man, im shattered. this may seem like too much too soon. i dont know, maybe its the anger, maybe its the disappointment, maybe the adrenaline, i dont know, i just want to see RSL win again. i look at this match as having two different sides, two faced. this team has just suffered its most disappointing result in its history. there's nobody to pick themselves up but.....themselves. they're going on the road to probably the second best home field advantage in the league behind Rio Tinto. this will be a bonding experience like no other, that no other MLS team has probably had to endure. their options are either, pull together, play the RSL we know, attack, dominate, possess and win. or, curl up with the hot cocoa of disappointment, resent their loss, suffer a massive let down and conclude one of the worst weeks imaginable. there is one thing i know, i got a ticket to this weekends game. i will be wearing my RSL colors. i will be shouting for the claret and cobalt. and i hope to mother********ing god those boys of ours will hear me on the field. you see, i may feel like death, but by god there is blood still coursing through these veins, blood the bleeds only 1 color, im RSL till i die, i was yesterday, i was tonight while i cried over the loss and i will be saturday when i cheer these boys back to victory. FORZA RSL!
Re: RSL vs Portland - pre/pbp/post This thread is honestly the therapy I need. I'm not really in the mood to rehash the match. We saw what our faults were so time to look forward. I wonder with the loss tonight if Kries will rest the A team or give them a shot at redemption. I do think we need to sit either Sabo or Espy for this game. Aside from both being spent from tonight I think they are both extremely out of sync and not in tip top form. Perhaps Artie and Paulo should get the start, or maybe its time we see what Cody has (if he's fit to play). I also wouldn't mind seeing Warner in the midfield to help motivate and provide an early offensive spark.
Re: RSL vs Portland - pre/pbp/post i agree totally. We need to give our other forwards some good time on the field. Sabo has been terrible lately.
Re: RSL vs Portland - pre/pbp/post I'm kinda relieved CCL is done with. That is one very long, very hard slog to go through but worth it every step of the way. We've gone toe to toe with the very best teams in this region and could very well be the best team on this continent. I'm proud of the boys and have no intentions of looking back on it now. It's time to grab some trophies. Like it was said, we'll either bounce back with a vengeance or spend some time licking the wounds, but knowing these guys, they'll be back full steam ahead before long. I almost expect a loss coming up but we're too talented to just be outplayed in MLS. If nothing, I expect this to be a memorable season. There's no excuses not to win the Open Cup, the RMC, the SS and the MLS Cup. We have the depth and we know we can do it. Although it feels like we're stepping back down and earning less prestigious awards, it still means a hell of a lot and hopefully the guys can let this tournament go and start a trophy run the MLS has never seen before. Go get 'em in Portland!
Will be interesting to see if Kreis plays the 1st teamers or if he gives the 2nd teamers another run out. I figure Beckerman starts, since he didn't play tonight, but otherwise who knows? It'll be tough for the 1st teamers in particular to get over the emotional devastation of that loss by Saturday, especially in a place like Portland. Could be a long weekend for RSL; Kreis is going to have to coach his *ss off.
Beckerman is key in this match. How he plays will determine how the squad responds (quickly or slowly).
agreed, jason has some tough decisions to make. the insanely fragile psyche of a team is on a thread right now, do you put those boys back out there this weekend, exhausted, broken emotionally and hope they pick the pieces back up? or do you go with those behind them that have proven to be capable of getting results on the road. i dont know, i feel like i know this team and how they play but this is one situation that i am completely clueless on right now. i hope the boys go home, take some shots, freaking bury the pain of tonight or let that shit loose like no other. come back with fire in their hearts and a passion to demolish this league. i hope all those starters tonight want nothing more than to come back immediately on saturday and get back to work. i hope jason doesnt have to go to those guys and ask them if they want to play. i hope they are back in the locker room tomorrow morning hungry and demanding of jason to put them on the field saturday night.
Oh you guys... Upward and Onward! I feel like i don't have to tell the team that... Just the fans! History has a funny way of MOVING ON... not to mention the fact that there is still A TON of history TO BE MADE! I'd like to see our second team out and I'd definatly like to see Sabo sit... I think he needs to find his fire for the game again and sitting on the bench will make him want the chances he's missing.
Hey, no moping. We played two home and home competitive series with the top two teams from Mexico that qualified for the CCL. Our aggregate scoreline? 9-9. Yes we came up a touch short, but we took both series from the other semifinalists. We got a game on Saturday and we need to grab some points. That's points, plural. As we start a new home undefeated streak, we need to start re-setting everyone else back to zero, too. I want the hungriest team possible.
After last night gut-wrencher, a lot of our players collapsed on the field and appeared to be drained physically, mentally, and enotionally. Hopefully they can rebound. Saturday is going to be tough, but a championship caliber team can't sit around feeling sorry for themselves and I am confident that our players, while being disappointed, have the fortitude to give it their best in Portland and come away with a positive result.
I think the biggest thing we have going in this game is that most of the guys who will play Satruday were not on the field on Wednesday. Not sure how they would respond otherwise - they need some distance from the crushing loss. So: Reynish Beltran McKenzie Schuler Wingert Warner Beckerman Alexandre Nelson Paulo Alvarez
Sabo definitely needs to sit his butt down for this one. I don't know what is going on in his head but we need him to get it figured out quick. I would sit Russell too. I was disappointed JK started him last night. It sure looked like he cost RSL the goal getting beat on his side the last few minutes of the firts half before the goal. It will be incredibly interesting to see how RSL does come out to play in Portland. No matter what sport, following such a dramatic and important game like last night, win or lose, is always a toss up. I would definitely start most of the regulars with Kyle. They need to get a little hair of the the dog that bit them and channel their frustration into the next game.
You don't get your touch back by sitting on the bench and thinking about it. Sabo needs to come in part way through the match when the portland defense is tired and that's when he will be able to break his rut. It's not like he isn't working hard... I think everyone is being critical a bit too fast.
its exactly like javiers second season (technically his third i guess since he came so late into his first), teams have figured him out, the league recognizes him, they are tactically marking and targeting him and he is being neutralized. its up to sabo to make the adjustments necessary to continue and be a force in this league; otherwise he'll just become another 1 season wonder. for RSL's sake i hope he gets his shit figured out, the team's made a big investment in him.
i forgot, as a reminder to those that are coming up to portland for the game the pregame funkage will be happening at Henry's Tavern: http://maps.google.com/maps/place?c...UTF8&ll=45.528434,-122.69439&spn=0,0&t=h&z=16 you can probably expect people to be there around 4:30-5, the game starts at 7:30 and the timbers army starts filling the stands ~90 minutes before then (around 6). its a relatively short walk from Henry's up burnside, 7 blocks. cant wait to meet some of you.
[LINEUP-4-4-2]Paulo, Arturo, Johnson, Warner, Beckerman, Gil, Wingert, Schuler, McKenzie, Beltran, Reynish[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Bench: Rimando, Olave, Gonzo, Jean, Javi, Andy, Espy It'll be interesting to see how Kreis attacks this one. I'd also be interested (thought its rather impossible) to hear which players want to play in this one that played yesterday. One of the quickest and easiest ways to get over a defeat is by playing another game. If I played yesterday I would be begging to get a start in this one. FORZA REAL
Russell won't start, he injured his hammie in the 1st half of the MTY game which is why Beltran subbed on in the 2nd.
i hope a number of players step up and get back on the field. it was a crushing loss but sitting around not playing only allows your mind and heart to think and hurt more. get back on the field, get your feet back under you and get back into the game. its the fastest and easiest way to get over the loss from yesterday. ill be disappointed if at least half the main lineup doesnt start. here's a pano i shot of PGE about 45 minutes before the game against Dallas started a couple weeks ago. the TA is immediately below me from the left all the way to the boxes on the right, i didnt even get a spot in the lower section that early. the visitors section is right in the middle of the photo opposite of me in the far corner: open the pic in a new tab for a bigger version (the original photo is like 10 megs and over 8000x3000 pixels haha, this is a smaller version).
This is going to be a revenge game. Portland plays ok at home, but they haven't really played anyone good there yet. If their back line savior is David Horst, then I think we should do ok.
I think we'll be coming out with a vengance... My prediction is RSL 2-1 Portland goals from PJ and Warner.
bad news for some of you visiting fans, the voodoo doughnut downtown is closed for renovations over the next 6 weeks. there is another voodoo out on sandy and NE 15th though, http://voodoodoughnut.com/locations.php here is a good thread on the timbers page of BS for visiting people, definitely worth the read: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1671040
vs. I'm also hoping that our B team (ranked #2 in most MLS power rankings) will let the first team rest from the very draining CCL final. Of course having Beckerman out there with the newer guys will only hope matters. It will be nice to not have the high stress level, but aren't most of you always stressed watching RSL? Its not like 2005 stress, but its still there. This is futbol/soccer, any club can win any day. FYI Scaddys on 300 West is hosting a RSL watch party, PM me if you want a FaceBook invite or want more info.