Grab a Cup of Coffee and a "I Voted in Arlington" Sticker

RANDOM POLITICAL RANT: Yes, it is cold this morning, but I still managed to drag myself to my local polling place and vote. Now, frankly, I'm not sure that one individual vote matters, but I'm pretty sure that politicians care about the types of people who vote. Old people vote, so politicians care about them. If nothing else, the fact that people under 40 (let alone under 30 like me) are getting out to the polls makes me think that perhaps some politicians will actually stop writing off the kids as people they can ignore. Plus, I want myself a soccer stadium. That may not be on the ballot, but if people who do want soccer stadiums vote, then maybe that'll be a nice bonus. Okay, that's a dream. But still...

FIFA LOVES EL DIABLO: I'm not sure what prompted FIFA.COM to run a "Marco Etcheverry - Not Just in Bolivia" article, but I like it. One of the things that this league is in danger of occasionally is losing touch with its past while it tries to reconfigure for future growth. We're fortunate in that "Tradition" is not just a catch-phrase around these parts, but something we take somewhat seriously. In a little over a decade, we have had some great moments. Let's not forget our early years. I think this guy agrees with me, and I also am pretty sure he's doing something about it.

DID YOU EVER PLAY SIM CITY AND RUN OUT OF ROOM TO ZONE COOL THINGS IN? Tim Lemke in the Times has an interesting article about the pace of stadium construction in the USA. One of the things I think it highlights is the fact that we need to move on the stadium situation now, in the next year or two, or the entire situation nation-wide may be bogged down beyond belief:

"We look at the U.S. pro sports market as about 80 percent built out," said Bob White, director of marketing for Kansas City-based architect HOK Sport Venue Event, whose numerous designs include Oriole Park and Nationals Park. "So we're not at the end of that phase, but we can certainly see the end."

"SYNERGY" - NOT JUST A CORPORATE BUZZWORD. OKAY, IT PROBABLY IS. HOW ABOUT "WIN-WIN" INSTEAD?Kyle McCarthy breaks down the Gomez to Colorado trade: "this deal benefits both teams and the league." I agree.

IF LA CAN PAY HIM, HE SHOULD GO: It's no secret that I like Jay Needham, if just because he was willing to do an interview with us. So the story that he might be heading to LA (via Goff) saddens me, since I think L.A. is pretty atrocious to people who aren't marquee attractions. But if they can pay him above the developmental salary, he should take the money and DC, not being willing to pay him, should trade him. I would want him here, but he had every right to want more than $30K for his services, and his time at Puerto Rico vindicated his decision.

Busy day for me, but I'll see if I can check back in later.

2007

The Post is writing up the most memorable moments of soccer over the past few decades, but I prefer my nostalgia in a targeted, concentrated form. And I think now, a week after elimination, it's time to start writing the first drafts of history. So I offer you the best and worst moments of the 2007 season, starting with...

The Best

#4: 9 August 2007 ESPN pulls out all the stops to cover the debut of Marc Burch on National Television, and their faith is rewarded as he assists on Emilio's goal.
#3: 22 August 2007 Jamie Moreno sets the MLS All time goal scoring record with a penalty, and Christian Gomez has the game winner as United defeats New York 3 to 1.
#2: 5 August 2007 United breaks away from a season of mediocrity with a comprehensive victory over New England, dominating them throughout the game. Josh Gros with a goal that may typify his career, never giving up on a ball that Matt Reis bobbles, and Emilio with a brace.
#1: 10 June 2007 Ben Olsen grabs a hat trick in the process of single handedly demolishing the Red Bulls. Each goal prettier than the one preceding it. I can't recall a regular season game where I left RFK feeling any happier, and if I had one game from 2007 to stick in the DC time capsule, it would be this one.

The Worst

#3: 14 April 2007 United follows up a lackluster opener in Colorado with a 4-2 drubbing at the hands of Kansas City. This seems like a lifetime ago, when people were starting to mumble about firing Tom Soehn and wondering how long this season could get. You can tell it was a long time ago because Eddie Johnson scored a goal.
#2: 3 April 2007 The game that no one would let Troy Perkins forget. A late goal in the rain that slips between Perkins hands is the difference as Guadalajara advances past United in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.
#1: 1 November 2007 Watching from a bar in Buffalo, United seems to have completed the impossible comeback, only for the series equalizer to be disallowed. Whiplash of emotion is understatement.

New, Updated & Completely Refurbished Links

Hudsonia: Thats right, the Ray Hudson now has his own blog. Well it isn't written by him (at least I don't think so) but it is all his best clips and quotes from his announcing gig. It is a hilarious blog to read through (can't listen at work) and the best part is that there is new material every week. I am amazed at some of the sentences phrases he manages to put together. On behalf of DC United fans everywhere we salute whoever took on this endeavor and would like to submit some the best quotes we have compiled over the years.

Unofficial MLS Club Champion: I am glad to see that somebody is following the unofficial Major League Soccer champion. The DCenters already links to the guys that follow the unofficial world champion, it is good to be able to link to the MLS version. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, unofficial championships basically postulate that the champion must defend their title every game. In MLS, the first champion was San Jose, by virtue of beating DC United in the first game of the league on April 6, 1996. The current champion is Chicago. I am really hoping for the unofficial MLS championship to come back to DC United until the 08 season.

US Soccer History: The best site for all the US Soccer history you can take. Think there wasn't a lot out there? Think again.

What is Ours, Again

With Colorado edging Chivas USA 1-2 this Sunday, it is now official: D.C. United becomes the first team in MLS History to successfully defend the Supporter's Shield. Yes, Kinney is right - we look for things to be first at. If there was a record for goals scored by defenders in odd-numbered years, we'd want United to set it. But this... this is important. This is taking on all comers, in a tough conference, and winning it. This is the result of a season where 29 of 30 games mattered. This is sweet, and it is ever thus.

It may feel like backing into a title given that we just experienced a lack-luster scoreless draw, but I prefer to think of it as a reward of all the games earlier in the season that we won. We will now compete in at least two international tournaments, the Champion's Cup and the Superliga, thanks to this finish. And, yes, now we can rest people.

For the story on how it went down, UnitedMania gets a snarky jump:

Omar Cummings scored in the 90th minute to give the Rapids the unlikely victory in front of dozens of spectators in Los Angeles. What made this result so improbable was that Chivas USA had not lost all season long at the Home Depot Center. What also made this unthinkable was that Colorado had former United defender Brandon Prideaux sent off early in the second half giving Chivas USA the man advantage.

It feels good personally, but I imagine it also feels good for a team. 2007 will not be devoid of major silverware after several disappointing cup exits, and the MLS Double is still in play. It is now clear that we should give next week's game to the reserves, get everyone healthy and rested, and drive to finish this at RFK in a month's time.

The Sour Smell of Success

If United doesn't win another game, they'd finish at 54 points over 30 games, a pretty dandy 1.8 points per game. If we modify historical records to count shootouts as draws, that would make it the best D.C. United finish since the 1999 United side. If D.C. United wins out, they'll have 60 points over 30 games, a remarkable 2.0 points-per-game mark. That would be the highest of any DC United team in history, and would put them in a tie for third in MLS History with the 2005 Quakes. And perhaps, possibly, that should be worrying.

If we look at MLS Regular Season points per game (modified as above to account for the shoot-out), there's something shocking. Your top 5 historically have a grand total of 0 MLS Cups. Those teams are the 1998 LA Galaxy (2.19 ppg), the 2001 Miami Fusion (2.04 ppg), the 2005 Quakes (2.0 ppg), the 2001 Fire (1.96 ppg) and the 1996 Mutiny (1.91 ppg). Is there something about the regular season, and really tearing it up that makes playoff success difficult? I don't think so, I'm inclined to put it down to random chance. But if it keeps happening? Hmmmm...

You Request, We Respond

A few reader questions on which I am happy to provide a response:

THE WINNINGEST TEAM OF ALL TIME

Anonymous K had a question in the wake of our noting that DC United has once again regained their rightful crown of winningest team of all time - "What about in terms of points?" Well, decent question, so here are a few other ways of looking at overall history. If you take points in terms of regular standing points, United is, wait for it... tied:

1t) LA:526 points through 2006 + 17 pts to date in 2007 = 543
1t) DC: 494 pts + 49 pts = 543 pts
3) KC: 445 pts + 36 pts =481 pts

So United will need to finish off the season better than LA in all games remaining in order to obtain the all-time standings points lead.

Now, the other thing that might be interesting is if you convert shoot-out wins and losses to draws, which will sort of make the previous seasons more consistent for the sake of comparison and compilation. On that basis, adjusting the number of wins for shootouts, we get the following:

1) LA: 156 adjusted wins through 2006 + 4 wins in 2007 = 160 adjusted wins.
2) DC: 143+ 15 = 158 adjusted wins.
3) CHI: 128 + 8 = 136 adjusted wins.

So United needs to get two more wins than the Galaxy of the rest of the year in order to gain the title on those terms. Similarly, lets look at adjusted points (counting shoot-outs as draws):
1) LA: 540 adjusted points through 2006 + 17 points in 2007 = 557 adjusted points
2) DC: 507 + 49 = 556 adjusted points

Again, this one is also up for grabs for the remainder of the season.

ROLLING AVERAGES vs. SEASON AVERAGES

A few days ago we posted our analysis of what's going right for United based on some moving averages for goals. Commenter Bob had this to say:

I think that the third graph should also include the full season moving averages, so you can quickly see how the past few games have shown above average scoring. You will also see a danger point if the scoring average drops below that trend line.

That seams reasonable Bob. Since you ask, here it is (Click to enlarge):

You can see quite clearly that United has recently been allowing about half-a-goal per game more than season-to-date, but they've compensated by scoring about two-thirds of a goal more per game recently than the season-to-date. Now, the good news about the defense is that you would expect it to get better. The bad news is that you also expect the offense to similarly regress to the mean over the final games. The great news is that the season to date averages show United scoring about .75 more goals than they allow, and that's a good place to be. Okay, that's enough dorkiness from me. Any other concerns you need follow-up on?

The Etcheverry-Gomez Fan Debate

One of my compatriots will handle the debrief for the Toronto game. In short, my feelings were "Eh, nice enough but not good enough." So let's deal with some accusatory comments from the XI from XI post on Thursday...

Actually, comments like this one from an Anonymous poster make me happy:

My Respectometer on this blog has gone down about 50% or more. How a blog dedicated to DC United can have any best 11 and leave out Marco is Far beyond reason. Maybe you just never saw him play in the 90's but that's still no excuse. He was the primary reason for the majority of the cups this team has won. To reduce that to the number of assists in some comparison to Gomez is absurd. He is the model for what MLS what's in a DP and is the standard by which all other DC players are judged.

Now, I could hide behind the self-imposed rules of the game I had established for that post, and argue things from a marginal utility perspective. By not selecting Etch, I freed up some of the glory years to select other players at positions I knew I had holes at, and therefore while Etch might have been a better player than Gomez, the value of the team as a whole was better by getting a vintage Agoos, Moreno, and Olsen. But I'm not going to hide behind that kind of thinking. Instead, let's seriously ask the question: Who's a better playmaker, Gomez or Etcheverry?

Now, let me say that I don't think the answer to this is a matter of dogma. I can completely understand anyone who looks at that question and decides the answer is Marco Etcheverry. It's a stupid argument to even have, given that United has never really faced the question of deciding between the two. They're both great players, and Marco has an incredibly legacy at United. Look at Lifton's submission to the XI from XI game, and you'll see he cheated and decided to put them both on the field (which is the kind of cheating we can all get behind). It's a silly argument to have, but this is exactly the forum to have such a silly argument. So let's delve into the silliness:

While the commenter is right that I was not as aware of Etch as I should have been between 1996-2000 (I returned to DC in December of 2000), it's not like I haven't been watching film of those games. So I feel like I have at least some handle of what Etcheverry brought to the table at his prime. And there are certain things that Diablo no doubt does better than Gomez. Etch could play the ball around the field through the air better than anyone. 40 yards to a six inch spot? Sure, he could do that, and consistently do it. Etch also had a mean free kick.

But Gomez also has his strengths. When Gomez is at his best (as he was in 2006, and the end of 2004) he got a whole lot of people involved in the play. His ability to select the right the right pass to further an attack was better than Etcheverry. He's faster on the ball, and I think sees the field as well if not better than Marco. His direct kicks may not as good as Marco's, but they're still nasty. And here's the thing: he's done this when MLS defenses have gotten better than they were in the late 90s. The biggest ways MLS improved from 1999 to 2003 was improved team defense among almost every team. Gomez has faced more teams with better and more cohesive defensive game plans than Etcheverry did, and has still excelled. And that's the key reason I'd take Gomez over Etch right now. Sure, Etch carved up teams exceptionally well, and perhaps in ways that Gomez never has, but Etch never faced quite the same level of competition (even in that final all-star game in the mud.) And for me, right now, that's why I'd take Gomez over Etch. Yes, Etcheverry has meant more culturally to United than Gomez, but that doesn't factor into my thinking here. Do I think people are stupid for going the other way on this question? Absolutely not. But it's a fun question to ask, isn't it? And if people get upset about my choice here, well, it's all fun kids. Just enjoy it, and enjoy the feeling of being indignant. Hell, that's part of the point of these exercises.

The Best XI from the First XI

Who wants to play a game with me? Okay, here are the rules: Put together a functioning side using one player from each season of DC United's history. Each year can only be used once (and must be used once.) No player can appear more than once. And believe me, this game can get hard. In some cases you have to search for a good player to put in a position, and in some cases you know you are neglecting someone. You may not even be picking the best player on the team in a given year, but you've got to make them all fit...I'm sure one of you might be able to do better than this (and perhaps you have, but I didn't find your Big Soccer post in a google search), but I think I have a decent side, 4-4-2 diamond.

Keeper: Nick Rimando, from 2002. I know, Perkins was the keeper of the year last year, and Garlick was pretty good for United. And the 2002 season was one we don't exactly brag about when we brag about our history. But I think this is a decent choice. People forget just how many shots Rimando faced that year. Yes, he let in a lot of goals that year, but he also made a ton of saves, more than at any other point in his career with United. And his save percentage was not terribly different that year than in any other year of his career.

Left Back: Jeff Agoos, from 1998. You can probably quibble with this choice, especially given that this probably wasn't Goose's best year, or close to it. Still, right now, he's the choice I would make for that position.

Center Back: Ryan Nelsen from 2004. Christian Gomez was the catalyst for the MLS Cup run of 2004, but Nelsen anchored the defense. One wonders if he hadn't been suspended for the Eastern Conference Final if it would have been as exciting as it was. This is the performance that punched his ticket to England. One of the best we've had.

Center Back: Eddie Pope from 2001. Had to have Eddie, it was pretty much a given. But the question was when I could flip him in? This was a decent year for Eddie defensively, and picking him from the 2001 year meant I could spend a few of those inaugural seasons on some firepower.

Right Back: Brian Namoff from 2003. Again, a difficult choice to make, and Brian really hasn't excelled until after 2006 at this position, but I needed someone from 2003, and this seemed the best bet, a year that saw him set the tone for eventually getting everyday duty in 2004.

Defensive Midfield: Richie Williams from 2000. If I'm taking the infamous Midget of Death, I want him in the year he committed 68 fouls. That should slow 'em up.

Right Midfield: Ben Olsen from 1999. His second year in the league converted on the promise of the first. Here's the thing. I though Ben couldn't play on the outside any more, that he just didn't have the speed. He's not as fast as he was in 1999, but he's still got it. That's really, really amazing.

Left Midfield: Dema Kovalenko from 2005. Williams and Kovalenko? Tasty. Seriously, options here were difficult, since Left Midfield seems to be the position of eternal promise. Adu? Convey? Neither spoke to me for this team. Dema? I have to keep people happy, especially the ladies.

Center Midfield: Christian Gomez from 2006. You have two choices: Etch or Gomito. For me, I'll take the MLS MVP performance from 2006 that Gomez put in, and trade the 5 more assists I would have gotten from a peak Diablo for the four more goals that Christian provided.

Forward: Jaime Moreno from 1997. If you're going to take a Jaime, why not the year he had the scoring title? This works for me.

Forward: Raul Diaz Arce from 1996. He had 100 shots that season, 49 on goal, and 23 that went by the keeper. That's just killer. I'll take it.

By year...
1996 - F RDA
1997 - F Moreno
1998 - D Agoos
1999 - M Olsen
2000 - M Williams
2001 - D Pope
2002 - GK Rimando
2003 - D Namoff
2004 - D Nelsen
2005 - M Kovalenko
2006 - M Gomez


Wish I could fit in: Etcheverry, Harkes, Lassiter, Llamosa... stupid rules that I enforced on myself... Maybe you can do it.

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.

First Impressions - DC United 3 :1 New York Red Bulls

OR...

JAIME MORENO, 109 GOALS, THE ALL TIME LEADING GOAL SCORER IN MLS

A good game. A game where United was the better side for the entire match, and even when we surrendered the chance against play, or fell down stupidly, or gave the ball away, the team hustled back. Yes, I know McTavish's Burch (Corrected, see comments) fell down and it led to a penalty, but the fact that the team got back quick may have saved Perkins from being the last defender and picking up a red card (especially if Richards had taken a touch toward the goal.)

There was a lot of good in this game. A lot of good. Simms is cementing that defensive midfield spot as his more and more every game. While I think Boswell might have contributed to a more settled situation on some Red Bull attacks, and Vanney at one point nearly headed a ball over Perkins in an '05 Boswell imitation, I have to admit that Tommy Soehn may have the right idea in rotating the defense, and letting 'em ride after three clean sheets. There's always going to be some chances the other team gets, the question is how many, and of what quality. The frequency of Red Bull attacks didn't seem excessive, and the quality was limited at all times by some good marking from McTavish.

You man of the match should probably be Ben Olsen. But with the perfect way of capping a game I really wanted, you man of the decade is Jaime Moreno. Debrief tomorrow.

The History of the Moment

Thursday's game has every chance of being a very important match in the history of MLS. An event that will cap the first 12 years of Major League Soccer's existence, and finally after a long wait validate the worth of an impressive soccer career. No, not Beckham. I mean, of course, that Jaime Moreno may well become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the league.

You may have forgotten that Moreno is that close to MLS History. Unlike certain other sports that have had long drawn out chases of the record books, MLS hasn't really made a big deal of Moreno. Part of this is that Jason only set the all-time mark last year, so it hasn't been around that long. Part of it is that whatever number Moreno ends with will likely be surpassed within a few seasons yet again. Part of it is that Moreno has played sparingly between Copa call-ups and a few nagging injuries. And perhaps part of it is that Moreno has scored only three goals this season, all from the penalty spot and is in the endgame of his career. But if he scores, no matter how it happens, on Thursday or whenever, it should be still be honored. The game should pause, briefly, to acknowledge the moment. It is a testament to a player that never quite earned the Player of the Year accolades he deserved (that 2004 award to Guevara looking more and more suspect as time wears on). It is a testament to a league that has a history that extends before the Designated Player rules were developed. And if it should happen Thursday, on National Television, then that is the right time.

Finally, you probably haven't noticed, but I haven't been posting much recently. There always seems to be a one month period in the summer when work conspires against me, and right now this is that moment. Fortunately, Kinney and Oscar have things covered. I hope to resume my normal duties as soon as I can. Along those lines, I won't be at the game on Thursday, since I'll likely be on travel for my job. At least I know that someone else will have that ticket.

First, again: United takes SUM U17 Cup

Commence insufferable bragging.

When it comes to MLS teams winning something for the first time, DC United keeps seeming to be the first to do it. First MLS Cup, of course, was ours. First MLS team to win a US Open Cup? Yeah, we did that in 1996. First MLS team to win a US Open Cup? Same year, also giving us the first double. First MLS team to win a CONCACAF Champions Cup? 1998, DC United. First reserve title? 2004. Now we can add the First MLS Team to win the SUM U17 Cup. See, that "Tradition" banner is not just a reminder of history, it is also prophecy.

Of course, we still need to be the first MLS team to win the Superliga, and the first team to win the Copa Sudamericana. So there's work to be done. Gentlemen, look to the youth, and be inspired, and reminded.

How will it be remembered?

It has always been simple for me, and I think many of you, to separate DC United history by its coaches. It may be overly simplistic, but as a narrative it has resonance. There was the inevitable invincibility of the Arena years (never-mind the pre-Moreno games), the erosion and collapse of the Rongren era (never-mind the one championship), the comical farce of the Hudson era (we remember it as comical primarily because of Hudson himself; the team was, in fact, a nasty bit of work that led MLS in fouls committed and cautions for both 2002 and 2003), the promising but almost Sisyphean efforts of the Nowak era (always one step was needed...). We use this shorthand to demarcate United's history, and we care about history almost, but not quite as much, as the present.

With barely a third of the season under Tom Soehn's belt, we can at least begin to speculate on what, in a sentence, the Tom Soehn United is. Even if we can't do that, we can at least try to speculate on what it could be. Yes, this is all premature, but it is still fun, and that's why I'm doing it even though it is patently ridiculous to do so at this time. It was once thought that newspapers are the first draft of history. So let's take our own shot at it.

If it could work out, I would like the Soehn era to be remembered as one where United was more adaptable, flexible, and unpredictable in terms of what we brought to the field. Soehn's line-ups have changed from week to week, he is fiddling but I doubt he will ever hit on a Best XI and stick with it from week to week a la Nowak. Instead, I would love to see more tactical decisions made in how the team plays and who starts. We've seen this a lot on the wing choices, where we've seen Casal, Moose, Olsen, Gros, and Fred. We've seen more movement up-top with Moreno, Emilio, Kpene, and Addlery. And we've seen changes in the backline.

If there's one thing Soehn may become known for, it's his willingness to experiment, toy with, and generally MacGyver the United lineup from week to week. That's a good thing right now (of course, one man's MacGuyver is another's overmeddling Mad Scientist...) And if I were to make a premature guess as to what we'll remember the Soehn era for, it would be for its adaptability.

Past and Present

KNOW THE PRESENT: In DC, when any personality makes it to all five of the Sunday Morning Talk political shows on the same day, it's supposedly known as "The Full Ginsberg". I propose that when a soccer personality manages to hit The DCenters and the DC Sports Bog on the same day, it should be known as "The Full Needham."

Ricky Schramm gets his student newspaper bio: "Who needs David Beckham? We’ve got Rick Schramm." That's the kind of arrogance we appreciate.

Soccer365 lets you know that the Coach likes the Luciano.

KNOW THE PAST: Pretty much all the mainstream media were quick to invoke "Pele and the Cosmos" after the David Beckham signing. That's why it is pretty nice that the Washington City Paper decided on another historical allusion: Johann Cruyff and the Diplomats. It's nice to know that chain smoking soccer personalities have a rich DC Soccer tradition. Perhaps at some point I should put up an image of my Ben Olsen autographed pack of Camel Reds? (No, Concerned Parents of America, he didn't smoke any of them. He just signed it.)

Lamar Hunt, 1932-2006

Even when titanic figures in MLS or US Soccer pass-on, the DCenters usually remains silent unless there is a direct DC United connection. Lamar Hunt is no exception, except for the fact that his influence was so big, so important, that we must note and pay our respects to the man. If nothing else (and there was so much more), Hunt's attachment with MLS conferred more respect on this league and its legitimacy as an aspiring sports organization than any other individual I can think of. Investors knew that Hunt is one of the few people who had already successfully taken on the established sports hierarchy in the USA and won. Since the AFL/NFL merger, we have seen countless organizations bid for America's attention and fail to achieve much notice. The WLAF, XFL, Arena Football League, and USFL all took shots at trying to carve a niche out, and all have faded back if not out of the picture entirely. The AFC is still around. So is MLS, and if there's no MLS, there's no DC United. He may not have given a second thought to this market, but it didn't matter. His presence alone gave us space to work in, and a chance to establish what we enjoy. The appreciations of Lamar Hunt deserve to be wide-ranging, and I'm glad they are. Thank you Lamar. Thanks for giving us MLS, and keeping it here long enough for my DC United to beat your Wizards in 2004. Even as your team lost, I hope you knew that to some degree, we all owed you one.