So on we go with the US Open Cup, having won in the third round and moving to the quarterfinals against league foes F.C. Dallas, who I hear dealt with quite a scare tonight. Our 2-0 win might not have been the domination I’d hoped for, but it was an assured performance from a tired squad.
The players that came in did quite well: Rauwshan McKenzie mopped up well at the back alongside big Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler — incredibly tall for a right back — did well, barring an apparently twisted ankle, Kyle Reynish was commanding in goal and made some good stops against a workhorse Wilmington side. The three were the only fit players that haven’t seen much time recently.
The match saw the debut of Tony Beltran’s goalscoring ability as he slotted in from wide. The domineering fullback deserved every bit of it: He’s been a force to reckon with, even in our less than stellar streak, and that goal marks some very hard work from the boy. Kreis was understandably happy for him in his post-match presser, predicting more for him. I’d be well pleased if he scores a handful more, but his hard work in defense should be — and has been — his first priority. I’d love to see interception stats from the match, because I’d be willing to bet Tony had plenty.
Luis Gil was incredible up front but still not the finished product — against a stronger side he may have struggled, but he was given full run of the park tonight, and he took full advantage. Some of his mazy runs were the stuff of a player much older than he, never afraid to take on the defense. Another night, he might have scored a bundle, and he deserved more than nothing tonight, but such is the life of a forward.
The same can be said for Will Johnson and Andy Williams, both of whom cracked the crossbar with their second-half efforts — scaring me at the north end, of course. Jean Alexandre’s goal, of which I remember the celebration and not much else, aside from his beating a defender (again, the north end is problematic sometimes, but there are few better places to enjoy the action). He looked good up front today, filling in a bit of the Espindola role with diagonal and sideways runs drawing defenders wide and opening spaces for our midfielders. He doesn’t have the explosive acceleration of Fabi, but he’s reasonably aware and can hold the ball up well. He’s a strong boy, that one! (Having just seen highlights, I can confirm that yes, Jean is strong — it’s how he made that second goal.)
Wilmington did, at times, threaten to score, and they had some very good opportunities to do so. That they didn’t is down to a few factors: 1. They were snatching a bit at their shots tonight, and they were overly anxious to take their chance. 2. Their set pieces were just miserable. I think every corner must have overshot the box entirely. They had some free kicks in good positions, but they just couldn’t take them properly. 3. Our back line did well, though too many opportunities were presented by the midfield. Particularly notable is second-choice keeper Kyle Reynish, who made a few very good saves and generally had quality distribution.
So while the match certainly could have been tougher for the boys in yellow, we closed up the match well at 2-0 and never really looked like losing. Wilmington can be proud of their effort, but a win for RSL was always on the slate, and given our attentive play and work rate, it’s no less than we deserved. Up next in the US Open Cup is a match against FC Dallas away (apparently they paid more money to the USSF to get the home tie. I’m not happy to learn this.) and in the MLS we face New England on the perfect date to face the revolution: July 4. (Really, how perfect is that?)
Congratulations, boys. You deserved that win.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
Man of the Match: Tony Beltran, of course! He notched his first goal for the club and looked strong and confident. He's been huge for the club this month, and that goal's a great way to cap it.
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