Dread the Dreads

By: Rocky Cole | August 15th, 2009

Dread the Dreads if you come to play in Rio Tinto. Tonight, Kyle Beckerman and his “Dreads” will be called on once more to work some of the “special magic” in Rio Tinto when the conference leading Houston Dynamo come to town. Beckerman, Nick Rimando and the rest of RSL are looking to string the wins together that will help them rise up the table and make post-season for the second year running. This has been the breakout season for RSL, having finally made post-season in 2008. With a new stadium and a new attitude, where the team shed their seeming inability to win on the road, while maintaining dominance at home has given hope to the die-hard RSL fans. Rio Tinto rocks when RSL is on game, and as the Sounders discovered last week, it’s a tough place to play, even when RSL is not playing their best. I will paraphrase something Jason Kreis said about last week’s win over Seattle… RSL showed it can get a win while not playing at its best. Yes, that’s what top teams do, figure out a way to win when the team is not at its best.

Last week against the Sounders, Findley managed a goal which was the difference in the game. But this week, RSL has to bring a little better play to get past Houston. Let’s face it, the West is a tight conference, and from the unexpected success of Seattle, to the resurgence of the LA Galaxy, no team is looking at easy passage into post-season.

RSL has made some great strides this year, maturing as a football club. Our little boys have grown up! And as Will Johnson commented a couple of weeks back, “This is a Jason Kreis football team.” True Dat, Will (my California-street-speak showing). So what does a Jason Kreis football team play like? Well, it comes out hard and focused and doesn’t throw in the towel if it gets behind. In fact, it doesn’t throw in the towel ever. Not ever. RSL has become a tough-as-nails Jason Kreis team. Down but never out.

The win over Seattle at Rio Tinto last week was a good start at the run towards the playoffs, but with the Galaxy, Chivas, Rapids, Sounders and Dynamo ahead of RSL every game counts – every point counts. RSL wants to have control of its own destiny this year. How does the team do that? By getting full-points whenever possible. The Houston Dynamo is a tough team, but RSL has proven that at home in Rio Tinto, they can play with anybody. At home in Rio Tinto, even against the conference leader, RSL can seize control of their own playoff aspiration and make it happen.