I like the blue hoops.

10 million people in the New York Metropolitan area, and this brand-spanking new, state-of-the art Red Bull stadium is half full. This makes me want to say bad words.

At least the supporters group behind the goal (where a supporters group should be, in my view) is really loud and well-organized. Of course that just reminds me of how much I really miss standing with the Inferno on a regular basis. Standing and singing for 90 minutes is really the only way to watch live soccer.

Are we absolutely sure Hans Backe and Schellas Hyndman aren't related? They kinda look alike. Schellas is in better shape, and more tan, but I can see a resemblance. Maybe there's a really good 'separated at birth' story waiting to be written here. I think Buzz should bust some sort of investigative journalism move on this. Like he's not busy enough.

Once again we've started out the first 10 minutes going gangbusters, looking dangerous and applying constant pressure. It pays off in the 11^th minute when Dax McCarty, who is no doubt the shortest guy on the field tonight, if not the shortest guy in the league, scores on a header from about 10 yards out. Whoever let him get to that ball is due a butt-chewing at the half. Oh, and who was the provider? Heath Pearce. I like this guy better every week.

I loves that Dax, though. Short guys rule.

I hate it for the National Team that Bob Bradley probably won't have the good sense to take Dax to South Africa this summer. I hope I'm wrong about this.

How did we become such a relaxed, flowing, integrated offensive machine this year? Is Schellas a genius? I can't remember seeing this kind of soccer from FCD. Ever. That doesn't mean I've never seen it. I'm just getting older and can't remember.

I don't know much about soccer, but even I know that if Juan Pablo Angel is going to score, he's got to at least touch the ball once in a while. Red Bulls have no one getting him involved. He doesn't need to be tracking back to midfield to pick up the ball himself. It doesn't even look like they have it in their game plan to get him in the attack. I'm not complaining; I don't want to see the guy around the goal with the ball at his feet, particularly. But you might think this would be something they might have discussed, you know, at practice or something.

Of course, as I'm thinking that, Kandji splits the defense and Angel puts it in the net, but he's called offside. Correctly, as it turns out. But, that's what they need to be doing to get Angel on the scoreboard.

They should get right on that - first thing next week.

I might be in the minority on this, but I really like Shep Messing as an announcer. Any guy that will refer to the midsection as the 'solarplexus' is okay with me. Plus, he was a goalkeeper, so you know he's just a bit crazy. Which is a plus, in my book.

Okay, once again, we're up 1-0 at the half. I'm hoping it will go a little smoother after the intermission than it did last week. Impressive as the comeback was, I'm hoping for a multi-goal thrashing this week.

I'm watching the halftime highlights here, and I am not believing Danny Califf got tossed out of another game. What is the matter with this guy? He's not a rookie; he's a seasoned professional. He's got to have more discipline that that. Chris Seitz had another horrible game in goal for Philly. But, I think he's better than that, and I really hope he's got the wherewithal to shake that off and not let it curse him for the rest of the season. That's going to be partly the responsibility of his teammates and coaches, as well.

Well, you can't say we came out flat in the second half, like last week. This is a repeat of the energy and positive play we've seen in the first half for two weeks running. Nice. Verrrry nice.

Oh my. Ferreira just got absolutely robbed by Boula Condoul. He should absolutely go to jail for that save.

And then, as if I jinxed it by mentioning it above, Red Bulls finally get the ball to Angel, and the game is tied. The goal was set up by Joel Lindpere, who is, I believe, the first and only Estonian in league history. Nice goal.

And, of course, by “nice goal”, I mean “@*&#$*!!”

Things are fast and furious now. Atiba gets robbed by the crossbar, and Kandji just misses wide. This is one of those games I hope is being watched by someone who's never seen a soccer game before. They'll be hooked.

Disaster. Kandji gets tripped by Loyd (I think) in the box. PK to Red Bulls.

OH!!!!!

Not disaster! Darío Freakin' Sala! Brilliant!

That was one of the best PK saves you will ever, ever see. Yeah, I know I'm prone to hyperbole at times, but if you didn't see the game, go watch the highlights on mlssoccer.com, and I defy you to tell me I'm wrong.

Agh! Coundoul, again with the larcenous save. This time on Jeff Cunningham.

Heath Pearce goes out, Avila comes in. I'm not sure why Pearce would go out, because he's been terrific tonight, but you can't hate seeing Avila on the field either. I guess I'll just have to assume the coach is smarter than me and live with it. I know this would make me rare among soccer fans (have you been on BigSoccer lately?), but I'm going to go with that thought.

Coundoul again. That's the third goal he's Bernie Madoff'd on us tonight. I don't remember him being this good in Colorado. Good, yeah, but not like, superman good.

Coundoul AGAIN! He's killing me, this guy. Killing me! His defenders need to buy all the man's drinks tonight. And dinner. And maybe a new car.

Eric Alexander, I believe making his debut, in for Dax McCarty. Again, I don't get it, unless you just want to get the new kid some minutes, or Dax has picked up a knock. But, as I said before, and let's make this a mantra: “The coach is smarter than me . . . the coach is smarter than me”. Repeat it with me.

Carl Robinson tackles (and I mean American football here, not soccer) Jeff Cunningham at the edge of the box. Alex Prus seems to be okay with that, and lets play proceed. I don't get Alex Prus sometimes; I really don't. Is it just me? Feedback, here, people – is it just me?

Ah, excrement.

Another PK for Red Bulls. Good call, I can't argue with it. 90^th minute. Angel beats Dario this time.

What a heartbreaker. What a complete heartbreaker. There is no way we should lose this game. We've been the better team. What a kick in the, um, solarplexus that is. Bouna Coundoul is a man amongst boys tonight, and we lose in the last minute. This is so wrong.

Games like this, however, I must grudgingly admit, are one of the reasons I love this maddening game so very much. It is sublimely beautiful, yet excruciatingly cruel, which makes it just exactly like life.

Just completely friggin' exactly like life its own self.

Bah.

See you next week for whoever it is we're playing.