I love Javi, but Seattle since Lodeiro signed shows why we need a new #10 next year. EDIT: and I don't mean Jordan Allen.
Okay, we're 45 minutes from the playoffs and it makes no difference how this game turns out. Even better: when it comes to the playoffs, we'll continue to control our own destiny!
We need Acosta or Stertzer to come in for Beckerman. He's not likely to make it the rest of the game without more fouls.
Plata shouldn't have smacked a guy in the face in the first half and picked up a yellow. Then we'd be confident he wouldn't get a second yellow at the end of this one. And Burrito - please. That guy has played several hundred more minutes than he should have. I can't believe I'm defending Cassar, but these aren't on him. Putting Burrito and Javi in while leaving Kyle in, that's on him.
This is an average team with a below average run of results lately. I absolutely expect a loss on Wednesday. LA may have finished the regular season third in the West, but they're second in the league in goal differential, while RSL is negative. Our team is in the playoffs because Portland can't win on the road. Not just today, but all year. If DLH feels good about making the playoffs as the sixth place team, re-sign Cassar and keep the team's core. It may be able to accomplish the same thing if the old guard doesn't decline by much. If he wants to be a contender, (and I'm okay with not being the dominant team for a decade, just being a contender,) then changes need to be made to the roster and the coaching staff.
A below average run of results? SERIOUSLY?! Like I said in the other thread, only one other team in the entire league has had a worse run of games over the last 2 months than RSL. We've scored 1 goal (again, not counting the Glad caused own goal) in the last 6 games and we have gotten 3 points out of the possible last 21. We haven't had a run of form this bad since 2011.
That's right they don't respect us... I liked seeing Sunny, Olmes and Jordan buzzing around. Wingert looked awful and even as subs both Javi and Burrito looked past date and slow.
Well. This is MLS and it's not like undeserving teams haven't lucked their way into a MLS Cup title before. See: RSL 2009, Portland 2015.
Actually I would NOT call RSL undeserving in 2009, MLS had a weird playoff system and RSL was more deserving of being in the playoffs than the eastern conference team they displaced, it's not our fault the league came up with a wonky system for getting us in. We didn't have a great year, but it wasn't horrible, the best team in the league managed 49 points compared to our 40 so it's not like we were awful and backed our way into a playoff spot. Also, Portland 2015? Uhhhh, they finished tied for 2nd in the West (and tied for 3rd overall in the league)...soooooo how exactly did they luck their way into a MLS Cup title? They won a penalty shootout, then beat up Vancouver and FCD to get to the final. They got some lucky calls in MLS Cup against Columbus, but they did what they had to in order to win that game so it's not like fell ass-backwards into it.