MLS Cup '08 Crew vs. Red Bulls
Anyone watching this? I can't help myself. Join me at 3:30pm Eastern on ABC.
posted by gooner71 @ 2:49 PM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Anyone watching this? I can't help myself. Join me at 3:30pm Eastern on ABC.
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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49 Comments:
Corn is popped and beer is poured. Oberon Pale Ale by Bells if you're following along.
I'm pulling for the VP. I know the league brass is wetting itself over the idea that 11 years of crass stacking the deck for the NY franchise will finally win the cup, but not me.
The Starting Line up off of MLSnet.com
Crew
* 1 - William Hesmer (GK)
* 2 - Frankie Hejduk
* 3 - Brad Evans
* 4 - Gino Padula
* 5 - Danny O'Rourke
* 7 - Guillermo Barros Schelotto
* 10 - Alejandro Moreno
* 12 - Eddie Gaven
* 14 - Chad Marshall
* 16 - Brian Carroll
* 19 - Robbie Rogers
Substitutes
* 30 - Andy Gruenebaum (GK)
* 6 - Andy Iro
* 11 - Pat Noonan
* 15 - Stefani Miglioranzi
* 17 - Emmanuel Ekpo
* 23 - Ezra Hendrickson
* 32 - Steven Lenhart
Red Bulls
* 1 - Danny Cepero (GK)
* 2 - Kevin Goldthwaite
* 4 - Carlos Mendes
* 8 - Sinisa Ubiparipovic
* 9 - Juan Pablo Angel
* 11 - Dave van den Bergh
* 15 - John Wolyniec
* 19 - Dane Richards
* 29 - Diego Jimenez
* 32 - Luke Sassano
* 33 - Chris Leitch
Substitutes
* 40 - Caleb Patterson-Sewell (GK)
* 7 - Mike Magee
* 13 - Jorge Rojas
* 17 - Gabriel Cichero
* 23 - Juan Pietravallo
* 27 - Andrew Boyens
* 30 - Macoumba Kandji
Julie Foudy, Alexie Lalas, and Rob Stone have offered their keys to the game. Here are mine.
Columbus have the best performing attacking midfielder in the league in Schelleto and they need to get him into the groove early on. Gavin is a good player, but suffers fitness issues late in the match. If the VP want the best of him, they need to get it early. Robbie Rogers is an exciting forward, young enough to be an exciting US prospect too. Moreno is a very opportunistic forward and is a good finisher. All of these pieces in attack for Columbus would make them obvious favorites.
But NY have Angel. He's the classiest foreign forward in the league and probably the best since the arrival of Jaime Moreno because he showed up with much of his career ahead of him.
NY also have Wade who roasted DCUnited's defenders with his speed. Probably not composed enough in front of goal, but his speed and running are frightening to most MLS level defenses.
NY should also not foul inside the 30 because the Crew according to Julie Foudy scored a disproportionate number of goals from set pieces. Marshall is the guy with the golden forehead.
And we're off with JDLC, and Harkesy.
Columbus are straight out of the traps. And NY's Leich has given a free away, and collected a pissy yellow from the Brylcreemed referee Toledo. I don't think I've seen a game at RFK when this guy hasn't been the X-factor. That was a very harsh yellow. And for God's sake, guys, don't dare talk back to this clown.
Makes you wonder why the MLS would want him to ref their premiere spectacle. He's a tosser... of players off the field. What? What?
VP goal by Rogers disallowed for off-side from Schelloto's free.
For those following along on the MLSnet play by play, the score is still 0-0, and Rogers did not put the ball in his own net.
Stick with the LOB minute by minute. We'd never make such an obvious mistake.
Columbus taking a page out of Man Utd.s playbook -- making the field small by keeping a very high defensive line. They are compressing into NY's half and NY has no response yet.
Dane Richards and Wolyniec linking well only spoiled by Wolyniec's moon shot finish.
At the other end, Moreno is chopped down. Could have been a pen.
And Vandenberg races down the opposite wing and puts the VP keeper under a lot of pressure.
This is end to end stuff.
Heyduk must get advice on fitness from Strachan. At 34, it's pretty amazing that his fitness is as high as it is.
Vandenberg crosses into the VP area and Goldthwaite who is listed as a center back is just centimeters from putting NY ahead. NY getting some joy from the flanks. Exploiting the VP's high line with inviting crosses. If Angel can find himself on the end of one of those, NY will be happy.
OK, just so everyone knows, the Bull's regular keeper tested positive for a banned substance and a very inexperienced kid Ceparo is in their net. He seems quick off his line but that's his single characteristic at the moment.
The VP's Padula down on the field. Replay shows that he just went down unchallenged. That's usually not good.
Harkesy uses the downtime to remember his first MLS Cup and the coldest moment of my life at Foxboro in '96.
Padula is up and after some passing Gavin gives it a welly from 30-35 yards. Saved by Ceparo, but a bad clearance sees Rogers belt it back at him. Saved again, but he'd have looked pretty silly if that had been either side of him.
Richards just puts his head down and runs. The VP defenders get in each other's way and Richards crosses to Angel who balloons a volleyed effort into Sunset Boulevard at least. Bad miss.
NY looking the more dangerous of the two lately.
GOAL!!!
From the goal kick, the ball comes wide to Schelloto, and after evading a tackle on the sidelines, passes forward to Moreno who makes the Gooner look like he knows what he's talking about with a very fine finish from a tight angle.
Have to characterize that as against the current run of play.
The nachas of Caracas has another opportunity, but this one peters out after Rogers can't beat his man and the ensuring corner is easily collected.
NY look a little rocked by Columbus's goal and could easily concede another. Just now two defenders get into each others way but Gavin cannot capitalize with a shot blocked and cleared forward.
NY then can't do anything with a scrambled clearance from a misstimed defensive header.
From there Rogers' cross makes Ceparo parry a ball right into the center of the area, but there's no VP forward to tap it into an unguarded goal.
Vandenberg with a NY effort from 40 yards that's just over. I think the keeper watched it all the way, but it woke up JDLC.
To the flamenco artiste in red's credit, he ignores a very blatent Padula dive and claim for a free kick.
As it happens, he gives Padula a chat, presumably the one about not having any more of that, bucko.
And then he has to give Schelloto the hair-dryer technique when Schelloto makes the "give 'im a card" gesture.
Good stuff from the ref.
Moreno looks like one of Fidel's cadre fresh out of the Sierra Madre. I bet Chavez loves the guy.
Moreno has a go and nearly catches Ceparo napping. Good save in the end but his positioning looked very suspect.
Rogers makes me look bad when he takes off and runs the ball straight out of play. Jesus, that was ugly and from a professional, just really dire.
Peep-peep, that's the half.
Columbus just about good enough to justify their lead at the half.
I'd tell you that Angel has not factored. Vandenberg and Wolyniec and Richards are putting in the effort, but so far are being pretty comfortably handled by the VP's defensive line.
At the other end, Moreno and Schelloto look very much in synch. Rogers and Gavin have been busy, but with no final product.
Carroll for the VP has been very strong in the defensive mid, but good use of the flanks by NY could easily bear fruit if it's not better shut down by Heyduk. He's stopped forging forward but Richards is really owning him wide.
Julie Foudy is a bit overboard on NY's prominence in the game. She's right that NY is getting a lot of joy from the flanks, but what's the point if there's no point to the spear Julie?
Lalas not happy with Ceparo's positioning on Moreno's goal and has some Matrix looking CG to prove his point. I think he has to look earlier and see that letting Schelloto pick the ball up so easily and then pass unchallenged.
Thoroughly unimpressed at half
I'm vindicated by the stats.
0-shots on goal from NY.
4-shots on goal from the VP
Eat that Big Red and Miss Knasher!!!
Second half has begun
I really don't want this to end one nil
RED BULLS SCORE!!!
Nice pass. That is the first time he has kicked the ball straight to a teammate
BUT COLUMBUS COME RIGHT BACK!!
As I said, I didn't want a one nil
I've joined in the blog and Dahlgren has buggered off!!
The quality out there is atrocious!
Am I being snobby?
RB escape with a CC hit the crossbar. Crossbar Challenge anyone?
Ten minutes to go... come on NEW YORK!
Frankie H seals it for the Crew. Where was the marking? Nice pass though
Angel tries to flop for a pen... who does he think he is? Stevie G?
Interesting trophy... CL, Prem like. When did it change?
The crowd are singing... clap your hands!!
Angel hits the side netting
Hey guys - Sorry I missed you lot. After all that blather about MLS last week, I completely lost track of the MLS Cup final today. Shame on me.
Sounds like it was a decent match, despite Davey's snobbery.
Replays of the goal show that Vandenberg screwed up on the sidelines by trying to shepard the ball out. His pocket cleanly picked by Schelloto.
That makes me pretty happy. I hate that shepherding nonsense.
IT'S OVER... where were you Steve? Were you ignoring me?
I've got Match of the Day on the myP2P!
Lovely jubbly
Ach, I missed most of the second half talking to Mom and Dad. Mom was really wound up that her neighbors are using her broadband. She insists that she's got a password protected modem, but really, that's impossible. And I keep trying to talk her through reseting(or instituting) a password.
Looks like the VP walked this one in the end.
NY got one back right after the second half started, and then Columbus replied with a Marshall header from a set piece, and a Heyduk header from some cross.
It's all good. NY fail again and Columbus, with the best overall record are champions.
Cracking goal by Glen Johnson for Pompey today.
Take care fellas, have a great Thanksgiving.
It's a just result for the Crew to win both the Supporter's Shield and the MLS Cup, don't you think?
Cheerio, Dave!
Just thought I would tell you that the entire English Nocito clan went to the Todd Rundgren concert in London. Wish I went
Hey Davey,
You're right. That was barely as good a match as the championship playoffs tend to be.
But it's better quality than it was 12 years ago when the MLS started.
Todd is God!
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