So with that all in mind, let’s play the blame game.  What or who is to blame for the end-of-season collapse?  Please keep in mind that this is all in good fun.  We had a great season, all things considered, and exceeded most people’s expectations.  There’s a lot to look forward to next season. 

With that out of the way, here we go.

BLAME GAME 2008: What/who is responsible for us missing out on the playoffs?

Option #1 – Corrales Injury

He’s often made fun of by Quakes fans for his famous field goal efforts, but let’s face it, Ramiro put in good performances for us throughout the season and played a key role in the center of the park.  We didn’t realize how key he was until he was injured.  Since then Yallop has struggled to find an adequate replacement, with Grabavoy, Gray, and Riley all failing to fit the bill.  One of the obvious weaknesses we’ve had in this slump is an inability to control the center of the midfield.

Option #2 – MLS Officials

We’ve all known before this season how bad MLS officiating really is, but we’ve done our best to live in denial.  Unfortunately, it’s been smashed in our face over and over again.  Cochrane’s goal in the opener which was called back was only a taste of what was to come later in the season.  A non-penalty in Dallas which cost us a win and several questionable offside decisions robbed us of valuable points.

Option #3 – A Shaky Backline

Statistically, we had one of the better defenses in the league this season.  But it’s hard to ignore the shaky performance by the backline recently.  There’s been an alarming tendency to give up early goals, and there’s been a marked vulnerability to through balls and balls over the top.

Option #4 - Tactics

We all love Coach Yallop, but I’ll play the devil’s advocate here.  Was there a failure to modify tactics soon enough when things started to go wrong towards the end?

Option #5 – Lack of an A-Mid

Even with Corrales, we never had a true attacking midfielder in the center.  As many have pointed out, that’s true to Yallop’s system, but the fact remains that there was a complete lack of dangerous balls and distribution through the middle.  Our danger was always from the flanks, which made us very predictable once the rest of the league caught up with our style of play.

Option #6 – Lack of a Fighting Spirit

Barring the memorable comeback win against the Galaxy, how many times did the Quakes overcome a deficit to win this season?  In the championship years, we were famous for our fighting spirit and ability to overcome any odds.  Did our failure at the end simply reflect a lack of belief, confidence, and will to win?

All of these things probably played a part in the slump, but to make things interesting, pick one and only one option and argue why that was the most vital factor. 

Enjoy!