Monday, June 9, 2008

Week 10 Spotlight

Top XI

G: Kevin Hartman Matt Reis
D: Ramiro Corrales
D: Richard Mulrooney Sean Franklin
D: Jeff Parke

M: Steve Ralston
M: Ronnie O'Brien
M: Dwayne De Rosario
M: Colin Clark
F: Brian Ching
F: Edson Buddle Juan Pablo Angel
F: Luciano Emilio


Top coach: Tom Soehn. With as much heat as he's faced this year, it was a good way for DC to finally earn their first road victory of the season and Soehn will live to coach another day.

Dom Kinnear: After a slow start, the Dynamo are now tied for first in the West.

Top player: Luciano Emilio showed he still has a bit of the magic he displayed in 2007 with his performance. He assisted on the equalizer and scored the match-winner and suddenly all was right with DC United, for one night anyway.

Juan Pablo Angel: Yes, he scored the game-winner, but limping around late in the game, his heart to give all for his team was evident and inspiring.

Top goal: It didn't matter much but Jeff Cunningham's late goal was a nice, potent left-footed strike.

Ryan Johnson hit a powerful header to put San Jose up versus the Crew.

Top save: Kevin Hartman has several quality saves against RSL. Pick your poison.

Best game: LA Galaxy 3, Colorado 2. The Galaxy's defense sure can make a blowout quickly turn into an interesting match.

Chicago versus DC, 1-2 This game had it all, drama, divas, departures, physical play, amazing saves, a coach at risk, and a late game-winner.

LOWLIGHTS:

Major League Soccer should be ashamed of itself for playing a league match at the same time as US-Argentina, the most anticipated domestic friendly in years. How the league can play through a game like that is preposterous and absolutely mind-boggling.

Columbus can't score. It's puzzling, but the hot start of the Crew has gone completely ice-cold.

Only Luciano Emilio's brilliance saved Bryan Namoff's ignorance. Minutes after the referee warned him about his hacking skills, Namoff chopped down Blanco from behind and was correctly sent off. Namoff's ejection left DC with nine men, but Emilio had enough left to take the attention away from Namoff.

Fan fiddle-faddle - Enough already with running out onto the field. That's not passion, that's lame.

The Galaxy-Colorado match officials apparently employed the use of instant replay. Facundo Erpen looked like he chopped away at Alan Gordon's groin, and the Galaxy forward kicked Erpen in retaliation, but only Gordon's initial blow was rewarded with a red card. After several replays on the stadium big screen, the referee and assistant referees somehow realized that Erpen had also played a role and was given a red card.

3 comments:

The Hammer said...

With all due respect. I have a real problem with the suggestion that the ref made use of the replay in sending off Erpen.

I don't know about you, but I've seen a million games where plays like that take place. Why did the ref wait? Because unless players can't get up at all, they usually wait until they do to send them off.

I believe the rule requires a player to be on his feet, and to be pointed out by the ref in order to be carded. The ref waited for Erpen to get up and then sent him off.

just another one of you said...

Any idea on why Sven was at the Chicago - DC game?

Anonymous said...

LB, you can blame the Univesity of Houston for the Dynamo game last night. They forced a switch from Saturday night so they could have high school graduations on the campus. How sad is that? The result was the smallest crowd of the year. The Dynamo need a new stadium in the worst way.