United 0, Saprissa 2

In 232 we told each other, as the starting line-up was announced, that in the scheme of importance United's MLS game this Saturday in Los Angeles was a more important game than the one in front of us v Saprissa, and each and every one of us was a moron.

Maybe Soehn did play the best eleven he had available, and that's one level of damnation, and a more forgivable one, but if a conscious decision was made to hold out players in the introductory home game of the introductory international tournament, whose winning we've been told is United's ultimate ambition, to save them for an MLS game this Saturday, I want my $30 back.

I'm fighting the urge to be reasonable. I'm fighting the urge to give United the benefit of a doubt. I'm fighting the urge to excuse another dismal international failure through the evocation of rinkydinkism, the belief that United's lameness is forgivable by dint of its financial constraints (and concurrent rube's pride at personal loyalty to such a rinkydink institution). I'm fighting and losing.

Here's what's depressing: I saw nothing last night, not the game, not the result, not being outnumbered in our own stadium - and that was FRACKING LAME, UNITED FANS, FRACKING DISGRACEFUL - that I haven't seem umpteen times before.

Here's Goff's player ratings:

Wells 5; Namoff 5, McTavish 4, Burch 4, Martinez 4; Khumalo 5, Simms 4, Quaranta 4, Thompson 4; Cordeiro 4, Emilio 4. Subs: Fred 5, Dyachenko no rating, Doe no rating.

Starting a player signed off loan from Pittsburgh. Starting Craig Thompson and Ryan Cordeiro. Jeebus. The rest are cooked.

Season of Blah. That USOC Cup looks both bigger and smaller, yes?

UPDATE:

DCenters Debriefing? What the......SHAZAM!