Sunday, July 10, 2011

Metros 0, United 1




Metros were flat, tired, over-confident, missing their best midfielder, started Dax McCarty. True, true, true, true, and true, and despite those qualifiers this was still United's best performance of the season, if for no other reason than they didn't vomit away a lead.

Here's what St Benny of Olsen changed: he moved United's defense - or at least his strikers and midfielders -  fifteen to twenty yards forward of where they had been applying pressure, making Metros, and especially the spectacularly inept Dax McCarty, start the offense deeper than they expected or wanted. It's almost as if United knew precisely Dax McCarty's weaknesses. Thank you, Metros, you dumb motherfuckers.

What St Benny needs to do is push the defense five to ten yards forward also. The back line was far better organized than recently, but they first engage the opponent's strikers near or in the box far too deep far too often. It's entirely possible Olsen knows this but also considers that with two rookies, a new addition, and a journeyman, offside traps are as likely to burn as work. Still, while this shutout belongs as much to Hamid - it was his best game in a month - as the back line, it was the back lines' best game in a month too.

De Rossario: perhaps it was the perspective in front of a TV set instead of from 232, but the runs off De Rossario by Davies (who could be beheaded with a scimitar and not get a call at this point, the diver), Wolff, Pontius, Najar (who The Bowtie linked to Ajax, yo) were more diagonal and criss-crossing than I saw in the Phunion game and created far more space for everyone. This could get as beautiful as Christian Gomez Days at their peak. Thank you, Metros, you dumb motherfuckers.

Toughest two game road swing of the season, Metros and Burn (yes, tougher than Portland and Gax), and I wouldn't have been satisfied but would have peaceably settled with two points, and if you'd told me United would get three and asked me to choose I'd take three over Metros in a heartbeat, the dumb motherfuckers.

O! For giggles, here's the table. United has games in hand against all other Eastern Conference teams, three against Metros. I'd also note that United has played exactly half their games and has twenty-two points, the same number of points they had in last year's thirty game season. Think about that and smile before returning to regularly programmed grousing about dropped points.

5 comments:

  1. Another concussion. Right at the end as the camera was showing players shaking hands, there was a glimpse of a United player prostrate on eht ground. I hoped it wasn't Brettschndider, but apparently he needed help off the field. That's four on our active roster.

    Should have been at least a yellow for that reckless kick.

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  2. Here's a better table view. http://www.settingthetable.info/home/

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  3. Thanks, you're right, as long as they're not top three in east the long table needs resorting to.

    Also, it could be argued Brettschneider deserved a red for throwing his head into whoever the fuck it was' foot.

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  4. You do realize that they'll have a fantastic shot at nabbing one of the play-in spots then lose to Chicago (or draw, heh) & KC to finish.

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