#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1). It's sphincter-puckering time. The American League Central lead, which was once at 11 1/2 Games on Cleveland, is now at two. Dropping a series versus the Yankees, then failing to sweep the White Sox at Comiskey, plus The Tribe staying hot by fattening up on bad teams, is a big part of it. Fact: Sunday, when the Twins beat Chicago and Cleveland lost to Kansas City, was the first day the Twinks gained ground on Cleveland, on a day they weren't facing each other, since June 29. Facts like that shrink insurmountable leads.
To blunt that, the organization finally pulled the trigger on a deal, getting reliever ... Sergio Romo from Miami. He was the Closer on those World Series-winning San Francisco Giants teams. Romo is not the Pitcher he was, of course, but considering the beleaguered and overworked bullpen this club has now -- and considering the prospect Minnesota gave up isn't Royce Lewis or Alex Kiriloff -- I'd like to think this is a win. Romo has to throw well, though, of course.
This is the time of the schedule where these guys face bad teams. The Marlins, from which Romo came from, is the first foe; they start a three-Game set against them tonight (Tuesday night) in Miami. Then they come home to start a maximum homestand versus Kansas City for three over the weekend and then another trio against Atlanta starting on Monday.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -2). Their all-comp non-losing streak may have reached nine Matches, but I am not happy with their scoreless tie against Vancouver Saturday night. That is the worst team in the Western Conference and second worst in Major League Soccer, and they are playing at Allianz. Sure, the Whitecaps parked the bus and feigned injury a lot, especially in the First Half. But this club is (supposedly) too talented to not at least slot a Goal against these guys.
The slowdown in results (this is the squad's second tie in as many Games) coincides with the return of Romain Metanire from Madagascar duties during the African Cup of Nations. He is a hell of a Defender; he's going to be part of the MLS All-Star in Orlando as they face Atletico Madrid Wednesday. But the strength of the Fullback's offensive game, crosses, has tended to dominate MNUFC's gameplay ever since he emerged. There were 37 crosses in the tilt versus the 'Caps, and they completed only three of them. Sure, Metanire didn't cross all of them. But that's his thing, and since he has proven he can stick in MLS, there seems to be a lot of disproportionate yielding to his style -- much to the detriment of the team, which seemed to be scoring in bunches through tiki-taka.
Oh, and the team yesterday/Monday shipped out Defensive Back (and Woodbury native) Eric Miller to NYCFC for $50,000 in GAM. The signing of Fullback Wilfried Moimbe helped push Miller out of the rotation and onto the Bronx. Reports said Miller was in the doghouse with Adrian Heath, though with his yeoman's game, I wonder how he got there.
The Loons, sitting in fifth in the West, play the Portland Timbers twice here over four days. Sunday afternoon's contest is league play.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: -3). Uh, things are spiraling downhill for the Jynx. They finished up the first half of the season getting beaten at Target Center by Washington Wednesday, 79-71. That extends their losing streak to three. And while they still hold down the final playoff spot (and are fifth in the West with a 10-10 record), they are only 1 1/2 Games ahead of New York, and these folks seem lost right now. Hope the All-Star Break did them good (even though Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier went out to Las Vegas to partake in the ASG), for they resume regular-season play Saturday at Indiana.
To blunt that, the organization finally pulled the trigger on a deal, getting reliever ... Sergio Romo from Miami. He was the Closer on those World Series-winning San Francisco Giants teams. Romo is not the Pitcher he was, of course, but considering the beleaguered and overworked bullpen this club has now -- and considering the prospect Minnesota gave up isn't Royce Lewis or Alex Kiriloff -- I'd like to think this is a win. Romo has to throw well, though, of course.
This is the time of the schedule where these guys face bad teams. The Marlins, from which Romo came from, is the first foe; they start a three-Game set against them tonight (Tuesday night) in Miami. Then they come home to start a maximum homestand versus Kansas City for three over the weekend and then another trio against Atlanta starting on Monday.
#-2: United FC (Last Week: -2). Their all-comp non-losing streak may have reached nine Matches, but I am not happy with their scoreless tie against Vancouver Saturday night. That is the worst team in the Western Conference and second worst in Major League Soccer, and they are playing at Allianz. Sure, the Whitecaps parked the bus and feigned injury a lot, especially in the First Half. But this club is (supposedly) too talented to not at least slot a Goal against these guys.
The slowdown in results (this is the squad's second tie in as many Games) coincides with the return of Romain Metanire from Madagascar duties during the African Cup of Nations. He is a hell of a Defender; he's going to be part of the MLS All-Star in Orlando as they face Atletico Madrid Wednesday. But the strength of the Fullback's offensive game, crosses, has tended to dominate MNUFC's gameplay ever since he emerged. There were 37 crosses in the tilt versus the 'Caps, and they completed only three of them. Sure, Metanire didn't cross all of them. But that's his thing, and since he has proven he can stick in MLS, there seems to be a lot of disproportionate yielding to his style -- much to the detriment of the team, which seemed to be scoring in bunches through tiki-taka.
Oh, and the team yesterday/Monday shipped out Defensive Back (and Woodbury native) Eric Miller to NYCFC for $50,000 in GAM. The signing of Fullback Wilfried Moimbe helped push Miller out of the rotation and onto the Bronx. Reports said Miller was in the doghouse with Adrian Heath, though with his yeoman's game, I wonder how he got there.
The Loons, sitting in fifth in the West, play the Portland Timbers twice here over four days. Sunday afternoon's contest is league play.
#-3: Lynx (Last Week: -3). Uh, things are spiraling downhill for the Jynx. They finished up the first half of the season getting beaten at Target Center by Washington Wednesday, 79-71. That extends their losing streak to three. And while they still hold down the final playoff spot (and are fifth in the West with a 10-10 record), they are only 1 1/2 Games ahead of New York, and these folks seem lost right now. Hope the All-Star Break did them good (even though Sylvia Fowles and Napheesa Collier went out to Las Vegas to partake in the ASG), for they resume regular-season play Saturday at Indiana.
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