2014 First Kick Preview

FINALLY!!!  2014 First Kick is here and I couldn’t be happier!!  Well, that’s a lie.  I COULD be happier, if I were able to watch Crew games on my cable, but thanks to the bizarre deal the club signed with Time Warner… thousands of Crew fans and I will be left watching on our phones, iPads or laptops.  Ugh.  Anyways… here’s the previews for our guys on Saturday, 8 March:

DC UNITED  v  COLUMBUS CREW, 730pm  •  Here’s the preview from mlssoccer.com, along with the one put together on http://www.thecrew.com and the companion preview from http://www.dcunited.com.  As far as this game relates to our fellas, look for Josh Williams [Copley/Copley] to start at right back for the Crew.  Based on how he was used in the preseason and not factoring in how well he may have trained this week, Ben Speas [Stow/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] could feature as a sub.  Brad Stuver [Twinsburg/Twinsburg] is at this point the team’s third goalkeeper and won’t see action unless bad things happen to Steve Clark or Matt Lampson.  For the home side, Chris Korb [Gates Mills/University School] is still on the comeback trail from a preseason bone bruise, so we’ll see if he can make the sub’s bench.

MONTREAL IMPACT  @  FC DALLAS, 830pm  •  Here’s the preview from mlssoccer.com along with the version found on http://www.impactmontreal.com/en.   Evan Bush [Concord Township/Lake Catholic] should start his second season as Troy Perkins’ understudy.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY  v  REAL SALT LAKE, 1030pm  •  Here’s the preview from mlssoccer.com, as well as the http://www.lagalaxy.com preview.  Kenney Walker [Wickliffe/Wickliffe] could fin his way to the subs’ bench, if he’s had a good run in training recently.  If not, look for him to be on the fringe, not in the gameday roster of 18.

PORTLAND TIMBERS  v  PHILADELPHIA UNION, 11pm  •  Here’s the preview from http://www.mlssoccer.com.  Click here to find the preview created by the http://www.timbers.com folks.  It’s a given that Darlington Nagbe [Lakewood/St. Edward] will start somewhere up top for Portland.  Ben Zemanski [Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy] is a part-time starter/part-time late-game sub, but we’ll have to wait to see how Head Coach Caleb Porter uses him today.  Michael Nanchoff [North Royalton/Walsh Jesuit] has looked good in recent scrimmages, so don’t be surprised if he’s one of the subs tonight.  Also for your reading enjoyment, click here to check out some 2014 Portland season previews.

TORONTO FC  •  Doesn’t play until next Saturday, when they travel to Seattle.