I was extremely proud of rolfe and the rest of the fire, but I'm not sure if I can root for DC tonight. maybe, just maybe
Here's an observation from a newby to soccer fandom: In my terms I would describe that game as being like a 2 vs. 15 or a 3 vs. 14 game in the NCAA basketball tourney. It truly had that sort of intensity and feel like watching the underdog outplay and almost knock out Goliath. It was the same in the sense that you you always want the underdog to break through and take the lead, just like an NCAA tourney gamr. I watched the game because I have a pregnant wife and was not even going to come close to watching what I want, so I watched it through the stream on MLSnet (by the way, kudos to them). Games like that make casual fans (me) become fanatics.
The highlights don't do justice to the game. You had to be there. It was incredible. Highlights also don't show the Rolfe goal. Here's how goal.com describes it: "However, the Fire equalized a minute later through an audacious piece of skill from Chris Rolfe, who spun away from a Milan defender and then sent Maldini stumbling on his back feet before whipping a left-footed shot inside the far post from the edge of the penalty area." http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx...s=76573&progr=9 Highlights also don't show Caballero htting the corner post/crossbar from outside the penalty area with the goalie beat. The whole crows went whoooaaa.
You mean the article headlined "Milan make a party with Gilardino"? I don't think sofferta means suffered in the context. Maybe "Victory Endures for Milan" or "Victory in the end for Milan" would be a better translation.
cant be too proud of losing to Milan 3-1...true its a world class team but their season hasnt even started yet...how would the game be if they were at full throttle then?
Probably a little different, just as it would be if Chicago was not missing some key starters and didn't sub in many rookies that have never seen time with the first team before.
Stone sucked tonight ... he didn't know half of the Chelsea players after they subbed 10 in. I mean, how difficult is it to spot Carvalho's afro and Huth's bulk? He also kept calling William Gallas "Johnson" in the 1st half ... not a real pro job from Rob.
so u think with those key players the Fire could've done better if they were facing a middle-season Milan?
Ray Hudson is annoying. I'm so sick of "gdreat boollll!!!!" it sounds like he's all ready to whip his sausage out and start stroking it. I hate his cutesy cliches. His love and enthusiasm for the game are unquestionable, but he is amateur for a color guy. I don't like his style at all. I liked how Sigi Schmid colored the LA-RM game, I would rather hear him more than Ray. There. I said it. And I'm also pissed that the GOLTV was busy showing the Maldini cross from about seven different angles that they missed Chicago's only goal. And even more pissed that whoever edited the game for MLSnet highlights included only one paltry replay of it from a poor angle and without the buildup. Now, I'll never know what Rolfe goal was like.
Here's the thing, the Fire couldn't beat a top form Milan on their best day. The obviously didn't beat them in preseason form, but the thing is, they surprised Milan. Anyone who watched that game knew that Milan did not expect the Fire to come out and play as well as they did. Sure they lost, but the game was dominated by the Fire. If Milan had wanted to prove a point, they should have taken over the game, but they didn't. Maybe they couldn't, maybe they didn't want to show up the home team. From where I sat Milan was on their heels when it was first team vs. first team, and that's what most MLS fans are proud of. Five years ago, that game might have been a shutout where people got to watch Milan (or another top team) put on a clinic, but now such a thing is not as easy. It shows growth for our league, which is, in the end, what we're most proud of.
What is it with fantastic goals by Fire players never being caught on tape? First Thiago (ok, it was found, sorta), now Rolfe. Damn.
Or maybe, just maybe they treated it for what it was: an early pre-season warmup game where the goal was not to "prove a point" or avoid "showing uo the home team", but to gain match fitness and form and to avoid injuries. Seriously, I think some of you guys read far far too much into these kind of games.
I also think the hype surrounding...um...less than expected losses is way too much. These friendlies don't mean jack if MLS sides continue to perform piss-poorly in competitive international tournaments as they have for the last five years. Up next is the Copa Sudamericana, a tournament that actually matters.
If you watched that DC/Chelsea game last night these teams are just looking to get fit while not getting injured. Heck Chelsea basically replaced the entire first team to start the second half. They dont treat them like they are trying to get a result. I think people are reading way too much into these games. MLS has always played friendlies through its 10 year history against some pretty good clubs like Boca Juniors and Corinthians and were never blown out in those either. I dont think you can draw any sort of conclusion from these type of games.
So you deny that MLS play and its players have improved over the last few years, and Wed. night was a clear indication of it? Because that's what most of us are excited about.
I would say that the league has improved a lot ... but Wednesday night wasn't an indication of anything. Chelsea just sat back and played for a counter ... Peter brought in a unique 3-7-0 (no forward within 15 yards of the penalty box), which allowed DCU to keep the ball for long periods of time and kept the ball in Chelsea's half. What a yawner. In contrast, Milan was much more disposed to playing an entertaining game - after all, Ancelotti isn't Capello or Trappatoni - and the Fire responded in kind. IMO, that proved my old point, which was that the Euros undervalue the American born players because of their "lack of polish". I mean, when a Serie B side sees Chris Rolfe playing for $11,500 ... someone is screwing up. Giving this kid a try-out is a gimme.
Indeed. Was surprised they brought in those scrubs off their bench: Crespo, Robben, Gudjohnson, Lampard, etc. When a team brings those type of scrubby "b" players in for second team minutes a middle school club team should be able to take them quite easily.
Because, considering we were streaming the game from GolTV's broadcast, we were supposed to pull up this magic footage of Rolfe's goal from where? We took what was broadcast and cut that. We don't have rights to any additional footage so if GolTV didn't broadcast it, we didn't have it available to us to cut. Our video people work ridiculous hours and put in all sorts of effort to get this stuff to you ... the least you could give them is a thank you. I'm sorry we ruined your experience of the game.
I agree with your last sentence, but not your first. Copa Sudamerica will actually matter. I hope we will do well. The story, however, is not the actual scoreline, as someone wrote above. Instead, it's the surprise. We were surprised to see the Fire playing so well, taking it to the rossoneri. For a league that wasn't even alive 11 years ago, that's some accomplishment. It makes some of us MLS old-timers a little misty. Two other comments: first, Ray Hudson is an acquired taste, but I love him. He severely dumped on Andy Herron, but you know that he wanted that Fire victory very, very badly. It would have vindicated all the years he's been a Geordie in the wilderness. I love his and Schoen's passion for the game. GolTV is fantastic, fantastic. That said, remembering the Ty Keough years, Rob Stone and Eric Wynalda and Brandi Chastain are miles ahead of the Keough years in production and analysis. They actually analyze the games now instead of talking down to the viewer. It's a welcome change and long overdue. I learn more things now watching MLS on Saturday afternoons. The studied questioning between Wynalda and Chastain is very, very good. As long as the focus is on the games instead of on the dopey guests upstairs, these games are a pleasure. Oh, third comment. Chelsea pulled their guys at halftime because it was going to get even more frantic and hardhitting. These games are great theater, a 3 v 14 NCAA match like someone said before, every time. They're great for the league and I hope good for AC and Chelsea. They also make Champions' World relevant again. Darn it, fourth and last: hats off to the J-League teams that knocked off Real Madrid and Man U. Has to be acknowledged. They got it done where we couldn't. Maybe next year. These games build relationships, impress neutrals and improve confidence. The scoreline isn't the concern, at all. But a win would have been faannnn-tastic.
Actually I saw chelsea in practice & Mourinho played w/ 2 teams, so the 10 subs were just him trying to rejigger his lineups
okay, I'm sorry. I guess I assumed that because they showed Vieri's goal a bunch of times that GOLTV also would have shown the Rolfe goal a bunch of times too (especially to make up for the fact that they didn't catch it live). If that wasn't the case, than I take back what I said about the editors of the MLSnet highlights. I really enjoy the multimedia on MLSnet and you guys do a great job (except for when they don't stream games in time for the kickoff), so forgive what I said.