RSL 1 @ Houston 1 (match review)
June 23, 2009 by f4denz.
The starting lineup for RSL is Rimando-Wingert-Borchers-Olave-Beltran-Johnson-Beckerman-Morales-Mathis-Movsisyian-Espindola, so the 4-3-3 is the lineup for the 3rd straight match and second straight on the road. A hot night in Houston, with a temp of 91 at start time, and high humidity in front of a nice crowd of more than 15,000, but both sides have to play in it so neither team really gets an advantage from it.
0-10 Minutes
Early on both sides are looking for possession as neither side is settled in yet. The first foul of the night as Beltran is taken down at midfield, Wingert tries to play it into the box but it is headed out by Houston and the throw in goes out over the end line for a goal kick for the Dynamo. A nice idea by Javi but Fabi wasn’t able to get on it before Houston played it out for a RSL corner kick. Javi plays it to the high end of the box to Johnson who tries to do a Mathis but is just off target.
RSL is struggling to clear the ball as 5 attempts fail to get it out of danger and eventually Nick gets the ball and plays it out of the RSL end, but it goes back to Houston. Right now it looks like Houston is a bit sharper in the midfield, but unable to convert when they get the ball. Yura gets the ball with two defenders draped on him but his shot is high and over the crossbar, as RSL is picking up the energy level a bit and attacking the ball in the midfield, but both teams look like they want to play balls over the backline vs. attacking the backline. Houston is doing a better job of possession, but really struggling to connect more than a couple passes. Waibel is out and Barrett is in, due to a early injury, so Houston is forced to use one of their 3 subs early in the match.
10-20
Kamara getting in Olave’s face after they both slide out bounds and Olave is lucky he didn’t get red carded right there for kicking at Kamara as they both were on the ground, I have said for a long time that something is wrong with Olave that is causing him to do stupid things, not sure what it is but the stupid things have continued for the last two months. RSL should be down a man and have to consider themselves lucky, gotta believe that the MLS staff will be reviewing that play. The play really is physical early on as both side is struggling to get anything really going, Houston makes a great run and Olave dives and misses the ball but Borchers is there to clean up the mess.
Houston really is trying their luck at the long ball either in the air or on the ground with long passes, RSL looks like they are trying to connect some passes and work up the sides when they get the ball but early on it is Houston playing better. A great ball in by Javi but Houston pokes it away before it could get to Yura, who was in a dangerous position, a great save by the Dynamo. Tony gets a yellow card, but the official is out of position and Mullan dives and gets a call and a free kick from 5 yards outside of the box. But the kick goes right to Rimando who handles it without any problem, so Houston fails to convert on a gift call, but now Beltran has to be careful how he plays. Houston is getting the ball through the midfield way to easily.
20-30
A foul by Beckerman gives Houston another free kick, this time 15 yards outside the box, but nobody is there on the receiving end of the free kick and out for a RSL goal kick. A long ball to Fabi, who tries to cross it but nobody is there and it goes right to Onstad and a good chance is gone. RSL seems to really be struggling to get players into the box, which makes a lot of good chances go without anything coming of them, not sure why we don’t get players to crash the box and look for rebounds or lose balls. RSL looking a bit more deliberate in the attack now, yura gets open but with 5 orange jerseys around him and nobody in support the ball is cleared. RSL hold it in and Javi gets fouled from 15 yards outside the box and his free kick goes rocketing past Mathis who could have redirected it past Onstad but it sails past both of them and out for a Houston goal kick.
Well the clock says 25 but play is stopped as teams are getting drinks, this is one of the strangest things I have seen but no ideas what the hell is going on. It is clear that the officials are once again trying to be part of the match and impact play vs. just calling the calls. Some nice passing from RSL as Wingert plays it into the box, a great back heel by Yura to Fabi who puts a shot on goal and bounces off Boswell and into the goal and RSL is up 1-0 in the 28th minute. The first time in 11 matches that Houston has given up a 1st half goal, but Houston attack and get a corner kick but it is eventually cleared to midfield by RSL but Houston sill has possession until they play it long and out for a RSL goal kick.
30-40
Wow right in front of the official Javi gets taken down but no call and then a horrible tackle from behind on Beltran doesn’t get called as Houston is looking for the equalizer and a free kick is given to Houston about 10 yards out but it is headed over the bar and out by Boswell. Houston is slowing down the pace a bit to see where they can find openings but RSL is doing a better job of closing down on balls in the middle so it is forcing Houston to really look for chances, and Olave gets a yellow card for a foul on Holden and the free kick goes into the goal, but the offside flag is up and the goal doesn’t count.
RSL has dodged a bullet there as the confetti falls despite the goal being taken off the board. The call is because players were offside which pulled Rimando out of position so the goal is waved off and the score is still 1-0 RSL. I like the effort of Fabi who appears to be much more into the match than in previous weeks, he even is playing some defense. Wishing that Yura would be showing a bit more movement, I wonder if the heat is getting to him.
40-halftime
RSL gets another corner kick as Fabi’s shot is blocked over the end line, a good ball into the box but with so much size for Houston as Borchers can’t get to it and a foul is called on Wingert as he gets shoved in the back by Onstad. No idea how that is a call, but with the officiating being so bad nothing surprises me. Clint is limping a bit, not sure if it is cramps or if he got hit but he is moving very slowly, RSL gets a throw in and plays along the line and eventually RSL get another throw in. Yellow card for Mulrooney for a horrible cheap shot from behind, the free kick is great and into the box, but with only 3 players in the box it is cleared by Houston. RSL has had a number of throw ins and kept the ball in the Houston half of the pitch for the past 5 minutes and eventually Houston gets the ball back.
There will be 3 minutes of stoppage time in the first half, and a dangerous ball played in by Kamara but it gets cleared by RSL, Olave went down on the play and got his hand stepped on by Kamara and eventually it goes out for a RSL goal kick. Weaver is offside but the flag and whistle was a bit slow in making the call, now Weaver is getting in the face of Rimando, it looks like RSL got away with a back pass, but how could it have been a back pass on a free kick from the offside call? Who knows the whistle blows and RSL is up 1-0.
45-55
Well Houston makes their second change as Brian Ching comes in for Cam Weaver, so two of three subs are used by Houston on a hot night and trailing a goal. A ball into the box is headed up by Olave and Rimando is prevented from getting to the ball and the whistle blows, it was similar to the call against Wingert in the first half. Wow the bodies are flying all over the place and eventually a call goes against RSL and a free kick from 20 yards out goes right to Rimando who catches it without any problems.
Another free kick for Houston but again they can’t convert and RSL finally counter but they lose the ball before they get beyond the midfield, but Houston is looking like the sharper side coming out for the second half. RSL has had a little of possession, but most of it has been going backwards, wow Beltran is lucky as he got beat there but Houston wasn’t able to convert as Holden’s ball is wide of the goal. Houston gets the ball right back and attacks up the side and Olave is lucky again to get the ball vs. the player. Another bullet dodged as Beckerman whiffs on a clearance and Kamara is there but it is pushed wide by Rimando and the following corner kick goes right to him.
55-65
A great ball by Rimando to Yura who gives it up to Fabi but the return is out for a goal kick and Houston come right down and get a corner kick, Boswell gets a head to it but it goes over the goal line and out for a goal kick. RSL finally get something going but Fabi loses his footing and instead turns it over to Houston, not sure why he didn’t attack and go for goal when he was one on one with the defender? RSL is playing with 9 men behind the ball and Houston is still doing a good job of attacking. A second yellow card to Olave for trying to grab the ball from Ching because he thinks he got fouled and now RSL is down a man because of a stupid mental mistake.
Wow Tony loses the ball but Houston give it right back and another bullet is dodged, not sure how long the RSL luck can keep up. Mental mistakes are really taking a toll right now on RSL as they are trying to protect their lead, a good ball by Yura but Javi loses his footing and it goes back to Houston. Ashe is in for Barrett as Houston uses their final sub of the night with 29 minutes left. Again it takes 4-5 attempts to clear the ball by RSL, not sure why this has become such an issue in recent weeks. 8 RSL players in the box as the Houston attack is really peaked with the man advantage, Fabi is out and Russell is in for the first change for RSL in a clear attempt to solidify the defense.
65-75
Houston is still keeping the ball in RSL’s final third, the last 10 minutes have seen almost all the play deep in the RSL side of the pitch, another bad clearance by RSL but Russell is there to clean up his own mistake. RSL has the ball in the Houston half for a couple seconds but they give it right back. Javi is given a card and a free kick for Houston from 20 yards outside of the box, but broken up by Javi and RSL get a free kick but give it right back to the Dynamo. Too many RSL players not moving or moving very slowly, and Houston has another header by Boswell go wide and out for a goal kick.
RSL really needs to get some fresh legs into the match as it is clear that the heat, humidity and disadvantage of being down a man is sapping the energy from the RSL players. Another header over the goal, this time it is Kamara who puts it over and out for a RSL goal kick. A PK given because Ching runs into Rimando, sorry but they both were going for the ball this is a bad call, but again the real mistake is made by Beckerman who fails to clear the ball. The PK is blocked by Rimando and it is pushed out for a corner kick and it is cleared out by RSL but held by Houston and eventually caught by Rimando. That was a huge save of a poorly taken PK, but Houston is still the aggressive team and getting way too many chances. Another corner kick for Houston but Rimando pushes it out and it almost looked like RSL would control the ball but it goes right back to Houston.
75-85
Mathis is out and Tino Nunez in for the last 15 minutes of the match, so both some fresh legs and a saved PK should pick up the energy level for RSL. Another save by Rimando with some help by Russell, but RSL needs to control some possession and slow down the attack of Houston. Nope we give the ball right back to Houston and they are setting up their attack once again, another free kick for Houston but the first shot is cleared but held in by Houston who get yet another corner kick. Rimando punches that ball out for a Houston throw in, and the follow up sees Kamara take Rimando’s legs out from under him, and no card and it should be a red card for taking out the keeper. Nope, not even a yellow, this match has seen way too many bad calls and a bunch of missed calls, but what can you expect from an official who should have been fired for taking a Blanco jersey following a match in which he was the head official, so is he getting a Ching jersey tonight?
Yura is out and Grabavoy is in to provide some fresh legs and a bit more defensive bite and hopefully some more possession as for the last 30 minutes it has been almost all Houston. Wow the first minute of RSL possession, which is ended by the ball going out and once again Houston is back on the attack but it is broken up but a hard foul on Morales, but no card for a hard foul which was very late as well. Not sure why we would play the free kick so long that it goes out for a goal kick and back to Houston, and Rimando makes a great save again to prevent a Houston scoring chance.
85-final
Kyle pokes it out for another Houston corner kick, and it is punched out by Rimando but Houston keeps possession, back in but Javi clears it all the way back to Onstad. Kamara runs over Russell but again no call, finally a call as Javi is pulled down by Mullan. Again RSL plays it back to Onstad, we need to keep some possession instead of just giving it right back and Houston again is getting way too many chances, but eventually it goes out for a goal kick.
Rimando is the man of the match, for being in the right place at the right time all night long. Houston is back on the attack, Mullan plays a great ball into the box and Ching gets a free look at goal and heads it right in but Beckerman lets him run by him Russell watches him run, and Borchers watches the ball go past him. The breakdown was by all three who looked for someone else to do their job, and again a late mental breakdown cost RSL a win. 4 minutes of stoppage time, as Houston continues to attack, not sure how the official doesn’t blow his whistle as there are two balls on the pitch. Nice replay showing that Mullan actually used his arm to bring the ball down, but another call missed by horrible officials. RSL gets a free kick deep in the Houston third, 5 RSL players in the box but the kick goes past everyone and not sure what Houston was thinking playing the ball all the way back to Rimando.
Onstad is pushing forward and plays a long ball into the area, but the whistle blows and the match ends 1-1, if you had said we could get a draw against Houston before the match despite being a man down for over 30 minutes, I would have been happy. If you had told me we would have two minutes of possession in the final 30 minutes and gotten a draw, I would have been happy, but to give Houston a man advantage on a stupid foul and an even stupider dissent call while up 1-0 over the best team in MLS, well I can’t be happy with it.
We should have gotten all 3 points, but the mental mistakes cost us once again.
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