After a two-year absence, it's time to break out one of my all-time favorite MLS stats. With the
Red Bulls advancing to MLS Cup, they re-ignite the tradition of having a coach in MLS Cup in the
first full year of control of his team.
1996: Arena v. Osiander
1997: Arena v.
It's a pretty good move, in that he's a proven MLS player, with speed, who can play in defense
or the midfield, and United gave up allocation money instead of the usual draft picks. But does
this confuse United's lineup more? If he plays in the back, Martinez moves to central defense,
where he struggled at the beginning of the season.
My account with my host is expiring next week and, rather than renew it, I'm moving the
site to a new host, so BFD might be down for a day or two while this takes place. There are no
changes in store, not even a redesign. But the benefit to you is that this whole procedure has made
me even more frazzled than I normally am.
OK, after much delay, a lot of time on the phone with the tech support divisions of two hosting
companies, and many more gray hairs, everything is finally back to normal, both here and
at Wings For Wheels.
Since it's late, I'll only say the following about the last two United games: The SuperLiga
performances show how Dave Kasper failed to recognize the importance of depth in building a squad
that can compete on two fronts.
