Yes, watching it back on Tivo, Blake did make 2 really glaring errors - leaving Blanco unmarked in the box on one cross, and flubbing a headed clearance down to Mapp. Fortunately, both shots went high and wide. Despite that, I stand by my earlier statement that he looked much better in his more natural position.
A few stats: Rocha got his 6th assist today in his 12th game. Rocha is tied for second in the league in assists. Last year Dax led the team for the season in assists with 7. The only player to notch double digit assists since 2003 is Ronnie O'Brien. Hopefully Rocha will change that. Props to Buzz who called it all along. Rocha seems to play the best through ball on the team. This was Rocha's 3rd game winning assist of the season. Tied with Landycakes for tops in the league. There are already 12 players(in 13 games) who have notched an assist for FCD this year. For me this is a very encouraging stat, last year there were 13 players total who had assists. Kenny's 7th goal puts him into a tie for 3rd in the golden boot standings with Luciano Emilio. Fouls were 15-3 against Dallas *shakes head* That means in the eyes of Mark Geiger, Chicago committed 3 fouls in 90 minutes....right.
So, is this guy just a friggin idiot, or should we suspect NBA-like manipulation from a league banking on the likes of Blanco & Beckham to fill stadiums?
Sorry, guys, just gotta throw this in there. Same old Brimstone, Dallas winning. Props to the Dallas fans who made sure to discuss the Brimstone with the players on Friday. You know who you are. Beating Chicago never grows old.
I am usually the last person to gripe about referees, but the non-call on the penalty toward the end would smack of a fix if it occurred in Italy. The Chicago player didn't even come close to making contact with the ball, he clearly took down the Dallas player, and all this occurred well within the area. There is only one proper call: penalty. But hey, we won any freaking way! Great game, lads! Now everyone go get an icewater I.V.! No more afternoon games in the summer! Never!
Look, Rocha's only problem on set pieces is that he can't get it up! Solution: Viagra. Problem solved.
Old Man Blanco drew 15,059 to PHP last year. Given that was a Saturday evening in September, as opposed to a blistering hot Father's Day afternoon with Euro 2008 and USA vs Barbados on TV at the sameish time, that's really not a bad drop at all.
LOVIN the Daxster back in the line up! He looked GREAT! I would much rather have him taking the corners than the 6foot+ Rocha who should be in the box on corners (IMO) The ball control that has been missing was awesome, esp late in the game. We just finished watching on tivo. I guess we picked a good game to miss (weather wise). Inferno and the crowd in general sounded good. Props to all the die hard fans that stuck it out! NO MORE MID-DAY TEXAS SUMMER GAMES!!!!!! Brimstone baby!!!!!!
I'll join everyone in saying it was way too hot, and I'm usually not bothered much by the weather. Also, WE WON!
If I may be a slight voice of reason, foul counts can sometimes be misleading. Remember that when advantage is signaled, the referee is acknowledging that a foul occurred, but foregoing stopping play and calling it because it would be disadvantageous to the fouled team. Secondly, according to the stats page, Chicago has committed the least number of fouls thus far this season so it's not just Mr. Geiger who isn't calling much against them. And yeah, I thought that was a penalty. It was right below where I was standing, and I thought he tripped him. No idea what it looked like from ground level, of course.
FC Dallas is not only going to give me stomach ulcers from all the stress but now skin cancer as well. 2 pm game in June? Brillant! Great win though, hey we have balls after all! (Saragosa must go!)
ok, do u believe it? yes! I got some topics about the sun and the heat: #A I was the guy in a loose, oversize long-sleeve white shirt and the wide-brim hat with a mesh band around the crown and I drank a bunch of water since Saturday, then again from a PHP drinking fountain before I sat down and at half-time. No beer. Also, I drank a sour,metallic bubblegum-tasting Red Bull energy drink while driving in? Do you think the Red Bull helped? I have no idea. Anyway I was OK with the heat even though I'm old and completely out of shape. 2 re: where TV cameras are positioned: OK. All you dull defenders of the status quo, you "by the book", "keep the sun shining from behind the camera onto your subject" Sunny Siberia, lovers of over-exposed white uniforms: How do you defend the west side lights being on? How? The east side lights, ok, might help to somewhat illuminate the shadow-side of the players for the benefit of any east-side cameras pointing west {actually, having seen a bit of the Telefutura broadcast, I don't remember there BEING any camera shots from the east side} ...And the reason for the WEST side lights being on at 2:00 p.m.??????????????????... ...to exacerbate the over-exposed look of the entire broadcast? WAY TO GO, cookie-cutter standard operating procedure!!!! and TXU! WAY TO GO, TXU! btw. Did you know that many widows and orphans depend on pension funds invested in TXU? Same thing with EXXon. They are charities! Who knew? Certainly not me, until I saw it on TV, where things are true. #C My usual re: match-ups of uni's. #D The wind was NOT blowing hardly anywhere, including in the area of La Guardia Roja, in the NE quadrant, ground level. ... but when I walked 50 yds around to the north end, that's where the wind was nice!: The best "seat" in the house for staying cool was standing on the concourse level behind the stage roof structure. [maybe those folks ON the stage ManiacalClown? can chime in about if there was a breeze down there --- didn't look like it] anyone remember the phrase "Frisco's Fahrenheit Folly"? heh heh heh heh heh heh 5.0/III revisited back to letter #C Even live at the park, from the east side stands, the match looked better 'cause the red looked redder on the shaded side of the players. that rhymes. the match looked better 'cause the red looked redder 5.1 Too sun-blasted many white jersey-backs ... like, looking from the west stands (the overview TV camera's angle) when there was a corner kick from the NE flag and 15 white-backed field players in the penalty area are facing the ball. I want replies to Letter #2, people. [because in how often can you EFFORTLESSLY improve a soccer broadcast by simply switching a light-switch into the "OFF" position and having a team change their uniform?] Rocha's assist to Cooper was slick. btw. and someone usually in section 108 is a weather wussy!
Don't understand scheduling an afternoon game this time of year. Good grief, was it hot?! Geiger is a horrible ref. Team still can't finish a PB&J sandwich, let alone a scoring opportunity.
I don't really have a problem with that per se. To a certain extent, you can chalk a lot of that up to the fact that we were the more aggressive team and more committed to winning the 50/50 balls, which we were. Occasionally, a foul will happen in those situations. Where I have a problem with Geiger is that he swallowed his whistle when Dax clearly got taken out in the box late in the game.
Gah! Lost a long post with excellent analysis in it to be sure! Sum: It was hot! (although I watched from an A/C house) Kennaldo Coopinho is awesome. Rocha played very well. I wish FCD would score more goals. I used to hate Blanco, but he is good.
I have a lot of respect for Blanco (far, far more than for a certain other DP with a name beginning with B), but I really didn't see that much from him yesterday. Sure he swung in one or two crosses that better players than Barrett probably ought to have gotten on the end of, but unless he really is that slow, the heat was really getting to him. Plus he was a whiny, diving little biatch for a lot of the game and how he didn't get a booking for dissent in the last 5-10 minutes is beyond me. You didn't need to be a trained lip-reader to know what he was yelling at that useless tosser, Sinead (TM sweeper33).
Once Dax if fully healthy FCD should have a wicked MF. Rocha is finally fully adjusted to this league and his teammates, he is really an outstanding attacking MF. Drop Toja deeper and let him do the dirty work and get forward after winning possession, as he did several times yesterday, and that will not only improve Toja's game but the overall play of the team as well with Rocha and Dax in MF. It's too bad Dax is going to miss so much time for the Olympics, FCD really needs him. Oduro probably played his best game of the year, though he didn't score. He kept running 100 MPH giving 110% in the brutal heat (he and Cooper) and had some nice passes from the corner into Cooper. As well, on 2 or 3 of the runs where he was facing 2 defenders he was still able to shake loose and get a shot off, last season those runs would have ended with a turnover or nothing threatening at all. Oduro is truly becoming a very dangerous player. Cooper - once again a stellar performance. We need to offer this kid a good, long-term contract and lock him up. Have you ever seen such good feet and finishing ability for such a big guy. And the hustle, never stops working hard. He is the heart and soul of FCD. He and Rocha have a great understanding and play very well together. Alvarez - run! get up in support or get off the team. Several times he stood and watched Oduro and Cooper run their a$$ off into an attack and he walked and watched, did not run the 40 yards necessary to support the attack. Very disappointing. I know it was vey hot but that is something that must be done. Playing that position, run, or get off the pitch. Toja - started slow, really came on well as the game progressed, esp. in the 2nd half, some very nifty runs and passing, hard defensive work. A B- effort compared to the Toja of last season but an A performance based on the 08 season. FCD was unlucky not to win this one 2 or 3 to 0, but the very encouraging thing was that they killed off a game very well, at no time after the 80th minute did I feel FCD would lose the grip on this game. This was a big W and a big 3 points, puts FCD 3rd in the West and if the playoffs started today FCD would be in, facing 2 roadies it was imperative to get this W. If we can take 2 or 3 points from the 2 game roadies upcoming, then come back and take 6 or 7 from the 3 home games following, we will be in an excellent position. Great, great effort by the boys yesterday!!! P.S. - FCD plays when MLS says they'll play if the game has been selected for tv. With the presence of Blanco and in a good hispanic market this was a natural Sunday game selection for spanish language tv. I'm fairly certain the FCD FO knows that between June and August/Sept. best to play our games at night. Those of you bitching or asking why FCD scheduled the game as they did are way off base.
I did not think Blanco played his best game yesterday, and I really still do not like his whining, but he popped up a couple of times in very dangerous situations, he was open in the 18 with the ball, hit Barrett in the head with the ball once, and a near miss another time.
To answer the question, with the fact that the wind was blowing all game, the most important factor in keeping cool was finding some shade. We ended up in the covered area on the concourse at stage left and it was fine for the second half. A few good tips from someone who A) was born up north and really doesn't do well with heat and B) has been to enough Aggie football games in the sickening heat to know how to deal with it: Drink lots of water. If you're thirsty, you're not drinking enough water. It doesn't matter if it's warm or cold water. Hydration is the key here. Every once in a while, pour some water on your head. This takes advantage of the natural way your body keeps its core temperature down: evaporation of liquid on the skin. Also, drinking alcohol in that kind of heat probably isn't a good idea.
I know! I couldn't believe it when I saw Blanco swigging Corona and taking Tequila shots in the second half! That's very poor decision-making for the Old Man With No Neck!
This is what is known as a "reach". Not trying to pick a fight, because it appears you're not just here trolling, but I must have missed all of those "advantage" plays signaled by Geiger that FCD was allowed to continue when Chicago "fouled" them, 'cause most of what I saw were the advantages gained by Chicago after not being called for the damn fouls they just got away with. Hey, I appreciate how you're trying to use the stats to support your argument here, but let's not assume that whatever some other fine MLS officials have done in previous games somehow justifies the pathetic performance Geiger gave us yesterday. That was about as one-sided as I've seen a MLS game officiated in a long time (and thanks to the wonders of Direct Kick and a DVR, I see most of them), and, even though I was thinking it at the time, I'm still surprised by the final foul totals. I'm all in favor of my team being aggressive and committing the occasional foul - especially against Blanco - but 15 v 3 is even more ridiculous than I first thought. The disparity in yellow cards was also ridiculous. Someone should explain to Geiger that just because a foul may have been committed on a given play, yellow isn't necessarily warranted. About the only thing supported by Geiger's performance yesterday was the prevailing opinion of MLS referees. And that ain't good. Looked like a penalty.
Ferruzi put together an excellent gameplan. He focused on Chicago's lack of speed in defense by playing Oduro from the beginning. And while Oduro frustrates the heck out of me with his poor touch, poor finishing and inability to square the ball to open teammates, his speed opened up the game for the midfield and for Cooper.