vs Saturday, April 18, 7:30pm MAPFRE Stadium TWCSC-OH \ MLS Live Back home after a relatively successful roadtrip. Two ties won't cut it for our next two home games though. We need to get three points. Everyone should be nice and rested now that we've had a week off at least. Orlando may be an expansion team, but that Kaka guy is pretty good though. They're certainly not going to go down as the worst expansion team in league history. all-time record vs Orlando: 0-0-0 all-time record vs teams from Florida: 23-20-1 record vs teams from Florida in Columbus: 12-8-1 record vs teams from Florida at MAPFRE Stadium: 6-4-1 record vs teams from Florida in MLS regular season games: 16-18-1 (W-L-T) They may be long gone, but we played a decent number of games against Miami and Tampa Bay.
In addition...some goings-on with Crew Union! Watch US-Mexico tomorrow night at 4th Street. Game starts at 8:30. The "Old Fartes" are back in action around 3 pm on Saturday with chicken wings and fries. All Crew fans are invited, so come hungry. Bring something to share, or just bring yourself. In addition, bring your Crew Union membership cup for free beer courtesy Crew Union and North High Brewing.
Safe to assume Trapp is out. So the big injury question is Francis. Klute and Barson aren't the worst players in the league, but I think Francis adds a bit more going forward. Hopefully Higuain is motivated to perform in a game against Kaka. Show him how it's done Pipa! Be the best player on the field!
By Aslan's mane, Crew by 2, with a scoreline of 3-1. Kamara continues his scoring ways, while Higuain and Finlay each get a much-needed slump-buster (and by that I do mean goal). Grana with all three assists. Kaka get's the goal for O-face when a late penalty is awarded after Pogatetz get's within two feet of Kaka in the box. And speaking of Kaka (and frankly, how could you not?) he puts his first attempt over the bar, but gets a redo, which is blocked by a sprawling Clark. But then he gets a second redo, which he buries heroically. Brek Shea continues to spook us all with signs of new-found emotional maturity by claiming responsibility for a mistake on the field. The league makes sure not to schedule their new heroes in Columbus again for at least a decade. Parkhurst makes one ridiculously bad play, but then makes up for it by being stellar thereafter. Downright Homeric. And Crew fans get drunk. No, really.
Do we know more on Trapp? I thought that he was fine on Saturday, but they didn't play him out of an abundance of caution. I would think he may be OK a week later, unless this downtime has affected his fitness. Honestly, I do think we have decent depth, but its the kind of depth that doesn't nearly replace your starting 11. I want Trapp and Francis back, and I'd like to see some Trapp + Saeid time.
Never mind on Trapp -- Just saw in the 'Pipa Happy' thread that Trapp is in Rhode Island seeing a concussion specialist. I would say this 100% rules him out -- he isn't even in town: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/sports/2015/04/14/0414-wil-trapp-crew-sc-concussiojn.html
Dammit just posted this in the other thread. Win by 1. It's Orlando. If you watch them on TV, they get picked to pieces easily. All Greggg has to do is tell Kei to get on Collin's bad side and we'll be playing against ten men for seventy minutes.
This is also my "Going Away" game before I move to Atlanta. If you are in the Mega Tailgate area, come on over and say hi. We have the two cornhole sets and the car with the Betsy Ross flag.
Here's one for the greybeards: Is Kaka the first Baloon Door winner to play at Mapfre Stadium? Did Lathar Matthaus ever play here?
There's no way we can lose this game. The league has been conspiring against Orlando, and we are pretty invincible when it comes to playing against purple teams.
Also, Barcelona legend, European Cup winner, and Ballon d'Or & Golden Boot recipient, Hristo Stoitchkov.
This - assuming a healthy Trapp. If Pipa continues to play deep, I am much more comfortable with Saeid in the attack than Tchani.
While you were in hibernation a few things have changed. My company's Columbus office was shut down and I was offered to move to Atlanta.