You have to give Drake credit for showing up to play. I don’t mean that in the idiomatic sense. I mean the best thing they did was get on the bus and come to Omaha. After that, it all went downhill for them.
Last night’s game looked like a pro team against a high school team. Sure, Drake wasn’t a very good team, but I give more credit to Creighton for being on a completely different level.
Drake’s coach was quoted thus after the game: “I thought for 60 minutes we were their equal, and I wasn’t sure they would be able to unlock us at the back.” Sure. That’s because, like every other team in the Valley, Creighton is a big game. The big game. So the players ran, and ran hard. At this level, you can mask any problem by running like crazy, and that’s what Drake did. They even got the ball across midfield a couple times. But at some point, your players get worn out and just can’t keep up the intensity.
That’s when the goals started coming. Jose Gomez played only alright, and he was subbed out for Jose Ribas. Ribas, though lacking in experience, was an adequate substitute and assisted Ethan Finlay on his first goal. Ribas, with time, can be just as good as Gomez in the coming seasons.
Finlay’s second goal came off a pass from Kris Clark, who subbed in for Dion Acoff. The Jays showed their depth last night, highlighting one more reason why Creighton is just so good: every other team in the Valley has a few good players, who ought to be scouted and defended closely. The Bluejays, on the other hand, have fifteen players like that, each of whom will make you pay for the smallest mistakes.
By the way, Finlay is really, really good. You know, in case you missed that. He’s got a work rate like none I’ve ever seen, and that’s why he’s scored eleven goals this season. That’s why he’s in contention for a Hermann Trophy. That’s why he’s the number one MLS draft prospect this year. But perhaps the most valuable aspect of having Finlay on the roster is that he makes everyone around him look terrific. Scotty Pippen and Steve Kerr were good basketball players, but they wouldn’t have been great ones without Michael Jordan alongside them. As teams key in on Finlay, players like Ribeiro and Ribas have opportunities to shine. And yes, I did just compare this team to the ’96 Bulls.
I was wrong about Jake Brown starting last night, but I was pleased to see him get some playing time toward the end of the game, especially as Drake became more and more desperate, playing over-the-top and hoping to run onto a misplayed ball. Brown has great talent in the air, and I think that’s a real asset as the Jays play big, physical teams like Drake.
Andrew Duran had an outstanding match. He is normally rock-solid, but his play was especially praiseworthy last night. He deserves a lot of the credit to holding Drake to two shots, none on goal. Duran makes difficult plays look easy, provides leadership and composure along a relatively young back line, and knows the game better than anybody else on the field. There’s a reason he’s a highly-rated pro prospect, in spite of his injury history. Right back Eric Miller, a freshman, is lucky to be able to play alongside Duran and learn from the best. Miller will be a linchpin of the Bluejay defense in the future, and he played well against Drake. He wasn’t challenged too often, but exhibited nearly flawless positioning and technique in shutting down the right side of the field for the Bulldogs.
I’m excited. The score could easily have been 10-0, but I’ll take a commanding 2-0 victory with two games left in the regular season. Missouri State lost last night to Bradley, meaning Creighton and MSU are now tied for first in the Valley with two games left to play. Central Arkansas comes to town this Saturday, which ought to be an easy home victory for the Bluejays.