Tonight on ESPN2, Dynamo host the Colorado Rapids at sea level, while on FSC the US faces Carlos Ruiz and 10 defending Guatemalans. Looks like I'll have to record the US MNT match.
Dynamo seem to have the Rapids' number, but the Rocky Mountain Gang won't be facing the standard Dynamo tonight. Last weekend Dynamo showed that it can play without DDR, but can it play without DDR and Clark? We'll see. Ching hasn't made an obvious contribution to our attack for a while, but without him in the lineup drawing double coverage, it's going to be a little more difficult to open of the Colorado defense and find the net.
My guess at the lineup tonight
GK: Wells
D: Waibel, Cochrane, Robinson, Barrett
D Mid: Mulrooney
R/L Mid: Mullan, Holden
A Mid: Davis
F: Ngwenya, Wondo
Kelly Gray might fit into the lineup as well. His natural position is a defending mid, and he is a physical player, which matches up well with Mastroeni (who is sitting out of the US MNT match due to a red card) and Beckerman. I think Mulrooney has the edge on Gray though, and I don't think Gray would do well as an Attacking Mid, so if he is in the lineup, I'd guess it'd be on the back line. I lean towards Waibel starting because he has done well defending and supporting the attack in the past two games. His bench time has made him hungry.
I imagine we'll see Corey Ashe in the second half, especially if we're down a goal. He's brought life to the game. This is rare for a rookie in the Kinnear system, which makes his success all the more exciting.
Given Dynamo's national team departures from its attacking core and Colorado's defensive starters being back in good health, we're going to have a hard time scoring. Luckily, our stalwart back line is largely intact, except for Onstad who will be replaced by the capable Wells. This portends a low-scoring affair. If the Dynamo-D keeps its head in the game and does its part, I think we'll manage a 1-0 win. Maybe Ashe will tally his first...
Fun fact: Tonight's referee, Abbey Okulaja has doled out 2 red cards in the 5 Dynamo matches he's officiated.
As for the USMNT, Guatemala will look to bunker and defend and pray for a productive Ruiz flop. I think we'll eke out a goal, which will force "La Azul y Blanco" to open up a bit and giving us a chance for another. US begins the defense of the Gold Cup with a 2-0 victory. Optimistic?
DDR and Onstad helped their team to a win over Costa Rica, perhaps the toughest opponent Canada will face in its group.
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2 comments:
Is the ref's red-card percentage a good one or not?
Was the Canadian game televised? I for one would have LOVED to see it. When do they play again?
I would think 2 red cards in only 5 games is a pretty high percentage. It's a small sample size though, so it may be nothing more than coincidence.
As for Canada, they play Guadeloupe on June 9 at 6 PM and Haiti on June 11 at 8 PM. I believe they will advance out of their group, particularly now that Costa Rica was beaten, so they should have more games following June 11. If their games are broadcast here (Houston), I imagine it would have to be on the Fox Soccer Channel. As they say, Check your local listings!
Thanks for the note!
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