United 1, Columbus 2

.>....

I predicted this

I got a feeling Columbus just might come in and sucker-punch United Thursday, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing at all.

but that assumption that it might not be a bad thing was predicated on assuming the trouble was effort and a natural lack of cohesion from all the new parts. I hadn't stopped to consider the suddenly distinct possibility that United might be mediocre.

Fred's good, Gallardo's good, Namoff's good, Martinez's good, who else? What other United player starts for Columbus over who Columbus started in their respective position last night? Over who started for Salt Lake last weekend?

A team can survive being slow if it's quick, can survive not being quick if it's fast, but if it's slow and not quick?

United's slow: that's not going to change. United is a quarter-second short of quick; maybe they are tired, but I don't think so.

Slow and not quick and disorganized and bereft of creativity from the manager? Bottom-table suckitude.

Look, it's early, and this does feel like last season's start, but.... it's not time to call the season an impending disaster, but it is time to start asking if the team is playing up, down, or equal to its players' - and coach's - ability, and I've got the uneasy feeling that what we're seeing might be the team's true level: the players just aren't very good, and the coach isn't capable of getting a greater result than the sum of his players.

Here's Goff's player ratings:

Wells 5; Namoff 6, Peralta 4, Martinez 6, Burch 5; McTavish 5, Simms 5, Gallardo 7, Fred 6; Moreno 4, Emilio 3. Subs: Niell 4, Dyachenko 4, Quaranta 4.

Peralta makes me wish Boswell was back there. Wells makes me wish Perkins was still here. Burch makes me wish Gros was still here. McTavish makes me wish Olsen was here. Moreno makes me feel old.

EMILIOMETER: He worked, so no grief on effort, but he's poster child for the difference between last year and this year so far. For whatever reason, he just isn't any good right now.

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DCenters debriefing up, adding it was nice running into D at half-time, unfortunately with no time to buy him a beer before 2nd half kickoff.

UPDATE!

D proposes a party!

Awesome!

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Separated at birth?

Dr Sevrin:   

...

Tom Soehn:               

....

Maybe not. Though a cautionary tale nonetheless.