Delayed (Over)Reaction: Salt Lake

Soccer is a funny game. Sometimes you thoroughly dominate a game and can't find a way to score. Other times you get outplayed and are somehow able to find the back of the net. For the Sounders, last Wednesdays game represented the former and this past Saturday's game the latter.

I wrote after our loss to Dallas that we were not a good team. I thought it was a fair assessment. However, I wasn't ready to jump off a bridge quite yet. If we could somehow sneak a point from Salt Lake we would have to feel pretty good given the next four opponents...of course that was a big IF considering RSL had not lost at home in MLS action since 2009 - a span of 29 games.

I wasn't able to watch the game live and the Mariners game kept me from watching it that night. I could only go so long without finding the score, so by the time the Sunday afternoon replay came around, I was fully aware of the result. It made watching the game a little easier as I could evaluate it without any emotion involved. Here are my thoughts:

• Mike Fucito got the start up front and again gave the team a much needed spark. His early interactions (I mean fouls against) Jamison Olave provided a nice foreshadowing of what was going to happen in the 58th minute. He has been a little unlucky in the past two not to find the back of the net, but that does not mean Sigi should bury him on the bench.
• Overall I thought RSL had the better of the chances and possessoin until the Olave red card, but they are not the same team that we saw in the Champions League early this year. I know losing Javier Morales was a big blow, but right now it appears to be larger than what we lost with Zakuani.
• We are paying for the beautiful gameday weather of the past two years. Man, has it been sunny once all season?
• Lamar Neagle looked pretty good for the first half of the game - I thought he was active and played very composed. However, in the second half, he disappeared before his super strike. He still has room for improvement, but is showing that he does deserve a place on this team.
• While we're talking about Neagle - is it just me or does he look like he is sitting down when he runs? Totally inefficient
• I am still not sure where Arlo White was, but I loved having Rob Stone calling the game. Nothing against Arlo who I really like, but I have always loved Stoner.
• Keller had another great night, but did get some help from the woodwork in the 50th minute.
• Ozzie continues to play every minute of every game. That has to earn him mad respect...he has to be captain next year, right?
• You know, Tyson Wahl is growing on me. I don't remember him having any nightmares back there and I love his corners and free kicks.
• The Olave foul looked pretty harmless at first, but the replay showed that it was a fair call.
• The Ianni goal was definitely an ugly one, but one that we need to score more of. We can't rely on pretty goals all the time.
• You could hear the "Hey, Hey, Hey Goodbye" chant by the Sounders fans. Poor job by the RSL supporters. How can they let that happen in their stadium where they had not lost since 2009?
• Keller was not happy after giving up the goal late in the game. You know he was fully aware of how they let the game slip away last year.
• I did want to mention the Portland game too. They are scary good off of free kicks - I swear everyone is dangerous. I thought the refs did a poor job when they called whistled DC 'keeper Bill Hamid for coming off of his line early on the PK...shouldn't they have also disallowed Cooper from doing his stutter step? I thought it was not allowed anymore...still, it was crazy that it was called twice. Obviously the correct reaction is to fliup out at the ref, but how badass would it have been for Hamid to have not reacted and instead stood in the goal staring down Cooper? I would have loved to have seen that cockiness out of the young guy.
  

Two final thoughts: First, the Sounders next two opponents just fired their coaches over the past 24 hours. Second, two of the Sounders Academy players - Sean Okoli and Aaron Kovar got some playing time in the Sounders reserve game against Portland. I think that's great, but would have liked to see them go a full 90 rather than having Montero and Gonzalez take the field.