Editor's note: Wanted to promote this to the front as I thought it was a good reflection. - Jeremiah

Losing sucks.

Particularly the way we lost last night -- in one of the most important games of the year, the team fought hard but couldn't quite get the result that we wanted, and it felt like we were playing 12 on 11 for most of the game. It was awful to see Michael Gspurning's face change from elation to disbelief when he realized the penalty was going to be retaken, and it was awful to see Jimmy Nielsen "paint the wall" (bah) at LSP and accept the trophy when I felt like it should have been us. It was ... well ... really shitty, for lack of a better way to put it.

With that said...

... and I'm trying to sound as far from preachy as I can here, a lot of us -- myself included -- looked like asses for the way that we complained yesterday. Regardless of how bad the refereeing seemed, there are really never grounds for accusing the referee of taking bribes or purposefully cheating one team (unless you're watching Serie A, I guess). Neutrals won't take you seriously, and fans of the other team will have nothing to say to you but "BOO HOO HOO HOO HOO" -- just ask Christine Sinclair. Sometimes losing is just losing, and there's nothing more to it.

I never thought I'd say this -- just one in a long line of things I thought I'd never say about him, in fact -- but we could stand to take a lesson in emotional maturity from Eddie Johnson:

Seattle I'm so sorry we couldn't do a four peat. But we gave our all. And our fans were amazing like always tonight You guys deserved da cup

— Eddie Johnson (@eddie_johnson7) August 9, 2012

After this lost now it will show our true character as a team. We win professionally and we lose professionally. #ontothenextone

— Eddie Johnson (@eddie_johnson7) August 9, 2012

There's no success without failure trust me we will bounce back times like lastnite are the reason why we are playing at this level.

— Eddie Johnson (@eddie_johnson7) August 9, 2012

OK, off my soapbox. Now let's go stomp San Jose.