By J Hutcherson -- Federal holiday version, but we'll start with the obvious. A few Dailies ago, make that last Monday, we talked about Major League Soccer's internal logic that devalues the position of goalkeeper. Danny Cepero is the latest evidence that emergency fill-ins can do the job of highly paid starters, at least in the minds of some.
This has been the season of patchwork keeping. It plays out one of two fairly obvious ways. If the teams just missing the playoffs on the season of parity respond by rampant squad changes, we get to see whether this time they focus on their keeper. If not, and that takes the 08 season as a bit of a fluke considering the scant difference between good and bad clubs, do they try riding into '09 with the same solution in goal?
It's a long list of should change, potential change, and forced change.
Meanwhile, did we really get a new candidate for our Playoff Countdown courtesy of Red Bull NY knocking of the defending champions? Let's go with a very strong maybe, depending on how you feel about RBNY's chances in the Western Conference final.
A win by the Bulls, and all they've shown us is that an Eastern Conference wilcard team can take out the Western Conference. That should be enough to get on the board for best in MLS history. A title win against say Supporters Shield winners Columbus would be running right along for pride of place.
If it turns out that New York saw something with Houston that made the difference, but that doesn't work against anybody else? Seen that one before. After all, in North Jersey a coach has to win everything.
One more thing. The LA Times' Grahame Jones calls it correctly with his bit on renaming the MLS Cup.
Comments, questions, solutions to problems that have yet to present themselves. Please, tell me all about it.
