Debriefing for Match 13.B.01: Chivas Guadalajara

D.C. United 1 : 2 C.D. Guadalajara

Superliga, Match Day 1

Six Word Novel Recap

Lights go out with United's hopes.

Six Word Novel Literary Criticism of Six Word Novel Recap

That recap is over-dramatic, too sentimental.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "...a depleted United team was beaten by a tactically superior one as United lost 2-1 Mexican club CD Guadalajara...The game was delayed 19 minutes when the stadium lights went out in the 59th minute...The score might have been worse, if not for United goalie Zach Wells playing one of his better games. Even at his best, Wells couldn't stop Gonzalo Pineda's brilliant game-winner — a free kick in 72nd minute."
The Washington Post, The Goffather: "The match got off to a roaring start, with both sides probing the attacking channels and searching for an early advantage. Wells made a diving save on Sergio Santana's bid and Emilio smashed an angled drive off the near post with such velocity, the rebound struck Chivas's Héctor Reynoso several yards from the net and nearly spun in for an own goal. Chivas seized the lead in the 24th minute...Bryan Namoff's challenge was unsuccessful, allowing Arellano to jet past the advancing Wells and tuck an angled shot into the far corner."
DC Sports Box, Craig Stone: "Luciano Emilio cut the lead in the 76th minute when he emerged from a pack of players with the ball and a clean look at the net in the Chivas penalty area. Emilio quickly pushed a low shot underneath Chivas goalie Luis Michel to make it 2-1. Namoff assisted on the goal."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "United believed they had a golden opportunity to even the match at 2-2 when Emilio was brought down in the box by Olivera after being sent in by Moreno. Queseda didn't hesitate to point to the spot and the RFK faithful were anticipating the tying goal. However Michel dove to his left and palmed away the attempt from Moreno and the score remained at 2-1."|
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United would dominate possession in the final minutes, throwing everything they had at Michel's goal, but his Chivas teammates persevered despite tired legs and escaped with a 2-1 victory to maintain their advantage in the cross-border rivalry."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "...after being outhustled and outmaneuvered by their opponents for most of the first half, United made some tactical changes, pushing McTavish from center back into midfield to counteract the Mexicans' numerical advantage as striker Jaime Moreno dropped deeper to orchestrate possession. Ten minutes into half two, McTavish even dashed into the Chivas penalty area and slapped a shot of his own off the right post."
Superliga 2008, Dave Lifton: "It was a match that featured all sorts of unusual occurrences, including an illegal throw-in, a handled backpass, a missed penalty kick by the usually reliable Jaime Moreno, and, most bizarrely, a 19-minute delay when the stadium's floodlights inexplicably cut out."
DCUMD, Shatz: "I didn't like the starting lineup that Tom Soehn utilized, but I did like the changes. His halftime lineup is probably what we should have started the match with."
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "It's games like this - which I adore, mind - that remind me how rinkydink MLS remains (and how far MLS has come from truer, deeper, rinkydinkiness). The eleven United started would have beat any MLS team last night comfortably, but United's depth of talent, both quantitatively and qualitatively, vis a vis a major Mexican side, is glaring. Rod Dyachenko? Please."
Fighting Talker, Aaron Stollar: "Rod Dyachenko and Craig Thompson weren’t fit to wear the shirt. Look, I have no doubt that both guys tried their darnedest out there, but neither of them are MLS caliber players and Thompson isn’t even close to that level. Dyachenko’s decision making simply isn’t precise enough for MLS, leading to giveaways when decent passing options are often at hand. Thompson is purely a USL player, all hustle and zero skill on the ball."
The Fullback Files, Fullback: "Dyachecko needs to go. Glacial movement, holding the ball too long, passes direct to the opposition--all these and more can be yours if you'll but give us a third or fourth round draft pick!" [Note: And to think, we traded a first round pick to get him back from Toronto...]
Goalscoring Robot, Sarah: "In the end, it was Chivas' lack of finishing that didn't drive the score up and DC was just plain lucky that the final was 2-1. "
Who Ate All the Cupcakes, El Guero: "Chivas came out to play"

The Good

1. Zach Wells: His best game to date in a United uniform, and it was a shame it was a match that involved two goals. If you're looking to invent reasons to hate him, I'm sure you can, but objectively he did all he could on both goals, and saved many more.
2. Our Best are the Best: Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno both had excellent games, and Emilio deserves a special call-out given the long run out he had recently against Chicago. They were some of the best players on the field in either uniform, and played up to expectations.

The Bad

1. Defensive Reliability: Gonzalo Martinez, who has been the best new defender for United this year, finally screwed up big time and started the chain of events for the game winning goal. McTavish and Burch were an awkward, at best, backline pairing. It wasn't that they're slow - they're arguable faster than most backline pairs we've put out over the past three years - but they are not aware enough to suddenly take on smarter offenses than you average MLS team (and make no mistake, Chivas is better than you average MLS team in terms of thinking how to attack).
2. "We are Built for International Play": See Final Thoughts below
   
3. Minor League: Seriously, the lights went out? Even Dave Johnson calls foul on this over at WTOP. A huge embarrassment for this team, and perhaps more importantly, this city.
4. Rod Dyachenko: I think I see why he's mildly effective as a substitute. When defenses are a bit tired, they're less likely to swarm and more prone to being beat when he has the ball at his feet. But when their fresh, willing to run and attack? Then he's exposed.
   

Officiating Watch

N/A, but I want to draw attention to the case of the illegal throw in. Both Copa Sudamericana competitions that United have competed in have involved center officials actually calling an illegal throw (against Catolica, I seem to recall both teams being called on it within a minute.) Now one in this match. I think these are the correct calls, and it just shows that there is some stuff that MLS refs aren't calling when they should. Just a quick note.

Likert Scale Grade: Not Rated

Man of the Match

N/A, but merit awards to Moreno (despite the PK save), Emilio, and Wells. Goat to... whew, tough competition. You have Simms first bad tackle, but Namoff surpasses that. And you have McTavish having just an awful match until he was shifted out. Tough call, but I give it to... Rod Dyachenko, who is just as awful as everyone made out above.

Final Thoughts

Part of the reason I had been rating Superliga ahead of the U.S. Open Cup is because of how this season was sold to us. This year we were supposed to be built for International Play. Superliga was the first tournament in form we would see that this revamped roster would apply to. And for the first game of Superliga:

• Franco Niell - Contract Terminated
• Marcello Gallardo - Injured, Did Not Play
• Gonzalo Perralta - Inured, Did Not Play
• Gonzalo Martinez - Played decently, but directly contributed to Chivas Game Winning Goal.

75% of the moves made to improve this team's competitiveness did not play. That's depressing. What's more, even if Gallardo does take the field against Atlante, Emilio and Moreno both must be close to total depletion given the effort they put out recently. This does not bode well, and if you aren't questioning the moves made earlier this season, shouldn't you?

First Impressions - D.C. United 1 : 2 CD Guadalajara

If we want a positive spin, it's this. Everything went wrong from United, and they only lost by a goal. Twice shots rattled off the woodwork. A Jaime Moreno penalty was saved. The first Chivas goal was a result of Clyde Simms and Bryan Namoff falling down one second and twenty yards apart. The second was some muddled attempt at breaking out. United was pushing Chivas hard when the RFK lights went out and allowed for a regrouping moment. (The lights went out? Really? And this is the place we want to say "This is our house?") United could have gotten a draw. United could have gotten a win, as they had some good chances in the opening minutes to dictate control of the game. It didn't happen.

If you want a negative spin, look at the way Chivas exerts control on both the ball and the game. Each player controls the ball at their feet remarkably well, each played tackles in a way that's designed not just to halt an attack, but win a ball back. They apply pressure all over the field. And they're not even particularly good right now.

This game could have been better. It could have been much worse. Zach Wells had a tremendous game, beaten on a good free kick and a two on none break where he forced the most difficult angle he could. He made some excellent saves and got to some balls that otherwise would have been trouble.

If I feel negative about this match, it is almost not because of the game we saw. It was a decent effort from United, who were a bit tired post US Open Cup. The problem I have is that we were trying to build a team for international competition, and two of the players we acquired for that purpose weren't on the field. That's just frustrating.

Debrief either tomorrow or Monday.

First Impressions - CD Guadalajara 1 : 0 D.C. United

D.C United 2 : 2 CD Guadalajara (AGGREGATE)
D.C United 0 : 1 CD Guadalajara (AWAY GOALS)
D.C. UNITED ELIMINATED ON AWAY GOALS

For a time, I thought that it could work. That the strategy of playing a strong, defensive shape and locking down the game might see us through. I didn't think it was possible entering the match. I thought United needed one more goal to ice the game. Still, for sixty minutes United surrendered only a few chances even while they wore out the sod on the their side of the pitch.

It didn't last. After a series of misplayed balls in our defensive third, a volley beat Perkins. Shifting to a 3-5-2 gave United a chance to actually attack, and of course be vulnerable in the back. But it doesn't matter. If you're down 1-0 or 2-0 in this situation, it didn't matter because only one goal would mean you wouldn't lose after 90 minutes. Time to go for it.

And even then, it almost worked. Almost. Carroll denied wide of the post. Olsen hammers a shot right at the keeper (following some beautiful team passing that was absent for about 85 minutes). We had chances. We just had to finish one of them.

Sympathy for the Devon

AWAY IN MEXICO: We'll start with what isn't the must-read of the day. Okay, the news angle today is primarily about tonight's match against Chivas Guadalajara. John Haydon in the Times uses the one sentence paragraph to make the historical significance clear: "In fact, no American club has won in Mexico." And The Bog Man apparently had a long conversation with The Goffather to explain how the away-goals rule works:

American club tournament's quarterfinals; the MLS club would also advance by scoring at least twice in a one-goal loss. A 2-1 defeat would yield overtime and possibly penalty kicks.

Good. That's pretty clear. There is a lot talk about possible fatigue. Given that I'm exhausted just by thinking of staying up that late, I can imagine it has to be worse for people that actually, you know, play the game. Still, as I've written before, Marc Burch has been a hidden catalyst for success and excellence with United, and I think his absence could prove more disruptive in the long run.

DEVON MCTAVISH - HE'S A NICE GUY: Your must read article of the day comes from The Winchester Star's profile of Devon McTavish slash game recap against Toronto slash wider view of MLS Life. This is just a wonderful article to take a bit of time to read, as it takes a lot of space, but uses it to get at a lot of things for an audience that may not be as in the weeds as we are here.

"We have a joke that he’s [McTavish's] like, the perfect guy," Boswell said. "(Teammates) always give me a lot of crap about not introducing him to some of the girls in the city.

"I say that none of them are good enough for him."

Boswell as protective father figure? Huh. Anyways, the story is all the more interesting because you get the sense that Devon is actually a pretty shy guy in some ways, which makes this profile stand out.

AND WHERE WOULD WE GO THEN: Soccer America looks dangerously beyond tonight to ask what happens if DC wins (if I believed in karma, articles like this would count heavily on the negative side of the ledger):

United spokesman Doug Hicks says Arsenal would host the home leg next week and United would host two weeks later, probably Oct. 23 or 24. That would necessitate United playing a midweek Copa Sudamericana game at RFK and traveling for its playoff opener, but the alternative would be a long plane flight to Buenos Aires...

Aresenal de Sarandí eh? Anyone good ever played for that club? Hey, that sixth name in the midfield seems familiar...

Debriefing for Match 12.D.01: CD Guadalajara

D.C. United 2 : 1 CD Guadalajara

DC United leads 2-1 on aggregate after first leg.

Six Word Novel Recap

Down a man, up a goal.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, The Bog Man: "Despite playing a man down for the second half, United held off an unrelenting Chivas attack to emerge with a 2-1 advantage in front of a split crowd of 21,022."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: "Last night, Ben Olsen and Clyde Simms scored United's goals in a frenzied game that was made all the more difficult following Marc Burch's ejection for a second caution in the 44th minute. Sergio Santana scored for Chivas in the 61st minute, but United was able to hold on."
The Examiner, Criag Stouffer: "The teams play the return leg Tuesday at Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico. The winner will face Argentina’s Arsenal in October."
UnitedMania, Mike Martin: "Unfortunately, United's Devin McTavish gave Baez way too much room and he was able to measure a lovely cross that found Santana perfectly as he beat Greg Vanney to the near post. Santana's shot gave Perkins no chance and the put the series back in reach for Chivas at 2-1."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "Chivas had taken a stranglehold on possession and United was dropping quite deep to track runners and keep the ball in front of them. But the man advantage kept showing itself on half-clearances from the D.C. defense that fell invitingly for late-arriving Chivas players at the top of the penalty area -- but Perkins was repeatedly let off the hook by shots that flew high of the target...But set pieces offer one of the few areas where a 10-man side can strike back, and a gritty bit of play by Gomez -- maintaining possession in a crowd of red-and-white jerseys some 25 yards from the Chivas goal -- earned his team one such precious opportunity in the 55th minute."
BlackDogRed, BDR: "United was fortunate to win, and would have been fortunate to win even at full strength the entire game. People who wonder where MLS as a whole ranks against other leagues around the world got a good demonstration last night of where MLS currently rates. Chivas, a mid-table Mexican team, was bigger, stronger, more dexterous and heads-up, and was demonstrably quicker and faster than the most skilled team in MLS. The only position where United was superior was goalie, and Troy Perkins, who recovered from a terrible touch early in the game, dropping a ball aimed right at his chest that many Chivas players should have buried, saved United."
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "Chivas had about 4 shots in the first half, but they finished the match with 21, you do the math. Yes Troy Perkins was beat on teh 61st minute goal, but I honestly think it was more of total defensive lapse that allowed teh cross to come through the box, rather than Troy getting caught on the wrong side of the goal mouth."
Soccer Insider, The Bog Man for the Goffather: "The consensus from talking to several players was that United played far from its best soccer, was dominated in possession early in the first half, created several nice chances at the end of the half, and then held on down the stretch, aided a bit by Chivas failing to put away its chances. From my vantage point, Fred's creativity on the left jumpstarted United's spell of dangerous possession in the first half, and Gomez's two runs (one that set up Olsen's right-place right-time bomb, and one that created the free kick) saved the offense."

The Good

1. We Don't Go to 11, we still get one more: Given an ejection to the defender who was having the best defensive game of the night, a 2-1 result is a fantastic one. Yes, Chivas gets an away goal, and that is mildly hurting, but as I recall we went down to Chivas drawn last time, and also down to Chile with a draw. At least this time we have a slight edge.
   
2. Troy Perkins: While none of the saves may have been utterly acrobatic, there were enough that were difficult, and if any had gone through I'm sure certain people would start playing clips of the previous match in Guadalajara. He shut down everything he could reasonable be expected to get at.
   
3. Clyde Simms: This marks about the fifth game we've seen him earn the everyday start with his performance. His play in midfield and dropping in was crucial in holding onto the slim lead, and his goal may well prove crucial.
   
4. Ben Olsen: Fred and Gomez both figured out the game as it went on, but Ben came out of the blocks strong. Again, the goal was simply just rewards for the effort he was putting out there.
   
5. Emilio as sole striker: Really, I don't much like it when he's up-top alone, and United was playing most of the game in a 3-3-2-1 after the red card to Burch, but he did enough to be a pest, and pulled the ball back. United still gave the ball away too often for a team bunkering in to preserve a lead shorthanded, but Emilio really did a lot alone up there to help buy time.
6. The play of Chivas: For all the complaining, Chivas played a clean game. Yes, they used too much flair too often. Stepovers are nice, but they were more successful just running at players and changing direction. It made for an exciting game. Of course, I prefer boring United blowout wins.
   
7. The Gentlemen of Knowledge, Who You Would Expect to Wear Top Hats, Carry Canes, and wear Evening Dress in the Middle of the Day. They don't, of course, but you might think that: Ran into this guy unexpectedly, whom I had never met before. He's much too kind about it in his words. This guy bought me a beer. It is a favor I publicly knowledge, and pledge to return. Truly, is there greater citizenship and brother/sisterhood in any country, in any army, in any municipality, than that of the fan? I think not. Gentlemen, it is a pleasure, let us do it again some time.
   

The Bad

1. Handling Speed: Most MLS Teams attack United by playing long balls over the top. Chivas, especially early, was having tremendous success playing nifty weighted through balls for someone to run onto. Namoff was consistently being run at, and the middle of the defense was not much better. If MLS teams have that ability (and fortunately, even most of the good ones don't) then United would not be where they are. The surrendered goal was partially an effect of this, and partially an effect of a midfield not collapsing back in time.
   
2. Namoff Gimping: I wrote this last week, but it is true this week. Not so much for the next Sudamericana game, but he needs to be healthy for the end of the season and the playoffs. This is not a good thing that I've had to write about it two games in a row. Get healthy.
3. Vision: The biggest problem in the opening half hour was just how slow United was to recognize that plays that were developing for them. Gomez was having an awful start to the game, consistenly making poor passes and late decisions. Fred and Olsen were having success on the wing, but once again too often the ball was being pushed down the middle. Or rather, too often they tried to push it down the middle, and it was not working.
4. The Fans of Chivas: This was alluded to in the comments, but while hearing a massive cheer of "CHI-VAS (boom,boom) CHI-VAS (boom,boom) repeat" is amazing the first two or three times you hear it, after awhile it gets old and tedious and not that impressive. They came equipped, which I credit them for, but they also were far too impressed by snazzy, yet ineffective play. I thought these wans were supposed to be savvy. And their whistles when Gomez and Namoff went down was just poor sportsmanship. Overall, I am underwhelmed with their supporters.
   

Man of the Match

Clyde Simms. Merit Awards to Olsen, Emilio, and most especially Perkins.

Karma Bank

Karma is not counted for non-MLS Competitions.

Final Thoughts

Let's get the scenarios out of the way first. For the second leg, here's how it works:

If United Wins: United Advances on aggregate
If the game is a draw: United Advances on aggregate
If Chivas Wins by Two or more goals: Chivas Advances on aggregate
If Chivas Wins 1-0: Chivas Advances on away goals
If Chivas wins 3-2, 4-3, 5-4, etc...: United Advances on away goals
If the final score is Chivas 2 : 1 United: We start to go down the road to penalties.

Got that? Good.

As for me, I enjoyed the game. I think the away goal for Chivas may be a better result for United than a 1-0 win (although certainly not as good as 2-0). If nothing else, United knows that they should look for one more goal in Guadalajara and not simply pack it in the entire game, a strategy with which they have shown dubious competence to date. That first goal in the second leg may well be everything, and United will know that very well now. Cagey, but aggressive, that's how we need to go. In fact, we need to play much like we did the first half last time we were down there.

First Impressions - D.C. United Dos : Uno CD Guadalajara

After half-time, you couldn't really ask for anything better. 2-0 would have been ecstatic, but 2-1 is probably the best result against decent competition I can recall in some time when we've had the first leg of a tie at RFK.

Marc Burch's ejection was doubly painful, not simply because we went down a man but because his flank was overall better defended than Namoff on the right. Brian had a very, very tough game, and if MLS teams study how Chivas sent balls through to players on great runs, the end of the season could be tough. That being said, most MLS teams don't have the overall speed and touch of Chivas, who may be mid-table right now but had a lot of the goods last night. United also wasn't playing their best game. We'll hit this in the debrief, but the vision was either lacking, or just not at game speed, and Christian Gomez took about forty minutes to settle into the match. Also, since I know something will be said, Burch's ejection was one of those "harsh, but legitimate" calls from referee Hector Baldaffi. Both tackles were worthy of a yellow, and together that makes a red. Might he have kept the card in the pocket on either? Perhaps, but the man made a decision that was completely defensible.

The worry I had about this game was one of injury, fatigue, and game fitness. That's probably why I wasn't thrilled about seeing this tournament in the middle of our Supporter's Shield run. Once at the game, those concerns quickly faded. Chivas brought their East Coast fans once again, and that makes bringing the support a matter of honor. Still, once the game is over, I return to the dispassionately logical concerns I had, and I have to admit that the only thing that could prove me right is the potential injury to Namoff. Christian Gomez clearly had lost a bit of form with his extended break, and a game like this may ultimately help in the long run.

Oh, and for Olsen and Simms to get goals is pretty much perfect for this season. That makes me happy. Benny & Clyde. There's a song there somewhere.

DCU v CD Guadalajara

I just noticed this information updated to the DC United homepage:

DC United v CD Guadalajara
Copa Nissan Sudamericana
09/26
8:30 p.m. ET

TV: FSE (LIVE), FSC (TD - 11 p.m. ET)
Radio: 1160 AM (Eng), SRN

So to the commenter who was wondering if Tony Limarzi would be bringing us the action on the radio, it appears that he will be. I'll be listening at wmet1160.com

Special Game C [hivas of Guadalajara]

The news in the major papers is tonight's match against Chivas of Guadalajara in the Copa Sudamericana. The buzz is emphasizing the fact that there is that United is carrying something of a grudge against the Real Goats. From Haydon in the Times:

"That loss against them left a bad taste in my mouth, and this is an opportunity for payback," Namoff said. "It gives us another chance to get another stab at Chivas."

And from The Bog Man in the Post:

"To me, it's more about Chivas versus D.C. United," Olsen said, "and it's a credit to this club that we can have a rivalry with one of the most storied clubs in Mexico."

Fred seems to be the one making the case for prestige of the tournament:

"We have to think big with our team's mentality in this tournament," said Fred. "It's very respected, it's very important. It's watched throughout the continent. I think we have a mentality that we can do well and hopefully advance to the next round."

QuarterVolley notes the voices from the Mexican side may sound a bit overconfident, but I also recall that we didn't open that series particularly impressively.

Now, while I'm thrilled that United's players really want this game (see the most recent Access United and Behind the Badge), and I'll definitely be there tonight, I just don't feel the same passion for this tournament that I felt two years ago. Perhaps two years ago it was the newness of the experience (Hey! We're playing in South America! Cool!) Perhaps part of it was just how depressing that ending was. But I think the major motivating factor is that of the three trophies in play for United, this ranks third right now. The Cup and the Shield are both much more desirable right now, and if either quest should suffer because of this match due to injuries or the like, I will not be pleased. I don't want the results of this match to interfere with the season or playoffs. I'd almost want a reserve heavy team to play in order to put out a full strength, rested line-up against Toronto. If the table was different, I'd feel differently, but right now this is not my main concern. The Real Goats may be a budding rivalry of a sort, but even that doesn't motivate me. Revenge, as Hamlet learned, isn't always a noble cause.

Debriefing for Match 12.A.04: At CD Guadalajara

Leg #2 - CD Guadalajara 2 : 1 D.C. United
Aggregate - DC United 2: 3 CD Guadalajara

Six Word Novel Recap

To be so close hurts more.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "D.C. United got off to a spectacular start against Mexican power Chivas last night, but allowed the tying goal just before the half and fell behind on goalkeeper Troy Perkins's gaffe, resulting in a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of the Champions' Cup semifinals at rainy Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico."
MLSNet, Jason Halpin: "But while goalkeeper Troy Perkins' fumble of a slick ball gifted Chivas the game-winner early in the second half, it was the poor marking on Chivas' strike at the end of the first frame that United coach Tom Soehn homed in on after the game."
US National Soccer Players, Ian Penderleith: " The game was actually more reminiscent of United's 2005 defeat in the Copa Sudamericana to Chile's Catolica."
UnitedMania, Martin Fernandez: "United fought back. Second half substitute Jamil Walker nearly evened the score late in the game but luck was on the Mexican side."
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "Our ball control, for the most part, was very good. Player support for the guy on the ball needs to improve, and I expect that it will. Passing out of the defense needs to improve as well, which we will have to wait and see how it does."
Ben Olsen's Beard: "Two stars to Stephen deRoux. While he is not a world-beater by any means, he stepped up when needed and logged what were mostly quality minutes."
QuarterVolley: " United did not roll over and die."
BlackDogRed: "Perkins gets forgiven that one by me - he's more than earned one absolved gaffe - but this is the one and only time. Less forgivable is giving up that first goal only minutes after Moreno's goal.. "

The Good

1. Jamie Moreno: I have been on the Jamie Moreno worry bandwagon for most of a year now, but even I was impressed by his performance. Even before the goal, he served notice that he was coming to play, sending in an aggressive shot in the 17th minute. The thing is, Moreno did show up occasionally last year, so I'm not ready to retire the "worry about Jamie" chain of reasoning, but he certainly had his best showing on Tuesday night. That being said, it seems Tom Soehn will be much more conscious of keeping Moreno fresh. Moreno didn't need to come out in the 75th minute, but him coming out sends a good message that Soehn will not burn him out.
2. Jamil Walker: His best appearance as a sub in several months. No, he didn't score, but he was clawing and scratching and fighting for this team.
3. Think Different: United's play is still not together yet. Passing is overly casual in the midfield, but the creative play is starting to come together. That bodes well. United was much more creative in terms of playing balls into space and playing smartly.
   
4. Officiating: I have been wrong on this throughout the entire tournament. The officiating, despite crediting Chivas with some diving, was overall fantastic. Full credit to CONCACAF on this one.
   

The Bad

1. Goal One: There's tons of blame to go around on the first Chivas goal. Facundo Erpen, as Maradawga notes, was beat with speed. I think this is overconfidence more than anything. Erpen has tremendous recovery speed, so I believe that he believes in his own abilities too much on occasion. He positioning was far from ideal, and against the speed that Chivas has he was exposed. Most of the time he can get away with it. But not against this team. That being said, he did push the attack to a bad angle, and all might have been saved had not Boswell made a conscious decision to leave his man. To his credit, he knows it, but there was a lot that led to that first goal.
2. Perkins on the Second Goal: We know. He knows. And he didn't let it shake his confidence as he went out and made great stops after it. Enough. That being said, you wonder if more MLS teams will try and test him with high hard shots. Knowing the accuracy of most MLS midfielders, I kind of hope they do.
3. DCenters at the Pub Quiz: We got shelled. Pumas like. Still, it was fun, and it was nice meeting some of you out there. Let's do it again sometime.
   

Man of the Match

N/A. We lost.

Final Thoughts

I have nothing to add that I haven't already said. I will say that Fred played pretty much as much as I thought he would, and I tried to caution people from assuming he was going to play immediately. I am curious to see if he will replace Gros or Moreno against Colorado.

We played well. We lost. It sucks. Thank goodness the season starts soon.

First Impressions - CD Chivas Guadalajara 2 : 1 D.C. United

AGGREGATE - D.C. UNITED 2 : 3 CD GUADALAJARA

D.C. UNITED ELIMINATED IN SEMI-FINAL OF 2007 CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP

Honestly?

Better than I expected. Worse than I hoped.

There may be talk of blame after this game, but I think it's unnecessary. Or if there is some thought to blame, it should be on the first goal. The later defensive breakdowns were a combination of fatigue and pressing for an equalizer. They should be expected. Yet for all that, unlike the first leg, Chivas did not seem like they clearly had the better players. They may, but for the first time this seemed like a match between teams that could be considered equals.

Still, Luis Bueno wrote in anticipation of last night's game "I continue to give D.C. no chance." He was wrong. But not wrong enough.

Like the Copa Sudamericana, my expectation on the way in were low. Like the Copa Sudamericana, the hope was sweet but tempered by the feeling of transience. Like the Copa Sudamericana, this one hurts.

I think that the greatest thing I can say about D.C. United is "there are no more moral victories." Such things are not possible for a team that can play as well as this one can. There are only wins. And defeats. This was the latter, but like our victories we show class in defeat. There are no moral victories because we know we can win any game. Moral victories only come when defeat is assured. We lost. But I never want to hear again that we are doomed to defeat if we play in Mexico. We just haven't done it yet. There will be a first time.

As usual, full debrief later.

Match Briefing for 12.A.04: At Guadalajara

Match #: 12.A.04

Opponent: Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Mexico)

Six Word Novel Preview: Score tied, count on Brazillian magic?

Aggregate Score: DC United 1 : 1 Club Deportivo Chivas

TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 9:30PM

Radio: Not known at this time.

Previous Meeting: United 1 (Emilio) : 1 (Bravo) CD Chivas

The Stakes: This is still simple, the aim is still to advance. It doesn't have to be pretty, just a win. Emilio's goal gave the team a lifeline, but they will be away from home and facing a tough team. The player's can't be timid or nervous, and will have to be more effective in disrupting Chivas' game from the beginning. Luckily, this is not as inexperienced a team as the one that was destroyed by Pumas in 2005. D expects that "we won't get nice, unbiased officiating in the away leg twice in this competition."

Chivas will want to prove that the 1-1 tie in RFK was a fluke, and will try to neutralize Christian Gomez to shut down United's attack. Don't be surprised if they try to goad our players into picking up needless cards. They're coming off of a 1-0 los to San Luis this Saturday. How tired will the Mexican team be after having played on Saturday? Will we see the usual starters? It is everyone's understanding that Mexican National Teamer Omar Bravo won't be available due to yellow card accumulation - how will that affect them?

Previews from the DCUniverse: Washington Post (added as we see them)

The DCenter Team's Location: The whole crew, D, Kinney, and Oscar will be at the SE Pub quiz. You should be there too.

Expectations: The outright fan in me wouldn't be surprised by a United win, this team could still advance. But they didn't help themselves by letting Chivas walk out of RFK with a tie. Even a one goal lead would be something. A tie during regulation wouldn't be anything to be ashamed of.

What to look for? Tighter defense - and hopefully no patented Erpen miscues out of the back. The team will have to work better to free Gomez, and provide quick outlets to capitalize if Chivas collapses 2, 3, or 4 players on him. Perkins will have to keep his back line focused and sharp for ninety minutes.

Ouch (shuffle) Ouch (Shuffle) Ouch.

FAN GUIDE PROGRESS: I managed to sprain my ankle over the weekend, which meant I didn't spend enough time on the New Fan's Guide as I would have liked. However, I did watch a lot of TV while being propped up on my sofa. Yes, that meant I saw San Luis take on Chivas, and United fans could take heart from seeing that result. San Luis was clearly the less skilled team.

My lack of activity being noted, others did make progress, and there are some helpful comments left in previous posts. My thanks to all that have done something, but please, we still need your contributions and editing to make this as great as we can.

SEE US LIVE: The DCenters, all of us (Kinney, Oscar, and myself) will be at the Screaming Eagles Pub Quiz tomorrow (look for the March 27 posting.) The event will be at the Babylon Futbol Cafe in Bailey's Crossroads starting at 6:30. If you ever wanted to say something to our face, this would be a good time. Registration for the quiz is $10, and you can get assigned to a team. I fully intend for our team to dominate. Failing that, I intend for our team to be at least mildly humorous.

DC Starters Crush Tecos Reserves

The press release just came out. DC won 3-0, with two of the goals coming in the first half when our starters were on the field. Moreno had two assists, with goals by Emilio, Gomez, and Casal. It's interesting to me that Boswell played the full game as it shows a distinct lack of depth in that position.

Also, according to this Medio Tempio article, Chivas staff were at the game taking notes and video taping. I guess they are taking United pretty seriously.

Uplifted

I detect a certain degree of resignation among a subset of D.C. United fans regarding the CONCACAF Champion's Cup. The 1-1 draw with Chivas at RFK has led many to believe that the defeat in Mexico is inevitable, and that DC's best hopes are to avoid a complete humiliation. I can understand this, but it's wrong. The Anxious Auxiliary Brigades are quick to point out that 1-1 was the result after the RFK leg with UNAM Pumas, an uncomfortable prelude to a 5-0 beat-down. History, it seems, would dictate these worries.

Readers of the DCenters know a few things: First, we don't believe that large margins of victories in single games are true indicators of talent so much as multiple small margins of victory. Five-nil is definitely within the fluke classification. Second, we don't believe that history is determinant. Just as people will be quick to say "Those that do not study history are bound to repeat it" people seem just as quick to equate that to "I've studied history, and this is what has happened, so this is what will happen." That second statement of historical determinism is bullshit of the highest order. Things change. DC doesn't lose in knockout competitions to MLS Teams. Unless it is the Chicago Fire. Until it was New England. Similarly, on the reverse side, DC is not doomed because of some macro-historical pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo.

Let me ask you a question, those of you that watched the Chivas match either on-screen or in-person: Did you feel that D.C. United looked bad because they weren't playing as well as they could, or because Chivas was so much better that D.C. looked bad in comparison?

I personally feel that many of the problems in the Chivas match were not caused so much by Chivas, but rather by United. That's not to say that Chivas wasn't a skilled team, and didn't cause United problems. But I didn't feel like I was looking at a team destined to play United off the pitch. DC made DC look bad more than Chivas did (although Chivas played their part.)

All this is saying that I think United can play a better game in Guadalajara. Of course, they may well play a better game and see Chivas step their game up a notch or two as well. But it's not set in stone that this is a repeat of the 2005 Pumas second leg. The forces of history are not necessarily a match for Ben Olsen.

Monday's Black

First post of the week will be a little scatter-shot, but there's some interesting reading out there:

SELF-LOATHING: First, I defy anyone to read this article over at the Metrologist and not conclude that the hatred for DC in New York is much more about New York than it is about DC. Key graf:

those who have been around a while may easily remember that (early titles or not) Metro and DC were more or less equal in crowd numbers through the first half of MLS's existence, and the Metro diehard core was always a little more...how do we say this nicely...."credible" than the weird assortment of fake Mods, knife-toting Salvadorans, and margarita-mix buying, tailgate-ticketing elements that constitutes your average DC crowd. That is, until the bulk of the Metro faithful was beat into a fine powder by shit results, shit management, and a shitty gameday experience, and drifted away on the winds.

Now, you don't have to agree with the basis of that statement (and I don't) but you can still see that the one of things that infuriates RBNY followers is that DC is a consistent example of "What it Could Have Been Like" to them. It would be one thing if DC had just been a dynasty for 11 years, but to humiliate the fans in New York even more we had to suck for a good three years before coming back to prominence. New York has never managed such a rebound, and we even had to prove it was possible. The fact is, DC has been very, very fortunate in the type of leadership we have received. It's worth remembering, and it also explains some of the abject hate we get from the hardcore supporters of other teams, especially when those teams have consistently underperformed (Columbus, New York...)

LATE REPORTS: DCist and Off-wing have recaps of last week's game which are worth reading. For those who care about the behind the scenes stuff, generally I try to get everyone into Debrief before noon, but I'll try and link up other reports as they become available.

¿CUÁNTO MÁS NEGRO PODRÍA SER? THE ANSWER IS NONE MORE BLACK: Yes Mexico, you have your own Spinal Tap.

ROTATION: John Haydon expands on Tommy Soehn's philosophy of using more reserves in the Times This is interesting because we know that Soehn called out DeRoux and Moose in during the Screaming Eagles meeting as people he wanted to see play more, and now we have Carroll the Younger to add to that mix. I should also note that Soehn did not mention Domenic Mediate, which was probably a sign.

Call for Video!

If someone taped the game, and would like to make a nice YouTube video of a Chivas player sliding groin first into a goal post, we certainly wouldn't object. And we're not the only ones.

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.

Highlights of DC United vs. CD Guadalajara

Not many highlights in this one folks. Pretty ugly game all around, but here they are if you want to see the goals. This is the home leg of the two game home and away series.

First Impressions - DC United 1 : 1 Chivas Guadalajara

Chivas proved two things over the course of the game I just saw. First, they were the better team over ninety minutes. Second, they have no class.

On the first point, Chivas was clearly the more dangerous team, although the United defense did well to contain them for the first sixty minutes. Namoff especially made several vital interventions before his effort was spoiled when he deflected Bravo's shot past Troy Perkins. The main problem for United was that they couldn't seem to generate chances when they had possession, and never really put Chivas on their heels. A significant problem was that United was consistently beat to 50-50 balls, and were never confident when making moves on Chivas players. That could be preseason form, or it could just have been nerves. Or perhaps Chivas really is that better in the marginal situations. However, certain players did play their heart out, and in addition to Namoff I should credit Ben Olsen, Christian Gomez, and Clyde Simms.

On the second point, Chivas were a bunch of divas and thugs throughout the night, blatantly mugging the United midfield and then pouting on the slightest call. Pathetic. Special call-out to Gonzalo Pineda (#7), who was in a give-and-take with Ben Olsen all night. At the end of the match, Ben did the honorable thing and went to shake hands. Pineda took the outstretched arm, and with his left hand delivered a shove to Olsen's face. Pineda is a useless wretch of a human being. He wouldn't know class if you spotted him the C and the L. Fuck him.

All in all, the Chivas fans were decent and loud, and probably outnumbered the United faithful three to one. I respect the fans, but honestly, your team did not earn your love with their deportment tonight. The United supporters, well, we did our best, and I have no voice left to show for it. I am proud of all who stood through the game.

Again, this was what I expected as a result, and while the odds are against us, it can still happen. This isn't over.

Match Briefing for 12.A.03: Chivas Guadalajara

Match #: 12.A.03

Opponent: Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Mexico)

Six Word Novel Preview: Home away from home? Not RFK.

CONCACAF Champions Record: First Match of Semifinals
CD Guadalajara - 1962 Champions (Corrected, see comments)
D.C. United - 1998 Champions

TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 8PM

Radio: ??

Previous Meeting: DC United 2 : 2 CD Guadalajara (August 24, 1997) [Note: Corrected, see comments]

The Stakes: You're going to hear a lot about how this will be a measuring stick about MLS. I don't buy these arguments. This game is simply a match beteween DC United and a Mexican team that's playing quite well in their league right now. For DCU, the questions about the defensive play will come to the forefront, and the ability to manage Chivas's wing play and counter attack will say a lot about how much progress has been made. DC United needs a lead coming out of this leg to maintain a decent hope of advancing, but hope is not dead with a draw.

For Chivas, the stakes are lower. They would like to come out of RFK close enough to take the win at home. Sunday they will be playing Club America at Estadio Azteca, and will no doubt want to take three points in that match. While they may not be looking past D.C. United, they may have to deal with a small case of fixture congestion that causes them not to play their best XI for the full 90 minutes.

Previews from the DCUniverse: DCUnited.COM, Ian Penderleith, Washington Post, Washington Times, The Offside: DC United, UnitedMania, DCist, Off-Wing Opinion (others added if/when we see them).

D's Location: Kinney has an extra ticket. Or rather, he had one. It's mine now. I just need to pay him. I'm not missing this game. No sir.

What to Look For: From Penderleith's article above: "The defense also practiced dealing with balls coming in from wide positions, as this is where D.C. feels Chivas can be at its most dangerous." That jives with what we saw from Chivas in their game on Sunday. And it will be a key. I'm not saying that I expect defenders to deny Chivas the ball on passes or early crosses in from the wing, but I damn sure expect them to deny Chivas space. If DC can be opportunistic in exploiting mistakes from Chivas, and limit the Chivas' supply from the wing, they can win this game. Key players to watch: Erpen, Namoff, Olsen. Also watch Perkins not on how well he goes from side to side, or how well he kicks the ball, but how quickly he can get up or down in his positioning.

Expectations: Every fan of Mexico on the East Coast will be at this game. That means you, yes YOU, must have a ticket and be in black. Walk up and buy one. I don't care if you own a DC United replica or not, get a black button-up wear the damn thing. Hell, it works for Jay-Z. If you're on the quiet side, you damn well clap along when a certain drummer shows up in your section. If you're on the other side, you sing, you clap, and you stand. If it rains, you do not head to the back. You get wet. Or bring something with a hood, provided it is black. Okay, PSA over.

The fact is, I expect a draw. While that won't bode well, it isn't the end of the world. United can score goals in other countries. Remember they put a number up in the Sudamericana away leg, even though they lost. Anything better than a draw, and DCU will have exceeded expectations. A loss is, however, a disappointment.