Dodgy goal for Montreal and penalty for Columbus - Kamara should've taken it using his head. Finlay looks a handful. Good luck in the finals.
When Kamara missed that PK I almost had a stroke.
Finlay has really had a breakout season. Very fast and willing to take a player on 1v1. His strike rate is excellent for a midfielder. He actually seemed off his game in this series, it could be lack of big-game experience. There has been talk of a USA call-up (he is also eligible for Canada), though so far Klinsmann has not given him an opportunity. At 25 he is not exactly young, but he still has plenty of career left in him.
Finlay and right fullback Harrison Afful give the Crew a blisteringly quick right-sided attack, one that has been a big factor in getting us this far. Afful is also an excellent crosser of the ball, just what Kei Kamara needs to make his runs into the box count. With Justin Meram on the left, Columbus have speedy men with dangerous shots on both wings. In Kamara, they have a great finisher and big presence up top, and in Higuain they have a seriously experienced playmaker with an excellent touch and vision (though I think he is now just about the slowest player in the world...I mean SLOW). Just don't ask us to win penalty shootout.
Also not sure why but our coach has frozen out Austrian defender Emmanual Pogatetz, instead bringing in the Argentinian Gaston Sauro midseason (banned for our next game), who has, to be fair, been a revelation.
Manchester United - seems LVG is aware of the need for a winger. When Ferguson sides had a bad patch he would go defensive; sort the defence, next midfield, then return to attacking play. I think LVG is going through the stages.
Cheers,
OW
Ronaldo would be a good addition...it's been years since the league was tormented by his 25-stepover face-offs with opposition defenders out wide...he seems to be boring himself to death in Spain. All he cares about anymore is how many more Ballon d'Or's he can collect than Messi. Week after week of scoring hat-tricks against obliging no-hoper opposition. What he needs is the proverbial cold, rainy night in Stoke.
Seriously though, and as much as I hate to say it, LVG may be boring at the moment, but under him there is little worry of Man Utd falling out of the top four. At worst he will keep them solid enough to stay in the CL positions. I'm still slightly baffled at his insistance on playing Rooney as the central striker at times. He grabs the odd goal but he can't demolish meat and potatoes premier league sides anymore. Martial should be in that role every minute as long as he's fit to play. But given their defensive solidity, Man Utd are one Jamie Vardy away from a serious title challenge.
