Good thing neither of them play for D.C. then. Also, the next option behind Zubar is Karl Ouimette, followed by Roy Miller. No one needs me to go over the massive issues with those choices.
No worries brother. Tonight I confused Maddog 20/20 with an energy drink, so naturally I'm able to understand these things clearly.
The game he would have been suspended for is vs. DC United. Hopefully Saborio will give him fits. Or maybe Arrieta (if he can somehow stay onside).
I would appreciate if the good folks at Fox and ESPN could deliver in the lead up to MLS playoff matches some quality what to watch for snippets that perhaps get the American sports enthusiast who might be watching, thus might be willing to tune in to an MLS playoff return leg. Perhaps if there was something that got them to see an interesting storyline surrounding the players or cities involved. Like Clint Dempsey's return to Texas. He's a face n name casual fans might want to see play. Or since it is season 20 of these playoffs, the DCU return trip to New Jersey after the very first playoff series between these two teams in season 1. In which that outcome forged two very different futures for each team as D.C. went on to be the flagship of the league and the Metrostars went on failure for the next decade. Or even a Drogba out of Africa to Montreal backstory. Stories that we all witness done by / ESPN or Fox Sports types for our other leagues and key players every time big games/ big moments are happening that week in our sporting landscape. What has been coverage like locally in y'alls markets? Good, great, lacking, same old same old?
Newsday doesn't write much about the Red Bulls. They had 28 words about the first leg that were written by the Associated Press. The 28 words included things like "72nd," "1-0," "D.C.," and "Dax" that are proper nouns and/or numbers. The New York Daily News was better, with http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/mccarty-goal-red-buls-1-0-leg-lead-united-article-1.2419831 being a 409 word article.
The only way NYRB could lose this series is a Zubar red-card and/or PK. Zubar = Fubar Four more games with him at CB until NYRB can lift the cup. That might be a bridge too far.
There are a lot of ways NYRB could lose the series, and that is certainly one of them. For DC to have any real hope they'll have to find a way to get some possession and contain/negate the 3-man central midfield of NYRB. That, or two fluke counter-attack goals. Not sure what kind of magic Olsen might be able to conjure up with his roster, but Marsch seems like the type of manager that is more than capable of having his squad protect (and likely build upon) their leg 1 lead.
RDS (French-language sports channel) is giving LOTS of coverage to Impact, as are other written media outlets. The city knows the team's in the playoffs.
Vancouver has sold 26,000 tickets for Sunday's game. They will sell out their 27,500 capacity. If both they and Seattle advance, I'm sure they will open the upper deck.
If the Ticketmaster ticket map for MAPFRE are any indication, it's going to be a big crowd in Columbus as well.
At least Miller has the guts to step up and take a big free kick at the end of a must-win game. Right?
Cubo Torres really screwed up badly when: 1. He returned for that stint in Mexico. 2. And then ended up in Houston. The peak of that guy's soccer career was at Chivas USA. Think about that ...
Owen Coyle's offense seemed to involve Will Bruin making these 30-yard sprints at goal all the time--NOT Cubo's game. Cubo would be worth a look in Dallas as a box finisher and passing connector for all their speed. He would fit there better than anywhere else in MLS, both tactically in Pareja's system and with the number of young Spanish-speakers on the team.
That's not really true. Ouimette has started 7 games for the Red Bulls this season. In those 7 games, the team had 1 win, 2 draws, and 4 losses. Zubar, by contrast, has started 8 games, and in those games, the team has had 4 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. Obviously you can't judge a player based purely on team results, but it seems pretty clear to me, and it did at the time, that the defense is markedly worse with Ouimette in there versus Zubar. He's a fine 4th centerback, but nothing more.