An hour before the team was due to jet off to Chicago, the league decided they’d like to throw everything into some doubt and issue a one-match ban to our very own Jean Alexandre. Now, a month ago, news that Jean, our non-forward forward, was receiving a match ban just before an away trip would have come as a bit of a non-issue.
So it says a lot about Mean Jean, the Goal-Scoring (Uh...) Machine that we’re in a bind because he can’t play. When he came into the side as a forward instead of his normal midfield role, the reactions were largely negative — or at least tentative. Cries of “Alexandre? He’s no forward!,” “Jean playing what?” and “Who?” The last was probably less justified, but this has been a big run for the guy.
But he’s been banned, and that’s that. Bad tackles the referee doesn’t see are still bad tackles, and if they’re bad enough, they’ll pick you up a ban. Now, I’m not entirely sure the tackle was worthy of a one-match ban — it was certainly a yellow, but without reviewing it, I’d say it wasn’t a red — but that’s aside from the point. I do remember being head in hands, cursing Jean’s name, but I thought nothing of it for a time after. Alas.
So, Jean’s out, and Kreis said in a press conference that two of the men now back from international duty are out, too. So no Saborio, no Alvarez, no Alexandre and only two fit forwards. I really do hope that our No. 14, Artur Aghasyan, can come into the side today and do well, and I really do hope that Jason gives him a chance to do that. He’s a very exciting player with pace and a killer work rate, and that, right now, would help in no small way.
Also newly out is Chris Wingert with a hamstring strain, so I expect Tony Beltran to move to the left and Russell to come back into the side. At the back, I don’t expect changes today, barring fatigue. The Olave-Borchers (Olarchers? Bolave? I’ll go with Bolave.) combination should continue as well as it has recently.
Will Johnson should be ready to play a full match for the side after losing in the Gold Cup with Canada, and he should be joining Kyle Beckerman, Ned Grabovoy and Andy Williams. I’m a bit tetchy on that midfield combination, though, as fatigue could quickly set in. I hope Andy’s fully fit for a run in the side, because the new-look approach Kreis is trying relies on him. While we’ve got no Morales, we have to change our style slightly, and our Jamaican international is essential to that. He’ll move around intelligently, make diagonal runs, and generally disrupt the defense if all goes well.
Up front, Espindola looks to be OK to continue after coming off late-match holding his thigh, and I expect Aghasyan will be given a real chance to shine. With Artur and Andy (nice ring, innit!) joining force with Fabian, we have a three-pronged offense that involves a lot of movement and defensive disruption. With Will Johnson back in the side, those openings should be used fruitfully with long shots and runs into the box, and we know Kyle can make those runs, too.
This leaves us without anyone deigning to be a playmaking midfielder, so Kreis may choose to drop in Gil or Gonzalez in an effort to inject some passing creativity into the side. I doubt very much that Collen Warner will be given a chance for a few weeks at least — he’s had a brilliant chance and he’s not grabbed it with either hand, let alone both of them.
So, onward and upward. We kick off against Chicago Fire at 6:30 p.m. and I’m itching for it. Gold Cup at 5 p.m., too, so I may have that on another TV or a computer or some such, but come kickoff, it’s all RSL for me. The rest is background noise.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
Predicted line-up
Rimando
Russell - Olave - Borchers - Beltran
Beckerman
Johnson - Grabavoy
Williams
Aghasyan - Espindola
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