arguable that the '11 Galaxy was the best team in MLS history.
Maybe, but the gap is nowhere near equivalent. The fact that it's "arguable" at all is evidence of that. The Jordan-era Bulls are indisputably the best team in history--not just in one league, in any league. Malone & Co were very good, but that line between "very good" and "legendary" is an insurmountable one, and as well as the Galaxy played last year, they were never legendary.
Tauro could also help us (our hurt us) here. It's not a given that Herediano takes 4 or 6 from them, at least not yet.
Has there a more disappointing three minute span than seeing Borchers draw straight red and then watching Olave pull up lame?
don't forget the db chivas fans that started chanting "Chivas!" while the rest of us tried not to puke.
Win the group or go home. They'll seed 1-8 based on points earned from the group stage with goal differential being the first tie breaker iirc. At least I think it goes pts, differential, total goals scored. Coin toss if all those were even?
so when we play Tauro, a must win, we'll be without both Olave (injury) and Borchers (suspension). Who does that put at CB? Wingert and Watson? Will Schuler be healthy by then (stop laughing)? we really could be out of this thing by August 22nd
Last night during his interview on KALL 700, Kreis said that Schuler is making progress. They are going to have an x-ray in the next week, and they're hoping to get him training soon. Hopefully that pans out.
they've been saying that for about 2 months, have they not? That's what Borchers said in his segment, at least
RSL takes its next step towards the CONCACAF Champions League trophy when it hosts Tauro of Panama at the RioT on Thursday, 21 August 2012 @ 8:00 PM, Utah Daylight Time. A quick perusal of the Internet about the team gives the tidbit that the founder of the team, a certain Giancarlo Gronchi (an Italian sounding name if there ever was one) was a fan of Juventus in Italy and wanted his team’s uniforms to be the same. In that vein, here is the line up for Juventus, oops, Tauro FC. -------------------------------------------------Dino Zoff------------------------------------------------ ---Antonello Cuccureddu--------Sergio Brio----Ciro Ferrara------Paolo Montero--- ---------------------------------Michel Platini---Zinedine Zidane--------------------------------- ---Fabrizio Ravanelli---Alessandro Del Piero-----Roberto Baggio---Paolo Rossi-- Looking at this line up, you might be tempted to say "Hey, El-ahrairah. Only two midfielders? Are you crazy?" Normally, by only fielding two midfielders, you would do well to question my sanity (and for any other reason for that matter). However, with two midfielders the likes of Platini and Zidane feeding the ball to four forwards like Ravanelli, Del Piero, Baggio and Rossi, the opposing team won't have time to wonder where the other two midfielders are. They will be too busy watching the forwards use their goalie for target practice!