Second leg, big lead but perhaps down some starting defenders, on the road for a big game at CenturyLink Field. Live on ESPN2 so a national television audience. Boy did that game at the RioT go a long way towards remnding me why we were optomistic early in the season . . . Here we go.
RSL need to go out attacking again. Treat this next game like the game tonight. It doesn't matter that they are up by 3. Go out and get 3 more! Even if Olave is healthy does Kreis play him on the fake field?
This is far, far, far from over. RSL needs to attack and get a goal early and Seattle will fold up or fall down. Go RSL!
The nice thing about being up 3-0, Seattle absolutely has to go all out from the start, making for some great counter-attack opportunities. I highly doubt this game goes 0-0 and if we can put one in, especially early on, I don't see them coming back.
We're not exactly a counter-attacking team, but I agree that the mindset cannot be bunker ball. We need to play like we played in SLC tactically. If we need to adjust, fine, but we obviated their three attackers with possession and had numbers upfield because of it.
If both Olave and Borchers are out: worse case scenario [LINEUP-4-4-2]Espy, Sabo, Johnson, Kyle, Andy, Ned, Wingert, Schuler, McKenzie?, Russell, Nicky[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Bench: Melia, Tony, Luis, AA, YAlavarez, PJ, Javi I think having Javi coming off the bench in this one would be VERY ideal. I wouldn't mind him starting - especially if he thinks he can go at least 75, but having him come in to be our Mo Rivera would be epic. Obviously we really really really need at least one of Borchers/Olave to be healthy. I don't think Kreis would play Wingert at CB again. Montero v McKenzie? shit... The biggest thing in this match is going to be finding Espy in the holes they leave while attacking. Their outside backs, especially Riley, simply don't matchup well with Espy. Long diagonal switching balls will kill that team.
It would seem like a good time to give Javi some rest. If we advance, we're either playing Sunday/Monday depending on LA/NY. We might have a bit of luxury getting to rest a couple guys on this. If Borchers and Olave are cleared to play, I'd almost prefer we kept Olave on the bench. I'm nervous that we don't have either.
If we don't advance and have 2 of the best players in MLS on the bench, how would you feel about that? Play Javi and Olave if he's healthy. Not even a question in my mind.
Olave is the one I'm most concerned about resting. His knees already hate turf, and he picked up a knock yesterday. If he's not near 100% I'd rather he was benched. Now if our choice winds up being Schuler and Mckenzie with Borchers out and Olave 70%+, I'd stick with Schuler/Olave but I'd be incredibly nervous all match. The decision is a lot harder IMO because of the already short turnaround for game 2, plus another short turnaround for the Western final. Would it be better to force 2 injured guys on the field and risk losing them the rest of the season, or having them be fit for Sun/Mon? I still lean towards a Schuler/X pairing. I just don't see it worth risking both of them.
I love how people start talking rest. Rest in the off season. Now's the time to go full steam ahead. I hope, hope Olave can play. I'd say he's the most likely if it is just a minor quad strain. I hope for the best. Schuler can replace Borchers admirably well. His injury SEEMED the worst. No matter what, I think RSL is going to get through this series. After that, without those two, I don't know. If they won't make it to the Cup I hope LA wins their series. If they have a chance with Borchers and possibly Olave out, then NY might be the best bet. In the end, things will work out the way they will. I feel good about their chances getting through this series, with or without these two.
word on the street is a injured ligament in Nats knee, he was complaining of pain in the area where the quad meets the knee, to me that is the patellar tendon. kind of a tricky one, you feel that pain every time you flex your quad or bend your leg at the knee front to back. recovery is really dependent on the player if it is the patellar tendon, but my money would be on him not playing wednesday (especially on that shitty awful turf). olave's quad strain is tough and given his leg injury history its hard to say whether he'll be ready to go on that shitty awful turf. i obviously have extensive history playing on a bad quad with my torn rectus femoris. it sucks, it hurts, you limp around and a lot of normal movements you make in a soccer game bring a sharp tinge of pain. but you can play, i played on my torn quad for 3 months before i even started physical therapy/rehab. just get a tighter brace and get very warm, hell put a heat pad on it underneath the brace. if i had to bet i would say olave would play on it. we'll see.
read my post above, the word is that borchers strained a tendon in his knee, he's getting his MRI today. its been like 18 hours, patience grasshopper. besides, why not do some gamesmanship and make seattle wait as well.
The post game they were talking about getting an MRI either today or early Monday. Team leaves for Seattle Monday afternoon. It won't surprise me if we don't hear about either injury until sometime tomorrow.
I saw McKenzie arrive at about the 20th minute to the game. He'd better get his bags packed. He and Tony may play more than they thought they would at the outset of the series. Section 23 is fun to watch - as usual there was a whole crew of players from our bench, and the wives assembly, and Kenny 'Rockstar' Cutler. I observed that Nelson Gonzalez was absent. Last week he had to move his crew around because they were in other peoples' seats. I hope we get an affordable shot at taking a flyer on him next year, but upping Espindola and (we really should lock in) Schuler would be higher on my priority list.
to me this feels like the series against columbus in 09, pretty big underdogs to start, first game at home that we played very well in and got a deserved victory and now all the pressure is on the opponent. we saw what happened with columbus, they were chasing the game so much that they left huge holes that RSL exploited very well. i get the feeling that seattle is going to be chasing this game sooo much that if RSL stays composed and plays their game they should win. this is the type of game that espy thrives in, he is such an opportunistic player and will find holes in the seattle defense to get in. here's hoping that espy gets in behind and snags a first half goal for us so we can put this series to rest. i think RSL needs to come out guns blazing, go hard for that first goal. IMO sitting back and just trying to maintain possession is a foolish strategy for the position we are in. if we do that and concede a goal in the first half than seattle will have a shitload of momentum and all bets are off. if RSL comes out and attacks and gets the first goal than seattle will just roll over. getting a first half goal and going up 4-0 would be massive, kreis could pull javi and anyone else that needs rest. 1 and only goal of this game: whatever you do, do not concede the first goal.
Still nothing on Borlave? At least one be healthy. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! What about Rosales? Anybody heard if he'll play in this one?
So I'm trying to get this straight. 1) We want NY to beat LA, so an RSL win means Western Conference Finals at RioT. 2) We want LA to beat NY, so if RSL happened to lose at LA in the Western Conference finals, RSL is still in the Champions League. 3) If LA beats NY, and Seattle somehow beats RSL on the aggregate, RSL is in the Champions League. 4) Worst Case Scenario. NY beats LA on Aggregate, and Seattle somehow beats RSL on the aggregate. Then NY beats Seattle in the Western Conference Finals, no Champions League for RSL. Correct?
Haven't heard any medical updates, but I did hear that both are travelling to Seattle. What that tells us is that both are questionable at worst - RSL wouldn't waste the plane tickets if they were for sure out.
I believe that if NY wins the west then we will be left out of the CL whether or not we win the Seattle series.