In advance of Sunday midday...

I was on the fence about this post. It is silly, certainly. I thought I might discuss the horizontal symmetries of the two clubs' jersey sponsors.

See?

Or I might mention the fact that Greg Vanney is now a "Herbalife-sponsored player" (see: New Stars in the LA Galaxy) and has 10 appearances this season for the Galaxy after most recently playing for DC United.

Or I might find some ridiculous quote to mock from herbalife.com; perhaps this...

Our Founder Mark Hughes: As a teenager he made a decision to improve people’s lives with better nutrition. This led him to found Herbalife in 1980.

Forget the fact that the Herbalife website is virtually impossible to navigate. You have to walk a tightrope with your mouse to use the dropdowns across the top of the site. With a touchpad, that's hard.

But then I found what I was looking for and I knew that "worlds colliding" was the theme of the post that I was looking for.

I saw this (4th item) and some smoke came out of my ears....

Grammy Winner Nelly Furtado Favors Liftoff®
According to People magazine, award-winning recording artist Nelly Furtado favors Liftoff® effervescent dietary supplement for "quick-me-ups." Furtado told People that she used Liftoff® tablets to get ready for her high-energy performance during the 2007 Grammy Awards.

BECAUSE...

Remember this?




So who will she be supporting on Sunday?

Salary Cap Implications of Veron: Someone's gonna go.

While yesterday I talked about how the money for Veron didn't imply much of a trade-off, there is a trade that needs to be considered: Adding a designated player $400K to the salary cap. Ridge Mahoney talks a bit about this today, so let's look closer. $400K salary cap hit for a designated player. United doesn't have the room for that right now. Now, I don't have 2008 Salary figures, but I think we can take a good guess as to how things stand. Let's take the 2007 Base Salaries, and add 5% as a rough estimate for built-in contract increases, and we'll adjust for the departure of Brian Carroll and the anticipated retirement of Josh Gros:

I've left in North, Crowe, and Mupier since while they're gone, those salaries will also likely go to new draft picks. Now, to afford Veron's $400K salary hit, United would need to get to about $1.85M, and right now they're almost $150K over that number before any negotiations with Christian Gomez or others about raises. Given that I think there's no way we keep Christian without at least $50,000/year more, that means DCU is probably in a position where to keep Veron, plus Gomez, plus Moreno, they need to trim about $200K, or acquire allocations to help pay those salaries and keep us under the cap. Looking at the list, do you see where cuts can get made?

Yeah, there's Vanney. A salary renogitation has long been rumored, but even if you get him down $100,000, there's still another $100K you need to find somewhere. Now, in my mind, it would not surprise me to see Vanney's salary renegotiated, then see Vanney traded (getting him almost entirely off the books) for allocation money that would help us stay within the cap providing some money to help bolster the salaries of Gomez and Emilio (assuming we don't get the benefit of L.A. salary cap rules).

Of course, if either Moreno or Gomez leaves, then the situation is largely moot. And perhaps there are other people that we need to consider renegotiation with: As much as it hurts me to say it, Ben Olsen and Jaime Moreno are both getting a lot of money, and perhaps you can save some there. Of course, that means we'd be threatening the soul of United, and I can imagine how that would be perceived by hyperactive bloggers like me...

What Chris Webb Gets Right, and Wrong, About the Vanney-Erpen Trade

Chris Webb has a provocative article about the Vanney-Erpen deal over at UnitedMania. Go ahead and read the article in full, because it is good reading. However, as always, we reserve the right to dissent, at least in part. Now, this is the kind of in-depth argument that only fans care about, so let's get at it. Webb argues that the day of the Vanney deal was the day "D.C. United moved into the upper echelon of MLS." But is that true?

I don't think so. As we argued previously, the Vanney deal was more problematic for DC to begin with. There's a clear correlation between Vanney arriving, and a mid-season string of mediocre results (yes, correlation is not causation, but it should at least raise your eyebrows). Specifically, one game after Vanney arrives and the United defense, whose recent form had been below their season average, suddenly spikes above the season-to-date averages. At the time, we argued that this was evidence that Boswell/Vanney did not work well, and that the true spark to the defense was Marc Burch. Webb attributes Burch's maturity at least partially to Vanney:

However, probably the biggest benefactor of the trade has been Marc Burch who has more than exceeded expectations on the left side of defense...Burch has not only defended well but his already prolific offensive moves has added a new dimension to a United attack that now can attack from every position on the field. United has undergone a tactical and philisophical change since Burch has come into the lineup. They actually use his fantastic left foot to their advantage.

Yet let's not forget that Vanney, when initially acquired, was blocking Burch. To refresh your memory, the back four against Colorado was Gros-Erpen-Simms-McTavish. The first game Vanney plays, and the backline is Vanney-McTavish-Simms-Gros. Against Houston, the line-up is similar: Vanney-Boswell-McTavish-Gros. In the crucial road-win against New England, we finally see the backline that powers the unbeaten streak: Burch-McTavish-Boswell-Namoff. Burch, if anything, was not helped by Vanney's arrival, but hindered. Vanney was blocking Burch at the left back position.

Now, I agree that one major benefactor was Josh Gros, who was servicable at best as an outside back, but is more effective in midfield. Webb has that absolutely right. But the day United became a contender wasn't the day they traded for Greg Vanney, it was the day that they realized that the job they acquired Vanney for was one that was better filled by Burch. Once Vanney was put in the center of defense, his speed became a bit less of a liability, and his experience and ability to organize a defense was better utilized. If you're looking for a turning point (and certainly with a season with 5 remaining games, plus the playoffs, it's possible more turning points will emerge) then that's a more persuasive turning point. Is the Vanney-Erpen deal a good one? Yes, for many of the other reasons Webb enumerates (freeing us from an SI logjam with Erpen next year becomes a large one). But the deal itself wasn't the contributing factor, it was the ability to adapt Vanney's usage to his abilities, and that meant moving him out of left back.

Debriefing for Match 12.24: New England Revolution

D.C. United 4 : 2 New England Revolution

Six Word Novel Recap

Four goals equals four point lead.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "Moreno scored his first goal in the run of play in nearly a year, and Emilio scored two more to bring his league-leading total to 18 as United defeated the New England Revolution 4-2 in a game littered with questionable calls...'The first goal was lucky,' Emilio said. 'On the second goal, I was the only one on the field who believed Carroll would get that cross to me.'"
The Washington Post, Paul Tenorio: "With the win, United moves four points ahead of New England atop the Eastern Conference standings and is one step closer to the Supporters' Shield."
The Examiner, Craig Stouffer: "Fred opened the scoring in the 31st minute, but the Revolution (12-6-6) reclaimed the lead with a Taylor Twellman smash just before halftime and a Jay Heaps score on a messy corner kick 10 minutes after halftime."
The Boston Globe, Frank Dell'Appa: "The league's all-time leading scorer, Jaime Moreno, scored the tying goal for D.C., and the league's leading scorer this season, Luciano Emilio, provided the third and fourth scores. Nicol disputed the goal that gave D.C. a 3-2 lead, contending referee Abiodun Okulaja should have awarded the Revolution a free kick instead of allowing play to continue following a clash between United's Ben Olsen and the Revolution's Khano Smith...'We can't set the team up to play against the officials,' Nicol said."
The Boston Globe, Frank Dell'Appa: "'Every time we come down here it's something,' Revolution defender Jay Heaps said. 'The goals scored when the linesman could have called it, I can count on more than one hand. It's a shame. The goal they scored when it was 0-0 was clearly offside.'"
UnitedMania, Jimmy LaRoue: " Most teams can't bring three players off the bench with national team experience. DC United can. While lineup choices are always subject to debate, one thing is clear: United coach Tom Soehn is keeping his players fresh. "
Soccer New England, Sean Donahue: "The New England Revolution came back from a one-goal deficit, but allowed three unanswered goals to D.C. United in wild 4-2 loss Sunday that saw the Revs slip further out of first place and Steve Nicol get ejected."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United were coming into the game just three days removed from a 2-2 draw at Chivas USA that ended a six-game winning streak, with a cross-country road trip in between. The Revolution hadn't played a league match in two weeks, but were winners of two in a row and five of their last seven. United's ongoing center back shuffle continued as Bobby Boswell gave way to Devon McTavish in the heart of the D.C. defense, while Josh Gros was given a start at left midfield as coach Tom Soehn rested Ben Olsen at the outset. "
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "'Don't get me wrong, D.C. is a good team. But it's even harder when we have certain people -- I'm just going to leave it like it is. It won't get me anywhere,' said a frustrated Nicol. "What are you supposed to do? We can set up to play against teams but we can't set up to play against officials.' New England's Khano Smith came in hard and took down United's Ben Olsen almost directly at the center line. As Smith got up to take the ball the other way, Olsen subtly clipped him in the back of the leg, which went uncalled by the referee. 'I'm not talking about a hairline decision one way or the other,' said Nicol. 'I'm talking about a free kick that everybody within 20 yards could see what it was. Not one of them saw it? That's what they'll probably tell you. And if they did see it -- are you kidding me?'"
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "Moreno was the center of attention before the match as United staged a moving video tribute in celebration of his MLS-record 109 career goals, and he responded with an imperious performance as the linchpin of the Black-and-Red attack. His contribution was made all the more remarkable when Soehn revealed that Bolivian legend has been hampered by an illness that prompted the use of intravenous fluids before the match."
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "As a whole, the team looked better than they did against Chivas on Thursday night...(I cannot believe that I am typing this) the final nail was hammered in when Brian Carroll was brought on for Clyde Simms. Carroll is no favorite of mine and infact, before today, I would have been happy to see him be shipped off to San Jose. Today however, the guy stepped up and showed signs of his former self."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "And really, how hot is Luciano Emilio right now? 18 goals in 23 matches, and, I believe, 16 in his last 15."
Soccer Insider, Dan "The Bog Man" Steinberg: "..for a while there I was wondering whether DCU would outscore the local NFL team."
BlkDgRd, BDR: "United needs the nine days off following this Wednesday game v Salt Lake, which makes the resilience shown after going down 1-2 that much more remarkable...Okulaja must be thankful for Terry Vaughn, the only man who keeps Abby from the title of Shittiest Referee in MLS, though D implies Abby is crooked." [Note: Clarification Below]

The Good

1. Get Up and Get and Get Down ("There's not a minute to spare..."): Okay, I know I was not alone in my despair when United gave up the second goal to New England to go down 2-1. That United fought back, and then stuck the dagger in, despite their third game in nine days, spoke volumes about this team. More fight than I expected, or even had any sort of a right to expect. What's more, they fought back within minutes to gain the equalizer, and then kept pressing, and pressing, and then finished it off. Simply amazing.
2. Brian Carroll: It's been a long time since Brian's been on this side of the ledger, but watching him push by Jay Heaps was a wonderful thing. What I like most is that, if you download the SE Podcast, you can hear his rationale for making that run... it wasn't to score, he was heading to the corner to waste time. Then he saw someone making a run and sent in the cross. His first instinct was right, and his reason for deviating from the plan was right. Nice to see that. Yes, I've been part of the "What the hell is up with Brian Carroll" chorus. Please let this be a resurgence, and not a momentary blip. He still hasn't displaced Clyde Simms yet, who had some key moves to clog up the Revs' midfield play.
   
3. Substitutions: Earlier, which was needed (yes, Fred was dog tired by about the 50th minute). And I can't remember a substitution like Boswell for Gomez, which was exactly the kind of defensive move we needed then.
4. Honoring Moreno, who then says "Screw that, I'm scoring my own goal": Nice to see that highlight package of Moreno, including a Dave Johnson electronic remix of "It's in the Net" calls. Opening that package with "You got burned Johnny Walker" was also brilliant. And yes, Moreno did take a ton of touches before scooping the ball over Matt Reis. But here's the thing: Earlier in the match Moreno had taken two shots from un-Moreno like positions. Does Reis bite as fast as he did if Moreno doesn't take those shots earlier? Probably, but still, Moreno actually was a bit more selfish overall in this game. Nice to see.
5. Touch: Much better this game than last, as balls weren't rebounding three yards off our midfielder's shins. Simply home-field advantage, or perhaps that extra bit of concentration? You decide.
   
6. The AR Goal Call: I didn't like it, and still haven't been convinced, but the AR was correctly positioned on the goal line and made a courageous call. He deserves credit for it. He was probably the only person in the stadium who could make that call properly.

The Bad

1. Abbey: I know I went off on this already, but here's the thing. Abbey isn't crooked, he's just gullible and poorly positioned. Nicol and Heaps were both complaining about calls (I mean, seriously, Heaps?!?) and the thing is... they're right to complain. Abbey has an amazing knack of calling a game that's unfair to both teams. I just don't understand him. I may not agree with Prus or Hall or Marrufo all the time, but they rarely botch things and single-handedly as Abbey.
   
2. Vanney on Twellman: Vanney's mistake on the Revolution's first goal wasn't after Twellman settled, but before. He was a good three steps closer to the line than Twellman, which forced him to move to his left as the ball came in. Twellman settled and then moved to Vanney's right, easily shaking him off and opening up the half-volley shot. If Vanney is even with Twellman earlier, momentum doesn't screw him over like that.
   
3. Perkins: There was a moment in the second half when McTavish made a desperate header over the crossbar to deny a revolution shot. The problem was Perkins, who was a bit shaky in this match. When he's on, his aggressive instincts are perfect. In this match, he was caught out a few times, and on the play mentioned had offered a weak punch at a ball that was quickly settled by New England. That is what you get with Troy, and I'll take this moment of bad with all the good.
4. Burch on the Right: Marc spent at least half an hour on the right side in the first half, and I don't know why. It seemed ineffective at best. Maybe it was just to get a look, or perhaps to deal with McTavish and Vanney's pairing in the middle. Still, put him on the left.

Man of the Match

Moreno, who was key not only with his goal but frequently holding the ball well for United, and sent multiple players springing free (though he missed Josh Gros on a run that everyone in the stadium but Jaime saw.) Merit awards to McTavish, Simms, Emilio, Carroll, and Olsen.

Karma Bank

+1 for the season entering the game. -1 for avoiding an off-side call that might have been correct, but would have been easily given. +1 for Abbey's calling every dive that New England gave (my own personal count is that there were 8 legitimate DC fouls, 5 of a borderline nature, and the remaining seven were ridiculous). +1 for that third goal (when you could see Gomez slide along the top of the box to catch Olsen's eye, and you knew it was going to happen). That's +1 for the game, meaning we have two karma to burn (at +2) for the season.

Final Thoughts

Four points on New England for the Supporter's Shield, but none on Chivas if they win all their games in hand. United will drop points in their remaining games, but so will everyone else. We'll certainly need all the points on New England, and perhaps might need Chivas to stumble for a real edge. Here are the remaining games for Houston, Chivas, DC, Dallas, and New England.

D.C. United: RSL, @CHI, TFC, @KC, CHI, CLB
New England Revolution: FCD, @NY, COL, @CHI, CLB, @TFC
C.D. Chivas USA: LA, @COL, KC, CHI, @RSL, @FCD, COL, HOU
F.C. Dallas: @NE, CHI, @LA, HOU, @CLB, CHV, KC
Houston Dynamo: @LA, @FCD, LA, RSL, @CHV

Here's how I figure pessimistically figure it:
Houston will get 11 of their15 points (for 57 points)
New England will get 13 of a maximum 18 points (for 55 points)
C.D. Chivas USA will get 15 of a maximum 24 points (for 55 points)
FC Dallas will get 13 of their 21 max (for 52 points)

Which means United will need at least 12 points in their remaining games to gain the Supporter's Shield. And this is a team that could feasibly drop points against RSL. Sure, some of the matches are "should wins" (home to Toronto) but I remember feeling similarly about home matches with Columbus in the past, and the Chicago matches don't strike me as particularly easy. Which means that this match against RSL is, strangely, a win we'll need to get. A win we'll need to get without Moreno (on International Duty), on a night when we honor Eddie Pope, and when we face Rimando and Eskandarian at RFK.

We're in the driver's seat for the Supporter's shield, but the road is still slippery. Fortunately, it is just as slippery for everyone (except perhaps Houston, who fortunately have huge games against Chivas and Dallas on the road to even out a cupcake home schedule)

Debriefing for Match 12.20: New York Red Bulls

D.C. United 3 : 1 New York Red Bulls

JAMIE MORENO BECOMES MLS CAREER GOALS LEADER WITH 109

Six Word Novel Recap

Record is a comma, not period.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "Moreno's historic strike came on a night when United (11-6-3) scored twice in the first eight minutes, endured New York's intense pressure and Juan Pablo Angel's goal midway through the half, then secured its fourth consecutive MLS victory to move within three points of first-place New England in the Eastern Conference."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: "Moreno's moment came after United striker Luciano Emilio was tripped in the box by Red Bulls defender Hunter Freeman. Referee Ricardo Salazar awarded a penalty kick, and immediately the crowd roared. Moreno said he initially asked Emilio whether he wanted to take the spot kick, but Olsen pressured him to take the shot. 'I didn't want to score on a penalty to be honest with you, but Benny told me to take it and get it over with,' Moreno said."
The Examiner, Craig Stouffer: "With less than six minutes played, New York goalkeeper Ronald Waterreus spilled United midfielder Fred’s shot, the loose ball promptly cleaned up by Ben Olsen to put the home team ahead, 1-0. Barely two minutes later Olsen worked a combination with Moreno on the right side of the box, his cross at from the end line deflecting off the foot of New York defender Chris Leitch and falling perfectly for Christian Gomez to nod in at the far post and double D.C.’s lead."
The Herald News, Ives Galarcep: "There are no skeletons or ghosts or witches visible at RFK Stadium but that hasn't stopped it from being a house of horrors for the Red Bulls..."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "Moreno's historic achievement would have been almost inconceivable to most observers just a few short seasons ago, when the Bolivian star was debilitated by a series of injuries that placed his career in serious jeopardy."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "The result stretches D.C.'s league winning streak to four games, vaults the Black-and-Red ahead of New York for sole possession of second place, and ensures that the Atlantic Cup trophy will remain in the nation's capital for yet another season."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: " The Red Bulls certainly missed Claudio Reyna's ability to hold the ball and control the tempo of the match in the midfield."
United Mania, Mike Martin: "Olsen beat everyone to the lose ball for the finish to give United the lead in the sixth minute...DC extended their lead a mere two minutes later as Olsen turned provider this time. The Red Bulls Chris Leitch took a poor touch and Olsen stripped him of the ball to burst down to the endline and launch a cross in front of the goal where United’s Christian Gomez hurled himself into the bouncing ball to nod it into the net for a 2-0 lead before ten minutes had been played. New York pulled one back midway through the first half as Marc Burch slipped while attempting to cut back on Juan Pablo Angel. Angel was able to slip the ball forward to Dane Richards in the area. Perkins rashly came out and took a swipe at the ball, but only succeeded in bringing down Richards for a penalty kick."
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "Now that was a pretty good match to watch. We had drama, scoring, a record and a trophy. Not a bad night out at the ol' ball park."
BlackDogRed, BDR: "Simms has earned holding, and with Gomez up top and Fred and Olsen on wings, that's United's best midfield. Fred is going to tear this league up - defenders are already giving him to much space in deference already, yards of space in fear."
Sideline Views, Luis Bueno: "It's a somewhat memorable accomplishment but it will be broken sooner rather than later. Taylor Twellman has 85 career goals right now...I'm not trying to take anything away from Moreno. His accomplishment is grand. I just think there needs to be some perspective about what this record means."
Soccer by Ives, Ives Galarcep: "This hasn't been a good day for the Red Bulls' fullbacks. Freeman and Leitch have been at fault in all three goals. Shouldn't be too much of a surprise with Fred and Olsen on the wings for DC.

The Good

1. 109: It does feel good to see Jaime finally reach the mark. The importance isn't just the record, but the fact that Jaime hasn't really ever received his due from people that haven't been biased towards him (like me) or haven't played with him. Man was a legitimate MLS MVP candidate in 2004, but didn't even win comeback player of the year. If you look at the MLS Awards page, you only see Jaime Moreno's name once -- his 1997 golden boot performance. Something that wasn't voted on, or conferred upon him, it was something he took through performance alone. That's what Luis misses in his quote below: Sure, Moreno's record, whatever he finally puts it at, will fall. And probably within a few years. But once again, simply because of his performance on the field, he has earned the right to stand above and alone. That's the true significance: It is a legitimizing moment for a career that has far too often not gotten its due from people who never wore black and red.
2. Balance, Metaphorically: You can get goals from hard work. You can get goals from clever skill. United got goals using both, stretching up some beautiful passing, but finishing through sheer doggedness. The first goal was Troy Perkins connecting on a long pass (which will probably only encourage him...) and Fred using some great skills to get in on the keeper, but the finish was simply determination with Olsen crashing the net. The second goal isn't so much about Olsen's assist, but the high pressure and tackle he applied previously to take the ball away in New York's defensive third. The third goal's penalty was earned thanks to the mythical back-heel, and it was a pretty little move to spring Emilio free. Nice to see all of that.
3. Clyde Simms: The starting midfielder job is his.
   
4. Troy Perkins: First, kudos to Clint Mathis for his opportunism in sending in a free kick when Troy was well out of position still trying to organize the defense. But bigger Kudos to Troy to flying back and extinguishing the last gasp from New York to dream of salvaging a point.
5. Fred: The goatee looks silly. The skills do not.
   

The Bad

1. Dane Richards: There was a moment when Richards sent a knee in a hard challenge into Moreno, and then acted indignant when whistled for the foul, repeatedly making the "get up, quit diving" motion with his hand. There is no question it was a foul, and while it may not have been as hard as Moreno reacted to it, it was still very clear. Dane, you fouled the dude. It's okay, but don't act like Ricardo Salazar was sold a bill of goods. That's just a young punk move to refuse to accept responsibility. Moreno is a legend, you not so much yet. Yes, you have world-class speed, but I'd hate to think you only had medium-sized village attitude.
   
2. Balance, Literally: Both Burch and Namoff had awkward moments keeping their footing, and in both cases DC had to react fast to maintain any sort of defensive shape (and gave up a penalty in the first.) I've saw enough falling down in the first home game of the season, I don't want to see more. Yes, I know it's always over the infield, but perhaps we need to change spikes at the half or something.
   
3. 
   

Man of the Match

Ben Olsen. One goal, one assist, and one stern command to tell Jaime to go up and take the damn spot kick. Good night. Merit awards to Vanney (other than the back header), Simms, Moreno, Fred, and Gomez. Demerit to Burch for that one sequence (otherwise a decent game, and kind of fun to watch our left back attempt a neat one-two and break into the box).

Karma Bank

Here's how I figure it. +3 entering the game, but there's a -1 for the fortunate deflection off of Olsen's cross to Moreno's head. Both penalties were legit, so no movement there. I'm almost tempted to add -1 for not having to deal with either Kovalenko or Reyna, but I think not. So let's say -1 for the match, leaving us at +2 for the year.

Final Thoughts

These things are frickin' long to write. I almost forget what I want to talk about when I reach here. Okay, but here's what I have to say.

Let's talk about the rebuilding year thing. I have maintained that this was a rebuilding year, that this team still had holes they had to plug on defense if they wanted to really be elite. I maintain that I was right, since I always maintained one could rebuild but still be competitive. That being said, I have to wonder if I was also wrong. Not entirely, but perhaps the rebuilding just wasn't a year long period, perhaps it was only a 2/3rds of the season period. The emergence of Burch and McTavish make the backline situation much better, almost even a positive. With options of Namoff, McTavish, Boswell, Vanney, Burch... that's at least stable, if not particularly deep. Then again, in MLS, who is?

For the Boswell thing, I still don't quite get it. Again, as I thought after the Columbus game, there were times in this game when I would have liked to have seen his influence on the back. That being said, Moreno and Emilio have both been sat for a bit as part of Soehn's plans, and Boswell certainly doesn't deserve special treatment in that area. I just don't see what he has done to lose his job, especially after that encouraging performance against LA in league play. I also haven't seen enough from Vanney or McTavish to make me think that either had done enough to displace him. But I don't see practices, so I'm more than willing to entertain the idea that I am missing something.

Tonight, I got a result I really wanted. It feels good. Now I can dispense with the parochialism of irrational grudges, and return to wondering if this team can somehow defend the Supporter's Shield. Given the tightness of the table, it's still easy to fall away, but only now do I feel comfortable saying they can challenge. Let's hope that isn't the kiss of death. But if they play against teams the way the played last night, especially (and doubtfully) on the road, then this team has a lot to say for it.

Debriefing for 12.15: F.C. Dallas

D.C. United 3 : 3 F.C. Dallas

Six Word Novel Recap

Three goals surrendered, two points missed.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, Mark Medina: "United scored in the eighth minute, when forward Fred crossed the ball to Moreno, who marched inside the 18-yard line on the right flank. To avoid a slide tackle from FC Dallas defender Clarence Goodson, Moreno passed to forward Luciano Emilio inside the box. Emilio tapped the ball in for the 1-0 lead. Before the end of the first half, Boswell lobbed a well-placed pass to Moreno from midfield. Moreno immediately fed Fred, who headed the ball into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead...Then came United's goal in the second half..."
The Dallas Morning News, Ryan Mink: "FC Dallas (9-6-3) rallied at RFK Stadium to earn a 3-3 tie. A flu-ridden Toja played 83 minutes before leaving the game. He recorded his first two-goal game of the season, netting FC Dallas' second goal in the 71st minute, followed by the game-tying goal on a header in the 81st minute."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "D.C. United earned a point... but because of the astonishing way in which the match unfolded, the only thing for United to do afterward was accept it as a loss."
UnitedMania, Jimmy LaRoue: "Soehn rued the team’s lack of organization, but United never seemed to transition from its big lead into closing off the match."
Six Yards North, QJA: "...Perkins let us down. His form not only regressed from last week, but it regressed over the course of those ninety minutes."
The Edgell Supporters: "This felt worse than any loss I have experienced to date."
Poplar Point Perspective: "The referee was very questionable, but not the reason for the loss. He just made it easier for Dallas to come back."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "On the middle goal, you could fault Brian Carroll’s defense, or perhaps Perkins for not coming out and challenging the closing Toja. Overall, after the 3rd United goal, the hunger for victory seemingly ceased to remain." [D - I disagree with this. After the third goal, United did press for the 4th goal to regain the victory, and was better at putting pressure on Dallas. The desire was there, the discipline to maintain the lead earlier was not.]
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "I blame the four defenders. I really do. All three goals were the result of sloppy play on the side of our defense...when you have a 3-0 lead in the second half, the ref could step off the field and you should still be able to win 3-2 at the very least."
BlackDogRed, BDR: "If the problem with the defense was irreparable differences between Boswell and Erpen, if the two of them could not coexist, and the decision to trade Erpen was based on solely soccer evaluation - that Boswell is the better central defender - whoever made that evaluation should be fired. If the problem with the defense was irreparable differences between Boswell and Erpen, if the two of them could not coexist, and the decision to keep Boswell was based on marketing - he's so hunky! - whoever made that decision should be fired."
Also: Screaming Eagles Podcast

The Good

1. Jaime Moreno: As one of those who has been advocating rotating Moreno in among the forwards, let's acknowledge that he was excellent in this game. His vision and pace were miles better than what we saw before Copa America. Here's the thing about Jaime: He can be two kinds of annoying. There's the annoying Jamie who skillfully eludes markers in the box, dancing amid the defenders but never quite pulling the trigger to score the goal. Then there's the annoying Jaime who seems disinterested for most of the game, whose passes are predictable and largely non-productive. This game saw the return of the first type of annoying Jaime, and I was never so happy to be so frusturated. Man, he can still cause problems, and it is beautiful even as you wish he would shoot the damn ball... but can he keep that up in the summer heat?
2. Luciano Emilio: What I like about Emilio is that he scores when he should score. Open net, easy tap-in? He takes those well, and doesn't overhit the shot or try to be too complicated. In that sense, he is the perfect compliment to Moreno. You have to love that.
   
3. Toja: I thought the league was starting to adapt to him. Maybe they are, but United didn't. For the first half, United handled him fairly well, forcing him to pass away when he was streaking forward, and the ball was usually errant and easily handled. The second half he was strong and confident and gutsy. A truly impressive performance.
   

The Bad

1. Brian Carroll: At this point, the unwillingness to start either Olsen or Simms in the CDM role is becoming a major folly. Carroll when playing disciplined was acceptable, but he seemed unable to keep up with the pace of the game, and as a result the game got away from him. In the first half, you may have noticed Ben Olsen consistently making "settle down" type gestures to the team. Brian Carroll needed that advice more than anyone later in the game.
   
2. Vanney and Boswell: The thing about Facundo Erpen is that his boneheaded plays were so spectacular in nature that the eye was naturally drawn to them. Passing it directly to another player? Erpen would do that. Bicycle backpasses? Amazingly, flashingly stupid. Here's the thing: Vanney also commits a lot of poor plays, they're just not flashy and eye catching. Easy headers into a space five yards closer to a Dallas player than a DC player? Poor communication on how to clear a ball? Failure to put his body on a player in a set piece? All things Vanney commited that are just as harmful as Erpen's play. Boswell is getting reamed by BDR above, and while I disagree with the intensity, Boswell was thoroughly pedestrian last night. Boswell is still better than Erpen was, but he shouldn't be better than Vanney is, especially given the fact that Boswell was not particularly good. He's lost some of the bite to his game.
   
3. Perkins: It's already been noted that he's taken the blame for not getting to two balls and shutting down the attack, but the other aspect of the game that was troubling was his distribution, a moment epitomized when he sent a low ball about forty-five yards right to the feet of the Dallas attack.
   
4. Kpene: Some are calling his play poor or lazy. To me, it seemed like he was playing as though he were afraid of reinjuring himself. It wasn't lazy, or bad, but very, very timid. I think the two hamstring injuries may have affected his mental toughness. That's something that will have to be overcome.
   
5. Tim Weyland: It's not that any of his calls were particularly bad, it's that he was calling a different game for Dallas and DC, a problem that accentuated until the 80th minute. Marginal fouls were consistently given to Dallas, and were not given to DC United. It's almost as though he believed that the offside non-call resulting in United's second goal was wrong (it wasn't, look at the Dallas right back [Drew Moor?]) and shaded his calling appropriately. Which is ridiculous. The fact that United starting getting calls after the game was tied really is the kicker, as though he felt it was acceptable to remove the filter at that point. A cynically officiated match.
   

Man of the Match

N/A

Karma Bank

-1 for giving up three goals, since that shouldn't be allowed to happen. However, +1 for dealing with Weyland's officiating, and +1 for playing some smart, nifty passes to generate goals in the first half. +1 for the game, overall EVEN for the season.

Final Thoughts

First, I don't know why Justin Moose is in the dog house. Supposedly the management are upset about his defense, but him not even making the bench means that Soehn had limited options for trying to regain the win after the game was tied. Moose adds attacking fire, something that might have helped at the death.

Second, Soehn's ability to adjust the lineup depending on the time seems to have deserted him. If he was considering locking down the game, why not bring Simms into the match earlier? Why not add in a Burch or Mediate to the defense and push Gros up for Fred? If Soehn is upset about the way the team tactically responded to the three goal lead (you can hear him complaining about sending too many number forward on the SE Podcast) then he should also be honest enough to admit that he didn't do enough himself. It is starting to feel a little Piotr Nowak-esque in terms of the predictability of substitutions, as well as their timing (far, far too late).

Now we head into the all-star break. There's some time for some introspection. The feeling among some of you was that this team was making a run to MLS Cup. I still don't look at this team as the favorite to come out of the East, and personally I think that moves made with an idea of adding a fifth star this year are likely to make the future more untenable and also not likely to reward us with another trophy, the worst of both worlds. United's first five games after the break are a chance for them to change my mind, but that's where I am mentally.

Friday Coffee means splurging for the Mocha

VANNEY/BOSWELL PROFILED:

Charles Boehm at MLSNet talks about the new center of DC's backline, and Tom Soehn explicitly endorses the idea of Vanney as mentor to Boswell:

"...we've got a veteran to play alongside him, which is going to be another experience for Bobby. So far it looks pretty good."

Does that mean I'm now sold on the deal? Not yet. It still seems like a bit of a roll of the dice to me, and even with The Devon McTavish phenomena, we're still a bit short of depth on defense. Still, overall, the defense is playing better, and that should be acknowledged. After allowing two goals a game at minimum for most of April, United has only allowed 2 goals twice since then. That's at least enough to keep you in the game.

DALLAS PREVIEWS TRICKLING IN: Alex Yi joins Cooper and Mina on the disabled list for Dallas. So far, Yi had actually looked decent (and very, very feisty) on the Dallas backline, so I'm relieved that we'll be passing him by. He seemed like a player that could seriously hack up the timing of DC's offense. We'll try and get our preview up later.

THURSDAY NIGHT SOCCER REVIEW: I-66 has had it with ESPN missing the action, but in their defense I thought last night's game was a better showing for ESPN than usual. We saw, even if it was in a still replay, some off-side line technology, and it looked useful. That being said, when Rob Stone announced that there would be a Beckham interview at the half of the all-star game, my wife turned to me: "What, they couldn't ask him to call in on the phone around the 50th minute?"

THIS MUST BE COLORADO'S NEW MASCOT: For one thing, it's more in the Edson's the Eagle's backyard. For another, Talon's wouldn't go down so easily, he'd be taking that sucker out and then would take out his good-for-nothing beaver friend:

During a last-call stroll through Pioneer Square early Sunday morning, Seattle's top law dog helped break up a sidewalk fight between a bar patron and a man in an eagle suit.

Lt. Kenneth Hicks, shift commander at the precinct that includes Pioneer Square, was leading Kerlikowske on a closing-time tour of the club district when the senior officers witnessed a man-on-eagle fracas, according to police documents.

The officers watched as a 30-year-old Seattle man shoved the eagle to the curb and then stomped on the costumed man's back as the eagle's costumed confederate -- a man dressed as a beaver -- looked on.

Erpen for Vanney: Okay, Maybe.

Let's start with the basic disclaimer. I distrust any trade that may approach any move I've made in Championship Manager. And yes, I signed Greg Vanney for the 2006 season. So this move has one immediate demerit against it.

That being said, my initial reaction of "This is stupid" is probably overstating the case. Why? It seems clear that Erpen didn't have a future at DC as a Senior International. So if you can get something for him, rather than getting nothing for him, that's probably a good thing.

Is Greg Vanney an upgrade? I think so. He certainly brings experience and leadership to the team, and he might be able to understand Tom Soehn (himself a defender) quicker, and therefore be able to translate Soehn's desires to reality on the field faster. United certainly needs people who can figure out what needs to be done defensively, and Vanney brings that.

My major problem with this trade is that it doesn't address the big issue I've had with this team... say it with me now: Depth. Yes, Erpen for Vanney may be an upgrade, but it doesn't make us any deeper at the position. Last night we saw a backline that featured a converted wing player (Gros), central midfielder (Simms) and the inexperienced Devon McTavish. Erpen was the only regular starter we had, and that doesn't change with the arrival of Greg Vanney.

So can this move make sense? Goff speculates it's part of a MLS Cup run. Okay, maybe. I'll offer this though: I imagine United thinks they have potential transfer targets from South America defensively, they know who they are, and one of them is probably on the younger side. If so, this move can make a great deal of sense. Of course, that's pie in the sky speculation...

UPDATE: Offside: DCU pretty much says the same thing, and said it before me.

UPDATE 2: Independently, The 3Ps are also pretty much on the "Explain this by doing something else" line of reasoning. That now makes it the conventional wisdom.

UPDATE 3: Okay, the pieces are starting to fill in, and they match what everyone was pretty much guessing at. There are other options. They seem to be defensive in nature.

Debriefing for Match 12.12: Colorado Rapids

D.C. United 4 : 1 Colorado Rapids

Six Word Novel Recap

"Jesus Loves You." We love Christian.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "The Rapids may have felt confident after beating United 2-1 in a season opener before a sellout crowd at their new stadium and a national television audience. And then Colorado scored last night's first goal in the 19th minute...United finally got a break a half hour into the game when the Rapids' Greg Vanney was called for a hand ball in the box. Gomez took the penalty kick — normally a job for Moreno — and buried the shot past Senegalese goalie Bouna Coundoul for his fourth goal of the year."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "...following a half-hour lightning delay, he [Addlery] set up Fred's maiden goal to help United to a 4-1 victory before 14,982 at RFK Stadium."

[NOTE: Denver/Colorado Media tended to use the AP Reports. ]

MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "A strange play unraveled in the 33rd minute after Simms, who by now had switched spots with McTavish to take up the right back position, sent a cross into the Rapids box. Emilio beat Vanney to the delivery and the veteran left back fell to the turf, then seemingly contorted his body to poke at the ball from a prone position, first with his hand, then his right foot. Addlery was first to the loose ball and looked to have wasted a great chance when a slapped his shot just wide of the left post, but when referee Alex Prus reached the scene he pointed to the penalty spot, having blown for a handball on Vanney."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "It’s nice to see Fred finally tally one in the goal column, and Addlery too, who did well in holding the ball, and whose header to give United the lead along with his later assist on Fred’s goal earned him Player of The Game as announced by the stadium. On the flip side of things, Clyde Simms doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in the back. Hopefully Bryan Namoff’s ready to go for the next match."
Six Yards North, QJA: "Why doesn't Emilio have any kind of influence on the pitch? No commanding presence, no intimidation. He kind of sneaks into the fold until he's in the box with a ball at his feet. He must be a god at hide and seek." [NOTE: Interesting... Hadn't thought about it like that. Then again, it doesn't seem to be a bad thing. I think we need to watch for this.]
The Edgell Supporters: "Perkins looked quite acrobatic in goal even on the one that went in. He had an outstanding game. Moose is a scrapper and a hustler, which equalized his giveaways."
The Offside: Colorado Rapids, Clint: "If anything good can come from this game, maybe it will be the realization that Clavijo isn’t exactly the greatest coach available for this team."

Photo Sets: Off Wing Opinion, Kate McGovern

ALSO (As noted):

The Good

1. Rebound: Last night, I was poking around some numbers regarding United's records when scoring the first goal (4-0-0) and conceding the first goal (1-4-1), after Oscar had asked "What team isn't dependent on the first goal?" in a comment on the match briefing. Well, every team is helped by scoring the first goal, but it looked like United was more dependent than most on scoring the first goal to get a win. Last night I was a bit surprised, but pleased, to see them come back. Something for the macroscopic analysis later.
2. Midfield Up: Gomez, Fred, Moose, Addlery, and Emilio all contributed solid work in this game, even after going down a goal. The ball movement, the pressure, it was all there. Gomez should get some credit here, as he clearly wasn't sure what he had at the start of the match, but grew much more comfortable as the game went on in dishing the ball around.
   
3. Defensive Adjustment, Part Deux: This is the second match (LA was the first) where Tom Soehn has made a change in game to solidify a shaky backline when dealing with people in uncomfortable positions. I wish he didn't need 15 minutes to figure out that Simms was having a difficult time in the center back role, but I'd rather he figure it out then hope it will get better. I like that.
4. Fred: Aside from one awkward pass, the second half was the best soccer I've seen from him this season. He was nicely over the pitch. And hey, when you score a goal like that, I don't mind you taking the yellow even for a moment of evangelism with your "JESUS LOVES YOU". If that's how you want to celebrate, fine by me. It's your moment to do with what you want, even if I wouldn't necessarily agree with the sentiment. Anything other than fascist salutes is fine by me.
5. Troy Perkins: A couple of decent stops, and the goal was almost impossible for him to have any decent position on. A good performance. Stop showing the Guadalajara clip, okay? It's over. If he had been letting in softies over the course of the season, I could understand it, but really, this has been dealt with and is only a clip for lazy commentary at this point.
6. Officiating: Alex Prus was remarkably collected for this match. I think perhaps he should not have given Colorado a few advantage calls and called plays back for kicks, but it wasn't like Colorado was unduly harmed. Vanney's handball on replay was clear, and worth of the penalty, but I had no idea it had occurred in real time. Special points for allowing play to continue and then going back to book players (Gros and Wasson were both booked in this manner). That's the way it should be done.
   

The Bad

1. Mike Petke's Leg: Just a quick word of sympathy for a guy who I've been a fan of even after he left. He's tough, a class individual, and seeing him go down didn't make me pleased even as I knew it might make things easier for us. Get well, Wanker.
   
2. Defense, Defense, Defense: Even after Tom Soehn's adjustment, United's defense wasn't overpowering the Colorado attack so much as the Colorado attack was incoherent in extending (or retaking) the lead. There was a lot of space out there. While Erpen was blamed by the goal, it ignores the fact that Simms was having problems up until that point, and Simms was marking the man behind Erpen. Would I be looking over my shoulder at that point? I might be. Doesn't excuse it, but there you go. McTavish was not particularly strong, but he had cover and help most of the time which helped hide the problems he had coming out to close attackers (How Goff is rating McTavish higher than Moose is something I don't understand, but Moose has been getting jobbed in the ratings all season).
3. ESPN: Oh, we'll talk about this, either today or early next week. I have no problem with emphasizing story lines during games, but at least those stories should be about the players on the pitch, not on other sports on another channel. This is the second game that's featured a pointless phone call in the second half. Ridiculous. When actually trying to call the game, they were decent, but CALL THE DAMN GAME, DON'T DISCUSS THE NBA DRAFT OR WHO WENT TO GEORGETOWN WHEN. For fuck's sake people, all you're saying is "We don't care about the product on the field, or even the sport in general." And I know you do, because otherwise you wouldn't have taken that great shot a BigSoccer (where I occasionally post) as being "where all the real geniuses are." But it's sad when that comment is the highlight of your analysis.
   

Man of the Match

Hmmmm... Fred, Perkins, or Addlery, but I'm giving to Troy Perkins, who faced a game that did not play to his strengths but kept United in it.

Karma Bank

We lose one karma since Colorado gifted us a penalty, but that second half after the rain delay was some nice, classy soccer which earns us one back. No change, +1 for the season.

Final Thoughts

Addlery is quoted on a wire story as saying "Salt Lake was just a bump in the road. We lost, picked ourselves up, dusted off and moved on." My wife points out that it was a bump that blew out a tire. They're both right. I'm glad the players have moved on, and while I thought Tom Soehn was naive in not making them break down the RSL game, especially when we were down a goal, perhaps he is right and I was wrong (shocking, that a head coach might know his team better than a blogger. Of course, if I was a real blogger, I never would have admitted having this wrong thought in the first place, and let the illusion of competence continue.) Still, I don't think that this means Kansas City and Dallas will just roll over when we come to town. There's plenty to work on. We're not there yet.

As for the proposed Vanney-Erpen deal that Goff broke the news of, well, maybe we'll comment on that today, but the short version for me is this: Straight up, even with Colorado taking some of Greg Vanney's salary, I don't like the deal. It doesn't add depth, we lose some recovery speed but gain some experience. I don't think it truly addresses our issues on the back line. If there's more to the deal (or other deals are planned) I might change my mind, but right now it doesn't feel to me like a good idea.