RSL vs. The Ohio Serial Killers, 6/30/2012, 6:00 PM UDT

The Great RSL travels to Columbus, Ohio to take on the Crew. I don't know about you, but when I think of Ohio, two things come to mind, a song by Neil Young ("Four dead in Ohio") and serial killers. Since Ohio is home to many serial killers, criminals and other ne'er-do-wells that you wouldn't want to bring home to meet mom and dad, the Crew have decided to field the following line-up:

----------------------------------------Chuckie Manson--------------------------------------------------
---Donald DeFreeze-------Thomas Dillion-------Martin Frankel--------Jimmy Fratianno-----------
---Gary M. Heidnik---James Oliver Huberty---Charles Makley---Peter Milano--Anthony Sowell--
------------------------------------------Jeffrey Dahmer-------------------------------------------------

Coach: John "The Squealer" Dean

Other than Chuckie Manson in goal and Jeffrey Dahmer as lone striker (watch out for his teeth), there is nothing else worthy of note about the line up other than they are all criminals. Hey, didn't Sly Stallone do a film about a bunch of allied prisoners playing soccer against Nazis in World War II with Pele? Nah, that would have been too cheesy.

Anyway, given RSL's last two debacles, lets hope and pray that the team can get their collective sh*t together in one bag and pull out a road win against the Crew.

The crew simply don't give up many goals.

• They have the lowest GA in the league at 15

With how we've defended the last 2 games, it'll be a miracle to keep a clean sheet.

• We've given up 5 goals in 2 games... yikes

Put those two things together and what do you get?

• An RSL draw at best

It's time expectations, at least for me, of this team came down to reality.
Winning on the road is ridiculously hard in this league (well it has been historically, at least) and any points in this one should be viewed as a positive.

Wasn't John Wayne Gacy from Ohio as well?

Close but no banana. He hailed from the same state as our illustrious president and Abraham Lincoln, the state of Illinois. But, hey, I don't think the Ohio Serial Killers would quiblle about letting him sit on the bench for "moral support".

Too bad or Abe Lincoln Vampire Killer could be the destroyer in the midfield.

I was just clowning around anyway.

any word on Olave, Grabavoy, Morales, and Gil?

The XI I expect we'll see:
-------------------Nicky
--Tanaka--Wingert--Borchers--Beltran
------------------Yordany
-----------Gil---------------Johnson
--------------------Javi
----------Sabo---------------Espy

• Yeah, Steele will probably start ahead of Gil unless Grabs is magically healthy. I just can't stand Steele as a starter right now, though. He is a power sub, at best, so use him as such.
• I'd love to have Olave back and healthy, but with 2 more games in the 8 days following this one (both at home) we need to focus on those points. I know you play to win each game, but rest Olave and his calf/knees/aging body right now.
• Yordany has to have a stellar game if we want to get any sort of result out of this. Though, I hope he doesn't roam as forward as KB has been the last few games.
• Willy J will hopefully discover, in the days prior to this game, that scoring is much easier if you both put it on frame AND away from the keeper.
• For the love of god, finish if we have an open net...

That is all

There is only one good thing about Ohio, and that is the best coaster park in the world: Cedar Point

For me, it's this song about Ohio:

Most depressing song about a state. Except maybe California Über Alles, I guess.

We're lucky to draw this one.

After watch the last two home matches RSL sucked so bad in, its a tough getting up for this one.
What is Kries doing to correct course? Personally I hope he changes up his line-up a bit.

based on this
I think we see about the same as we've seen the last 2 games.
Wingert replacing Olave
Tanaka out left
Alvarez in the middle
everything else essentially the same as it has been all year

Both Becks and Espindola are not playing, right?

Espy is out?
That's news to me

I think your info is wrong:
REFEREE: Geoff Gamble. SAR (bench): Daniel Belleau; JAR (opposite): Matthew Nelson; 4th: Sorin Stoica
MLS Career: 14 games; FC/gm: 22.4; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 2; pens: 9

INJURY REPORT:

• COLUMBUS CREW -- OUT: FW Tommy Heinemann (L knee surgery); GK William Hesmer (R hip surgery); DF Chad Marshall (concussion); MF Kirk Urso (R adductor tendonitis); DF Rich Balchan (sports hernia rehab); MF Dilly Duka (L hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: DF Carlos Mendes (R ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Danny O'Rourke (L ankle sprain); MF Milovan Mirosevic (L adductor strain)
• REAL SALT LAKE -- OUT: DF Chris Schuler (L foot bone stress response); DOUBTFUL: DF Jamison Olave (R calf strain); MF Ned Grabavoy (L adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Sebastian Velasquez (R turf toe); PROBABLE: MF Javier Morales (R knee hyperextension); DF Nat Borchers (L quadriceps strain)

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES:none
SUSPENDED: RSL: Kyle Beckerman (caution accumulation; through June 30)
WARNINGS:

• SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: RSL: Javier Morales, Alvaro Saborio
• SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: RSL: Fabian Espindola, Jamison Olave

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (14 meetings): Crew 9 wins, 20 goals ... Real 4 wins, 13 goals ... Ties 1
AT COLUMBUS (23 meetings): Crew 6 wins, 14 goals ... Real 1 win, 4 goals ... Ties 0
LAST YEAR (MLS):
6/8: CLB 2, RSL 1 (Mendoza 76; Gardner 82 -- Olave 7)
7/30: RSL 0, CLB 2 (Gaven 5; Heinemann 10)

How "awesome" is it that all 3 of our MLS quality CB's are on the injury list...
really really ********ing awesome

ALL-TIME (14 meetings): Crew 9 wins, 20 goals ... Real 4 wins, 13 goals ... Ties 1
AT COLUMBUS (23 meetings): Crew 6 wins, 14 goals ... Real 1 win, 4 goals ... Ties 0

I assume this was taken from the MLS site? Seems odd that we've played at Columbus 23 times but only 14 times total

further good news:
the power has been off at the RSL hotel (and pretty much all of the Columbus area) since about 5pm yesterday. It is periodically coming back in segments but is said to take days (no, that's not a typo) to get it all back up.

see player twitters for further information

I've been reading those. It sounds pretty miserable. I assume the game gets cancelled if there's no power for the lights at the stadium come game time?

Why is the power off? How would that affect whether the event is held or not? I thought it was supposed to be superhot, not that there were tornadoes or thunderstorms going.

A hurricane blew through Columbus yesterday - 300,000+ are without power, including the area around the stadium. I'm in Cleveland and got nothing, not sure if I'm gonna make the drive to Columbus or not - don't feel like driving down to a game that isn't gonna happen. We'll see. . .

an event at night (8pm ET Kick) would require lights to function
even the central american nations know this (though their lights tend to leave a lot to be desired)

Most venues have power backup systems. Considering no ventilation has to happen (although lighting is a mess), power generators should be able to handle the event.

That is awful that you had to deal with a hurricane. I hope the best for you guys in Ohio.

Probably depends on whether or not they have backup power, and if it can sustain the power needed to host and televise a game.

Just so you know the power is back at the stadium. The game should be played without issue unless we get another 15 minutes of armageddon. Oh and this weekend I'm going to be flying through Salt Lake on business; hide the women and children as I intend to kill you all!

I'm sure I could send an ex or two your way.

As in "Kill 'em all, let God sort them out"?

Local media saying game will kick half hour late; 9:00 our time.