ALERT! League-Mandated Rivalry Cup: Crew v Toronto Argonauts Co-Tenant FC | Match 27 - 8/17/19 19:30

Well he clearly can not play defense in any sport so I imagine it would be a disaster

 

Ch(Elsey) was on point when she commended Chr1st’s acumen for nailing thread names.

 

Crewster point forecast going into the weekend:

EAST

Philadelphia 57
NYC 56
Montreal 51
Atlanta 51
NYRB 49
DC 48
New England 46
Orlando 45
Toronto 42
Chicago 39
Cincinnati 36
Columbus 35

WEST

LAFC 73
Portland 64
Salt Lake 55
Minnesota 53
LA Galaxy 52
Seattle 51
San Jose 50
Dallas 48
Kansas City 43
Houston 42
Vancouver 39
Colorado 35

 

Not buying us finishing last in the East. We're better now than at midseason during the long losing streak.

 

That post was meant for @110toyourleft as well.

 

I have no interest in going to Cincy because of this. Turn the page and build a team that can compete with Atlanta. The off season should be fun.

 

Do you honestly believe that more than half of that sell-out crowd has any idea how bad the first 30 minutes of the match were for the Crew? The only person that embarrassed himself was Gyasi Zardes.

So... you don't want to go support your team in an opponent's stadium (and have a damn fun time in the process) because of a poor 30 minutes of soccer?

 

Chaotic GOOD?

What the hell is the matter with you?

 

Neutral, biotch. Chaotic neutral.

 

Well, that wasn't really my point. But if, say, 10k fans were too busy yukking it up with their buddies, drunk or uninformed to realize we'd gone down 2-0 to one of the worst teams in recent MLS history, that still means that the other 10k were aware of the shitshow the Crew put on during those first 30 minutes. To me, that doesn't sound like a good thing, both that you disappointed 50% of your lucid fans and that you supposedly need to rely on abject ignorance or apathy on a good chunk of your (and I'd use the term loosely here) fan base in order for them not to pick up on such strategic subtleties.

My point was to counter what seemed to me to be a bit of irrational exuberance on the part of some fans when it comes to this team's performance in recent weeks. We're better, certainly, but there's precious little reason to conclude that we're good. We had a chance to show qualitative improvement versus FCC, and we failed that stress test pretty unambiguously.

Might the team turn it around, pull its head out if its collective ass and beat TFC this weekend? Sure. Could happen. This news doesn't inspire confidence, though:

Caleb Porter said today that he didn’t think Williams or Francis would play for #Crew96 on Saturday.

— Patrick Murphy (@_Pat_Murphy) August 15, 2019

Can't wait for the ongoing Maloney at left back conversation next week.

So, yeah, we're better now than we were several weeks ago. I'd counter, though, that of our recent acquisitions, only Room has a CV that implies he'll stick and perform at a solid level. The rest of the new players, without exception, are promising but unproven. Diaz, Mokhtar, our refreshed backup striker duo. I'll watch their performances with interest. But there's no reason to assume the new signings will all make it; rarely is that the case.

 

@stanger, another card for your collection, Sir.

 

I'll (mostly) agree with this. I think I just haven't seen the exuberance that you're referring to.

 

The Crew are an improving team. They are not a pushover easy win for other teams. They are not a force to be reckoned with. They are clearly playing better than a few months ago but have a way to go. Had they played like they are now for the whole year they would probably be a .500 team with the possibility of making the playoffs. They have some holes to fill and they need a little more consistency.

 

Diaz has looked great. Unlike so many of our other outside players, he sends in a relatively high percentage of assist-worthy passes and crosses.

 

Great might be a stretch, better than anyone else on the roster, that I'll agree to.

He's not afraid, plays a decent bit a defense, has some speed and some 1v1 skill. I want to see more. Accam can sit out the rest of the season if it helps get Diaz more minutes. We need him confident and ready to roll for 2020.

 

Will I see you in the lot this week? My pockets are getting full but there is always room for one more..

 

Versus Cincy for the first thirty or so minutes Crew looked like they were going into a match they already assumed to have won. That mentality is wrong. Bit them in the ass not once but twice.

I was really deflated. Pissed off. Not sure where the blame should be put. I was angry with our coach that is for sure. Probably the angriest I have ever been at Porter (save for that one time in 2015...). Typical crazy fan behavior, I know.

I hope Crew have learned their lesson, and our boys come out firing on Saturday. To state the obvious, Toronto is not USL Cincy.

 

Not if I see you first. But I'm always there, you know where to look.

 

It's MLS, teams have a habit of playing to the level of their opponent.

 

Yeah. I know. I leaned toward that line of thought.. but I was in a pretty mad place around the 30th minute.

 

For 23 long years I've yearned for a true rivalry. To have a team within 2 hours drive and not attend the away leg of the derby is lunacy.

Yes, we defecated in our bed last week. If anything, the draw in Columbus makes the 2nd game more important. The Hell is Real Derby is not over...