By: Drunken Crewzer
With a 1-1 draw, the season has kicked off for both Crew SC and GCGBAG, and while we looked good in the first 70 mins, we failed to kill off the game. We started well, the chemistry between Meram and Finlay continues to be fantastic. Meram's 2nd min chance was what all the fans were hoping for, but some guy was there between the posts and stopped it. It only took 15 more minutes for Meram to find Finlay's head and put the good guys in front. Similarly on the tailgate front, we woke up and made sure we had enough food and alcohol to feed a small army. As for as closing out the tailgate, we failed to kill the keg and forgot to refrigerate the extra unused eggs, which are now they're being used for mischievous alternatives. Overall effort, tactics, and play were promising but the final execution could have been slightly better.
All chances to double our lead were there; the play from our wing backs is best described as insatiable. Francis is going to have a hard time getting his starting spot back as Raitala's overlapping runs and dangerous balls into the box are exactly what we needed to balance the attack from Afful on the other side of the pitch. Our Center Backs looked better than they did last season and I do think we were a bit unlucky to give up the the tying goal. Afful stuck out a leg to stop the through ball but an unfortunate bounce put the ball right at Accam's feet in a dangerous position and Accam finished his chance. For as well as Steffen played, it's sad for him to not get a shut out. However he made a phenomenal late stop to save us a point. It seemed as though there were moments where the team briefly lost focus and that was the killer.
Ola Kamara showed us that he probably could have used another preseason game and was unfortunate to miss some time with concussion symptoms. He got into good positions but lacked the final product. However, with this being our first game, I'm sure his quickness and finish will come with more minutes. Of similar importance was the fact that our tailgate game and positioning could have been better. The Crewsmas presents were hit, but our location decision lacked the proper execution. Missing the megatailgate boundary by mere feet and the 2 o'clock kickoff really scuffed an otherwise admirable performance.
I took some time after the game to get some of your thoughts as well:
