4/6/09: Brutal Start, Rapids Game Becomes Crucial

Not much to celebrate in 2009 from the Crew's gutless start.

13% percent of the Crew season is in the books and the defending champions are off to the worst start in the history of MLS defending champions. With that in mind, next week's home game against Colorado going into the bye week becomes absolutely crucial. If we can't get points at home against Colorado, no matter what difficulties we are facing, it starts to look like a long season.

Laundry list of things gone wrong:
1.) We need Moffat and Noonan back ASAP. As soon as they are both healthy enough, I want them on the field to inject hopefully some new life into this dead team. Hell, try Noonan at forward. And, please for the love of everything holy get Moffat back in central midfield. Please, it would be nice to see someone on the field trying to prove themselves and I think both fit that mold.

2.) What we have on the field so far looks like a bunch of zombies who are content with losing and have nothing left to prove this season.

3.) The Ekpo in the central midfield experiment has been a huge failure. I was a big fan of Ekpo last year and I still believe in his potential, just not as a central midfielder. HE IS A WINGER and Carroll can't seem to do nothing in the midfield by himself.

Further, all Ekpo does is dribble past one guy and then he passes it to the other team. Fantastic. He has the potential to be a great winger, he just simply isn't a central midfielder. If Moffat isn't healthy yet, it would have made sense to put Gaven in the middle and Ekpo out wide. But, I'm not sure Warzycha is catching on.

3.) With all the current injuries why are we trying to injure Robbie even more so. From Inside So Cal:
A very quiet and reluctant to talk Robbie Rogers on the limitations of his hamstring on his performance:
"I feel it when I'm sprinting, especially over distance - I think everyone can tell. I'm trying to help the team as much as I can, but I can only do so much."

4.) Also, what is up with the Route 1 hoof ball? We keep bypassing the midfield completely to either send it up to 5'7-5'9 forwards, or we just give up and kick the ball out of bounds or to the opposing goalie. There is none of that fluidity in the midfield, looks like it all went to Seattle.

Passing has been absolutely abysmal. I think I counted at least 10 times we passed it from midfield to Zach Thronton last night.

5.) This team needs a swift kick in the ass. They have no heart, no hunger, and no desire out there. They look just slightly annoyed when the other team scores, they get their heads down, and give up. Where is that never say die team from last year? Where is the belief? Does anyone even give a damn out there? Hello? Doesn't seem like it.

Like I said a bunch of zombie's out there.

6.) Will Warzycha whake up already and start being a more strict, demanding, and pissed off coach when players are not pulling their weight. After RSL, he didn't even talk to the team because they are professionals and know what to do. Really? Seems to me they have no clue what the hell they are doing out there and need direction. Not to play the overused Sigi card. But, I know Sigi wouldn't just be like whatever after a performance from his team like that. You need to get ahold of the locker room. You need to pound it into their heads that performances like that are unacceptable. You need to harp until they are as pissed off about it as you are. Someone needs to light some sort of fire under this team.

Hell, I would even take John Carver's tactics right now. Just start bitching at them and start making their lives hell. Be a coach, not a player's coach. Players are playing like they are now because they feel they can get away with it.

6.) We need a 20 goals a year, goal scoring finisher. Also, other than are starting four, our backups in defense have so far been rather horrifically just happy to be on the field. They have been horrifically average just like the rest of the team.

Zayner brings nothing to the game and Iro's slow reaction speed led to an obvious red. What the hell was he thinking? It was like he was an hour behind the play and that play could have broke Talley's ankle.

7.) Lenhart hasn't been very clutch this year. More like awful. Why did we take out Gaven who was at least half-dangerous yesterday, even though Gaven can't seem to finish a header and dives embarrisingly in the box for no reason.

8.) Why didn't Gaven rip a shot instead of diving for no reason in the box like a sissy. That was embarrassing. I would have been happy if he would have gotten a red for that. And, if I was the coach I would be really mad. Same with Iro's red and Hesmer's performance against RSL. Stop being their friend. It's starting to get old this whole poker faced, everything is good, and were making progress bullshit.

Warzycha's comments on the 4-1 spanking against RSL:
Yet Crew coach Robert Warzycha saw progress from Thursday night's 4-1 loss at Real Salt Lake.

"I think we went forward, to be honest with you," Warzycha said. "I think there was more energy. I think we showed some character in the second half, especially when we were playing a man down."

You guys showed no damn character from either of those second half performances. I never once thought, "oh the Crew has this," not even against Toronto as I felt we were going to give one up late because we couldn't finish it early. There is no progress being made. We went from Champions to getting 2 points out of 12 in our first four games. Where is the progress in that?

9.) Also Ekpo was finally dangerous when on the wing and goes straight to net, perfect opportunity and he passes the ball. WTH? Doesn't anyone want to be a game changer. STRIKE THE DAMN BALL.

10.) Everyone seems to be having hamstring problems. Great conditioning.

11.) We may have no Hejduk, Marshall, or Iro next week. Guess it's time to see what Brunner has. Hell, after Iro's brutal marking last night on the first Chivas goal, might be a godsend.

Anyways, I would feel a whole hell of alot better if they just showed some heart next week at home. Just show us something. We could lose all of our games this year and I'll be there, but just show us something. Please.