Friday, September 11, 2015

Eagle On Eagle Violence Is Never Pretty

Edson vs. Talon,  who will win?

After that ugliness on Wednesday night its a quick turn-around with DC coming into town tomorrow night.  United is traditionally pretty bad at altitude (when the Rapids take the game seriously) so we have a chance but we have to have a better lineup than we did in Vancouver.  Kickoff tomorrow is at 7pm so the tailgate starts at 4.  Altitude has the game with Fleming and Balboa for those who can't make it.

Injury Report:
OUT: D Axel Sjoberg; F Dominique Badji; F Luis Solignac (hamstring)

Discipline:
ONE YELLOW FROM SUSPENSION: D James Riley (3 games for good behavior reduction; D Jared Watts; M Lucas Pittinari (1 game left for good behavior reduction)
TWO YELLOWS FROM SUSPENSION: D Marc Burch; M Sam Cronin; F Kevin Doyle

International Absences:
U.S. U-23: M Dillon Serna

DC has 2 players out and 2 players questionable, so the teams are at about equal strength.  My guess at the XI: 

Of course Pittinari or LaBrocca could go instead of Sarvas or Cronin.  I think the rest of the lineup is a pretty solid guess.

Strategic Consideration: Return to the mentality of the KC game.  In that game we actually had some attacking flow and some chances, not a couple of guys stranded up front.

Prediction: 1-1 draw, goal by Doyle.  I think we can beat DC but I can't predict that we will.  Anything but a win means that we'll essentially be mathematically eliminated in Toronto next week as if we can't beat DC at home we're not going to beat TFC on the road.