Positive Numbers: United FC (Last Week: 0). I have to give some honest, non-disingenuous dap to the local Major League Soccer club, and I'm not giving them the top spot and Positive Numbers just because I pay season tickets for them. They have just pulled through possible their most successful week in their time in top-flight.
First of all, on Wednesday, in front of a crowd that was not a sellout due it being Independence Eve (I think many people headed up north to beat the heat) and in a game Head Coach Adrian Heath called his team's most important yet, they managed to beat Western Conference rival San Jose by a scoreline of 3-1. While Darwin Quintero opened the scoring, the Match-winner was provided by, of all folks, Michael Boxall. The Defender took advantage of the Earthquakes' tactic of man-marking by storming up the field with the ball. He tried to pass it once he got inside the box, but it deflected ... right in front of him. So Boxy decides to continue to run, beats the Goalie to it, and smashes it in. Then, in the dying embers of the game, substitute Kevin Molino broke away, took the feed and slotted it for the final Goal. It was a Goal that had Heath jumping up in celebration.
Defending home turf is the very least you can do if you want to be a decent, playoff-contending club. So I didn't have high hopes for their next MLS Game, Saturday at Montreal. The Impact are a decent squad (third in the East), and with the quick turnaround time and another midweek battle (versus New Mexico United) in a U.S. Open Cup Match that management apparently has decided to give a damn about winning, I was OK with them laying out the B Team and hoping no one injures himself. And there were seven changes from the starting lineup from the Earthquake Game.
But the damnedest thing happened (while I conked off in the First Half and driving in the last 15 Minutes of the Second): The Loons were able to tie the Match at 1 and then at 2 (via a Penalty Kick by Ethan Finlay just before the half ended) at Halftime. And then early in the Second, Mason Toye, for the second time in this Game, broke free, blunted a pass perfectly, then shot it past the Impact Goalkeep. And by jove, United FC were able to keep the lead and win, 3-2!
With that victory, don't look now, but MNUFC are on a hot streak. They have won their last two league Matches since an embarrassing 1-0 loss at Colorado June 8. Add the victories vs. Kansas City at Allianz and at Houston for the USOC and, what the heck, the June 25 2-1 victory in Madison over the organization's minor-league team, the Forward Madison Flamingos, and they have won six in a row. Not a tie among them! So yes, I think they are more than deserving of their first (?) Positive Numbers.
Hope to Buddha they can continue this. And they can; they have the next three at home, although the third is a Friendly. After Wednesday's Open Cup tilt against New Mexico, they host FC Dallas, another good outfit, Saturday night.
#0: Lynx (Last Week: -2). They might not have gotten out to a fantastic start, and they are roiling amidst massive personnel changes. But also don't look now, but the Lynx may have solidified themselves. They have also gone 2-0, blowing out poor Atlanta at home last Tuesday by 17 and outlasting a team for a change by three Saturday at Connecticut. For what it's worth, the team has won four-of-five, so maybe they've figured something out. But they have a busy screening week ahead -- tomorrow/Wednesday at Chicago, Friday at Atlanta, Sunday evening against Phoenix at Target Center.
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1). Don't look now, but the Twinks are freefalling. Yeah, I'll say it. They finished the First Half of the season with a 3-3 week, dropping two-of-three in Oakland and winning two-of-three at Target Field vs. Texas. Let's face it; the Twinks are not playing well right now. Meanwhile, Cleveland has stormed back into contention in the American League Central. What was once a nine-Game lead (and an 11-Game lead earlier this spring) has shrunk to a 5 1/2-Game lead. And while Jorge Polanco, Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi will be in Cleveland for the All-Star Game (Eggs is too injured; Berrios was named to the roster in his place, thereby righting one and only one snub), the rest of the team will meet them at "The CLE" to begin a very important three-Game series this weekend. If the Tribe sweep them Twinks -- shit, fans might start jumping out their windows.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3). Just reintroducing the Woofie Dogs to yell at them a bit more. Nothing important has really happened this week ... and that's the point: These guys collapse this past season, Gersson Rosas announces he has a bunch of lofty goals to remake this team, and he fails to do any of them! The most important move coming out of this week is Monday's announcement that Restricted Free Agent (and One Of Us) Tyus Jones has signed an offer sheet with The Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies. As of press time, the Woofs have three days to match. But doing so basically puts them at the cap, and going over just won't do, so bye-bye to a guy who, I think, never really was given a chance to show he had the intangibles to stick in the National Basketball Association.
Plus I need to pile on about a point I may not have made for the WMNSS after the NBA Draft. They traded up from 11th to sixth, right? Well, Rosas did that because they wanted to go for Darius Garland, a Point Guard that would herald a new start for the club in that position. But I swear I remember that everybody knew that Garland would be picked by Cleveland with the fifth. And the Cavaliers did. So why in the fuck did they draft up one spot short? And why didn't they go for Coby White if they needed a PG so goddamn bad? And why in the hell did they instead choose Jarrett Culver, a guy who nobody I knew thinks is a great fit for the Wolves? Are the other rumors also true -- that after Rosas's plan blew up in his face after the fifth pick that he tried to trade down? Seriously, what the fuck is going on over there, and why the hell would I pay a red goddamn cent to see this shit-ass team that's not only off the rails but rolled over in a sewage ditch?
First of all, on Wednesday, in front of a crowd that was not a sellout due it being Independence Eve (I think many people headed up north to beat the heat) and in a game Head Coach Adrian Heath called his team's most important yet, they managed to beat Western Conference rival San Jose by a scoreline of 3-1. While Darwin Quintero opened the scoring, the Match-winner was provided by, of all folks, Michael Boxall. The Defender took advantage of the Earthquakes' tactic of man-marking by storming up the field with the ball. He tried to pass it once he got inside the box, but it deflected ... right in front of him. So Boxy decides to continue to run, beats the Goalie to it, and smashes it in. Then, in the dying embers of the game, substitute Kevin Molino broke away, took the feed and slotted it for the final Goal. It was a Goal that had Heath jumping up in celebration.
Defending home turf is the very least you can do if you want to be a decent, playoff-contending club. So I didn't have high hopes for their next MLS Game, Saturday at Montreal. The Impact are a decent squad (third in the East), and with the quick turnaround time and another midweek battle (versus New Mexico United) in a U.S. Open Cup Match that management apparently has decided to give a damn about winning, I was OK with them laying out the B Team and hoping no one injures himself. And there were seven changes from the starting lineup from the Earthquake Game.
But the damnedest thing happened (while I conked off in the First Half and driving in the last 15 Minutes of the Second): The Loons were able to tie the Match at 1 and then at 2 (via a Penalty Kick by Ethan Finlay just before the half ended) at Halftime. And then early in the Second, Mason Toye, for the second time in this Game, broke free, blunted a pass perfectly, then shot it past the Impact Goalkeep. And by jove, United FC were able to keep the lead and win, 3-2!
With that victory, don't look now, but MNUFC are on a hot streak. They have won their last two league Matches since an embarrassing 1-0 loss at Colorado June 8. Add the victories vs. Kansas City at Allianz and at Houston for the USOC and, what the heck, the June 25 2-1 victory in Madison over the organization's minor-league team, the Forward Madison Flamingos, and they have won six in a row. Not a tie among them! So yes, I think they are more than deserving of their first (?) Positive Numbers.
Hope to Buddha they can continue this. And they can; they have the next three at home, although the third is a Friendly. After Wednesday's Open Cup tilt against New Mexico, they host FC Dallas, another good outfit, Saturday night.
#0: Lynx (Last Week: -2). They might not have gotten out to a fantastic start, and they are roiling amidst massive personnel changes. But also don't look now, but the Lynx may have solidified themselves. They have also gone 2-0, blowing out poor Atlanta at home last Tuesday by 17 and outlasting a team for a change by three Saturday at Connecticut. For what it's worth, the team has won four-of-five, so maybe they've figured something out. But they have a busy screening week ahead -- tomorrow/Wednesday at Chicago, Friday at Atlanta, Sunday evening against Phoenix at Target Center.
#-1: Twins (Last Week: -1). Don't look now, but the Twinks are freefalling. Yeah, I'll say it. They finished the First Half of the season with a 3-3 week, dropping two-of-three in Oakland and winning two-of-three at Target Field vs. Texas. Let's face it; the Twinks are not playing well right now. Meanwhile, Cleveland has stormed back into contention in the American League Central. What was once a nine-Game lead (and an 11-Game lead earlier this spring) has shrunk to a 5 1/2-Game lead. And while Jorge Polanco, Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi will be in Cleveland for the All-Star Game (Eggs is too injured; Berrios was named to the roster in his place, thereby righting one and only one snub), the rest of the team will meet them at "The CLE" to begin a very important three-Game series this weekend. If the Tribe sweep them Twinks -- shit, fans might start jumping out their windows.
#-2: Timberwolves (Last Week: -3). Just reintroducing the Woofie Dogs to yell at them a bit more. Nothing important has really happened this week ... and that's the point: These guys collapse this past season, Gersson Rosas announces he has a bunch of lofty goals to remake this team, and he fails to do any of them! The most important move coming out of this week is Monday's announcement that Restricted Free Agent (and One Of Us) Tyus Jones has signed an offer sheet with The Bastard Vancouver Grizzlies. As of press time, the Woofs have three days to match. But doing so basically puts them at the cap, and going over just won't do, so bye-bye to a guy who, I think, never really was given a chance to show he had the intangibles to stick in the National Basketball Association.
Plus I need to pile on about a point I may not have made for the WMNSS after the NBA Draft. They traded up from 11th to sixth, right? Well, Rosas did that because they wanted to go for Darius Garland, a Point Guard that would herald a new start for the club in that position. But I swear I remember that everybody knew that Garland would be picked by Cleveland with the fifth. And the Cavaliers did. So why in the fuck did they draft up one spot short? And why didn't they go for Coby White if they needed a PG so goddamn bad? And why in the hell did they instead choose Jarrett Culver, a guy who nobody I knew thinks is a great fit for the Wolves? Are the other rumors also true -- that after Rosas's plan blew up in his face after the fifth pick that he tried to trade down? Seriously, what the fuck is going on over there, and why the hell would I pay a red goddamn cent to see this shit-ass team that's not only off the rails but rolled over in a sewage ditch?
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