Both XI's traded Penalty Kicks in the First Half. The difference came in the Second Half. The Loons pressured AFC from the high line all Game. It paid dividends in the 62nd Minute when Franco Fragapane, who's caught fire himself, picked Center Back Julio Cascante of a ball passed to him by his Goalkeeper, Brad Stuver, deep in the Austin box. Fragapane chipped the ball past Stuver for the 2-1 lead, and after heavy pressure by the Verde, the Loons made that scoreline stick.
It felt as though the entire Allianz Field crowd was invested in the Match and knew the stakes. It was energizing to see our team, our good team, take all three Points against a foe a few Years younger but more than several Points ahead of them in the standings. It's what good teams do. For that accomplishment and the indelible two Hours at the rocking nest, not only do I give MNUFC the top spot this Week, I am also going to elevate them above negative numbers.
There are eight Games left to go in the regular season; two of them are coming this screening Week. Tonight's/Saturday night's tilt vs. a beatable Houston team may be a trap Game for MNUFC because they play at Real Salt Lake Wednesday. If the season ended right now, Minnesota would be hosting RSL in the First Round of the playoffs.
#-1: Gopher volleyball (Re-Entry!). The University of Minnesota sports teams are rapidly coming back online over the next Week or so, so get ready (I tell myself). The volleyball squad began its season last/Friday evening in Fort Worth, Tex., site of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. The U. begin the season ranked fifth in the country; the opponent, Baylor, is ranked 16th. I do like it when this program challenges itself, and a four-Set Win over the Bears on a neutral court is a good thing -- even if it's something you should expect from the Minnesota volleyball club, and even though heartbreak is almost fated to be at the end of this journey.
The non-conference slate, as usual, appears to be a meaty and challenging one. They finish the tournament tonight/Saturday night versus host TCT, then travel to Austin to play Texas for just one single, solitary Match on Wednesday.
#-2: Gopher soccer (Last Week: -3). Very inauspicious Week, and a very bad start for the Dinkytown women's XI. On Sunday, the Goofers blew a 1-0 lead (McKenna Buisman scored in the 48th) by giving up two Goals to hosts TCU about 90 Seconds apart in the 85th and 86th Minutes to lose, 2-1. Then, in Thursday's home opener, the U. couldn't break through against Cal Poly -- Cal Poly! -- and lost the Game on a Goal by the Mustangs' Nikki Trucco in the 78th. Add that these players choked away a lead and settled for a Draw at Baylor on an 80th-Minute tally in their season opener, and this side has now allowed four Goals in the final sixth (aka after the 75th Minute) of all three Matches they've played.
This is an extremely troubling pattern. But at least this team has its whole season ahead of them, so there's time to turn it around. Even though it went winless this Week, they have that in its back pocket, unlike ...
#-3: Twins (Last Week: -2). ... the Twinks, who, despite crushing The Bastard New York Giants in the first Game of their three-Game series last/Friday night, 9-0, are seeing their playoff chances go up in flames. That Win last night broke a six-Game losing streak. Yep, they were about to go winless for the screening Week: They lost the last three Games of a four-Game set at The Bastard Washington Senators v.2.0 -- a squad that fired first its Manager and then its General Manager a couple days apart earlier last Week -- at home, no less, then got swept over three contests at irredeemably cheatin' Houston. Cleveland has gone 2-3 since Saturday, but they're now three Games ahead of Minnesota in the AL Central.
(Aside: I saw most of the Guardians' 3-2 Loss in Seattle last/Friday night on Apple TV+. It's nice to be able to watch Games that are not on free TV, and so long as I get Apple TV+ -- I'm guessing I've been given a free trial because I'm with T-Mobile -- I will watch an occasional Game on Fridays, when the streaming service broadcasts Games. A lot of people hate the broadcast, but I think the graphic visuals are cool, and I do like the B-team (?) that called the exciting finish.)
Things are falling apart with the Twinks. Last night aside, it's the Lineup that's gone to shit. Luis Arraez still leads the league in Batting Average, and Jose Miranda is producing at a clip where I can't see how he'll be sent back down to St. Paul ever again unless he's hurt. But for a while now that's been it, and that's unacceptable for a team with playoff aspirations.
And oh, Byron Buxton is hurt again. I thought it was ... OK for Buck to come back on the kind of contract the Twinks offered him. But whatever money he makes isn't worth it if he's on the Injured List, and goddamn, he's on the IL now. His aches and pains seemed to be have been managed well for most of the season, but I don't see how this entire situation has changed for the better if the organization has failed to keep him out of traction.
I think it's interesting to note that San Francisco is the last of the other 29 teams to play at Target Field. Once it's completed its season this weekend -- are they going to the State Fair today? -- the Red Sox come to town for a trio, and then the White Sox are here to start a trio on Friday. Minnesota at least has the opponents to get back on a winning streak. But can they?
No comments:
Post a Comment