What a strange, strange little game they had last night there in Colorado. If you missed it - and how could you not prioritize a Thursday night Chivas-Rapids battle? - then you missed much of the last six years of Metro history encapsulated in one match.
Or rather, encapsulated in just thirty-some minutes. I tuned in around the 60th minute myself, just in time to see:

The Incredible Ballooning Clint Mathis winding up with all the agility of a creaky gate, nudging a volley into a empty net. Because it's a volley and the powers that be tend to wet themselves over such things, it'll certainly contend for MLSNET goal of the week honors. And that will be ludicrous. I see, or score, a goal like this around once a week in the park. 2 goals on the season for Clint, which puts him ahead of last year's pace, I guess.

Mike Petke barging an opposing midfielder over for a soft second yellow and early shower. A little clumsy by Mike, but that dimwitted call put Colorado under the gun for the last 25 minutes, and they didn't prove up to the task. Brings a tear to the eye of the nostalgic Metro fan.

Jonathan Bornstein scoring an extra-time goal straight out of Clint Mathis '00. Now that's what we used to get.....for about 8 weeks before he tore up that knee.

And finally, a Bob Bradley team giving up the lead, a minute after grabbing it in extra time, and settling for a draw.

It couldn't get much more like Metro.

Forgive me for being away for a while, but I didn't know the Galaxy has signed former almost-Metro Ante Jazic.

I did know, however, that Bob Bradley-coached teams have had a bad habit of stepping on landmines in recent US Open Cups.

Multiple whispers have Bruce Arena as the next coach/GM of the Reds. We should have definitive word by the weekend, shortly after Friday's sparsely-attended, uncompelling matinee defeat.

You didn't have to be a clairvoyant to see Arena ending up in the Meadowlands sooner or later. Several years ago I figured that we'd end up with Arena running the Metros post-WC'06, after doing a little dosie-do with Bob Bradley. Of course, Bob didn't hang around long enough for that (nor did the "Metros", but that's a different story).

It works nicely on multiple levels. There's the sort-of homecoming for Brooklyn-born Bruce. Moreover, there's the appeal (taste the irony) of taking over MLS's "marquee" club - that marquee being the one on the wretched old movie palace downtown that's been shuttered for 3o years. It's been 8 years since Arena guided DC, but it's still hard not to see black-and-red there, so that's a storyline to be thumped again and again. It's a little weak by this point, however - time, the cumulative suckage of this club, and the fact that Metro has had everyone from Jaime Dog Moreno to Richie Williams to Kevin Payne associated with the team makes it hard to get all agitated about another DC guy. For that matter, I reckon most DC fans would rather see Bruce go overseas or upstairs at Soccer House than come to Jersey - either he succeeds, at their expense, or follows in the proud tradition of accomplished coaches who come to Metro to destroy/kneecap their own legacies. Of which DC is a fundamental part, in Arena's case.

Solid as the story sounds, we'll see how it all plays out. Reports also have RB making eyes at Jurgen Klinsmann for some sort of unspecified front office role, which makes you wonder just a little if the team is just playing PR games by getting their names associated with all the big names in American soccer coaching circles - that is, both of them.

Is he the man to start draining the taurine-tinted morass in East Rutherford? Eh, I won't be banking on it. But, at least he gives good quote. The gang over at MLS HQ must already be dancing a jig over the return of Mr. Diplomatic.