Due to several scheduling/technology issues, the podcast I was excited to be a part of hasn't published a new conversation since April 27, 2016. It's disappointing, and I miss the ability to output my thoughts in a medium that sparked actual intellectual soccer conversation (usually the intellectual parts came from my counterparts). Twitter is only ideal during a live event, and going back and reading Tweets after the event is over is confusing. I'm not funny enough to be a regular on the Celebrity Fan™ roast, and have never been invited to participate in the other show in town.
Let's face it, nobody wants to read a long blog. So what am I doing? Writing a long blog post. OK. That makes sense.
Ethan Finlay
I need to first address the elephant in the room. It should come as no surprise that Ethan Finlay is my favorite soccer player. Finlay hasn't had a great season this year as he had last year. What has annoyed me most out of anything this season is that other Crew fans immediately dismiss anything I say that's praiseworthy about Finlay or negative about any other player. It has taken all of the fun out of discourse about the Crew and, quite honestly, taken out much of the joy I have for cheering for the Crew. Case in point: On May 14, 2016 versus Colorado at home, Finlay was left out of the starting lineup, and Cedrick was in his place. I received all kinds of incendiary comments at the tailgate and Tweets questioning how I was handling it. That is ridiculous!
It's about the badge. If Finlay played for another MLS team, I would not change my allegiance to the Crew. That does not discount that he's my favorite player or that he's a major part of why I got hooked to the Crew. It also does not mean that my criticisms/praises of any player should automatically be rejected.
A Tale of Two Merams
For some reason, Crew fans assume that I hate Meram. My point with Meram has always been that he is two different players. He is the selfish ball-hog diva that tries to much as fails miserably.... or he is the dynamite energy force that makes things happen! (See "Ethan Finlay" section above because you're not allowed to like two players, I guess.)
I made the trek to BMO Field Toronto on May 21, 2016 with a friend who has only been to one soccer game. I sat with a group of 9 Crew fans, none of whom I had met before. Meram stood around, only making a play for the ball when it was around him, and otherwise appeared to make no effort. All 9 of us were calling for a sub. We were all shocked when we found out Meram was voted MOTM. Apparently, on TV, it looked like he was always making a play for the ball, but that was only when he happened to be in the near vicinity.
On May 28, 2016 at home versus RSL, Meram was directly responsible for the first two goals and had another killer performance. My criticisms are not that Meram is a poor player, it's that he's inconsistent, and I wish I could see this Meram every week.
Cedrick is not a 90 Minute Player
The Colorado game was the first game that Kei Kamara did not play in after his trade to the New England Revolution. Ultimately, the lineup shakeup changed nothing. Cedrick provided a spark for 15 minutes, and then the Crew set out in their mediocre ways and blew a lead and tied a game at home.
Cedrick as a fresh set of legs off the bench excelled in the playoffs last year. He scored in the first 15 minutes of the Colorado match and provided that spark and energy and creativity that the Crew needed. But he's not the savior of the team. The energy of the Colorado match clearly sapped after about 30 minutes.
At the Toronto game, there were several times early in the second half that Cedrick was way behind the play and huffed and puffed to catch up. I'm not sure if this translated on TV. There was one point where Toronto had no defenders around Cedrick, and I think if he had been able to make the run to be level with Ola and Meram, it could've been another goal for the Crew.
I'd like to see Finlay and Cedrick start together to see the burst of energy and at the top from both wings, before either of them or Meram get tired. The problem with this is that what do we do with Meram? There's no way Pipa gets benched even if he scores multiple own goals. I'd like to see Meram up top, but with Ola performing well, I also don't see this happening.
Ola is Not Kei
I first made this comment after the friendly against Veracruz on May 11. The reactions were "Give him a chance!" "It's too early to tell!" "That's harsh."
I didn't say Ola is not good; I said Ola is not Kei. And that's a good thing. Ola is a more complete striker making intelligent runs into the box and behind defenders.
Even though he scored a hat trick at the RSL match, I was struck by how many goals he missed! My dad, who is not a soccer guy, was watching with me and said, "That guy should have 6 goals by now." That makes his performance even more incredible. During the Toronto and Colorado matches, he missed several opportunities. But if he gets his stride, it's going to be a while before MLS defenders will be able to figure him out, if at all, because he's not the one trick pony Kei was.
Not Out of the Woods By a Long Shot
I am Mr. Sunshine Brigade. But this season has been very difficult for me to watch. I constantly wonder how the same personnel who took the Crew to the MLS Cup Final struggles so mightily. The Crew blew a 4-1 lead versus Montreal at home. I had allowed myself to believe that the on field antics that we saw between Pipa and Kei over the penalty kick was the reason for the mental shutdowns.
But then the Crew almost blew a 4-1 lead versus RSL at home. When Ola got his hat trick, I tweeted "4-1 is a dangerous score line for the Crew." I wish I had been joking. The Crew need a winning streak of more than one or two games. Not an unbeaten streak. I'm sorry, but touting that the Crew are "unbeaten in four" distorts the reality of how poorly the team have been playing.
It seems like every team we play is currently the best in the league and we're sold a bill of goods that a "road point" or a "point against that team" is something to be excited about. After making it to MLS Cup Final last year, being content with a point is just not good enough.
Depleted Roster
I just noticed today that Saravia and Larsen got called up for international duty, joining Afful and Cedrick. Sauro, Tchani, and Wahl are out with injuries. Hollingsworth and Pacifici, who have been playing for USL affiliate Pittsburgh, have concussions. It's going to be interesting to see who Berhalter puts in the Philadelphia game on Wednesday, especially in the back line. If this wasn't his third year, I would speculate that he would experiment with tactics, maybe a 3-5-2, but we all know that's not going to happen.
U.S. Open Cup
The most interesting thing about the depleted roster is that it's likely we'll see the same lineup play in the league game and in the U.S. Open Cup game next Wednesday (June 8) against either Tampa Bay or Cincinnati. At the Veracruz friendly, I thought that Hollingsworth was the standout of players I hadn't seen play before. He had the speed and energy of Finlay, but with a nice first touch. I am most disappointed that Hollingsworth is unlikely to play in either the league game or the U.S. Open Cup game. it would've been a great opportunity for him.
I love the U.S. Open Cup and wish that the Crew (and Crew fans) would take it seriously. Berhalter told me that he doesn't use the U.S. Open Cup as a measure of success or failure among his players. He said that if the fans take it seriously, so will he, but this seems rather circular. How are we supposed to spend money and time to take it seriously if the coach doesn't? Regardless, I will be at the match, and am looking forward to it. I enjoy the intimacy of watching soccer in a small stadium, and it will be a blast.
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