Game Recap FAIL

Sorry folks. At this point it may be too late... Consider this an open thread for your comments on Saturday night's impressive win over Colorado.

1. The At A Glance stats have been updated on the sidebar. Gomez has provided three goals and two assists in the past 5 MLS matches.
2. Namoff is leading GOTW voting, 38% to 34% over Alecko of LAG. Honestly, in terms of a combination of Gomez's hard work along with Fred's patience, I thought the third goal was more impressive. Emilio continued his run and gave Fred a good option as he was holding off (!!!) the keeper. You don't see that everyday.
3. No goals for Casey, so, yay.

US Open Cup tonight at some place called Boyds, MD and then the teams travels to San Jose for a 10:30pm EST matchup on Saturday. I wonder if my hotel in Corning, NY will have FSC.

Debriefing for Match 14.07: F.C. Dallas

D.C. United 2 : 1 F.C. Dallas

Six Word Novel Recap

Ponce de Leon should check Bolivia.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Dallas Morning News, Frank Servalli: "Despite being outshot, outmuscled and outplayed, FC Dallas somehow managed to escape the first half Saturday night against D.C. United with a 1-0 lead.Rather than take advantage, FCD (1-5-1) coughed up the lead in the first minute of the second half and allowed another goal 10 minutes later and fell, 2-1, at RFK Stadium."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "[Moreno's] goals 10 minutes apart and all-around brilliance helped United (3-1-3) overcome a halftime deficit and validate a mostly dominant performance by the home club in front of 14,225 spectators. "
The Washington Times, Patrick Stevens: "It was Moreno's first multigoal game since April 26, 2008, against Real Salt Lake, and came on a night he was honored for becoming the first player in MLS history with 100 goals and 100 assists."
DCist, Aaron Morrissey: "Moreno was far from the team's only contributor on the evening. Add Milos Kocik to the long list of rookies who have played a vital part in the opening salvo to D.C. United's 2009 season. The 23-year-old Serbian-born keeper -- who recorded 29 shutouts in his last two seasons at Loyola (MD), and had an undefeated record in 2008 -- made several key efforts in the last fifteen minutes to preserve the victory, his second over Dallas in two weeks."
Washington Examiner, Craig Stouffer: "Moreno... put in a vintage performance even before he settled Bryan Namoff’s long ball at the top of the box, beating Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse with a left-footed shot to tie the score, 1-1, in the 56th minute. Ten minutes later Christian Gómez, who came on as a substitute immediately after D.C.’s first goal, put Moreno through once more. This time MLS’ all-time leading scorer executed a deft chip over the onrushing Burse for the game-winner and his 124th career goal."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "United continued to pour on the pressure and almost scored the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute. Luciano Emilio was sent through all alone on Burse. The Brazilian pushed the ball to the right of Burse in an attempt to round the keeper but his touch was too strong. Emilio got to the ball before it rolled over the endline and managed to get a good shot at goal but it too was blocked off the goal line.
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United's 2009 squad seems to grow in confidence and fluidity with every passing week and against Dallas the Black-and-Red controlled play from the opening whistle, carving out one scoring opportunity after another and eventually directing 11 shots on goal."
DCSportsBox, Abram Fox: "D.C. tried to get out to a quick start, attacking Dallas relentlessly in the first half. They notched 4 shots in the first 10 minutes of play, but connected on none. The trend continued for much of the half, with the ball remaining on Dallas’ side of the field much of the time. Despite the power of their attack, D.C. was unable to score on any of their 10 shots. In the 28th minute, a Dallas corner kick from Dave van den Bergh set up midfielder Andre Rocha to head the ball past D.C. keeper Milos Kocic, giving Dallas the 1-0 lead. They held the lead going into halftime."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "'I'm not surprised; not surprised at all,' said McCarty about giving up the early second-half goals. 'It's pretty much the story of our season so far. I think we have gone into halftime tied or in the lead in most of our games and in the second half for whatever reason we come out flat. We don't bring the needed energy or desire to get the three points.'"
QuarterVolley, I-66: "I felt like I was watching blond #9 Jaime again..."
DCUMD, Shatz: "That wasn't quite as productive of a match as Chris Pontius is used to, but I just like the fact that we've got a guy who can fill in at central holding midfield when necessary, in addition to also playing on the wing, CAM, and withdrawn forward."
Fullback Files, Fullback: "Emilio, on the other hand, didn't exactly justify his DP dollars tonight. He had two golden opportunities, a one-on-one with Burse and a point-blank header. Neither of which were finished. And finishing is what we pay him the DP bucks for. Those are the goals we need to kill off games that the opposition has no right still being in as we come down the final stretch... The question becomes: if this is indeed the start of another frigid streak from Emilio, do we have the depth in attack this year to overcome it?"
3rd Degree, Jay Brownlee: "FC Dallas Head coach Schellas Hyndman would attempt to counter DC United’s 3-5-2 by playing David 'the Gnat' Ferreira deeper, effectively positioning Dallas into a 4-5-1, leaving Kenny Cooper alone up top. It didn’t work. Dallas was throttled in the midfield all match long as United kept possession and kept pouring on chances."
The FCD Blog, [FCD] Front Office: "[Hyndman] on goals coming early in the second half: 'I think the opposition is trying to play quicker balls through the center. They are trying to unbalance us with the diagonal balls. It doesn’t take a lot to figure out where are weaknesses are; I think right now we are not able to handle pressure real well.'"
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "Burch and Wallace are the side every team will attack until it's not the best option, every team will cross to the dot until United proves it can mark in the box, and good teams are going to score on United until the defense better communicates and coheres, but lordy, a 3-5-2 clicking on offense is a beautiful joy. Koton, Craycic, oy. I've read criticisms that United should have taken Stefan Frei instead of Rodney Wallace, and Wallace has so far justified his selection, but United has a keeper problem, yes?"

The Good

1. 9/99/123/124/100+/100: Use whatever numbers you want, we simply must begin the good with Jaime Moreno. I am glad so many people also noticed that Moreno was involved in this match from the whistle, and playing to his strength. A 3-5-2 is easily victimized if a team can't hold that pivot point in midfield, and Moreno was essential to that mission early. There would have been no talk about United's dominance in the first half if he didn't play that role.
2. 3: Any game where United's back line surrenders no goals in the run of play is a good one, and Burch, Jakovic, and Namoff played strong defense, complemented by some truly determined digging in by Ben Olsen (at one point winning a ball flat on his stomach) and Clyde Simms, who had a technically strong match. Namoff's assist on the long ball to Moreno was a nice addition, but it should not detract from the team defense.
   
3. Soehn v. Hyndeman: Let's not gloss over this fact - Tom Soehn outcoached Schellas Hyndeman in this match, regardless of any personnel issues. Dallas was maligned for playing a 4-5-1, but rightfully so, as United pretty much all service out of midfield to Kenny Cooper. Further, it is a difficult thing to go to the halftime talk after dominating a half but finding yourself behind. You know the opposing coach should try and change things around, but what do you tell your players to change? Instead, Soehn kept his powder dry and his subsitutions and sideline tactics were well played. He bunkered properly and at the right time, he used Gomez effectively, and the flow of attack was dictated by events on the field and not theory.
   
4. Rodney Wallace vs. Dave van den Bergh: Again, I was impressed by Rodney Wallace's defense on the wing, and he was even better when the shift to the 4-5-1 United employed at the end of the match occurred. I almost don't quite worry as much about Terry Cooke. Almost. Wallace and Burch still are, as BDR notes, the weak flank for this team, but there are signs of improvement, no?
5. Resiliency: Commenter Jeremy in the first impressions: "When was the last time that you felt confident that United would come back from a deficit?" To be honest, I still don't. Really, I thought we would lose this match at 1-0, or give up another counter goal. I find my own lack of faith... disturbing.
6. Beat the Bad Teams: Commenter RKE: "A caveat: Dallas really sucks." True. The thing is, I wasn't sure that United was much better than a mediocre team at the start of this season, and losing to a team that sucks seemed, well, something I should expect. I'm still getting used to the idea that United might, might, be good.
   

The Bad

1. Rodney Wallace on the Corner Kick: With Wallace's speed, either he has to beat Rocha to the spot where Rocha notched the first goal of the game, or at least be goal side. I wasn't thrilled by Kocic's positioning on that goal, but even if he was where I thought he should be, that ball still finds the net. That being said, does anyone think Fred defends that better?
   
2. Chris Pontius: DCUMD has a nice category of "The Rail" for games like this, where you want to talk about things that aren't quite right, but aren't truly bad. So this is a misnomer, it wasn't truly bad, but it wasn't strong. I am concerned about our willingness to throw a rookie into so many positions. I worry that he won't acquire the comfort with any position should he encounter difficulty, and that will make things difficult down the road.
3. Milos Kocic: Very nervy start. While I appreciate his ability to punch each ball, I think a friend of mine had the right observation. If you are upset because Kenny Cooper bumped you, then you weren't making him pay enough. Wreck some havoc when you get off your line. Kenny bumped you? He'll stop when you go through him and make him pay a price.
   

Officiating Watch

Center ref Ricardo Salazar seemed to be playing a "no foul or a card" type of match early on, a style of officiating I am not particularly enamored with. That being said, he blew the whistle more frequently when things started to boil over, and that seemed right to me. The ARs were on top of the match.

Likert Scale Grade: 3 - Average

Karma Bank

So a win means only a potential karma burn, and I don't see much in that respect. If anything, we would have been owed karma with a lesser result, so no change for the game, and we're still in debt at -1 for the season.

Man of the Match

Jaime Moreno. You don't need me to explain this.

Certificate of Merit to Marc Burch, Bryan Namoff, and Dejan Jakovic. Grunthos has this exactly right: "Let me give a shout-out to the defense, which played well as a unit for the first time in 18 months or more."

Honorary Certificate of Merit to Simeon Varlamov.

Final Thoughts

I'm not ready to start buying post-season game plans yet, but I am starting to believe this team could be a better team than I thought. The Eastern Conference, even without an expansion franchise, does appear to be the weaker conference, which is both good and bad. It means we may have to face easier competition more times, but it also would not surprise me if the East sent fewer teams to the playoffs.

All of this makes May a very interesting month. After the Kansas City and Toronto matches, United gets a strong RSL team at home and plays the current alpha dog away. Those will be very interesting matches to watch. I'm not even assuming strong results in the first two. But if United does manage, let's say, 4 points from Kansas City and Toronto, I'm not sure it will tell us much more about where we think this team is.

So with all this in mind, we're agreed that the U.S. Open Cup match against Red Bull should again be allocated to the reserves, right?

April 2009 D.C. United Debrief

March 2009: 0-0-2 (2pts, 1p/g, 3GF, 3GA, 0GD, 1.5 gf/g, 1.5ga/g)
April 2009: 2-1-1 (7pts, 1.75p/g, 6GF, 5GA, +1GD, 1.5 gf/g, 1.25ga/g)

We're going to chunk every month of the MLS Season, to see what, if any, insight we can derive from examining a series of games rather than focusing on an individual game. So let's begin...

What Have We Learned?

• United has more talent than I thought they did. I will admit that I expected almost nothing from our draft, so the positive contributions of 2009 draft picks Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace combined with the work from N'Sulu (new signing), Jacobson (2008 draft pick), and Jakovic (new signing) have pleasently been a surprise. My feeling was a new three man back line would take significant time to work the kinks out. There have been kinks, but United has not been victimized for the 2 goals a game I though we would see. Add in the attacking contributions, and suddenly this team can at least give the illusion of depth.
  
• United made a smart move in releasing Francis Doe for Avery John. It may not be a move that sees any minutes on the field, but United needed something for a backline that seemed very, very thin when Janicki and McTavish collided. I'm not saying Avery John is an average level MLS Defender. But I'd rather have a fungible defender than a fungible striker.
• There is a difference between resilience and consistency. D.C. United is not yet a consistent team. There have been two matches where they put together more than 45 minutes of solid play (New England and New York). But those are the same two matches where they demonstrated resiliency, coming from behind to salvage points.

The Month Was Good To...

• Luciano Emilio (3G): It used to be we could tell how Emilio was playing by watching him execute a turn and shoot at the top of the box. Low rocket? Things look good. Weak dribbler? Hoo-boy. That may not be the case for two reasons. His goals are opportunistic, but smart goals. He pursues Boswell in Houston, he positions himself smartly in Salt Lake, and he makes a well timed run in New York. Those goals don't require an Emilio that's feeling the luck, but an Emilio that's smart and involved in the game. Add to that the best forward pressure I've ever seen him exert, and he had a tremendous season. Commenter Rob proposed that Emilio is the most improved player on the team, and I think he has a point. He's more involved, and may have found a way to be involved that doesn't rely on the streaky Emilio.
  
• Rodney Wallace (1G, 0A, 4GS, 343 mins): His first MLS goal helps keep him out of the "When will Rodney Score" type debates. He shows himself to be dangerous enough to attract criticism when he is moved out of a midfield role and into the back line, a role he has taken willingly. His midfield defense needs a little work, as it is more hack than position right now, but I will accept that. His backline defense needs a lot of work. But a rookie has proven himself this month that he has something to offer.
  
• Chris Pontius (1G, 2A, 4GS, 360 mins): In March, Chris looked good for the team as a forward. In April, he has demonstrated versatility far beyond any expectations. I still don't like him as a playmaker in the middle, but he has not been an embarassment there. After some atrocius shooting in New England, he recovered with his 1 goal, 1 assist game in New York that fully redeemed those missed shots.
  
• Dejan Jakovic and Bryan Namoff (combined: 0 cautions in April): Dejan is learning the ropes, more and more each day, and at least has made a three back setup seem plausible. What's more amazing is both players took cautions in March, neither has one in April. Consider that Rodney Wallace, Ben Olsen, and Marc Burch both have 2 cautions at this point. This isn't an imtimidating defense, but the ability for both players to learn to cover one another has meant few opportunities for them to find themselves in positions where they have to make a cynical foul.
  

The Month Was Unkind To...

• Jaime Moreno (0G, 1A, 2GP, 96 mins, 1E): Moreno played only 27% of the available minutes in April. The worrisome thing is that both Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius, and Ange N'Sulu have shown the ability to push for Moreno's spot accompanying Emilio. I do want to credit his effort against New England after he could not sub out, but in a dream world you'd want more production from Moreno.
• Louis Crayton (2-1-1, 5GA, 78.3% save percentage): I should note that MLSNet believes Crayton has a 72% save percentage in the same period, but it doesn't seem to equal the game by game totals which I am using. Anyways, the save percentage would seem to be fairly decent for an MLS keeper, and it is. The concern right now isn't the save percentage as Crayton has only allowed perhaps one bad goal. The concern is the control of the box, where Louis has shown an inability to get to a few crosses in more than one match.
• Fred (0G, 1A, 193mins): The emergence of Wallace and Pontius and Fred's rehab have meant he did not play a full 90 minute game for United yet. What's more shocking to me is that United has shown a preference to place Pontius in the center attacking role instead of Fred. I am not a Fred hater, and I do want him to get into a consistent role with the team, but it is not happening for him so far.
• Clyde Simms: Still thinking about that "fouls=good defense" line we occasionally see floated, it is interesting that Rodney Wallace has exactly twice as many fouls and cautions and Clyde. Add to that a game where he gets called out by his coach, and it has not been his best month in black. I think he can recover, and I'm hoping that part of what we've seen was him being affected by his illness and the New York turf. The Red Bull game was especially difficult, as Olsen comes out, Jacobsen and Simms are both on yellows, so they are essentially forced to drop off in the midfield more than I'd like. I will predict that Clyde is back in form soon.

Emerging Questions...

• With Janicki recovering, MacTavish available, and Avery John signed, is the three man line of Namoff-Janikov-Burch a constant? I would think that this is not a first team set-up yet.
• At some point, Rodney Wallace and/or Chris Pontius are going to have games that show they are still rookies. I'm not talking about missing a few sitters over the bar, I mean games where they are mostly invisible, and then noticed and cause despair. How will Tom Soehn react?
• How many minutes does Jaime Moreno see in May? Fred?
  

May Briefing...

May has the most matches in a month yet, with the fixture congestion front loaded.

Scheduled:
5/2 FC Dallas
5/6 At Kansas City Wizards
5/9 Toronto FC
5/16 At Chivas USA
5/23 Real Salt Lake
5/30 At New England

Key Match:
May 23's Real Salt Lake is the game that I think deserves a significant attention. Given a tough road match the week before against Chivas, and a return trip to a probably more healthy New England side a week later, this is a team DC has been known to struggle against no matter what the location is. The worry here is that United could end up with 0 points in the last three games of May, and that would certainly be worrisome.

Expectations Guide (30 possible points):

Expecting United to improve on the April 1.75 p/g rate strikes me as ambitious, so let's say that anything of 12 points or more is a success. I reasonably think 10-11 points is decent, 9 points would not be a disaster, but the fear would that end of the schedule providing nothing for us, and United managing perhaps only 5 points from this month.

Quote from the Art of War...

Selected at Random:
(2-14) "while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue."

Draught-oxen?

Debriefing for Match 14.02: Chicago Fire

D.C. United 1 : 1 Chicago Fire

Six Word Novel Recap

Is "Nyarko!" a Three Stooges exclamation?

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "After taking an early lead and playing a strong first half, D.C. United fell victim to some lax goalkeeping and was forced to settle for a 1-1 tie against the Chicago Fire in its home opener Saturday night."
The Washington Post, Steven Goff: "Although this draw lacked the drama and controversy that overshadowed last Sunday's opener at Los Angeles, it was equally disappointing for United, which took the lead in the seventh minute on Luciano Emilio's strike but faltered defensively in the second half and yielded a 53rd-minute equalizer by former Virginia Tech star Patrick Nyarko. "
DC Sports Box, Abram Fox: "For the first 45 minutes the Black-and-Red dominated the pitch, controlling the flow of the game and winning a majority of loose balls. D.C. outshot Chicago 5-1, with Emilio’s marker the only ball to find the back of the net."
DCist, Aaron Morrisey: "The Black-and-Red's first major move of the game was a sign of that pressure: a nice through ball from Namoff found it's way to the now longer-coifed Luciano Emilio, but his cross through the box to Moreno was neutralized. A few short minutes later, Emilio applied a clinical finish at the center of the Chicago end after a great effort to wrestle possession by Ben Olsen. Calmly shooting from 20 yards away, Emilio struck firmly and beat keeper Jon Busch to his right..."
United Mania, Chris Webb: "The tide indeed did change as the Fire came out guns ablazing to start the second half. A number of defensive mistakes nearly cost United the game-tying goal but it only took eight minutes after the restart for the match to be level. Patrick Nyarko collected a fine pass from Marco Pappa and drove past defender Dejan Jakovic towards goal, but at a severe angle. United keeper Josh Wicks, filling in for injured starter Louis Crayton, mistakenly tried to come out and smother the play and the second-year striker from Virginia Tech easily passed the ball into the empty net. 'The goal that they scored, you know, he should’ve stayed in his goal,' acknowledged Soehn of his netminder."
Examiner.Com, Ed Morgan: "United's best chance to regain the lead came early in the second half, when Pontius was played in behind the Chicago defense for a 7-yard effort. But after nicely chesting the long ball down, his shot went right to Busch, who saved well. Earlier in the game, Pontius had missed high with a straight-on one-time shot in the penalty area. Pontius had an up and down game. Playing a wing in a 3-5-2, he had to get deep on the flank at times to play crosses in, but he seemed to struggle a bit in this role."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "The Fire adjusted nicely to United's five men in the midfield, effectively marking the dangerous threesome of Christian Gomez, Jaime Moreno and Luciano Emilio out of the game in the second half."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "'It was a tale of two halves' surely ranks as one of the stalest clichés in the game of soccer...Much like the 2-0 lead against the Los Angeles Galaxy that evaporated into a 2-2 final last weekend, Saturday night's result offers Soehn plenty of teachable moments for his younger players. Dejan Jakovic endured several erratic moments in his first start at center back, but for long stretches he and his fellow newcomers supplied vigor and athleticism that complemented the savvy of veterans like Gomez and Olsen." [NOTE: I applaud any writer that recognizes a cliche is being used before then going on to use it. This is not laziness, it is self-awareness. There's a difference. Charles Boehm, I salute you.]
Goal.Com, Steven Streff: "Despite having dropped 2 points in each of its first two games, United's hopes for the season have not been lost yet. As United midfielder Clyde Simms put it, 'we are undefeated, so you can look at it that way.' So while the team may be struggling to win the games in which it is taking the lead, Simms noted that the performance was better this week."
The Fullback Files, Fullback: "Some questions for Tommy. What did you say at halftime? United were on top of the game going into the half. Chicago had only had a couple of looks while DC were controlling possession. But from the whistle to start the second half, we simply failed to answer the bell."
The Offside: DC United, Jon: "Bryan Namoff. What were you doing? I counted at least 4 or 5 times where Namoff carried the , ball way up into the attack and was caught in possession. I apologize to Bryan if Tommy was asking him to do that, but if not…c’mon."
DCUMD, Shatz: "The returns of Fred, Quaranta, Janicki, and McTavish will be a huge help, and Soehn is going to have some real tough decisions to make when he's got all of our regulars available. How do you bench Pontius after the opening he's had? I'm also thinking that we may see Jakovic fall behind Janicki, McTavish, and Burch on the defensive depth chart in no time."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "I actually felt that Olsen should have been subbed, not out of fatigue, but because he was on a yellow card and seemed like he was toeing the line between staying in the match and leaving on a 2nd yellow, especially after his exchange with Cuauhtemoc Blanco where Blanco positioned himself to allow Olsen to collide with him and went down like a ton of bricks. Center referee Mark Geiger, who seemed all night hesitant to call anything on a player in red (see: DC United fouls - 13, Chicago fouls - 6, plus 3 yellow cards for United and 0 for Chicago), motioned for Blanco to get up, and later talked to both players, presumably as a warning. Should Andrew Jacobson not have been inserted for Olsen at that point?"
And still blocked, but I will find a way, and slightly modified from the quite readable original...
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "Dig this Soehn quote: 'We gambled a little bit and were too confident in the second half. We took some chances instead of playing it safe. That shows signs of a young backline.' Sounds like a coach hanging his players, yes? Fire Tom Soehn...in an email 'Die. Die, die, die, die, die. This line confirms that, in Soehn’s fat [rutting] head, breaking out to try to score is, in fact, gambling. His implicit approval of the utter lack of “gambling”, of the game of playing it “safe” by backpassing every time they crossed midfield in strength, is [Initially, Knights of Christrianity Unified in Faithing reversed] reprehensible.' He’s a [slang word for kitten]. I’m [intercoursing] done with him."

The Good

1. Peter Tomarken Has Good Advice: "Press Your Luck." United's first half was as truly excellent as the media reports look above. Now, we must caveat that the Fire was well and truly into their depth chart, but just because a third to a half of a team is subs is no reason to think that United will automatically have an advantage. Indeed, I seem to recall United having many games where they were owned by bit players who rarely see the field. But this United side made a lot of opportunities, especailly in the first half. And these opportunities were spread out. Gomez, Emilio, Pontius, Olsen and Doe all had decent looks at some point. We need goals, and the early indications are we should see them.
   
2. Jilted McBride: While there's legitimate Angst about the back three vs. Nyarko, Brian McBride was marked out of the game. Which, if nothing else, provides some hope given that United has often been troubled by people who have a tendency to show up, relax with a lime cooler for 85 minutes and then head one or two into the goal.
3. Wallace, Pontius: Look, I'm not ga-ga over the kids yet, but having seen them twice, do you feel bad if you see their names on the line-up next week? Not me.
4. Wicks as a backup: Look, with Crayton out, I am willing to take Josh Wicks as a substitute. The argument that he is responsible for the goal is well made, and upon review I agree with it, but I also blame the D for letting Nyarko get behind them a few times. And yes, his muff in the dying minutes was bad and very fortunately put over the bar. But as a backup, he'll do.
   

The Bad

1. Speed Kills: Mr. Nyarko is fast. Our fullbacks, all of them, are not. You can probably have changed the name of the given opposing forward for most of the last three years, and this comment is true. Mad libs, the soccer writing of the future. To be written with Dippin' Dots.
   
2. Dis/join/ted: Anon from the First Impressions: "Our players seemed unfamiliar with each other. Clyde is learning to play with another defensive Mid and a rusty one with a heavy touch at that. Both are learning to play with a center back who got off the plane two weeks ago and has not seen a lot of minutes on the field in a long time. The fullbacks are working with rookies on the flanks." True, but as long as it continues, it must be noted.
3. There is a difference between gambling and attacking: I want to point out the comments from BDR and Landru above, and agree with the underlying sentiment. This team will give up goals, no matter if they bunker and play conservatively as a Savile Row three-piece (Mr. Namoff, you get to be the coat and watch chain. Mr. Burch, you get to be the best. Mr. Janicki, you're the pants. At least for this match). This team must attack, must gamble if you want to use the term, and must score goals, because we're going to give them up. If he's referring to gambling in terms of odd tackles at midfield, then he has a point, but a point more applicable to the first half than the second.
4. Wicks as a starter: I would like to see Louis Crayton again. You'd think the media would be asking questions about this. What's that? Ah, right. Forgot.
5. Free Christian Gomez (By Using the Wings): Right now, I'm attributing this more to Chicago's approach to taking him out of the match than anything else. And yes, Chris Pontius should have seen the ball more, but so should Rodney Wallace, and the fact is that while Gomez seemed clearly willing to pass the ball to Chris (who was making the right runs and showing well) Rodney isn't quite as there yet. Rod, time to join the posse.
   

Officiating Watch

Referee Mark Geiger is getting some flack for the fould distribution. You could reasoable say it should have been 15 fould on United after a double advantage in the 29th minute. Yet here's the thing: He was right. Sure, he missed a fould here or there, or called a few things a bit sensitively, but all-in-all he was consistent and strong and I actually enjoyed all aspects of his officiating. He didn't fall for Blanco's dives, but did note when Blanco was legitimately fouled. One of the best officiating performances I have seen. If you want to complain about the foul disparity, then perhaps the reason might be that we have a coach who seems to think we can redeem 10 fouls for a goal. And here's my bet. Any match where United fouls less than their opponents, expect to hear a few words questioning the effort of the players.

Likert Scale Grade: 5 - Excellent

Karma Bank

A nice even balance transaction, as both teams traded good opportunities for balls over the bar, so we're keeping it as +1 for the season (we're still owed a lucky break at some point.)

Man of the Match

Just to piss off Jon from The Offside, I'm going Bryan Namoff. Yes, the point that he was caught in posession too often is well made, but he handled his defensive responsibilities pretty well, and how many times will I have to award MOTM to a defender this season. Mr. Namoff, step on up.

Final Thoughts

Grunthos has an excellent breakdown of the match in the First Impressions, especially looking at what Mr. Hameltt did right in terms of tactics.

Our confused play in the early second half was directly attributable to the Fire suddenly getting in people's faces and hounding the ball. We had many more turnovers in our own end, and they tested our defense pretty hard. We caught a break, oddly, when they brought on Mr. White, who clearly isn't match fit and basically killed the energy of their press and the speed of their attack.

True true true.

In terms of my final thoughts, I am still reasonably pleased by how we've come through things right now. Despite the propensity of team focused blogs to always pick their team as a winner by one goal in close matches, if I had offered predictions it would have been LA by two over DC, and Chicago by one. Houston looks to be struggling now as well, and I would love to see United finally notch all three points, but at least I feel reasonably confident in predicting a non-scoreless draw. Since I resumed my duties here, I have written that United as a team will need a third of the season to figure itself out. If nothing else, it feels that process is continuing. If, by the end of the year, we're out of the playoffs, then yes, sign my name on the FIRE SOEHN list and let's move on. And that's still a reasonable possibility. But I also am willing to accept that things might truly get better.

And not just in St. Louis.

Debriefing for Match 13.A.04: Pachuca C.F.

D.C. United 2 : 1 Pachuca C.F.

Six Word Novel Recap

A classic match that United lost.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "United earned a 2-1 victory on goals from substitutes Rod Dyachenko and Franco Niell in the last five minutes last night at RFK Stadium, but Pachuca claimed the series 3-2 on aggregate after beating United 2-0 at home last week."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "Under regular circumstances, D.C. United's feat in the closing minutes of last night's Champions' Cup match against Pachuca of Mexico -- scoring two goals to overcome a deficit and defeat the region's most dominant club this decade -- would have provided one of the most memorable victories in the team's 12-year history. Instead..."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United had their chances before Pachuca struck for a 76th-minute counterattack goal from substitute Damian Alvarez that made late D.C. tallies from Rod Dyachenko and Franco Niell inadequate."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "But United created their share of scoring opportunities and saw two questionable challenges in the visitors' penalty area go unpunished by referee Joel Aguilar, most notably when Leobardo Lopez tugged Fred to the turf in the 55th minute."
UnitedMania, Mike Martin: "United put themselves in the soup by failing to finish some glorious opportunities in the first half when they dominated the game...Emilio in particular had a rough night and had the most egregious missed chances of the match for the home side. In the 28th minute, right back Devon McTavish got on the end of a lovely overlap and struck a perfect cross to Emilio at the near post, unfortunately his angled shot whistled just wide of the far post. "
Goal.Com, Noah Davis: "The first half was marred by inconsistent and sloppy play. Pachuca controlled the early going, with D.C. unable to keep pace. After committing three fouls in the span of eight minutes, the referee showed a deserved yellow to Luciano Emilio...United, needing a result, began to press in earnest. The increased effort went for naught, as a spunky Pachuca side showed its class and absorbed D.C.'s advances...In an effort to inject life into the squad, Marc Burch came on for Santino Quaranta in the 60th minute, followed by Franco Niell for McTavish five minutes later. The changes didn't help, as the Mexican side drew first blood when Damian Alvarez rammed a ball past Wells from inside the penalty spot in the 76th minute." [Note: I'm quoting so much of this article because I think that, on-balance, it is the game recap that I disagree with the most. I mean, really Mr. Davis? This is what you took away from this game? Honestly, this game was fantastic, and I say that from the losing side, and you went a did a "MLS vs. Mexican Team Paint by Numbers" recap? Come on man, show some love and passion!]
Behind the Badge, The Management: "Tonight's game could have had a very different outcome. Tommy Soehn's hybrid 3-4-3 formation worked wonders, the guys created numerous chances in the first half and if not for one defensive gaffe midway through the second, two late goals might have been enough."
DCist, Matt Borque: "Many times in soccer, a match's result can be qualified as fair, mostly fair, or unfair. This qualification is determined by examining the breaks of the game, the flukes, controversies, and dictatorship of the game's pace. The abundance of these variables in last night's games makes its result difficult to qualify."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "Last night I saw a very discomposed DC United out on the field. I saw several passes that were made blindly and to no one. I saw many miscues when trying to play together, too many for a club that has been together for two and a half months." [Note: There's always one game where Brian and I come to completely opposite conclusions. Apparently this is that game.]
The Edgell Supporters: "The 3 man backline did a remarkable job until we started sending everything forward and even then we only gave up one. Namoff was especially good."
DCUMD, Shatz: "All in all, a fantastic soccer match. I could gripe about the officiating if I wanted to, but despite that, this game between two very talented and essentially evenly matched opponents might turn out to be better than any MLS game we see all year. Which makes the result even more frustrating and disappointing."
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "Pachuca is better. Faster, more athletic, most instinctive on the ball, better organized, better coached. I'm not slamming United: I like to imagine that United, given the same resources, financially and culturally, would build an organization and team equal to or superior to top tier Mexican clubs. And United has built, respective to its financial and cultural abilities, one of the top clubs in its league."

The Good

1. Roll the Dice: Many times I have seen managers who need a result put out a line-up that looks attacking in nature, and then tactically play the lineup withdrawn so as to defang the very advantage you want to create. It seems that losing close is better than really risking things for the win. So my credit to Tom Soehn who put out an attacking line-up and played it like an attacking line-up, knowing that Pachuca was a good enough team that they would find opportunities to exploit it. And the three man back-line was excellent for most of the match. Yes, they had difficulties when Pachuca found counters with numbers, but that was inevitable. And contra the well-respected Mr. Urban from yesterday's comments, I don't think starting Marc Burch was the right idea. Marc has looked good going forward at times, but his defense, while better, has also never really gotten above adequate. In a four man back line that's fine, but he would have well and truly been exposed in a three man line.
2. Midfield Tackles: From Gallardo, Fred, McTavish, Simms, Moreno, and even Emilio, I was pleased to see how hard United worked to get the ball back before it reached our half of the field. Pachuca was, I think, a bit disconcerted as time went on, and while they had some stretches of where they passed the ball around, frequently it was on their side of the field and didn't culminate in a credible attack.
3. Rod Dyachenko: You know, I think I finally understood Rod for the first time last night. He's really good with the ball at his feet in tight quarters. He can't really beat anyone with speed, but he can engage a defender and get by him, and with Pachuca bunkering towards the end, it played well to his strengths.
4. Namoff-Peralta-Matinez: I can not recall the last time I've really been truly comfortable with a backline, but I'm getting there. The great thing about this line-up is the fact that no one of these players will win Defender of the Year because they play well together, each covering. So far, this is the best defensive corp. that hasn't had someone named R. Nelsen playing for them.
5. Pachuca: They play a really nice style of soccer, even in counter-attack mode. I have to give them that. This game was so fun to watch because it wasn't like Pachuca looked jet lagged, but rather they said "Okay, here's how we're going to play. Can you beat that?" And having thrown down the gauntlet, both sides excelled in trying to outplay each other. It was a feeling I don't get very often.
6. The Return of Jaime Moreno: Last year he held the ball just by guarding it. Last night he held the ball by forcing defenders to try and figure out his intentions. It was much better.
   

The Bad

1. So-Called Dangerous Set Pieces: I am coming to loathe Gallardo's corner kicks, fluttering things typically to the back post that never seem dangerous. His free kicks around the box weren't particularly good either, and Marc Burch's one shot at glory was a pathetic in-swinger to the keeper. This was the worst execution United was dealing with.
2. Emilio: I hesitated about putting him in here, but I think it has to be mentioned. I don't fault him too much for missing the far post on his deflection, but the failure to get the shot off when he was in on the keeper and took three touches was worrying. But let's talk about missing the far post from Tino's cross In La Liga, that situation is a goal nine times out of ten. In the EPL, perhaps 8 out of 10 (and 10 out of 10 for the best teams). In MLS, it's a coin-flip. We lost the toss on this occasion. Provided Emilio doesn't become too Stoppardesque, I think we'll regret that miss, but not curse it.
   

Officiating Watch

The reason I started writing the Officiating Watch was that we tend only to talk about referees when they're bad, or focus on the one missed call, or what-not. And as a result, it colors our view of officiating in general, as what sticks out are the non-called penalty, the harsh yellows, the ridiculous failure to raise a flag over a head...

And so far, most of the officiating has been decent, even in games where United was not victorious. Which is why I've tried to give those officials their due. And that brings us to Mr. Jose Aguilar.

I'll say this for him, he improved over the course of the match, the same way one's situation in court improves when the prosecutors decide it might have been second degree murder. But truly, he was awful. He encapsulated the worst stereotype of the CONCACAF center official - the one that believes "Of course one team is more talented than the other, so any time that talented team is dispossessed, or falls to the ground, I should blow the whistle." And for fifteen minutes, the double standard of officiating between Pachuca and D.C. United was an insult to every other referee I have seen this season. And I haven't even gotten to the missed penalty on Fred (clearly wrong) or for the tackle from behind (debatable, and I can let it go). The yellow on Emilio for persistent infringement was the wrong card at the wrong time (a coworker notes that the Yellow was deserved for Emilio going in studs up the foul before). The double standard continued, just not as brazenly, for the entire game.

As for the Assistant Referees, I think they weren't particularly great, but at least they were equally bad to both sides. Pachuca was flagged for times when they were even in the second half the same way United was in the first half. Fine.

That there was a decent match on despite an atrocious performance from Mr. Aguilar is a tribute to the skills shown by United and Pachuca. Easily the worst match of the season. Likert Scale Grade: 1 - Poor

Man of the Match

You can pick any defender or midfielder you want, but I'm going to stick with my original pick and award it to Bryan Namoff. He started the move that got the first goal, played his head off the entire match, and was wonderful even as Pachuca seemed to think they could take advantage of him. Merit awards to Peralta, Martinez, Simms, Fred, Moreno, Quaranta, and Dyachenko. Your goat is Emilio.

Adjusted Results

This is for the MLS Season, but man is it tempting to award that penalty. N/A

Final Thoughts

In the first leg, I know United was in trouble when I looked at Pachuca and thought "Wow, this is how I want to see United play almost every game." In the second leg, I saw United play like United, and Pachuca play like Pachuca. And as a result, the disappointment of elimination is tempered. Against Chivas last year, it felt like we gave the game away in Mexico, a game we by rights should have won. Against Pachuca, the series ultimately could have gone either way, but we showed up and didn't give away the game. So it feels different.

Now, I'm not sure this game will be different come CONCACAF Champion's League. Let's not forget that Superliga last year came at a time when United was playing somewhat poor mid-season soccer. But man, I'd like to see a rematch. Yes indeed.

Follow-up, extracurricular Monday

NAMOFF'S CHANCES TO SEE BRADLEY PLAY WERE ONLY MOSTLY DEAD: Bradley defeated Maryland, and so Bryan Namoff's pesky wedding thing will not be his last chance to see the Bradley team in the NCAA men's soccer finals. Steve Goff has the gamer. With Maryland out of the tournament, Bradley is likely to become my team of choice for the Round of 8, just for club support reasons.

TRIBAL FOOTBALL SAYS "31M USD FOR VERON": This falls well within the "take with a cellar of salt" type of news, but is the first time where a media outlet has claimed to know a number. Even if you assume that the fifteen million pound sum is spread over multiple years, that's still about 10M a year for a three year contract. It's possible that they have their currencies confused. A $15M price seems much more likely to me, as that would be a two year deal at 7M and 8M. Still steep, but at least within reason for United's standards. I mean...

UNITED OUTLAY PROJECT, ROUND 2: Thanks to everyone for their comments on trying to estimate United's outlays. The big expense people got that we didn't include was travel, which we've now added in as a new expense. We've also fiddled with the front office numbers in response to the comments, so we've reduced out estimated DC outlays to about 9.7M. And, of course, we're willing to go father, so if you have concrete data or better guesses, submit them in the comments please. So, to put the previous report in perspective...

TRAVIS - THE PERKINS, NOT THE BAND. NEVER THE BAND: Hat Tip to "Gunnersaurus" at Big Soccer for the news that Troy Perkins' brother Travis is in PGA Q-School, and has a decent shot at a tour card. The final round is today, and we're pulling for him. I figure Travis must be a pretty good golfer, given the way he'd try to flop a high, floating pitching wedge into the green, and Troy would run across and grab it in midair.

And do you, Pwincess Nadine... -- Man and Wife, Say Man and Wife!

The Journal Star (serving Central Illinois since 1855) has a fun article on Bryan Namoff's impending wedding, and the dramatic choices he now confronts. I wish Namoff and the woman to whom he will be wed all the good fortune in the world, and I wish no good luck to the Bradley University soccer program. Although I think with the help of Inigo, Bryan could have found a way to hurry the ceremony along a bit, and still make the game.

Re- Mediate

DOMENIC MEDIATE RETURNS: Goff reports that United has signed Domenic Mediate, primarily as a signing to provide depth. I'm relieved that Domenic gets another shot at United. He was decent in his performances last year, and had his leg broken in the service of this team. His dismissal felt wrong to me when it happened, so I'm glad he gets another shot. Welcome back sir. Better luck for this go around, and I'm glad that thUgo is suspended for this match.

PERKINS - WE WEREN'T READY FOR RSL: In The Examiner, Brian Straus finds an interesting quote from our starting Keeper:

"Just watching people warm up, you knew it was going to be a long night," he [Troy Perkins] said. "We weren't focused on what we were going to do. You see so many different things when you're watching the game. It's frustrating. You're sitting there kicking the bench. You want to get up and go, and you can't."

When you think about it, and I have, that's a pretty damning quote. If you can tell that the team isn't focused in warmups, then one has to ask why the hell not? Especially given all the lip service to "not overlooking Salt Lake." It didn't sink in. Must we have one lesson per year on this topic? Or perhaps can we remember our history lessons and carry them over.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH, AGAIN: In The Post's preview for tonight, Goff is noting that Namoff may not play because of a hamstring issue. Boswell is, of course, a Copa America callup.

EXPERT NO MORE: No Expert Opinion for tonight's match, since this is the second go round between DC and Colorado. However, I invite you to relive the opinion of Dr. Hunter Thompson when he came in to preview the season opener. And since we're not transcribing our interview tapes, maybe we'll put together a decent preview for this match.

Debriefing for Match 12.06: At Toronto FC

Toronto FC 2 : 1 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Good, but who have you beaten?

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "United's triumph was not accomplished with the grace and elegance that has been glaringly absent for much of this promising MLS season."
The Toronto Sun, Lance Hornby: "The first Toronto goal came on a broken play in the 44th minute, a shot by Maurice Edu that hit Alecko Eskandarian and kept bouncing until the latter righted himself, found the ball at his feet with no one around and drove in his first of the season."
Toronto Star, Morgan Cambell: "Down a goal seven minutes into the second half, DC's Cristian Gomez took a free kick that hooked in front of the goal and bounced off the back of Toronto defender Kevin Goldthwaite's head and into the net...DC pressed later in the second half striker Luciano – one of two Brazilian standouts DC signed this winter – brushed against Toronto defender Marvell Wynne. Luciano collapsed and grabbed his calf, wincing and writhing, but recovered soon after the referee awarded a penalty kick."
Toronto Star, Morgan Cambell: "'It's a bit of a monkey off my back,' says Eskandarian, who played four seasons with DC. 'I would rather get the three points and the win but I tried to do my part today. It felt good to get the goal but it's bittersweet.'"
UnitedMania, Mike Martin: "DC didn't play their best by any stretch of the imagination, but they managed to survive giving up the first goal of the game for the fifth time in six matches this season with a strong second half comeback."
MLSNet, Mark Polishuk: "TFC weren't looking sharp at the start of the half either. After jumping out to a 1-0 lead on Alecko Eskandarian's strike in the 44th minute, Toronto FC looked overmatched by a resurgent D.C. squad early in the second half."
MLSNet, Mark Polishuk: "After the first half, United trailed 1-0 and were scuffling on offense with only one shot. But United managed seven shots in the second half and controlled the pace of play."
MLSNet, Mark Polishuk (yes, three articles): "But after Moreno's goal, Toronto had a brief offensive flurry in an attempt to tie the game. The best chance came in the 85th minute, when Ronnie O'Brien's hard shot from the right side was stopped by Perkins. Toronto managed two shots in stoppage time, but one was stopped and the other flew over the net.
QuarterVolley, I-66: "DC United took a bland and uninspired 45 minutes of first half soccer culminating in an Alecko Eskandarian goal and a 1-0 deficit and came back looking like a different team in the next 45 minutes to win 2-1. "
The Far Post: "United’s backline continued its Prostitute Method of Defending^tm."
The Edgell Supporters: "Moreno has shown that he should come in to the game after the 60th because that is when he likes to actually start playing."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "Considering how well Kpene has done in the last few matches, I would like to see him up front with Emilio."
BlackDogRed: "It's entirely possible to overestimate the importance of United's win over Toronto Saturday. It's entirely possible to underestimate the importance of United's win over Toronto Saturday.
Toronto MLS FC: "DC have stolen 6 points this year on highly dubious late penalties awarded by incompetent officials. With all their trophies, DC are truly becoming the Juventus of MLS." (Note: Them's fighting words!)
Mistake by the Lake: "We lost the battle for the central midfield in the second half. Edu and Robinson were scrambling more than creating and too often balls played wide to O’Brien and Welsh lead to them looking awfully isolated."
The Offside: Toronto FC: "How dominated were we for 90% of this game? If I had to say, I’d say 'pretty dominated'. Sure, we lost, and sure, the two goals were unfortunate, but it could have been 10-1 if DC had gotten the bright idea to get into the penalty area at some point in the first half."
FCTO: "Despite the lame D.C. United dive, and our unfortunate loss, TFC supporters proved yet again that we are die-hard fans, and will not relent our encouragement regardless of the environment before us, or the score on the board."

The Good

1. If It's Broke, Fix it: Is Tom Soehn a better manager than Piotr Nowak? I don't know, but I do know this - Tom is willing to try anything to win a game, and Piotr at times gave you the feeling he'd rather be Correct than Winning. Soehn has definately shown that he's willing to pull the trigger on all sorts of changes in order to get the best he can out of a player. Now, at some point, I think Soehn will manage us right out of a game, but ultimately his decisions will get us more points than they will cost us.
   
2. Long Distribution: I mentioned this in the first impressions, but if there's one skill set that United has shown this year, it's the ability to distribute with better results through the air. Emilio got a clear chance in on the keeper after a ridiculous kick from Troy Perkins. United in the final thirty minutes was consistently finding players around the box directly from midfield. It was pretty.
   
3. Second Half Purpose: If you're down a goal and in hostile territory, this is how I want my team to respond. United realized they had to create chances, which they did. The goals fell out in the manner that they did, but they created enough chances to earn those goals.
   
4. Fred: He crosses, he breaks people down on the dribble, he fights for the ball... When was the last time you actually felt that United might have one of the better wingers in the league? You'd have to go back before Ernie Stewart. Well before, probably.
   
5. Midfielder Moreno: Jamie was somewhat invisible up-top, but at least he pulled the trigger on a shot. Moving into the midfield, Jamie was excellent, checking back and defending in depth. Plus, his penalty finish was crisp and superb. While it's nice to outthink and outwit the keeper, it's great to know that Moreno can still put it out of reach even when the keeper guesses right.
6. Baldomero Toledo: Cries of anguish from TFC fans aside, Baldomero Toledo was an excellent official. I do not feel that he showed favoritism, and TFC was fouling often enough that they deserved every caution they got. You know that when Terry Vaughn gifted us a draw, I still called him out. Toledo, on the other hand, was excellent.
   

The Bad

1. The Penalty: Since the "First Impressions" post, I've looked at that play probably more than any other, and I have to now concede that the howls of indignation have some merit. Not full merit, but a little. From the replays, what I can make out is that Emilio has the ball, and he cuts it back. Before he reaches it, there is some contact with Wynne, and Emilio goes down. As I look at it, it seems clear to me that Wynne does make contact with Emilio, and that the penalty is earned. That being said, I can't explain Emilio's reaction. Was he selling it? Probably. Did he need to? I don't think so, and that's what troubles me. The Penalty was the correct decision, but embellishment on Emilio's part is going to result in fewer calls later in the season, even when they are legitimate. If you'll recall last season, there was a long stretch where United wasn't getting penalty calls, and part of it was, I think, a perhaps subconscious attempt by officials to atone for some earlier soft penalties. And I'd rather have the calls later than earlier.
   
2. First Half Urgency: While I love the possession game, sometimes I feel like United feels the main reason they are out there is to string a bunch of passes together in midfield. It isn't like Arsenal, where they're passing to create the perfect goal, but even worse, they're passing just for the sake of passing. Please! If you're on the ball, think of ideas that gain your team something other than seven more seconds in the time of possession column.
   
3. BMO Pitch: It's not the hardness or the way your cleats grab it, but it did seem that the pitch accentuated, to a ridiculous degree, any spin that was on the ball. Changes of direction off the bounce were exaggerated to bizarre angles. Ugly looking.
4. Olsen: After I've given him a lot of credit, in this match he was pretty much invisible. It could have been worse.
5. Josh Gros: You can complain about ball-watching on the goal United surrendered, but Josh Gros was at fault for not putting Toronto offside. He was looking down the line, and had to know that he was the line as the others had pushed up, but he never made the move. Perhaps that's an instinctive thing that comes as he plays the left back position more often, but it cost us.
6. The Long Throw: Both Chivas and Toronto have caused DC problems with long throws into the box. DC, on the other hand, doesn't attempt such plays, and may not even have anyone capable of it. It's a weakness, clearly identifiable at this point, and since DC doesn't seem to have anyone to execute it, you wonder how they can train to defend it. Something to keep an eye on.
   

Man of the Match

Certificate of Merit to Kpene, whom is justifiably lauded in other blogs, and to Erpen, who while other have noted the red card danger he was in, Erpen none-the-less had a pretty good defensive game without any major gaffes. However, Bryan Namoff is the man of the match, as he had an excellent defensive game and was forced into multiple key tackles.

Final Thoughts

Out of the cellar is nice, but do you really believe United is back? Me neither. What's more, United's next few games won't really reassure me either, but could reinforce every doubt I have about this team. Houston is struggling, but the game will be tough, and a win wouldn't really prove all that much. Follow that with a game against struggling Los Angeles. Even if DC rattles off six more straight points, I don't know if I'd believe that this team is elite again. Strangely, the next major test is in June against the Red Bulls. And there's a lot of time for DC to trip up again on the way there.

Still, the fatalism is gone. We may be in for a long, tough season, but that's at least better than a long, catastrophic season. What's more, you can see a lot of pieces. Which is why I want to say something about this year that needs to be said. But that'll be in a post tomorrow. For today, I'm just happy we're above one point-per-game. We're not respectable, but we're no longer an embarrassment.

Y Can't We Vote Bryan? We Can... With Arts and Crafts!

UPDATE (1:15PM) : Abort. Abort. Abort. Steve Goff reports that Namoff is on the ballot now. Well done all (and commenters that let me know). I would like to think we played some small part in this, since I think we were the first to notice (before even the hoards on BigSoccer judging by the timestamps) I'd like to think that, but I'd like to think a lot of things.

Okay, so my understanding of things is that the reason that Bryan Namoff's name doesn't appear on the ballot is that DC United didn't nominate him. Hmpf. For shame. But, I think, for those of you that want to reward a hard-working defender, there is still a chance. Sure, it's unlikely he'd be a coaches selection to the all-star game, but perhaps he'd be a Commissioner's selection? Hey, why not? So here's what I propose...

On a strip of paper, in bold letters, write the words "Defender" and "Bryan Namoff". If you want to be cool, decorate the paper as you see fit (sparkles, pictures, crayons, whatever." Then mail this special ballot to the following address:

Major League Soccer
ATTN: Don Garber
420 5th Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10018

I'll make my ballot this weekend, and post the image on this site. If you make your ballot and send me a picture, I'll post it here for others to admire. If I can get even just 100 or so pictures (and I know at least 100 people read this site) of ballots that we're mailed in, I think we'll have said something. In fact, since you can vote 10 times a day via the web site, feel free to send in ten different arty ballots! If there's enough interest, I'd even throw an arts and crafts party and supply envelopes with the proper postage for everyone.

Look, I'm not saying that Bryan Namoff should be an all-star, but his performance on the pitch certainly merits the option of people giving him a vote. So let's do it. And just sending emails or angry letters probably won't show anyone anything, so let's show our creative sides to get this done.

We can beat these deadites... through science!

Debriefing for 12.A.03: CD Guadalajara

Leg #1 - DC UNITED 1 : 1 CD Guadalajara

Six Word Novel Recap

Chivas plays well, acts like jerks.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

NEW!!! Kyle Gustafson has some great photos. And yes, Chivas fans have a point about the goal we scored. Ben Olsen does seem to be taking out the Chivas keeper with a full-on Donald Brashear.
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "...United had to work very hard just to salvage a tie at home and now faces the prospect of having to win the final leg of the two-game, total-goals series April 3 in Guadalajara to advance to the Champions' Cup finals."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: " Emilio's goal -- his fourth in three games with his new team -- lifted United to a 1-1 tie against CD Guadalajara at RFK Stadium, putting the aggregate
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "The passionate rivalry between the CONCACAF nations was clearly felt at the club level as well, with heavy tackles flying in while both sets of fans looked to drown out the other's cheers."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "Our attack needs to get much better and get everyone back on the same page that we were on against Olimpia. If that is to happen, we have a fighting chance in the second leg."
BlackDogRed: "...if ever a tie felt like a loss this was it."
Hexagonal Blog: "The comm said that this was a great result for United - well, it's better than 0-1, but not what was required in the end. It changes the task on 5 April from 'impossible' to 'very difficult.'"
DC Soccer, Joseph Schoenbauer: "Therefore, MLS teams in this competition never really stand a chance, and if say, DC United or the Houston Dynamo, who defeated Pachuca 2-0 tonight in the first leg in Houston, does pull off a remarkable aggregate victory, it will be a one off that will give no real justification for perceptions of MLS fans and fans around the world to believe that this will become a regular result in years to come." (Note: This was left in our comments last night. I can't find a link to it on DCSoccer itself, but it's a hell of an article.)

(NOTE: We may add more recaps to this list as we see them. Or we may not. It depends on how lazy I am. But I think Off-wing, SE Pod, SE Match Report, Barra Bravand a few others will be coming.)

The Good

1. Atmosphere: I know... the Chivas fans were louder and outnumbered the United fans. It was a strange feeling, but also a somewhat exhilarating one. It made it a clear choice for our side: Do we give up knowing we can be drowned out at any moment? Or do we sing as loud as we can for as long as we can? I can honestly say, and I have no idea how it was on TV, that we did the latter. I applaud the effort.
   
2. Defensively Tighter: I wrote yesterday that I wouldn't be surprised if Chivas managed to play balls into the box, but I wanted our defenders to deny them space. For the most part, that is exactly what happened, and the backline of Erpen, Namoff, and Boswell pressured the Chivas attackers well. Yes, all three made gaffs, but they were rare for the most part and not nearly as problematic as the last match against Olimpia. The defense as a whole kept its shape well.
   
3. Leadership: Olsen and Boswell were very obviously quite vocal, especially in the second half. It is what I want to see from them, the willingness to rally and take command.
   
4. Stephen DeRoux: Look, it's not like he had a great game, but he played better on the wing than I thought he would. I may have been wrong about him.
   

The Bad

1. 20 minute warm-up: Yes, this is the same point as last time: United was not well in the first 20 minutes.
   
2. Developing Chances: If the defense did their job in stopping attacks, distribution was still a bit of a problem. Even when that worked, United was much too indecisive in midfield to create much of an opportunity. Part of this may have been that Chivas marked out attackers better than Olimpia, but that's not the entire story. They could have done more here.
3. Brian Carroll: Multiple goofs, slow, and awkward out there. Not a good basis for his national team selection.
   
4. Jaime Moreno: Look, I'm not about to say it's time for him to hang it up. It just may be that it takes him a few more games to warm-up and get into form given his age. I'm willing to give him half a season if necessary. But it bears watching.
5. Divas Guadalajara: I'm stealing this from Tucksider in our comments from yesterday. It's a great phrase, and fits well. Also, check out the very insightful comment from someone who is I think a DCenters reader over at Soccer by Ives. Matt Y on the difference between Ben Olsen and Chivas. I think he refutes Ives nicely on this one. Seriously, and I mean this in the most derogatory way possible: Chivas comported themselves like a bunch of Italians Footballers out there.
   

Man of the Match

Tough call on this one. Merit award to Ben Olsen, but despite the own goal, my man of the match is Bryan Namoff. He kept this game within reach with multiple neat steps, headers out of the box, and classy tackles. Seriously.

Final Thoughts

In the fiftieth minute, Moreno has tracked back to help stop a Chivas counter. With Namoff also back, he made an attempt to step in and take the ball from, I think, Mejia. He clipped a bit of Mejia's foot, who went down just inside the box. The referee motioned for Mejia to get up.

In Guadalajara, that's going to be a penalty (although it really should probably be an indirect free kick inside the box.) I fully expect again that, at times, we'll be jobbed by the officials.

The result was about what I expected, but I'm not doom and gloom about this. Am I expecting a win in Mexico? No, that'd be foolish. But neither am I writing this off as a series already lost. United has more than a theoretical chance. Underdogs? Sure. But they were underdogs when this series started. They can, and will, play better.

Represent: DC United to Send More Players than Any Other MLS Team to USMNT Camp

National team coach Bob Bradley issued his first call-ins to US National Team camp. This list is a domestic one, with only one Yank Abroad on the list. The DCenters is somewhat pleased to see that DC United is sending more players than any other MLS Team: Six of 'em. Keeper Troy Perkins, Defenders Boswell and Namoff, Midfielders B. Carroll and Gros, and Forward Alecko Eskandarian are all getting the look over. The only other MLS teams to be sending more than three are the LA Galaxy (4) and the New England Revolution (5).

Now, just because they're in camp doesn't mean they'll get capped in the upcoming friendlies. If I were to put an order of liklihood on these players seeing game time, it would be Boswell, Carroll, Eskandarian, Gros, Perkins, and Namoff in that order. Still, congratulations are in order. Have fun in California kids.