Fun Link Thursday

http://wesellenergydrinks.com/

AWE. SOME.

Make sure to read down the the bottom, including the bit in red.



And just in case you don't get the parody right away, check this out.

First Impressions -- D.C. United 2 : 0 New York Red Bulls

Serious question: If New York were to win the Atlantic Cup one year, would they know what it looks like? I mean, we could give them used Big Gulp with the remains of a red slushy in it, and would they know it wasn't the real thing?

Immature trash talking aside, this was a nice night where D.C. United got the result they deserved. Perhaps not in the way you'd think, but it was a just feeling all the way around. Fred in the middle looks much better than Fred on the side. Quaranta continues to work, Gomez and Moreno both looked decent off the bench, Wicks made a key save on Angel, and everyone had at least one moment in this match to be proud of. Sure, New York has a right to feel hard done that they weren't awarded a penalty when Bryan Namoff tackled Father Ted inside the box on a free kick, but that neatly balanced with the non-call on Tino getting clipped.

Wallace as a holding midfielder seemed problematic early on, in that he didn't know how to drop in with the back three and pick up runners. That seemed to get better as the game continued.

Tom Soehn again fielded a credible line-up, and played the right substitutions at the right time, Emilio's red carded histrionics aside. And that was deserving of a straight red, no doubt. If anything, it reinforced that Soehn was absolutely right to take Emilio out of the match with a yellow.

It wasn't that United outclassed New York... New York had their moments of possession, their moments of attack. But it never became the shooting gallery the way it was in New England. It was a game that would have been a deserving 1-nil win, and the second goal was simply comforting.

I'm seriously thinking of Fred for Man of the Match. Really.

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!

Only Impressions -- D.C. United 5 : 3 New York Red Bulls

There will be no debrief, as this game isn't even a U.S. Open Cup match. It's a play-in, and frankly that's crap. I want games against the Islanders (of Pennsylvania), against the Battery, against some team called Ajax that's from Baltimore. That's the U.S. Open Cup I love. This play-in system against MLS teams that I see twice on other occasions just doesn't move me. So no debrief, as a note of protest.

That said, if you did make it out to RFK, it was a lovely night for a game. The weather was perfect, and the game was bizarrely fascinating. I suppose I'm supposed to say something about how even with the 4-nil lead, I was nervous, but it ain't true. Even when New York pulled within two, I wasn't particularly worried (had they managed to get it within one, I might have been frustrated.) But it was a fun game to watch. It opened with N'Silu and Khumalo putting on a clinic, a series of runs and passes that carved the defense. It featured Fred's most amazing miss of the year, if not this century. After Pontius brilliantly breaks through the back line and received a well weighted ball, he draws out Cepero with amazing patience, and sent the ball square to Fred, who managed with all the space and time in the world to put it over the bar from within the six yard box. If a miss could be a thing of glory, it was that miss. It was epic. Soaring. Pontius promptly gets one in the net on a corner kick (!), Boyzz drops in the goal, Barklage converts on a play entirely set up by N'Silu's doggedness on the left side, and Fred then manages to dribble one into the goal (!!). It was a lovely display of goals you may never see D.C. United score again this season. The only thing missing was Brandon Prideaux being signed at half-time to put one in the net as a second half sub.

And yes, the team was sloppy, and yes, New York got as close as two goals. But if there was a match with a pseudo-exhibition feel that makes you glad to watch it, it was this kind of a match.

So how did they look? N'Silu was strong until he ran himself out. Boyzzz seemed engaged and smart the entire time. Brandon Barklage quietly put together a wonderful game, especially taking the ball away and then beating Jorge Rojas on two occasions. Chris Pontius would easily have had man of the match status if I were to award such a thing for his strong work in midfield, well timed runs, and his two goals which were well deserved.

Problems? Sure. Avery John was exposed at left back on more than one occasion and had to be bailed out by Janicki or Namoff (including one Namoff snap header on a dangerous close cross.) Janicki himself got beat, only to recover well. Wicks was not at fault for the three goals, but was caught out of position on some set plays and high crosses. Center Official Mark Kadlecik apparently left his cards in his other pants and seemed powerless to stop the game from getting chippy at the end. Marc Burch did not look comfortable as a second half sub. And while we used all four substitutions, for which Soehn deserves credit, we did let Chris Pontius and Bryan Namoff, who could both use a little more rest, run more than 60 minutes.

Still, all in all, a fun, enjoyable night out. Could they have made this a little more meaningful? Yeah, it should have counted for the Atlantic Cup. OK, you're right, that would have changed nothing. But man, I enjoyed it.

Now let's see if after running out Gomez, Pontius, Namoff, and Fred for a half or more, if they have enough against RSL.

Debriefing for Match 14.06: At New York Red Bulls

New York Red Bulls 2 : 3 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Good day for DC in Nuyawk.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The New York Post, Brian Lewis: "The Red Bulls _ and the MetroStars before them _ have specialized in heartbreaking defeats in their history, but few have been as stunning or as maddening as today's collapse"
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "A 90-degree afternoon on unforgiving artificial turf had taken its toll on mind, body and soul, and considering United's futility on the road the past year, a draw with the New York Red Bulls might have been sufficient...Pontius had just enough left to pounce on a loose ball and score from seven yards in the first minute of added time -- United's second goal in 1 minute 42 seconds -- to cap a stirring comeback and provide a 3-2 victory before 10,303 sun-scorched spectators. "
Goal.Com, Steven Streff: "...when the game needed some drama, United stepped up and delivered a goal in the 21 minute. Bryan Namoff played a long ball up from the back, and Quaranta was able to beat the New York offside trap. After controlling the ball in the box, Quaranta sent a cross to the far post, and Wallace was able to slide in and finish the cross, for his first ever MLS goal, which gave United the 1-0 lead."
NY Daily News, Michael Lewis: " ...the Bulls rebounded behind second-half sub Jorge Rojas before an announced crowd of 10,303. Rojas set up both goals - Angel's header in the 68th minute and Dane Richards rebound conversion off a save of Angel's header in the 74th minute. 'Then the wheels came off,' Conway said. "
MLSNet, Dylan Butler: "In the 90th minute, Pontius switched fields, finding Quaranta, who played a sublime first-time volley across the goal where Luciano Emilio tapped home the equalizer...Less than two minutes later, D.C. struck for the winning goal, capitalizing on a defensive breakdown between Jon Conway and Alfredo Pacheco, who both froze as Thabiso (Boyzzz) Khumalo pounced on Marc Burch's long ball and attempted a shot. The ball found Pontius, who knocked it into the open net for the winner in the first of three minutes of second-half stoppage time."
MLSNet, Dylan Butler: "'I've got no words to describe this defeat,' Red Bulls midfielder Jorge Rojas said through a translator. 'We are professional soccer players. It can't be. We weren't smart to hold the ball, put the ball on the ground, kill the pace of the game, try to slow down.'"
Soccer By Ives, Ives Galarcep: "If there were a crisis prevention hot-line for New York Red Bulls fans (and let's face it, there should be one after 13 years of agony), the phones would be ringing off the hook after Sunday's embarrassing late-game meltdown. The Red Bulls were winning 2-1, in complete control, then they let up and D.C. United made them pay."
UnitedMania, Rafael Crisostomo: "Hasta allí todo era jorgorio y festejo de victoria adelantada en la escuadra newyorquina y lo peor sin mirar que los minutos no se acababan. Craso error taurino, DC United habiá puesto mucho sudor en este reto y sin duda no iba a claudicar hasta el pitazo final.. DC United se fue arriba con todo el aliento que les quedaba y el resto es historia con sabor a hazaña capitalina. ¡Qué manera de voltear un partido en el aliento final! Dos goles sacados de quién sabe donde con esa alma de ganador que solo infunde el amor propio."
DCUMD, Shatz: "I would have started Pontius at forward and Quaranta at CAM, Tom Soehn did the opposite, and it seemed to work out perfectly. Two of his substitutes Barklage and Khumalo made a big impact. But we gave up two goals during the fifteen minutes that Soehn switched the team from a 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2. In that formation, with Burch at LCB and Wallace at LB, and without Olsen on the field anymore, DC was at its weakest."
The Offside: New York Red Bulls, Dave Martinez: "Let me tell you a story. It was hot out. Really, really hot. I was sitting 2nd row midfield the entire game. 89th minute hits and I say to myself, 'Dave, you have suffered enough. Why not retreat yourself to the shade by the exit door, take in the rest of the game from there, and mad dash to the car once the Bulls win it?' And a plan was hatched. No sooner that I get half way up the section, I here a collective groan from the '10,000' fans in attendance. Yup, that was Emilio juking Pacheco on the flank, and sinking one past Conway. Seconds later, when a cross finds space in the area, and ultimately, a home in the Red Bull net, I downed my water and head to the door. What more can be done at that point?This is one of the most painful losses the Bulls have endured in quite some time."
Fullback Files, Fullback: "Not a match for the purist. Follow the bouncing ball. So should we blame the basketball court surface? The 100+ degree temps on the field? Both? There was an awful lot of head tennis and long ball madness, though that much had to be expected. Any time either side attempted to get the ball down and play, they surface conspired against them. No wonder every goal came from balls over the top or crosses."
We Love DC, Tom Bridge: "What’s that, New York? Is that the sound of crying I hear? Perhaps gnashing of teeth for ruining your weekend? Excellent. Just what were going for."

And finally...

BLCKDGRD, BDR: "But Wallace on the left-wing is a revelation offensively - this is the widest United team since Josh Gros." [Um, is that damning with faint praise? Whatever, the thought is sincere, and true.]

The Good

1. Keep in Touch I: The concern, for me, was about the first ten matches of this season. With nearly 2/3 of that stretch done, United is still within 3 points of the top of the Eastern Conference. As a big picture view, that's closer than I expected them to be, and a reminder that draws are better than losses, and wins cover a lot of ground.
2. Keep in Touch II: Chris Pontius seems adept at managing to head a long ball, say, from a goal kick, forward in midfield onto an attacker like Emilio. I do not recall the last time United was actually able to execute this play with anything like consistency. It amazes me every time I see it, and it happened on at least three occasions. This is a small thing, but in a game that was dominated by what happened with long ball over the top distribution, a critical one.
3. Santino Quaranta: Since his return to DC, this was his most threatening match to date. He tried to set up Olsen, he set up Emilio and Wallace, and while his attempted lob of Conway in the first half ended up not particularly close, it was the right decision. His assist to Wallace was almost a reproach to Chris Pontius. Tino may have been shooting, but if so he made the right shot again by putting the ball low and to the far post, where Wallace or even Pontius could have a chance at it.
   
4. Those Who Have Legs, Used Them: The final goal, which was all about a very long run from Boyzzz, whose errant shot fortunately found a similarly long sprint from Chris Pontius, was exhausting to watch in the 92nd minute. That anyone on the team could even think about that sprint was something I haven't seen from, say, Jamil Walker in 2005. That Chris, as tired as he was, finished without putting the ball over the crossbar is a huge relief. Can you imagine the howl if he hand't. By finishing, he regains the status of co-golden boy rookie with Wallace.
5. Go to the Net: On the first two goals, we saw a lot of players making runs at the net. The first saw Wallace and Pontius both making runs (Wallace to the far post, Pontius as a late arrive coming to the spot). The second goal was more impressive. As Pontius switches fields, Emilio starts to make his move away to the net. Normally, I would expect to see United settle a ball like that, but Quaranta volleys the cross to Emilio, who started his run at the right time to nudge the ball by Conway. Easily the best team goal of the match, but also a surprise to see how well United was making those runs.
6. Rodney Wallace's Midfield Defense: It was hacktastic, but at the same time, it was tight. He should have had a yellow for persistent infringement by about the 20th minute (about the time he got the "No More" signal) but it was nice to see him playing his marker so tough. If he can improve the technique, I feel a lot more comfortable with him there in front of Marc Burch.
   

The Bad

1. Those Who Didn't Have Legs, Didn't: The heat was affecting a lot of players. Clyde Simms looked beat about 2/3 of the way into the match. Emilio was intensley exhausted (though he did fight through it). The back line also seemed to slow up.
2. Louis Clayton Off the Line: Grunthos wants to caution against too much Louis Clayton bashing, and he's right. But Anonymous later gets to what the concern is. Crayton's keeping was generally solid when it came time to make a save, but his control of the box was extremely suspect. He missed two crosses, once even making the correct decision to punch the ball out of the box but then missing by a good two feet. His save on Angel's free kick early in the game was not easy, and the decision to push the ball over the ball rather than risk a hard rebound was right. Still, there always seems to be at least one aspect of Crayton's game that's concerning in each match. His control is good, but his saves aren't. His saves are good, but the control is lacking. He's got both down, but his distribution is strange and he's wandering out 40 yards. All the aspects of a great game are there, but have yet to combine.
3. Moving up the Field: I wrote about this yesterday, and still feel the same way. United, when attempting to transition, frequently pushed the ball wide before attempting to move forward, rather than using a wide ball to open up a defense. I'm not sure if this was a tactical decision, to bypass midfield in some way, or a result of Pontius not being where Gomez normally would be, or what, but as a result with the ball on the flank in United's defensive half, the high pressure from New York was more effective as it constricted potential mobility and passing lanes.
4. Rodney Wallace's Defensive Defense: I'm not sure how this is a long term plan. While I understand wanting to make room for a Boyzz or a Barkledge, Wallace does not make me comfortable at left back, seeming to be indecisive on when to go at an attacker and when to simply contain him.
   

Officiating Watch

Aside from Wallace escaping yellow for persistent infringement, referee Steven DePiero's calling was mistifying. Again, I was not sure what a fould was, and to me the bias was in favor of New York on the majority questionable calls. However, he did let play continue when Ben Olsen stood his ground in the box like a Duke center looking for a charge (a play that ultimately ended with a United shot off the cross bar.) While I was happy with the result, it seems clear to me that while Olsen was clearly standing his ground, he made no effort to play the ball, and I've seen calls given for less. I think the right call was to play on. Still, that call in favor of United pales to the noncall on Emilio being pushed from behind in the box, which should have resulted in a penalty. Ultimately, I am left unsatisfied.

Likert Scale Grade: 2 - Below Average

Karma Bank

We have a neutral karma balance entering this match. And in a match that could have resulted in a loss, win, or draw for United, it seems like karma burn could be all over the place. However, United gets the win, which means there is no chance Untied earned any karma, so what do we do? United earned one point on the second goal, and that goal was a strong play all the way around, so no karma burn for going from 0 points to 1. So how about from 1 to 3 points? Well, the collapse of New York was fortunate, so that should be a burn of 2 points to get us to the win. But I'm going to say that United was previously owed one karma for the combination of the shot off the post in the first half combined with the outstanding hustle from Pontius and Boyzzz for the goal. In my mind, we burn 1 karma for this game, putting us at -1 for the season.

Man of the Match

Santino Quaranta was extremely dangerous. Two assists, two near goals, and a strong performance up top as a legitimate forward option. Certificate of Merit to Chris Pontius and (2 assists), Rodney Wallace (1 goal), and Bryan Namoff. Censure? Hmm... Clyde Simms is a bit worrisome and the yellow he took seemed unnecessary, Ben Olsen's Left Foot is not about to put anyone in trouble, Fred was provided opportunties but seemed unsure about what to do with them, and while people are talking about the how Barklage made an impact, I'm not sure I understand what it was. So no note of censure to Barklage, just if someone can tell me what he did as a sub that was so good, as I apparently missed it.

Special Certificate of Merit to Tom Poti.

Final Thoughts

There are games that you steal that you have no business winning. One of the thing I was trying to write in the first impressions was that this was not one of those games. New York never, at any point, had a consistent game going for them. This was a game of moments, not a game of cohesive narrative, and as a result New York was providing moments for DC. So while DC does steal this match, it is only because New York practically invited them to do so. I mean, you're in New York, right? Who goes around leaving the keys in the ignition of their Aston Martin DB9, with the door open, and loudly announces "Well, I'm off for a few hours, I know I can trust you fine fellows of the boroughs not to try anything. Toodles!" You know better New York. Or you should. I'm glad you didn't.

And let's see: National take down the Mets in a rout for the Nats first road win. Caps take down the Rangers in a must win game at MSG. And United gets its first road win against New York. This is not likely to happen again, so I am happy it happened at all.

First Impressions -- New York Red Bulls 2 : 3 D.C. United

You're here? Quick, inside. Shut the door. Quick! Now down the stairs. Turn on the light. It's just us here, right? Did you bring it? Good, good. Let's see it then, open the bag.

Ahhhh, and it is ours now. What do you mean, what do we say to people? We'll say we earned it. If we all back each other up, no one will give us away.

Yes, I know it's stolen, but if we all agree to ourselves that it isn't stolen, then people will just assume we earned it. And, to some degree, we did. Theft takes work. It may not be the kind of work that others respect, but it is still work.

Tino, we needed your quick reflexes on the passes to gain entry to the area. Boyzzz and Rodney, we needed your speed to race through the guards. Luci, we needed your strength to break down the door. And Chris, we needed you at the last moment to unlock the safe and take the prize. Three points, stolen? Yes, but ours unless others catch wise...

Since it's just us United fans here, we can admit that this was a game that United stole, that through 89 minutes New York had certainly done enough to win the match, let alone draw it. But it was also a very sloppy game on both sides, and when a game is as sloppy as that one is it lends itself to moments. And these were moments where individual talent could, and did, play the critical role. If there is one thing to take from this match for me, it is that this United team, even without Moreno and Gomez, does have attacking talent that can win a match. And they did. That doesn't mean that the talent was successful for the entire match. Consider that of United's three goals, only one (the second) was the result of any sort of sustained possession. The rest were opportunistic play combined with players not surrendering on a moment. At the end, as Boyzzz Khumalo raced in on John Conway to feed the ball to Chris Pontius, there had to be a feeling that Chris was going to put the ball over the crossbar again. And yet he didn't, and United comes back with two goals in the final five minutes to rescue a match that they arguable deserved to get nothing from.

The point, though, is that New York and DC had a sloppy match the entire time. Part of this may have been the turf, which exaggerates the spin on the ball at contact as though Phil Mickelson were playing most shots. But part of it was the willingness of both team to play long passes that would occasionally be brilliant but far more often would fall to a defender stepping up at the right time. This game was made to provide the unpredictable chance, and United simply capitalized on two very late. To that extent, as much as New York felt cheated, they also contributed to a match that allowed this to happen.

Your man of the match, for me, is Santino Quaranta, who played two excellent balls on assists. We'll hit in the debrief about Chris Pontius's skill that isn't his shot, Rodney Wallace hacking people on the sidelines and what it may mean, and we'll have to analyze this match in terms of the flow on the field. To me, without Gomez in the middle, United relied far too heavily on the flanks at the midfield stripe, which constrained their forward options. We'll also talk about Louis Crayton, who did not look good, and discuss how we feel about, yes, Tom Soehn.

A strange match, one that requires me to sleep on it and think about some more. Drop off your comments as well, we'll hit things in debrief.

First Impressions - D.C. United 0 : 0 New York Red Bulls

I predict that this match will be an easy pessimist/optimist test for our fans out there. And since I try to stay away from equivocation, let me come out and make the optimistic case. D.C. United owned the majority of this match, but didn't totally dominate it. There was about five minutes in the first half, and the last ten minutes, when things looked dicey for the home side. However, United has lost several of those matches this season. You'd hear things like "We make two mistakes, and get punished for both." United had more than two mistakes this game, and the Bulls took their shots, but this time United survived to take at least a point. Yes, Moreno's PK miss may make this feel like two points that slipped away, but Louis Crayton's performance in goal with two big saves combined with Joe Vide starting to imitate the look and heart of a Ben Olsen make this feel like a point earned. Simply put, there was every reason to feel that this team could make a hash out of a five piece lego kit early this season, and now I feel like I'm looking for more times when this team will win, than find new ways to lose.

And the effort, from pretty much everyone, was there this match. Devon McTavish looks outmatched by pretty much everyone right now, but I can't and won't fault the effort he put forward. The team lost Emilio at the half, but still found way to work the ball around. They are a scrappier, pushier team than I recall from two months ago. Hope is the order of the day, even in games that might otherwise bode for disappointment.

To the loser of the Atlantic Cup goes...

Remember when we won the first leg of the Atlantic Cup on Saturday evening? OK, check this out.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I watched the Spain v Greece Euro 2008 match from Salzburg, Austria. As I sat there watching, I thought, "I wonder what club team plays in this stadium?" So on a whim, I Googled "FC Salzburg". I found the wikipedia entry for this club:

Under the heading The Red Bull Takeover the entry reads,

After the takeover, Red Bull changed the club's name, management and staff, declaring "this is a new club with no history". Red Bull initially claimed on the club website that the club was founded in 2005, but was ordered to remove this claim by the Austrian F.A. The new authority removed all trace of violet from the club logo and the team now play in the new colours of red and white, to the consternation of much of the club's traditional support. More disconcerting to many fans was Red Bull's demand that the goalkeeper of the new team wear a pair of synthetic wings and be hoisted upon a series of pulleys and ropes, to simulate a flying motion, during all home games, in accordance with Red Bull's commercial slogan at the time, "it gives you wings".

You know, because the keeper is the most expendable player on the team, if the series of pulleys and ropes should fail.

As D said, if it is on wikipedia, it must be true.

Stay tuned... there may be more to this foolishness.

Debriefing for Match 13.13: New York Red Bulls

D.C. United 4 : 1 New York Red Bulls

Six Word Novel Recap

Rebound? Or Regression to the Mean?

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Times, John Haydon: "The revival of Luciano Emilio continues. Emilio scored three goals Saturday night - his first MLS hat trick - as D.C. United beat the New York Red Bulls 4-1 at RFK Stadium."
The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "Despite the absence of playmaker Marcelo Gallardo and top defender Bryan Namoff because of red card suspensions, United (5-7-1) offered another comprehensive attacking performance and overtook New York (4-4-3) for fifth place in the Eastern Conference."
UnitedMania, Chris Webb: "I think it's safe to say that Luciano Emilio has put his slow start to the 2008 MLS season behind him. "
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "With key veterans Juan Pablo Angel and Claudio Reyna sidelined by injury and young striker Jozy Altidore recently sold to Spanish side Villareal, the visitors entered the match shorthanded and United showed no mercy..."
The Fullback Files, Fullback: "...Martinez, on the other hand, seems ferociously competent, and is completely unafraid and fully determined to make vital tackles. He also reads the game well, cutting down angles for though balls, running down wide threats, and keeping his head up when in possession. I was a bit concerned that playing him on the right with Burch on the left--which Soehn's comments had pretty much confirmed for me as early as the aftermath of the reserve match against Chicago--might lead to Burch getting schooled for pace by Dane Richards, but that threat never really materialized, whether through good play by Burch, cover from McTavish, or outright incompetence by the Metrobulltards"
MetroFanatic: "Did you know that, back in 1996, the MetroStars won their first two matches at RFK? Since then, they've won just five other times at their hated rivals, getting trounced time and time again. It doesn't matter if Metro is fielding a full lineup, or a shortened one like tonight. It doesn't matter if they're playing well coming into the match, or not. With few exceptions, RFK is Metro graveyard, as it was tonight, as DC Scum took Metro apart, winning 4:1 and jumping them in the standings."
DCSportsBox, Abram Fox: "...in the second half, Soehn said. 'I came in [to the locker room at the half] disappointed that we didn’t play better.'"
Fighting Talker, Aaron Stollar: "If this were an actual rivalry, New York would’ve actually tried to get a result yesterday. Instead, they looked entirely like they’d chalked this one up as a loss on the bus south and just wanted to get through the bludgeoning as quickly as possible. Rivals don’t do that. The New York Red Bulls do."
Injury Time, AT: "i don't even know where to begin in talking about this 4-1 loss, but we can start right off with the critical injuries. reyna and angel were out with back problems, and as shep messing pointed out during the game, there seems to be a whole lot of back injuries going around this spring in new york and maybe it's time to look at the type of grass they're practicing and playing on."
BlackDogRed, BDR: "It's important when evaluating this game to remember Metro fans suck, but, hard as they try, they just can't suck as bad as their soccer team...a sign of progress, not a sign of deliverance."
The Offside: DCUnited, jon: "When Woly is your scoring threat, you’re screwed from the get go. DC came out a little flat, but within 10 minutes, they realized the team they were playing against would struggle in the USL."
The Offside: Red Bull New York, Dave Martinez: "What else can I tell you? My last post said it loud and clear - 'this is a statement game.' And what is the statement thats been made? 'We need help. Urgently.'"

The Good

1. Luci Keeps the Football in Place: As much as I distrust cliches, perhaps there is some truth the entire "Goal scorers score in bunches, so the drought will eventually be quenched." To be honest, droughts make me nervous, but Emilio has now scored in several games, and a hat trick does seem to be a fitting punctuation mark. Right now, on MLSNet, the top goal scoring list reads "Donovan - Buddle - Emilio and Cooper" And that's pretty amazing, so let me admit that the conventional wisdom may well be the correct wisdom: the goals were going to come. That being said, I think there is a difference in play. This isn't simply a matter of Emilio getting breaks he wasn't getting before. Instead, there are two things that are different between Emilio now and Emilio circa two months ago. Now he's getting the ball facing the goal (all three of his goals were situations where his first touch in the attack was with him facing net, not with this back to goal). That's partially from more effort in his runs, but also to the team getting him the ball in a better position. The other change is the way he's dealing with contact. Emilio's first goal saw him fight through a marker to get on the end of Fred's cross, and two months ago I'm not sure he had the strength to do that. And that's really a difference for him, and an encouraging one.
2. Handicapped to Even: Red Bull fans can rightly point out that they had no Jozy, and no Angel. But before this is used as a "DC just beat up on a team missing key players" let's not forget that DC was missing Gallardo, Namoff, and Olsen. So both teams had equal excuse to play the "we're missing key starters" card, but only one team did.
3. Playmaking from the Middle: Both Quaranta and Fred, especially Fred, did excellent jobs pinching in from the wing to create attacking moves. Fred getting moved into the middle for the ineffective playmaking of Dyachenko was actually a strong move by Tom Soehn. Rod was proving a disappointment, but the position switch maximized the ability on the field. Quaranta's through ball to Fred was easily the start of the prettiest goal scored by United this year.
4. Clyde Simms: Getting him a statistic to help demonstrate his ability is a lovely thing. He has done so much for this team, Moreno's decision to trust him to take that shot rewards some strong defensive play all season.
5. LT. Zach Wells: A promotion to O-3 for Zach. Yes, the clean sheet wasn't kept, but his decision making in coming off his line was better this game than I can remember for some time. So we're bumping him up a rank.
6. Tom Soehn: He put out a line-up compensating for suspensions, but also had the ability to play tactically to both minimize our shortcomings for what we were giving up. Quaranta and Fred would pinch into the middle as needed to support Dyachenko in the first half, and Emilio and Moreno were both going wide at the same moments. That was good play in this game, but not for every game. For the next match against San Jose, Fred and (McTavish/Burch/Kirk) must stay wide and let Gallardo and Simms fill the middle of the field.
7. Jaime Moreno: Now, let me say this. While he's playing wonderfully the last few games, aren't you a bit concerned about him running out of gas in August? I am.
   

The Bad

1. How United didn't score: One set piece goal, three goals on the counter, zero from a build from possession (unless you count earning the set piece.)
   
2. Service Level Agreements: Here's the thing you can legitimately wonder about. That United scores four goals is fair, but if Juan Pable Angel is playing, or Jozy is still around, doesn't one of them get on the end of Dave van der Bergh's multiple dangerous serves into the box, and New York gets one or two more goals, right? Right. United still struggles wit the Terry Cooke's of the world, and this game was no exception. United was also fortunate that New York never really tried to play in long balls to Dane Richards over the top, another bug-a-boo of games past.
3. Quavas Kirk: United was off-side once in this game, and it was Kirk who was offside despite coming in only at the 72nd minute. This is a problem for him, as he really needs to see the line better.
   

Officiating Watch

Kevin Stott and the ARs had a decent game. I think New York could have argued that Perralta was interfering with the play from an off-side position on the Simms goal (but even the replays there with regards to Perralta's position were inconclusive to me). The cards and fouls seemed about right, and despite the blowout the game never felt like it was going to get out of hand. So kidos for that.

Likert Scale Grade: 4 - Good.

Man of the Match

Luciano Emilio, obviously. Merit awards to Tino, Clyde, Fred, Jaime, Zach Wells, and Mark Burch. Small notes of censure to Quavas Kirk.

Final Thoughts

Let me admit that I missed the true importance of the Chicago game. The key was that United fought through another game that looked like it might get away from them, the same way they continued to fight against New England. The importance of playing for the shirt should never be understated, and I missed the boat on that.

That being said, let me say the thing that's probably going to be considered unfair -= Tom Soehn's job should not yet be considered safe for this season. We've had two good results, and have a chance to go to Superliga at .500, in which case his job is safe for the season. But, having shown that this team is capable of fighting through good teams (Chicago) and not so good (Toronto) it's clear that he does have the personnel he needs, the question of coaching is still not academic.

And right now, we're basking in the glow of a wonderful come-back win against Chicago, and a strong performance against New York. Still, that shouldn't discount from just what a big hole United dug for itself at the start of the season, and some of the abominable performances that were seen in that time frame. If, and I hope this doesn't happen, but if United is made to look silly by San Jose and Los Angeles, doesn't that have to factor into our opinion? Still, I've said that if a move were to be made, it should be made earlier rather than later, and after L.A. is as late as I would be willing to leave it. After that, the season should be his, and all the indications are that he has weathered the storm and started actually varying his tactics accordingly.

To be sure, part of that was the circumstances of this match. With suspensions to Gallardo and Namoff, Tom couldn't just play the same as he did against Chicago, he was forced by the roster to move things around. However, with them coming back, I expect him once again to adjust to the demands of that game. San Jose does have some threats for an expansion team, and we simply can't expect to use the United Form Letter game plan against them. The big thing will be the use of space. Frank Yallop, coming into RFK, is going to try as much as possible to make things as narrow as possible, and United must play wide in a way they didn't have to against New York. If that happens, and United continues to solidify results, then we can say that this team is in full recovery.

First Impressions - D.C. United 4 : 1 New York Red Bulls

Finally, two steps forward. For weeks United would allow us to flirt with hope, only to step backwards with another game where you left wondering if anyone learned anything.

However, United came out of Chicago and managed to put together a win that helped consolidate the progress that they had been making recently. And this was a comprehensive win. If the scoreline flatters United, it is on the defensive end, as United certainly did enough to earn all four goals scored. New York still had chances, and perhaps it should have been closer, but United deserved the victory. Lowlights happened at the start of each half, with United conceding a goal early in the second half on some haphazard defending, and starting the game with one of the poorest opening kick routines I have ever seen. However, that's about it in terms of things we can take them to task for. The Martinez-Burch combination proved effective as outside backs in the absence of Namoff. Dyachenko's biggest influence may have been the help he gave Simms in terms of pressure and release points, but the playmaking to make up for Gallardo came primarily from Tino, Jaime, and Fred, all of whom had strong matches.

Which brings us to Emilio's three goals. The first was the culmination of one of the best team moves I have seen this season. Quaranta's through ball to Fred was the best pass he's made all year, and Fred putting in the low cross to Emilio on the first touch was picture perfect. The amazing thing was that New York technically had numbers back, but it was a classic case of three men using momentum to carve up five defenders.

Emilio's second goal was helped by Quaranta not sending a ball over the post, but instead trying to place the ball far post and getting the rebound you want to see if you can't have the ball go in the net. The third goal for Emilio was a strong finish, made possible with strong running from Mediate who held the ball not too long, but also didn't jump the gun when he saw Emilio in space but held it long enough to minimize any chance of a defensive recovery.

There's something about wins against New York that just make me feel better about this team. Thinking of all the wins over New York over the past three years that helped convince me a United team was for real, most recently last year's Ben Olsenpalooza. New York Red Bulls... It's good for what ails ya.

My Own Personal Trophy

Wednesday, April 18. A day that will live in infamy. Well, for some at least. For the rest of us, it's good stuff all the way:

When NY finishes ahead of DC United at season's end, D will proudly wear a Red Bulls scarf and shirt to a DC United match. A photo will be taken of the happy event, and said photo will be posted on his aforementioned blog. Should be a great time.

Of course, should the opposite occur, I'll appear here in DC colors. The thought is really atrocious, so come on, New York!

At this time, United owns the tie breaker over New York, and with one more point won by United, or lost by New York, it won't even come down to that. United will finish ahead of New York. It is official. Mr. Fish, your shirt size and address please? Your merchandise will be bought and mailed in the start of October. Please acknowledge receipt with photos, preferable in front of several other secretly jealous Bull fans.

Quote of the Day

I will be getting to the Toronto Debrief presently, I just thought I would share this quote from Juan Pablo Angel with my fellow DC United fans. Hattip to Du Nord.

Angel looks back with satisfaction at his first four months in North America. "It has been terrific. I have enjoyed every single minute of my new life over here," he says. "The team is not the best in the league, and might even be considered one of the poortest, but in general everything is fine."

Debriefing for Match 12.20: New York Red Bulls

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

JAMIE MORENO BECOMES MLS CAREER GOALS LEADER WITH 109

Six Word Novel Recap

Record is a comma, not period.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

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

The Good

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

The Bad

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

Man of the Match

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

Karma Bank

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

Final Thoughts

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

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

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

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

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

OR...

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

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

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

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

Wednesday Coffee May Cause Headaches

TAURUS DELENDA EST!

RBNY/DCU: The big news is tonight's rubber match against New York. A win or a draw sees United retain the Atlantic Cup again, a loss and it heads north, and once reaching the turnpike may start to corrode with exposure to the air. Of course, people are talking up the playoff implications, and trying to see the big picture. Not me. For whatever reason, I'm taking an entirely parochial view about this game. I want New York to be destroyed in our stadium, and if we have to play in a such a way that we're exhausted for the remainder of the season and miss the playoffs, well, it would almost be worth it. Normally I'm totally a big picture kind of guy, but today I woke up in a foul mood, so let it be noted.

JOSH GROS IS ALECKO ESKANDARIAN IN THE STEVE YOUNG STORY: Steve Goff reports that Josh Gros may be done for the year:

Gros said after Saturday's game that he has had between 15 and 20 concussions since high school. Most have been Grade I, or mild, but the fact that contact with the ball is triggering problems has alarmed the club.

I think we've all learned the hard way that concussions are a tricky business, and should not be messed with. If the alternative is shutting him down for the year or risking his career, then it is time for Josh to stretch out on the couch with an eye-pillow, scented candles, and the music of Jean Michel Jarre. Don't mess around with concussions. Team ramifications be damned on this one.

MORE ON REPRESENTATION: Over at Pitch Invasion, Max J has given us an addendum and response on what we wrote yesterday regarding MLS Represent campaign. I think part of our disagreement stems from the way we approached listening to this material. Max decided to evaluate this entire thing as a marketing tool with respect to getting good music. I simply went directly to the DC United site and said "Oh, Bad Brains did DCU. Perfect." Then I listened to DC song only, and thought that the song was decent. Part of this is probably genre expectations. The music for Bad Brains (that weird funky punk sound) was always more interesting than the lyrics (rare exceptions, usually in the more dub nuanced songs). But the delivery of lyrics and music felt right in line with what I expected. Not transcendent, but wonderful.

Then I listened to other bands, usually with a perspective of "Would I trade my team's song for theirs?" The answer was no. This was a purely parochial thing. Is Max wrong in his impressions overall? Probably not, but my expectations were met, probably due to how I approached the entire exercise. Now, if MLS puts a team in Montreal simply because they want The Arcade Fire to record a track, then the entire thing will have gotten much too silly.

LATER TODAY: We should write a RBNY preview, and we should also check in with the Official Unibond Premier League Team of the DCenters. They have an update. The army is marching.

Debriefing for 12.16: At New York Red Bulls

New York Red Bulls 1 : 0 D.C. United

Six Word Novel Recap

Home is where the heart is.

First Impressions

Sorry for getting these out a bit late. I was trying to make meatless meatballs last night during the game. Using something called Bulgur, a form of wheat product. Stay with me, this is all relevant. Anyways, the recipe was all wrong, doomed from the start. Not enough binding egg for the amount of Bulgur, under seasoned, and the damn things wouldn't stay together when you tried to brown them before adding the tomato juice. I did the best I could, throwing in another beaten egg, adding a bit of kosher salt and more diced onion, packing down the bulgur with all my force into the 2 tablespoon measure I had. I managed to get something vaguely respectable out of the pan by the time everything was said and done.

The problem with most vegetarian cookbooks is that they insist you'll never miss the meat. It just isn't true, but what I ended up with was more than edible, it was actually decent. It wasn't the real thing though, and in comparison to a honest to goodness meatball. My last minute improvisations had saved the dish somewhat. Still, when all was said and done, I felt like I had missed something. It wasn't quite there, not quite right, and it had been flawed at the beginning.

This is all true, and I think the parallels just made me feel overly annoyed at the game I saw. Now that a little time has passed, I feel bet

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "On another maddening day of unfulfilled attacking soccer, United again failed to take advantage of its chances Sunday and dropped a 1-0 decision to the New York Red Bulls before 14,705 at Giants Stadium."
NY Daily News, Michael Lewis: "Wolyniec connected for the lone goal in a 1-0 victory that ended a seven-game winless home streak vs. United (0-5-2). The Red Bulls were 1-12-4 overall against D.C. dating back to July 2004."
The Staten Island Advance, Frank Giase: "The goal was typical Wolyniec -- timely, opportunistic and a nice finish. Claudio Reyna took a restart 40 yards out on the right. He drove the ball to the left side of the box where Jozy Altidore outleaped a defender to head the ball in front of the net. Wolyniec, running right to left, sent a glancing header into the right side of the net for his third goal of the season -- all game-winners."
The Washington Times, Denis Gorman:"In the 38th minute, Boswell beat Conway with a header that bounced off the near side of the post. In the 56th minute, Conway stopped a close-in blast from United's Nicholas Addlery. Christian Gomez had an empty net two minutes later, but his drive was cleared at the top of the goal."
MLSNet, Doug McIntyre: "'We have no excuses,' Soehn said afterward. 'Whether we were shorthanded or not, it doesn't matter. The guys that are out there have an opportunity and we need to do better.'"
MLSNet, Dylan Butler: "As for any significance about beating D.C., a team that he once coached to the MLS Cup title, Arena doesn't see it. 'I know nothing about that stuff,' he said. 'The significance for us is the three points, whether it's D.C. United or the Clifton Pirates.'"
Six Yards North, QJA: "I excuse Fred for his red card. I hold him absolutely blameless. The referees missed some blatant jersey pulling, blatant even for a free kick into the box, and then Red Bulls got indignant when they discovered that Fred was a little ticked. The red was harsh, even -- there was very little contact and Fred had an honest view of the ball. Shoddy refereeing and a really unfortunate series of events for Fred. Dane Richards is shameless."
MetroFanatic: "Our 'favorite' referee, Abbey Okulaja, did not call an obvious penalty kick when Altidore was taken down in the box."
BlckDgRd, BDR: "At least United didn't lose this game by quitting. The first half effort stunk, Metros thoroughly outworking United. I can deal with outplayed, but outworked is inexcusable, and it's to United's credit that they outworked Metros in the second. "

Also:

The Good

1. Fred actually playing a 4-5-1: I hate the 4-5-1, but the reason I hate it is that too often players seem to think that a 4-5-1 is a deterministic approach for where they should be. When attacking, the 4-5-1 should be making use of the wings and center midfield in a stylish and enjoyable manner. The ball comes up to Emilio, who should lay it back either to Gomez or spread it around the wing. The other players surge forward, and suddenly where only one player seemed to be attacking you have at least three making a run while one other determines where the ball should go. That's actually something we saw a little of in this match. Too little of it, but it was there, and it was nice to see that 4-5-1 wasn't just an excuse to play back and counter, but actually to set up an attacking sequence.
   
2. The rally point: BDR touched on this. United against Houston seemed content to lost 1-nil. Here they pressed for the equalizer, and pressed hard. That meant that they gave away a few countering opportunities (nicely snuffed out by Perkins sliding outside of the 16) but didn't seem happy with the loss.
   
3. Boswell finding his spot: In the opening five minutes, things were rather painful for United as New York was storming towards the net. As much grief as we've given Bobby Boswell (and he earns more for allowing the header which sent in Wolyniec) his ability to take up a sweeper role and clear the ball out of the box (and not directly too an opposing player) saved United in those opening minutes. Credit where it is due.
   
4. The Comcast SportsNet Audio Philharmonic Orchestra: Man, I'm sure it was the way CSN spread out the microphones, but the United traveling support sounded very, very good. Now, I'm not going to say that New York's fans were quiet, as I said, it was probably the audio setup, but it was really nice to hear the United fans sing the entire match despite the scoreline.
   

The Bad

1. Fred taking the red: I know, his shirts had literally (in the true meaning of that word, which means it really happened) been torn asunder by some of the muggings given to him, and he was frustrated. It didn't matter, he should have been smarter than to take that red card on a hasty tackle at midfield that wasn't necessary. A disappointing move.
   
2. Upper Body Strength: I wonder about this, because we seem to have difficulty winning balls where upper body strength is needed. 50-50 balls that come into the feet are things we can take advantage of, but anything at midfield with two players posting up on each other and it seems like United loses the ball 75% of the time. Shoulder to shoulder tackles are also good at knocking United players off the ball, more so than other teams. Again, below the waist, United is impressive. Hmmmm... Perhaps I should rephrase that last sentence. On the other hand... nah.
   
3. Abbey Okulaja: Sometimes both sets of fans will be mad at a referee and it is because the referee has done a good job of not letting either team get away with anything. Sometimes both sides will be mad at a ref because he somehow managed to job both of them. While this wasn't Abbey's worst every performance, it was still pretty awful and gave plenty for both Red Bull and United fans to be annoyed with.
   

Man of the Match

N/A

Karma Bank

-1 for getting away with the penalty on Altidore, +1 for not getting the penalty for the mugging on Fred in the box, +1 for some nice attacking soccer on the road and for the joy of watching Boswell attempting a bicycle, +1 for having to deal with Altidore's antics the rest of the game, -1 for failing to finish our chance. That leaves us +1 for the game, and +1 for the season. We're owed again.

Final Thoughts

Nick asked in the comments if this team is in danger of missing the playoffs. Quick answer? Yes, they are. I think it would take some bad luck, as I think this team is a playoff team, but it is still possible.

United, as I wrote last week, does not feel like a Champion team. This is largely because the level of play is MLS is better than it has been for a few years, and United only looks like a Championship team when all is going well. Only championships don't come to teams when all is well, teams have to win when things are out of sorts, and that hasn't happened. Even the 2004 run relied on players like Ezra Hendrickson stepping in when Ryan Nielsen was out, and I don't see much of that right now. Could United win a championship? Sure, but they'd be very fortunate to do so.

Right now, when United doesn't have their best players on the field, it's not that they are bad, but that they are... pale in comparison to the real thing. They are the meatless meatballs I made last night, requiring tinkering and improvisation and guesswork, and at their best only a decent substitute (and at their worst a vaguely unpalatable mess.)

I've stated before that this season is a rebuilding season, but I was wrong. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that this year should have been a rebuilding season, but it is clear that United's executives want to make a push for a title. I don't agree with that move when it comes at the expense of future development, but there you go.

What will kill this team are the points they've dropped against teams they should have beaten. Three against Salt Lake. Three against Columbus. Two against Dallas. Perhaps even one more here. That nine points, which a truly dominant team takes. We are not a dominant team. And with expectations adjusted accordingly, I think we should evaluate as such.

Which is why I'm not as frustrated by this game as perhaps others are. I know, it's a deep rival, but United did make chances for themselves. That's all I could ask for given our line-up, and ultimately if I'm unsatisfied, it's more because of fate than skill. The team played acceptably. While the coaching staff can invoke the "No excuses" line, this team isn't good enough that such criticism seems valid. No Excuses belongs to good teams, not mediocre ones. And a mediocre team has excuses. I think our fans, and our staff, think that this team is a better team in comparison to MLS than it is. We need to get beyond that, and start evaluating realistically.

The Exaltation of Juan Pablo Angel

Pop Quiz: Who has more goals this year, Juan Pablo Angel, or the rest of the New York Red Bulls combined? The correct answer is the latter, but I'll forgive you if you thought it was the former. Angel has nine goals for the Red Bulls, and the remainder of the team has fifteen (Mathis with 5, Altidore with 3, and Kovalenko with 2 lead the pack). Yet there has been an emerging trend recently, the idea that Juan Pablo Angel is "tearing the rest of the league up." Let's think about why so much is being made of one player...

That Angel has made a difference is undeniable, and he certainly deserves much credit for providing a great deal of offensive punch for a team that was mediocre in scoring in 2006 (7th in terms of goals scored). Yet one can't help but detect a certain degree of Eurocentric snobbery in some of the praise he is receiving. The idea being advanced by a certain type of soccer commentator is that Angel is simply at a different level than the rest of MLS, and that your typical MLS defender is simply no match for what Angel brings to the field. One example is here, but there are others that you might read, or hear, from various people. These pundits simply believe that most MLS Defenses should just sit down on the pitch with their beverage of choice and appreciate the brilliance of Angel's play, since it is clearly impossible to mark the man given our stumbling, incoherent talent.

Has Angel been brilliant? Certainly he's had great moments, and done exactly what a designated player acquisition is supposed to do: Make an immediate, high level impact for your team. And for many of these commentators, it's an easy choice to make to praise Angel. They'd be uncomfortable making the same noises about Beckham, it would sound too much like they had become the giggling schoolgirls they detest. But Angel is a different story. He comes from West Ham, and that's Academy of Football! Aston Villa. You have to respect a player from that club. To boot, he was rarely more than mediocre there, clearly an indictment of the MLS level of play if a mediocre player can have such an effect here. Angel confirms and conforms to the natural prejudices of such writers, so all credit for the Red Bulls goes to him. It's such a lovely image, it's a shame to spoil it.

The facts that argue against Angel as the savior of New York are simple. The Red Bulls were resurgent even before he suited up to them for the first time. They had a respectable 3-2-2 record before Angel scored his first league goal against Columbus. They were clearly better than they had shown previously. The resurrection of Clint Mathis predates Angel, and while Angel certainly gives Mathis an easier time, Clint had already shown his form was better than we had seen in years.

Since joining the Bulls, it's not as though no team has figured out how to defend Angel either. United denied him service and would quickly deny him space when he did receive the ball, surrendering only a garbage goal after the game had been decided. And while I love United, it's not exactly a defensive line that I'd call "elite" at the moment. So clearly an average defense can hold Angel in check, and even better backlines may present rough going. How will Angel fair against New England, whose backline excels at neutralizing obvious scoring threats?

It also does a disservice to the many other players that are helping New York. We've mentioned Mathis, but credit should also been given to Dema Kovalenko, who fights for that team and provides a spirit they've rarely seen, and to Dave Van Den Berg, who has quietly put together a strong resume as someone who brings vision to the field. Further, the pundits are completely ignoring Bruce Arena. Some of this, no doubt, is because media personalities find Bruce somewhat distressing. He doesn't make their lives easy. Yet Bruce Arena is the one primarily responsible for remaking that team. He has gotten New York to play a game that accentuates their strengths and plays away from their weaknesses. They do have weaknesses, and injury problems in the back have certainly exacerbated them, but what Arena has done this year is remarkable. He knows what problems his team has, and he plays around them. The defense was problematic, but he had gotten New York to defend as a team, even if it means stranding Angel up top. When transitioning from defense to attack, the team never breaks pell-mell, but rather plays a controlled system designed to minimize potential countering opportunities to their opponents. That's Arena, bringing in players to execute his plans and training them well enough to do it. Look at the team's home/away splits (to borrow a baseball term). Arena has that team playing well in the Meadowlands, because he knows what to do to take advantage of the turf and environment. The result is the paltry 4 home goals conceded to date, second best only to Chivas USA, and that's with a below average defense for most games. However, Arena was the scape-goat of 2006, even I was disappointed with his choices, but I can recognize when he deserves credit as well. But giving him credit may be a bit much for his detractors, though much of the success in New York belongs to him.

It's a slightly more complicated story than "Angel dominates MLS," but it's the one I think has more basis in reality. And it certainly will make New York harder for other teams to deal with. Marking Angel out of a game is one challenge, but it is not the entire challenge.

Coffee and Soccer, 19 June 2007

Today is one of those days where I actually have a few things to talk about, and we also have a new edition of The Freezer coming out later. But first, a few links of interest before I start blathering:

RICHMOND, POOR SQUAD: The Richmond Times-Dispatch wonders if United will be playing their first string in today's friendly. Now, nothing against those in Richmond, but I hope not. A few spot moments here and there, perhaps. Kpene should make a showing. Dyachenko. But even Bryan Arguez who gets a mention in the article is, I think, at U-20 World Cup camp. It's not that I really feel like Richmond doesn't deserve our first squad, it's just that now isn't the time I'd like to see them out there. Still, there's plenty for Richmond to look at. Addlery is getting first team minutes, there's Moose, there's even the potential for Mira Mupier. Hey, that'd be enough to interest me in the game.

YOUTH BEING SERVED: Not United related, but Ives Galarcep is running a series on the Red Bulls' Youth Academy. It's something I think we're all interested in. I don't think United will suddenly turn into West Ham from a decade ago, but it's still worth watching. It's something we're trying to understand more about from United's perspective as well.

Debriefing for Match 12.09: New York Red Bulls

DC United 4 : 2 New York Red Bulls

Six Word Novel Recap

Olsen's triplets destroy New York's minutes.

Media, Traditional and Otherwise

The Washington Post, Steve Goff: "With a lunging header early, a clever finish in the middle of the second half and a breathtaking half-volley late, D.C. United's veteran midfielder recorded his first career hat trick and led his club to a 4-2 victory over the MLS-leading New York Red Bulls before 18,066 at RFK Stadium yesterday."
The Washington Times, John Haydon: "Amazingly, two of Olsen's goals came when United was a man down after defender Bobby Boswell was red-carded in the 60th minute."
The HeraldNews, Ives Galarcep: "The loss was the latest for the Red Bulls at RFK Stadium, which has been a house of horrors for the club since its inception as the MetroStars. They are now 1-4-1 in their past six regular season matches at RFK Stadium."
MLSNet, Charles Boehm: "While Olsen's achievement made him the center of attention in an upbeat United locker room, one of the biggest smiles belonged to Fred, who sparked D.C.'s second-half dominance with a series of aggressive runs that discomfited the Red Bulls defense and set up Luciano Emilio for the 49th-minute goal that gave the home side a lead they would not relinquish."
MLSNet, Jordan Brown: "To a man, though, the Red Bulls weren't making excuses for the loss. They were outplayed by a streaking United squad, and look forward to going home, recovering from their extensive traveling over the past eight days, and exacting a little revenge next week as the Kansas City Wizards visit Giants Stadium for a rematch of last week's 3-2 loss."
Ben Olsen's Beard: "Boz's sending-off was a bit of a catalyst for the domination that ensued in the closing minutes, despite of course the J.P.A. goal that happened while everyone was trying to get their heads around 'Ben Olsen just scored a hat trick.' Well, not us. Ben Olsen scores routine hat tricks on FIFA 07 for us, so it's not a big shock."
The Edgell Supporters: "The most notable statistic of the game is that every one of the four goals were double assisted. That's teamwork. That's an organized attack. " [Note: I disagree here, but it's an interesting argument. I'd say the fact that all goals came in the run of play was more important.]
Poplar Point Perspective: "Giving up the quick goal was unfortunate and when paired with the goal they gave up after saving the penalty a few games ago, leads me to think that they need to keep their concentration immediately after big events during the game."
An American's View...: "Our defense stepped up and contained one of the most dangerous strikers in the league and only allowed him to score once the result was no longer in doubt. Troy had another stellar match in goal. Gomez and Moreno played great, especially when we were down to 10 men."
QuarterVolley, I-66: "Brian Hall turned in one of the worst refereeing performances I’ve ever seen, and that was before he sent off Bobby Boswell before the hour mark with his 2nd yellow card."
BlackDogRed: "...that's why I dress in black and scream myself hoarse every opportunity I get (and wear Benny's shirt!!!)"
Soccer Insider, Steve Goff: "United played with width, found an attacking rhythm and maintained its intensity. Fred overcame a weak first half and inspired the second-half uprising. Emilio was a consistent threat and Erpen did a solid job on Angel, who missed an early sitter and was never really a factor."
Soccer By Ives, Ives Galarcep: "The game was ugly, at least for the Red Bulls, most of which looked like they were wearing lead uniforms considering how sluggish they looked..."
NOTE: The Kin of Fish gets a pass on what I'm going to say next (because Mr. Fish has a lot on his plate, like a full family, which I understand), but most RBNY fan blogs (see over there on the right) that I know are silent as of 10:30 AM. C'mon kids, you think I like writing posts after losing to Columbus? No, I don't, but you're team is good enough this year to deserve your support even after a loss like this.
UPDATED LINKS:
DCist, "In previous years, this would not be any more than standard procedure for the boys in black, who had compiled a 24-15-5 record against their Atlantic Cup rivals."
SE Podcast: "Olsen was in the middle of his injury problems and nobody was sure if he was going to be ever play again, no less return to who he was before the injuries..."

UPDATE!!! ALSO: DCist, SE Podcast, Photos from Information Leafblower (Sorry DCist, you keep getting filtered where I am. Thanks to Kyle for sending in the link to their article.)

The Good

1. Fred: We've been talking about Fred's slow emergence over the last few weeks, and yesterday it seems like it moved to the next level. From playing balls in from the wing, taking defenders on and making space, and even tracking back to snuff out attacks and start a counter, Fred was excellent. I'm in the minority on the issue of his jersey, since I wanted him to have to "earn" Fred, but this game would have been the first one to put down on that application.
   
2. Team Efforts: The workrate was there in LA, as we noted last week, but it truly paid off today. Moreno was not dangerous on the attack, but he was excellent at the transition from defense to counter, and worked like hell even tracking back to his own defensive corner. Gomez also deserves credit for seeing the field probably the best he has this year and involving players.
   
3. Moose: Quick update here. Justin Moose was excellent as a late sub to stretch the field on the counter. He used his speed excellently, and would penetrate far into the Red Bull defense before pulling the ball back and getting numbers, allowing United to chew up time with possession. He knew when to take the ball to the net, and when to pull back. Smart tactics that made handling the red card to Boswell easier, and he deserves notice for it.
   
4. Defensive Adjustment: Since the Toronto match, Erpen had changed. We noted it in that game, gave him a certificate of merit against LA, but yesterday was one of his toughest matches to date. What I liked about him in this game was how he adjusted to Boswell's ejection. He played smart, stayed at home, marked his man and was content to let New York collect the ball if he could remain between the ball and the goal rather than make a risky play in stepping up to cut out a pass. It was not just his athletically best game, but his smartest game to date. Gros and Namoff (who helped open up the right wing for United to exploit) were also good.
5. Supporters, Near and Far: United's support was in good voice for this match, and it helped that the ESC remnants and other RBNY supporters had a good turnout. They do deserve some credit for staying with the match as long and as loud as they could. Good atmosphere from where I was standing in the Nest.
   
6. Luciano Emilio: Again, we noted that he had stepped up a bit against LA, but this match provided a lot to enjoy. He gets the goal, but he did so much more in terms of making runs to open space and dummying attacks to freeze defenders. Hmm.... Is there anything else we should be talking about?
7. Ben Olsen is a F'in God: Here's what Olsen did. Not only did he figure out quickly how to shred Seth Stammler to pieces, but rather than run around doing jumping jacks when the ball didn't come his way, he went back and communicated in a constructive matter. Sure, he yapped at the ref a bit (and reading RBNY fans complaining that Ben didn't get carded for dissent is hilarious... as if Brian Hall didn't give you enough...). The thing is, Ben has figured out pretty much where the line is, and how to yap at the ref. He walks that line. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't, but if that's how he needs to maintain his intensity, then go right ahead. Good god. Scaryice, please update the hattrick statistics, thanks. Oh, and to update here, best moment on Olsen's third goal was on Telefutura, as their color commentator corrected the play by play guy's inaccuracies... "Gol? No... Goalzo!" That seemed right.
   

The Bad

1. Boswell Cautionary Tales: I've reviewed the tape on this, and Boswell got in trouble with that first yellow, which he easily earned. There were ways of taking that foul and not picking up the early caution. The second was debatable, but after watching the replay it seems like a call that could have gone either way, and Hall's decision wasn't as bad as it may have seemed. Still...
   
2. Brian Hall: After rewatching the match, some of the fouls that I thought were questionable were correct. Far more were just bad calls. Hall's performance wasn't as atrocious as I thought yesterday, but it was pretty far down on the putrid list. It seemed to me that there were different standards being applied, and that's not what you want to see.
3. Troy Perkins Fielding: Is Troy not quite catching things as cleanly as he usually does when he patrols the box? Too often the ball seems to bounce down from his hands, and he needs to catch it on the rebound. We didn't get burned in this game, but it's something I'm starting to notice.
4. Overreading the importance of this win: Sure, I want to as well, but my satisfaction is tempered slightly by knowing that New York was on their third game in eight days. Still, being down a man should have been enough to equalize that fact, and United outscoring New York 2-1 shorthanded makes me feel like you can't write this all off to New York being tired.
   

Man of the Match

Really? Is there a question? No. Ben Olsen is your man of the Match, with certificates of Merit to Erpen, Namoff, Fred, Emilio, and Moreno.

Karma Bank

Nice play, team effort earns United one karma, and Brian Hall's attempts to job the team get us another. We're up two for this game, and +2 on the season as a whole now.

Final Thoughts

I never understood the idea that beating one opponent was more important than winning a season. Made no sense. Intellectually I might understand Celtic-Rangers, Spurs-Arsenal, or NC-NC State, but I never felt it in my bones. However, the resurgence of New York this season may have changed it a bit. I wanted this game, and if having this game meant the three early losses to start the season then so be it. Would I prefer beating New York to having a championship? No. But goddamn that Atlantic Cup actually feels like something other than a spare paperweight to be passed around the DC United front office. I wanted to see a win this game, and a convincing win. And United came through. They came through in a way that delighted, that inspired, that sent me home in a cloud of euphoria. I know that this wasn't New York at its best this season, but while the game was on I didn't care. This was the best I've felt at a United game this year. I long for this feeling again, it is addictive. And the idea that it might not happen does not bode well. We are junkies now, you and I, and my hands will tremble until I get my next fix. Please let it come soon.