 Malik
(10/31/11)Saturday I watched one of the worst soccer games I've ever seen. Seattle played Real Salt Lake in the first of a two game aggregate goal playoff match. Not only did Seattle fail to control the possession, but they played like a high school team facing off against a playoff team. The only Sounder who looked like anything better than complete crap was Kasey Keller. True, he ended up giving up three goals, but that's ignoring how many times he saved the Sounders from an even worse fate. Keller spent most of the game throwing his body in the way of some fierce and constant shots on goal. Keller, you could see in how he played, wanted to win. The rest of the team...I don't know what they wanted, but winning was probably not in the top five of their desires. I had trouble watching the game when it started with Real Salt Lake controlling all possession (in the end, RSL controlled the ball about twice as frequently, according to the clock, than the Sounders). I had more trouble when Seattle fell back two to nothing. Right after that was when I just couldn't take anymore. When Alonso, who has been trying to prove he is the MVP of the Sounders for 2011, acted out on his aggression, and was not even penalized appropriately, I couldn't watch anymore. Alonso, right after the second RSL goal, shoved a RSL player without any visible provocation. The refs must have missed most of it, because Alonso walked away with a yellow when (and this is me speaking as a Sounders fan) he should have been ejected with a flat red. In fact, the refs were far too nice on their calls all around. They missed an offsides on the first RSL goal (although the ball was going to go in before the offside RSL player tapped it in), skipped a few easy yellows, and then gave Alonso a free pass on being an idiot. It wasn't until the end of the second half that they stepped up...which was when they let it rain yellows after some borderline nothing/yellow calls on Frieberg and Montero (although Montero was asking for it by being where he shouldn't have been...on the RSL goal keeper's ass). Now Seattle has to, somehow, score at least three on Wednesday and not allow anything from RSL. They then need to win in overtime. Is it impossible? No. Is it easy or likely? Definitely no. At least the rest of the weekend in sports went how it should. UW beat Arizona in a great second half of football (started with a lame first half...but UW has always been a second half type of team, and the refs were shit the entire game). By the way...Polk...a great Husky, or the greatest Husky? Also, the Seahawks went down in flames like one would expect. In fact, the Seahawks had one hell of a funny/lame game. QB juggling happened when Whitehurst was pulled for an injured T-Jack. Personally, if your starter (no matter how lame he is as the first string) is recovering, and your 2nd string QB is crap, try the unproven rookie. Would Portis have pulled out a miracle? Who knows. However, it would be better than risking an even worse injury on T-Jack...who, no matter what you want to think about him, is still the starter. At least with the Rams picking up an unlikely win (over the Saints?!), the Seahawks are looking a bit better in the hunt for a good draft pick. Malik |
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