you will never be my equal.* BOW BEFORE MY GENIUS!! * Except in debate. texgator is the master debator
Some interesting stuff from DMN's Steve Davis. Click here for the whole article. <snip/> A little Burn inside information available only to you intrepid online readers: Local product Philip Salyer has apparently lost his job at right back. That’s too bad, because Salyer, in what amounts to his rookie MLS season, was making a decent case for himself. But Burn coach Colin Clarke, whose team has struggled to score goals, needed a little more offensive push from his outside fullbacks. So he gave Carey Talley a shot at right back in the U.S. Open Cup match against Colorado. Dallas clobbered the Rapids, 3-0. So Talley kept his spot against D.C. United and promptly delivered a sweet cross to Eddie Johnson for an early goal. Dallas clobbered United, 5-1. So for now, Talley will continue to make the first XI. He gets the start Wednesday at Columbus. “Philip’s done great job for us,” Clarke said. “He’s had a good start. Now, this maybe gives him a chance to refresh himself and have a little break.” </snip>
i thought Talley played very well in those two games. ok, i lied - i have no idea how he played in the USOC game vs. Chicago - i missed that one. but from most accounts i've heard he was solid in defense more than Salyer has been. maybe that helped ROB play with fewer defensive worries or maybe Talley contributed to the offense a little more (that ROB-Talley-EJ goal was fantastic!) or maybe Talley and ROB have a little better understanding with each other.
It doesn't seem Talley has done that much and we have played teams missing folks but those results speak for themselves and he has earned some more chances to see if he is the reason or part of it. I believe it has a lot more to do with Eddie being back and scoring four goals with three assists and / or Oscar starting both games.
I've managed to scrounge together some info, but I don't want to give out the lineup until closer to the game... so come back tomorrow.
This game should be a good test for the Burn. After defeating the Rapids and rolling over a United team hampered by injuries, the Burn face a team playing fairly well at their house. After this match, I think we will be able to judge the Burn a little more impartially than after the last two games. Specifically, will the Burn score? Maybe I'll just pass away...or maybe I'll stay. Sir Drinxalot
I would tend to agree - we haven't played teams pushing our right fullback, and obviously Eddie has been a handful of late. Then again, Carey is a very experienced MLSer. I will say this - I am surprised that when Phil did lose his job, it was to someone other than Reyes....
Best guess based on player availability: Johnson.....Kreis Davis...Simo....Oscar....ROB Gbandi...Gibbs...Goodson...Talley Cassar Bench...Nunez, Quell or Maurin, Salyer, Rhine and Garlick I'm assuming Toni, Jolley & Behncke are not available due to injuries and Reyes stays home if you bring Phil and Quell goes if back is okay otherwise Ty. Whoever goes to Columbus it would be nice to start the All-star break with a win.
If Talley has temporarily won the right back spot why don't they give Salyer a run at left back? Wasn't that the fall back plan if Reyes managed to wrestle the job from Salyer? Anyway you can get Gbandi off the field.
We need to come out with guns blazing. This team should be full of confidence. We have scored 8 goals and given up only 1 in our last 2 contests. We need to be agressive and make things happen. Put our cleat on Columbus' throat early and often. Columbus is playing like crap. They have only 1 win in their last 8 games. They are 1-3-4 with 7 points in that span. They maybe have two players (Martino/Hejduk) who could start for us. We need to go at them from minute 1. Their fans hate their coach and their players are uninspired. We need this win. We need every point we can get before San Jose wakes up and while Colorado can't find the goal with a compass.
Yes, Columbus is ripe for a beating, no question about it. They can't score for their lives. I gotta believe that if we put one in early the game is all but over for them. Predictioniones: Crew 0-1 Burn EJ in the 8th minute off a quick counter started by a Simo interception who passes off to a streaking ROB on the right. Ronnie delivers a trademark over the top ball to my man, Eddie, who calmly slots it home against a demoralized Busch. EJ then does a little jig, fakes the back flip, pulling back at the last minute with a smile and a wink towards Clarke. Crew then desperately try for the equalizer, but quickly realize they can't get past Simo and Gibbs, they get frustrated, start getting chippy, and the yellows start to fly. In his first game in the neon yellow, Szetela gets ejected. In the post game interview, he breaks down and threatens to never put that stupid looking jersey on ever again, and demands a trade to the Metrosexuals. Columbus' fan situation turns from bad to awful, when all 17 in attendance walk out at halftime in protest. The pressure gets to be too much for Andrulis and his bearded head explodes. We then find out that his head was indeed filled with microchips and used motor parts. And HSG's money saving scheme of replacing bad coaches with robot look alikes is blown wide open. What do you guys think? Unrealistic?
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/072804dnspoburnlede.26306.html Jolley and Behnke didn't make the trip.
5-nil, 1-nil, doesn't matter to me. Just get the 3 points. If the Burn takes care of business, beats the teams it should beat, they should comfortably stay in 3rd place in the West, maybe be poised for more if KC or LA slip. If you had told me a year ago this is where the team would be right now, I would have said "No way!" The Burn has a great opportunity here to get on a roll for the second half. I want to see them grab it by the balls and pull. If those happen to be the Crew's balls, so be it. After reading their "fans" Dallas-pregame thread, and their abuse toward Szetela and his family, they should be ashamed, and if the Burn can shame them, great.
I was going to post this later but since Davis mentioned it I will follow. Behncke and Jolley did not travel as Steve said. Nhleko did not travel either. Talley continues at left back. Oscar traveled and is slated to start. Garlick is cleared to play. Kreis Johnson Davis Pareja Valakari O'Brien Gbandi Gibbs Goodson Talley Cassar Bench: Garlick, Quill, Rhine, Salyer, and one more, I think it was Reyes (Reyes is the question mark, it could be someone else)
Stadium Cafe - 6:30 https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126233 https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126127 http://dallas.burn.mlsnet.com/MLS/dab/load.jsp?section=fans&content=watching
I think I stole your bit....actually mine started out as serious and then just went crazy. I love stream of conciousness writing. Once I started describing EJ's celebration, things just started flowing out of my beer adled mind. But I had no intentions of usurping your title of "Official fantasy game prediction" author. Sorry.
nah, i can share. it'll be fun if we can get a few more people in on it to see who can get the final one-up on everyone else.
Please beat the crap out of the the yellows. Their entire Support Club is about to commit mass suicide to get Andrulis out, maybe a nice arse whippin' will shut the team down, and then we can take a flatbed over to their stadium and haul it back to Maryland thus solving DC's situation of an SSS. (At least we would fill it) Thank you.
That could get fun......but it also could get out of hand. There already is too much nonsense on this board for many regulars. I think I'll leave it to you from now on.