did anybody else fall out of his seat during that scene in "Bend It Like Beckham"? -- but he is riding a five-game winning streak, including four shutouts. In his eight starts since regaining his starting spot, he's posted a 0.50 GAA. He's loose. He's been here before, back in 2001 when he helped the Miami Fusion reach the MLS Cup Semifinals. And, like Reis, he's got the confidence of everyone around him.
So two streaks butt heads on Saturday, which is always fun for the uninvolved observer. Someone has to lose. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. Eventually, everyone rolls craps and that pile of chips on the hard-six is swept away by the man in the purple paisley vest. The sketchy characters all groan and you hang your head in shame. The end of a hot streak is never pretty. Until then, though, as they shout gleefully at the beginning of the game: Coming out!
Greg Lalas played for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the New England Revolution in 1996 and 1997. Send e-mail to Greg at cheapseats@g73.org. Views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
