The Knee Jerk: RSL vs Minnesota

We won our first game of the season. Away. Against a team that’s supposedly going to compete for trophies. I’ll take it. Tons of drama. Might RSL be sparking a new rivalry considering all of our others have simmered down? Maybe. Maybe.

Exploiting the Erroneous

We capitalized on Minnesota’s errors, everyone! Did you see that? I saw it. RSL took advantage of the other team’s errors. You read that right. Read it again. It feels good. It wasn’t another team capitalizing on our errors. Nope.

Could this be a new trend for RSL? Is this something we can do every week? I’m going to be watching for it, and it has me excited. This is an element of the game that could be really invigorating for RSL’s game. Force mistakes and take advantage.

Defense

It was nice. Nice defense. Glad and Silva looked grand together tonight. I know there’s a lot of concern about CB depth, and rightly so—what exactly is going to happen when one of them inevitably goes out for a few games? Those two looked great tonight in front of Ochoa.

And Ochoa started! And played a great game. I’m excited to see what he becomes this season.

Ochoa also took a lot of guff from that Minnesota supporters’ section, and he’s going to need to get used to that (but did I hear them chanting for an ACL injury? Classy, MNUFC. Classy.). But don’t take out your frustrations on the crowd! That’s just unprofessional and, frankly, dangerous. A learning moment. There will be a bunch of those this season.

This is a great one to celebrate. Celebrate it with the Jazz (if they pull out a win, which it looked like they would, but I’m not a big basketball fan, so I don’t really know). You’ve got to celebrate when in Minnesota and you’ve got a drinking quota. Enjoy that win. Great first game of 2021!

Overreactions

Anderson Julio’s probably going to win the Golden Boot and the Landon Donovon Major League Soccer Player of the Year Mouthful of a Title Trophy (I think that’s it’s official name).

Justin Meram is a barn dancing do-si-do champion.

I might tear up when the Believe chant rings out through the RioT next week. Stocking up on tissues now. But not those flushable wipes; those things are currently devastating the sewage infrastructure countrywide.

Who’s last now, MLS pundits? It’s Minnesota, buy the way.