An Open Letter to DC United

There are two possibilities... either I am the foremost football tactician of our day, or Onalfo is watching a different game with different players doing much different things. Because I am seeing very obvious things that I would think can be easily fixed. Benching Castillo, for example...

On the terrible heels of a terrible 2-0 loss, terribly, I offer these thoughts on what should be a much better team.

1. If Castillo can't challenge the keeper, or even kick the ball over the head of the first defender, he shouldn't be taking the free kicks. Week after week his efforts are embarrassing.
2. The Allsopp/Cristman type of forward is the future of DCU, if not the MLS. Connor Casey, who is a terrible soccer player, is at least a hard worker and a physical presence up top.
3. Troy Perkins isn't a bad keeper. Please stop saying so, Sacho Cirovski. (That was from last week...)
4. Why does the defense have so much creativity with their fouling but none with their offensive crossing or passing?
5. Ben Olsen off the bench? Not really, but let's rally around the hard workers: Morsink, Cristman, Allsopp. Castillo, Simms, Wallace: these under-performers need to sit on the bench for a week or two and ruminate.

Share your own thoughts in the comments.

Spotted: Jaime Moreno at AT&T National

My wife was wearing her DC United hat:

Oh yeah, Tiger Woods was there too...

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

After Saturday night's game-deciding PK call in the match against the Revs and then last night's drubbing of the USMNT, my insides have gotten a bit queasy today whenever I have thought about soccer.

I certainly don't want to encourage anyone to look past RBNY, but since we lit them up to the tune of 5 goals two weeks ago in that USOC play-in game, the prospect certainly exists of settling my stomach. I'd like to see Moreno, Pontius and Tino all strike tonight.

Thoughts? We are just about an hour out from game time, so let's hear what you have to say!

Debriefing for Match 14.07: F.C. Dallas

D.C. United 2 : 1 F.C. Dallas

Six Word Novel Recap

Ponce de Leon should check Bolivia.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Dallas Morning News, Frank Servalli: "Despite being outshot, outmuscled and outplayed, FC Dallas somehow managed to escape the first half Saturday night against D.C. United with a 1-0 lead.Rather than take advantage, FCD (1-5-1) coughed up the lead in the first minute of the second half and allowed another goal 10 minutes later and fell, 2-1, at RFK Stadium."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "[Moreno's] goals 10 minutes apart and all-around brilliance helped United (3-1-3) overcome a halftime deficit and validate a mostly dominant performance by the home club in front of 14,225 spectators. "
The Washington Times, Patrick Stevens: "It was Moreno's first multigoal game since April 26, 2008, against Real Salt Lake, and came on a night he was honored for becoming the first player in MLS history with 100 goals and 100 assists."
DCist, Aaron Morrissey: "Moreno was far from the team's only contributor on the evening. Add Milos Kocik to the long list of rookies who have played a vital part in the opening salvo to D.C. United's 2009 season. The 23-year-old Serbian-born keeper -- who recorded 29 shutouts in his last two seasons at Loyola (MD), and had an undefeated record in 2008 -- made several key efforts in the last fifteen minutes to preserve the victory, his second over Dallas in two weeks."
Washington Examiner, Craig Stouffer: "Moreno... put in a vintage performance even before he settled Bryan Namoff’s long ball at the top of the box, beating Dallas goalkeeper Ray Burse with a left-footed shot to tie the score, 1-1, in the 56th minute. Ten minutes later Christian Gómez, who came on as a substitute immediately after D.C.’s first goal, put Moreno through once more. This time MLS’ all-time leading scorer executed a deft chip over the onrushing Burse for the game-winner and his 124th career goal."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "United continued to pour on the pressure and almost scored the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute. Luciano Emilio was sent through all alone on Burse. The Brazilian pushed the ball to the right of Burse in an attempt to round the keeper but his touch was too strong. Emilio got to the ball before it rolled over the endline and managed to get a good shot at goal but it too was blocked off the goal line.
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "United's 2009 squad seems to grow in confidence and fluidity with every passing week and against Dallas the Black-and-Red controlled play from the opening whistle, carving out one scoring opportunity after another and eventually directing 11 shots on goal."
DCSportsBox, Abram Fox: "D.C. tried to get out to a quick start, attacking Dallas relentlessly in the first half. They notched 4 shots in the first 10 minutes of play, but connected on none. The trend continued for much of the half, with the ball remaining on Dallas’ side of the field much of the time. Despite the power of their attack, D.C. was unable to score on any of their 10 shots. In the 28th minute, a Dallas corner kick from Dave van den Bergh set up midfielder Andre Rocha to head the ball past D.C. keeper Milos Kocic, giving Dallas the 1-0 lead. They held the lead going into halftime."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "'I'm not surprised; not surprised at all,' said McCarty about giving up the early second-half goals. 'It's pretty much the story of our season so far. I think we have gone into halftime tied or in the lead in most of our games and in the second half for whatever reason we come out flat. We don't bring the needed energy or desire to get the three points.'"
QuarterVolley, I-66: "I felt like I was watching blond #9 Jaime again..."
DCUMD, Shatz: "That wasn't quite as productive of a match as Chris Pontius is used to, but I just like the fact that we've got a guy who can fill in at central holding midfield when necessary, in addition to also playing on the wing, CAM, and withdrawn forward."
Fullback Files, Fullback: "Emilio, on the other hand, didn't exactly justify his DP dollars tonight. He had two golden opportunities, a one-on-one with Burse and a point-blank header. Neither of which were finished. And finishing is what we pay him the DP bucks for. Those are the goals we need to kill off games that the opposition has no right still being in as we come down the final stretch... The question becomes: if this is indeed the start of another frigid streak from Emilio, do we have the depth in attack this year to overcome it?"
3rd Degree, Jay Brownlee: "FC Dallas Head coach Schellas Hyndman would attempt to counter DC United’s 3-5-2 by playing David 'the Gnat' Ferreira deeper, effectively positioning Dallas into a 4-5-1, leaving Kenny Cooper alone up top. It didn’t work. Dallas was throttled in the midfield all match long as United kept possession and kept pouring on chances."
The FCD Blog, [FCD] Front Office: "[Hyndman] on goals coming early in the second half: 'I think the opposition is trying to play quicker balls through the center. They are trying to unbalance us with the diagonal balls. It doesn’t take a lot to figure out where are weaknesses are; I think right now we are not able to handle pressure real well.'"
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "Burch and Wallace are the side every team will attack until it's not the best option, every team will cross to the dot until United proves it can mark in the box, and good teams are going to score on United until the defense better communicates and coheres, but lordy, a 3-5-2 clicking on offense is a beautiful joy. Koton, Craycic, oy. I've read criticisms that United should have taken Stefan Frei instead of Rodney Wallace, and Wallace has so far justified his selection, but United has a keeper problem, yes?"

The Good

1. 9/99/123/124/100+/100: Use whatever numbers you want, we simply must begin the good with Jaime Moreno. I am glad so many people also noticed that Moreno was involved in this match from the whistle, and playing to his strength. A 3-5-2 is easily victimized if a team can't hold that pivot point in midfield, and Moreno was essential to that mission early. There would have been no talk about United's dominance in the first half if he didn't play that role.
2. 3: Any game where United's back line surrenders no goals in the run of play is a good one, and Burch, Jakovic, and Namoff played strong defense, complemented by some truly determined digging in by Ben Olsen (at one point winning a ball flat on his stomach) and Clyde Simms, who had a technically strong match. Namoff's assist on the long ball to Moreno was a nice addition, but it should not detract from the team defense.
   
3. Soehn v. Hyndeman: Let's not gloss over this fact - Tom Soehn outcoached Schellas Hyndeman in this match, regardless of any personnel issues. Dallas was maligned for playing a 4-5-1, but rightfully so, as United pretty much all service out of midfield to Kenny Cooper. Further, it is a difficult thing to go to the halftime talk after dominating a half but finding yourself behind. You know the opposing coach should try and change things around, but what do you tell your players to change? Instead, Soehn kept his powder dry and his subsitutions and sideline tactics were well played. He bunkered properly and at the right time, he used Gomez effectively, and the flow of attack was dictated by events on the field and not theory.
   
4. Rodney Wallace vs. Dave van den Bergh: Again, I was impressed by Rodney Wallace's defense on the wing, and he was even better when the shift to the 4-5-1 United employed at the end of the match occurred. I almost don't quite worry as much about Terry Cooke. Almost. Wallace and Burch still are, as BDR notes, the weak flank for this team, but there are signs of improvement, no?
5. Resiliency: Commenter Jeremy in the first impressions: "When was the last time that you felt confident that United would come back from a deficit?" To be honest, I still don't. Really, I thought we would lose this match at 1-0, or give up another counter goal. I find my own lack of faith... disturbing.
6. Beat the Bad Teams: Commenter RKE: "A caveat: Dallas really sucks." True. The thing is, I wasn't sure that United was much better than a mediocre team at the start of this season, and losing to a team that sucks seemed, well, something I should expect. I'm still getting used to the idea that United might, might, be good.
   

The Bad

1. Rodney Wallace on the Corner Kick: With Wallace's speed, either he has to beat Rocha to the spot where Rocha notched the first goal of the game, or at least be goal side. I wasn't thrilled by Kocic's positioning on that goal, but even if he was where I thought he should be, that ball still finds the net. That being said, does anyone think Fred defends that better?
   
2. Chris Pontius: DCUMD has a nice category of "The Rail" for games like this, where you want to talk about things that aren't quite right, but aren't truly bad. So this is a misnomer, it wasn't truly bad, but it wasn't strong. I am concerned about our willingness to throw a rookie into so many positions. I worry that he won't acquire the comfort with any position should he encounter difficulty, and that will make things difficult down the road.
3. Milos Kocic: Very nervy start. While I appreciate his ability to punch each ball, I think a friend of mine had the right observation. If you are upset because Kenny Cooper bumped you, then you weren't making him pay enough. Wreck some havoc when you get off your line. Kenny bumped you? He'll stop when you go through him and make him pay a price.
   

Officiating Watch

Center ref Ricardo Salazar seemed to be playing a "no foul or a card" type of match early on, a style of officiating I am not particularly enamored with. That being said, he blew the whistle more frequently when things started to boil over, and that seemed right to me. The ARs were on top of the match.

Likert Scale Grade: 3 - Average

Karma Bank

So a win means only a potential karma burn, and I don't see much in that respect. If anything, we would have been owed karma with a lesser result, so no change for the game, and we're still in debt at -1 for the season.

Man of the Match

Jaime Moreno. You don't need me to explain this.

Certificate of Merit to Marc Burch, Bryan Namoff, and Dejan Jakovic. Grunthos has this exactly right: "Let me give a shout-out to the defense, which played well as a unit for the first time in 18 months or more."

Honorary Certificate of Merit to Simeon Varlamov.

Final Thoughts

I'm not ready to start buying post-season game plans yet, but I am starting to believe this team could be a better team than I thought. The Eastern Conference, even without an expansion franchise, does appear to be the weaker conference, which is both good and bad. It means we may have to face easier competition more times, but it also would not surprise me if the East sent fewer teams to the playoffs.

All of this makes May a very interesting month. After the Kansas City and Toronto matches, United gets a strong RSL team at home and plays the current alpha dog away. Those will be very interesting matches to watch. I'm not even assuming strong results in the first two. But if United does manage, let's say, 4 points from Kansas City and Toronto, I'm not sure it will tell us much more about where we think this team is.

So with all this in mind, we're agreed that the U.S. Open Cup match against Red Bull should again be allocated to the reserves, right?

First Impressions -- D.C. United 2 : 1 F.C. Dallas

In the realm of statistics that ultimately mean nothing, but are none-the-less fun to write, I give you this: D.C. United has not lost a match in which they have conceded the first goal. Again, there is a difference between consistency and resiliency, but D.C. United have the second trait fully demonstrated in the early matches.

The major storyline from this match has to be Jaime Moreno's two goals. That was impressive. Even more impressive was the fact that this wasn't a case where Moreno was quiet for most of the match, and suddenly snuck free for his two goals. Instead, Jaime had been active the entire match. With no Gomez in the starting lineup, Moreno was very effective coming back to midfield and distributing the ball. United's attack looked potent. Quaranta, Pontius, and Moreno all put balls low and hard and just beyond the far post in the first half. United's possession was purposeful and intense, but ultimately unrewarded when Dallas took the early lead. Still, it was clear that United's midfield had Dallas flummoxed for the most part, and the two goals in the second half were both beautifully executed by Moreno and exquisitely set up by Namoff and Gomez respectively.

Tom Soehn did look to lock down the match, but unlike previous matches where it seemed a switch was flipped to "bunker," this match featured a more gradual transition starting around the 70th minute. It began with Wallace sliding back, then the substitution of Jacobson And as a result, it seemed more effective and easier for United to accommodate. Furthermore, it was clear that United's defense was starting to lose its shape and confidence as the half wore on, and the injection of defensive support was called for. This is the right way to try and lock down a win.

The start of Milos Kocic was a surprise, and he did seem a bit nervy in the first half. However, while he never dominated his box with full control, he does earn points with me for getting to all of his punches.

My first impression is that this was the best match that Jaime Moreno has had all season, even without the goals, and the best coached match Tom Soehn may have ever put forward. We will look at some of the bad in the debrief, but I am overall pleased with pretty much every facet of this match. Man of the match is Moreno. Certificates of Merit to Marc Burch, Bryan Namoff, Santino Quaranta, and Christian Gomez. Or at least that's what I'm thinking as we approach debrief.

April 2009 D.C. United Debrief

March 2009: 0-0-2 (2pts, 1p/g, 3GF, 3GA, 0GD, 1.5 gf/g, 1.5ga/g)
April 2009: 2-1-1 (7pts, 1.75p/g, 6GF, 5GA, +1GD, 1.5 gf/g, 1.25ga/g)

We're going to chunk every month of the MLS Season, to see what, if any, insight we can derive from examining a series of games rather than focusing on an individual game. So let's begin...

What Have We Learned?

• United has more talent than I thought they did. I will admit that I expected almost nothing from our draft, so the positive contributions of 2009 draft picks Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace combined with the work from N'Sulu (new signing), Jacobson (2008 draft pick), and Jakovic (new signing) have pleasently been a surprise. My feeling was a new three man back line would take significant time to work the kinks out. There have been kinks, but United has not been victimized for the 2 goals a game I though we would see. Add in the attacking contributions, and suddenly this team can at least give the illusion of depth.
  
• United made a smart move in releasing Francis Doe for Avery John. It may not be a move that sees any minutes on the field, but United needed something for a backline that seemed very, very thin when Janicki and McTavish collided. I'm not saying Avery John is an average level MLS Defender. But I'd rather have a fungible defender than a fungible striker.
• There is a difference between resilience and consistency. D.C. United is not yet a consistent team. There have been two matches where they put together more than 45 minutes of solid play (New England and New York). But those are the same two matches where they demonstrated resiliency, coming from behind to salvage points.

The Month Was Good To...

• Luciano Emilio (3G): It used to be we could tell how Emilio was playing by watching him execute a turn and shoot at the top of the box. Low rocket? Things look good. Weak dribbler? Hoo-boy. That may not be the case for two reasons. His goals are opportunistic, but smart goals. He pursues Boswell in Houston, he positions himself smartly in Salt Lake, and he makes a well timed run in New York. Those goals don't require an Emilio that's feeling the luck, but an Emilio that's smart and involved in the game. Add to that the best forward pressure I've ever seen him exert, and he had a tremendous season. Commenter Rob proposed that Emilio is the most improved player on the team, and I think he has a point. He's more involved, and may have found a way to be involved that doesn't rely on the streaky Emilio.
  
• Rodney Wallace (1G, 0A, 4GS, 343 mins): His first MLS goal helps keep him out of the "When will Rodney Score" type debates. He shows himself to be dangerous enough to attract criticism when he is moved out of a midfield role and into the back line, a role he has taken willingly. His midfield defense needs a little work, as it is more hack than position right now, but I will accept that. His backline defense needs a lot of work. But a rookie has proven himself this month that he has something to offer.
  
• Chris Pontius (1G, 2A, 4GS, 360 mins): In March, Chris looked good for the team as a forward. In April, he has demonstrated versatility far beyond any expectations. I still don't like him as a playmaker in the middle, but he has not been an embarassment there. After some atrocius shooting in New England, he recovered with his 1 goal, 1 assist game in New York that fully redeemed those missed shots.
  
• Dejan Jakovic and Bryan Namoff (combined: 0 cautions in April): Dejan is learning the ropes, more and more each day, and at least has made a three back setup seem plausible. What's more amazing is both players took cautions in March, neither has one in April. Consider that Rodney Wallace, Ben Olsen, and Marc Burch both have 2 cautions at this point. This isn't an imtimidating defense, but the ability for both players to learn to cover one another has meant few opportunities for them to find themselves in positions where they have to make a cynical foul.
  

The Month Was Unkind To...

• Jaime Moreno (0G, 1A, 2GP, 96 mins, 1E): Moreno played only 27% of the available minutes in April. The worrisome thing is that both Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius, and Ange N'Sulu have shown the ability to push for Moreno's spot accompanying Emilio. I do want to credit his effort against New England after he could not sub out, but in a dream world you'd want more production from Moreno.
• Louis Crayton (2-1-1, 5GA, 78.3% save percentage): I should note that MLSNet believes Crayton has a 72% save percentage in the same period, but it doesn't seem to equal the game by game totals which I am using. Anyways, the save percentage would seem to be fairly decent for an MLS keeper, and it is. The concern right now isn't the save percentage as Crayton has only allowed perhaps one bad goal. The concern is the control of the box, where Louis has shown an inability to get to a few crosses in more than one match.
• Fred (0G, 1A, 193mins): The emergence of Wallace and Pontius and Fred's rehab have meant he did not play a full 90 minute game for United yet. What's more shocking to me is that United has shown a preference to place Pontius in the center attacking role instead of Fred. I am not a Fred hater, and I do want him to get into a consistent role with the team, but it is not happening for him so far.
• Clyde Simms: Still thinking about that "fouls=good defense" line we occasionally see floated, it is interesting that Rodney Wallace has exactly twice as many fouls and cautions and Clyde. Add to that a game where he gets called out by his coach, and it has not been his best month in black. I think he can recover, and I'm hoping that part of what we've seen was him being affected by his illness and the New York turf. The Red Bull game was especially difficult, as Olsen comes out, Jacobsen and Simms are both on yellows, so they are essentially forced to drop off in the midfield more than I'd like. I will predict that Clyde is back in form soon.

Emerging Questions...

• With Janicki recovering, MacTavish available, and Avery John signed, is the three man line of Namoff-Janikov-Burch a constant? I would think that this is not a first team set-up yet.
• At some point, Rodney Wallace and/or Chris Pontius are going to have games that show they are still rookies. I'm not talking about missing a few sitters over the bar, I mean games where they are mostly invisible, and then noticed and cause despair. How will Tom Soehn react?
• How many minutes does Jaime Moreno see in May? Fred?
  

May Briefing...

May has the most matches in a month yet, with the fixture congestion front loaded.

Scheduled:
5/2 FC Dallas
5/6 At Kansas City Wizards
5/9 Toronto FC
5/16 At Chivas USA
5/23 Real Salt Lake
5/30 At New England

Key Match:
May 23's Real Salt Lake is the game that I think deserves a significant attention. Given a tough road match the week before against Chivas, and a return trip to a probably more healthy New England side a week later, this is a team DC has been known to struggle against no matter what the location is. The worry here is that United could end up with 0 points in the last three games of May, and that would certainly be worrisome.

Expectations Guide (30 possible points):

Expecting United to improve on the April 1.75 p/g rate strikes me as ambitious, so let's say that anything of 12 points or more is a success. I reasonably think 10-11 points is decent, 9 points would not be a disaster, but the fear would that end of the schedule providing nothing for us, and United managing perhaps only 5 points from this month.

Quote from the Art of War...

Selected at Random:
(2-14) "while government expenses for broken chariots, worn-out horses, breast-plates and helmets, bows and arrows, spears and shields, protective mantles, draught-oxen and heavy wagons, will amount to four-tenths of its total revenue."

Draught-oxen?

Debriefing for Match 14.05: New England Revolution

New England Revolution 1 : 1 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Olsen's head(er) backs up his mouth.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "The statistics are there for all to see. D.C. United out shot the visitors 20-4, including 8 shots on goal to just 2 for the Revs. However, when you play Steve Nicol and his New England Revolution, statistics go out the window..."
Goal.Com, Steven Streff: "D.C. United dominated the game against rivals New England Revolution statistically, as the home side out-shot the the Revs 20 - 4 on the night. But a Shalrie Joseph header in the 50th minute gave New England the lead and forced United to come from behind to earn a point in the 1-1 draw."
DCist, Aaron Morrissey: "United -- in a game that unluckily got away from them -- had the sweetest kind of tie there is."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: "This should have been an easy United win. Its strong lineup faced a depleted New England team missing six potential starters. The home team outshot New England 20-4, but a loss of concentration just after halftime allowed the league's all-time assist leader, Steve Ralston, to set up Shalrie Joseph to head the Revolution into the lead. "
The Washington Post, Steven Goff: "...after squandering several opportunities and yielding an unforgivable goal early in the second half, United needed a late header by Ben Olsen to earn a 1-1 tie before 14,441 at RFK Stadium last night."
Examiner.Com, Ed Morgans: "The goal was the culmination of a second-half battle between Olsen and Thompson, one Olsen told reporters later he was happy to partake in. It boiled over briefly when the two stared toe-to-toe with only an official between them...Thompson also had a couple run-ins with United's favorite referee, Jair Marrufo, regarding fouls and/or cards that should have been called.' He’s a good kid...' Olsen said. 'I figure I’d try to start a fight with him to get things moving. It’s a heated game. He’s a competitor – there are no hard feelings.'"
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "'It's just one of those games where you can outshoot them 20-4 and they can come away with a win -- they've just got to put one ball away,' said United rookie Chris Pontius, a downcast figure after missing several scoring opportunities. 'They put the ball away first, which gave them a little bit of momentum, too. We didn't finish our chances, especially me.'"
MLSNet, Kyle McCarthy: "'We have to do a better job of killing the game off,' Ralston said. 'There was one stretch where we kept the ball. Instead of trying to go, go, go, we brought it back out and passed it around. It was great, but then we didn't do it again.'"
DC Sports Box, Abram Fox: "That [New England Revolution] defensive-minded formation offered D.C. plenty of room in which to operate, and midfielders Christian Gomez and Rodney Wallace relished multiple opportunities to work the ball down the pitch as the Revolution defense collapsed in front of back-up goaltender Brad Knighton. For much of the first half D.C. was forced to take outside shots on Knighton, but nonetheless the Black-and-Red had several fantastic opportunities off the feet of Olsen, Gomez and Luciano Emilio among others."
Fullback Files, Fullback: "Tommy lays the blame on Simms for the double swap at halftime, claiming he wouldn't have made the Quaranta for Burch move if he knew Simms couldn't go in the second half. Fine, that gets you off the hook for not having a sub available when Jaime came up gimpy ... But that still begs the question: why Burch?...We'll never know."
DCUMD, Shatz: "This looked like Jaime Moreno's best match of the season. Even when playing the final 20 minutes with an injury, Moreno became the first player in league history to score 100 goals and 100 assists, and will probably be the only player to do that in the next 20 years."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "I was glad to see that it was Thompson who Olsen beat to score the goal, and I was even happier to see that after Olsen and Thompson fell to the ground and slid out of bounds, Olsen got up and stood over a prone Thompson, delivering a verbal message even as Santino Quaranta tugged at him in celebration. Just desserts for Thompson, and the last laugh for Olsen. I don’t know who was elected as man of the match for United, but if it was anyone but Ben Olsen then there was an egregious error."
You Are My Minions, Landru: "Gesticulating wildly at the sideline with the 'sub me' motion, Moreno showed that he was so unaware of his surroundings that he didn't realize that he was on the field with three guys who weren't there when he started. Niiiice. There's a talent shortfall on this team, and I'm beginning to doubt the heart of an awful lot of players not named Benny. And I'm damn sure doubting the testes of any coaches named Tom..."
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "...maybe Gomez will round into form (instead of just being round), maybe that was his best game back, but what does that say? It's interesting that after his awful CKs last week he didn't take (m)any last night, certainly none early. And it can't be good that as soon as Soehn made the two half-time substitutes, we turned to each other in 232 and said, uh-oh, Gomez knows there's only one sub left - when does he pull up lame?"

The Good

1. United Plays, then Plays Some More: It is nice to have questions answered in the course of the game, and one question we had written about more than once in this blog was "What happens when United gives up the first goal?" While United certainly didn't play as well as their first half showed, they still did try to fight back and get the draw. And the result was a game that, as a whole, was the best of the season.
2. Come out Firing: Ben Olsen from distance twice. A score of shots fired in the direction of the net. United was trying to score. Possession, as is often noted, is a means to an end, and in this match United looked like a team using possession to find different ways to attack the Revolution. Without the shots from distance, does Rodney Wallace get behind the Revolution back line to nearly link up with Gomez? I wonder.
3. Jaime Moreno Soldiers On: Sub me? Please? What? No subs? Really? Aw... I have quoted Landru's complaint with Moreno above, and I can't disagree with anything he says, except that he stops at the 70th minute. Jaime did appear to be cramping up, and he did fight his way through it, which leads us to...
4. The Machivallian Tom Soehn: There is an interesting discussion over at UnitedMania's podcast about whether Moreno felt too entitled to "start when he wants, leave when he wants." Ed Morgans wrote a fantastic analysis of Tom Soehn's calling out players, and whether it is good or bad. BDR has repeatedly at his site and in our comments wondered about how the players react to Tom. Now, I am putting this in the good section, but it is not necessarily a good thing, just that if we wanted, we could ascribe a very cynical motivation to Tom. Given the subbing theories that we knew of, even if Tom Soehn only makes one sub at the half (pick Burch or Simms, it doesn't matter) then in essence he still felt comfortable not subbing at least one of the propspective fatigue candidates (Moreno, Gomez, Olsen). Earlier in the season we wondered if Tom Soehn would only sub for fatigue, as opposed to tactics. We can see that, at least in this match, Tom was willing to let at least one player (and ultimately two) go the distance whether they wanted to or not. Perhaps that sends a message -- be ready to play. Don't be comfortable with your spot. That is, perhaps, the best interpretation I can come up with.
   

The Bad

1. New England's Possession: Yes, you can argue that New England's B-Team can't be held to the same standard as the A-Team, but even with that caveat, the Revolution consistently made things easier for United by giving the ball away. Further, I would expect a B-Team to be somewhat scrappy in the way they tried to get the ball back, but this team consistently fell back in the midfield. Pressure can't start just outside of the box, it must start, even when bunkering, at just over the midfield stripe.
2. Chris Pontius: To his credit, he acknowledges that he was awful at finishing. That's all well and good. And to his credit, he was very good at finding ways to put himself in threatening positions. Also well and good. And I have applauded his willingness to shoot many times in the past. But Chris, if you're going to do all that work, you must put the shot on frame. If nothing else, you know how sniffy people get, and soon the rumors will start that people aren't passing to you because you can't finish. Do you want that? Yeah, me neither.
3. Crediting the Goal: It was an own goal. You and I both know it. Moreno shouldn't have his 100th assist, and we should remember the goal as coming from Ben's effort, but not one that he, as I understand how goals should be credited, should have the notch for.
4. Tom Soehn Calling Out Clyde Simms: He is right on the facts, but Tom Soehn's comments did strike me as something much better kept in the locker room. It wasn't that he revealed why he made the sub, which was fine, it was the editorializing on "Clyde needed to tell me earlier." It's true, but what benefit is there to talking to the media about that than just having a quiet word with Clyde? Do we have any indication that Clyde isn't mature enough to handle that conversaiton? Not that I know of. If you don't think that Clyde Simms will listen to you in this conversation, haven't you essentially admitted you lost the locker room? Probably not, I think it was, as Morgans indicates, a case of oversharing, but c'mon...
   

Officiating Watch

New England may feel more sinned against here than others, and that's the point. We try to evaluate the officials without bias, and Marrufo's standards for what constitutes a foul were a mystery to me the entire game. While there were no atrociously bad calls I can cite (Marc Burch's fouling Thompson in the corner could have been on Marrufo if the AR weren't a few feet away) I had no idea what a fould was. A heel clip would be called, then wouldn't be called. It was a complete mystery.

Likert Scale Grade: 2 - Below Average

Karma Bank

Bryan Namoff's handball in the box was enough to make sure the draw was within reach. That's one point we would not have had otherwise, so karma change -1 as we burn the favor we were owed earlier. That means we have a neutral (0) karma balance for the season.

Man of the Match

Oh, is there any question? Ben Olsen had the textbook game to show how to be the player that fans of your team will love, and all other teams will hate. We hate yapping and jawing like Olsen does... except when he does it. We can rationalize this as "He's earned it" or "Heart of a Lion" or whatever, but if any other player did the same, we'd want them flayed for our amusement.

Still, he is on our team, which means he's man of the match. Certificates of Merit to Jaime Moreno for fighting through the pain, or at least the exhaustion. To Rodney Wallace for dicing up the right flank of the Revolution midfield in the first half. To Andrew Jacobson, for filling in the second half and recovering his confidence after that goal he helped allow. And to Dejan Jakovic, who had a solid game in the backline.

Final Thoughts

That there is a great disparity of thought on this match is, I think, a good thing. We don't know what to make of this team yet, and certainly that's reflected in this match. I also wonder if this match doesn't have a disparity between watching from home and in the stands. In stands, as all about you share in a mass exercise of depression as the minutes tick away, perhaps the negative feedback was intense as people felt the weight of the team not scoring. On television, at a remove, it was perhaps easier to be appreciate what the team looked like.

It is likely that the above theory is false, but if you want to leave a comment along the lines of "thought United looked bad - was at the game" perhaps we can test it.

We now face Dallas in the U.S. Open Cup. I enjoy the US Open Cup, but feel that again this should be turned over to the reserves at this round. No, there is not the same fixture congestion, but I hate the idea of sending the message that the U.S. Open Cup is the same sort of target that the playoffs, MLS Cup, or Supporter's Shield would be. Let the kids have the playing time and the chance to impress.

Debriefing for Match 13.B.01: Chivas Guadalajara

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

Superliga, Match Day 1

Six Word Novel Recap

Lights go out with United's hopes.

Six Word Novel Literary Criticism of Six Word Novel Recap

That recap is over-dramatic, too sentimental.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

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

The Good

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

The Bad

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

Officiating Watch

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

Likert Scale Grade: Not Rated

Man of the Match

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Debrief either tomorrow or Monday.

Debriefing for Match 13.C.02: Chicago Fire

D.C. United 2 : 1 Chicago Fire

D.C. United advances to U.S. Open Cup Semi-Final against New England Revolution.

Six Word Novel Recap

Doe, Namoff score. White meets Red.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, Harlan Goode: "All D.C. United needed Tuesday night was a little more Jaime Moreno."
The Washington Post, Paul Tenorio: "In the 62nd minute, with D.C. trailing 1-0, Soehn inserted veteran Jaime Moreno, who Soehn had thought would not be able to play because of an abdominal strain. Moreno sparked the United attack, assisting on both goals to lead United to a come-from-behind 2-1 victory in front of 4,118 at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "In a match that saw 38 fouls commited between the two teams and a pair of red card ejections in extra time, it was substitute Jaime Moreno's calm and composure that helped United to an historic victory over the Chicago Fire in the quarterfinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup...In the 107th minute, Fred was booked for a challenge in front of the United bench. Just seconds after the whistle blew for the foul, Cuauhtemoc Blanco punched Clyde Simms in the stomach in full view of fourth official Mike Donovan and referee's assistant Adam Wienckowski. United defender Marc Burch was the first player to get to Blanco and he laid a retaliatory shoulder into Blanco who fell to the turf like a sack of wet cement. Both benches got up players on both sides were snapping at each other as the referee's finally got the players seperated. "
Booked for Dissent, Dave Lifton: "On October 20, 1996, Chris Armas scored what should have been the championship-clinching goal for the Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS Cup. But DC United fought back, and in the 4th minute of overtime, Eddie Pope headed in the golden goal, right over the head of the diminuitive midfielder, who was stationed at the near post. As if he had sworn eternal revenge, United’s record against Armas’ teams in knockout games during his playing career after that was atrocious...With Armas retired (albeit on Chicago’s bench as an assistant), I hereby declare the Curse Of Chris Armas to be over after tonight’s win. "
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "Fire left back Daniel Woolard's 36th-minute goal off a Logan Pause long ball gave the visitors an advantage they looked quite comfortable defending, while United's rust and sluggishness all over the field suggested that they'd just returned from a month off, not a weekend...Moreno's pass to fellow substitute Francis Doe netted the equalizer in the 77th minute, pushing the Fire back onto their heels and prompting 30 minutes of extra time. Then his 99th-minute corner kick gave Namoff a glorious look at goal that the veteran defender did not waste, flicking a header past Jon Busch to send D.C. into the semifinals of the nation's oldest major tournament."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "The Fire withstood early but marginal pressure from United before settling in and created the better chances to take a well-deserved lead in the first half. Fire goalkeeper Jon Busch might have seen more shots than his counterpart Zach Wells, but Wells saw the better quality chances through much of the night."
Poplar Point Perspective, JCM: "The win might have been costly as Moreno left the game after playing only about thirty minutes and Fred was visibly limping at the end. United will play New England in the semifinals next month at RFK."
The Red Card, Luis Arroyave: "I was kind of surprised Denis Hamlett went with Jon Busch in goal. Maybe he was unhappy with Nick Noble's performance against the Cleveland City Stars. Maybe he was taking the Open Cup more serious now that the Fire was farther along in the tournament. Or maybe it was a combination of both."
Behind the Badge, The Management: "D.C. United Defender Marc Burch [on] the incident with Cuauhtemoc Blanco...'Blanco came over and swung as hard as he could and hit Clyde [Simms] in the stomach. You know I’m sick of that, throwing elbows at [Gonzalo] Peralta. I bumped shoulders with him and he threw an elbow at me and kicked me so I was just sick of him. He gets away with a lot of stuff because he’s Blanco and he’s from Mexico and he’s a big name. but he can’t do that stuff to any of my teammates...I don’t like him, I don’t think he’s a good person. He’s a good player but when he’s out there he’s doing stuff that he shouldn’t get away with.'"
Fighting Talker, Aaron Stollar: "Anyway, if DC goes on to beat Chicago in the playoffs and rid ourselves entirely of Chris Armas juju, curse, or whatever that Chicago has had over us, I will be curious to see if this match is mentioned as some kind of turning point. Even, not having been there, it kind of feels that way." [Note: Since you ask...]
BlackDogRed, BDR: "I'm sure I'm over-enthused, but beating Chicago in a knock-out in that manner could fuse this team into a product greater than its parts. I'm sure it's the fan speaking, but that's the kind of game that can create an identity that's an attitude. I'm sure I'm a rube, but if United collects silver this year, this might have been the watershed game, not the unbeaten run in MLS, but a vicious and emotional win in Germanfrackingtown Maryland with half the A-squad in a crappy US Cup quarterfinal against the fucking Chicago Fire when this United team claimed its identity."
The Fullback Files, Fullback: "Was it just Limarzi's call, or did Banner sound like he was causing major problems with his speed? This is why I'm harping on about pace on the wing. We don't have it, and it's something that makes MLS defenses deeply uncomfortable. Ergo, it's something I'd like to have on our roster."

And yes... let's at least link to this...

MLSRumors, RumorMill: "According to multiple reports, Chicago Fire midfielder, Cuauhtemoc Blanco may finally have gone off the deep end in what many describe as an assualt on a stadium employee after being red carded in tonight's US Open Cup Quarterfinal match at DC United."

The Good

Note: Radio again, but this time I was able to ask questions of Mr. Lifton thanks to his live blog, who at least would confirm or deny my occasional suspicion about what was really going on. Yesterday was just a personal hell day for me at work. But I think the Good/Bad section should be better this time.

1. SuperSub Jaime Moreno: Yes, I am planning on giving Man of the Match honors to someone who came in the 60th minute and left before the end of the match. No, I don't have a problem with that. Chicago was in the process of locking down yet another victory before his entrance. He turned it around, he held the ball, he interacted well with Doe, Fred, and Emilio, and he got everything started. Let me admit that he can still start, but if we're going to regulate his minutes by using him as a sub more frequently, games like this show just how powerful that could be.
   
   
2. Marc Burch, Heart and Soul: From our comments yesterday, I-66: "Marc Burch has become a USOC hero, with his two goals last week, his racing to the defense of Jaime Moreno after he was chopped down, and his hip check of Blanco that earned his ejection. Across the field, as Blanco waited at the top of the hill for Burch like some sort of schoolyard bully at the flagpole, and Burch was held at the bottom of the hill until Blanco was moved on, we chanted Burch's name and he acknowledged us with applause. After the game, our chants of 'We want Burch' went unanswered, as Marc was likely not permitted to re-emerge, but on this night, #4 is a hero."
   
   I agree. Marc Burch showed a great mentality in the way he handled the situation. He stood up for his team, represented the colors, and while he was clearly in violation of the laws and deserved the red card he received, at the same time he handled it in a way that did not overly endanger himself, his team, or his target.
   
   
3. Clyde Simms: He kept doing a lot of small stuff, and all of it accumulated into another solid game is a season's resume full of them.
   
   
4. Luciano Emilio: Ran for all 120 minutes. Yes, I had fitness concerns about him earlier, and I wonder what shape he'll be in for Superliga, but he gave his all for this match.
   
   
5. Doe, a Dear: He scored, he was active, and he helps put aside comparisons to last year's non-scoring substitute forward. This is a good thing, and a huge step up from Rochester.
   

The Bad

1. Pat Carroll: It's sad, as he had done a few decent things, but all of that fades when compared to the one big gaffe that leads to a goal. Sorry, that's the merciless nature of the game.
   
   
2. Fred/Dyachenko: What, exactly, was Rod's position last night? Withdrawn forward? Midfielder? Hard to tell, because he never seemed to be playing either as far as I could discern. As a withdrawn forward, he never held the ball successfully. As a playmaker, he never, well, he never made plays. Awful. Now, Fred also deserves some censure here, as before his move out to the wing, he was largely invisible.
   
   
3. LCDR Zach Wells: This is borderline. To oversimplify, a keeper has two major tasks: Save his team when called upon, and not endanger his team unnecessarily. On the first task, Wells had his best match to date, making some key saves and shutting down some free kicks and crosses. On the second task, he was mildly at blame for the first goal in not controlling the play, and once or twice took too many touches. So just barely, he'll end up on the "Bad" Side of the ledger, but not bad enough to merit demotion (indeed, he did save United after an atrocious giveaway by Namoff early in the match.)
   
   
4. The Blanco Circus: I've no idea what happened post game, but I do know this. United is probably not going to publicly comment, nor should they. That's not to say they should do nothing. File the appropriate reports, and let whatever systems work their way through things. That's smart, and the right thing to do. What's more, let's not forget that most observers are not unbiased. We tend to see things with Mr. White especially through the worst possible lens, probably because he's given us cause to so many times. But still, the full circumstances are not known by most observers, and we don't know what happened just before the alleged acts by Blanco. We know what happens when team officials irresponsibly mouth off about things they know nothing about, and that's not pretty. While I understand the skepticism about the MLS system in this matter, you still need to let it work. Later, if necessary, is the time for a public comment, not now.
   

Officiating Watch

N/A

Likert Scale Grade: Not Rated

Man of the Match

It would be Jaime Moreno, but there is no Man of the Match for non-league games. Super merit award to Jaime Moreno, Merit awards to Emilio, Doe, Simms, and Burch.

Final Thoughts

One in four. But while we're celebrating a win over Chicago, who killed us so many times, let's not forget that New England belongs to that select fraternity of US Teams who have eliminated United in club matches, and they're next, and not likely to play the same team of reservists after the scare they got from Crystal Palace Baltimore. What's more, the Charleston Battery are also part of that select group (the other active teams being the LA Galaxy, FC Dallas, Harrisburg City Islanders, and the Richmond Kickers. I think that's the list, adding in the Miami Fusion and MetroStars for teams that no longer exist. No doubt Lifton will correct me if I missed someone). So it's not a gimme. But it is, at least, a one in four chance.

Debriefing for Match 13.08: At Chivas USA

Chivas USA 3 : 1 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Early goal... late defeat... final accounting?

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The LA Times, Grahame Jones: "D.C. United rode the talents of former Argentine World Cup midfielder Marcelo Gallardo to a 1-0 halftime lead over Chivas USA... Then, in a thoroughly unexpected turn of events, Chivas USA answered with two late goals from two good players -- Jesse March and Sacha Kljestan -- and then got another from teenager Jorge Flores to come away with a memorable 3-1 Major League Soccer victory."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: " It happened so suddenly and without any warning."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "United now has lost all four road matches this season and have been outscored 11-1 in those games. To add insult to injury this was the first ever win over United for Chivas USA in six matches."
MLSNet, Danny Bueno: "Marcelo Gallardo had put the visitors ahead in the 30th minute with a tremendous goal and D.C. United looked ready to take advantage of an injury-depleted Chivas USA squad that was missing nine players, including their entire starting defensive backline."
MLSNet, Luis Bueno: "Marsch finally gave the home crowd something to cheer about in the 73rd minute. Harris tried but failed to reach a loose ball inside the penalty area. Wells, though, dived and failed to collect the ball. Marsch ran onto the ball and softly slipped it into the back of the goal. Kljestan continued the late offensive surge. Harris tracked down a bouncing ball on the right flank and slipped a well-placed ball to the center of the box. Kljestan ran onto the ball and tucked it into the back of the net before heading toward a pocket of United supporters and karate-kicking his way toward a celebration."
Booked For Dissent, Dave Lifton: "United allowed themselves to get beat because they had no response to Chivas’ physicality. Instead, they got scared every time a Chivas player got near them, which led to cautious, hesitant play, resulting in turnovers. "
You Are My Minions, Landru: "It's also, not at all coincidentally, time to note the major role that awesome goalkeeping has played in DCU's success lo these many years. Great DCU teams had memorable keepers--Scott Garlick, Tom Presthus, Nick Rimando, and it appears all-too-briefly, Troy Perkins. Semen Wells is on a track to be the wrong kind of memorable. Except a keeper doesn't stay on that track long enough to become truly memorable."
DCUMD, Shatz: "I was all ready to come on here and give Tom Soehn props for putting together a good starting lineup that played really pretty well for 30 minutes. But that's about as far as it went. Because the tactical decision to sit back and defend a single goal lead has NEVER WORKED in this league...So we might as well start the countdown. If this persists, and there's no reason to believe that anything will change over the next few days, it will be exactly one week from today that Tom Soehn will be out of a job. That's Sunday May 25. And that will already be too late."
An American's View..., Brian Garrison: "It might be just as bad a situation if United replaces Soehn during this stretch as opposed to waiting until June. I really cannot see the club getting any better with Soehn at the helm. Maybe it is time for him to go down with his ship?"
BlackDogRed, BDR: "It's entirely plausible that Soehn is doing a shitty job, but I don't think it possible, or fair, to determine with any accuracy how shitty a shitty job he's doing considering what crappy tools he has at his disposal. What if Soehn is getting all that can be gotten out of these mutts?"
BehindTheBadge, The Management (feat. Tom Soehn): "But the first half I thought we had a game plan and we stuck to it, we were hard to play against, we got our goal. In the second half they came out with a bit more intensity and I don’t think we handled it well." [NOTE: And did you have a game plan in the second half? Did you stick with it? C'mon now... -D]

The Good

1. Gallardo's Goal: In a season starved for highlights, it was a good one. Not like his volley against RSL, but good none-the-less. I'm glad Behind The Badge has it up for you to watch. Really. Watch it, and pretend the entire game was like that. You might even come to believe it. We have always been at war with Chivasia.
   
2. Bryan Namoff: Another game where he was running his shorts off for most of the match. He makes mistakes, he gets beaten, but damn if he isn't trying. There was always talk of handing the armband to Ben Olsen at some point, but perhaps Ben should turn around and hand it to Bryan.
3. Atmosphere in the Corner: If we stipulate that certain Calvinists are right, and that there is an elect number of people that go to heaven come the Rapture, then certainly the brothers and sisters I was fortunate to join at the Home Depot Center have done enough to earn their place come Armageddon.
   

The Bad

1. Analysis from the Corner: Really, it's damn difficult to make sense of the game from down there. Even without the alcohol, you just don't have a good look at the game. That being said...
2. Aren't We Supposed to Play With the Lead? Yeah, let me say something I think I said on the UnitedMania Podcast. There's an old baseball maxim, I think attributed to Earl Weaver, that "If you play for the one run inning, that's exactly what you'll get." I think that also applies to us in the second half - "If you play not to score a goal, you'll succeed."
   
3. Using the Field: Ryan Cordeiro proved he's a standout in the reserve games, but never seemed to fully grasp his role in how to occasionally use both the left and right flanks.
   
4. LTJG Zach Wells: I was prepared to promote him after his performance against Chicago. Sadly, this performance negates it, as he lets in a dribbler and gives up a rebound. So we'll keep his rank unchanged, for the time being

Officiating Watch

Apparently the ARs had the offsides calls right. Michael Kennedy is a twerp, but no more annoying than any other official.

Likert Scale Grade: 3 - Average

Man of the Match

N/A. Merit award to Namoff. Goat to... Jaime Moreno, who never seemed to do what a captain needs to do. He's the one who should be harassing the ref, not Gallardo. He's the one that needed to give the team a quick reality check in the second half as the field started to tilt.

Adjusted Results

No adjustments.

Final Thoughts

Given this line-up, with the benching of Emilio and others, it had to be looked as a message from Soehn. So I feel that I have to give one game for the message to sink in. But that being said, all I asked for after the Chicago game was good basic soccer. Did you see that? I did for a decent portion of the game, but at the moment when the second half came around, we started making the same mistakes that have plagued us all season. Tom Soehn had a week and a half, even with a new line-up, to figure out how he wanted to simply move the ball around the field, and we couldn't do it in the second half. And that's a problem.

I'll be honest. He's got exactly one game left with me. And then, well, I might make the change. But if we don't do it in the next four games, then let's consign the season.

Shatz is writing that this is a rebuilding season. Well, it is now, but we were promised a shiny new car. It just happens to have been hit by a semi.

One game for Soehn. He's made his last possible move, now we'll see if it works. It's not that I think even that he's the problem, but the only move that can be made now to save the season has his name on it. Make the move, or consign the season to memory.

The Subtle Admissions of Mortality

In general, I'm trying to wait on player announcements until there is something formal said by the club. That's why we kept Troy Perkins out of the Goodbye list for so long. And, sadly, my knowledge of the Argentine first division is not extensive, so other than the links to Clarin that have been posted in the comments (and my thanks for those) and today's story in the Post, there's not much insight I can add other than saying "how do you pronounce his name properly? Surely it's not Frank O'Niell?"

No, wait, I take that back (actually, I always intended to take it back, but there's a certain narrative tension I get from seeming to reverse myself, even though it's the way I always planned on writing this post.) If we can't offer insight on Mr. Frano Niell, perhaps we can divine something from what is being said or not said by DC? I think so. There's a stand alone paragraph that is either based on statements on background from the DC Staff, or is Steve Goff's own speculation. If it is Goff's speculation, then there is nothing more to be gleamed, but given his own objectivity protestations, I think it is more likely that this is based at least in part of comments from front office or coaches. And that paragraph says:

The pursuit of Niell stemmed in part from the club becoming too reliant on Emilio (20 goals) and Gomez for scoring and Moreno's diminishing influence after 12 seasons.

Why is this interesting? To begin with, it marks the first time I can recall that a United Front Office may be acknowledging the unrelenting passage of time with respect to Jaime Moreno. In the past, most speculation has been brushed aside and left for obsessed bloggers or fanatical message board posters, but now we may be hearing the same concerns from the Front Office. Good, I say. However, the idea of being too reliant on Emilio is, in part I think, because we're too reliant on making plays down the middle, and if the [sole] solution to that is to get a forward, that could be upsetting. The problem, as has been stated many times, is that United doesn't use its width. As a coworker of mine put it "Why take on two defenders when you can take on four?" United must add some wing play and preferably pick up a decent, speedy winger (and convince Christian Gomez to use those wings). But the indications may be that's not how they're looking (yes, this is overreading based on a one paragraph sentence. But c'mon people, isn't that what you want me to do?) Instead they are looking to distribute the scoring balance by adding another forward. Hmmmmm.

In any case, the acquisition looks, based on the numbers from the Argentine media (a $60K loan is not a problem) like a decent and low-risk move. I look forward to getting this deal done (and it's not done until you see the name in the official press release, as Messrs Palermo, Neto, and Veron will testify to) and moving on to the other needs we must address.

Succession Planning

If there's something we know, it's that United's front office thinks ahead. They kept tabs on Luciano Emilio for years before bringing him into the fold. No sooner had Piotr Nowak left the head coaching position than Tom Soehn was promoted. They replaced Freddy with Fred seamlessly, and things moved on.

Now, the off-season tends to make me depressed and gloomy, but I should also acknowledge that this team generally makes efforts to get better. So it's worth speculating what the plans are. We know of the pursuit of Veron in Argentina, and while he wouldn't be my first choice for a designated player from that part of the world (that would still be Riquelme... look, I can dream, right?) I've come to accept he's a good option. The conventional wisdom is that Veron, in addition to being a talented midfielder, is insurance against a possible Christian Gomez departure. That makes sense, but I want to throw another idea out there: Veron also helps the succession planning for Jaime Moreno if Gomez stays around.

In 2007, we saw Tom Soehn move Christian forward more frequently then Piotr Nowak would. And there's a certain logic to using Christian in a withdrawn forward type position. He can still create chances, he can still track back for the ball (although perhaps not as deep, but with Veron he theoretically would not need to), he has a decent shot from 20 yards out, and he's elusive in tight corners. The one downgrade is that I don't think he plays quite as well holding the ball at the top of the box than Jaime does (Christian can hold the bell well around the center circle, but the dynamics of midfielders trying to knock you off the ball and those of defenders are different). If Jamie were to go somewhere else (sad, but it must be considered) or see his playing time reduced (we know that must be considered) then it seems to me that Gomez would have to be considered a top candidate to move into that position -- moreso than Addlery, Kpene, Dyachenko, or any of the other reserve forward options.

Now, this premise sort of implies a few things: United would have to find a way to keep Gomez and Veron without Gomez getting Designated Player type money. That could be a difficult sell, but it is still possible. Getting Gomez to $300K is not impossible, and would be a 20% increase over his current yearly salary. Would Gomez be willing to take that? I don't know. Veron's going to count as $400K against the cap at least (and a salary around the $2M mark would not surprise me). But I can see uses for Veron beyond the obvious one-for-one substitution for Gomez, and that's intriguing.

Debriefing for Match 12.27: Toronto FC

D.C. United 4 : 1 Toronto FC

Six Word Novel Recap

Five quality goals; only four enjoyable.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, The Bog Man: "After being greeted with enthusiastic ovations from an announced crowd of 25,174 [coming on as subs in 2nd half], Moreno and Olsen immediately created a dangerous chance, with Olsen heading Moreno's cross back in front of the goal to Christian Gomez. The latter's bicycle kick fizzled, but it was a sign of things to come... United received some bad news in the closing moments when Fred limped off the field with a groin strain. He will accompany the team to Mexico but said he was not sure whether he would be able to play."
The Examiner, Criag Stouffer: "Luciano Emilio became the league's first 20-goal scorer in five years and D.C. United extended its unbeaten streak to 11 matches with a 4-1 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night."
UnitedMania, Mike Martin: "United was just warming up to their dismantling of the hideously poor Toronto defense however. In the 67th minute, Clyde Simms slid a perfect through ball to Jaime Moreno sneaking in behind Tyrone Marshall, and heading dead on goal with only the keeper to beat, no one makes it look easier than La Bomba who easily notched his 112th goal slipping the shot almost carelessly under the Toronto keeper..."
MLSNet.com, Charles Boehm:"United finally responded with a set of chances around the half-hour mark. First holding midfielder Clyde Simms -- apparently still wearing his shooting boots after hitting the game-winning goal on Wednesday -- cracked a long-distance effort that beat Stamatopoulos but skimmed off the top of the crossbar. Then Marc Burch lifted one of his trademark left-footed crosses to the far post, where Guy-Roland Kpene got his head to the delivery but drove it straight down into the turf instead of on goal."
BlackDogRed, BDR: "As exhilirating as that 2nd half was, it shouldn't have been necessary. Maybe those 45 minutes won't negatively affect Olsen and Moreno this Tuesday night in Guadalajara, but the plan was clearly to give them both the night off, and when the starting eleven farted the first half away, Soehn had no choice: dropping points against an expansion team at home is beyond inexcusable. But beautiful goals, three of them, Burch's and Fred's and Emilio's (Moreno 's was nice, but not stunningly beautiful), and the proper response, in the 2nd half, by a superior team with championship ambitions against an undermanned and overwhelmed expansion team."
DCist.com, Matt Bourque: "After five minutes revving their engines, D.C. United poured on four goals in 19 minutes. Twenty subsequent minutes of possession soccer sealed the win. It was as if Toronto's ragtag band of rebels mounted an attack upon the imposing imperial fortress before United's fully armed and operational battle station systematically obliterated its invaders."
Mistake By The Lake, stillkicking: "The first twenty minutes of the game at RFK showed TFC in rare form. Yes, in recent games, Toronto has had stretches of good play, (1st half against the Crew, many moments in Dallas) but this seemed to be a level above recent top gear. The passes were crisp from the back, the midfielders were moving forward with confidence, there just seemed to be opportunities in the air. And sure enough...... Carl Robinson hit a beautiful free kick and scored his second goal of the season."

The Good

1. Section 471: Arriving at the RFK box office at 6:45pm to purchase 3 tickets doesn't usually put you in the 400 sections. It has taken me until now and some reading around to the other DC United blogs to figure out why this was. I guess the crowd was a bit larger on Saturday evening because the game was only being shown on HDNet. (And maybe Summer's was only showing UFC - who knows.) Section 471 started good and got great. Not only were all 4 goals (all 5 actually) scored in our end, but we had an outcrop of The Screaming Eagles in our section and more attractive women than my single friend could shake his $7 beer at. People were singing and clapping and the mood was energetic. Especially after Fred's goal when I fell up the stairs twice doing some crazy celebration sprinting thing.
2. The Goals: Let's face it, those were some quality finishes. BDR doesn't think so, but Moreno's goal, for me, was classic Moreno: beat the trap, settle the ball and don't rush anything. Wait for the keeper to commit in some way and then confidently finish it. mistake by the lake thinks Jaime was "way" offsides and I can't tell by looking at the highlights package, but it may be that the lowest defender kept Jaime on. But I think that "way" offsides is too harsh. Emilio's goal was especially sweet because those are the type of balls that can easily be sent into section 471 (see: Jaqua, Nate).
   
3. Marc Burch: He says, "All the guys have been telling me to shoot, and it felt good to finally get up there and hit one." He really cracked it, and that was great to see. But he played well the whole game and was dangerous from the left side with that left foot of his. I called him out last week after Chicago, so he must have read my post and taken my advice to heart. I'll take full credit, thanks.
4. TFC fans: The expansion club's supporters are the gem of the league and to see (we actually heard them first; we were in the ramp to the 400 level and they were marching into the stadium from lot 8) such a large contingent traveling with them was impressive. They eventually settled in somewhere near section 430 with a huge Canadian flag. They certainly enjoyed Carl Robinson's goal. It seemed that everyone of them had a scarf and a jersey. Full credit to you people and to the TFC blogger in the comments section of the First Impressions entry for this match, who seems like a very nice person. Oh look, it is stillkicking. He's all over this recap today!
5. Predictions: Looking over the DCU blogs, a lot of people were predicting stuff. And there were a lot of good predictions.
   
1. JCM @ Poplar Point Perspective says, “Predictions: DC United 3:0 Toronto FC [correct goal differential], Chivas USA 2:2 Chicago Fire [correct], New England Revolution 2:1 Colorado Rapids [correct goal differential]"
   
2. edgell supporter @ The Edgell Supporters says, "1. We are the better team and we show it [check], 2. Fred and Emilio get back into the swing of things [check], 3. The new, non-infield grass is down [the pitch did not seem to be a factor] and 4. Burch from distance [check]

The Bad

1. The First Half: Moreno, Olsen, Carroll and Namoff (injury) were all on the bench to start the game and it showed, even though Emilio, Fred, and Gomez are three of our biggest threats and playmakers. It seemed like United was trying to force things through the middle too much and doing it sloppily. TFC's midfield was able to bunch up in the middle third and intercept passes or accept giveaways leading to many promising counterattacks.
2. Set piece goal: Coach Soehn says, "You can't get beat keeper side and Troy [Perkins] knows that and we addressed that and we have to make sure that doesn't happen again, because that has been twice now. I guarantee that won't happen a third time." Even I'm a little scared now. I love Perkins as a keeper and he had a great match overall, but I think giving up this goal, especially to a sluggish Toronto side is not good. The distance from goal of that free kick was such that there should have been enough time to react to it, but at the same time, there was a lot of movement on that ball, so I tend to think that Perkins did about as well as he could.
3. Guy-Roland Kpene: I like this kid. He seems like a hard worker and he has speed. (One of) His first assist(s) came early in the season when United was still struggling and ever since then I've held a special place for him, rooted for him and wanted to see him get minutes and play well. Maybe part of it is just my bias towards anyone in a black and red kit. But against Toronto he seemed to be either a cause of or a symptom of the poor first half for DC and when he was subbed for Jaime at half time, all I could muster was a "meh". It will be interesting to see if he gets any more minutes this season outside of the reserves as the games become more important. I'd love to see him stay with United but he's gonna need to improve in order to earn more minutes.
   

Man of the Match

Clyde Simms again, I think. Merit Awards to Olsen and Moreno for the 2nd half spark, Burch for the tally and Perkins for some big stops.

Karma Bank

+1 for the season entering the game. I can't see any karma points accrued or burned in this one. Leave your thoughts on this in the comments.

Final Thoughts

Giving three points to a visiting Toronto squad would have been bad. It certainly wouldn't have killed us in the SS or playoff race, but it would have been one of those losses that a quality team like United just doesn't give. At halftime, I was nervous. Usually I feel confident that we can at least equalize if not pull out three points, but in this one I saw little in the first half that would give me my usual confidence. If we hadn't gone down 1-0 with poor 1st half play, Moreno and Olsen may have rested the entire night; who knows. Maybe Gomez would have woken up in the second half; who knows. But when you have veterans like them, it nice to see them do exactly what you need them to do: provide a spark and score a goal. This was one of the most exciting and enjoyable matches I have been to and I was so proud of my team. Vamos.