I thought I heard during the play-by-play on the radio that Buddle has something broken in his foot? I tuned in about a minute before the goal...
According to this morning's Dispatch Buddle is out for the remainder of the season with a broken right foot. He'll be in a nonweight bearing cast for four weeks.
Zipsix, you're good people but thats idiotic. If one player makes this whole team than we are completely screwed. They've won games without Buddle and still can. And if they don't it's not because of Buddle's injury that they lose. It will be because the rest of the talent we have out there (which is still plenty) isn't producing.
Yeah, this sucks BIGTIME! Buddle will be a huge star. I doubt he'll be called up for some time, though. Maybe in a year or so.
Scott, I'm a defeatist at heart. Buddle combines the best in Jeff and Dante, he has the skill to dribble around people and the strength to get through them. This I do not have to explain to you. But without Buddle we're left with the inapposite three up front who just can't seem to get it together. Cunningham has been deer-in-the-headlights-boy for this series, he's looked lifeless. And without Jeffro producing, the task falls to others who haven't scored in months or need to break into the score sheet at all. That was, except for Mr. Buddle, who with a series of really cool moves could change the whole complexion of a game because after said series of moves he would score. We have plenty of guys who can dance, and we have plenty of guys who can "flick on", we need more that can score at the end. So, we are done, unless somebody steps up. It didnt happen Sunday, and it didnt happen Wednesday. My money is that it won't happen Saturday: but let them PLEASE prove me wrong.
Okay, Buddle, is good. He's been hot for us and he has made stuff happen, but he isn't the be all end all of this squad. He was on the field for 70 minutes without producing any sort of goal in game 1, (McBride and Jeff actually were much closer to scoring). Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he also on the field for the 0-0 draw at the stadium not too long ago in the regular season against these same Revs. he has been far from lighting it up against these guys this year. He did have the goal in OT back in the beginning of the year, but he's not the reason we'll lose the series. He hasn't really produced against these guys either. You also mention the threesome of Dante, McBride, and Jeff up front. I really don't see us starting three up front next game. I see either Martino or Perez gettin a start and hoping that Jeff or Mcbride can feed of the creativity. Possibly with Dante coming in late if we need him. I have no reason, or no evidence to think this way, but I think if we can get in just 1 then the gates will open up. They are playing without Heaps, and Pierce is gonna be hurtin even more after workin his ass off last game. If we can get just one in, the second guessing may start, and our guys will just have to feed off that.
you know it really comes down to who scores first. we don't play well against teams that can pack the middle and negate our speed, and yet somehow were were able to net two against KC Wiz on Open Cup night because in large-part buddle had the strength and composure to 'meg his defender and go to goal. I think the strategy on Sunday at NE was just to take our chances as they came, and as we both know they were a ton of them, and they just couldnt be finished. Though if my memory serves me, it was McBride and Cunningham with the large share of chances. I think, as has been discussed ad naseum, Buddle does not belong on the left wing. It's hard for me to say that we'll start Martino or Perez Saturday, because wasn't Wednesday the night to start them? We critically needed, just as we do on Saturday, to score first. And instead we were caught sleeping in minute three. You're right that Buddle did not score on Sunday. I'll need a tape review session to find out why, and how close he was. And you're also right that we are not a one-man team. But our chances have been decreased exponentially.
I have to go with ZipSix on this one. I am generally not a pessimist. But this series is turning me into one right quick. And, really, what's the point of barely getting past this series if we plan on playing the same way against LA? Let's face it. LA will tear us a new ass if we play the same way against them. Man, I have never wanted to be more wrong about anything, but NE has already effectively packed the d on us twice. I believe they can do it again and earn that final point. And can anyone really get solace out of NE possibly winning this whole damn thing or LA finally winning it? I can't. This is going to be one of the worst finals ever.