What is your definition of success for RSL this season?

If you're in a tournament, or trying to get to some kind of finals, you might as well go for it all. No reason to not try and win. That doesn't make sense. But on the same hand, you have to be realistic and say that we cant win it all, and playing that many games can become taxing on the players. With that being said, I voted for 3+ trophies this year.

The way folks were going on and on about the April Fool's demise of the RMC, you'd think it was the most important trophy for RSL.

This is a very fine definition, in fact. It would fit in the 'other' item.

Was going to go with "Any 1 trophy", but decided that I had to go with 2 when I saw that the RMC was one of the trophies listed. The season would not be a success if RSL won the RMC and nothing else. It would still be a success if they won a different trophy and lost the RMC.

The season has been successful so far, but there is the chance for a meltdown - doesn't seem likely with the way they are playing but it is always a possibility.

If RSL wins the CCL and finishes high in the regular season - within reasonable points of the SS, and has a decent showing in the playoffs (either advancing or playing respectably against a good team like last season), it will be a success, even if they don't win another trophy. The only thing that would diminish a CCL championship would be a poor showing the rest of the season.

If RSL loses the CCL but wins either the SS or MLS Cup or wins the USOC and finishes high in the SS race and performs decent in the playoffs, it will also be a success as they will have another shot in the CCL next season.

debbie downer

Exactly. I went with 2 because I figured one of them would be the RMC. But any piece of "real" hardware is success.

Maybe it is a hangover from all of the years of shit we had from this team, but is anyone else growing just a little bit uncomfortable with the amount of high praise this team is getting? I loved Checkett's article, it was awesome, and I love that we are #1 in the power rankings, and I want it all to continue but this is VERY VERY unchartered territory for this team and I worry if it can handle all the positive things being said about it. No longer are we the underdog, facing the "you didn't deserve to win it all" crap, but now we are the bulldog (no offense intended for bulldog owners, I could have chosen a pitbull or something) of the league.

I know it is not a popular sentiment, but I really am scared for this team especially if it wins the CCL.

I had no other place to put this, and I didn't want to start my own thread

That said, my expectations will not be met if we don't win everything...

Maybe I really do hate this team - I am not happy if they are losing, and I am not happy if they are winning- yet I cannot stop watching.

I've changed my definition again. I would accept the CCL and getting the SS, which would also get us in the CCL again, but I think we could get three or four. Still, concentrate on the CCL and SS, which we're working on right now, and see if the rest falls in line.

Yes (to the bolded question). Very uncomfortable. And the attitude of certain fans who apparently don't remember (or didn't experience) the lean years certainly doesn't help either.

It was easier when we lost every game, because the distance to fall was so short. Now there's a long, long way between where this team is and the bottom of the barrel.

shocking...

if RSL wins the CCL final than i am satisfied for the rest of the season, everything else would be icing on the cake. given how much of a shit show the MLS playoffs are, the MLS Cup is 3rd on my list of things to win. 1. CCL, 2. SS, 3. MLS Cup, 4. RMC, 5. USOC.

winning the SS would get us back into the CCL for 2012.

as for the winning/pressure of being the best, i think the team learned quite a bit from last year. i think last year was that turning point, the team had a huge amount of expectations going into the playoffs. they'd firmly established themselves as one of, if not THE, best team in the league despite losing the SS. the expectations hit them hard in the playoffs and they went out in the first round. they had those same expectations in the CCL this year and have taken care of business so far.

Jason keeping the guys motivated and their heads up through the whole season, with no drop offs, would be an incredible thing. it will be his biggest challenge.

Exactly. Thus, they need to be. Period.

I was saying two trophies earlier. I've become more optimistic, shoot for three?

CCL and the Shield, then some form of Gravy.

Hell to the yeah. Count your blessings and embratsu, brotha.

I am REALLY enjoying how well the team has played over the past 1.5 years or so and try not to think too much about how it will likely end. With that stated, I hate the "rah, rah" attitude that has recently pervaded the board. Rather than hate on the posters that perpetuate the "rah, rah" attitude, I've decided to live-and-let-live because different fans enjoy the success of the team in different ways.

I try to keep my personal, subjective expectations pretty minimal. Make the playoffs and play well at home. Anything else (it would be AMAZING to see the team collect more hardware) is gravy.

I think all the praise and recognition is great. I'm loving every minute of it. It's well earned. In fact, it's been well earned for a while, but people are only now taking notice.

But I'm also pretty humble about our team. The only time I feel uncomfortable is when I'm acting proudly, when I'm being arrogant towards other fanbases, when I brag that our team is going to whomp theirs, when I puff myself up. So, I don't do those things.

It's also from a position of humility that you can be pretty accurate about the future of this team.

Yes. We are a very good team... and have started the season out well... but the attention and comments we're getting (ie we're Rafael Nadal, MLS is the tennis ball) are totally over the top.

The fall will be fast and hard when it happens, so enjoy the ride while it lasts.

It doesn't have to be that way. Not if you have the right system in place and it isn't connected to only one person (for instance the Utah Jazz & Jerry Sloan's style). If it becomes the tradition, the culture of an organization that is just incorporated and expected in every new person who comes in, the success can be sustained for a long period of time.

Also, as long as they're continually looking for the right talent to plug into the system to replace the older eventually, it can be sustained.

You could point at other teams in other sports too. BUT this only goes so far. It means a team stays competitive. It means a team stays in the upper half of the league. Even for that it takes some luck avoiding injuries and a decent influx of talent compared to the outflow of players to retirement, other teams, etc.

Having a team that's perceived as being so much better than everyone one else in the league that their 'B team' would be a contender isn't sustainable.

Winning every game isn't sustainable, being unbeaten at home isn't sustainable (just ask Mourinho).

Right now, RSL is on top of (the MLS) world. Enjoy it, bask in the reflected glory, but don't assume that it's your birthright as a fan.

Success can be sustained, I agree - hopefully that's the direction we're headed. And I really think the culture of this team is set up for longer term success. Kudos to Dave, Bill, Garth and Jason.

But over the top, unrealistic, headlines/banter/posts/#quad/we'rethebest/weruleMLS/mostbelovedteamofalltime/uallsuck/kingsoftheworld and other related nonsense cannot be sustained.

Do you assume it's your birthright? Because I don't.

A great B team is sustainable if you continue looking for the right people and plug them in, and if you grow with the changes.

Winning every game isn't necessary to be a top team. That's our run right now and I'm glad for it. I'm not constantly looking at what once was to remind myself to be humble. I enjoy what is and hope for the best for the future.

No it cannot, and people who do that or who swallow it up and then throw it in the faces of others are the ones who feel on rickety ground.

Must spread rep.

Where's that point and the arrow that shows you missed it.

I think you broke it (just absolutely annihilated it) when you claimed to be humble about RSL.