But, really, it's not that much of a hell. Two goals speaks to that fact. Two unanswered goals, moreover.

Goals in the quick, slicing manner that brought to mind the Real Salt Lake past a bit. Goals that, on most match days, were not just a rarity but an impossibility.

So, really, Buck Shaw Stadium could be worse. It could be, say, in a bog, or something like that. Or we could have lost. I'd really hate the place then. I mean, I'd passionately hate it, and I'm not particularly great at passionately hating anything, or so I've convinced myself.

Please insert a cliche about turning the story back a bit here.

We're on the way to sunny San Francisco (surprisingly, sunny isn't inaccurate in this case; it was bright and delightsome and only ever-so-slightly foggy) and an email drops into my inbox. Some San Jose front office type, it would seem, warning RSL fans about the dangers of San Jose. Having been to Oakland before, I'm not particularly worried, but I mean … Ultras? Well, it's a name, at least.

We could wonder about what's in a name, but I won't bother. To make a long story rather shorter, there wasn't an issue with San Jose supporters, and the ones I met were friendly and engaging — even after the match.

What is there to remember? Portable toilets. I mean, not the sort you'd carry around with you at the match. That would be patently weird. No, the sort you set down and leave and somebody else comes around and services them. You know, the normal type. At any rate, we're also not here to talk about toilets, although it was notable that the 2012 Supporters Shield winners don't have, you know, permanent restroom facilities.

I mean, they'll get that new stadium, right? Right? Maybe it's a non-issue.

Forward a bit. First half was messy. Not totally messy, and not intensely frustrating, but it did little to calm my nerves. Lord knows I've got plenty of nerves to go around. One player in particular seemed awfully lost: Kenny — strike that — Abdoulie Mansally. He got forward with alacrity (and of course I look the word up to ensure I'm using it accurately) and aplomb (I think that one's acceptable, at least) but got back more hesitantly. Now, on a second viewing, it was apparent that our Gambian full back-forward wasn't nearly as bad as I thought he'd been, and he improved even as the first half went on. Aaron Falk, Salt Lake Tribune RSL reporter man (and secret superhero, I suspect. It's the glasses.) wrote today (or was it yesterday?) about Jason Kreis considering pulling Mansally at the half, but that the player made a good tackle at some point, giving him confidence. ("Him" is purposefully ambiguous here.)

Second half. Better. Lots better.

And then a goal. Huh. I wasn't expecting that. Not quite like that, at least. Joao Plata, on for our (and my it's nice saying 'our' again here) Robbie Findley, picks up Kenny Mansally's pass (what was that about confidence?) and plays Saborio in without hesitation. Cool, cool finish, and we're celebrating.

The security guards (who have been hounding the away supporter's section all night) move in closer. They start to surround the section. There's no hostility around us — at least not that I can see — but I guess I appreciate the caution. We continue chanting — "SA-BO-RIO, (insert appropriate number of claps)" runs through the section; oles run through, too, as does a round of "Believe." It's nice to be back.

Goal number two. We're all a bit excited. Of course, by a bit, I mean a lot bit, and by excited, I mean ecstatic. Pass-pass-pass-pass-pass — whoa, Saborio's in a great position there, and what a pass from Ky— oh good word, a goal. And that's basically how it went. We chant, sing, cheer, all that fine nonsense. The security guards move ever-closer. They're not quite linking arms, and they're not being aggressive. It's just a little weird.

The final whistle sounds. Rush to the front? You've got it. Although there was little rushing involved, as I think most of us weren't too keen on being smacked around by a security guard, but we get close and applaud the side. A show on the road? I can't complain. That's not the worst trip I've ever been on.

I mean, taking a step back rather rationally leads one to the distinct impression that this core group — or, appropriately, this corps  — is hardly broken up at all. Some key pieces have been shuttled off, sure. Fabian Espindola, Will Johnson, Jamison Olave: All big players in the system, it can't be denied. But the departures of three of the 12 or 13 making up that all-important group don't really make for the destruction of it.

Inevitability, I guess. That's what it is. Not even a sinking feeling of inevitability — there's a bit of optimism creeping in. I mean, we're a few weeks past that fateful day, and maybe my opinion has been rightly skewed by the passage of time and other such things. I even remember the day it all came to the fore, although I suspect that's no great feat. The magic of Ives (rather, the connections of Ives and his eponymous site, Soccer by Ives) revealed to us the big news, which we would certainly have found out about before long, but likely not all in one fell swoop.

Funny. Ask me a year ago who the three players I thought were most likely to receive a red card at any given time were, and I'd have answered thusly: Olave, Johnson, Espindola. Of course, you didn't ask me then, so I could well be making it up or simply skewing my answers quite naturally, but take it on my word. Funny, too, all three received red cards through the season. Sure, they weren't necessarily just, but that's not my point. I don't really know what my point is, but you've come to expect just that.

Going into 2013 — a year I never thought would come, but not for any Mayan reasons (only because I am notoriously short-sighted) — we look less likely to see suspensions. Maybe. Three wild players — and not in the slang usage of wild — are gone. The mentality will necessarily change. That's good, right? I mean, this mentality hasn't much suited us in the larger sense of things: It lacks a vital consistency and calmitude, and that's hurt us. Not massively so, and probably not more than any other mentality or approach would — there will always be downsides to an approach, though you'd hope the upsides balance them out.

Calmitude. Hmm. Were we really missing that? Let's turn specifically to Fabian Espindola for today. I'll talk about the rest later on, I suppose.

Let's start simply. I love Fabian Espindola. Not in the romantic sort of love, but in the sort of love one feels for, say, a particularly good player on one's favorite football club. Or perhaps for the love one feels for a particularly good pizza. (Have I mentioned that I love pizza? I love pizza.) The guy's a fantastic channel-running striker, and to some extent, our tactical approach operated around his runs. And they were good runs, too — nobody could spot them like Javier Morales, and the connection those two exhibited was, well, fantastic. It changed games — sometimes.

But there was a problem in his finishing. Or there were many problems, but let's boil it down to one: He lacked that calm finish. Plain and simple, Fabian Espindola only had one setting, and it was somewhere approaching crazy. Ferocity, intensity, and any other adjective you can think of that describes roughly the same thing, he had it. No, he was it.

And that's an important thing for a side: The crazy ones are sometimes the ones that get the work done. Espindola wasn't afraid to pick up the ball, run at a player, and try to craft out a goal himself. Hell, he did it with startling regularity. And he was good at it, too, but as the going got tough, the more he'd try to do it all himself. That's good — he's a special player, and if we're to believe Garth Lagerwey and Jason Kreis, special players are essential (or if we believe any number of other sources or bodies of evidence) for any side — but he too often would put on his metaphorical blinders and just go for it, regardless of the circumstance. Finishing mishaps aside — those were problematic, certainly, but that problem comes with dips in confidence — this was the biggest problem with his play, to my mind.

The very best players, I suspect, are the ones who go for it themselves but recognize when others would be better suited. Really, I guess there's no suspecting about it — it's just the case, but what would I be without waffling about at times? But it's not about me. I always struggle criticizing our players — I've got those metaphorical blinders on sometimes, and at any rate, I try not to get sucked into much negativity. Were Espindola's troubles reasonably obvious? Well, yes — and they were likewise reasonably easy to overlook. He brought an important element to the game, to our style, and there was no obvious replacement.

Similarly, I am not entirely sure I gave enough thought to Espindola being an essential piece of the tactical puzzle. Oh, I certainly gave him on-pitch credit for that, but when it really comes down to brass tacks, I overlooked the real tactical thrust of the matter. Espindola, as much as Morales, Saborio or Beckerman, was a player that defined our tactical approach. Obviously, we can look at the left side of the pitch as what was our favored side, especially with Espindola's channel-running and Morales's left-sided bent, but there's more to it than that. It forced Will Johnson into less attacking positions at times, covering more ground in midfield as we looked for important balance; it saw Grabavoy uninvolved in attacks simply because the ball was being pushed around on the left side; it saw Saborio left as the only man in the box. For all the tactical benefits provided by Espindola, his predictability on the left side at times stifled our play. Was it the sole cause? Hardly. But it was a cause, and it's relevant cause.

Will we be better off without Espindola? That remains to be seen. Temporarily, we've been struck very hard, very fast. It hurts. What's that, though? No pain, no — something. Let's all keep that in mind.

If — and it's a big if, such is the mammothian stature of the task — we find strikers who can readily fill in the gaps we've got up front, we could see a distinct retooling in our attacking tactics. Perhaps it will lead to a renewed sense of optimism, maybe some trophies, and certainly some goals.

Losing Espindola. Who'd've thought, huh?

I don't mean everything, either. I'm not a "blow-it-up" proponent, and I don't think Garth Lagerwey and Jason Kreis are, either. They're much too reasonable for that. Why not blow it up, then? Let's talk. First, let's say for purposes of discussion that blowing it up involves dropping at least 6 or 7 players, all veteran core players.

1. Blowing it up involves cutting guys who are on guaranteed contracts, which means spending money to relieve them of their contracts. You can't miraculously just dismiss somebody who you've guaranteed money: It would run afoul of contract law, of league rules, and of common sense.

2. Blowing it up means getting rid of important players who still have years left on their legs. You don't actively look to move on players who can still perform well for you unless they prove a horrendous value. I don't think we have any of those.

3. Blowing it up means disrupting a good thing. Yes, I know losing hurts, and surely we have to improve, but my word, we've got a good thing here, and getting rid of it all would be foolhardy.

4. We've already started, anyway. A little bit. Remember Robbie Russell and Andy Williams? We didn't happily just set them off, but we had to get rid of them for salary cap and age reasons (in conjunction with one another). We did, and while there were certainly some growing pains as a result, I don't think it ended us.

If I'm to guess, we'll see a few players off this offseason. It's inevitable, really. I'm not going to speculate on who those may be, but I suspect we'll keep with our pattern of only shifting off players who don't have too many years left in their legs. I could well be wrong.

Oh, and in case you're curious — I don't think we're getting rid of Jonny Steele, so just stop your whining and get on with it, please.

Three things to remember as you continue speculating on all that nonsense: Age, value, and ability. Not to say you wouldn't consider those, but you know, you can never be too careful.

Calm?

Anyhow, it should be a fascinating one. Olave and Espindola are both in doubt, and I'll be frank here: Espindola worries me. Not as a person, or as a player. Just his absence, to be clear, is what worries me. Olave? He worries me as a player. I don't know what's happened, but after his incredible start to the season, he's dropped off very significantly. Is it just injury? Does he need a full offseason to recover? The problem, to my mind, is that his performances drop significantly when he's carrying a knock. Other players, it affects only slightly. Him? It's big.

Anyway, that is what it is. I'm not worried if we put Kwame Watson-Siriboe in the mix, such is his defensive ability. Don't get me wrong — he's no Olave. There's only one of those. Kwame's style of play isn't far from Nat Borchers' approach: His positioning is excellent and he's great in the air. He doesn't close down on breakaways like Olave, but really, who does? He's a more solid, less explosive player, and maybe that's not a bad thing.

Beltran and Wingert on the wings will have their work quite cut out for them, as usual — even if Mauro Rosales is kept out of the affair by Seattle. As Jason Kreis told me (and others, of course) yesterday after training in his usual press interaction, that's the space the tactical setup affords to opponents. Watson-Siriboe and Borchers have no problem knocking those out of the air, so I'm not too worried.

I'd like to see some more shooting from distance, though. Will Johnson, Javier Morales, Ned Grabavoy and Kyle Beckerman only have a handful of goals between the four of them, and they are capable of so much more. We know Gspurning's quality in stopping shots, but we've got to test him. A rebound or a deflection, and we could be in with a real shout.

Other keys? Don't get injured. Please, please, please don't get injured. And advance. That's my other key. Intense, tactical match? I somehow doubt it. Call me crazy if you like. I might be.

Anyway, lineup prediction, right?

Rimando. Obviously.

Beltran. Watson-Siriboe. Borchers. Wingert. I've addressed this above.

Beckerman. Grabavoy. Johnson. Morales. Take those long shots, boys.

Paulo Junior. Saborio. Run, run, run, Paulo. Oh, and finish, Sabo. I'm confident. Espindola to come off the bench, score a goal or two? I like it.

Let's go.

I'm also not surprised that we put the weight of the clean sheet largely on Nick Rimando, who bailed us out on more than a few occasions. For most of the match, we were excellent defensively, but our ranks got breached a few too many times for comfort. Then again, it does make for a fantastic highlight reel.

The problem, really, was on set pieces — not to say it was a massive problem. By no means was it that. But we did allow Seattle too much joy on corners and the like, and we'll have to be considerably better when we're at home. Then again, Nick Rimando. That is all.

I'd just write about Nick Rimando for the remaining time, but I don't think that would be a spectacular use of my time or yours — I know only a bit about goalkeeping theory. I'd like to learn more, mind — although I would recommend reading something like How to Score: Science and the Beautiful Game for a fine exposition on penalty shootouts.

At any rate, there were small problems through the rest of the pitch. The midfield seemed a bit preoccupied with keeping a clean sheet, which is exactly what we needed to do on the road, but it did scupper a few chances when we didn't have bodies bursting into the box.

That said — Ned Grabavoy was absolutely fantastic on both sides of the ball. He created chance after chance, and so often, he was in the perfect defensive position. Capping it with a goal would have been well-deserved, but the performance lives strong. Does this man love the playoffs, or what?

Chris Wingert, too, was a real force. Seattle has a strong right flank with Mauro Rosales and Christian Tiffert both largely there. Now, Tiffert did a bit more floating, but when you consider that Rosales (corners aside) went 15/34 in passing, there's no doubting that Wingert played a huge role in that.

Indeed, the only Seattle player to really have a good game in the midfield? Osvaldo Alonso. Everyone else was largely cut out — a testament to the performance of our midfield and full backs. Let's also consider the 6/38 crossing — it wasn't a bad percentage, honestly, but it shows how peppered our center backs were with these things. As we needed to, we relied on Watson-Siriboe, Borchers and Rimando to really turn the Sounders away.

Interestingly, though our center backs were plenty busy there, they saw very little of the ball. We essentially stopped playing out of the back in that way — it was an interesting departure from the norm, certainly.

It's also fascinating to note that Saborio had more passes than most of the back line — 29/37. It illustrates just how handy his hold-up play is. We often see him on the edge of the box doing that, and sometimes, it comes off really well. There was little of that tonight: He was too busy helping to build possession in the midfield. As such, Espindola and Paulo Jr. were both relied on in a markedly different way as they pushed forward and tried to lead the line.

Thursday beckons.

Let's get things rolling, shall we? We'll start with some links.

I appear on LAGalaxy.com discussing the Western Conference playoffs with four other MLS bloggers. Some of them seem to think Jason Kreis has the toughest coaching job to make the finals — I, of course, disagree. This side sort of coaches itself by now — at least when those motivational sorts of issues crop up.

I've also issued a tactical preview over on RealSaltLake.com, wherein I ramble about stopping wide play, our defensive preparations and stance, and finding the right balance.

The rest? Well, I might as well just make a list, eh.

• Defensive questions mire RSL preparations, over at RSL Soapbox
• Periphery players could make big impact on Friday (Luis Gil, Sebastian Velasquez, and Paulo Jr.)
• RSL's playoff experience could factor in cup chances
• Shifting core emerges from 2012 campaign

Moving on, let's talk lineup — it might be our "best XI," which is a scintillating thought.

In goal, Nick Rimando is inevitable. In front of him, we have our first big question of the night. Beltran and Wingert will patrol the flanks, Nat Borchers will knock away the crosses, and, well, somebody will partner him. Whether that's Olave, Schuler or Watson-Siriboe, I don't know. My money's on Olave, but I've never been very good at betting.

In the middle, our first choice four: Beckerman, Johnson, Grabavoy and Morales. To my mind, it's the perfect midfield to face Seattle with, as we'll have a good chance to retain possession throughout and really boss the affair. The relationship between Johnson and Wingert, and Grabavoy and Beltran will be essential as they communicate defensive needs when we're not in possession.

Up front? I laugh. Is there an option? Espindola. Saborio. Goals, assists, and some counterattacking options. This one's obvious.

Prediction? Best XI. Win. Let's go.

But by the same token, we conceded only one, and that's some accomplishment. Two defenders played in all four of the matches: Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran. That we did it all with the central defenders switching back and forth is a bit of an accomplishment on its own, and it speaks to a good focus from the midfield to avoid conceding a goal. Going into the playoffs, it's a huge point of encouragement. Inspiration, even.

Anyway, I really wanted to award this to a center back, but given we played five different center backs (Borchers, Olave, Schuler, Watson-Siriboe, and Wingert), that seems a bit wide of the mark for a player of the month award. I don't mean to imply they didn't each do well there, because they certainly did.

I suppose, then, it goes to a full back. We weren't great in attack, and that's partly down to the midfield, so they're largely out of contention for me this month. No, I'd give the award quite squarely to Tony Beltran, whose attacking bent was nearly enough to rid ourselves of one of those three draws to end the season. But that's not the stick by which he should be measured, is it?

He was actually excellent defensively, too — which, given his attacking preference, is some accomplishment. He's got an excellent sense of when to go forward and when to come back. Against LA Galaxy, he was brilliant, keeping Landon Donovan at bay for much of the match.

It's interesting: We're the only professional club he's played with, he's only 25, and he's developing well. This season, he's transformed from a first-teamer without a guaranteed spot (usually behind Robbie Russell) into a genuine starting player. He's played more minutes for RSL this season than any one player — a true testament to the renaissance at right back.

Some of those early minutes were bumpy. He made a couple high-profile mistakes, including one against LA Galaxy that set them back on course as they came back to win from 2-0 down. Grabbing that starting role with both hands wasn't always easy, but through the adversity, he's come through and looked largely consistent.

At any rate, he's earned this, to my mind, because of his quality play, not because he happens to play. That can't be forgotten.

That's really the one we want to win, so while I wish we'd won the Supporters Shield, I'm not too stressed about it. (On another note, how pandering is the "Supporters Shield"? Is the implication that only supporters care about it?) We've got bigger things to worry about, anyway.

But first, I'd like to touch on some of the highlights of the Vancouver match. A normal match report hardly does anything justice, as there just wasn't much action. So, without further ado, some notes.

Sebastian Velasquez looked absolutely fantastic when he came on, cutting inside, cutting outside, driving into the box — doing exactly what it is we needed from a late-game substitute. On another day, he scores, or he grabs an assist, or something. It was a nice effort and he showed so much skill on the ball, it'll be hard to overlook him when next season rolls around, or even the playoffs. Where'd we find this kid, again? (Rhetorical, sorry. You're welcome to tell me, but there'll be no news there.)

Kwame Watson-Siriboe again looked immense. He's big, strong and fast — I mean, he's not as strong or fast as Jamison Olave, of course, but so few are. This kid's got a good brain on him, too, and I never really get too frightened when he's on the ball. His partnership with Chris Wingert was surprisingly solid, too — Chris is clearly not a center back by trade, but I thought this was a hugely improved match from last season's end, when we saw him as a center back as well.

While we struggled to put things away, we were creating our fair bit on Saturday. A plethora of shots, though few on target, would seem to speak to that. In the playoffs, we'll want to see much more in front of goal, but for now, we can be pleased that nobody's come out injured in any substantial way. I hope. Knock on wood.

Finally, a word about our defending in general these past weeks. In our last 11 matches, we've conceded only three goals. Sure, we've failed to put together a great goalscoring run, but I'm lifted by our defensive improvement. Considering we were simply leaking goals earlier in the season, there are few things better than seeing that fixed. It speaks really quite well as we move into the playoffs, but I wouldn't be surprised if it led to some penalties.

Still, we're facing devoted competition. It'll be fascinating.

At any rate, today means redemption. I mean, only a sliver of redemption, really, but a chance at even more redemption. Not that losing tonight would make that impossible, but it might make it more difficult. You see, I suspect that our heads haven't dropped precisely because we've got this match to play, and the playoffs after that, but a terrible result and they may just return to their down-turned form. That doesn't sound so hot.

Anyway, how we approach this match will be important. If we approach it as we have our last chunk of matches, I'm not worried. If we go in expecting a win — something I don't think we'll do — we're probably doomed. If we go in expecting a loss, we're definitely doomed. Anyway, metering expectations is important, right? Right.

Let's run through the lineup, shall we?

In goal, number 18 — Nick Rimando! (Did you get the yelling part of that? Should I retype it in all caps? I don't know about this blogging thing…) Hopefully his dominance on set pieces will not be tested, but I'm willing to bet that his long-range stopping ability will be.

At the back, we're likely to see Beltran, Wingert and Borchers, and one of Olave and Watson-Siriboe. For my part, I'd rather use Watson-Siriboe in there: He's showed well when on the pitch, and that deserves rewarding. Olave, well, hasn't. Not so much, at least. Maybe it's the burden of high expectations that anchors my opinion of Olave — I don't know. Regardless, form aside, if we want Olave in the playoffs, we might have to baby him a bit. We'll see on this one.

In the middle, I suspect we'll see Beckerman, Johnson and Morales, and one of Gil and Grabavoy. At this point, I'd take Gil and use Grabavoy as a substitute later on — Gil tends to tire, and Grabavoy could use a little easing in. It'll be a little disappointing for Ned, no doubt, but again: Playoffs and what.

Up front, Saborio and Espindola. If there's any concern over Espindola, it'll be Paulo Jr. — but I don't think there is any. It would be quite nice to see them grab some goals to delight the crowd and help their form.

Anyway, I'm sure I've typed the word "form" just about enough now, so let's get on with the match.

Power Ranking Averages for week 30.

The sites used are:
*Soccer America (socceramerica.com)
*Major League Soccer (MLSSoccer.com)
*Goal (Goal.com)
*Soccer by Ives (soccerbyives.net) - none last 2 wks.
*ESPN (espn.go.com/sports/soccer)
*SB Nation (sbnation.com)
*NBC Sports (prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com)
*Sports Illustrated (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
*Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com) - stopped after wk 11.

Weekly Average Power Ranking

Fourteen teams remained static in the rankings between week 29 and 30; no teams received a unanimous ranking.

Variances (week 26):
4 positions = DCU, VWc
3 positions = LAG, FCD, PT
2 positions = SS, RSL, CF, CC, MI, PU, CR, NE
1 position  = SJ, SKC, NY, HD, TFC, CUSA
0 positions =

Site Consistency (in descending order best/worst for week 30):
This depends on how drastic changes are for a ranking between week.  Simply put, if a team drops more than 3 places in a ranking there better be an extremely good reason for it.

NBC Sports (previous: 2st)
1 position - 6 teams
No change - 13 teams

Goal.com (previous: 5th)
1 position - 8 teams
No change - 11 teams

Soccer America (previous: 7nd)
2 positions - 1 team
1 position - 4 teams
No change - 14 teams

Sports Illustrated (previous: 3th)
2 positions - 3 teams
1 position - 4 teams
No change - 12 teams

ESPN (previous: 4rd)
3 positions - 1 team
1 position - 5 teams
No change - 13 teams

SB Nation (previous: 1th)
3 positions - 1 team
1 position - 7 teams
No change - 11 teams

Major League Soccer (previous: 6th)
4 positions - 1 team
3 positions - 1 team
1 position - 4 teams
No change - 13 teams

Soccer by Ives (previous: 8th)
No ratings published
 
Firsts and Lasts:
SJE have now been ranked #1 for 19 weeks, with RSL at 6, and SKC for 5 weeks.
TFC has been last for a total of 17 weeks (1 tied with PT, 1 with CUSA), Portland for 7 weeks (1 tied with TFC), Chivas for 3 weeks (1 tied with TFC), Montreal, Dallas and Philly held last for 2 weeks each,

Movers:
Jets: DCU (7th to 5rd)
Bricks: none
Glaciers: SJ, KC, LA, NY, HD, CC, VWc, FCD, MI, PT, PU, NE (no change)

Season Average Power Ranking

There was one position changes on the table this week as Philadelphia took over 16th from Chivas.

PT and RSL moved the least +/- .01 point each.  CUSA dropped the most -.12 points; DC rose the most at .09 points.  The smallest gap in the season average is .07 separating PU / CUSA.  The widest gulf once again lies between VWc and Columbus at 2.87 (down from 2.99); five other gaps of over 1 point also exist.

Firsts and Lasts:
*RSL held the top spot on the season table for a total of 21 weeks (1 tied with SKC).  SJ has held it for 7 weeks, and SKC held for 3 weeks (1 tied with RSL).
*Toronto has been in 19th place for 23 weeks, with Montreal at 7 weeks.

Forecast:
Dallas continues to close on the Rapids.  Only .11 points separate the two (down from .24).  One more good result for Dallas should put them in the 12th spot for the final week.

Losing sure would have hurt, but there's something worse about playing well and not winning. And let's be clear on that, because it seems like a controversial statement: We played well. I really believe that. For much of the match, we looked very, very close to our best. We lacked a bit in finishing chances, but in making chances, we were second-to-none.

And that's encouraging, in a way. I mean, not that we didn't finish our chances, but that we made them. Especially as we're coming into the MLS playoffs, and they're sort of important, too. I mean, I love CONCACAF, and I want us to do well, but it's not the only horse we've got in the race. That's the phrase, right?

It's frustrating, having players miss those chances. We had some golden ones. Sleeping on it, contrary to popular belief, didn't make it better — but it didn't make it worse. In fact, maybe the realization that there's more left to play for will be our saving grace. We need one right now, don't we?

But good grief, it's frustrating, isn't it?

We must press onward. We know we'll probably be seeing a reformed squad next year, as the lack of allocation money garnered by participating in the CONCACAF Champions League group stage will dry up. We know we'll have to deal with the disappointment of missing out on the knockout stages for at least a year.

But those things can come later. There's an offseason for this stuff.

Until then, let's take heart in our determination last night, in our drive, in our ability to absolutely control the defensive proceedings. Against more familiar opponents — especially ones who will actually be looking to play — that will be of the utmost importance.

I don't want to focus too much on this draw-loss hybrid — not right now. Thus, a short one is all you've got. My (almost) apologies. Let's talk tomorrow, with a fresh approach and mentality. Let's home the team does the same on Saturday.

Anyhow, let's not focus on confidence. It'll only give me heartburn. I mean, not literal heartburn, just the sort of heartburn you get when you're far too stressed about something. Or stressed the proper amount about something, which just happens to be a great deal.

All that said, there's not much we can do but wait now. And talk about it, of course. Let's do that last one.

The following players will need to be absolutely on key: All of them, obviously. In particular? Chris Wingert and Tony Beltran. Herediano is skilled out wide, and as they exhibited in training last night, they were focusing efforts there.

Additionally, they focused efforts on distance shooting, so we'll need Nick Rimando to be at his best (which he usually is) and the midfield to close down any chances quickly. This means Kyle Beckerman may sit a little further back, and Will Johnson and his right-sided partner will be called into action. Who's that right-sided partner? Well, I'd love for it to be Ned Grabavoy, but I suspect it'll be Luis Gil.

It'll be interesting.

Anyway, how do you approach a match like this? We have to score, but if we concede, we have to score a lot. Three goals if they score one — yeah. A lot. I guess if they score, we'll see plenty of attack, so… maybe that's good, or at least entertaining.

Anyway, prediction time.

Rimando. Of course.

In the back, I'm suspicious that Olave won't start, even if he's deemed "OK" — so: Beltran, Borchers, Schuler, Wingert. Schuler's impressed me this season, injury aside, and I think he would do well against Herediano. Beltran and Wingert will be key, as above. I reject any supposition that we should drop in Mansally for his attacking bent, as he's just not anywhere near Wingert's defensive level.

In the middle, Beckerman, Johnson, Gil, Morales. Again, Grabavoy's only just started hitting full training sessions, and I'd be surprised if he was ready to go. I'd absolutely love to be proven wrong. Beckerman and Johnson have a great understanding, and perhaps Gil can jump in on that. Tracking back will absolutely be key.

Up front — *gulp* — Espindola and Paulo Jr., as both may be fit. Espindola trained fully yesterday, and that's a very, very good sign. If he's not good to go, Braun and Paulo Jr., as Bonfigli showed about, well, nothing last week.

Right, enough rambling. Time to get out there.

It's close to home because that's Tuesday, potentially. As I reported over on RSL Soapbox, we may well be without Espindola, and we already know we'll be without Saborio. It's a little frustrating.

OK, I lied. It's a lot frustrating. Hugely. This leaves us with three strike options: Paulo Jr., Emiliano Bonfigli, and Justin Braun. There are three reasons, to my mind, why this is hugely problematic.

1. Paulo Jr. is our most in-form striker aside from those two vital pieces we're missing. I guess this isn't really a problematic part, is it? He could struggle against Herediano's more bulky defenders, but his speed in transition could be the difference-maker. That said, we haven't really seen that from him as we need to — so we'll be hoping for some of that. His channel movement, too, will be key.

2. Emiliano Bonfigli has looked lost nearly every time he's been on the pitch with the first team. His movement is erratic — his runs just don't end where they need to be, and that makes it incredibly difficult for those around him to feed him the ball.

3. Justin Braun has been nursing some injuries and has had trouble finding a look in. If his on-the-ball work is what's holding him back, Jason Kreis may just have to overlook that for a day. Bonfigli may be better on the ball, but he's had severe problems actually getting on the ball in the first place.

My preferred pairing, then, is obvious: Braun and Paulo. You get the little-big dynamic, the hold-up and runner combination — that's essential. Yeah, I know Bonfigli's hardly short, but he's sort of a twig.

How about alternate options? What if we didn't have any strikers available? My options, as follows.

1. Strikerless formation. Yeah, we'd be accused of being indirect and Barcelona-esque, but we'd basically need our midfielders constantly running into the box. With a side that includes Javier Morales, Luis Gil, Sebastian Velasquez, and David Viana, it could work. Would it be something I could see Jason Kreis doing? Well, no. Not really.

2. Gil and Mansally up top. We've seen Luis Gil play up top before — the dog days of summer alongside Jean Alexandre as a central striker — and I guess it would work in a pinch. Kenny Mansally's fast and skillful, and he's played up top before. That sounds like it might have a little bit of promise. This seems more probable.

3. Olave up top. You know you'd like to see it.

Yuck. These do-or-die matches are what we live for, but my word, they'll be the death of me. It's feeling more and more tense every day, and if things go badly, I fear there will be an implosion in our fan base to go along with one in our team.

That said, I'm not that worried about our ability to beat Herediano. We have plenty of ability to do just that — it's really just a matter of taking it. Don't get me wrong: That's not going to be easy. If we're going to do it, we're going to have to score goals, and our best goalscorer is out for this one.

Who's put in, then, to partner Fabian Espindola? Obvious signs point to Paulo Jr., who just missed out on Wednesday but was training fully today. He seemed to be in good shape, which makes his absence a little mystery — injury, yes, but clearly not a significant one. I don't know quite what to make of it, but these things happen sometimes.

On the bench, I've got to wonder if Emiliano Bonfigli has shown enough to Jason Kreis to continue. He didn't do so for me on Wednesday, despite his dominance with the reserves. There have certainly been some good signs — he's a fantastic finisher, for one — but there's something really missing from his game. I'm no expert, but I've got to wonder where his future lies. I reckon he can improve massively — he's still quite young — but there's much to be seen.

Other replacements needed for Tuesday may include a center back and a right-central midfielder. Those are easy to fill. Schuler's in for Olave if need be — Kwame looks to be improving in fitness in training, as an aside — and Gil's in for Grabavoy should Ned not be read…y. Ready. (I wonder if Ned's well-read. Ah, rhyming, you'll be the death of me, like so many other things.)

I do wonder who will be on the bench. Could Velasquez make it? He's looked good coming on late. What about David Viana? I doubt it, but one never knows. Bonfigli? I doubt it. Justin Braun? Maybe if he's sufficiently recovered from injury.

At any rate, the only absences from training today were Tony Beltran, who was taking a personal day to attend a wedding, and Jamison Olave, who is being checked out to determine the extent of his injuries.

I've nothing else from training today, but perhaps I'll put together a dedicated training post from tomorrow's session. Perhaps you'll just have to wait and see.

Confusing. Disrupting. I'm not really sure how I feel anymore. Where am I? What are we doing?

Oh, never mind. It's not that bad. Alas, that draw was a fair bit frustrating, wasn't it? Not in the least because of that little red card Ricardo Salazar (remember: The enemy of our enemy is our friend) showed — justly, I might add. When your opponent can only play ten men, you'd expect your team to win 10 times out of 11.

This was that 9 percent: Seattle fought diligently for 60 minutes: They clogged lanes, they sat back, they did everything they could to get a draw. In the end, it worked.

We can take some things from the match, despite not ending with a win.

One. Kyle Beckerman is a beast. A fine-passing, tackle-making, distribution-controlling beast of a man. He completed 123 passes of 137 attempted. That's significant. Very significant. It's the first time this season that a player has completed 100 or more passes. It's fantastic. Good on you, captain.

Two. Sebastian Velasquez got some deserved time on the pitch and showed really well. He added some important impetus in attack, made things happen, and nearly scored a goal late in stoppage time. Oh, if only he had. Damn you, Gspurning!

Three. David Viana came on and did reasonably well, too. He looked a little shaky and he didn't have the connection with his teammates we need — he's only been here a few weeks, really, so it's no surprise. Still, it was a promising debut and something to build on. One thing we can definitely say: The kid's direct in his approach play. We needed that when he came on, and he provided it, even if it didn't entirely work out.

Four. Jamison Olave's broken. He's got a hamstring strain. Ugh. Thankfully, we have Schuler back in the side, and Watson-Siriboe is inching toward fitness. We'll need them both. It's a good thing that Schuler is fantastic.

Five. Emiliano Bonfigli's an enigma. He went from looking really, really good for the reserves to looking entirely lost for the first team. His finishing is immense, but he didn't really get a chance to show that, and part of that's down to him and his positioning. He certainly doesn't have an understanding with Espindola up top, and maybe that was the biggest problem.

Six. Nick Rimando. That is all.

Seattle. They've somehow become one of our three primary rivals — along with LA Galaxy and Colorado Rapids (the latter obviously enough, and the former, well, also obviously enough) — and that makes me laugh a bit. Let's think back to 2009.

C'mon, think.

Remember the goodwill between Sounders fans and RSL fans? We won the MLS Cup (or am I suppose to write "we won MLS Cup," to avoid the exclusive article?) at their place, and they were supportive of us. Yeah, I know, we weren't playing them — but that goodwill was interesting. Where's that gone? Out the window, I suspect. Why's that?

Well, lots of reasons. After they ended our home unbeaten streak, that was one blow. After we knocked them out of the playoffs, that's another. Oh, and in 2010, we drew late (who scored? Oh, nobody important. Just Alvaro Saborio.) and that was nice.

Is that all it takes to create a rivalry? We're young. It shows. But there's nothing exclusive about rivalries — they can be young, and sometimes, they don't start after decades of history. Sometimes it's as simple as a couple years of results.

Anyway, rivalry aside, we've got a match to play, so let's talk a little about that.

We might have Rimando and Beckerman in the lineup — I'm inclined to suspect we will, even. Jason Kreis has been cagy about the prospect, but I'm inclined to think that's him hedging his bets, as ever. Maybe — just maybe — he didn't think he'd be able to get them, and then somebody stepped up and said, "You know, I've got a private jet — why don't I just go get them?", and maybe that person was one of our owners. And maybe that was reported, so I don't know why I'd be so back and forth about this, but you know how I can be sometimes. I suggest you get over that.

If we do, that leaves our lineup something like this:

Rimando; Beltran, Booooorlaaaaaaveeeee, Wingert; Beckerman, Gil, Steele, Morales; Espindola, Paulo Jr.

And I'd suspect we'll see the following on the bench: Reynish, Schuler, Mansally, Alvarez, Velasquez, Martinez, Braun

Fun. Might we see Sebastian? I'd guess so. Gil and Steele so rarely play 90 minutes when the start. And might we see Enzo Martinez? Well, probably not. But we'll see. And maybe Kyle Beckerman won't start, either. I really haven't the foggiest. Also, I've preferred Braun to Bonfigli on my bench, but just for size. This isn't the sort of match I'd peg Bonfigli to do well in. Still, you never know, right?

Right, then. Let's get on with it.

Our seven most-played midfielders are Kyle Beckerman (2412 minutes), Javier Morales (2090), Will Johnson (2075), Ned Grabavoy (1883), Luis Gil (1516), Jonny Steele (1057), and Yordany Alvarez (500). That sounds about right, although I was a little surprised that Javi has played more than Will. Not entirely surprised, but a little.

Let's also assume that for this little thought experiment, we'd be stuck playing the narrow diamond. You know, for the purposes of examination and all that.

Defensive midfield: Chris Wingert. If any player has the awareness and understanding to fill that role, Wingert's the man. We saw him at the back and he wasn't spectacular, but played in the midfield, we'd get more out of him. He's one of our most frequent passers (fourth, in fact, per minute), good in the tackle, good in awareness — the perfect fit. Kenny Mansally slots in at left back.

Left central midfield: David Viana. Yeah, we've never seen him in first-team action before, and yeah, he probably would get pretty tired in the 60th minute or so, but the Frencheguese player (yeah, I just made that up. Please don't accuse me of being culturally insensitive.) has something special about him. Earl from RSL Soccer Talk reports that Viana is a big fan of Deco, and he played in the tip of the diamond, so, uh, he might have to fight the candidate there to get time.

Right central midfield: Enzo Martinez. I initially wanted to play Tony Beltran there, because I think it's a good role for him, but as we don't really have a replacement right back in the ranks (with my having just moved Wingert to the defensive midfield spot), we'd be in a real spot of trouble. Instead, I've dropped Enzo in there, because that's where he plays. There's something to be said for a natural look. Enzo's got some real skills, though, and that would be a good spot for him to show them.

Attacking midfield: Sebastian Velasquez. This one's pretty simple for me, if just because we've seen him there in reserves games, and he really runs the show. As such, he's basically a lock here until someone shows more than him. If so, he might switch places with Viana.

In reserves, we'd have Nico Muñiz and, uh… nobody. That's OK, though — this is with seven players out (for some imaginary reason — maybe they ate at some restaurant and the lasagna just wasn't up to par or something), and recovering from that would be tough. If necessary, I'd move Tony Beltran into midfield, where I think he'd do a fine job, and we could move Chris Schuler into the defensive midfield spot. He'd be a bit more of an anchor than Kyle Beckerman, though.

That's enough of what I think. What would you do?

At any rate, that's enough thought experiment for today. Let's talk Seattle tomorrow. See you then.

Oh, bad pun. My apologies.

Anyway, the following are likely out: Beckerman, Johnson, Grabavoy. Oh, you know, just three-quarters of our starting midfield. No big deal. (Hey, I'm glad we've still Javi in there, though.) Who might replace them?

Yordany Alvarez for Kyle Beckerman is almost certain. It's a drop-off in quality, to be sure, but we're not left stranded here. But let's think for a second: Given our absences, who would we play if not Yordany Alvarez? (Let the crickets set in for a  moment.) Yeah, that's sort of what I thought. I have zero clue. Maybe Jonny Steele, though he's hardly a good fit there. Maybe, uh… Nico Muñiz? He's played there, too.

Anyway, whoa.

Jonny Steele for Will Johnson. They're fairly similar in their playing style (to an extent), so it's a bit of like-for-like, and I'm honestly not too fussed here. Would I rather Will was here? Well, yes. That's obvious, isn't it?

In for Grabavoy is Luis Gil, who has just come back from international duty so he can play against Seattle. What a kid. He provides much more in attack, but he's never going to track back in the same way as Grabavoy. He's not nearly as tactically disciplined. I do, however, hope he proves me wrong.

Anyway, not so bad, right? I suspect this means Sebastian Velasquez will be on the bench and will likely see minutes, and we might even see Enzo Martinez or David Viana. Maybe.

Aside from that, here's some Sunday reading material for you lot. Do enjoy it, will you?

I wrote a feature on Justin Braun and how he feels about not playing: It's a fun, fairly quick read, and Justin was good to speak to. From my piece: "Justin Braun tries to look past that. "It's just another team," he says after a rain-soaked bout of Saturday training. "I try to look at it like that, just coming out here as if I wasn't in my hometown. Obviously, there are a lot of people around here that know me."

I've also written about our international absences and about the first set of international matches. Read on, kind souls.

The sites used are:
*Soccer America (socceramerica.com)
*Major League Soccer (MLSSoccer.com)
*Goal (Goal.com)
*Soccer by Ives (soccerbyives.net)
*ESPN (espn.go.com/sports/soccer)
*SB Nation (sbnation.com)
*NBC Sports (prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com)
*Sports Illustrated (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)
*Bleacher Report (bleacherreport.com) - stopped after wk 11.

Weekly Average Power Ranking

Ten teams remained static in the rankings between week 28 and 29; Houston, Chivas and Toronto were the only teams to receive a unanimous ranking.  There was 1 tie in week 28, CR / PT at 15th place with a 15.86 ave.

Variances (week 26):
4 positions = DCU, VWc
3 positions = CF, FCD, LAG, MI, SS
2 positions = CR, NER, RSL, PT
1 position  = CC, NY, PU, SJ, SKC
0 positions = CUSA, HD, TFC

Site Consistency (in descending order best/worst for week 26):
This depends on how drastic changes are for a ranking between week.  Simply put, if a team drops more than 3 places in a ranking there better be an extremely good reason for it.

SB Nation (previous: 8th)
2 positions - 2 team
1 position - 6 teams
No change - 11 teams

NBC Sports (previous: 1st)
3 positions - 1 team
2 positions - 4 teams
1 position - 7 teams
No change - 7 teams

Sports Illustrated (previous: 4th)
3 positions - 1 team
2 positions - 4 teams
1 position - 3 teams
No change - 11 teams

ESPN (previous: 3rd)
3 positions - 4 teams
2 positions - 1 team
1 position - 6 teams
No change - 8 teams

Goal.com (previous: 7th)
4 positions - 1 team
3 positions - 2 teams
1 position - 4 teams
No change - 12 teams

Major League Soccer (previous: 6th)
5 positions - 1 team
4 positions - 1 team
3 positions - 1 team
2 positions - 1 team
1 position - 9 teams
No change - 6 teams

Soccer America (previous: 2nd)
3 positions - 1 team
2 positions - 2 team
1 position - 7 teams
No change - 9 teams

Soccer by Ives (previous: 5th)
No ratings published
 
Firsts and Lasts:
SJE have now been ranked #1 for 18 weeks, with RSL at 6, and SKC for 5 weeks.
TFC has been last for a total of 17 weeks (1 tied with PT, 1 with CUSA), Portland for 7 weeks (1 tied with TFC), Montreal, Dallas and Philly held last for 2 weeks each, Chivas for 2 weeks (1 tied with TFC).

Movers:
Jets: RSL (7th to 3rd), SS (6th to 4th),
Bricks: LA (3rd to 6th), NY (5th to 8th)
Glaciers: SJ, KC, HD, CC, MI, PU, PT, NE, CUSA, TFC (no change)

Season Average Power Ranking

There were no position changes on the table this week.

PT once again moved the least with no change from last week.  CR dropped the most -.12 points; CF rose the most at .13 points.  The smallest gap in the season average is .1 separating PU / CUSA.  The widest gulf once again lies between VWc and Columbus at 2.99 (down from 3.14); five other gaps of over 1 point also exist.

Firsts and Lasts:
*RSL held the top spot on the season table for a total of 21 weeks (1 tied with SKC).  SJ has held it for 6 weeks, and SKC held for 3 weeks (1 tied with RSL).
*Toronto has been in 19th place for 22 weeks, with Montreal at 7 weeks.

Forecast:
Dallas is making steady progress on the Rapids.  Only .24 points separate the two (down from .39).  One more good result may be enough.

Philadelphia also looks likely to pass Chivas in the seasonal average.  One more week should do the trick.

It might be easier to specifically address the performances of each player, one by one, and maybe then we can figure something out.

Kyle Reynish. 5. Despite two of the conceded goals being from penalties, Reynish was still somewhat culpable for giving up three of the goals. There was no dominance to his play, no assuredness. It was a little weird. Other parts of his game were very good, but he didn't cope at all well with being exposed by his defense.

Enzo Martinez. 5. Enzo showed some really good stuff yesterday, but when he was switched over to being the reserves' right back, he fell into a bit of a hole. He was good in the middle third — as one might expect — and he made some actually excellent tackles, but he lost his man too many times and let players past him to swing in crosses. He's young and in an unnatural position, and he'll have learned a valuable lesson — one that will help him no matter where he plays: Don't let your man past you so easily. His first 30 minutes were easily his best, as he was in a more natural midfield position.

Kwame Watson-Siriboe. 7. He was only on for 30 minutes and didn't do much wrong. It's good to see him recovering.

Carlos Salcedo. 5. The young academy center back had some good moments in the air, but he didn't form a partnership with Chris Schuler, generally being too tight centrally; as a result, there was always space for the Houston midfield.

Chris Schuler. 6. As the older, more experienced head, it's up to him to control the defenders around him and form a partnership. He was vocal, and that was good, but maybe he needed to be more forceful. Kenny Mansally seemed reluctant — at best — to track back, and Carlos Salcedo needed more direction. Still, he was loud and directive for most of the match, so it wasn't all a bust.

Kenny Mansally. 4.5. He's a very good attacking left back, this one, but he wasn't tracking back. It's one thing when your midfielders aren't tracking back, but when your left back bombs forward and strolls back without a sense of urgency on counter attacks, you're in trouble. It's not that he lacks the recovery speed — it's that he didn't use it. The extra half point is for being very good in attack.

Yordany Alvarez. 6. Yordany wasn't great on the day, but he wasn't terrible. He broke up some play in the center, but the dangerous stuff came from the flanks, so its hard to hold him too culpable.

David Viana. 7. The kid was seriously fun to watch in the first half, and he did score a well-deserved goal, but he tired in the second half and faded from view. It's a performance to build on.

Sebastian Velasquez. 8. The kid was at the center of everything — controlling the speed of the game, making killer passes, unleashing strikers. He'd have ranked higher if he'd calmed the game down a bit later on when RSL was getting hammered.

Justin Braun. 8. He was active, fast and involved. There's not much more to ask right now, and he seemed to really get the system. It's encouraging moving forward. He nearly scored a goal, and if I'm not mistaken, he bagged three assists. Nice!

Emiliano Bonfigli. 9.5. The kid scored a hat trick, and one of the goals was an entirely audacious high-lofted chip. Yum. He was all over, and he combined really well with Sebastian Velasquez. And his finishing? Immense.

Sub — Jonny Steele. 8. Steele came in when we were getting hammered and kept things neat. (What do you mean, he didn't run all over the place?) The guy gets a bad rap sometimes, but this was a good, calming performance.

Sub — Nico Muniz. 5. He didn't really do much, and he wasn't a huge help covering defensively. He's performed much better for the reserves before and will want to show signs that this was a one-off.

Sub — Paulo Jr. 6.5. He didn't have much time to influence the occasion, really.