Sunday, May 15, 2011

United 1, Colorado 1




Nothing symbolizes the state of MLS - not the thin talent, the reckless tackles, the empty stands, the bad pitches - more than Terry Fucking Vaughn, simply the worse of MLS' consistently shitty referees (even if he is the biggest asshole of the bunch). He cost neither team the game - the undeserved PK came minutes after one he didn't call - but his performance, which was not any shittier than any other game he has refereed, encapsulates and represents the very essence of rinkydinkness in MLS that no number of franchises or new stadiums can erase.

United - St Benny, how come your team comes out flat and full of itself? All the fucking time? What do they think they have won? In the last game of  a three game home stand with two dropped points already, ahead of a month of road games, playing against not only the defending MLS champion but a team that kicked United's ass a month ago, United comes out slow and uninspired, disorganized and soft. Pontius said Ben "lit a fire under us at halftime." Partyboy, (a) you're a motherfucking professional who shouldn't need a fire lit under you and (b) since you obviously do need a fire lit under you, why the fuck is Benny waiting until halftime to light the fire?

Stuff:

  • This guy.
  • Najar needs smacking. Two good games then he's back to loafing as if his presence alone is awesome enough. And stop diving.
  • Simms is done. He would have received at least two red cards if he wasn't so slow on his reckless tackles as to miss his target. His first impulse always has been to backpass; he is incapable now of not backpassing.
  • When United is good again Ngwenya will be gone and he's useless (though with a good motor) now: why not give minutes to Brettschneider and see what you have?
  • White had a tough night, though got better as game went on.
  • Kitchen might settle in to right back, a gaping hole since Brian Namoff's concussions and subsequent retirement, but the number three pick in a loaded draft on a right back?
  • Dax. Fullback, among many interesting things to say, talks about Dax's better second half and how and why it might have happened.
  • Who knows how much the field contributed to Wolff's and Davies' injuries, but DCU must lead the league in hammies and groin knacks over the years.

Twelve points out of ten games. Prorates out to 41 points out of 34 games. That's 16 points more, over 34 games, than last year. Progress is being made. If next year United wins the game last week against Dallas and last night against Colorado that they tied this year (and would have lost last year), that's a trajectory to hope for.

The problems that currently exist go beyond St Benny not screaming enough. That Benny needs to scream at a team that averaged .7 points per game last year and is filled with rookies trying to make a career, journeymen trying to stay in the league and grandpas playing for one final contract is discouraging. It wouldn't be reasonable to expect anything more than a modest increase in points. It isn't unreasonable to expect and demand United play hard and urgently all ninety minutes of every game.

2 comments:

  1. Yeppers, and what we both forgot to specify about the field is the fucking deliberate drenching--how many times did we see players, UNITED players--slip on their home fucking field?

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