In the immortal words of Yo La Tengo: "Today is the day!" Now, whether we're listening to that more indie rock-inspired jam or the slower, more culled out version found on Summer Sun, the point remains though the lyrics don't entirely match the meaning: We've reached the end of our regular season, and as frustrating as it has all been, we're here behind the team.
The knockout rounds start soon, and while I'm certainly not a huge fan of playoffs, it's the system we've got, and we can all agree that we want the Claret and Cobalt to lift that Cup for a second time. Given the struggles we've had this season, it could seem a long shot, but we're getting personnel back at the right time, and that's got to be a huge boost.
Ahead of tonight's match, we've got news that Will Johnson, Ned Grabavoy, and Javier Morales could all be set to start. Drop Yordany Alvarez in place of Kyle Beckerman and we're only one man off what I see as our ideal midfield, and it's striking to see what options we've got on the bench: Luis Gil, Andy Williams, Collen Warner — all of them can do a job, do it well, and have been important this season.
But, before we delve more into the match, let's look briefly at some of the huge positives of the season.
We've seen players grow from boys into men (perhaps not literally): Chris Schuler, the defender who it seemed wasn't going to be a brilliant defender anytime soon; Luis Gil, the 17-year-old who hadn't made an impact but won himself a starting spot until one of the best players in the MLS recovered from injury. We've seen players keep up a high level of competition despite adversity, and we've seen some of our players become guaranteed starters with their national teams.
Sure, the road's been bumpy, and sometimes, the wheels have just seemed to come off at the wrong times, though we may wonder if there's ever a right time. But we're in the playoffs, and with a win, we can step closer to sealing a reberth into the CONCACAF Champions League — and while it's always hard to force ourselves to rely on others to hit our marks, we're still in a situation where that's even possible. Given how fragmented our season has been, that's some accomplishment indeed.
Right, so on to the match. At the back, I'd expect to see a strong lineup: Wingert, BORLAVE — WHO-O-OA, Russell; in the middle, Yalvarez, Grabbo, Will, Javi; up front, the mercurial pair of Fabian and Alvaro. We cannot give players rests right now, especially as we search for form. We've put ourselves in a situation where a win is essential, so we can't much afford to spare any effort.
Just a few hours now and we'll be crowding the Rio Tinto. The supporters section will be singing their hearts out, and the rest of us should be joining in when we know the words — it's time to come together as one RSL Nation and get behind the team, make our voices heard, and end the season on a win.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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