Touch of Class

Now, maybe this is just me, but DaMarcus Beasley's touch in Rangers' Champions' League match against Barcelona yesterday seemed about a hundred times better than it usually does. I'm sure some of the American soccer fans amongst you will recognize the feeling of watching a Euro match involving players from the States and cringing at every lead-footed touch, wondering if our fan brethren across the pond are making snide remarks about our ability to play the game over their warm beer and chips (or cigarettes and café, or pretzels and sausages, or whatever). Of course, all the while, players hailing from all over the planet will have their corresponding moments of poor control, but we're so focused on the poor American that we fail to notice these "unlucky" touches.

So what was up with DMB? Was he just "in the zone"? Has he crossed some sort threshold where he can now play smooth, quick, one-touch stuff? Has he been working on flick-ons after practice? Has the brutality of the Scottish league forced him to speed up his play before he gets flattened? Perhaps I was hallucinating? Whatever the case, he played some pretty good stuff for Rangers on the right flank! I wonder if Bob Bradley sat up a little straighter in the lazyboy planted in front of the big plasma screen in his secret, underground lair and stroked his chin thoughtfully as he considered the possibilities. A DMB with pace and control? DMB as the solution to the ongoing dilemma at right wing? I can imagine the Mr. Burns finger-tenting now . . . "Excellent."