More alumni to haunt us?

Looks like former DC United forward Guy-Roland Kpene will sign a developmental contract with Houston Dynamo and rejoin former DC defender Bobby Boswell. I wasn't a huge fan of his when he was here, seems he had more potential than actual payoff. But compared to Niell and Doe, I'm not convinced either is that much of an upgrade over Kpene. At least on the surface, Doe and Kpene seem to be very similar forwards. Granted, we haven't seen much of Doe ...

Forward Guy-Roland Kpene, who came to the Dynamo on trial a couple of
weeks ago seeking a senior contract, was back with the team Tuesday.

BREAKING MLS NEWS

Ricardo Clark's season is over. He may even get suspended for a few games into the season next year. Keep in mind that Andy Herron got a 6 game suspension for his deliberate elbow into Jay Heaps' face at the beginning of the season.

Keep watching mlsnet.com for the highlights from the FCD/HOU match. The nastiness comes right before the final whistle.

The Supporter's Shield Pace Report: August 29, 2007

We've had a few calls (including one today) for an update on the race for the Supporter's Shield, and since we haven't looked at things since May it seems like a good time to do so. We'll start with a league wide look, and then look at the implications for DC United towards the end of this post. For those that aren't familiar with this concept, we essentially envisioned a "pace team" that average 1.9 points-per-game in its results, and then map all the other teams against them. 1.9 was selected since any team since the elimination of the shootout that averaged 1.9 ppg would have won the supporter's shield. In fact, teams have won the shield with less ppg, as in 2004 when Columbus took the shield with only 1.63ppg. However, that's not a safe rate of return, as New England's 2005 return of 1.84ppg probably would have been good enough in any other year, but they lost out to San Jose's blistering 2.0ppg.

Okay, so here's how the teams have played out the season so far. Each week we check their point total against the pace team, and it maps out like this (click for larger view):

No team is on the pace right now, but some are clearly closer than others. D.C. United leads the pack, they're only 1 point off of the pace team through 21 games. There's also some pretty clear grouping in terms of the remaining teams. Given how difficult it is to sustain pace, a team that's the same number of points off the pace as another team but has played more games is probably in better shape than their supposed equal. Therefore, here are the top teams contending for the Supporter's Shield right now, in order:

1. DC United (-1 pt with 21 Games Played [GP])
2. New England Revolution (-2 pts with 23GP)
3. CD Chivas USA (-2 pts with 21 GP)
4. FC Dallas (-4 pts with 21 GP)
5. Houston Dynamo (-6 pts with 23 GP)

For me, Chivas is perhaps the big surprise to see their name up here, but that's how it plays out. There are also a few teams that would require a tremendous run of results in the end of the season to make it, but are still at least remotely possible. New York at -9 pts though 22 GP and Kansas City with -10 pts through 22GP could conceivably put it together, but it would be difficult. The rest of the teams must pin their hopes the MLS Cup or a Superliga finish to get international play next year.

So how will it play out? Just for kicks, here are the remaining schedules for the top 5 contending teams, with bolded games being matches against other top 5 teams that could really affect the race:

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

The big point staring us in the face is how large the next three games loom for United in the quest for the shield. All three have the potential to really set put things in United's favor, or put them in a spot where they are chasing the field without any six point swing games. Same deal for New England. The strength of schedule in the other games is comparable for pretty much all the teams, with perhaps New England having the most difficult and Houston having perhaps the easiest (although they have the most ground to make up of the top 5 right now). No one is running away with things yet. United can also go into the next three games and not be devestated by a draw in any one of them. Right now, draws hurt United less than the other five teams given that United is on top. 5 of 9 points from the next three games would probably be good enough to maintain United as a strong competitor. However, a quick losing streak would really hurt.

So what are we saying? I'm saying that right now the next three consecutive games have larger implications then you might think, especially that Chivas game. United's road gets much easier after that, but will it be easier to maintain their position, or easier to get back atop the table? That'll be the big question. Every game matters.

Debriefing for 12.C.03: At Houston Dynamo

Houston Dynamo 1 : 0 DC United

DC United Advances to Superliga Semifinals in 2nd place in Group B
Will Face LA Galaxy on August 15.

Six Word Novel Recap

United squeaks through - "America: F*** Yeah!"

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Houston Chronicle, Ronnie Turner: "The key proved to be the combination of forwards Brian Ching and Nate Jaqua, who propelled the Dynamo to a 1-0 victory...Jaqua set up the score by flicking a pass to Ching, who split two defenders near the top of the penalty box."
The Washington Post, Eric Barton: "United, which could have clinched a berth by beating the Dynamo, got in through the back door."
MLSNet, Jeremy Rakes: "Chasing the equalizer, United started to apply more pressure as Dynamo began to retreat deeper into their their end. Fred won a free kick some 30 yards out from goal on the left that Gomez again stood over, and Wells again tipped over his curling effort aimed for the back post."
The Edgell Supporters: "Houston is good. They finish. DC is not bad, but we do not finish."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "It was promising to see Guy-Roland Kpene and Jaime Moreno get significant minutes, indicating perhaps that at least the latter is ready, or will be ready soon, to contribute regularly to the first team."
An American's View, Brian Garrison: "That was pretty bad. DC United looked listless out on the field. It almost looked like there were 20 guys out there in Orange and about 7 guys in black. The guys in black looked like they didn't know how to pass with each other. It was a bad match."
Poplar Point Perspective, JCM: "DC United needs Moreno on the field."

The Good

1. Play Smart: The phrase "cagey" was used to describe the opening 15 minutes of this match. Awkward and boring would also have been accepted by the judges, but it was still an important 15 minutes. While United was finding what was working for them, they also noticed how Houston was going to attack, and they adjusted accordingly. This was tactically one of the more interesting games I've seen United play, since they didn't just change gears once, but multiple times each half. They sent in early balls from the wings, they would pass around the top of the box, they'd try down the middle, they'd try running along the goal line. It was interesting to see the team as versatile as I think they've been.
   
2. Jaime Moreno: This is why I like him in a rotation. Before he left for Copa America and for the injury, the knock was that he didn't have 90 good minutes to give. I still think he doesn't. But in a situation where he only has 30 minutes to give, he made all of them count. While I would like the full 90, I prefer 30 in a stretch to 30 spread across an entire game.
   
3. Houston: They are a very good team. A commenter asked if the stadium helps them - of course it does. If you look at what they do, they really attempt to disrupt passes up the middle by charging to the ball and hoping the other player doesn't check to the ball in time. Why does the field help that? Because if they don't disrupt the pass and start their counter, they're caught out to some degree. We saw this happen a few times. However, the damage is limited because the defenders behind them have less wing space to cover, and someone is more likely to get over. By the way, contrast the way Houston plays the midfield defensive game to United. United will let midfield players collect the ball, then try and take it off them, and occasionally foul them, a reason for the some of the foul imbalance you see. It's a risk/reward issue, and Houston plays the riskier strategy.
   

The Bad

1. Black to Fade: How is DC United like the Sopranos? 'Cause there's no real finish! (Ah, Dan Loney called, and he'd like his schtick back. Sorry Dan. Clearly you're better at this.) United had some great chances, and some were spoiled due to luck (the Kpene to Luciano play that ended being blocked), skill (Zach Wells save of Christian Gomez's free kick) and some were just poorly executed (Dear Brian Carroll, if someone is sliding you a ball on the grass from a free kick, you really can't put it that far over the bar. Keep it low son.)
   
2. Speed Kills: Allowing Brian Ching the space and lanes that we allowed him was bound to kill us, and it did. Brian may not be the fastest jet, but he's fast enough. Sometimes people make a difference between "fast" and "quick." It always seemed silly to me, but perhaps there is something to it. Similarly, you can't give DeRosario that much space when Houston is executing simple push and pass tactics. I'd much prefer the fouls we gave up to halt his progress, even with some of the free kick skills and DeRosario has.
3. Telefutura: I know, the goal was a quick one, but you can't cut to a replay like that. Made ESPN look good.
   

Man of the Match

N/A

Karma Bank

It is a separate Karma Pool from the MLS Season. Anyways, it is -1 for Stuart Holden's shot getting the post after it sneaked under Perkins' hands, +1 for Moreno not getting a foul called after he got mugged, +1 for some good, creative soccer to create chances, and -3 for each goal America scored to get us into the semi finals. -2 for the match, which combined with the karma for Morelia (+2) and America (E), leaves us at no karma earned or owed entering the semifinals.

Final Thoughts

I think the reviews are generally one of relief. Most of us (An American's View excepted) don't think United played that badly, and I agree with that sentiment. Here's the issue. I have said that this is an average to good team, not a great team. The thing is, we're used to teams that are good or great, so this is a step down. And while I can accept that for this season, it isn't something I want to become accustomed to. Before the season began, the changes that were made never convinced me that this team was going to be great (thus the "rebuiding" concept), but I want to see progress toward becoming great. This is acceptable for now, but not for the long term. United has the rest of the MLS Season and the Superliga (and the Copa Sudamericana) to prove they are progressing once again to elite status. That's the goal. I may not expect it this year, but I want to see the evidence that it is the final destination.

Also, and I know this is bad karma (which I don't believe in, even if I track it) but is anyone else relieved to be playing LA instead of Pachuca in the next round? I am. Pachuca looks like a team getting better with each game, and I'm not sure about LA even after golapalooza. If I were unkind, I would say that Houston - Pachuca may well be the real final of this tournament. But you never know...

First Impressions - Houston Dynamo 1 : 0 DC United

The better team won. You might not see it from the box score, but Houston was the better team. Let's go father than that - Houston is a pretty damn good team that does what champion teams do: They beat other good teams.

And tonight, DC United was a good team. Not great, but good. They threw enough at Houston that they might have stolen a result. Emilio is still snake-bit, and Christian, Guy-Roland, and even Jaime weren't fortunate enough to convert their chances. The defense showed well, even if they did give up some counters, including the one that led to the goal. The passing wasn't perfect, but it was better than many games I've seen this year, including other games we've won. It could have gone our way. It didn't. That's not unfair.

If we're out of Superliga because of this, then that's the way it is. I feel better about this team for the end of the MLS season now than I did when this tournament started. Part of that was seeing injured players like Moreno, Kpene, and Namoff return to the line-up. Part of it was seeing Marc Burch make the most of his minutes. But most of it was seeing a team that, for the first time this season, seems to be coming together. And make no mistake, this team is coming together. After a choppy opening 25 minutes where Houston nearly caught United out multiple times, the team played smart football, slowed the game down a bit, and started to influence the game in their favor by changing gears. It worked. Yes, a slip-up of perfect proportions gave Houston their goal. McTavish was beaten to the header than sent the ball through to Ching. Boswell was much too casual in how he positioned himself in relation to Ching. Josh Gros was too late to be of any help. But chances like that are going to be given to very good teams like Houston, they will find a way to create them. All you do is try to limit their chances, and create your own. DC did that. There's reason for optimism, even if Morelia pulls out the win tonight and the tournament is over.

Debriefing for 12.14: At Houston Dynamo

Houston Dynamo 1 : 0 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Inspiration doesn't strike us. Ching did.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Houston Chronicle, Bernardo Fallas: "Ching combined with midfielder Richard Mulrooney for the only scoring of the night in the 33rd minute. Mulrooney rushed to collect a loose ball off a corner kick and, upon coming across it, unloaded a razing, left-footed shot from near the top of the box that an alert Ching deflected past United keeper Troy Perkins."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "United's concerns ran deeper than a goal that handed D.C. (7-5-2) only its second loss in 10 games and extended the Dynamo's unbeaten streak to eight and its shutout run to 515 minutes. United's attack barely showed life and, other than two prime opportunities before halftime, the club posed no threat to veteran goalkeeper Pat Onstad and his flawless back line."
MLSNet, Lucas Ogden-Davis: "United had a chance to go up early in the game on a free kick taken by Gomez. Gomez's shot bounced in the middle of the penalty area and then up and off the crossbar, before landing in a dangerous position in front of the goal, but it was cleared out by the Houston defense."
MLSNet, Jeremy Rakes:"The save that Onstad made to keep the game scoreless came in the 29th minute when Luciano Emilio had a short breakaway denied by the Houston goalkeeper. Emilio broke free from Eddie Robinson, and had a short breakaway into the box, but his shot to the right was saved by a diving Onstad. From there, Houston's team defense took over as Onstad had three saves, and D.C. took only six shots."
MLSNet, Jeremy Rakes: "United were still in the game, and had a couple of chances to snatch a late tie. In the 80th minute, Clyde Simms fired a bullet from outside the area, but put it wide. Then in the 87th minute, Devon McTavish sent a curling shot from the right corner of the box, but his shot sailed into the hands of the waiting Onstad, and Dynamo held on for yet another clean sheet."
Blckdgrd: " I'm not spending too many minutes anguishing over this game. Concerns? Sure, but no grand conclusions from last night other than Carroll is becoming dangerously useless..."
Soccer Insider, Steve Goff: "Not a very inspiring performance."
The Edgell Supporters: "There are some games where you can just feel like we don't have it in us. There was no danger or urgency in our game and Houston knew it."

The Good

1. Troy Perkins: I'm gonna keep him at the top of the good list. He clearly has his game going, made a save on one tough deflection earlier in the match, and had no opportunity to save the other. He did all that you can ask for.
2. Defensive Depth?: I don't like the idea of pinning our hopes for defensive depth on the emergence of Devon McTavish. He's too young, he's going to have some off games and we should expect that. Still, I have to admit he's come along well in his chances, Josh Gros is settling into his role at left back with adequacy (as opposed to being a liability), and Boswell and Vanney were better last night than Vanney was against Kansas City last week. Namoff should be getting through his traditional "one multiple week injury per season" stint, so if he can stay healthy, I'd be happy if that's the last we saw of the makeshift back four in favor of five backs (plus the occasional Marc Burch) having some time out there.
   
3. Zones of Control: United actually came out well in the opening minutes of the first half. They had stretches of decent possession, but it seemed like when they were frusturated it took more out of them.
   

The Bad

1. Brian Carroll:Really, he's better than he was, but last night was a reminder that he's not asserting himself in midfield the way he should. Clyde Simms deserves a few starts, or Carroll the Younger, or even Arguez after the US Open Cup.
   
2. Strategic Failure: Tom Soehn has shown some good adaptive instincts against other teams, but this game seemed to elude him. If there was a consistent strategy to this game, I'm not sure we saw it. United was timid in its counter attacking, frequently cutting the ball back for a simple pass. The substitutions also brought little to the table. Dyanchenko for Addlery and Burch for Olsen were both reasonable, but Simms for Carroll brought little to the table in terms of gaining a goal on the road. I know Moose didn't have a particularly good game against KC, but at least he would have injected some additional attacking options into the game, Additionally, after being outplayed at the end of the first half, the team didn't change its style or results to start the second.
   
3. Road Intensity: Player quotes indicate that they felt more in control of the match than the one I saw. United really didn't feel threatening, and so I'm going to repeat Kinney's note from last week. We lost a lot of 50-50 balls. It wasn't effort, as they fought for those balls, but they never had that extra bit of fire to get them. Of course, Houston is also better in those situations, and probably more accustomed to them given the field.
   

Man of the Match

N/A

Karma Bank

Gomez hits a post on a beautiful free kick, which earns us one karma, but the overall tedious game and play gives it right back again. No Change, -1 for the season.

Final Thoughts

Three points on this road trip is acceptable. Sure, I wanted more after the win against KC, but I'll take this. What concerns me is that I'm not sure I believe in this team on the road. That's an issue as we go down the stretch.

I thought of breaking my week long silence during those few days in first place to pose this question: "Does this feel and look like a first place team to you?" It doesn't to me... yet. Can I see a way there? Yes, but at the same time I don't think our level of play has reached the point of the end of the 2004 season (a benchmark) or even the 2005 unbeaten streak (a slightly lower mark, given the number of 1-nil results). We're a midlevel team, playing like a midlevel team. The encouraging thing is that you can see how we could be more than that. The discouraging thing is that we aren't there yet.

First Impressions - Houston Dynamo 1 : 0 D.C. United

You may not have noticed, but I took last week off from the blog, leaving it in the capable hands of Kinney and Oscar. However, on a night like this, it's unfair of me to ask them to write the First Impressions post. Beyond unfair -- cruel, actually. It wasn't that United was awful, or inept, it was simply that DCU was painfully milquetoast, like mashed potatoes if someone forgot to use any salt or garlic or butter, and simply cooked potatoes, sat on them, and tried to serve them to you.

United was plagued by a few things. First, possession was consistently thwarted in the final third. Fred and Olsen did not seem to have much to offer in terms of an attack, and Gomez was easily swarmed. Second, and this was true of the last match against the Wizards, watch how many times a United player made a pass that rebounded off an opposing player. Not that a Dynamo (or Wizards) player intercepted the pass, but a United player simply banked the pass off of them. While I can't be certain as to the cause of this, I suspect it is that while United is conscious of where their teammates are, and what they want to do with the pass, they are not as aware of the opposition as they should be. United can't simply impose its will on the opposition, they have to adapt and exploit. Sometimes Tom Soehn has shown capability in this area, but in this match it was lacking. Third, the touch for United's players was just awful. Some good passes or plays simply fell apart, or led to Houston counters, because United was unable to take the pass in and settle it down.

As Kinney remarked to Oscar and me, it wasn't that United played badly and rolled over. It wasn't that there wasn't effort. They just didn't look to be threatening even as the match fell away. They looked... bland. And bland does not win games very often.

Debrief tomorrow.

Match Briefing for 12.14: At Houston Dynamo

Match #: 12.14

Opponent:
Houston Dynamo
26pts, 20GF, 10GA, +10 GD
2nd place Western Conference
2nd place MLS

Six Word Novel Preview: Dynamo on roll and at home

TV: CSN, 8:30 PM

Radio: WMET 1160AM

Previous Meeting: Match 12.07 - DC United 2 : 1 Houston Dynamo (Debrief/ First Impressions)

The Stakes: Basically both teams are racing for the Supporters Shield at this point. The race is completely up in the air with about 6 different teams looking like they are in the mix. Houston will look to avenge their loss at RFK. DC will look demonstrate that they are the better team against a possible playoff opponent.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Poplar Point Perpective,Six Yards North,The Edgell Supporters
Previews from H-Town:
Previews Updated as we notice them

Expectations: Frankly, I expect a loss. The Dynamo are very good at home and have been on a tear lately. DC has not performed well on road games this season. If an invigorated United show up to play this could be a great match with a wide open game and anything happening. But, the team that played RSL and LA on the road could also show up for a Red Bullesque beating.

What to look for?

• Does United come to play? You will be able to tell this in the first 15 minutes and it is the biggest key to the game.
  
• A better organized defense. I am not sure if Boswell will be playing tonight, but I know Vanny has had more time with the team. Houston will destroy United if they let them have the chances they gave Kansas.
  
• How Addlery plays. He had a great game against Colorado and then a very poor game against Kansas City. Hopefully he gets his touch back and can contribute to the attack.
• Fred and Emilio. Can they continue their streaks against probably the best team in the league right now? Do they continue to integrate themselves into the golden hendecagon?
  
• Who gets the first goal? Both teams are undefeated when they score first.
  

The Thursday Night Soccer Reviews

Last night was a night I had anticipated heavily, but by the time it was over I felt annoyed that I ever cared about this game. Why? Well...

USA 2 : 1 CAN: Setting aside Canada's disallowed goal (which I don't understand, and if I were a Canadian fan I would feel completely embittered about the entire thing) the US has some glaring problems. In the opening 20 minutes they showed good skill in carving through the Canadian midfield, but never manufactured a great chance off of it. The half chances were all weakly taken shots whose energy had pretty much expired by the time Pat Onstad took them into his arms. If I had to say one thing, it is that the US misses, and has not replaced, Brian McBride. Eddie Pope was pretty much done in 2006 for international play, Claudio Reyna (Ghana game aside) will be replaced by someone, I have no doubt, but Taylor Twellman and Brian Ching do not seem to provide the same ability to take advantage of small chances that McBride did. For all the other International retirements you can see that in four years we could be okay, but not McBride. That's worrisome.

Oh, and Frankie, um... DID YOU SEE LAST YEAR'S WORLD CUP? When the opposing team's talented midfielder head-butts you, YOU FALL DOWN WITH A COLLAPSED LUNG! You don't slap him in the face. Goodness, have we learned nothing?

Let me be honest. Had Canada's goal (and it was a goal) been allowed to stand, they would have found a way to win that game. The USA does not inspire confidence. But... (see part 3).

HOU 4 : 0 CHV: This is usually a focus on ESPN covering the game, so let's start there. It was a decent job from the crew, whose energy was slightly higher than last week. The down moment came when a "30 at 30" update split the screen for a crucial red card decision (one that looks a bit light, but I can't fault the center ref for making it.) Chivas looked out of sorts, and Houston looked dangerous on set pieces but still didn't overwhelm me, despite the score line. Acceptable match, and perhaps the audience enjoyed all the goals. I dunno.

MEX 1 : 0 GDP: The difference between Mexico and the United States right now is that while both teams have been unconvincing, Mexico at least look to be getting better. Not sure I can say that about the US. That being said, Guadeloupe seemed to play them well. There was a concerted effort to not allow Mexico easy chances, and to play defensively in the opening half. I wonder if Guadeloupe actually feared getting a goal before half time, on the theory that it just might wake El Tri up. Probably not, but it felt that way. Still, once they went down a goal, they managed to actually try and press to equalize the game. And the last half hour was fairly enjoyable considering what I had been seeing most of the night. Yet here we are, with the US and Mexico in the final, and neither team really looking like a powerhouse at any point. There should be insecurity on both sides.

Debriefing for Match 12.07: Houston Dynamo

D.C. United 2 : 1 Houston Dynamo

Six Word Novel Recap

Passed a test, not The Test.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "Christian Gomez scored a goal and set up another by Ben Olsen as D.C. United beat the MLS champion Houston Dynamo 2-1 at RFK Stadium in front of 18,078. With the win, United (3-3-1, 10 points) extended its unbeaten streak to four games and won its third straight game after a slow start to the season. "
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "After being taken down by Ricardo Clark, Gomez ripped the free kick over Houston's wall and placed it perfectly inside the left post as goalkeeper Pat Onstad reached in vain.
The Houston Chronicle, Brian Straus: "The Dynamo managed their first goal in 275 minutes during Saturday night's match against D.C. United, a highlight-worthy, second-half strike from Dwayne De Rosario...D.C. United was effusive in its praise for its star [Gomez]; the Dynamo (2-5-1) appeared shaken by the defeat and avoided comment. Coach Dominic Kinnear refused to meet the media or open the locker room for a full hour after the game. Someone even stood inside the door to push it closed when a member of the Dynamo staff attempted to enter."
UnitedMania, Jimmy LaRoue: "The Dynamo were not without chances in the first half, but Ching missed on three headers–two of them open looks from eight yards–and Brad Davis’ forceful 25 yard left-footed strike forced Perkins into a two-hand parry over the bar."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "Enjoying more space and time than in previous games, Gomez produced an animated performance that suggested he is recovering from an early-season malaise.
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "...Perkins guessed the right way on De Rosario's penalty kick...the resulting euphoria lasted less than a minute as Richard Mulrooney sent in a cross that Perkins, no doubt still pumped from his save, raced off his line to claim in traffic. The United netminder's clearing punch lacked power and fell straight to Waibel, who passed to De Rosario...cut to his left and steadied himself to blast a low shot past Perkins to give the visitors new life."
Soccer y Futbol, Bernardo Fallas: "D.C., which struggled to start the season, won its third straight. Meanwhile, the Dynamo, bound to lose De Rosario, Ricardo Clark and Brian Ching to Gold Cup duty, are looking hopeless."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "Troy Perkins stepped up tonight as an MLS Goalkeeper of the Year should step up."
BlackDogRed: "Another tough night defensively. Gros was probably better than I think since Houston ran at him so constantly I remember rarely thinking about Namoff, but he is a liability, especially since he keeps getting beat to and around the endline. Perkins is back in form, but without Houston's inability to finish Brad Davis' sweet crosses United gives up three. It's not fixed."
The Edgell Supporters: "Erpen did not get a goal but he did get a bicycle which almost cost us a penalty. Way to go Facundo. He actually had a very good match and cleared the ball very well. I love you Facundo."
Soccer Insider, Steve Goff: "It's a very good team, but not a great team, and has yet to show championship characteristics. I am curious to see how this team evolves through the summer."

Also: Screaming Eagles Podcast

The Good

1. Strike First, Strike Again: One of the points made over at the Soccer Show podcast at UnitedMania is that DC United is built to play with a lead. It's one of the points I agree with. (Tangent: The thing about the Soccer Show is that there's so much disagreement among the gang of four that pretty much everything gets said at some point. Which means someone will inevitable be right, and someone will inevitably be idiotic. It's fun.) United has yet to relinquish a lead in a league game all year.
   
2. Gomez -- People Who Need People: Lots of talk about Christian Gomez having more space in the field, but not why. Some attribute this simply as a result of a less crowded midfield with the 4-4-2, but that's not it. What gave Gomez space against Houston wasn't so much Gomez being clever on the ball or drawing less attention, but Gomez allowing Olsen and Fred to have more time on the ball. With three potential lanes running through the midfield, suddenly the Mulrooney and the defensive third of Houston couldn't just hack at Gomez to bring him down, because if they did Fred and Olsen were more than capable of taking it to Houston. By Gomez not taking all of the attack playmaking responsibility on himself, he gave himself more options later on. And that's the important take away for me: Gomez finally allowed himself to trust someone other than Moreno.
   
3. Perkins Penalty Save: We note it, and we salute it. Sure the goal followed quickly, but last year he didn't save one of them. Congratulations sir.
4. Kpene Lane is in My Ears and In My Eyes: If you click on BDR's link above, you'll notice a huge "Is it an accident that the attack ran smoother with Kpene instead of Moreno" discussion. If you ask me... well, I'm not sure. But Kpene provides the ability to take the ball with his back to goal and then distribute better than Moreno can. However, the thought earlier in the season was that Emilio would be the person who'd provide this skill. Fascinating, no?
   
   

The Bad

1. Self-Service wings: Houston consistently was pounding crosses into the box from the wing, something I can understand with three in the back, but with four in the back some of that service needs to be shut down. Brian ching had multiple free headers, and while there's room to complain about Ching, of all people, going unmarked in the box, the consistent service upset me more. Gros (primarily) and Namoff (to a lesser extent) were allowing far too much of that. Boswell and Erpen were far from perfect in their marking responsibilities, but the first job is to deny that pass, or at least force the player to make a move and get around you.
2. Emilio Luciano: Tom Soehn in the SE Podcast talks about how he's not upset with Luciano running cold recently, but I'm a bit curious. Sure, he was robbed by the post in Toronto, as I recall, but he didn't seem to have much of a contribution in this game. Horribly bad? No, but something to think about.
   
3. The Josh Gros Handball: He says it was an accident. I hope that's true, because otherwise it was the kind of play that may tactically make sense, but still feels like cheating, and possibly worthy of a straight red. Also on the podcast, listen to Gros talking about how much more thinking he had to do as a left back. He's getting there, but the ability to internalize all of that information and then act on it naturally may take most of a season... if we're lucky. There's a lot of nuance. So good luck to him.
   
4. Countered Counter (Substitution Edition): Houston threw everything at United for the final twenty minutes, but United couldn't exploit that. Part of this I think was the order of substitutes. Overall I've been fairly complimentary of Tom Soehn's tactical decisions, and I don't have a problem with the changes he made, but I would have preferred a slightly different order. Simms in the game earlier (say, around the 65th) would have helped bolster the defense which was under assault, and then Dyanchenko followed by Addlery. I keep forgetting that Dyanchenko has decent skills on the ball as well.
   
5. Jair Marrufo: Not the worst official we've seen this year, but one of the most frusturating. I have no problems with the penalty given to Houston, or the lack of a penalty when Kpene was bowled over. However, Marrufo is one of those officials who I think allows the score to influence his calls. He prefers not to give a winning team a call in debatable situations, and that upsets me. Call the game consistently. Again, not the worst, but far from the best.
   

Man of the Match

I was thinking Olsen, but Oscar argued for Perkins. Perkins had some odd moments, and didn't seem in control of himself as usual, so I still can't agree with that. However, based on Gomez understanding the team picture better, and with a classic free kick goal, I think I'll give it to Christian Gomez as a compromise. Special merit awards to Fred, Olsen, and Perkins.

Final Thoughts

After no wins in the first four to unbeatable in the last four (funny how draws support both sides of that argument) you can rest easy. However, even with a .500 record, I agree with something Goff wrote: This team doesn't look like a championship team yet. They do look like a good team, but one that can just as easily lose a game as win one. Could United lose to RSL? Sure, I can see it. Can United beat Red Bull or New England? Yup, could see that as well. United has yet to turn in a single dominating game against teams of any caliber (I still feel the draw against New England featured the longest stretches of quality soccer from DC, but the Houston first half was probably the highest level peak we've seen). United has yet to keep a clean sheet. United scares no one right now, but they aren't going to be taken for granted either.

I wrote a few weeks that the remainder of May's games would tell us if the slide is over. It is over. United is no longer in gawdawful shape (yes, I know, only 8th in the single table... but far better than 13th). But the next two games will tell us if United is a team that is ready to challenge for leadership. LA is struggling, but United will need a result at the Home Depot Center and that may not be easy. Frank Yallop has shown an ability to game-plan for United at home in the past. Then a home game against New York, which is playing some very, very classy soccer. Is this team mediocre, or is it really good? Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel...

First Impressions - DC United 2 : 1 Houston Dynamo

I like wins. I'd like wins I didn't have to worry so much about. I'd prefer wins where we didn't give up penalties. But I like wins, especially when we go out and get the first goal, and then grab another goal on top of it. Houston may well be the most unlucky team in the league right now, since they can certainly generate changes, especially from the wing, but couldn't put anything in the goal until de Rosario managed a goal in the seventy-third minute.

The good thing is that United kept DeRo mostly anonymous for the first 70 minutes of the game. The bad thing is that Houston was buzzing towards the end, and United couldn't make the most of the countering opportunities to put the game out of reach. The extremely bad thing was the number of set pieces United gave to Houston, pretty much making a Houston goal inevitable at some point.

Still, while I think the result slightly flatters United, it wasn't an unreasonable one. United needed to get wins like this, and they got it. Great. That's the challenge at the start of the day. They met it. However, if they give the same number of chances away in their next home game, things will be different. There is still plenty to work on, and another chance to improve the game when United travels to LA. That's the next challenge, and one that will have to be watched very closely.

Man of the Match? I'm leaning to Ben Olsen right now, who buzzed around the field quite a bit. Gomez also deserves credit for fully integrating both Olsen and Fred into the attack. Defense was better, but not perfect. And Kpene made gave United quite a bit as a target, even if he didn't tally. Debrief later, either tomorrow or Monday.

An Expert View on the Houston Dynamo

Thanks to our partnership with the RAND Corporation's Temporal Mechanics and Necromancy Division, we are bringing a series of expert opinions to help educate you on teams other than D.C. United when we first face them this season. Today, with Houston in town, we thought we'd go directly to the source. The ultimate source on Houston, namely former senator, general, and governor of the Republic and State of Texas, Mr. Sam Houston. General Houston, welcome to the DCenters.


A-ha! Damn straight. Full of vim and vigor, I am, yessir indeed. You got a glass of something? I could use a drink. Several drinks. Just leave the bottle, that's a good kid. Now, let's get down the business...





I thought you gave up drinking.


That's the version of me in 1840 after I remarried. This is the big one you got, the original, the showstoppa, the Sam Houston of 1836 Of course, everyone seems keen on forgetting 1836, but that's what you got. Large and in charge Sam. Hell, I've been shot more times than 50 cent -- several times in the war of 1812 and once a congressman tried to ice me. But you can't kill me, I'm too intense to die. I'm notorious.


I see. Well, what do you think of the Houston Dynamo, the soccer team that now plays in the city named for you?


Pah! Not a spot of spit and vinegar in any one of them. That Canadian, the one that does that silly Pinnochio dance after each goal? Pathetic. Heck, I made my name by clipping the strings of Canadians like that. Brian Ching? He's the reason I opposed the westward expansion of the Texas Republic - I didn't want Hawaiians messing around with our great state. Bryan Mullan is really the only one of them that shows me any heart. Paul Dagleish? Please, his favorite movie is "Goal - The Dream Begins!" Quoth this Raven to these infants: "Nevermore!" I'm not paying to see the sequels to that piece of crap.

You're certainly quite... opinionated. Isn't there anything about Texas soccer you like?



Damn straight there is. You know at the Convention of 1833, I was representin' Nacadoches? Must have done some good, 'cuz that's where my homeboy Deuce is from. Deuce, get your skinny ass in here.






'Wassup, all. Comin' to y'all direct from the Cottage. Premier style, homes. We gonna kick dis Sam?









We need someone to lay down some phat beats first!









I gots y'all covered. G-Dub in the Hizzy, spinnin' the trax!









All right, now check this!
All you fake Houstoners who rhyme atrocious,
listen to master, straight outta Nacadoches.
You know its illy the way I flow this
beat that I know you'll want to poach this
flow but you can't, so you and try and dis'
all form a team name that's communist
you try to hit the mark but I know you'll miss
'cause I made the map recognize Texas.
Take it Deuce.


My story is large, my rhymes iz ample
I have talent Mulrooney wishes he could sample
When I'm fly on the wing your backs I'll trample
How do I do it? Here's an example:
In the UK they know I'm fly--
I put Liverpool down kept Fulham high
And you know DeRo wishes he could try
to do what I do, and that ain't a lie.
The orange is from Texas, that's what they say
But I think they're still stuck in San Jose
and they won't break out at RFK
they put tears of the face of Dommie K.
Break it down G-Dub!




It's the Amen Break y'all, so gimme an Amen!










Amen Brother!