Well that was strange.

Going into this season the feeling was that FC Cincinnati was going to play good defense and try to score goals on counter attacks. It worked against Portland and then it worked again against New England. Maybe it worked too well. FC Cincinnati is playing with confidence which is undeniably a good thing, however  it is starting to feel like our confidence is misplaced. We currently don't have a striker that can find the back of the net at will. We do have midfielders and forwards who seem to be moving the ball around well and creating chances but those chances are only making the FCC faithful gasp and not erupt with joy.

Friday night was a 90 minute gasp. So many times we appeared to be building well and creating an opportunity only to come away with nothing. For 40 minutes it felt as if that breakthrough was going to happen at any moment. We had the game under control and 3 points felt inevitable. It seemed as if the Real Salt Lake goal was being covered by a Plexiglas Shield. Nothing would cross that goal line.  The breakthrough, however, never happened. Not only did it not happen but Real Salt Lake seemed happy to sit back and play good defense and then score on the counter attack, and score they did. 2 times in the final 5 minutes of the half.

There are lots of positives we could take from this loss. The ball control in the midfield was good. Kenny Saief again looks like the best player on our team. I do have a fear after watching this game, and that is  that the MLS has figured us out. Real Salt Lake may have just presented the rest of the league a blue print on how to take down FC Cincinnati on a weekly basis. "Let Cincinnati think they have control of the game. Suck them in, let their full backs run up and down the field, and wait for those counter attack options that are bound to happen."

I'm not stupid enough to think I am smarter than Alan Koch and his coaching staff. I am sure that changes will happen and this team will adjust. But on Friday night it sure felt like we got out coached. Real Salt Lake Rope-A-Doped us. We can't expect to be an attacking force so early in our existence. Let's go back to the original plan. Play good defense and work off the counter.

One more thing that needs mentioned. I have heard and read so many takes about Adi, and hoping we let him go. To those people I only have one thing to say.... "What the hell is wrong with you?" Do I think Adi is the best striker in MLS? Nope. But he would definitely help out this team. What we are doing now isn't working, and Adi brings something different. I sure hope he gets his mind right and get's himself eligible to play sooner rather than later.  It is safe to say that Adi would have turned a few of those gasps into cheers and that is what this team needs.