By: Dan Haug

Dan Haug — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 02:04:50 +0000

This is a nice analysis, but you should retitle it to take out your reference to Opara. The way that it is written is a little unfair, in that you have to get half-way into the post before you acknowledge that it Keane’s goal were not really Opara’s fault. On the first goal. Buddle makes a nice diagonal run that no one else is tracking, and puts Opara in the position of deciding to track Buddle or attack Keane. Opara hesitates for a split second, and that was the difference. I would argue that another San Jose defender should have been tracking Buddle.

As you mention in the post, the second goal was just a magnificent play (vintage surging run from Donovan out of the midfield). I f you want to look at how that play should be defended, someone either needed to be killing themselves on a recovery run to catch LD from behind, or someone had to step up to him sooner and not give him time to pick out that pass. Once again, neither of those tasks are on Opara.

Yeah… Opara isn’t Bernardez… but he’s a decent up-and-coming defender, and this loss shouldn’t fall at his feet.

Comments on: On fire Keane a cruel test for burned Opara, Earthquakes

By: Dan Haug