Inaugural blog posts are always kind of a pain in the ass. Do I introduce myself? No, I didn’t think so. So, instead of some effusive “Welcome to Under the Crossbar,” let’s just jump right into the thick of it.
After a bit of a rough patch, then a bit of a rougher patch, then a home win, then yet another rough patch, RSL will be well and truly looking to change this run. In the last month, we’ve walked away with six points from six matches — and only three of those points come from a win. Let’s compare that to the first six matches of the season — and keep in mind, there have been 12 matches altogether: 15 points. 15 points from the first half of the season so far, and six from the second half.
If we want to challenge for an MLS Cup automatic qualification spot — that should be our very minimum goal as a top club in the league — our form must improve. Don’t think the players don’t know this, and don’t think the management don’t know this, but it’s a bit of a spot we’re in, nonetheless.
By now, our slump is well-documented, and the reasons are easy to figure out: April 27, we lose the CONCACAF Champions League Final. Losing a cup final will hurt any team, but it’s what came after that truly put the knife in: May 7, Chivas at home, Javier Morales is brutalized with a desperate tackle from a clumsy defender. It’s hard enough to have a player taken out like that, but when it’s your key playmaker — the one your system is built around — things become not just tough but painstaking.
Jason Kreis has done his best to deal with the dual loss, and in that sense, six points is at least something. The truth is, we have no ready-made replacement for Javi, and the experimentation that’s resulted has seen our formation shifted just a bit. Beckerman’s sitting as deep as ever, but our two attacking midfielders are tucking in a bit, trying to pick up the ball a little more easily. But when the ball’s played in that critical spot behind the opponent’s box, something’s very off.
The players that have been deployed in the attacking slot typically filled by Morales — Gonzalez and Warner in particular — have not been passing with the same panache that makes our system click. Now that Will Johnson is set to return from Canada (though I doubt we’ll see him start against D.C. United.) We’ve seen Kreis playing with the formation to try and compensate for the absence, but these things take time.
So our season’s hardly been derailed, but it’s certainly been a bit bumpy, and if the club doesn’t recover soon, it’s hard to see it going quite as well as it promised in the early days.
And if you were wanting to see some shit band known more for covers than their own music, that’s been rescheduled, so get on with it and cheer on the team instead of the band.
As for the lineup, I’d love to see Aghasyan get his first start for the club, but I’d be surprised if it came on Saturday. He’s played something around 25 or 30 minutes since signing, and he’s looked bright and impressive — and full of running, much like Espindola. Of course, the rest of his play doesn’t seem so similar — he’s a bit on the short side, but he’s fast and a hard worker.
Instead, I expect Kreis will persist with the Espindola-Alexandre combination that’s had some moderate success in its few appearances so far. In the midfield, we could see Will Johnson with a surprise start, but it’s more likely that he’ll come off the bench in the second half. After a grueling and disappointing Gold Cup run for his native Canada, he could use a bit of a rest. At the back, I’m punting for Wingert and Russell wide, but that depends on the fitness of Russell.
The club’s had a week’s rest to pick things up again, and if they can get their movement right, they could push themselves into a good position again. D.C. United have played only one more match in the league at 13, and they’ve only 16 points. Their road results aren’t menacing, but our boys will have to be on the lookout and be ready to take every chance they’re given.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
Expected lineup:
Rimando
Russell - Olave - Borchers - Wingert
Grabavoy - Beckerman - Gonzalez - Williams
Espindola - Alexandre
Subs: Reynish, Beltran, Johnson, Aghasyan, Warner, Gil, Schuler
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