Week 8 Comments
posted on 23 May 2006 by cozA couple of trends we’re picking up a quarter of the way into the MLS season:
- The Galaxy are really, really bad. I’ve commented on this since about week two or three, but now it seems everyone is aware of it.
- Seth Frickin’ STAMMLER?! In making that prediction for the Cocktail Challenge (Chivas and Red Bull? How would that even taste?), I figured that Chivas had the better, if still anemic, offense. So naturally, the game ends up with nine goals and a brace from, again, Seth Frickin’ STAMMLER?
- How about those backup goalkeepers? Lots of rookies and backups getting into games due to injury, including that superb performance against L.A. from the Rapids’ Senegalese sensation, Bouna Coulfoul. Despite the conventional wisdom of the USA as a goalkeeping factory, Coulfoul and Dallas’ Dario Sala may both make their mark as excellent ‘keepers this season, provided Sala’s injury is not too serious. And Joe Cannon’s is.
- Picking on ESPN’s Dave O’Brien is like shooting fish in a barrel sometimes, but I have to imagine that 5′7″ Chris Armas is absolutely elated at being confused with 6′0″ C.J. Brown. The one that killed me is that O’Brien at one point confused Jack Stewart with Thiago.
- Speaking of the Fire, Dave Sarachan as Draft Genius is a label that’s not going to go away as long as supplemental draftee Dasan Robinson continues to play as well as he has in the last two matches.
- The Fire seemed to leave points on the table in Columbus a few weeks back, but so did DC United, and they’re leading the Eastern Conference, so maybe that’s not too bad.
- Then there’s KC-RSL. No idea what happened there, but the missing U.S. Nats might be making their absence felt in the Emerald City.
- My guess is Amado Guevara to Dallas for Chris Gbandi and maybe Simo Valakari, who becomes expendable with Richard Mulrooney’s return. No idea if the salaries work out, but when has that really mattered to MLS?
- And don’t bet against Dallas at home. End of discussion.
(coz)