I hate to even front this idea because it seems to me to oversimplify what happened in last Saturday's match against the triumvirate of soupastars and the rest of the Galaxy team. The Timbers scored very early in the match on a classy feed and shot executed by Khalil and finished by Boyd. It was stellar and would have been the headline if the game hadn't gone wanky for us.
So the question rises as to why we would let D. Beckham, the devil incarnate as far as making the balls do wicked things, stand all by himself and line up a shot just minutes later. My answer? The Timbers let down their guard with the early goal and started thinking 'this aint so tough'. Except that it was. And once the unraveling began, it took near forty minutes to bring the boat back to an even keel. Am I mixing my metaphors? Well I have to because just one won't suffice.
It's possible that we would not have beaten a resurgent Galaxy side with Donovan and Keane home from other commitments and Becks stinging from not being asked to the Olympic side for England. But it was even less likely when our players were disarmed by the early goal for us. And once the counterattack began, the players on the field that night didn't have the resilience to pick up the pace and fight back.
I think Kimura was put in a terribly awkward position as well. As a jetlagged newcomer he was still trying to find his place and figure out the names of the other guys on the team. As a professional with high standards, he overplayed some of his challenges---not that he was the only one at fault--- and it made the game harder to win.
I still think we've got a good crew to work with. Young players who will be great soon. And no need to panic.
