Kansas City vs Vancouver (Sat. Sept 30th, 8:00PM CST) [R]

I'm guessing we are hoping for a draw out of that one... All else equal, I'd rather those two contenders split two points than one of them get three. Fewer points in the pot - even if it extends the lead that Vancouver has.

 

Draw is certainly number 1, Seattle win is second, because they'll level them on points with us, but they'll have played 2 games more.

 

Freaking Baldomero Toledo is the center ref for this one. Surprisingly, SKC has a winning record with him in the middle, 15-9-11. I still think he's crap.

 

Of the many really nice MLS newcomers around this year, I put Yordi (sp?) Reyna pretty close to the top of the list of those I intensely envy. He'd be great in Sporting blue.
Obviously, this isn't the end, but being four points and a couple tiebreaking wins down to Vanc after this one would leave us as outsiders for the western title. but a win this weekend and we're clear favorites, with the lead and games in hand on everyone.

 

Not super thrilled that this is now an 8 PM kickoff.

 

i wish they were always 8pm kickoffs.

 

I love the 8pm kick. And, speaking of perfect, hello lovely fall weather. Great night for soccer on its way. Hope the team can continue to deliver.

Any noticeable absences? Besler and the cut over his eye maybe? Could this be EPBs big moment?

 

Besler is definitely not playing tomorrow per his own words.

 

Mustivar is out on the match preview notes, but Besler is not.

https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/m...kansas-city-vs-vancouver-whitecaps-fc/preview

 

Cannot believe that THAT team is in first place.

 

I REALLY DON'T LIKE 8PM MATCHES.

 

So glad that we brought on Lobato at halftime. Tremendous addition to the squad. Benny sitting on the bench for the first 60 min of the match was inspired as well. Quality job, Vermes.
Terrible performance. Zero points well deserved. Great pk, Rubio.

 

Lobato wins the invisibility award. Hope Gerso isn't injured - they were working on his shoulder. What a crap fest. Don't think Vancouver shouldve been awarded the restart they scored the goal on. I guess zusi gets a rest in Minnesota. He played a great game, then competely blew that entire play on the red card.

 

As frustrating as it was, we basically ran circles around them until they launched a hail mary and flicked it in. Nice play. Effective. But they are easily beatable come playoff time.

 

So my complaining about 8pm is that it's the one match all year I brought my wife and now very cranky tired children.

To top it off, now my wife has reaffirmed her dislike for soccer because in her words, "it was too cynical and unsportsmanlike" due to "all the faking injury and unprofessional behavior." She then finished with, "I'm not sure this sets good examples for the kids."

Fabulous.

 

I'm not surprised. That second half made me wonder why I like soccer.

And to be clear, I absolutely despised watching Latif pull that fake injury crap earlier this season. It's just the worst part of the game that seemingly people accept.

 

Easily? There's nothing easy about beating them, but Rubio could have had a hat trick, and while they hand possession away willingly, SKC was quite dominant in the first half.
Odd thing, the dominance ended when we apparently (according to the sideline reporter) decided that speed wasn't going to beat Vancouver, we needed a more technical player on the right side.
Least impact on a match Salloi has had for a month. I suppose he can't score every time out, but both he and Lobato appeared to be in a hide and seek game in the second half.
credit on their goal, it was quite a goal.
Not sure Zusi actually touched Reyna, disco might overrule.
Whatever they do, the first half from Zusi was brilliant, as much impact as i've ever seen a fullback exert. It was a Roberto Carlos level impact. Of course, Carlos was feeding strikers who could actually score.
Rubio gets a lot of credit for finding so much dangerous space. but ffs.
Any update on Opara? He looks like he's out for a bit.

 

But hey, at least you don't have Andrew Wiebe pontificating about your post-game reactions. Oh, wait, nevermind.

 

Nope, Zusi will miss 3 of the final 4 games now. You can't serve a suspension on international duty and he'll miss the next 2 with the US team (though the game in Houston on the 11th might hopefully count since it falls outside the international window). So if the game on the 11th doesn't count for his red card, then he'll serve it on the 15th.

 

We can easily put them in the category as beatable, not that beating them is easy. Everything else is correct. I thought medranda was far better than lobato, at least in possession. We were very inventive in working the channels and getting into the box. As usual, though, no killer instinct. Im starting to think gerso is afraid of the goal...