A bit of a short one today as I've not properly seen the match. A stream which left something to be desired (though it was certainly a step up on the first match in the Desert Diamond Cup) and an internet connection that was more walrus than gazelle left me in a bind. That said, a 2-0 loss to the LA Galaxy isn't particularly fun, especially in the way we did it, so let's talk about that, shall we?
Yes, this is preseason, and yes, the result's don't particularly matter. Sure, we'd like to win all our games ever, but that's not exactly how it works and there was no way we were set up to go nab a win on the counter or to tactically battle our way to victory. One can, I think, be forgiven for being disappointed in that loss, but to fret over it is unnecessary and perhaps a bit harmful (on one end or the other.) We can certainly agree that it's not particularly good for one's stress level to particularly worry about it.
We saw two sendings off, one of which seemed unjustified (I have it on good authority that it was, though I've yet to see highlights footage) and one which seemed the mark of a player who, perhaps, had forgotten that he was on a yellow card. Ned Grabavoy's untimely departure — bar his finishing, I'd argue that he was the best player on the pitch for either side until that red mist descended on him. Check out the highlights below and make your own decision on whether Ned should have stayed on the pitch, but one thing can certainly be taken from the video: David Beckham should've seen at least a yellow for his tackle on Ned at the very same moment, and that it didn't is a bit puzzling. In addition, his grabbing of the referee's arm is simply out of line and should have seen him sanctioned just for that. This casual grabbing of the referee by players is one that really ought be cut out, especially in heated circumstances.
Yordany Alvarez's sending off, just minutes after Ned's, came after he made an unwise tackle from the behind — a certain yellow card offense no matter the circumstance. His sending off was the mark of a player who, as Garth Lagerwey described him, lacks a bit of consistency. We got a pretty clear view of that last night. Having re-watched, though, the tackle wasn't as clear as I remember, and perhaps the referee should have simply had a word with the player. That's worth a mention, too: The referee didn't communicate with the players in an ostensibly non-competitive match. Yes, I know there's a cup at hand, but it's preseason and that means that referees need to get their jitters out as much as the players do.
It's worth another mention, Ned's performance. He was utterly dominant. He burst into space, he dribbled through defenders, he made vital tackle after vital tackle — it was a man of the match performance if he'd been able to, you know, put the ball into the back of the net. That back heel when through on goal will haunt him, though, and there's no better time than preseason to get these jitters out of the way.
Right, other than that, there's not too much to mention. Some of the new players looked good, even though they had little chance to show more than that in what were unfortunately cursory appearances. Being down to nine men for nigh on 30 minutes certainly does that. Our next match in the tournament should see a markedly different result — one in which our players remain on the pitch instead of being sent off it.
Onward and upward, though. Our season's hardly over on that performance (it's not even begun yet!) so don't worry yourselves with the result. The important result against the Galaxy will come on March 10, which, I've got to say, is getting here a good bit sooner than I'd anticipated, so that's nice.
What did you make of the match? Did you see something that encouraged you a great deal? Or how about something that discouraged you? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one, especially as I wasn't able to properly take it all in.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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