2-0 Means (Le) Toux Bad for Philly

I wasn't exactly right about the scoreline, but I would have been had Chewy finished his sitter in the first half. 2-0 is just alright with me, but 4-0 would have been even more just alright than Jesus. I'm not interested in a deep philosophical breakdown of the game, because Philly is awful and the conditions weren't ideal. But here are my thoughts:

1. We may still struggle to score goals until Kufo arrives
2. The defense still looks solid
3. Zakuani may be ready to live up to the hype
4. This team can get a lot better going forward

So we blew some opportunities. Happened last year, happened this year. At least we got enough to take three points. So I'm not going to sweat the poor finishing just yet. But it's on my radar.

The D - good performance. But they weren't really tested beyond the first 10 minutes of the game. Philly showed some decent ball control early, and it culminated in a shot on goal by Orozco, but Keller was well positioned and the shot was under enough pressure that it never really was very dangerous. After Sounders got the opening goal, they settled down and controlled the game. Even if they didn't have the ball, the D made sure that Philly's possession never amounted to opportunities on goal.

Zakuani tormented his defenders all night. And he found somebody with his crosses, which is progress for him. I still want to see him make the decision to run at defenders more quickly, so he takes advantage of the space behind them before other defenders move into supporting positions. But I also want a pair of soft leather knee-high boots. We can't have everything we want (I'll settle for a dark green cape, if anybody has one). At my most pessimistic, I can say that Zakuani's defender wasn't very good. But even in this mindset, I must admit that he took advantage of his man. Last year, even when playing against slower defenders, Zakuani often struggled to make an impact on the game. Not the case this time around.

SSFC looked good. This was a workmanlike performance in some pretty bad conditions. They got two goals, they got out with a clean sheet, and the only injuries were the result of Philly's strange knee-to-the-back fetish. They didn't look dominating, and that's fine. It's early in the season. The way SSFC played, there is plenty of room for growth. The passes and touches will get crisper and sharper, and fitness levels will improve. Ultimately, I think we're going to see Seattle be able to play creative attacking soccer this year that results in goals, not just clever interplay 40 yards from net.

The Opener - Philly Union suck balls that are smooth as eggs

"So it begins, the great battle of our time."
              Gandalf - Return of the King

So here we are. Match 1 of Season 2 of SSFC. And our opponent is almost a complete unknown. Who knows what the hell to expect from Philly. A glance at their roster (and reading what others are saying) suggests that Philly will be a hard-working, defensive minded squad. If you're starting guys like Le Toux, I have to believe that's the truth. There are no real scary attacking players on their roster, just a bunch of annoying pests and guys who are really too inconsistent to be much of a legitimate scoring threat.

Which leaves me with only one option - to write an entire post about what I hope to see from the game. To start with, ball control. We struggled with it at times last year. The roster hasn't turned over, and the guys should be better able to link up and play as a team. I want to see us dominate possession against the Union, who are likely to pack it in and hope for a counter attack goal.

I also want to see us score the chances we get. If Montero gets a wide open look in the opening 20 minutes and blows it, I think you're going to hear a lot of moans and groans from the crowd, who will feel like we're picking things up right where they left off last year. If we can get an early goal, then the crowd will go nuts, and I think the Union will have to come out of their shell, making for a much more entertaining game. My guess is we create a few good chances in the opening 20 - I want to see one go in.

Additionally, I do not want to see the defensive flukes that plagued us at times last year. They always seemed to involve Tyrone Marshall. Whether it's whiffing on a clearance, or clearing a ball off a teammate, or not expecting a crazy bounce, SSFC defenders need to make sure that Philly gets no cheap and easy goals. If we can make them earn their goals, I think we handle them easily.

My prediction for the game:
      4-0 Sounders

Make it happen boys.