Fern Mc Costigan: October 2015

Friday, October 30, 2015

Galaxy’s Eminent Fracas Despite their Star Power

Not even with Giovani, Gerrard, Keane and company, the Angelinos could not make it into the league postseason as a bye squad, even advancing in the knockout rounds, after a long October slump.

Costing them their Western Conference top spot and suddenly they were fighting for their survival in the knockout rounds as a loss to Seattle, that put in evidence a certain internal division or discontent in Angel City.

A squad accustomed to be in the final stages in the league postseason, this time things did not work as expected from Manager Bruce Arena now touted as a possible candidate for the USMNT position of its top man at its helm.

Pound per pound is what many describe a top contender in boxing, but in soccer the LA Boys were considered as a heavy favorite to repeat as champions and netting for a couple of its players their first champions rings.

Unfortunately, no one is perfect, as the Galaxy seeing their efforts and guard down, suddenly this fell into hard times as well seeing their star power useless in the last matches of the campaign.

Very well in what many considered as a brick wall of a defensive side, everything collapse after that loss against the Portland Timbers and the SKC in the final matches of the campaign, putting in evidence their troubles!

Very well, harsh words coming from a disheartened superstar blasting a squad defensive backfield that yielded in its last matches a good amount of goals for the Tinsel Town squad sudden decline in their game and sudden drop from the top of the Western Conference.

This time October became a fatidic month for the American version of the Galacticos as they saw their fortunes dwindle and odd results with a couple of draws and two losses against Portland and SKC.

Alongside a couple of draw matches one against Seattle Sounders in league play and in CONCACHAMPIONS with Guatemalan side Communicaciones, seeing this squad playing much unmotivated or lacking a winning drive.

Another observation seen in Bruce Arena’s initial eleven was certain disarray among his veterans and newly incorporated superstars a certain animosity visibly seen and that is one recipe for disaster.

The results speak for themselves by seeing how this squad became eliminated by a determined Seattle Sounders and playing at home and had the last laugh over the Angelinos that never showed any means of fighting back.

As Omar Gonzalez one of the Galaxy defensive bases, suddenly has expressed his desires to leave Stub Hub and look for new destinies in another team as well maybe others will try to do the same.

What a pity the Los Angeles Galaxy was not able to defend its title and repeat as champions with the armada it is built around this campaign after Gerra joined the club after his departure from Liverpool and Gio’s recently doing it from the yellow Submarine of Villarreal.

Maybe next campaign this squad can put on a strong performance and if their Manager Bruce Arena touted as the USMNT Boss, stays put at Tinsel Town; maybe he can put some order since day one and really mount another legacy of league dominance.

A total disappointment was the Los Angeles Galaxy this 2015, their hopes deposited into next campaign to be a little generous for the LA Galaxy, who can prove their might as a dominant squad.

Photos Credit and Property of © Los Angeles Galaxy Football Club 2015

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

A Cascadia First in Major League Soccer Postseason

Indeed, Major League Soccer utmost squads, its Pacific Northwest ones, that make the league tremble with their Derbies and make up one of the most contested of rivalries all campaign long.

They are heading for the league grand fete of the postseason and for the first time ever will be seeing the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps go for the ultimate of glories, altogether.

Very well the Caps being in a first round bye while the Emerald City Boys will face at home a resilient and defending champion in the Tinsel Town squad of the LA Galaxy and its start-studded initial eleven.

In addition, for the Rose City squads receiving one of its toughest and difficult rivals they faced all campaign long in the Midwest Boys almighty SKC.

Looking a bit challenging for the Sounders and Timbers, their Bosses hopefully they can mount a nice strategy to survive their first test and continue on their mission for conference semifinals.

For Manager Caleb Porter as his Timbers will be one match at a time, will try to put on a display of wonderfully displayed football as in their last three matches lately, to try and seal their pass, keeping the fight and their winning momentum.

For Sigi Schmidt Sounders always left in the edge in every campaign- that the Emerald City Boys always stage a disappointing run in the league postseason, a win over the defending champions can be a maybe or the key to a Dallas showdown.

For Carl Robinson the Welshman and his Caps is just a matter of who will be his next rival and with a face off with their Cascadia rivals in the Timbers, maybe we can see another heated and most disputed of derbies between these two.

Since the inception of three of these region known as the Pacific Northwest, always was in the way for two of these squad’s, as in their early year’s their modest performances by a couple of them, wasn’t completing the trifecta.

Now they are the talk of the league and very well all eyes are on them of who will face kin these squads as a Seattle versus Portland or a Vancouver versus Seattle will be the Western Conference semifinals that will be the biggest question of them all.

Still this squad armed like an armada and despite some of them missing key players due to suspensions or injuries, no one discards an all-around Cascadia final.

First things first and not getting ahead of time, as Thursday both Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders will have the joy of hosting the first leg of the payoff as home squads and with a slight advantage over their foes.

Undoubtedly luck and good set of strategies will play an important role in these three squads, as who will be the first one to net the MLS Cup to their halls as well earned those always coveted bragging Cascadia rights.

Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps the best of Lucks!

Photos Credit and Property of © Portland Timbers Football Club and Craig Mitchelldyer 2015

Photos Credit and Property of © Seattle Sounders Football Club 2015

Photos Credit and Property of © Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club and Bob Frid 2015

Monday, October 26, 2015

A Nagbe Double and Postseason Joy Delivered to Rose City

Hail to those Rose City chaps, sealing the deal and doing it with an overall authority over a resistant Colorado squad, looking in every way to play the role of spoilers in this match.

One that was in plays not only a win but also a very valuable one that meant the whole world for the local Timbers.

Still after netting two important back to back wins on the road, the Portland Timbers really had to play like there was no tomorrow and with a lot in stake, despite playing with a modest and last place Colorado Rapids squad’s.

As always state that there’s no such thing than an easy foe, tonight’s match was considered a vital one for the PTFC postseason aspirations and being in stake their pass despite the previous weeks successes.

The Rose City Boys came prepared to give it their best, by displaying a wonderful game of football in its entire ninety minutes, without putting their guards down, and putting on a show in front of their beloved supporters known as the tops in all of MLS.

In addition, after displaying a South Park theme Tifo with a "Party in Portland" theme, at the end, Portland was in that fete atmosphere after seeing a nice display of technique and utmost ambitious football played in the Porter era!

Imagine a match just started and not even with four minutes of play, the Timbers immediately took advantage of the condition of local and via Darlington Nagbe taking the honors of scoring the first goal.

That did not put the visiting team against the ropes, suddenly in the upcoming minutes, they showed off a certain belligerence and resistance with some dangerous plays and after tied the score in the 13th minute via Dominique Badji.

Moreover, more dangerous and sporadic plays the Rocky Mountain Boys created, they match was tense and possibly at times many thought the visiting squad could made the mischief, it’s when the Timbers backfield stepped out proudly.

After that the match belong solely for the PTFC that became a force not to be reckoned with after a nice fabricated play that the Timbers new acquisition in Lucas Melano and Adi passing accurately.

That became the go-ahead goal in the 33th minute that became the go-ahead goal and the Double by Nagbe as well the shoot in the arm in total motivation as well for his teammates Jorge Villafaña and Faneando Adi who sealed the deal.

As the Portland Timbers with several see saw in this 2015 campaign and at times with many question marks, this squad never gave up and delivered in the clutch when needed with a the postseason back at Providence.

There is a saying Spanish, as the Timbers ended up dancing with the ugly one and with SKC who the Rose Boys had their struggles in this campaign, undoubtedly this match well be a very fought of and challenging one this upcoming Thursday.

At the end, Caleb Porter and his Timber Boys did it with a convincing and much celebrated fashion, Hail Portland Timbers.

RCTID!

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

The Mighty Timbers Silenced Tinsel Town!

Despite Galaxy’s front man, Robbie Keane producing a double and with spectacular fashion as the man of the Emerald Isle is accustomed to delight us, at the end his Tinsel Town Boys saw their efforts gone sour!

Because all afternoon long belonged to an inspired and fighting initial, eleven that saw its efforts doubled in every play and responded like a true contender in this entire match ninety minutes of play.

This was a team effort and in unison this Boys did not let that early goal from the home squad deter them, it just inspired them to fight and play like there was no tomorrow and hence the results.

Everyone in that Portland lineup did its best and contributed to a whole extent to net this valuable and much celebrated win with a very convincing way if not style.

What goes around comes around.

Very true as you may remember that horrible loss back in June when the PTFC visited Carson and got a dosage of goals from the Galaxy and now how the tables were turned in favor of the visiting Rose City chaps.

As always stated, there’s no such thing than an easy foe and at Stub Hub Center, the followers of the American version of the Galactic’s, saw how an inspired Rose City squad came and conquered them in such a stylish fashion.

A resounding 5-2 win with an inspired Adi once again causing havoc on the opposing squad nets as the way many know him, along matching his opposing foe with a double score too, for the raucous win and inspiration to his teammates.

The second half became pandemonium as an exceptional Timbers squads started a certain scoring frenzy after witnessing their star forward doing it twice and then Diego Chars with a nice jump he pushed the ball for the go ahead score.

Followed by Darlington Nagbe, whose performances lately can be a bit of an attention getter to USMNT Boss Jurgen Klinsmann to give the Timbers a two-goal lead that at the end was sealed for the final blow by an opportunistic Maxi Urruti.

As these Timbers bunch, does not get mad, it gets even and at Sundays match in Carson, the Portland Boys look like an all-around armada ready to play the league final with the way this squad game displayed like total champions without a crown.

Now the PTFC has to wait for Sunday’s last match of the regular season to close at Providence against a cellar stricken Colorado possibly truing to play the role of all around spoiler to the Timbers Boys.

Still this squad lives up to Manager Caleb Porter statements of being his club the best ever and proving it with such authority brilliantly speaking by an inspired offensive side as well its defensive side.

Playing a brilliant and overzealous football that did not allowed an offensive revival from a star studded LA initial eleven were the likes of Gerra, Gio, Zardes couldn’t enjoyed any liberties in the field of play.

Now to seal the deal is what these chaps need to do to wrap up an awesome campaign and maybe give its wonderful legion of followers many awesome satisfactions in this 2015- for now these Portland Timbers squad that deserves the distinction of squad of the week.

RCTID!