Time to Put on the Big Boy Pants

[Gotham Gator]

There is another way to put this. The late, great David Carr, when he would begin working on an article critical of a media exec, would call the guy (or gal) and say "it's time to strap on the nut sack, because this isn't going to be pretty."

So, however you want to put it, it's time for our guys to put on clothes that match the occasion.

We are entering the toughest stretch of our schedule - a period that spans 9 games in 7.5 weeks. It is a stretch that will make or break the season. It will determine whether we fly into the playoffs with a high seed or stumble in needing to win a road game to stay alive.

Those 9 games include 7 games on the road, including the next 4. We travel to teams currently ranked 7, 9, 11, 15, 16 and 19. These include teams that are solid, mid-table Western Conference foes like Sporting KC, and San Jose, and tough Eastern Conference foes like Montreal and Orlando. And oh yes, our return game at the Red Bulls. Our two home games are hardly breathers, as we host the team with the most PPG in the league (Colorado) and the best goal differential in the league (LA).

Fortunately, we are heading into this gauntlet on our team's best form in its brief history. And, our closing run is much simpler, with 7 games (4 home) in 6.5 weeks and only one team (Dallas, at home) ranked higher than #13. Still, we are going to have to raise our game even further to make this season special.

TRACKING THE GAUNTLET
at NER, 1-0 win
at SKC, 1-3 loss
at MTL, 3-1 win
at NJR, 1-4 loss
vs COL, 5-1 win
at SJQ, 0-0 draw, 10 points total, 1.67ppg
at CLB
vs LAG
at ORL

 

[kylelovescrayons]

Don't you HATE PANTS!!!

 

[Gotham Gator]

Edited the above to add a tracker.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Updated for NJ

 

[bgt5002]

Colorado's going to be really tough with all the suspensions. I was praying for a tie yesterday. Road just got much tougher. Damn, I hate that team.

 

[canchon]

Big Boy Pants were on today, NYCFC wore ones with an LBJ-size nutsack.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Yep. Awesome stuff. Colorado looked like they were in their tightey whiteys.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Updated. Heading into our easiest game of the 9-game stretch - still it's a road game - at Columbus.

 

[Ulrich]

I think we're past putting on the big-boy pants and for the final stretch its time to go commando while swaggering with some gusto. We have the skill & talent, and we need to proactively showcase it.

 

[canchon]

Updated. Heading into our easiest game of the 9-game stretch - still it's a road game - at Columbus.

Columbus is still dangerous, remember that they "pantsed" NYCFC earlier in the year at Crew Stadium - that game was not even competitive.

Thinking NYCFC needs 6 points to make the gauntlet a success. Getting 3 against CLB would greatly make their task easier. That would give them 1.78 ppg for the 9 game stretch and set them up well for the final run. That would probably also let them exit the gauntlet in first in the East.