There goes that man again....
What a beast. Taxi showing why the club were so desperate to bring him over early from Austria. So far in 3 games, he's making it look easy. But let's remember - he did this in Austria too! He had 35 goals in 68 games for Rapid! I don't claim to be an expert on Austrian football.. but I don't think the Austrian Bundesliga is any better than MLS (as a league on the whole). This hot start gives me hope that he will produce similar numbers here. Imagine if he gets another DP with him too...
The thing that I like most about him so far is that he gets shots on target. Even if its not a perfect strike, he's making the keeper work - which leads to chances - which leads to goals. All goals are equal here.. no matter the keeper, no matter the strike. So often you see MLS strikers blast it over or wide from within the box. Not Taxi, that's not our guy.
Maybe he just loves playing Texan teams?
Overall, the team performance was great. I thought Pines was exceptional, and I thought Djeffal was very good again. Our wingers, Smith and Gressel, played very well also. They are so important to the team, especially on the offensive side of the ball, so it was good to see them have a solid game together.
There were a couple of scary moments at the back.. but overall, the defense was solid. The only chance Houston really created led to a nice save by Romo; so what else could you really ask for? I thought Romo looked the part, by the way. Nice and confident playing the ball at his feet and challenging 50/50 balls. Definitely a positive first showing.
Do we think the conditions had anything to do with the result? I'm not sure. Houston just didn't seem comfortable all game - which could be a result of the bad weather - or a result of DCU's play... or maybe a little bit of both. I was happy to be under the tiny sliver of roof in Section 130.. respect to everyone who sat in the rain and wind all game. Definitely did not feel like May. A pretty decent crowd all things considered.
Lastly, let's talk about the best performance of the night. The National Anthem singer was AMAZING. Very reminiscent of Whitney Houston's famous rendition... but last night may be the best anthem I've ever heard in person. In the rain and cold, no less! If anybody remembers who that artist is... drop us a note in the comments.
Next we move onto RBNY in the Open Cup. In their last Open Cup game, RBNY did play many of their starting XI, so I expect a similar team from them in this one. They're playing well... but we've played pretty well at home so far. It looks like they will take some supporters down, but we'll see how many show. Always fun to kick of a rivalry in a cup tie. Midweek games are when we must all fully appreciate Audi Field's proximity to the Metro.
Looking forward to seeing you Tuesday.