50/50 Ball: Sporting KC – Impact 05May12
This match up to me was going to be interesting as the Impact were desperate to get more wins or at least some sort of result and sporting was coming off their first loss two weeks before. I'm sure Sporting would of liked to continue to be unbeaten at home and the Impact would of more than loved to get their first road win. Well unless you get a draw. Only one team will come out of a match up happy and Peter Vermes had a great comment after the match. "Any team can beat any other team, any game. It's not the EPL." This came shortly after him congradulating Montreal on the victory. It really was a hard fought victory by Montreal and in the words of the Montreal coach "Weathered the storm." He also went on to say "We still have a long way to go and aren't ready to pat ourselves on the back, not yet anyway."
SPORTING
- Just didn't seem ready for this game even though they had two weeks off to get ready for it, but I believe there is something to be said about having too much time off instead of the normal week to week with the occasional two matches in a week.
- Absolutely kept fighting to get any sort of result even in the dying moments of the game. They just couldn't seem to get any sort of a decent call in their favor, but you can't rely on the refs to determine the game and Sporting just couldn't seem to get a goal to save their home winning streak. But every great team occsionally loses, but for Sporting's sake lets hope they don't do it again in the playoffs. That is if they make the playoffs.
IMPACT
- Came into this game doing what ever they could to get a result and was able to get the result they needed by playing a real decent game.
- Didn't really have that great of a match as Sporting really did dominate the match besides the scoreline. I seriously believe that the final could of been 5-2 with Sporting being the team on top.
Man of the Match: Sporting KC – Timbers
One of the most consistent players this year so far has been Collin who time and time again has, in my opinion, more than proven himself. This match up was no different as he was probably one of the best players on the field for the duration of this match and helped keep the score down to just 1-0 as it appeared to me that Portland could of easily gotten more goals but with the play of somebody like Collin is a real difference.
The Time to Focus is Now.
The Amy Thompson Run for Brain Injury is going to be held on May 28th this year. I have signed up for the 5k run/walk as a personal challenge. I decided to walk 5k because this symbolizes my life with a head injury. There is nothing easy about going through life with a head injury and because of my injuries there is nothing easy about a 5k walk for me. I want to challenge myself to try beat this injury, to never quit or never give in.
I have been training off and on leading up to today. But today May 1st, marks the official start of my training for the 5k walk. I will start walking more and incorporate some weight lifting into my routine. I have also decided that I need to give up smoking cigars over the next 28 days. In the cigar ban will be: 1) NO smoking cigars, 2) NO being around people smoking cigars, and 3) NO going to places where cigars are smoked (my front porch is excluded from this).
I am looking forward to the Amy Thompson Run for Brain Injury. This is a wonderful event that raises awareness about brain injuries and their effects. I am also looking forward to the next 28 days of preparation. In which I will be getting my body into a better place. I invite everyone out there to come along for the journey. Find something that you can give up for the next 28 days to make yourself healthier. Take the challenge and do this for yourself!
**To the Ends of the Earth**
Red Beards
50/50 Ball: Sporting – Timbers
This match up pretty much went the way that I expected it to go, just not quite the result I expected. I guess it was the result I expected, but not the way I expected the result to turn out. Sporting came into this having won their first seven games but after their previous match were looking really tired. Portland was coming off a hard defeat against the galaxy and were looking to make up for it. Well Sporting was able to hold off the Timbers attack, but couldn't seem to hold off their own defense from putting the ball into the goal for the Timbers.
TIMBERS
- Was great on the knowledge that they knew they should have kept attacking and that they did and probably should of been able to score on their own, but at least they kept from allowing Sporting to go on their own attack very often.
- The defense really only seemed to come up when they absolutely had to. Which was good enough to get the win after the own goal from Sporting. Had Sporting not been exhausted from not having a break and having just played a match a few days before then I think you could say that this match could of gone a completely different way.
SPORTING
- Knew that they wouldn't be able to play the same way they had for the entire match like they had to start the season, so they came out trying to get an early lead, but the Timbers were able to hold off the early attacks.
- Obviously the own goal caused Sporting to lose their first match of the season, but you could tell that every player was bordering on exhaustion and were doing everything they could to try and just hold off the Timbers, which for the most part they did.
Look Left and Look Right?
As I take the time to reflectively look back upon the 40 days that I dedicated to my Lord and my family, I have a discovered a lot of things about myself. The actions that I use to find enjoyment in and that I thought were necessary in my life are not needed at all for me to find pleasure in life. What a shocking revelation this has been to me. Also, I have totally been able to walk away from television show/radio programs that we not part of the fast at all, yet those thing turned out to be part of the deal. I am spending more time with my children playing in the yard.
I am totally encouraged by this new way of thinking and this new style of behavior. I also have a better grasp of what kind of effort is required for this person to change. I know there is information out there about 21 days to create a habit. Well for this guy, I need a solid and I do mean solid 40 days! Included in that 40 days is required help from the people in my life to help establish the habit. Yet, I know that I can fully change parts of my life for the better after 40 days of dedication to the Lord.
I have also gained new perspectives on being able to walk away from different forms of entertainment. If given the choice of doing something with the family or being stuck to the television. I now of the ability to turn off the television and choose my family. The Lord did a great work in my life. All that I had to do was be willing to let soccer go for 40 days and the Lord went above and beyond the call of duty!! The Lord gave me more than I could ask for, because of who He is not because of what I did.
**To the Ends of the Earth**
Red Beards
50/50 Ball: Sporting KC – Vancouver Whitecaps
This match up was sure to be an interesting one as it was a start for a short but also long and exhausting on the road trip for Sporting KC as this was the first stop between Vancouver and Portland for a Wednesday and Saturday match up. The pressure was also building up as Sporting had won their first six games in a row and you know that the tension has to break at some point. Vancouver has been a real up and down team so they could of fallen completely flat or dominate Sporting. Well they almost seemed to do both?
SPORTING
- First the bad thing that I saw. For how good the defense has been lately, they have also made some pretty close to costly errors to include what was suppose to be the pass back to Nielsen from Sinovic that ended up being the best shot on goal against Sporting in this match up. (Not to really refer to possible future post but we already know what happens against the Timbers.) I completely understand passing the ball back to the GK for a lot of reasons, but if it isn't a good kick then the GK all of a sudden has to switch from making a play on the ball to having to save the ball.
- The offense really does seem like it can be exhausting to try and defend against. I also don't mean offense like just the forwards and some of the midfielders. We have seen the defense push up quite a bit and all take their shots and right now Collin has three goals for on the season and I think that we can see him getting some more, maybe even be a possible 10 goal season for him, which is rare for a DEFENDER.
WHITECAPS
- Knew exactly what Sporting was/is capable of and pushed and pushed hard. You could tell that they wanted to be that team to be the first team to beat Sporting this year and even after Sporting was up 2-0 they continued to push. Obviously the match from last year where they were able to tie it up 3-3 was still fresh in their minds and they knew that it was possible to get a result against Sporting.
- I don't know if it is me or the league seems to be going through this change where defenses seem to be pushing way up on the field and taking their own shots. Sporting did it most of last year and they have really made it work. I mean they are 7-0-0 after this match to start the season, but you have to have the right type of players and I don't think Vancouver has those types of players. Yes they are playing with a 4-4-2 system, but something seems to be a real miss in their squad and maybe it is just that they don't have quality defenders? They seem to put a lot of stock in generating offense and maybe they think that it doesn't matter how many goals they concede as long as they can outscore the other team. Well that is a good idea unless you are going against a good defense like Sporting has had.
Man of the Match: Sporting KC – Vancouver Whitecaps
This game had this player probably working more in this match then he had in all the other matches combined so far. Nielsen was even forced to make a save against his own team as apparently Sinovic didn't think Nielsen had enough of a challenge and took a shot at his own goal. Now it wasn't actually a shot, but it was a really bad pass, but it just goes to show how ready Nielsen is to get into the action.
Nielsen hasn't been called upon much this season, but when he has been needed he has proven why he is the captain and becoming one of the top goalkeepers in the MLS.
Man of the Match: Sporting KC – Real Salt Lake
Alright I am kind of way behind but I am focused on getting caught up now...
This match up, as I am writing this, happened a little bit ago and as it gets posted to social media sites, might through some people off, but I am a personal blogger and am not held to the same deadlines as everybody else.
Maybe this will make for some good reading for you after the fact.
My man of the match for Sporting KCs match up against Real Salt Lake is Collin. He had a great game against LA and so far is starting off with a really good season. This game was no different really for him then his play against the Galaxy. Collin I believe is easily nominated for this games man of the match if you even took out his offensive play. Which sounds kind of weird that a defender could even be an offensive threat, but the way Sporting plays everybody is an offensive threat.
I typically don't like nominating somebody for consecutive man of the match awards, but I think with the way Collin has been playing that I might have to get over that or at least look over it this year.
When should I let go?
Can I truly let go? When is the appropriate time to let go? Do I have the ability to see those kind of people in a new light? What truly is my problem?
I will start from the beginning for those of you who do not know what is going on. About three weeks ago there was a shootout between my neighbor and some unidentified people in his front yard. A stray round from the weapons being fired entered my house 18" from my head while I was sleeping. This has started a whole flood of emotions in my family that are hard to describe or list.
I shall stick to those emotions that only I have and that I still struggle with. After this event I felt unsafe walking around my house without an unloaded weapon on my person. One day after the shooting, our family decided that it was in our best interest to start staying at a different location. We have been staying at this alternative location too this date.
The problems that I have are as follows: 1) whenever I am near our old city I revert back to my Army training, 2) I have trouble with people who look the same as the shooter, 3) I have flashbacks whenever I hear a loud bang, 4) I almost was shot in the face and do not care about it. Upon further reflections of these feeling, I am fine with numbers one through three. I am glad that I reverted back to my Army training during the event and following. I need to remind myself that not everyone is like those people who were shooting. And eventually the flashbacks will go away, just like they did with my leg injury.
But the lack of regard for my own life is of some concern. Why would I have so little regard for something so precious? What is different about my thought process that allows me to have this opinion? In society we are surrounded by ways to stay alive or try to stay alive longer. Yet, this man has no problem walking away from this world. Please do not twist my words or mis-understand (I would never or have never thought about taking my own life).
The only difference that I can find is the comfort that I find in the Lord. I know that His hand is guiding me in all that I do. For the Lord has a perfect plan for my life even though I may not understand it. But I will bold walk through this life not afraid of what this world has to throw at me. I have seizure, migraine, chronic back pain, a head injury, and now have almost been shot in the face. I pray that the Lord will continue to give me the ability to boldly proclaim His name and give Him the glory while doing it. If you want to find out about people really going through troubles, you only need to read the book of Acts.
**To the Ends of the Earth**
Red Beards
50/50 Ball: Sporting KC – Real Salt Lake
This match up was to be the early season match up of the season. Both teams on top of the table in their respective divisions. Sporting having not lost a game sitting at 5-0-0 and Real Salt Lake having only one loss to a team so far this season, but has played one more game one more game then most the rest of the league. This match up could of easily been predicted to be a nil-nil draw and was about 25 minutes from being just that. Although it could of easily been 1-0 at half time in favor of Sporting, but with a phantom push CJ Sapong's goal was disallowed.
SPORTING KC
- Came in pretty much playing the way that they had been playing and that was by completely trying to dominate the game, which against good teams is obviously a lot harder, but for the most part were doing exactly what they have been doing most of the game, especially on the defensive end as they were pretty much able to completely shut out Real Salt Lake who barely got a shot on goal and ending Sporting KCs no shots on goals allowed streak.
- Something that I noticed that Sporting could of have had to them was allowing goals. As the defense were allowing Real to get through a little bit, but they just couldn't get any good shots off at the goal. Something like this really makes me nervous as at some point a team will be getting those shots off and Nielsen will be called upon heavily and at that point all the Sporting fans will really hope that he can keep doing what he normally does.
REAL SALT LAKE
- Did very good getting runs up the field and feeding the ball into the box through out the entire match all the way till the end that just about saw Real tie up the match late in the game and would of ended Sporting's unbeaten streak, which if the game ended in a tie technically wouldn't of ended the unbeaten streak, but would of dampened it. I'm sure Real would of taken a point and been more then happy with it.
- Something that they were good at is also what they were quite bad at and that is allowing the ball to be fed into the box but instead of being able to clear all of them out and had to rely on their goal keeper more so then Sporting had to rely on their goal keeper in Nielsen and that shows a lot about the defense and that Real might want to look making sure that gets taken care of. Luckily it is early in the season and there is plenty of time to correct any early errors. Just look at how Sporting started off last season. It seem to take them half the season to get to 18 points last year and they are already at 18 in the first 6 games.