Short-Handed? Coach Still Hopeful
Coach Jason Kreis will have far from a full roster when RSL plays at Columbus on Saturday, with three players away at the Gold Cup, two others recently released, midfielder Andy Williams attending his ill wife in Seattle and striker Fabian Espindola serving a red-card suspension.
But still, he believes the team can get it done.
“We feel that we have a group that's really, really together,” he said after practice today, when the team worked out with just 14 players, plus goalkeepers. “Really, like almost like a tight-knit family. And when you have only 14 players at training, it's pretty easy to see why that would be. We have a group that really believes in each other and we feel like we can go into this game this weekend with the exact players that we have available and we can be fine.”
Kreis noted that RSL at least will have substitutes available at every position, even though defender Ian Joy was the latest to leave the team, having had his contract terminated over the weekend so he can return to Germany to be near his young daughter. Striker Luis Miguel Escalada recently left, too, when RSL decided not to pick up an option on his contract.
“We feel like we can be OK,” Kreis said.
It won't hurt that the Crew will be depleted, as well, with striker Robbie Rogers and all-star defender Chad Marshall away at the Gold Cup and midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo out serving a yellow-card suspension. But winning against one of the three teams in the league that remain undefeated at home figures to remain a pretty tough challenge.
But still, he believes the team can get it done.
“We feel that we have a group that's really, really together,” he said after practice today, when the team worked out with just 14 players, plus goalkeepers. “Really, like almost like a tight-knit family. And when you have only 14 players at training, it's pretty easy to see why that would be. We have a group that really believes in each other and we feel like we can go into this game this weekend with the exact players that we have available and we can be fine.”
Kreis noted that RSL at least will have substitutes available at every position, even though defender Ian Joy was the latest to leave the team, having had his contract terminated over the weekend so he can return to Germany to be near his young daughter. Striker Luis Miguel Escalada recently left, too, when RSL decided not to pick up an option on his contract.
“We feel like we can be OK,” Kreis said.
It won't hurt that the Crew will be depleted, as well, with striker Robbie Rogers and all-star defender Chad Marshall away at the Gold Cup and midfielder Emmanuel Ekpo out serving a yellow-card suspension. But winning against one of the three teams in the league that remain undefeated at home figures to remain a pretty tough challenge.
posted by www.sltrib.com @ 3:43 PM |
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