I've got two words for you.

Erpen. D'oh!!

I have to admit, I was a big big fan of Facundo Erpen when he first showed up with DC and I've remained a big fan all throughout. Hell, I'm even sending 10 votes a day to MLS for the Gol of the Year for his stunner of a gol in April that got me all hot. But damn, here lately he's done nothing except make me tired. There's something to be said for a guy who can come out of nowhere and create a miracle, but there's more to be said for a guy who'll play a solid 90 with his head in the game, who does all the little things right that make all the difference. Unless you're truly talented, a miracle-maker just as often as not spends most of his time screwing up royally because he's trying to set up the big play.

So Erpen's slipping off my fangirl list. I'll have to see how he does this weekend when DC plays the Revs, but hells bells, I was left utterly unimpressed with the RBNY game at RFK, so he'll have to work awfully damn hard. I was at work and had to watch the game with the sound off (and it seems like I missed some rather killer comments from Wynalda ... hmmm, considering how much he tends to irritate me maybe that's not a bad thing) but every time I looked up, there was Facundo. Maybe both ESPN2 and Erpen need to keep their eyes on the whole game and not just on him.

Other than that, the game left me anxious all the way through, and good job to Troy Perkins for keeping it together so well in the first half when all the play was directly squarely at him. I really didn't expect the game to be that hard for DC. Is it that New York has steadily improved since Il Bruce took over, that DC has slowly settled into a post-season slump, or both at the same time? I was really impressed with RBNY for the first time all season, and I may shed my dislike of the team by next year. Who knows, stranger things, right? Anyway, by the end of the game I was just happy for the draw so that I didn't have to break out the Xanax for the extra 30. Oy. Must make sure to get a prescription before next weekend ...

In other game stuff, I'm surprised but ever-so-pleased with the Rapids. I certainly didn't expect Dallas to get eliminated and fully thought they would be playing at home for the Cup. And I'm disappointed yet not surprised that the Dynamo knocked out Chivas. Still, not bad for an expansion that ended dead last last year.

I'm going for DC over the Revs, of course, and the Rapids over Houston. I really hope it shakes out that way, but I have a dread that I'll be wrong on all counts ...

Return of the Fangirl part deux

Gooooats! Gooooats!! Goooooooats!!

Yes, I'm fresh off Sunday's Chivas-Dynamo game, which, as a Goats fan (sorry, Houston, normally I'd be on your side because I love Brian Ching and DDR, but I loves my Guadalajara expansion, yes I do) I'm really happy about. They ended last season with, what, 13 points or something like that, and now they're in the middle of the first round of playoffs. How can I not love that? Thank you, Ante Razov and Paco Palencia (and Brad Guzan for that awesome PK save!) for putting the icing on my Sunday, which took the cake for me when Chicago beat New England in Chicago. Lovely, it was, to go from one game where the fans were bundled up in blankets because it was so frigid to the next where Marcelo and Co. were concerned about the heat on the pitch.

Sorry for the prolonged absence, I've been in the middle of a very busy semester combined with having to work on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, so I haven't had much of a futbol fix lately. Here's one fangirl who's looking forward to Thursday night MLS on ESPN2 next season. Ach, I can't believe the season's almost over!! Sunday's playoff games on ABC/ESPN2 were the first matches I've seen in ages and ages, and what great games they were.

Of course, I really would have loved to see that wonderful Gomez gol from the DC-Red Bulls game on Saturday. Wow!

Anyway, I'm well past the ability to do any picking at this point. I'm putting all my faithful fan energy behind DC all the way and will cheer along the others as they come. Although I've got high high hopes for the Goats!

And hey, congrats to my favorite US-based keeper Troy Perkins for his MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award -- quite aptly deserved in his case -- and to Bobby Boswell getting Defender of the Year. Ah, what a turnaround from last year, huh?

I'm getting less and less interested in Beckham watch as time goes on, but here's yet another new story about Becks considering his options, which include coming to the US. Of course, my question these days is, do we really want him?