Well, that is over with.
While it took 120 minutes to finally pick out a winner, RSL got a "nice break" and is out of the US Open Cup. With that said, I am actually upset that we lost. I know I stated before that I would rather lose this thing. However, we invested energy and effort, and still lost. It is often said that a close loss is much harder to swallow than a big one. I agree, in this case, completely with that statement. In the end, though, we have one less thing to worry about. Now, the focus can be on MLS and Champions League. There were a couple good things to come out of this game, and quite a few bad. Lets start with the good:
Pros:
Alexandre got minutes at holding mid. He has shown skill, but not real chemistry with the team at that position. With the condition of Beckerman up in the air, it seems, this was a great opportunity for Jean to get minutes.
Schuler, McKenzie, Warner, and Gil all saw time. The first three saw the most significant amount, with McKenzie and Warner actually going the full 120. Gil came in during the OT despite not having been with the team for the past couple of weeks. Minutes for our reserves, in a higher quality match, are very important. These minutes are valuable come seasons end when we will have a very crowded schedule.
Reynish looks pretty good between the pipes. I think the guy would push for a starting spot in about half, if not more, the teams in this league. He is very good in the air (usually at least) and quite big. Seitz who?
And now for the cons:
Russell looked dead tired come the end of the match. With Wingert likely not able to play on Saturday, Russell will have to go the full 90 (unless JK really saw something good out of Schuler... doubt it). If DC is smart, they will go down his wing all game.
Our "deadly triangle" looked slow and lethargic. Maybe it was because they came on as subs and were told to not invest too much, but the key 3 of this team in terms of offense (Javi, Fabi, and Sabo) seemed a lot more disconnected than normal. Hopefully this was just a fluke and not a sign of things to come.
Gil is not anywhere near ready for even MLS level of play. While he didn't make really stupid mistakes, he also didn't look to comfortable out there. I know he is only 16, but I hope he makes a big jump in the next year or two, or we will see yet another USA bust.
Warner has dropped in terms of his level of play. Maybe he also had a fluke game, but he was simply awful last night. Too many opportunities were wasted because he couldn't serve a ball properly. I had high hopes for this kid, and still do, hopefully this game was just a bad night that he gets over.
Overall, it was a night that can be summed up in one word "meh". While it was harsh to lose after investing 120 minutes, we did wear down our opponent for Saturday as well. I am afraid we might have given them a little confidence against us, but at the same time, I think JK was hiding some of his cards and told the guys to take it easy. I expect a much higher quality game, from our side at least, come Saturday.
Cheers,
15 to 32
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