Instant (Over)Reaction: New York

Sounders returned the favor and beat 1-0 at Red Bull Arena, erasing their earlier 1-0 loss at home. I missed the first 40 minutes of the game and when given the chance to watch them on replay, I fell asleep. So this won't be a game review so much as an opportunity to comment on several players.

First I would like to start off by saying that I stand by my comments last week. We are not a great time right now. Maybe we will be in the future, but we are not great. Winning cures all (especially on the road) but I don't think any of us can can say that things are great right now. In MLS 9 games this year, Sigi has started 19 different players! That is staggering and points me to two conclusions. 1. He has no idea what the right lineup is and it shows every week with the lack of consistency. 2. All things considered, 3-3-3 isn't a terrible record.

With that being said, let's get on to the player comments:

• Brad Evans - I will continue to be an Evans supporter when most other fans are calling for his head, just like I was last year with Jaqua. I know, I know, strikers are supposed to score. Being close doesn't count. I get all the comments but the fact remains is that we have 1 pure striker who is available until Jaqua, Nkufo and Montano are ready. Levesque doesn't seem to be a 90-minute guy, so why not Evans? He is making great runs and working his ass off every week. That is infectious. And let's remember he has played Right Back, Center Mid and Striker this year - you try doing that and being perfect
• Sanna Nyassi - He is young and still maturing as a player, but he always leaves me wanting more. Something about his style of play just doesn't work for me. Maybe its the endless sprinting with the ball into defenders. Maybe it's his lack of size. Who knows. Just not a big fan.
• Patrick Ianni - Pat played Center Mid in college so he has experience there. Add in the fact that we gave up 4 goals last week and the decision to have him in front of the D wasn't a terrible one. He was unspectacular, but sometimes that's good. I think he has a place in thsi squad for years to come.
• Nathan Sturgis - Last year he seemed to be buried firmly on the bench, but recently has been the first sub into the game. I confess that I am not a fan, but I also don't hate him. I am simply ambivalent towards him. But here's the kicker - he is only 22 years old, which is something I often forget considering he has been in the league since 2006. He has played on 2 Under-20 teams as well as the Olympics. He obviously has some talent - now he just needs to transform into a pro. If he can do so, then he will be an important part of our team.
• Fredy Montero - Again, he shows why he is the most talked about player on our team. At times he is brilliant and sublime. At other times he is lazy and frustrating. Yesterday was the former. He takes a ball out of the air with his chest, then his thigh, a slight touch with his foot and he finishes with a deft touch under Condoul. It is the Montero we all love. It is the Montero that makes us believe he has a great future ahed of him overseas. But it is also the Montero that drives us crazy. He is so freakin talented, yet is always taking time off. Let's hope he reacts to the benching and subsequent goal in a positive light.

Finally, a comment about Red Bull Arena. It looked amazing on TV. It really did. But because of the lack of fans, you could see the Red Bull logo in the stands. Those are obviously season ticket holder seats, so where were you guys? I know there is nothing going on but baseball in the Tri-State Area this time of year. So where were you?