(Saturday) Morning Afterthoughts: Video Redux

Some random thoughts heading into the All-Star Break:

- The Crew have scored 27 goals, but given up 25. We're 3rd best in goals scored, 3rd worst in goals against. But we're looking for strikers?

Yep, and rightly so, at least for now. While the defense needs a shot in the arm, our offense is losing it's two biggest threats. Ekpo and Rogers are a nightmare for defenders who are just learning how to work it out. They spread out the field, which is giving Guille more room to work his magic and Moreno more freedom to hold the ball and hit them as they make runs. Remember last year when we couldn't score? Neither of those guys were on the pitch...

- Still, the defense needs help. Danny O'Whoops and Andy I-slow can't seem to get it together, and Frankie has had a bad run of form the last few weeks.

My advice: How's about we spend that DP money on Marcos Gonzalez? I keed, I keed.

- Drumming for the entire game is harder than it looks. I brought two friends and some marching band drums, and we tried to keep up with La Turbina. We had slightly better rhythm, but no where near the stamina.

And yes, that's what she said.

- Best atmosphere ever in the Nordecke. I also noticed the entire stadium standing last night towards the end of the game when the Crew looked like they might score. Nice to see.

- Wolff was not offside on the goal, mainly because Iro was in too deep without marking anyone and O'Rourke whiffed.

- The ref did not call two blatant handballs, or anything that happened to Robbie Rogers. Can we all chip in and buy him a jersey that says "Beckham 23" for when he gets back from China?

- With our wings gone, I think we should move Moreno to one of the wings, and put Lenhart up top as our holding forward. At the very least, the kid should see 20 minutes every game until he stops putting the ball in the back of the net.

Now for the videos:

Guille with a clutch goal to open the floodgates:


Moreno's goal and Celebration with Columbus' Finest Fans:

There's a goal and an assist for Schelotto, by the way.

Chad Marshall with a beautiful upper-90 goal, and a great reaction from the crowd!

By the way: Jimmy Conrad got flat out owned on this goal. Beaten like a rented mule, by a country mile, and worse than a red-headed step child. How is he an All-Star and Guille not?

While we're jersey shopping for Rogers, maybe we should also get Schelotto a number 10 jersey that says "Blanco" on it so the other MLS idiot soccer fans and the league office will pay attention to him. He's having one of the 5 best seasons in MLS this year.

Why we're going to miss Emmanuelle Ekpo:


Why we'll miss Robbie Rogers:


Pertaining to the last two videos: Go Holland and Japan! Please knock Nigeria and the US out in group play. Thank you.

And go figure: MLS doesn't have the video of Golden Boy Jimmy Conrad getting pwned by The Cabbage Patch Kid on it's quick kicks section. Fancy that. Sure Lenhart fouled him, but I don't know what the technical term is for what Conrad was doing to keep Lenhart from blowing by him. Arm-barring? Half-nelson? It has to be a wrestling term. Kudos for Lennie getting into it with Conrad after the fact. I'm actually sad somone didn't do to him what Virtuoso did last year...

Counting Frankie's miss and two sitter crosses that were not converted(one by Moreno, one by Robbie), as well as Robbie's shots that were blocked, the Crew had the better run of play, and could have won this game 4-3 or 5-2. Instead, we lose 2 points at home, yet remain a game ahead of everyone except New England for now (though some teams have a game in hand on us.) About as good of a first half as we could have expected, all told.

Finally, on a NCR note, "The Dark Knight" is the best movie I've ever seen. Even better than "Step Up 2: In the Streetz." Best quote: "I'm like a dog chasing cars..." Trust me, when you see it, it will make sense.

Bring on the Hammers this Sunday. You going?