Open BLECH for DCU v LAG

CSN is letting me down. My wife and I are on a reduced entertainment budget, so we can't necessarily afford the trip to RFK and the inevitable beers cotton candy. And we have Comcast basic cable... I guess we are grandfathered in on that; is that even offered to new subscribers anymore?

Subsequently I don't get Fox Soccer Channel. Not like I'd want it; f**k Fox, in any formation or configuration.

I want Dave Johnson. I want Garth Lagerway.

Actually, I prefer listening to Tony Limarzi.

Anyway, it sounds like Emilio played his ass off and didn't get any satisfaction, so everyone tell me whether I'm right or I'm wrong in the comments.

And pass along free tickets and other stuff to me when you have it, since my wife will be in school for 16 months and we'll be on only one income. Thanks in advance.

Debriefing for Match 14.01: At L.A. Galaxy

Los Angeles Galaxy 2 : 2 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Two heads not better than one.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steven Goff: "D.C. United's season opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy was progressing nicely Sunday at Home Depot Center....But in a bloody and chaotic sequence late in the match, United's afternoon took a terrible turn and, two Landon Donovan goals later, theclub had to settle for a 2-2 tie..."
The Washington Times, Joseph D'Hippolito:"Though Los Angeles dominated possession early, United used an unusual play to force a successful penalty kick...Gomez took the penalty kick one minute later and drilled it inside the left post for his first goal...In the 62nd minute, Wallace and Pontius combined to give United a 2-0 lead. Pontius took Wallace's pass, dribbled to open space and curved an 18-yard shot into the upper-right corner of the net for his first professional goal."
L.A. Daily News (et al), Phil Collin:"The first Galaxy goal had United seeing (more) red. The hand must have been quicker than they eye because referee Jair Marrufo ruled that a pass from Chris Klein toward the goal was knocked out of the air by defender Rodney Wallace's hand instead of his thigh. "
L.A. Times, Grahame L. Jones: "When Donovan headed home a deep cross from Kyle Patterson in the 85th minute, it tied the game and earned the Galaxy a point."
Examiner.Com, Ed Morgans: "Going into the match, if you are a United fan and you were told you’d be guaranteed a point at Los Angeles to open the season, you might well have taken it - especially given United’s horrific away form in the league last season (2-11-2, 8 points of a possible 30)."
MLSNet, Simon Jude Samano: "The fact that United went on the road and played the LA Galaxy to a 2-2 tie on Sunday at The Home Depot Center -- despite holding a two-goal lead with 10 minutes to play -- didn't sit well with either the coach or his players."
Goal.Com, Zac Lee Rig: "[Soehn] cited a clash of heads between two of his players as a major turning point. Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki collided craniums as they both went for the same ball. As they lay sprawled and bleeding on the ground, Galaxy continued their attack. According to new FIFA law, only referees are supposed to stop play for injuries, and are to use their discretion about the severity of injury. 'They both have big cuts, deep gashes,' explained Soehn. 'That's why I was so disappointed in the reffing. They've talked about not kicking the ball out of bounds, and it's referee's discretion as to when to stop the game. You could hear that clash. You've got to use common sense and stop the game when there's two guys laying down with bleeding heads.'"
Goal.Com, Andrea Canales: "Noting that both teams were missing key players due to injuries, Arena concluded, 'Maybe at the end of the day, the result is fair.'"
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "DC United played this match with four of their regular starters out of the lineup. Louis Crayton, Santino Quaranta and Fred didn’t even make the trip to California while Jaime Moreno did not get into the match basically because of the late game injuries to McTavish (who eventually subbed out) and Janicki."
The Touchline, Mr. Luis Bueno: "As Goff and others were talking to Chris Pontius, Soehn and Goff had some more words, though it was more Soehn unloading on Goff. Soehn told him to talk about the positives and then dropped this on him: 'Focus on the fucking game,' Soehn said before he stormed off into the coach's office." [NOTE: I'm going to take this with a grain of salt, but it is out there to be read.]
The Fullback Files, Fullback: "Let's face it, Wallace was pretty miserable, and Pontius well-nigh invisible in the first half. But from the opening whistle of the second, both started playing with aggression and confidence and increasingly became influential in the match."
DCUMD, Shatz: "All things considered, a point on the road while missing 3 or 4 of our regular starters is nothing to cry about. But in a season where we are bound to be in the middle of the pack among Eastern Conference teams and fighting for a playoff spot, those extra two points sure would have come in handy. I guess United should have thought about that before drafting a guy with a hand growing out of his thigh."
The Offside: LA Galaxy, NathanHJ: "One last note on the game. Despite have the run of play for the majority of the game, the Galaxy rarely put shots on goal."

and finally...

BLKDGRD, BDR: Is now apparently blocked at my work. Hmmm.... Dissent still carries a price, apparently. I will check in again later.

The Good

1. The Pieces Aren't Spare: United is going to need players to fill in at times this year. So anything that indicates any sort of depth at any position is a needed positive. To that end, Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace both showed well in the latter half of the match. They both need work. Chris needs to be more confident in his pressure. Rodney needs to learn how to hassle an opposing wing player better on defense. But they didn't look like they needed to be hidden by the rest of the team, and if both get better, as rookies should in an ideal world, then both look to have more than enough opportunities to contribute as the season goes on.
2. Chances Can Be Created: I'll get to the defense in a bit, but United will have to score goals this season to have success. This team is not going to post a lot of 1-nil victories. So even if United only managed one goal in the run of play, they still did enough to have made 2-3 goals in the run of play look possible. Yes, this is against an L.A. defense that I would not hold up as an example of the best in the MLS, but that's the point. There are more mediocre and poor back lines in MLS than there are truly elite teams, and United was able to attack from the wing (as on Pontius's goal) and down the middle (Emilio's breakaway off of Olsen's off-side dummy run, the Gomez penalty.) They will need to do this against every team that doesn't boast a top tier defense.
3. Ben Olsen: The captain's armband looks nice on him, and he will try to lead by example. His play did not lack for effort, though I will say more about this later.
   

The Bad

1. Getting to Know You: A new three-man backline is going to have some problems in the beginning. Namoff, Janicki, and Jakovic aren't exactly the most intimidating line-up you can put out there. In this match, it felt each had their moments of being exposed with not enough cover behind them (though, in order, I'd say it was Janicki, Jakovic, and Namoff in terms of culpability.) Distribution from the back line was a consistent problem in both halves. The hope is that they will learn to play together, and whomever is behind them will help keep them organized. However, I should also note that Simms and Olsen aren't quite on the same page yet. Clyde still seemed to have a single holding midfielder mentality, and Olsen as a result wasn't sliding to cover as well as he should have when Clyde was moving forward.
   
   Similarly, both McTavish and Wallace had difficulty closing down the wings, with Wallace being the more noticiable problem if only because of Chris Klein's consistently dangerous crosses. The hope is that this will get settled after seven to ten games, but that's a hope, not a projection. Still, it is something to be prepared for.
2. Josh Wicks, Keeper: Josh seems like a nice guy, and he did seem to at least communicate with his defense, but two notes: As active as he was coming off his line, I felt that he could have been even more active. Also, if you are coming off your line and Alan Gordon is bearing down on you, you must get to the ball even if it means going through one of Gordon's ears and out the other. Finally, I can't think of any actual good saves he made. He was woefully mistimed on the penalty, making it far too easy for Landon to go the other direction, and while he may not have had a chance on Landon's second goal, I'm not sure he can make saves at any point. He's in the bad for now, but it wasn't atrociusly bad. Just unconvincing. His distribution was at least not awful, and sometimes decent.
   
3. Defensive Depth: Let's inaugurate this feature for yet another year. I remain skeptical of Devon McTavish, especially as a fourth option for a three man line after spending most of a game on the wing. Marc Burch, poor man, is a left back, and it showed on the way he was fed to the wolves off the bench.
4. Makeshift LA: While I am pleased that United was able to compensate for its injuries, all joy must be tempered by the fact that LA faced the same problems. Chris Pontius's shot even against proper marking is a goal, but with proper defensive pressure from L.A. it is doubtful he's able to shape that shot. With call-ups to the national side, Chicago may not even show a test of United performing agianst another team's Best XI. Still, take these opportunities to ease into the season, and hope we use that time productively.
   

Officiating Watch

Jair Marrufo is not my favoirte official. Ever. And the penalty to Donovan was a tad ridiculous, but as awful as that call was, he got most of the other calls right. If we was truly looking to settle the score, he could have given penalties twice earlier (on Olsen's tackle in the box, or on Gomez's tackle at the top of the box.) So it's a tad unfair to say he was looking for a way of balancing the ledger. That being said, the call he missed was a howler, and the AR should have called him off of it. At the time, I thought the AR was in his ear that he had seen the handball, so I was even willing to cut Marrufo some slack, but the post-game reporting indicates that Marrufo made the call himself. For everything other than the penalty, he was a good official, even as it pains me to write that. But that call ruined his performance.

Also, I would prefer is MLS officials would understand that the ability to execute a back pass does not constitute an advantage after a foul, but this worked to United's advantage more than against it. Still...

Likert Scale Grade: 2 - Below Average

Karma Bank

We're owed by the gods. The penalty call gives us a pure favor owed to us. +1 for the season.

Man of the Match

Chris Pontius, as a rookie, notches a goal, and assists on the play that led to the Gomez penalty. Much more than I hoped for.

Final Thoughts

From the First Impressions:

"Great! I remember this kind of heady bullshit talk back during the Hudson era. Sure we were crap, but we were a "fist of a team" as Ray used to call that pathetic but headstrong excuse he trotted out week after sorry week. And now I read from you that at least we're "fearless" and "that's plenty"? No, I will continue to hope for more - even if that hope must be expressed in weekly tirades against the mismanagement of this excuse." - Anonymous

This is fair, but I have to draw a distinction between the team on the field and the off-season moves. I am bewildered by some of the off-season movement, so when I look at this team on the field, what I am hoping for is something that makes me think that this team is something other than a bunch of dead men walking. My concern regarding players on the field is that they push themselves to the limit. We can, and should, debate the front office decisions. But the players are not the ones I hold responsible for the front office.

D, you seem to agree with the general commentariat that DCU will be essentially uncompetitive this year. I'm no blind optimist, but I still don't see how we've moved backward overall since the end of last season. The offseason basically traded Guerrero for several unknown players... which is what you have to do in MLS if you want real depth, keep churning the roster with fresh faces until you find people who can stick. Perhaps the total sum of Pontius, Jacobson, Janicki, Jakovic, Wallace, N'Silu, and Peters will equal zero... but much as I appreciated what Guerrero brought to us, if even one of those players becomes a respected regular by the end of the year, then we will have lost nothing on aggregate. -- Grunthos

This is sage and wise. I do not think United will be uncompetitive, but I do not see them as a prohibitive favorite. This team should make the playoffs in my opinion, I just think it won't be a dominating run, and I can't imagine them being a favorite for any trophy this year. Still, New England looks beatable to me, New York appears to be a bigger shambles than DC, Columbus remains a giant question mark, and Chicago look formidable, but hardly unimpeachable. That makes me think 2nd in the east is not out of reach, and 3rd to 4th are more than reasonable.

Still, I have two overriding concerns that will shape my thoughts this season.

On defense, will the team learn a system that works, and how long will that take? We're younger, which is a good thing, but that also comes with a price as we have to allow for mistakes. Add to that a defense that will probably get into card trouble, and we know it's going to be a tough slog later in the year even if the players do get the system down after the first third of the season.

On the attack, Gomez isn't going every match, Moreno isn't going every match, Fred and Tino both can pick up knocks, and Emilio is streaky as high quality bacon. This team needs to score goals, and will have to do it with various players coming into the system. Can it work? I think while I am at least pleased with what I have seen now, I'm not sure we'll have a good sense as to how the season is wearing on players until match day 20. And right now, I'm still more worried in terms of potential success than hopeful.

First Impressions - LA Galaxy 2 : 2 D.C. United

Can I see an entire season in one game? Maybe.

This entire off-season, I have been confused. I had no grasp as to the big picture of United's team building. Gomez back, but how can he handle the entire season? A 3-5-2 with a defense of backs that will likely take 10 games to even figure out how to play with each other. We let Ivan Guerrero go, and did we get anything in return?

This game seems to provide a blueprint on all that United offers this season. There's good stuff, as the second half of this match saw long stretches of United looking very dangerous, as young players Rodney Wallace and Chris Pontius threw themselves forward. It saw a first half where United barely threatened other than a Luciano Emilio shot low and wide of the far post... until Gomez earned a penalty and put it away.

Defensively, my entire expectations for the first half of the season were neatly encapsulatedin the collision of Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki. It would have been slapstick and comical if not for the fact that both players looked like Mick Foley taking an insane bump. It was sad, but at the same time, it was inspirational. We can take it as a given that this defense will not be great, but if I have a choice between confused and pathetic, and confused but fearless, give me the latter every time. If I have to see United give up two goals, then at least let one of the goals be on a piss-poor call from the center ref. This season may not offer much hope in terms of silverware, but it offers great hope in terms of watching players give their all. And if that is the best I can hope for, that is plenty.

I don't have high hopes for this season in terms of results. But the players on the field gave me a compelling reason to watch. If nothing else, the willingness of Chris Pontius to look like an idiot by shooting three balls over the crossbar shows me that he's willing to shoot, and I will gladly take his three misses for each goal like the one he scored today. I mean, for goddsakes, we want players to shoot more, right? And he did, so let's hope he never learns to dribble it into the net.

If nothing else, let this be a season where even when this team loses, or gives away a lead to a draw, it is a team that I can none-the-less love and cheer and cry for. Let this game be a good encapsulation of all that is to come.

First Impressions - L.A. Galaxy 5 : 2 D.C. United

The Jordan rules for the NBA were well now. But with Donovan and Beckham on the Galaxy, it is perhaps fitting that MLS adds its own twist, going for the more extreme version. Enter the LA Starfucker rules...

If it were the red card to Burch alone, that would be one thing. Burch probably was guilty of a foul, but given that you see the same thing along the touchline and goal line in every match, a yellow would have been harsh, let alone a red. It came after a yellow to Clyde Simms for a tackle on Donovan, which was harsh yellow. What's more, Terry Vaughn was not applying the same standard to both sides, which meant the officiating was utterly, utterly fucked for this entire match.

I'm not saying DC gets a win or even a draw if the officiating is a bit more rational. Hell, L.A. certainly could still have put five in the net given that our central defense is a gaping maw of suck, and that Clyde Simms was easily outmatched by Donovan (Clyde was burned on Donovan's first goal, and lost on the second). But I do know that after Terry got a few choice words from Beckham, he folded what was left of his spine into a small paper sack and decided to pass around cards like cucumber sandwiches in a Wilde play (or perhaps just Stoppard's Travesties).

There's more to be said about United, but accepting the fact that we're a mediocre at best team makes it difficult to judge. How do you evaluate against mediocre? If the team's upper limit was higher, it is easier to be critical, but if a 100% United effort is an average output at best, what more can be said? This team was better, despite the scoreline, than the Saprissa team. But our defense is shoddy, our attack is patchwork, and there's just not much there to be hopeful for anymore.

Your goat is Simms. Merit awards to Khumalo and Guerrero.

Debriefing for Match 13.15: L.A. Galaxy

D.C. United 4 : 1 Los Angeles Galaxy

Six Word Novel Recap

Martinez closes down on the Goldenballs.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "The offensive trio of Luciano Emilio, Marcelo Gallardo and Jaime Moreno - dubbed the "Iron Triangle" - combined for four goals, and the oft-criticized defense kept Beckham and Landon Donovan off the scoreboard as United defeated the Galaxy 4-1 on Sunday in front of 35,979 at RFK Stadium."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "They watched Luciano Emilio score two goals, giving him nine during United's six-game unbeaten streak, and observed embattled goalkeeper Zach Wells make several excellent saves in his finest performance of the season. They saw Beckham largely neutralized by United's ever-tightening defense, and in the most emotional moment of the joyous day, they provided a thunderous ovation for veteran midfielder Ben Olsen, who made his 2008 debut in the second half after being sidelined because of a career-threatening ankle injury."
The Washington Times, Drew Hansen: "...on Sunday, with Olsen's injuries improving and with a week of training under his belt, he was back out on the pitch...When Olsen stood up to enter, he received one of the loudest ovations of the day from a crowd of 35,979 (no small feat when Beckham is in attendance). He replaced team captain Jaime Moreno, United's longest tenured player and MLS' all-time leading scorer. The two shared a hug, and then Moreno handed him the captain's armband."
WTOP News, Dave Johnson: "There were goals—five of them, and some beauties—but one of the biggest cheers of the day was reserved for a D.C. United veteran, and a further sign of soccer's standing in this country. There was a rumbling that built into a roar as Ben Olsen rose from the bench and entered the game against the L.A. Galaxy late in the second half.
The LA Times: is too pathetic to shell out for their own beat reporter, and uses an AP Feed. Pathetic.
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "A 5th minute penalty conversion from Jaime Moreno got the hosts off to a dream start...United gave up the lead just five minutes later when Keystone Cops defending from United's back four gifted Edson Buddle his 10th goal of the season. United seemed to have the situation under control but a botched clearance between numerous United defenders ended up on the grateful foot of Buddle who slipped it past a stunned Zach Wells...United did indeed regain the lead in the 37th minute with Emilio's 9th goal of the season. Gallardo's brilliance in ball control in the middle of the field factored into a ball that eventually found it's way through the box to the left side where substitute Marc Burch, on for the injured Quaranta, lofted a cross to Emilio who headed back across goal past the diving Cronin for a 2-1 lead."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "A clash of No. 10s in front of the team benches drew blood and bad tempers in the 41st minute, as Donovan draped himself all over Gallardo's back as the D.C. playmaker held possession. Donovan's pushing and grabbing was met with a backwards elbow from Gallardo, sending his tormentor to the turf with a bloody nose...But United's midfield maestro took his next chance with aplomb, pushing the lead to two goals after smartly following the ball into the box as Emilio tried to turn on two defenders at the hour mark. Though his Brazilian teammate was well-defended, the ball took a quirky deflection into space and Gallardo was the quickest of the bunch, zipping forward to dink a savvy finish into the left side of the net to run the score to 3-1."
MLSNet, Chris Snear: "United put the game out of reach on one of the more simple goals Emilio he has scored all year to make the score 4-1 in the 69th minute. Gallardo played a ball wide right to Fred, who was close to an offside position on the right flank. The speedy Brazilian raced in to the penalty area and pushed the ball around a committed Cronin, to Emilio and the wide open goal."
The Offside: D.C. United, Jon: "Where to begin? Oh, I know. Greater than the win, or the crowd, or beating Becks. Ben Olsen, heart and soul of DC United, stepped back on the pitch for the time this season. Did he look great? No. Did it matter? Not at all."
Sideline Views, Andrea Canales: "DC an emphatic win at home. It might have been different if the call had been made for the elbow against Gallardo, but the home team took care of business."
DCUMD, Shatz: "Recently, United has been beating lesser opponents while giving up too many goalscoring opportunities. But in this match, against inarguably one of the most talented offensive teams in the league, DC dominated possession, dominated the scoreline, and performed admirably well on defense...Marcelo Gallardo was largely uninvolved for most of the first half, at least at times when he wasn't smacking Donovan in the nose."
BLCKDGRD, BDR: "Any questions on whether Marcelo Gallardo was the best player on the field? Yes, he gacked a couple, but his diagonals into space are brilliant. Moreno gets him, Emilio gets him, Martinez especially gets him, Namoff gets him, Quaranta gets him. It's going to be beautiful...Maybe the team is rounding - I'm still skeptical - but they needed nine of nine points out of this homestand before July's diversions, and they got nine points out of the homestand. And it feels to me like the team now has a personality it didn't for the first months. I'm still skeptical, but I'm no longer pessimistic."
Fighting Talker, Aaron Stollar: "Wells did absolutely everything needed to do today and I will give him full credit for it. You can’t fault him for the goal and he came up with a few spectacular saves today especially the tip while backing up from Landon’s shot."
Poplar Point Perspective, JCM: "DC United are back."

The Good

1. Ben Olsen: You can say, and we have said, all that you want about this team missing Ben Olsen, but that forgets how much we fans missed him. C'mon, you were playing the theme to The Natural when he retook the field in your head, right? Seeing him with the armband on, on the field, the great signs in the crowd "14 - Heart of a Lion" Go ahead, you got choked up. It's okay. We all did. For more on that, before it happened, I commend Dave Lifton's comparison to Mr. Reyna, and a shot at the Red Bull fans who are disgraceful. Read it.
   
2. The Imperial Stormtroopers of the Evil Empire Invade the Galaxy: I'll admit, when Tom Soehn and Marcello Gallardo were wondering about heat and humidity, part of me was worried that this was a team making excuses in advance for a lackluster effort. I was wrong. Tom Soehn ordered, cajoled, and dictated that his team run at the LA Defense, who wilted. It was good coaching, good tactics, and once weaknesses were found Tom Soehn got the team to exploit them for all they were worth. To that end, we should note that Gallardo, Burch, Fred, Tino, Emilio, and Moreno all had excellent games in taking on and executing a forceful attack, and moving in for the kill when LA was overcome by the elements.
   
3. LCDR Zach Wells: Some really good saves, some confidence building moves, and the one time he was beat it was thanks to three United defenders missing the mark. If you were waiting for a game where Zach Wells wasn't just adequate, but actually helped the team to win, this is the game, and accordingly we promote him to Lieutenant Commander (O-4).
   
4. Marc Burch: This was the first time I've seen him come in at left back and really do well. Part of that is the LA Defense, and the defensive contribution they got from their midfield on the right side. But part of it was Marc actually knowing how to create space and not let his left foot get shut down.
5. McTavish - Martinez: Special commendations to these gentlemen, who took their marking responsibilities seriously. Donovan was limited severely in his action, and Devon made some good, clinical plays to shore up what has been a ridiculously leaky central defense. Martinez vs. Beckham was wonderful. David would find space, but Martinez would close him down quickly rather then back off, and while he may have made the future Martinez generations pay for his defending, I was heartened to see it.
6. Landon Donovan: His team quit, but he never did. Credit where it is due.
   

The Bad

1. Ben Olsen: I'm a heartless bastard, but really, let's admit this - Ben Olsen is not match fit. I know, it doesn't matter, but I want to preempt any temptation that you might have in the wake of Tino going out early to say "Well, good thing we got Ben back just in time." He's not ready. He may not ever be fully fit this season. That's okay. What he did was enough, just don't put more on him than he needs to deal with right now.
2. F-R-E-*: Until Fre* manages to finish a chance, I am now refusing to finish typing his name. On that final goal, tell me you weren't relieved to see him pass up the shot to Emilio for the goal.
   
3. Gallardo's Gesticulations: We'll talk more about this, but I'm not entirely going to excuse the Gallardo bloodying of Landon's nose as purely accidental. Marcello felt remorse for his actions, and he should have. What's more, he imperiled the team with the risk of playing down a man.
   

Officiating Watch

Jair Marrufo got one big call right (the penalty awarded on the tackle of Quaranta in the fifth minute) but got far more wrong. He let tough fouls go all day. Beckham fouled Moreno. Moreno fouled Beckham. Too many fouls were allowed to play on. And yes, Gallardo deserved an ejection (and let's not say he's clear of things yet, since I wouldn't be totally surprised to hear of a league review). For two straight games, we've had officials whose lackadaisical approach to the Laws of the Game do not bias the match to one side or another, but rather endanger and detract from both sides.

The ARs, other than not helping out on the deserved red to Gallardo, seemed right on for the most part. Landon was off-side, if only just, on the one goal that was called back.

Likert Scale Grade: 2 -Below Average

Man of the Match

Devon McTavish. I know we had a brace from Emilio, but I want to reward what was one of the better defensive efforts this team has put forth against a very talented attacking side. Merit awards to Gallardo, Soehn, Emilio, Burch, Wells, and Martinez. Notes of Censure to Fre* and Perralta. Special Merit Award of Perpetual Honor and Gumption to Ben Olsen.

Final Thoughts

I've been thinking about this team all wrong. I've been expecting them to turn into "The Best Team in MLS" They're not going to do that. The defense, which should on paper be an upgrade, seems instead to have an upper limit of "acceptable" at the end of the season. The offense is finally turning into something fun to watch. Which leads me to what I should have been expecting from this team. They're not the best team in MLS, but they are "The Most Entertaining Team in MLS" The goals and attack are fun to watch, and the defense will have you on edge and could collapse like a building imploding at any moment.

And frankly, that's not a bad thing. I'll take fun to watch over crappy AND boring. This team won't be humming along as a surgical tool ever this season. And that's okay. Accept the gifts we are given, and let's have fun. United will no doubt lose more games this season, and may look damn foolish during some of them, but that's okay. Enjoy the ride.

First Impressions - D.C. United 4 : 1 L.A. Galaxy

I'll admit that my cynical nature makes me want to discount this win. Surely 4-1 is a misleading scoreline? Surely L.A. isn't that good a team? Surely there must be some way to spin this as closer than it appeared?

Each objection to taking this game as a statement game is answered. United clearly created chances to deserve four goals, if not more. L.A. may leak goals like a sieve, but they're the top team in the West, were held to only one goal and were doubled up in both shots (22-10) and shots on goal (13-6). And the game was dominated by United, who earned all three points in deserving fashion. If we must complain, then we must complain that United is no facing a stretch of non-league games as we move into Superliga and U.S. Open Cup play. That's the sole thing I'm willing to point to as a worrying sign moving forward -- the lack of a chance to continue the momentum they've earned on the long climb back to .500.

Yes, you can once again say there wasn't a clean sheet, but this wasn't the fault of Zach Wells, it was one scuffed clearance by Gonzalo Perralta. Otherwise, even players that make me nervous showed well. Devon McTavish deserves a ton of credit for the way he fought against Landon Donovan, and may deserve man of the match honors for that work. Zach Wells made key saves. And Marc Burch filled in for an early injured Santino Quaranta in a way that didn't throw our midfield into disarray, but instead further pressed our advantage on the left side moving forward.

I'll admit it, you never want to be taken as a homer or a chump when you're writing. And I will have some negative comments tomorrow, but they are minor when compared with the good, and they are not pressing enough to bring up now. You never want to risk the vulnerability of belief. But this is our team: A team that finally has developed the lethal ability on attack. A team that may never have more than an average defense at best. But that's our team. And that team, perhaps infused by seeing Ben Olsen on the sideline, saw every player dig in and fight. Jaime Moreno was not just good holding the ball, he was good getting physically into players and pressuring them all over the field. Emilio and Gallardo both fought for balls to win. United attacked down the middle, on the sides, and from distance. And that is a team I am willing to believe in.

In advance of Sunday midday...

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

See?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BECAUSE...

Remember this?




So who will she be supporting on Sunday?

Stephin Merritt is Right: I Hate California Girls (Although Our Reasons May Differ)

I am actually in L.A., and let me say this: It's not all that. The weather has not been particularly stunning (yesterday was cold and grey, today is chilly but sunny). The scenery is not inspiring. The hills are splotchy messes of beige, green, and burgundy, as if a frog on an acid trip had painted the landscape in acrylics. The roads are also pretty shit. You think driving north on 295 around Minnesota Avenue has some crappy pavement? Try CA-110 for the entire run.

So yes, I'm in L.A., and I'm hoping to score tickets to the game against Chivas. And finish the debrief (it'll be late, but damn it I have responsiblities.) And really, even if D.C. United as a team is awful, it's at least nice to know that I haven't come here and suddenly decided I want to move. I like D.C. Ol' swampy D.C. That, at least, is nice affirmation of the way things should be.

Washington, D.C., it's paradise to me...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 points; 2 red cards; 1-0

LA Galaxy earned 3 points last night in Kansas City and only needed a two man advantage to do so. I think the look on Landon Donovan's face at the end of the game was a bit of shock ("OMG - we won!") mixed with a bit of "I can't believe you guys pulled it off, in spite of me."

I'd like to propose a new entry into the American lexicon. Let's say you are having a horrible day at work but then you finally get to leave work and when you get home you find that your live-in girlfriend has moved out and taken the dog. You think to yourself, "Man, what a Vagenas!" You know, because of all the bad things happening to you, repeatedly.

The best part of the game for me was the discussion of the USWNT v Brazil match where all three ESPN commentators (Tommy, Dave and Eric) let loose on Greg Ryan. Every single second of their analysis was dead-on correct. If Greg Ryan is fired before the Bronze Medal match it won't be fast enough and even if he is fired eventually, I'm still making up some "Fire Greg Ryan" shirts just so that everyone knows exactly how I feel and in case he somehow gets a job in the new WUSA league. I'm so pissed about the Hope Solo situation. And my wife makes a GREAT point that I hadn't gotten to... you know, on account of the overwhelming anger. Who is the keeper for the Bronze Medal match? You can't go with Scurry again, can you? But if you go with Hope, then isn't that an embarrassing admission by Ryan that he F-ed up by starting Scurry in the Brazil match?

Now, all of that said, I must admit I haven't watched the second half yet, so there may be more to this that just a goalkeeper controversy. But before the game even started and before I knew that the final was 4-0 against, I heard that Solo was getting benched and I thought: "bad idea". Whether Solo might have done better, or if the US would've done better offensively without the distraction of a controversy overhead we'll never know. But I think it was the wrong decision. If anyone reads any good analysis out there on the interwebs, let me know in the comments.

We're so petty, oh so petty

The past few days, I was on business travel in another MLS city. I did, however, pack my united jerseys on the off hope I could make it to a sports bar playing Telefutura at 10PM Eastern on Wednesday night. Alas, it was not to be.

Now, I confront a dilemma. I'm not going to take the "well, that's one less fixture to worry about for congestion" silver lining. It just doesn't work for me. I wanted the Superliga, especially the inaugural Superliga. I wanted just another MLS first for DC United to carve into their cane (which, given the number of notches it has already, probably shouldn't be used for walking support at all.) And part of me still does, which leads me to this psychological dilemma: Should I root for Pachuca, or the Galaxy? Part of me wants to root for Pachuca, simply for the fact that I want United to preserve its chance to be the first MLS team to win the Superliga. That's a horribly small-minded approach, but I can't deny it. This despite the kind words various Galaxy fans have given to United when United when play in Sudamericana, or CCC, or the like. I just want that opportunity again, and it kills me that it might not happen.

On the other hand, I think the Mexican teams kind of laughed their way through this event, and want them to take it more seriously next go-round. Having an MLS side come out on top helps that situation. I know certain people have made excuses about preseason form for the Mexican teams, but those excuses hold exactly as much weight for their teams as it did for ours in the CONCACAF Champions Cup: Namely, not very much anymore. So I want the LA Galaxy to win it out, and thus make everyone take this tournament more seriously next go round.

So, in short, I'm approaching this whole Superliga final from a very selfish place. Which I'm okay with. I still don't know who to support. Do I give in to pettiness of one sort, or pettiness of the other? No idea.

Match Briefing for 12.C.04: Los Angeles Galaxy, Superliga Semis

Match #: 12.C.04

Opponent:
Los Angeles Galaxy

Six Word Novel Preview: Inaugural tournament final appearance is possible.

TV: TeleFutura, TV Azteca, MLSLIVE.tv, 10PM

Radio: None

Previous Meeting: 1-0 DC Win. Weren't you there? Here is The DCenters Debrief.

The Stakes: United travels to the Home Depot center to fight for a spot in the Superliga finals. DC Had the weekend to rest, while LA sandwiched a loss to the Revolution since playing at RFK last Thursday. Beckham has announced he will definitely play, will we have Gomez starting

Previews from the DCUniverse: Soccer Insider, more as we see them...

Previews from the LALALand: I think they're too busy dissecting Beck's injury

Expectations: I fully expect DC to win this game. Watching LA against New England, the team had little spark and seemed very out of sorts. Landon made some dangerous runs, but couldn't do it all himself. Will Beckham + Donovan be enough to get an LA victory? I doubt it. Both Gomez and Moreno practiced with the team, but haven't seen a lot of minutes lately which means they'll be rusty, more so Gomito.

What to look for?

1. Beckham's Ankle - seriously, you won't be able to miss it. Not sure if Telefutura will turn into BSPNDeportes, but for you non-bilinguals at least you can tune out the announcers. Becks says he can play a half, and might start. He had some dangerous passes and setup some dangerous plays last Thursday, so he can be a factor.
   


2. Moreno's Passing - When he's involved in the attack and clicking with the other attackers, DC can string possession together and fabricate some lovely runs and passes. There was a hint of this in the second half of last weeks game, but if we want to score the first goals, he'll have to be involved.
   


3. Killer Instincts - Its such a cliche, but we'll have to finish the few chances we get. That means no more skying the ball over the cross bar in some bizarre homage to the memory of Earnie Stewart. The narrowed field that Yallop installed at the HDC will limit the space United's players have to work with, so they'll have to move the ball quicker, make faster decision, and make runs to anticipate a pass if they want to be effective.

Debriefing for 12.18: Los Angeles Galaxy

DC United 1 : 0 Los Angeles Galaxy

Six Word Novel Recap

Beckham played, United won, Everybody happy.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "The English superstar, whose first appearance in a league match had been delayed by an ankle injury, entered in the 72nd minute and provided a couple of his trademark passes in a losing cause, a 1-0 defeat to D.C. United before 46,686 spectators, including England Manager Steve McClaren."
The Washington Post, Michael Wilbon: "Beckham did that last night, put 46,686 fannies in RFK Stadium, which is five grand more than ever watched the Nationals at RFK this season."
The Washington Post, Katie Carrera: "Beckham entered the game in the 72nd minute, to a loud and mixed reaction. Some fans booed him, but most cheered."
The Washington Times, John Hayden: "While Beckham sat on the bench there was plenty of action on the field. In the 27th minute United's Luciano Emilio scored a stunning goal from 25 yards out. Galaxy goalie Joe Cannon got his hands on the ball, but the shot was much too powerful. Emilio notched his league-leading 13th goal of the season."
The Los Angeles Times, Grahame Jones: "Beckham seemed to enjoy it all and was laughing with Cobi Jones on the Galaxy bench, perhaps amused by a huge sign that read: "We Sing Better Than Your Wife."
The Guardian, Saptarshi Ray: "'I've supported DC United for years but something like this has never happened before," said Robert Park, 27, one of the many thousands of Washington regulars sporting a Beckham shirt. "He's the biggest name I've ever seen so I had to get a shirt with his name on.'"
US Soccer Players Association, Ian Plenderleith: "It was just like watching England at RFK Stadium last night. There was David Beckham in the middle of the field, in a white shirt, playing long balls up to a struggling forward line in a desperate but ultimately failed and unimaginative attempt to claw back a 1-0 deficit. To make him feel even more at home, it was raining too."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "On a night when David Beckham made his debut in Major League Soccer, it was Luciano Emilio's goal that proved to be the difference as D.C. United defeated a 10-man Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 on MLS Primetime Thursday before a sold-out RFK Stadium."
Six Yards North, QJA: "Emilio's strike sent the crowd into raptures. It was so unexpected: all season long he's played the poacher, finding the odd ball in the box and slotting it home easily. This was the first taste of Emilio long distance, and it was very, very sweet."
Poplar Point Perspective: "United's red card luck continues. This makes three of four where United is up 1-0 and is the beneficiary of an opponent's red card. Two of three they have won the game 1-0 and one 1-1 tie. This will not continue. Combine this with DC's recent run of futility near the goal and it could go bad for United if they can't muster the second goal on a semi regular basis."
BlckDgRd, BDR: "If MLS becomes the league where fat and washed-up Ronaldos come to make one last paycheck, if MLS becomes a league of fat and washed-up foreign mercenaries first rather than a league that develops American soccer players, Beckham is a minus."
The Offside: DC United, Max: "This, by the way, is a point that needs thinking about. The trend of late, the New England win aside, seems to have been “Well, we could have scored (x goals), but it just wasn’t there tonight.” A couple of times and that’s a good if irksome sign of progress. After a while it just becomes ridiculous lack of killer instinct up top. It’s hard to place a lot of blame on the players tonight because of the rain and turf, but at some point soon, if not already, the shanking and pretty passing leading nowhere are going to be the reasons for a loss."
The Offside: LA Galaxy, Laurie: "David Beckham’s MLS debut! (I have to put that first. If I didn’t, it would violate some unspoken law of the universe and I would end up in Galaxy blogger hell. And Eric Wynalda would be there, talking incessantly. And Tommy Smyth would be there too, saying “Onion bag. Onion bag. Onion bag…” over and over and over. No thanks. Beckham comes first.)"
Center Holds It, Jeff Bull: "To return to the first kiss analogy, consider Beckham an intriguingly deep and tender kiss…while the rest of the Galaxy amounts to a rough, mildly painful groping of our collective breasts."
Screaming Eagles Podcast, Administrator: "I didn't stay for the Galaxy press conference so that I could talk to the DC players, but I left all the quotes about him from the other reporters in their in case you're interested, and Eric, Aaron and I do get into a lot of that in our discussion of the game."
Ted's Take, Ted Leonsis: "It started to pour and as it really picked up in volume, the fans started to scream and cheer. DC United fans are true fans and they packed the parking lots before and after the game, hooting and hollering."

The Good

1. Attacking Soccer: United came out and attacked Los Angeles. They had good possesion soccer with dangerous penetrating runs. About three different times they put together long uninterupted passing sequences. United wanted this one in and played like it until they scored. Once they scored they continued to play attacking soccer but seemed to take their foot off the accelerator.
   
2. Defense: United bent but didn't break. After all the goals Donovan has scored at RFK, keeping a clean sheet is impressive. Kudos to the back line and Perkins for their second consecutive shutout.
   
3. Crowd: More pro DC than I had hoped. Still not perfect but better than I thought it was going to be. I couldn't tell if there were more cheers or boos for Beckham, which was good. Hopefully some of the people will be back. Or at least check this blog to get their United fix, right?
   

The Bad

1. Finishing: Pure and simple, United needs to learn how to finish. The game should have been over before Beckham even stepped onto the field. But because United hasn't been able to finish well (NE game excepting) the Galaxy had a chance to steal some points. Which bring us to problem number 2.
   
2. Killing Off the Game: I litterally forgot the Gals were down to ten men when I was watching the last ten minutes of the game. United played some amazing possesion ball in the first half but when they really needed it most they were in a defensive shell and just booting the ball upfield. Kill off the game, don't bunker and wait for Beckham or Donovan to kill you.
   

Man of the Match

Luciano Emilio. He scored the game winner and nobody else really out played him.

Karma Bank

+1 for Emilio's goal. -1 for United's missed chances. -1 for LA's missed chances, -1 for bunkering against 10 men, -2 for McTavish's NFL defending, +2 for Martino's "tackle", which leaves us -1 for the game and +2 for the season.

Final Thoughts

So much has already been said I don't really know what to say. I loved having RFK full and loud. We need to do that again sometime. I brought 16 friends most of whom had been to at least one game before. About half of them helped me start some chants in 327. Another one bought a DC United shirt to represent. Hopefully everyone else brought some friends and had a great time as well.

First Impressions - DC United 1 : 0 LA Galaxy

Okay, so let's say that of the 45,000 people that went to see the game, 20,000 were there for Beckham. I think it's safe to assume that at least 25,000 were casual United fans to begin with who also came out for this one. Fair? Good. Let's talk about those 20,000 fans that came first and foremost for Sir Becks-a-lot.

They saw a pretty good game, even in the rain. More importantly, they saw a good United game. I missed most of the first half because of work related obligations, but it was there on the TiVo, and United had a good first half. They had a good second half. They created some great chances (and if Fred and Moreno hadn't decided to reenact the forward styling of Chris Albright and kept the shots lower, they would have had more goals.) But the moment that convinced me we minted some new fans was around the 55th minute when Fred took the ball at midfield and neatly spun around two markers to get free. There was a roar. The entire stadium saw a bit of midfield play, saw some real skill, and it went right to the limbic system. I'd say that moment alone might have minted a hundred or so new fans to United. That's a good thing.

And while the Beckham circus can be a tedious thing, let's remember that he did bring those people to this game, and in a few years they could well be die hard supporters who feel only mildly embarrassed about why they came to their first game. That's a good thing. United came out, won the game, won with some nice flair, and earned some respect. And you may not like to say it, but Beckham helped.

I should also point out a few things about ESPN. Kudos to Tommy Smythe for acknowledging the longtime support of the fans we've had when Eric and DOB were insisting that the place was raucous only for Beckham. And Kudos to David Beckham for saying more nice things about United in his post-game interview than Eric and DOB managed the entire telecast.

And most of all, kudos to United. Sure, I am mildly annoyed at the missed chances, but two clean sheets in a row is nothing to sneeze at. The defense, especially in the first half, deserves a lot of credit. Boswell marked Donovan the way we'd been hoping Boswell would play all year. Namoff and Burch looked good, and Josh Gros was just as much of a menace as Fred, and I mean that in a good way. For me, the Man of the Match is Troy Perkins, who stood tall when he had to, and slid in clean when he had to. I also liked seeing him get angry during one of the few defensive lapses (and while he may look like an 8 year old complaining about his sister tagging along to the neighborhood sand lot game, I wouldn't have wanted to be the one he was yelling at.)

Now just tell me that Ben Olsen is okay after what looked like a hamstring strain, and tell me will finish more of those nice chances, and I will be a truly happy man.

God I love this team some days.

Match Briefing for 12.18: Los Angeles Galaxy

Match #: 12.18

Opponent:
Los Angeles Galaxy

Six Word Novel Preview: 45,000 in RFK, I can't wait.

TV: ESPN2, 7PM

Radio: WMET 1160AM

Previous Meeting: 0-0 Tie. Here is The DCenters Debrief.

The Stakes: Recently, LA has come to RFK and made it Home Depot Center East. In fact, I think the last time that DC United won a game against the Gals here there was no Home Depot Center. This one will be in front of a capacity crowd. This one will be for pride.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Poplar Point Perspective
Previews from the LALALand: LA Galaxy Offside Blog

Expectations: I expect an ugly loss because that what they have given United the past couple of years. Though, I think there is a very good chance that United step up, say "no more" and win the game. The Galaxy are a horrible team that won't make the playoffs and are probably worse than last year's Galaxy that were also a horrible team that didn't make the playoffs. However, you can't discount Landon Donovan in an MLS game. It seems DC fans are second only to Mexicans in bringing out the best in him. After bringing a bunch of friends to last year's debacle and expecting a win, I am not going to be as optimistic this time around.

What to look for?

1. Beckham's Attire - I think it is basically assured that he won't be starting. But will he suit up and have a go for 15 or 10 minutes. Good money says no, but you never know. Frankly, I think he is a liability to the Galaxy at this point so I hope I see him on the field. That and the people that all bought tickets from me will be happier.


2. Donovan's Desire - He is the killer. But will he have a killer instinct this game? I don't know, but it is the question of the night.


3. No GoMo? - From the latest reports it looks like Gomez will stay out of this game and Moreno most likely won't start. I am hoping that Jamie gets in and scores a goal in front of 45,000 people, but if he is not healed enough I would rather have him healthy and scoring down the stretch. DC United needs to respond to this like it did against New England and run a tired LA into the ground.


4. Fred - Fred could line up in three different positions tonight. I am hoping to see him in Gomez's spot if Christian can't go. That would keep the backline the same and leave Gros to run the wing, while giving us a better option in the middle of the park than Dyachenko. But where he goes will dictate the rest of the formation.
   
5. United fans - Hopefully there will be lots of DC fans there and less Beckham fans. The United to Beckham fan ratio will be interesting to see. I don't really mind if they shriek for Becks, I mind that they cheer for DC. I will be bringing it loud in the 300 section tonight and am hoping some other Barra and Eagle transplants get the noise going. I have never seen a sold out soccer game at RFK, I am hoping for a loud raucous crowd.

The Family

Anyone else catch the Beckham presser, and listen to the coded transmissions from Alexi Lalas regarding the LA Galaxy locker room and his relationship with Frank Yallop? Very interesting. One recurring trope was the idea of the LA Galaxy "family." They're a happy family, they're a happy family, they're a happy family, them, mom, and daddy*.


*Not their best song, which remains Bonzo Goes to Bitburg where a political sentiment was actually expressed with nuance, humanity, and poignancy. Something the more political acts of today could learn from. Just saying.

Debriefing for Match 12.08: At LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy 0 : 0 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Good teams get wins, not draws.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "Lacking the offensive personality of recent weeks, United (3-3-2) was fortunate not to fall behind by multiple goals in the first half. Play improved after the break, but the club still rarely tested goalkeeper Joe Cannon and had to endure a few late scares before settling for the draw in front of a quiet crowd of 21,069 at Home Depot Center."
The L.A. Times, Grahame Jones: "A mere 1:21 into the match, Donovan flashed a diagonal shot just wide of the left post off a pass from Nathan Sturgis. Less than three minutes later, Cobi Jones got behind the D.C. United defense on the right and sent in an on-the-money cross, but Jaqua skied it into the stands from six yards."
Long Beach Press-Telegram, Phil Collin: "Jaqua had another chance with a header when he outleaped goalkeeper Troy Perkins, but his effort floated over the crossbar and harmlessly onto the top of the net."
Associated Press (via The Examiner): "Cannon's biggest save came in the 58th minute, when he caught Luciano Emilio's line-drive header from 8 yards between his ankles."
MLSNet, Greg Daurio: "DC continued to press, and in the 62nd minute Moreno crossed the ball into the area, finding Fred lurking on the back post. The Brazilian headed the ball down and back in the direction it came from, but his effort bounced in the goal area and wide of the target."
MLSNet, Luis Bueno: "...although United controlled the possession and had six shots on goal, the Galaxy could have put the game away on several occasions."
MLSnet, Greg Daurio: "Jaqua was willing to take a bit of the blame for the result against D.C. The frustration for all the forwards was obvious following the match, and Jaqua was no exception."
Poplar Point Perspective: "...Add 'em all up and you get? A scoreless draw which wasn't even as exciting as the scoreline would indicate."
BlackDogRed: "I don't want to hear about the shut out. If Brian Ching had finished a fifth of his chances last week and Nate Jaqua had finished a tenth of his last night, United is on a two game losing streak. What's distressing is that United may be burning all it's good luck on mediocrity. The defense is broken and, barring Devon McTavish recovering from injury and turning into Fabio Cannavero, it isn't going to be fixed. And Juan Pablo Angel doesn't seem likely to miss his ducks."
Soccer Insider, Steve Goff: "I think it's safe to say that, come September (or even next week, for that matter), no one on either team or in the stands will remember this match even took place. "
The Edgell Supporters: "I am not sure you can say that we did anything to the Galaxy. We kind of left each other alone."
Sideline Views, Andrea Canales: "He's got Jaquaitis. Run, save yourself."
The Offside: LA Galaxy: "I was actually kind of amazed by the draw given the number of players we’re missing."
Who Ate All the Cupcakes?: "That's it, we end scoreless. The FSE announcers agreed that it was a very good game, it just lacked a goal. I agree. I thought DC was the slightly better team, but they didn't do enough to win. Entertaining match to watch though..." [NOTE: Really? I am stunned a neutral would feel like this. Sure, there were some chances, but overall I thought the game was rather dreary. Interesting that a neutral would feel otherwise]

ALSO: Screaming Eagles Podcast (which features an interview with Mr. Kpene. Get on it!)

The Good

1. Clean Sheet: Noted, simply so I can get it out of the way.
   
2. Workrate: Everyone on this team is working and sweating. I can't fault the effort that is being put out there. Execution is still a problem, but I don't feel like this is a team that is sleep walking through the games. Yes, I know Moreno is conserving energy, but that's because he has to in order to go the full 90, which Tommy Soehn seemed to want him to do.
   
3. Professionalism: It is worth nothing that LA was playing a lot of tugging, grabbing football, but that United was playing through it. My normal complaint with DC's possession game is that it never leads to anything, but here I thought it was used well in order to try and free up the game. We played calmly, smoothly, and errant passes were made on LA's side of the field rather than our own (aside from Namoff's giveaway in the fifth minute). That's good.
   
4. Luciano Emilio: I noticed him this game. That's good. He snapped in a great header, sadly right at the keeper, and he was playing well with his back to goal at times. After Houston, I wondered if he just wasn't adapting to the US Game. I now think he is.
5. The Simms Adjustment: Credit has to be given to Tommy Soehn for abandoning an experiment that wasn't working before it did more damage, but I think Clyde Simms deserves special recognition for sliding into the holding midfield slot so quickly. He had spent time preparing to be the Right Back, but instead found himself after fifteen minutes playing a position that Carroll and Olsen have occupied for most the year. And he played decently. Kudos.
   

The Bad

1. Self-Service wings: I did not change this title from the Houston game, because it is still true. Even after Gros was moved to left back there was still far too much time on the wings. Was it better than the Houston match? Maybe a little. But not good enough.
   
2. Center Back Troy Perkins: I do love the way Perkins controls the box, but I think he overextended himself this match. Twice he was out of the box to play the ball as a field player, heading it away or kicking it up the sideline. That's fine when a player looks to be coming through, but on at least one occasion I thought he had more defensive help than he knew, and I would have preferred he stayed at home. The "Boswell Tackle" save was at least in part because Perkins was way off his line in a situation where it would have been difficult to get the ball short of pulling the Pat Onstad maneuver (See: HOU-FCD, yesterday).
   

Man of the Match

I can't justify a man of the match to anyone, but I will give merit awards to Perkins (for all the other things he did right, and the save), Boswell, Erpen, Simms, and Fred.

Final Thoughts

I think I would be more upset about this game, as many, many of you are, if I hadn't felt like a draw was in the cards before the game started. But once I put that aside, I can understand where the frustration comes from. There are so many things that winning games would help soothe, but right now they chafe at the mind. A short list:

1. We signed several offensive weapons, but haven't seen more than two goals in any game this year.
2. We've been worried about defensive depth for awhile, but the word out of the front office was "we're happy with out options." Now in the past week come the stories of DC's options being a converted forward and Clyde Simms. While conversions can work, it isn't something I want to hang my hat on.
   
3. LA is as bad as they're going to be this season, and we couldn't get a win, and in fact we could have looked very, very silly.
4. New York, Kansas City, and New England are going to be tough to catch this year, even if they beat each other up.
   

Yet despite all of that, I feel that things can click. There are teams you look at and think "Damn, they're hopeless." Then there are teams where you can see how things can fall into place, and the team could go on a great run. United is the latter at this point. While things aren't running smoothly, perhaps it is best that United is grinding out results. To be utterly despondent right now is to think that United with its current personnel are playing as well as they can play. I still don't think that. I think this team can click at some point, and be a top team. They aren't there yet, and that's obvious. Am I looking at this with rose-tinted glasses? No, because while I think this team can go on a great run, that doesn't mean that a great run is guaranteed, or wouldn't be derailed by something like two starting defenders being called into Copa America.

Also, in the comments on First Impressions there's an interesting back and forth on Tommy Soehn. Let me say this. Just as I wasn't in the "Fire Soehn" camp when we were winless doesn't mean I'm in the "Soehn is the Answer" camp either. He hasn't done a bad job, and while I feel like there are games we haven't lost because of his managing, I'm not sure I can say there's been a game we've won because he out-managed anyone. He has saved points, but I'm not sure how many he's earned. Which means that Soehn is certainly worthy of consideration and debate. I certainly am watching. He did the right thing in this game after it started, and in more games than he's done the wrong thing. That's something. But he also put out the lineup that was victimized for a quarter of an hour. That's something else. For now, I give him some confidence, but not blind "Tommy must have a plan" devotion. That takes some silverware to earn.

First Impressions - LA Galaxy 0 : 0 DC United

Can two teams gift-wrap a draw for each other? It felt that way in this match. United opened the first fifteen minutes in disarray, as Bryan Namoff did not settle into the left back position well. It is interesting that the weakness in the defense to start the game was not Simms, but Namoff who had here-to-fore been a stalwart defender. Fortunately, Soehn adjusted moving Gros back into the backline to match up against Jones and pushing Simms into the holding midfielder role. Also fortunate for DC was the fact that Nate Jaqua couldn't finish a croissant if you took two bites out of it for him, or United would have been down 2-nil early.

After the remaining half hour of pedestrian football, United applied some solid pressure around the 60th minute. Fred's workrate was excellent, and Emilio, despite not finding the net, had some good moments. Still, United couldn't find the net, and LA came within a Boswell sliding blocked shot of taking the three points at home. To the credit of both teams, they tried for the win, but again I think both were pleased to settle for the draw.

Still, as a fan, using fan emotions and all it entails, I'm disappointed that we aren't coming home with the spoils. Yet I'll take the first clean sheet of the season. But if you're not troubled by the opening of this game, just think about New York coming to town. Angel and Altidore won't allow us to get by the same way, and that has to make you nervous. It certainly does me.

Match Briefing for 12.08: At LA Galaxy

Match #: 12.07

Opponent:
Los Angeles Galaxy
5pts, 7GF, 8GA, -1 GD
5th place Western Conference
12th place MLS

Six Word Novel Preview: Missing: Albright, Martino, Kirk, Jazic, Carroll?

TV: FSC 10:30 PM

Radio: WMET 1160AM

Previous Meeting: First meeting of season

The Stakes: LA needs something to rally the faithful, and a win against DC would do it. DC needs a win to make any sort of the claim that they're other than mediocre right now. While it seems odd to talk about "trap games" when DC hasn't proved much yet (and make no mistake: Wins over Chivas, Toronto, and Houston do not constitute making a statement) this game could be one. The Red Bulls come to town in a week, marking a significant match-up, and LA looks week. Still, Frank Yallop is under fire for not putting out a team with passion and tactical execution, and given his injury situation I can see him trying to pull out everything against DC.

A loss for either team hurts, and a win means more to LA than DC right now. The stakes are higher than you might think.

Previews from the DCUniverse: Soccer Insider, QuarterVolley, Poplar Point Perspective, The Edgell Supporters
Previews from the Galaxy-area: Sideline Views, the Offside: LA Galaxy

The DCenter Team's Location: Oscar - On Travel. Kinney/D - Arlington: Babylon Futbol Cafe

Expectations: I fully expect that the Galaxy will look to find a way to win, and that will mean attempting the narrow the field as much as possible for United. If Gomez can continue to RUN the attack and not BE the attack, then United should look for picking up all three points. However, if this game bogs down in the midfield, then a draw would seem to be in the cards, which both teams would probably accept with less reluctance than they'd say. I also expect that allowing at least one goal in every game is annoying Soehn, so defensive play will no doubt be emphasized against Donovan, Quaranta, and anyone else LA throws up top. Personally, I want the win, but LA scoring against the run of play and making life difficult for United is not out of the question.

If United is to be a team to be taken seriously this year, they should win this game.

What to look for?

• I look for Fred to get into this game in a much more significant way than any other to date.
• Steve Goff has indicated that Brian Carroll may be out. I'd like to see Moose on the Wing, and Simms at Right Back is an interesting option that he's discussing. I also expect to see Ben Olsen take a yellow for a professional foul in order to stop Donovan from breaking through on the keeper. That's his job.
  
• Emilio Luciano to be involved in this game. If he's creating chances and space, then the right momentum can be created to push forward the next few weeks.
• United should be able to attack the flanks of the LA backline if LA isn't packing 10 men behind the ball. Of course, that could be an option for at least part of the game. Yallop should be able to experiment with changing gears, playing different games and different times in the match.
  

An Expert View on the LA Galaxy

Thanks to our partnership with the RAND and their Completely False Statements Machine, 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 our boys flying out to Tinsel town, we thought we'd go to someone who dishes out the gossip on things celebrity, Perez Hilton. Mr. Hilton, welcome to the DCenters.


Glad to be here. I don't know much about this whole socker, kicking ball thing, but I have been trying to read up for David's arrival. Speaking of which, have I got some gossip for you. Apparently, Bianca is pissed that the Galaxy named the street the Home Depot Center is on after Mrs. Beckham. Can you say catfight?



That would probably get better ratings than tomorrow's game.



Tell me about it. But Bianca is also battling problems at home. She has had to baby her hubby way too much for her liking, including consoling him after the American Idol finale. Landon has gotten a little better since then and has been seen reading a new book around town. The book is Making Waves, by David Hasselhof. Apparently, it was a gift from a friend who told Landon he could learn something from the Hoff about being successful in Europe.

He certainly has a lot to study on that subject. Any other juicy rumors to report?



But of course. Galaxy front man Alexi Lalas was seen around town at a bunch of swanky clubs trying to pick up chicks. He is known in certain circles for claiming undying love and then jumping town to the next sweet thing. Some of his pick-up lines were amazing though.



Such as? I always am looking for good pick-up lines.



Well these were amazing, but not necessarily good. My favorite was "My dick's so big, its a superclub." I don't even know what that is referencing, I just think he believes the word "super" impresses people. The other one he used a bunch was "Wanna see my firecrotch?" It seemed to work better than "At least I'm bigger than Cobi."


Wow, I don't know what to say. Uhh...moving on?




Well Lalas is also having problems with the law. Apparently he is being investigated for "loaning" out some of the girls he has managed to bring home.





It sounds like Alexi is having problems with the ladies. I guess things have gone down hill since he shaved the goatee. Any other news in Galaxy land?



Kyle Martino is taking the weekend off to star in a film.







He got a red card and he lined up an acting gig? That's pretty impressive.




Actually, he got the red card on purpose because this "acting" gig was already on his schedule. He has decided to go the Dustin Diamond route and will be starring in a porno movie. It is tentatively titled "The Pussy of the Year."



Is Martino the main character? Don't answer that. How did he line up the job?



The usual way. He met a stripper that worked in the biz. Why do you think he wanted out of Columbus? He has a bigger stripper craving than A-Rod. Of course he also has nowhere near the money, hence the second job.




Well, I guess it's a bit more interesting than loan processing.




I'll say. Another player who is looking into a different profession is Chris Albright. He is out with a nasty injury but is looking to get his cosmetology certificate after being enthralled with Bravo's Shear Genius.




That show isn't nearly as good as Project Runway. Uhh, I mean, ha, he is going to beautician school. Yeah, ha. What other dirt did you get?




That is about it for my Galaxy report. As you can tell, other than Beckham there really isn't that much going on. Speaking of, I hear David is looking for a new American "personal assistant" if any young LA women are job hunting.




And with that, we are done.