DC United v. CD Olimpia Second Leg Highlights

For those of you who missed the game. Here is a youtube video.

Debriefing for Match 12.A.02: CD Olimpia

Leg #2 - DC UNITED 3 : 2 CD Olimpia
Aggregate - DC United 7 : 3 CD Olimpia

Six Word Novel Recap

The rain fell. So did Olimpia.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "United claimed a 3-2 victory before 8,181 spectators to win the series by a 7-3 aggregate score."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: "The D.C. United faithful likely will chant Luciano Emilio's name plenty this season. United's new Brazilian acquisition scored two exquisite goals last night against his old team, CD Olimpia of Honduras..."
UnitedMania, Jimmy LaRoue: "Olimpia threatened United's defense on numerous occasions, especially in the first half, and it was rewarded with a 30th minute penalty from Hendry Thomas after Bryan Namoff's foul in the 18-yard box."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United's back line were making things even more difficult for themselves with some slipshod passing under high pressure and they finally paid the price in the 29th minute when Namoff scuffed his clearance deep in his own corner and compounded the error by clipping Barahona as he cut back onto his right foot in the penalty area."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: (yes, a second article, dude earns his paycheck) "With the 7-3 win on aggregate against Olimpia, United advances to take on CD Guadalajara (better known as Chivas) in the tournament's semifinals, with the first leg scheduled for March 15 at RFK. The Mexican giants present a substantially more imposing obstacle for the Black-and-Red, but United's veter
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "With the exception of the second goal, our [DC's] defense looked very composed and in control. I would have to say that Boswell, Erpen, Namoff and Simms killed off about 10 minutes of the match at the end, simply with their ball control. Erpen still had a few of his "WTF!?!?!" moments, but Boswell showed exactly why he will be a regular part of the USMNT this summer with his ability to cover for his fellow defenders."
BlackDogRed: "One distinct difference I see so far between Nowak's and Soehn's philosophies is Soehn is sending Erpen forward far more regularly, loping a midfielder behind to cover, and I think this signals a far less rigid - and hopefully far more joyful - system."
(NOTE: We may add more recaps to this list as we see them. Or we may not. It depends on how lazy I am.)

The Good

1. Emiliorgasm: When Luciano Emilio first was announced as coming to DC United, I wondered if he was good enough to help the team more than our beloved Alecko Eskandarian. Now I'm starting to wonder iff the rest of the team is good enough to use Emilio. Seeing him in person is seeing more than just great finishing. He does so many things well, from runs off the ball to little touches to other players into space to glancing headers designed to take advantage of another's well designed run. Simply an amazing home debut.
   
2. Tactically Sound: Coach Tom Soehn has already shown he is not Piotr Nowak. Two substitutions at the half was something I don't recall seeing once last year, especially with one of them being for Moreno. He also showed the ability to think differently. When I first hears Olsen's name announced, I had assumed he was coming in for McTavish. That he came in for Carroll showed flexiblity in Soehn's line-ups, adapting to the situation in a way that called for it. These are good changes in my mind, hopeful ones that show that Soehn is showing his own way of doing things. This is his team now.
   
3. Clyde Simms: One of his best performances to date. What impressed me was not only his ability to step into passing lanes and take possession, but how quickly his head was up and he was usually able to distribute the ball.
   
4. Facundo Erpen: I know, he had his share of bad giveaways, but these weren't nearly as often, or as dangerous, as they were in the past. Most of his risk taking involved poor decisions near the center line, as opposed to out of the box. He also showed real class on several tackles, and given that I rag on him occasionally I wanted to laud his performance last night.
5. Boswell: Is really, really, really, for real. Part of me keeps thinking that as much as I love the guy, he may suddenly show that he's not as good as we think he is. Instead, he just keeps solidifying his game.
6. Jamil Walker: How can a guy who took three clear chances and sent two off them off Olimpia's keeper's face get on the Good list? Because of everything that led to those chances. He was more active in all aspects of the game, from making good runs to harassing Olimpia through the midfield. Excellent all-round effort from the second half substitute.
   
7. Ben Olsen: He took the Captain's armband from Moreno for the second half, and provided excellent on-field leadership and composure from the defensive midfield position.
   

The Bad

1. 20 minute warm-up: Not sure why, but United was quite ragged the opening twenty minutes of the game in all aspects.
   
2. Wing Speed: This is still a problem. McTavish was abused in the opening half, although he recovered somewhat in the second half. Gros also found difficulty in both shutting down his side defensively and in beating Olimpia defenders to through balls down his side.
   
3. Jaime Moreno: It's tough to say something bad about a legend, but his opening 45 minutes were not inspiring. I can usually understand his decision making when he chooses to pass rather than pull the trigger, but his decision to pass up a shot in the twentieth minute when he was in on the keeper was truly befuddling, as his pass to McTavish was across three Olimpia defenders and put McTavish into a much tighter angle that Jaime was in.
   
4. Cohesion: We're still definitely in pre-season form. Or, if you want to be pessimistic, end of last season form. It's showing up in little ways, and can get much better.
5. The Perkins Injury: Nothing against Jay Nolly, but seeing Troy limp off the field was not a good feeling. I know we want him to come back for the game on the 15th, but I'd even prefer he missed the game rather than come back too soon and make things worse. Get well, Troy. Don't worry about "soon." We'll worry about that. You just get better.
   

Man of the Match

I want to give this to Clyde Simms, but Emilio deserves it. Welcome to DC, Luciano Emilio. Merit awards to Simms, Boswell, Gomez, and Olsen.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the game, the rain has subsided to a small drizzle. Across came Olsen, Boswell, and Gomez, applauding the supporters for their efforts. Boswell even fist bumped the D.C. United shield on his jersey. "It's nice to see you all again," their applause said. Well, it was nice to see them again as well. We've missed this. Good to have it back.

First Impressions - DC United 3 : 2 CD Olimpia

Aggregate - DC United 7 : 3 CD Olimpia
DC United advances to CONCACAF Champion's Semifinal

I'm wet. I'm tired. I'm hoarse. But I was happy I was there. And I'm still happy now.

Go ahead and leave MotM suggestions in the comments. Yes, Luciano Emilio is definitely the real deal, and to see it in person is to see so much more than just him having the ball at his feet. A brace is pretty much going to make him the front runner for MotM honors. Still, a couple of other performances are worth a mention: Clyde Simms and Facundo Erpen were both much improved from last week, and Clyde impressed me quite a bit with his timing. Ben Olsen was a great second half sub, and he kept his play controlled despite suffering more than a few hard fouls. Boswell was decent, Namoff acceptable after giving up the penalty. The offense didn't have to run through Gomez, but he did well when he had it.

Some disappointments, but we can save those for tomorrow. DC did what they had to do, and then they did a bit more than that. The team took a step forward, both in terms of the competition and in the form they showed on the pitch. Now we get Real Chivas next (See what I did there? Clever, eh?). March 15. If we can brave the elements for this game, you can brave it for the next one.

Match Briefing for 12.A.02: CD Olimpia

Match #: 12.A.02

Opponent: CD Olimpia (Honduras)

Six Word Novel Preview: Great start. Now finish them off.

Aggregate Score: DC United 4 : 1 CD Olimpia

TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 7PM

Radio: Not known at this time.

Previous Meeting: United 4 (Gomez, Emilio, Gomez, Erpen) : 1 (Carcamo) CD Olimpia

The Stakes: This is simple. This is not about sending a message, or proving your worth. Any result that allows DC United to advance, regardless of the score, is a good result. Bonus points for avoiding cards, since the next match will be against Chivas, and you can expect that we won't get nice, unbiased officiating in the away leg twice in this competition. Even if Olimpia gets a 2-0 or 3-1 result, I won't complain. The only important thing is advancing, staying healthy, and staying on the field.

For Olimpia, pride is on the line. Their manager's resignation was not accepted by management, so that message came through loud and clear. The team won their most recent Honduran league game against lower table Victoria 2-1, so it's tough to draw any conclusions from that.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Washington Post, Washington Times, UnitedMania, Express (others added as we see them)

D's Location: As of now, I do not have a ticket, for various reasons, most of them paycheck related. But I will be walking up to buy one before 7PM. And I will be there. With rain and cold weather gear. You should be there too.

Expectations: Does it seem like I was keeping expectations down in the paragraphs above? Well, I was. I was stunned by the 4-1 performance, but as I've written in the past, big results are usually not as indicative of play as close results. So I don't expect a huge result in this game. All I want is for the work in Honduras to pay off, as I never want Honduras to level to aggregate score. Even if that lead narrows, I'll be happy.

What to look for? Tighter defense, and focus on how the back line distributes the ball to start the counter. Who makes the pass out? How much runs through Gomez? Do we try anything direct over the top to Moreno or Emilio? These are interesting tactical questions that could play into later games. Does this team look smoother than they did the last time out when it comes to their passing, especially long balls? All things I will be watching for.

Debriefieng for Match 12.A.01: At CD Olimpia

CD OLIMPIA 1 : 4 DC UNITED

Six Word Novel Recap

Gomez: Definitely Awake, Alive, and Kicking.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "Concerns about D.C. United's preparedness for its CONCACAF Champions' Cup quarterfinal opener in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, last night were put to rest with several spectacular goals during a surprising 4-1 victory over Olimpia."
MLSNet, Jonathan Nierman: "As was so often the case during the 2006 MLS season, Gomez was the catalyst, urging the Black-and-Red forward with smart passes, darting runs and, of course, killer finishing."
MLSNet, Edwin Cerrato: "Just before the end of the half, Emilio silenced the Estadio Nacional crowd. Josh Gros chased down a pass in the left corner and drove a low cross into the heart of the area where Emilio ran onto it before flicking past James with a sublime backheel off the inside of his left boot. After a minute of funereal silence and the attitude of Emilio - who did not celebrate effusively - the crowd applauded its former star."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "The score line is really very misleading. The four goals are more of a reflection of how bad Olimpia were last night, rather than how good United was."
Quarter Volley, I-66: "As a whole, United looked to have their stuff together. They didn't appear to be a team essentially in their preseason, though there were some stretches where I felt they were in trouble while lacking in possession and the ability to clear the ball from their box."
MLS Underground: "This might go down as the greatest performance by a MLS team in Central America in the league's 11 history."

The Good

1. Yeah, see, we're up three goals at RFK: We should just acknowledge that 4-1 is a stunning result, and that it is the single most important fact to come out of this game. Everything looks good after 4-1. Or it would if I weren't such a curmudgeonly bastard.
   
2. Moving the ball on the ground: DC was able to execute small, simply passes, and send the occasional through ball to put Olimpia under pressure. They did this for much of the first twenty minutes of the game, in which I expected DC to be pinned on their side of the pitch. It didn't happen, because they were able to start to build simply possession.
3. Emilio's Goal: With the cross slightly behind him, he played almost a back-heel flick into the goal. Honestly, if I had any doubts that he was a goal scorer, that audacious move silenced them, since that was the move only a goal scorer will think of.
4. Defensive Shape: In the run of play, the backs plus Simms and Carroll were decent. They can even get better.
5. Stamina: Kinney noted that this team didn't tire as readily as we thought they might. He's right. They had a lot of breath for a pre-season match.
6. Justin Moose: Showed more in ten minutes yesterday than his entire season in the reserves. We always knew he was fast, but the crazy pull-back ball control thing? That's new...
7. Officiating: A well officiated game, and a reminder that some referees, regardless of geography, will enforce the laws of the game. A special call-out to the Honduran AR Crew, who were rigid and impartial putting the flags up. Compared to other games played yesterday, the contrast in quality was amazing. Also, he called back-to-back illegal throw-ins. I don't think I've ever seen that, but it worked and told me that this was someone who just enforced the laws.
   

The Bad

1. Mental Acuity: If there was an overall disappointment, it was that this team didn't quite look as mentally smart as I would have liked. There were too many passes reflecting a dubious decision making process. They could have played simpler. The pitch was partially to blame, as the grass seemed to jump up and interfere with the feet for attempts to send the ball long and through the air. Still, the decision making was suspect from all players, although Erpen and Simms I think were (unfairly, since they were just as much to blame as anyone) singled out for it.
2. Wing Speed: About two weeks ago I wrote: "Olsen's speed outside particularly worries me, since a nimble opposing flank player may be able to play around him and force Ben to take an early caution." This happened last night, and could well happen all year. Ben's a tenacious, gritty player, who grew the beard back. If he's put in that position, he's going to get cards because there's no way he's giving up on his marking responsibilities, Laws or no Laws. I hate seeing him put into that situation.
3. CD Olimpia: They can back-to-back aerial back-heel passes, but seemed to find difficult with short and mid range passes. Not to mention some blown finishes, out-of-position keepers (especially on the second for Gomez), and one chance to go in on Perkins alone that was senselessly squandered. They underwhelmed.
4. Set Piece Transition: There's a few moments after you've defended a set piece and you're trying to adjust your shape into your traditional defense. It can be something of a physically demanding and mentally demanding moment, as you have to figure out where you should be and get there promptly. It was in one such post-set piece transition when Olimpia scored.

Man of the Match

Tips of the cap to Emilio, Namoff, Carroll, and Perkins, but your Man of the Match is Christian Gomez. In fact, that's too long of a title. He's just "The Man."

Final Thoughts

Read people's reactions to the first impressions last night: There's some good analysis in there.

I agree with many of those who write that 4-1 is misleading because it makes DC look better than they are. But still, DC looked about as good as I've seen them at this point in the preseason. They certainly looked better in terms of creativity than I remember from the C.F. Getafe match at around this time last year, especially through the first 45 minutes (remember, that game was pretty much even until the second half).

Ultimately, this game was Hopeful, after a 2006 season that ended in irony and frustration. It didn't put to rest my concerns about this team, but it did show me that while I notice the areas of concern, there is still a lot that is right with United. It's a lesson I will heed. Now go out and get those defenders and wing players.

DC United v. CD Olimpia Highlights

For those of you who missed the game. Here is a youtube video of some sublime goals.



Much thanks to Bigsoccer poster GreekChampion04 for getting this up.

First Impressions - CD Olimpia 1 : 4 DC United

Like last season, we'll offer more in-depth analysis with the full debrief, but first a question: "Was it just as good for you as it was for me?"

I told Lifton at the half that I was happy with what I saw when the score was 1-1. We were passing well, playing a fair amount of the game on Olimpia's end of the pitch. The team wasn't perfect, but they were playing decently. The touches weren't quite there, but you could see what it would be like when they were. United was able to systematically move the ball around the field with controlled passes, although any attempt to play the ball long over-the-top seemed somewhat adventerous. The defense held its shape in the run of play very well. Perkins was back playing air traffic control like he was at his best last year. Gomez was running the offense decently, if not perfectly. That Emilio made a classy, classy goal to put us up 2-1 felt like a nice bonus.

Then United added two more: First with Christiam Gomez finding the near post corner with a bit of help from a slow-reacting keeper, and then with Facundo Erpen's header from the corner kick. I mean... a corner-kick goal?! We only seem to get those in international games, they never come in the regular season.

This isn't to say all was perfect. It wasn't, and you can see some potential roadblocks ahead. And CD Olimpia's effort was much poorer, especially in passing during the run of play, than I expected to see from them. But for right now, congratulations to Tom Soehn, Christan Gomez, Emilio Luciano, and the entire DC United effort. For the 2007 campaign to begin this way surpassed not only my expectations, but my dreams. A nice start. No, a wonderful start. But only a start.

Match Briefing for 12.A.01: At CD Olimpia

Match #: 12.A.01

Opponent: CD Olimpia (Honduras)

Six Word Novel Preview: Are we ready? We must be.

CONCACAF Champions Record: First Match of Quarterfinals
CD Olimpia - 1973, 1988 Champions
D.C. United - 1998 Champions

TV: Fox Soccer Channel, 9PM (MLS Underground with live feed)

Radio: Feed from DCUnited.COM

Previous Meeting: N/A.

The Stakes: For D.C. United, fair or unfair, this game will be the first evaluation of the Tom Soehn era, and will also be used as a referendum on the off-season maneuvers by the DC Front Office. Normally I would caution against reading too much into a game for which DC has had little time to prepare, but this is the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and the prestige of the competition matters. The key test is whether the starting XI put on the field tonight look like a team that can be competitive for the upcoming year. Yes, D.C. United continues to pursue acquisitions, but right now this is the team we have. And for the first time we'll be seeing if this is a team we can believe in.

For CD Olimpia, you have to imagine that they'll be up for this match. It would be one thing if it was just the presence of an American team, but this is an American team that took away their scoring champion. I have to believe that the strikers for Olimpia will be wanting to prove to their fans that they don't need Emilio Luciano any more, and will play hard and fast. You can hear a small allusion to this from DC Assistant Coach Chad Ashton in the most recent SE Podcast if you listen to him describing the Olimpia attack.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Washington Post, Washington Times, Soccer Insider, The Offside: DC United, An American's View..., Quarter Volley, Port Halifax Idea Gateway (other added as we see them)

Expectations: This game is unlikely to be a walk in the park for United. Yes, I know Climbing the Ladder pointed out that no MLS team has ever lost to a Honduran team. Well, no team ever beat D.C. United in the playoffs until the Chicago Fire did it. And then no team other than the Chicago Fire did it until New England did it last year. Someone ends up as the first. It could be us.

A lead coming back to RFK is great, and a non-scoreless draw would also be acceptable. Even a 2-1 deficit isn't the end of the world. All of those would be acceptable results to me, though I would certainly prefer a nice 2-0 cushion coming home. To me, the important thing is to see how well the defense plays. Scoring frequently requires timing and familiarity, and I can see where it might take a month or so to really expect that to develop, but a solid defensive effort from the back line and defensive mids is a systematic thing that shouldn't rely as heavily on individual performances. If the defense is shaky, I wouldn't be surprised if DC's 3-5-2 looked more like a 7-2-1 for most of the game. But if it can work possession away from Olimpia and move the ball down the pitch, that will bode well even if the goals don't come. That's how I will be looking at this game.