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This was the most emotionally exhausting match of the season. I thought it might be the end of me.
Someone piss Rusnák off every match.
What?
This match was crazy. We should have won 5-1. How did we not go into halftime with a goal or six? Finishing issues are so frustrating. And it just increases the spotlight on our failure to sign a striker this past transfer window.
Sunny was everywhere. All over. Every place. Some hyperbole to illustrate:
Sunny’s heat map that half pic.twitter.com/TuYVE70Z42
— Derek (@deesmateen) August 19, 2018
He’s making a strong case to start every match. After tonight? Wow. Maybe the best match he’s ever played for us. Maybe his best match ever. That was awesome.
But guess what! Guess what!! We won another road match! It’s our second of the season. Yay?
Substitutions
There has been criticism of slow, poor, or late substitutions. Tonight Petke got it spot on. Where Sunny was the man-on-the-field tonight, Rusnák won the match. He got some help from Saucedo who drew that massive foul from Run DMB to earn the PK, but this was Rusnák. I questioned who emerges as a leader on this team—I called out Rusnák and Kreilach—and Rusnák stepped up (not, of course, for anything I said; although, I’m going to take the credit and strut for a few days, dammit!). Look to him to spur this team onward.
Pull out that fork!
We’re not done! Standing on my prophetic soapbox, I’d also like to point out that I called Seattle’s win and Vancouver’s not-win. That leaves us in the fight for the playoffs! I thought we’d hit 160°F and it was time to come out of the oven. But we got three points!
What happens next? Tonight was huge. Massive. This might be the beginning of us pushing into the playoffs. We’re coming for you Colorado. We’re coming for you.
Overreactions
Does anyone else think it might be Lifevantage pseudo-science that’s causing our team’s injuries?
On the injury note, who plays keeper if Putna gets a red or gets injured? Kreilach, maybe? Kyle?
Striker!
Armando Villarreal is also my favorite referee. I’ve said it a few times. I think he’s one of PRO’s best if not their very best.