RSL @ Red Cows

[Balanceut]

Originally Posted by knowwonnose

First, don't get me wrong. I think the world of Mehdi, but you guys are acting like Ellinger pulled Roldaninho out.
... But Ellinger make the best possible decision last night. Give him a break on that at least. Last night's loss was a team loss, from Ellinger to Stewart to the 10 guys that stood around and gave up.

Well said, and well supported with numbers. I'm a big Mehdi fan, also. But, it was the right decision for Ellinger (and I've wondered about a fair number of them on other nights).

My impression on the game was Stewart's ejection hit the team in the gut, but they rose to the challenge. They were faced with a feeling that they were destined to win to they would have a fight to salvage a draw. The first goal made it a fight to get the draw. The second goal crushed their spirit. By then they probably knew that the Galaxy were leading in their match.

I wish they'd been tougher to hold on to goal differential, but psychology of the moment was overloading them. They are human.

Wednesday night tells the story for the rest of the season. Win then, and Saturday, and a path to the playoffs is available. Lose Wednesday and it may all be down the drain. Heck, they may have difficulty pulling it together for a win on Saturday.

[Loyal1]

I haven't seen the game. Probably won't watch the tape either. I did listen to the first half on the radio: completely unlistenable:( And that's when we were doing ok.

Subs and motivations are good topics. Especially considering that Arena got it right. As much as it pains me to say it. Having seen "Our Way" I can imagine Arena in a mood at halftime. The old "you're playing for your jobs" speech. The "Buddle, you'll never be a NAT if you can't figure this league out" speech.

So we're not Chelsea. Just please no more 5-6 game losing streaks!

[Donk]

Originally Posted by Aerick

Hopefully the worst loss RSL will ever have to endure.

It's interesting to see how people will quickly turn on Ellinger again even after the most successful month in RSL history. I guess you can take the fan out of the pessimistic situation, but you can never take the pessimism out of the fan.

Sorry, but one month of success does not redeem 23 months of ineptitude.

[xlyte]

thats funny cus a week ago it sure seemed like it did for most of the people here

[Aerick]

Originally Posted by Donk

Sorry, but one month of success does not redeem 23 months of ineptitude.

You and I just see things differently, I guess. I still think this team can make it into the playoffs, and I still think that Ellinger will be absolved of any "wrong doing" in the minds of most fans when it's all said and done. My prediction (not that they have been totally accurate all the time - though fairly close most of the time) is that in 5 years, as RSL is a perennial playoff contender, all fans will consider these days as Ellingers crucial learning times at worst.

[GoReal]

It looked to me that the first half ended the way we as fans would want it besides a lead that would be difficult to get with a man down and a need for four on the back line. The guys did well to keep the ball out of the net for the first half. I think the problem began when Dunivant(?) made his cross and there was no to put any pressure on it. After rewinding it at that point I noticed Klein was the closest one to Dunivant(?), but did not get over there fast enough and it didn't look like he tried very hard either. Now I'm pretty sure that Ellinger didn't say at half that they should let NY make crosses without any pressure. I don't know if Klein wasn't giving it his all to block the cross or if he was tired because he had been playing hard just before that play. If he had disrupted that cross in some way maybe the result of the game would have been only 5-0 or maybe as we were all hoping for a 1-0 result for RSL or more realistically a 0-0 result. I'm sure we were all thinking that after Jack got sent off. At least I was hoping for at least a tie.

Come on RSL, beat the Galaxians!!!!!!

[Balanceut]

Originally Posted by Aerick

... is that in 5 years, as RSL is a perennial playoff contender, all fans will consider these days as Ellingers crucial learning times at worst.

Making the playoffs is not a big deal in this league. Each team plays 30 matches to determine which 4 teams of the 12 in the league DON'T make it into the playoffs.

Not as bad as NHL, where they play something like 70 games to make a similar determination.

If the team is not regularly making the playoffs then they are perennially pathetic. Consider them a success if they perennially compete for first in their division and at least make the semi-finals nearly every season.

[rabble-rabble]

Glad I had a busy day Sunday and didn’t have for the internet so I didn’t have to read about that train-wreck.

In hindsight, might have been best for Stewart to just let the NYRB player go. Probably would have been about 70-30 chance of a goal, but wouldn’t have left us short handed for 80 minutes. Better to make that decision when there are 10 minutes left in the match. You really can’t fault the official on the call. Jack fouled a player on a breakaway from behind and the rules clearly call for a red card in that situation, even on a light foul.

Our defense played fairly well defensively for the rest of the first half, but really didn’t do anything on offense. Far too much use of attempting the long ball (which is just bad odds when there is an extra red shirt out there.)

The nature of the early goals was somewhat demoralizing. The first one looked at first to have been saved by Novak at the last moment, and it took a bit of time for the goal to be awarded, but the replay appeared like the ball did get just over the line. This was followed by a perfect header by Buddle who had a defender all over him (it has my vote for GOTW, I have to admit it was a very pretty goal) put us down two and we then actually had a period of nice attacking, but then they got the third goal against the run of play and at that point we just sort of gave up and things just caved in and we were then caught in a Red Bull stampede.

Obviously may have been a completely different match without the early red, but we’ll never know now what might have been.

Good news it is only one loss. Bad news is we did give up what was once a huge cushion in goal differential (combined with the Galaxy beating up DCU 5-2 at RFK). We had 3 points and an 8 goal margin over LA in GD going into the evening, now we are official back in last place again.

Wednesday is of course highly critial. We MUST bounce back. Weekday match, so hopefully we’ll get a strong turnout. I’ll be there as soon as I can after work and try to be in good voice. Hope lots of Loyalists join me. We need a strong supportive crowd to stay behind the team. Fortunately the local fans have been great in supporting this team through some very rough times.

I’m Salt Lake til I die……

[Jose Luis Luviano]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

In hindsight, might have been best for Stewart to just let the NYRB player go. ……

That was John Wolyniec, right?

Not only do you not foul John Wolyniec, you send a limo for him to make sure he's at the game on time.

[Donk]

Originally Posted by Aerick

You and I just see things differently, I guess. I still think this team can make it into the playoffs, and I still think that Ellinger will be absolved of any "wrong doing" in the minds of most fans when it's all said and done. My prediction (not that they have been totally accurate all the time - though fairly close most of the time) is that in 5 years, as RSL is a perennial playoff contender, all fans will consider these days as Ellingers crucial learning times at worst.

Just making the playoffs to me means nothing since in MLS, the playoff system is so, what's a good word? Worthless? When 66% of your teams make the playoffs, how is that a reward for playing well? Now advancing in the playoffs and actually bringing home some hardware, that would mean something to me. I don't even really understand why MLS has playoffs much less why so many teams make it. If you can make the playoffs without even having a winning record, something is wrong. I guess this could degenerate into how MLS for so long tried to Americanize soccer and has just found that all these American touches just doesn't market well, and about the last thing that they still have as an American touch is a playoff system. Basically what I am saying is how relevant is the regular season if a team can make the playoffs having lost more than they won and still win the championship? When more than half the league makes the playoffs, just how useful is that for judging team success?