Morning all. A brief preview and not much more, and a match report coming later today. Early kickoff, and I’m up a bit earlier than usual (read: much earlier) and so am a bit out of sorts. Not that I think my thoughts will be less coherent (that would be an achievement, indeed) but that’s a different story.
We kick off against Vancouver at 2 p.m. today, and a good performance should see RSL walk away with three valuable points. The Whitecaps have lost their last four games, and they’ve only won two of the 20 they’ve played. Those two wins came at home, though, and we’ll have to be aware if we hope for a win.
It does seem the Saborio traveled, and barring injury concerns, he should be starting up top, perhaps alongside Fabian Espindola. The combination of those two could be very effective, with Spindy (yes, Spindy) moving sideways and making diagonal runs, and Sabo sticking a bit more to the center. I do think we’ve been hit by the fact that those two haven’t had much chance to play together, and I think they could make for a very nice pairing up top.
Luis Gil has also traveled, but he will be leaving shortly for the U.S. Under-18s as they look to claim the Milk Cup (not the old League Cup) in Northern Ireland. It seems a bit of an odd competition, but I suppose international time for Gil can’t hurt. (Who am I kidding! Don’t leave, Luis. Internationals will only leave you injured!)
We do know that Cody Arnoux traveled to Vancouver, but that may be as much pleasure for him as a former Whitecaps player. Now, I’m no expert in MLS transfers and the like, but that he wasn’t allowed to stay with the team when they moved to the league is a bit strange. I’m no fan of drafts, and that seems to be where the issue came from. Still, the ‘Caps loss is our gain, and he could be a cracking player for us.
Right, I could try to spell out some of the keys for the game, but I’m afraid they’re not much more than this:
1. Score a few goals.
2. Don’t let Vancouver do the same.
3. Pass the ball well, and don’t lose possession stupidly.
4. Don’t. Let. The. Ball. Bounce.
So you see then why I don’t do it more often. It would be awfully mundane! These players know what they’ll have to do to win.
So, a predicted lineup, but it could well be half-baked, so don’t hold me too much to it.
Rimando
Russell - Borlave - Beltran
Beckerman - Johnson - Grabavoy - Alvarez
Saborio - Espindola
But some of that will of course depend on who’s traveled and who’s fit. They should all be raring to go, and that’s encouraging. I’m gunning for an Alvarez start as he makes a bid for fitness, with Andy Williams dropping to the bench to provide some late-game impact. I’ve been pleased to see Andy starting, but we do sometimes miss his ability to turn the game late on. I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of Will Johnson or Ned Grabavoy benched given the minutes they’ve been racking up, consider we played on Tuesday.
Anyhow, it’s time for a bit of a nap before kickoff. If you’ve made the trip to Vancouver, enjoy the match, and I hope to be regaled with tales of our dominant win.
Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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