Post-game press panoply

Ouch. That one hurt.

The Quakes’ defense had been relatively solid so far this year. Sure, there were some mistakes that led to goals, but giving up an average of a goal a game is going to get you pretty far in MLS. So, after shutting out the highly-touted offense of FC Dallas last week, following similarly decent defensive results against New York, Colorado, and Chicago, more emphasis was placed on offense. Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop told us that he wanted his players to have the attitude that “I’m going into this match looking to score a goal,” and it worked. The Quakes scored twice. The bad news is that they let in three, thanks to an ugly 11-minute span in the second half that saw Columbus slice open the Quakes defense with the deadly combination of speed and diagonal through balls. (Full credit to Columbus, though — that’s the best team we’ve seen in MLS so far this year.)

What makes this loss more challenging is that it brings into question the team’s depth. Last night’s performance looked like someone trying to cover a bowl full of leftovers with a piece of plastic wrap that was just a little too small. If you cover one half, you leave the other half exposed. Stretch the wrap to cover both sides and you may open up a hole in the middle.

The easy way out would be to say “they’re just not good enough,” or “they need better players,” but we think that sells the current roster short. The Quakes have talented players all over the field, guys who have already proven themselves in MLS. What they’re lacking is the intuitive understanding of their teammates’ play — where they’ll be at any moment, how they move, and what decisions they’ll make in a certain situation. Soccer at this level is a game of collective improvisation, and that kind of understanding doesn’t appear overnight.

This is a difficult loss and it’s sure to test the team’s resilience. But if they remain committed to each other and to the direction of the coaching staff, they can turn this experience into a new resolve to dig a bit deeper to find ways to succeed.

Here’s today’s media roundup:

- Center Line Soccer’s Jeff Carlisle turned in three stories for MLSnet.com last night: a match report and post-game wrap-ups highlighting the Quakes and the Crew. MLS also provides video highlights of the match here.

- Game coverage is also provided by the Mercury News, the Columbus Dispatch, and the Associated Press (provided here by the International Herald Tribune).