Post-match: The (Other) Cup: Abraca-**** YOU - Crew v Sporting KC - '24 Leagues Cup Round of 32 - 8/9/24 7:30P

Am I delusional or is this basically the same team that won the league last year? Minus Morris, of course.

 

Arsten’s issue is that he dribbles like he’s Neymar but passes like he’s Schulte.

Jones is 1,000,000% a gigantic upgrade over Arfsten. One is a solid bench guy, the other is the best left back in the league outside Jordi Alba.

 

Grabbing Jones from the Revs, with 2+ years to go on his contract, was highway robbery. The guy looked like he's been in this system for a year. And as you say, he immediately lit up the left side, on both ends of the field. The goal was, if its possible, just the icing on the cake.

It's partly of course his talents, but it's also his soccer IQ. That kind of instant chemistry comes from understanding. I'm blown away.

As for everyone worried about a Morris replacement, we'll, I'd love to see it too but they don't grow on trees. It may take some time, but the team can and will be lethal without him.

 

And are my eyes deceiving me or is JRR learning to play soccer? I love the new 'do, but both the late goals -plus his very good chance for a goal at the end - were entirely on him, and the result of good positioning, unselfish passes and interplay with a couple guys he just met.

Plus, while it was a fun game, KC's defense is just putrid. Amateur hour stuff. Their back line spent the whole game begging for offside calls after getting fried instead of, you know, doing their jobs.

They ought to leave Vermes at the airport. The game has passed him by.

 

Friendly goal seems unofficial to me I’ll go with Jones

 

To be fair they said their back line was playing together for the first time which is a lot harder than attacking players playing together for the first time.

 

I actually thought Arfsten played fairly well last night. TBH by the time our new subs came in SKC had mostly thrown in what was the rest of the towel. The Crew playing keep away towards the end of the game was impressive but KC had about as much heart left in them as the official had any desire to prolong the game into stoppage time.

 

We are basically comparing our current team to the 2008/09 double shield winning and cup winning team? Right?

 

Well yeah the team that ended last year. The team that started last year had Eloy Room in goal, a back line where Phil Quinton, Milos Degenek, and Gustavo Vallecilla were starters or big rotation pieces. Attacking trio of Lucas/Matan/Cucho not at the current level with pretty much no depth behind them. Yeboah still learning a new position with a non MLS level backup (Medranda) for depth. The first half of last seasons team relied pretty heavily on talent that was barely or below MLS level. For those reasons I say that this years team is far superior, even if they haven’t lifted the hardware yet.

 

SKC is ass. The game was over when the Crew exited the locker room. I don't think there's much to take away from yesterday. KC is so bad and Columbus is such a bad matchup for them that the Crew were able to sleepwalk and shake off rust for an entire half and still blast them into the sun. Columbus just took care of their business against an overwhelmed opponent.

If they beat Miami 4-0 on Tuesday? Yeah, we can declare this team complete with nothing else needed to run the table and repeat. As of now, I'd still like one or two game-changing players, if for nothing else than to increase the margin for error.

 

We lost at home to Cincinnati and lost @ Miami in our 2 biggest matches

on the other hand we drew with RSL and smacked LAFC


The looming games vrs Miami 2x in Columbus and @ FCC will be very telling before the playoffs as to just how good we are. I’m confident we are better than FCC, Miami still doesn’t have Messi when they do I think they are the only team that can go toe to toe with us and not blink.

 

And chew bubblegum. Fortunately, we ran out of bubblegum.

 

On the Jones goal, the defender was out wide with him when he passed to JRR but then when Jones broke for the goal area it looked for all the world like he just said "f*ck it, why bother?" and simply quit.on the play

Honestly, if an owner can watch that sort of crap and not know that the coach has lost the team then he must not care.

 

Jones +

I am sad for my wallowing team, but happy for one of thier beloved players going to Nancy's team. Just catching the replay now. Couldn't have worked out better for the guy and truly happy for seeing this interchange/goal with the new group.

Enjoy, Columbus.

 

I saw that this year in Italy at a 5-1 game at Fiorentina....