 |
| No actual intention to go political. The rest were about prayer? |
The original title for this post was, “The Maddest I’ve Ever
Seen Matt Pickens,” so called because FC Cincinnati scored one of those
glass-jaw specials that soccer punditry warns you of in every single broadcast immediately
after Nashville SC drew the score level at 2-2. Corben Bone got free on
Nashville’s right, cut back inside and fired to Pickens’ far side. Shot fired,
shit lost, etc. 3-2 to FC Cincy, and in their last road game of 2018.
Cincinnati would feel a similar let-down (and a chink in the
armor?) when Bolu Akinboye returned the favor via express service just as
regular time drew its last (robust) breath (good game), and this game ended
3-3, and with a world of possibility, good and wish-that-hadn’t-happened for
both teams on the field. (See The Match Center for all data.)
On the universal plus-side, both teams will get the chance
to do it all over again, only this time in Nippert Stadium/Ohio. With all the
points counted and the playoffs set to begin, 1st seed FC Cincy will face 8th
seed Nashville in the first round of the USL Eastern Conference Playoffs, the
day after tomorrow, effectively, 3 p.m., after school, at the flag-pole and in
front of the entire motherfucking school. Place your bets now, and juice-box
and orange wedges are your currency, people.
Where to begin? Even getting back to tonight is complicated,
and for both teams. On FC Cincy’s side, I was about to say, when was the last
time Cincinnati allowed three goals, only to realize that it happened just one
month before, and against Toronto FC II. The point is, prior to that, it hadn’t
happened since June and…against TFC II. (So, I guess the formula is not playing
TFC II?) Another fun fact: that June 3-3 draw against TFC II came only five
games into FC Cincinnati’s now-history-making-USL-unbeaten streak and, that
lands my point: you’re not used to seeing FC Cincinnati give up three goals in
one game because they don’t do it a lot. But they just did it against
Nashville, the same team they’ll play in the first round of the playoffs. Sure,
that happened in Nashville, but I’m at DEFCON 2, minimum. I mean, dumber things
than a first-round flame-out for the regular season champs have happened in the
history of sports…
