What a HUGE win this was tonight. I know I have labeled other recent wins as being HUGE, but this one takes the cake (I think that's a saying, right)?
With Chicago chasing us for the final spot, this win was basically a 6-pointer and effectively eliminated Chicago from the playoff hunt. Two more huge games, against the other two teams chasing us, are next on horizon. First it's Toronto at home next week followed by an away match against Kansas City. If we can get results from both games we are in. If not then it won't be time to panic as we will have two matches against the West's worst to close the season. I think we are sitting pretty, but without tonight's win things would be getting pretty stuffy around here.
So how did we do it? Well, I think the boys in rave just played with a lot of will and determination. The first half was nothing special - a few missed chances here and there but nothing to nerve racking. In the second half, Chicago began to play with some desparation and were really pushing it for the final 30 minutes. We were trying to counterattack but a lot of the passes were sloppy. We were in bunker mode because we simply couldn't get out of our half. I thought we missed out on our only opportunity when Nyassi raced up the left side (after a beautiful outlet from Blaise) and essentially gave it to the keeper. But then it came. Another Blaise Nkufo goal.
The build-up was super. Zakuani attacked the center of the Chicago defense on a counter attack. He saw Blaise make a run down the left side and put it a bit on front of him. Blaise retrieved the ball, faked a cross, faked a shot and put it past the Chicago keeper from 6 yards out. Along the way, he got CJ Brown to jump in the air to block the cross. Then he got Brown to slide to block the shot. Then he banked it off of Brown. It was beautiful. Four weeks after Brown was a jerk all game, Blaise took him behind the woodshed. The deflection was lucky, but hey, sometimes you create your own luck.
Just a great win. And as Arlo said, I think we are seeing a team mature before our eyes.
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