I planned to write about the Red Bulls game. I even took great minute-by minute notes.
Here’s the problem: with a few exceptions I could cut and paste the Galaxy post. An anemic offense, an apathetic Alvaro Fernandez, an ineffective O’Brian White, and a big market team totally dominating the Sounders.
That’s a little unfair of course, because the New York game featured some great ball movement and was a far cry from the sloppy affair that played out on the wet Xbox pitch on opening night. Still, the problems of the first match remained. Hurtado gave up bad fouls and looked out of sorts on the back line, and the wings, once the Sounders strength, looked impossibly weak. In spite of a few inspired runs later in the game, the Sounders were wise to remove a largely ineffective Fernandez, and the introduction of Rosales was welcome if only to see a new face and a player who looked hungry albeit a bit of match fitness.
When it was all said and done, the New York game (at least for an objective viewer) was a thing of beauty, clear evidence of an improving MLS. The trouble is that Seattle was dominated, and deserved to lose, looking the worse team for the duration of the game (save for some strong individual performances by Jeff Parke, Leo Gonzalez, and Kasey Keller).
The real question is whether or not Seattle could learn.
I went to the match last Friday to find out. It was a draw against a middling team, but I left the stadium encouraged. Sigi benched Hurtado (hurting for fitness) and Fernandez (distracted? just ineffecitve?) and over the course of the game put together a line-up that looked like it could win.
Of course even the new set up was far from perfect. Zach Scott, pressed into service following an injury to Riley showed why James is such an integral part of the team. Brad Evans, returning from a long spell away, seemed rusty and a level below the rest of the midfield. The good news is that as the game progressed and substitutions were made, the Sounders looked increasingly dangerous. The removal of Evans, pulling Friberg into the center of the pitch and inserting a composed and evermore dangerous Rosales gave Seattle a new look, and with the rehabilitated Jaqua entering for the disappointing White, Sigi seemed to find a lineup that will work.
Here’s the problem: with a few exceptions I could cut and paste the Galaxy post. An anemic offense, an apathetic Alvaro Fernandez, an ineffective O’Brian White, and a big market team totally dominating the Sounders.
That’s a little unfair of course, because the New York game featured some great ball movement and was a far cry from the sloppy affair that played out on the wet Xbox pitch on opening night. Still, the problems of the first match remained. Hurtado gave up bad fouls and looked out of sorts on the back line, and the wings, once the Sounders strength, looked impossibly weak. In spite of a few inspired runs later in the game, the Sounders were wise to remove a largely ineffective Fernandez, and the introduction of Rosales was welcome if only to see a new face and a player who looked hungry albeit a bit of match fitness.
When it was all said and done, the New York game (at least for an objective viewer) was a thing of beauty, clear evidence of an improving MLS. The trouble is that Seattle was dominated, and deserved to lose, looking the worse team for the duration of the game (save for some strong individual performances by Jeff Parke, Leo Gonzalez, and Kasey Keller).
The real question is whether or not Seattle could learn.
I went to the match last Friday to find out. It was a draw against a middling team, but I left the stadium encouraged. Sigi benched Hurtado (hurting for fitness) and Fernandez (distracted? just ineffecitve?) and over the course of the game put together a line-up that looked like it could win.
Of course even the new set up was far from perfect. Zach Scott, pressed into service following an injury to Riley showed why James is such an integral part of the team. Brad Evans, returning from a long spell away, seemed rusty and a level below the rest of the midfield. The good news is that as the game progressed and substitutions were made, the Sounders looked increasingly dangerous. The removal of Evans, pulling Friberg into the center of the pitch and inserting a composed and evermore dangerous Rosales gave Seattle a new look, and with the rehabilitated Jaqua entering for the disappointing White, Sigi seemed to find a lineup that will work.
So Seattle isn’t New York or LA. In fact, right now they’re the type of team that ties Houston (although to be fair PNW native Tally Hall played absolutely out of his mind and deserves a ton of credit for the draw). But Sigi, even in the face of an increasingly restless fanbase, demonstrated again that he’s a guy who has earned his fair share of titles. A little unease at the beginning of the season is fine, and it looks like the team and the coaching staff is learning. Let’s hope the trend continues...who knows, one day they may even pick up a win.
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