Just watched the game and thought it was a very good performance for RSL. Very solid on defense with few breakdowns. The offense could have done a better job holding onto the ball during some parts of the game and not so many over the top balls. Saborio and Fabian really kept up some great pressure on their back line and the set piece defense for RSL was much better. The midfield played pretty good with some very good signs of them coming together with Gil but still much room to improve. If this is a statement game I think RSL showed it can still play some effective football on both sides of the ball. 0 SOG a very good sign that they are starting to gel defensively. Saw much more pressure during the game on the Seattle player with the ball most of the time. The way Seattle plays I could only describe it as being like a Chubby Prostitute. Soft & Cheap.
just watched the game again, eddie johnson is a diving hack who is lucky he didnt get a yellow card for some of antics and get sent off. he took some pretty horrible dives throughout the game and his stupid move heading the ball out of rimando's hand should have resulted in a second yellow. it's funny listening to the sounders announcers, they constantly talked about the sounders needing to play just as physical and rough as RSL and to not get bullied around the field by RSL. which is funny because i thought it was the sounders with the majority of the rough and physical play. lots of sloppy tackles and blatant shoulder charges. not to mention montero's usual bullshit. it was a rosales body tackle/shove which caused wingert to get hurt. the espy goal is really great and comes as a result of multiple players taking the onus to get pressure and a touch on the ball. sabo, gil and espy were all first to the ball and the buildup and execution of the goal. great 3 points on the road. it's going to be weird not having much RSL soccer in the next 5 weeks. only 2 games, 1 league and 1 us open cup. stupid MLS schedule.
Watched this one in a sports bar in Clearfield with no sound and just me watching, first impression from this match (sorry up) was that RSL out worked and out muscled Seattle all night and it was the ability of RSL to do this that kept Seattle off its game. I am not saying RSL played a dirty physical match just that RSL was played bigger, stronger and with more willingnus to get down and fight. Sabo played like shit in the first half, could not buy a clean pass, but did turn it around and play better in the second. 3 very good points and just fun bringing down Seattle's little run at their home in front of their fans
I was poking around on the MLS website and it showed that, so far this season, the "dirtiest" player in the MLS as determined by fouls and cards is, drum roll please, Kyle Beckerman with 5 yellow cards and 30 fouls committed. Vancouver's Eric "Anger Issues" Hassli isn't too far behind with 4 yellows and 27 fouls commited but Seattle's Mr. Montero only has three yellows and 21 fouls committed. Actually, if you really want to get technical, Mr. Montero has a -3 since he has suffered 24 fouls whereas Mr. Hassli is at +19 and our beloved captain is at +22. Jamison Olave? He's at +4 (16 committed, 12 suffered) with three yellows and one red (Daniel Henandez of FC Dallas is the red card leader with 2). Ergo, if the announcers were talking about how rough RSL plays, you could argue that they have a point. Just like in hockey, it only takes one "enforcer" who likes to "lay the lumber" down on a player, or in this case, "the cleats", to give a team that reputation.
Kyle has played more games than Montero. Give Montero another 3 games and he'll be up there with Kyle.
That may very well be, but I woudl think the +/- ratio for fouls is a better indicator of just how "dirty" (some say dirty, I say hard-nosed) a player is. Mr. Montero dishes out his share of fouls, but he's also suffering a lot of fouls also. Our beloved captain just seems to dish it out. This could be that nobody wants to really mess with him 'cuz they know how much of a beast he actually is. "Hey, F***in' Beckerman just fouled me and now I'm laying on the pitch in pain. Anyone else, I'd get even, but knowing Beckerman's reputation, I don't want to piss him off. He might go "studs up" on me next time and my season would be over with. Better just lay here on the pitch and cry silently inside. Boo-hoo."
Been said before, Kyle playing as a holding midfielder is put into positions where fouls are more liked to occur. Add this to his hard nose play and it's easy to see how he gets the amount of fouls he does.
I'd say it comes with the job. KB is our defensive mid, or "Sweeper". He's in charge of breaking down plays, so I'd be surprised if he didn't have a high foul count. Montero is a forward. I'd make sense that he would be on the receiving end of the fouls, but I'm kinda surprised at how many he would dish out. That's not a bash on Montero. I'd guess he's one of those players that really fights for every 50/50 ball, and that's okay IMHO.
Also, the more you have the ball at your feet and in threatening positions (think Javi/Gil at top of diamond, or Montero) the more pressure, read fouls, you'll receive. Most of Beckerman's touches are in the beginning of the buildup as an outlet for the D, and he doesn't normally hang on to it long.
They play two different positions and two different styles of play. Beckerman gets the ball and gets rid of it immediately while Montero gets it and tries to make things happen. It's harder for other teams to get Kyle while he has the ball.
Watched a US Open cup game a couple of years ago in DC. Not a lot of folks in the stands and there was a DC fan sitting 2 rows behind us who noticed our RSL gear and was a nice guy making conversation. He noticed Beckerman wasn't starting and went on and on about what a beast Beckerman was. I mean, it was never ending for the entire game, especially after he came on to play. DW and I still laugh about it. Whenever Beckerman makes a particularly good play one of us says, "I hear he's a beast." LOL!
Great victory for RSL. Alonso got away with a lot of dirty play. Fernandez is a whiner. Montero threw tantrums the whole game. Eddie Johnson is a serious flopper. And every time he did a step over he lost the ball. Great finish by Espy!
The static that is interesting is that Hassli is also a forward like Montero but he's at +19. Maybe it's all his nasty tattoos that scares people aware or something.
Well..... this sucks.... So many games, it was like an overdose of RSL...... now, two games in 5 weeks... What to do, what to do.... *kicks shoe across the room* F YOU MLS SCHEDULE PEOPLE!!!!
A couple thoughts from this match that are sure to have been said already: Espindola was incredible this match. He still had that passion we know and love, but he also seemed to be very much in control of it. Is this the new "daddy" Espindola? If so, defenders should be shitting their pants already. Sabo's heel flick back to Gil for the goal was incredible. The combo play on that goal was something really nice to watch and was a fitting way to end Seattle's "we've never been scored on in the run of play" arrogance. Alonso is a great dmid... but Beckerman is better. Alonso runs a ton, and I think that is a large reason why Seattle/MLS fans love him so much. He was covering 18 to 18 at the end of this match. But that's also why, in my opinion, Kyle is better. Kyle doesn't get out of position nearly as often and wins tackles in his area a lot cleaner and more efficient. Freddy Montero's patented check into the player instead of going up for a header irritated the hell out of me. I really was hoping to see Borchers or Olave just completely clean him out one time, but oh well. Eddie Johnson's crossovers are hilarious. My personal favorite was in the first half when he tried one and gave up the ball through a heel flick to RSL, who then countered. This guy is a hack and a has been. Giving up Fucito and Neagle for him was a big mistake on Seattle's part. Lastly, we've found depth at outside back. Chris Schuler is the ********ing man. Between the 5 defenders of Borchers, Olave, Tony, Wingert, and Schuler we can make a rotation and not worry about working our outside backs too much. FORZA RSL!
I may have missed it but shouldn't people be questioning JK's subs or is that only when things don't go RSL's way?
Wingert going down forced Kries'shand early, still don't really see in Steele what Kreis must, up a goal I liked seeing Yordany come in.
No, ccl doesn't start until the end of July. We have two matches in the next 5 weeks, one league and one us open cup.
Seems like the two excuses I'm seeing over and over regarding the match from shittle fans are that the officiating was awful and that the sounders were just too tired. Lol. Guess we've been on the receiving end of so many reffing no %^%&%% that I thought the ref did a good job Saturday. And the poor sounders are tired? God, give me a break, we've played 3 more games, 4 more road games, were on our 3rd three games in 8 days stint which covered 3 times zones this time and a number of guys with injuries. Excuses are like %$&^% .....seems like the sounders fan base is full of them.
I thought he was spot on with his subs, actually. When I first saw Steele getting ready to come in I was pissed. I thought for sure he was going to take off Ned or Will and completely ruin the defensive shape they'd established with Kyle. Instead, he took of Gil. This move proved genius as Steele is a slightly better defender than Gil (or at least was in this game) and was able to release pressure. The Yordany sub was perfect as well. I like that Kreis didn't wait too long to do it, either. Many times coaches get nervous with that last sub. If you use it before 75' you are just asking for an injury to happen and be left with no rotation. His subs were solid. This was a point I actually forgot to put on my bullets. This might have been his best game as a coach this year.