Matchday 3, Friday May 7, RSL vs San Jose Earthquakes

To clarify @Goodsport, that's the official stream of the game on KSL television. Sometimes they geoblock and sometimes not, so even I way out of the SLC market get to use it at times.

Down four starters already isn't a great sign. Neither is having two goalkeepers on the bench but no center backs.

 

Bright start early with a couple shots on goal.

But if I thought Rusnak's deadball kicks were poor last week, please meet the corner he just took. Yeesh.

 

Great shot from Meram, Crossbar and down, it was that close.

 

I am blessed to have seen that live.

 

That's a goal of the week/year right there

 

Also shoutout to the long throw in. It took way too long for us to start doing those

 

Hope you hadn't looked down.

Good lord, has Rubin been amazing through three games.

 

That's me. I looked away for a second and missed it. It's apparently very important to my wife that I watch Shadow and Bone, so I didn't have the sound up on the game.

Sweet goal, though.

 

I've been watching. That goal was breathtaking. He has a lot of ways of finding goals.

And, the team was solid the entire first half. RSL!

 

And look at that first possession in the second half! Aggressive and sharp.

 

It seems like Freddy had/has a pretty good plan to counter Almeyda's game. Hope the team can keep it up in this 2nd half.

 

Rubin's wide play also often results in good crosses. Several per game so far.

 

Normally on a shot like that one from Meram I would prefer a ball dropped for the runners, but San Jose's defenders were in good spots.

 

It's breathtaking to actually start a counter, and keep pushing forward. So many times in prior years we'd wind up passing it back instead of trying to shoot.

 

What strikes me about Brody is how he almost always has his head up and so he makes purposeful passes even while controlling the ball in close spaces.

 

With 3 subs in the 66th or so, is SJE getting ahead of the altitude effect? It makes sense. Plus fresh legs.

 

Is this . . . are these sweet balls from our centerbacks and d-mids part of Pablo's coaching?

 

I was ready to write off Meram last year (really shouldn't do that for just about anyone given 2020), but been very happy with his game tonight.
Very happy with the defense tonight, too.

 

Damn, what a turn from Damir on that saved shot.

 

Wondo the RSL killer is about to come in.

 

SJE sacrificing a defensive player to add to the attack.

 

What a rocket from Espinoza!

 

Does Freddy trust his bench tonight?

 

RSL bringing in 2 attackers. I like the aggressiveness.

 

We do need to release some pressure on the defense so I like the subs. Plus we don't have an extra central defender to bring in anyway. Portillo as a third d-mid would be the best option if extra defense was the goal.