United 1, Houston 3

Why was Branko Bošković signed? This isn't snark: was he bought thinking he'd help this team this year or was he bought with an eye to the team that will be rebuilt out of the ruins of this one? I have no faith it's the latter: I think Kasper Payne, in a sad effort to rescue a deeply shitty team, panicked and splashed money and a designated player tag on a player who may be perfectly useful on the left-wing but who isn't a ten no matter how much United wants him to be.

Najar is wonderful. He will be in Europe when United is good again. Maybe the next coach's system takes advantage of Bošković's skills. The Quaranta-meter is clocking upward; he's responded positively to wearing the Captain's band. Everyone else on the field last night will be elsewhere or on the bench or out of the league when United is good again. There's a new category that will be used until his shut-the-fuck-upness is off this team. And how's that Jaime Moreno farewell tour going?

And lost in the shuffle of MLS expansion and its consequent importation of ever more mediocre soccer players is the concurrently consequent importation of ever more mediocre referees. Alex Prus is one of the top three or four MLS referees and is a ridiculous assclown. He doesn't cost teams victories, he costs teams injuries. 

Update, links, edits, later. Or not.