Post-match: GLORY DAYS ARE SOON? MLS MATCHDAY 21 CREW VS NERDS SATURDAY JULY 23RD 7:30PM (NEW ENGLAND)

The T Shirt looks like something from the 90s early 2000s. On purpose perhaps?

 

It's recognizing a 2002 Championship, Chas....

 

Columbus Crew gana por uno

 

Been at home in my wallet for 20 years...

 

And what’s that? Poorly made and two sizes too big?

 

Ibid

 

I have an autographed Goal card from that game.... somewhere ....

I need to frame that.

 

I was there freezing to death with 5000 other Crew hard cores who were willing to subject themselves to hypothermia in order to watch the team finally win something.

A few days ago I mentioned that it's the horrible experiences that make the most memorable games. My son Mookie still remembers sitting through this one with me and making me stay through the presentation ceremony when, after the final.whistle, I was all set to boogie on out of there.

 

I was in attendance for the Open Cup Final due to dumb luck. 2002 was a rekindling of soccer passion for me – as I have mentioned elsewhere. USMNT WC 2002 run, which led into watching MLS games on tv after the WC ended.

Sure, we had been to Crew stadium a few times over the years. Once when the stadium opened in 1999. Maybe once a summer? Knowing my dad, it was probably the game where youth soccer had discounted tickets.

I can still remember convincing my mom to okay going with me and Geeg to the Open Cup game (to put it in perspective, I was 17 and Geeg was 14).
Me: The Columbus Crew play in the Open Cup FINAL! Can we go?

Reply: What is the Open Cup?

Cue me scrambling to provide some information.

I am still really thankful my mom went along with my silly plans. That game was a turning point for both me and Geeg with relation to sports fandom. We never had nor most likely will never develop a connection to a team like the one we have to the Crew.

Little brother will be in attendance for the NE game. Whether he snags an extra shirt or not, I am glad he will be there.


Glory to Columbus.

 

My dad was pretty clueless about soccer. But he would still take my brother and I to the occasional Atoms game, before I was able to drive myself (and it was an expedition, as it took at least 90 min to get to the Vet from where we lived in the NE suburbs, as I-95 ended in the middle of the city). I'm very thankful for that.

 

I will never forget one thing about being at the 2002 US Open Cup Final. The look on Lamar's face as he hoisted up the trophy, with The Crew players going crazy all around him! Here is a video I found of some local news coverage of the Crew's first championship. Freddy Garcia with the game winner!

 

Agree the semifinal was more memorable. I'd buy Fredy Garcia a beer if I ever met him. Was at the final and it was cold. LA had won MLS cup a few days earlier so they had almost literal hangovers. But it was nice to see the team win and I think Lamar was there too.

This week we get a fading Revs team. Last year they set the single season points record. This year they can't seem to help blowing leads. It's very uncharacteristic for an Arena team to not be able to close out a game but they can't seem to do it this year.

 

If we are talking about the semi-final, it has to be Pelusa that deserves the beer. What a match. It had everything. A Chad McCarty own goal. Me dropping approximately 73 f-bombs in full voice in front of my father (the last 30 or so of those f-bombs of the celebratory variety), a 90th minute equalizer. Pelusa doing it again in Extra Time. Just a mind mindbogglingly good match.

From a sheer excitement point of view, it's better. But you only win your first trophy once.

 

As for this weekend, Moriera is suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Santos and Artur are one card away from suspension per the league website.
Who is our backup right back? Hairston? Etienne? Maybe we play 3 in the back again.

 

I think Hariston is the back up but what’s his fitness like ?

If it’s not good enough to start I could see Farsi starting so we can keep Etienne at winger . I love Etienne at RB but due to incompetence of the other wingers I’m not sure I want them starting and Yeboah & Molino haven’t been healthy either. Igbekeme isn’t really a winger and looks horrible on the wing

 

Aw, shucks.
Spending the weekend up in your neck of the woods. Visiting my sister in law in CT while she does her masters at Yale. Have an Airbnb in CT for the weekend while also doing Providence and either Salam or Amherst.
Spent the day today in Poughkeepsie and Hyde Park at the FDR Historical Site and lunch at the Culinary Institute.

 

Is he really here if Chelsey doesn't yell at him when he's running?

 

Wa'alaykumu as-salam.

 

Awww man. You were like 20 minutes from me at CIA.

Enjoy your trip!!!

 

If you are going to Salem, do go to the Essex Institute. And for the best fried clams go to Farnham's in Essex (but watch for parking). It's mentioned in a Spenser book. Better than Woodman's (my father's family was from Essex--and my great grandfather was a clamdigger, among other things). A little further afield, the Cape Ann Museum in Gloucester is good and the Cape Ann Brewing Co. (oops, COVID got them).

Closer to Yale, a visit to the sub museum in Groton is worthwhile. You can tour the U.S.S. Nautilus there.

 

Hairston (or Farsi) is the easiest/cleanest swap, as nothing else changes. As we are playing pretty well right now (8 unbeaten), I'd lean towards keeping things as consistent as possible, especially eith a full week's rest.

If Etienne starts at RB, then that means at least two changes in the starting lineup. Diaz & Yeboah have been strictly right side guys so far. Which would mean Molino (stamina issues) or Igbekeme (slightly out of position and normally a CM sub) would have to start.

The most narural replacement for Etienne is Pedro, but then you have to start Sands. Or switch to 3 in the back. That is starting to be too much fiddling on a team 8 unbeaten for me taste.

If Hairston is healthy, I let him start.

 

I agree with you for the most part. I will say that the 8 games unbeaten has featured 3 at the back in 3 of those games I think. That we managed to get through the last 3 games in 8 days without giving Santos a rest is kind of a miracle. Even Mensah got a (forced) break.

Moreira didn't get a lot of love in the the recent game threads, but he has been VERY good in the last handful of games, especially with Diaz ahead of him. Diaz scares teams and forces them to take away the space in behind so that Diaz can't straight line run them to death. This has opened up space for Moreira to both overlap and underlap and he's shown up to do both. This is why I could see moving Etienne there being the best option as he most replicates what Moreira brings offensively. Hurts a bit on the defensive end, but DEJ has shown a willingness to get up and back and be in the right places.

Hairston is coming off injury and hasn't seen the field in a bit. I think I go 3-5-2 with Santos and Etienne wide left and right in that case, but only if Degenek can go.

 

On Friday, Farsi was with the senior team in training in preparation for Saturday’s home match versus the New England Revolution. With the Crew back to almost full health, only midfielder Artur sits on the injury report while recovering from a lower leg injury.


Finally getting healthy that is a good thing

some of these big money wingers need to contribute ( Molino & Yeboah) and we need Degenek to build a chemistry with Mensah so we can go into playoffs in good form

 

Still would like to see the grey with black shorts. But this combo means doooooomm.