SBNation.com User Blog: rondon

An open letter to MLS.

rondon — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 22:56:37 -0000

Hello,

My name is unimportant, but I am a new fan to the MLS. I have followed my team, SKC, for the entire season now and was excited to watch the first leg of our MLS playoff. Imagine my dismay when I realized that the referee, Edvin Jurisevic, was a Houston supporter and wasn't going to blow his whistle for anything in the first ten minutes of the match. I am disgusted. I have followed the entire season, through thick and thin, to watch my team get bullied and beaten with absolutely no penalty called for anything. This is absolutely disgusting, and if I wanted to watch terrible referees call terrible games I would watch high school football, American style. Congratulations MLS, you have made an incredible fan, who was willing to buy merchandise (200$ worth) and quite possibly season tickets next year (to the tune of 2,000$) and you just showed him that it is all a waste of money, because the finals are about how well you flop and how quickly you can foul a man before you get caught. I am absolutely disgusted.

To make my point, because it is obvious I am an SKC fan:

The New York Redbulls (a very important market, if you didn't know) got away with a pass to the keeper that was picked up. Was the referee blind or stupid? Watch the replay and ask yourself?

Are we simply here to make a good foil for the important MLS markets? If so, I am done supporting this garbage. If you don't believe what I am saying, rewatch the first ten minutes of SKC vs Houston. Tell me that the ref didn't let that get completely out of hand. If MLS wants to keep fans (which I am currently in doubt of) why would they let referees control games like this? It makes me sick to my stomach. I have spent real, perfectly good money to watch this as a sport and the league has absolutely no control over their refs to keep the games honest and legal.

Hello,

To make my point, because it is obvious I am an SKC fan:

The New York Redbulls (a very important market, if you didn't know) got away with a pass to the keeper that was picked up. Was the referee blind or stupid? Watch the replay and ask yourself?

In preparation for today's match against Houston

rondon — Sun, 04 Nov 2012 16:56:07 -0000

I just want to say a few things and maybe ask a question that other Sporting Fans would want an answer to as well.

First, as a new MLS fan, I am very new to professional soccer. I stopped playing soccer in high school, and soccer for children really doesn't prepare a person in the slightest to be a fan of high quality professional soccer. In this vein, I would absolutely love it if one of the contributors on the The Daily Wiz site would breakdown a play from every match that shows some of the nuances of the professional game that are hard to understand without help.

Secondly, I currently live in downtown Kansas City, and my only friends who are Sporting fans live an hour away in two different directions. Does anyone have a favorite bar or hangout where they go to watch the matches? I currently go to John's Big Deck because I can always get a TV switched to soccer, which is difficult at other bars.

Finally, thank you for providing a place for SKC specific news. I always await a new post with hunger, and I am delighted to read the site as often as there is content. I cannot wait for the match to get started, and go SKC!

I just want to say a few things and maybe ask a question that other Sporting Fans would want an answer to as well.

An interview with Kei on Grantland

rondon — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 16:18:33 -0000

An interview with Kei on Grantland

Read it. I've only started it, but it is cool so far.

The US Cup match was

rondon — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 05:36:56 -0000

effing crazy! Amazing, awesome, coolest SKC game I have ever been to, and the best sporting event I've ever attended to boot. Hardware baby! WOO! I can't stop yelling in text, because I can no longer yell in real life.

Now I've calmed down a little. Still freaking crazy. Being at a live shootout is awesome and terrifying; simultaneously experiencing the highest high and lowest low, sometimes alternating and sometimes all at once. Both of Kei's penalty kicks were freaking baller. Besler's pk was a rocket. The call on their keeper for Paulo's kick was a good call. Their keeper came off the line every freaking kick. But still, ridiculously awesome. Terrific game. Loved. Every. Second.

*Edit*

Now that I am a lot more sober, and a little less excited, a few things about the match.

The first thing that comes to mind is that the match was played at a high tempo for both teams. It seems like guys really started to get gassed, for both sides, at the end of each half. When we went to overtime, it really felt like everyone was running around on their last reserves. I think that this may have also been an effect of the recent glut of multi-game weeks.

Also, I have to give some respect to the opposing side fans. They came to cheer, and they didn't stop until well after the final penalty kick. None of them acted like poor sports in front of me. My only gripe was the "let him die!" chants for injured players, but oh well.

From my angle, I didn't like the foul called on Espinoza that led to their free kick and header goal. I thought Teal got mugged like that every time down the pitch in the first half. Also, every time Zusi made a move on his defender he was held like an NFL pass rusher. But those are my major gripes with the officiating, and overall it was a very good game to watch from that perspective.

Finally, I just want to say, "We Got the Cup!" I am screaming that as loud as I can, but my keyboard is making more noise than my lost, hoarse voice.

SKC vs The Dayton Dutch Lions

rondon — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:19:39 -0000

So, I just got home from the game at Livestrong and I want to share some of my thoughts before they leave my head. First, overall, I loved the effort from Sporting in the 3-0 win. They really seemed to play hard at all times. In the first half the Lions did pretty well at keeping up with our effort, but in the second we out-hustled and out-played them to a very large degree. Even the players who I thought were off their game (I'm looking at you Soony... and the two Michaels) still hustled from start to finish. Another thought about the first half: Dayton seemed to counter attack much better than I expected until they got into the box and futzed around until they lost the chance. They really seemed to be uncomfortable once they were in shooting distance. Finally, to end with a thought that CincySporting has already mentioned. Dayton was fatigued, sluggish, and defeated in the second half. Both second half goals were made easier by poor form from the Dutch Lions.

Now, on to the players.

First, I'm going to give my Man of the Match to CJ Sapong, but only by the narrowest of margins. He was in the right place at the right time on a consistent basis, and I loved his effort on every header, cross, and duel.

The man who narrowly missed out was Graham Zusi. His goal was beautiful kick to the corner of the net, and he did a good job of creating his own space to make that shot. This was one of the examples of Dayton being completely worn out, in that they barely bothered to challenge him or impede his progress toward the shot.

I thought Jacob Peterson, Lawrence Olum, Matt Besler and Seth Sinovic all did admirable jobs, and it seemed like each contributed with a great pass, cross, or defensive stop at one point or another.

Jimmy Nielsen was the same great Jimmy, but he didn't see much action other than one very pretty save that I remember.

Soony Saad and Micheal Thomas looked like liabilities to me. Not completely useless, but incapable of crisp passing in such a way that a turnover seemed to loom at every kick.

Micheal Harrington looked less like a liability, but his lapses in judgement seemed to likely to cost a goal at points.

That's it for the starters, and other than Roger looking good in his short stay on the pitch, the subs really didn't seem to distinguish themselves one way or another. Except I never really like Teal's play very much, for some reason. But that is a post for another time.

Going to the Match on Tuesday

rondon — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 03:21:09 -0000

Hello All,

I will be going to the match on Tuesday, and I wanted some advice. First of all, I planned on walking up to the gate and purchasing tickets. I don't believe the match will sell out, but if I'm wrong please tell me in the comments. Secondly, this will be my second live professional soccer match but my first at LSP. What is the best and second best section to sit in? Finally, I hope to write a bit of a match summary cataloging what I see from my seat, so I hope to be giving everybody my thoughts on Wednesday.

Thanks in advance,

Rondon

Hello All,

Thanks in advance,

Rondon

What if Peyton Manning...

rondon — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:19:13 -0000

Really just wanted to make sure Tim Tebow never starts another snap as an NFL quarterback? Of course, he can't make sure another team won't fall down the same well that the donkeys did but he sure as hell just booted old Timmy right out of his starting role.

I do want to say that for what he has just done I will forever loathe the man. But if this is his secret reason... then I might still have a wee bit of respect for him. Meh, who knows? Food for thought anyways.

Oh, and I will toast to the day in the not-so-distant future when Houston hits our new favorite Donkey so hard on his blindside that his pancreas hurts. Excellent reason to drink a pint, imho.

Slainte!

Oh, and I will toast to the day in the not-so-distant future when Houston hits our new favorite Donkey so hard on his blindside that his pancreas hurts. Excellent reason to drink a pint, imho.

Slainte!