will we ever win?

We didn't draw the Fire

It took me until Friday night to watch last weekend's Union game, and as they're playing at Toronto in less than 12 hours I'll make this quick.

They say good teams find ways to win when they're not at their best. Well, the Union definitely weren't at their best against the Chicago Fire, as evidenced by blown chances for goals in the first half, letting the Fire tie the game on a weak goal almost immediately after taking the lead in the second half, and then almost allowing another goal saved only by a desperate save by fullback Sheanon Williams on the goal line.

Despite the above, though, they found a way to win 2-1, and scored two goals for the first time this season.

Rookie midfielder Michael Farfan got the scoring started with a free kick blast that deflected into the net for his first Union goal.

He then, having been moved to left fullback after Jordan Harvey was substituted out, got beat badly by Fire winger Dominic Oduro who ran right past Farfan and then subsequently badly beat goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon on the near post. Not a great defensive sequence.

But forget all that crap because Carlos "Soccer Chooch" Ruiz then scored one of the best goals you'll see all year — volleying a sweet rebound of his own (terrible) free kick over Chicago's keeper, under the bar, dead center of the goal. Ridiculous.

NOTES:

* Union start early today — noon in Toronto.

* Who ya got in the Champions League final? I'm picking Manchester United with the upset, which I guess means I have to root for them now despite the fact I have no rooting interest in this one. I'd usually take the underdog, but it's hard to look at Man U in that light. Should be an entertaining game any way it goes, though.

* With the NFL lockout ongoing, will we see more soccer on Fox in the fall? Or, as Norm Macdonald joked, "Are you ready for some cricket?"