Votes cast by participants in the (Un)Official 2007 Crew Wagering Thread will be collected and used in that thread. Votes by non-participants will be ignored. Please make sure you are logged-in with your user ID when voting or your vote will not be used in the wager. A Saturday away match at 8:00 p.m. against the Kansas City Wizards. The Crew will be without Frankie Hejduk and Guillermo Barros Schelotto due to caution accumulation, and possibly Rusty Pierce due to injury. The Crew are 1-1-0 vs the Wizards and last meeting was a home win. The Wizards have a three game winless streak, the Crew six games. TV: HDNet Radio: 105.7 FM (Eng), 1550 AM (Esp)
I'd go with the same lineup against KC, but start Grabavoy in place of Oughton, having Oughton come on as a sub for him or Ward if necessary. Hopefully Pierce can take Hejduk's place, if not, then Ward gets a start. My other two subs would be two of Herron, Kamara and Rogers (assuming no one gets injured or red carded).
I am playing the odds-things are going to get better. The team in not being blown out and is too close to success to write off. I am not convinced losing Guille for a week is a terrible thing-he may need the break anyways, losing Frankie on the other hand is a big loss but this might allow Tim Ward some redemption.
Away game. Check. Long winless streak. Check. Missing vital offensive and defensive players. Check. Locker room issues. Check. Opponent fighting for a playoff spot. Check. Opponent well rested. Check. Opponent capable of major offensive spurts. Check. This has all the makings of a blowout...
Or you could invoke the LAG phenomenon. Beckham out. Donovan gone. Couple of worthless, reject slackers step up and get the job done! W!!!
There you go, spiking the Kool-Aid again... Let's all hope. This team... no, this team's fans... need a reason for hope right now...
This team couldn't score with a drunk prom date loaded up with roofies. KC can. The result is implied. The game will be played as a matter of formalities.
I was going with the "why should I care?" but you seem to have beaten me to it. No heart, no tactics, no system, key players out and a "must win" game. What do the Browns and the Crew have in common? See you next year.
As much as I'd like to harken back to earlier this year when we were struggling and having locker room issues, some (including me) thought Sigi was losing the team, and we went on our best streak of the year. Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen this time. Playoffs are still within reach. Colorado has Chivas (at home), but they way the Goats have been playing lately (and the egg that the Rapids just laid), you have to figure Chivas are likely winners. The Fire host struggling NYRB. Let's hope Angel or Mathis can get one. Pink Cow's defense has been poor lately. A win would keep us in the running (or even a draw). Next week we get Toronto, who haven't scored in 8 games and are injury ravaged to boot. The Fire play their game in hand away to Dallas, then host D.C. They could easily lose both. Colorado visits suddenly resurgent RSL. The following week, the Crew host the Galaxy, the Fire travel to Chivas (undefeated at home), and Colorado visits the Revs. Even with a poor result this week and a Fire win, we could easily make up the ground in the next two weeks.
Because the best predictor of future playing capabilities is their past capabilites. Heck..... Isn't the Crew's genious marketing campaign this season "Live to Score and Score to Live?" If this was true they would be dead by now. OH WAIT.... they are!!!
I'm not trying to bust on Matt here, but I think it's okay to give up on a team when apparently the team quit playing about 6 weeks ago, and the FO thinks we're all mindless idiots who will only be happy if they sign Ronaldinho and Eto'o.