DC United Reaction - Soehn is the Pusher

Some thoughts . . .

* Soehn needs to go. We saw it all last season, and we've seen it all through this season as well. He has enough tactical know-how to usually set a team out that can compete--he did it again last night, the opening chances were all DC. It's when the other team makes adjustments that he gets into trouble. Thinking back over the last season-and-a-half, I don't really recall him making an in-game adjustment that really changed/saved the game. Additionally, someone has got to be held accountable for the frightening alacrity with which this team makes mistakes that give games away. Losing is a nasty habit, but Soehn is the pusher.

* Wells is not good enough. I was never entirely comfortable with Perkins, but at least he made some key saves. Let's take a moment to play a bit of what-if ball . . . If you happened to see the Wizards-Red Bulls match yesterday (which I caught most of), what was the difference between a draw and a loss for KC? Simple--Kevin Hartman. Sure, he made a few bone-headed decisions--what MLS keeper doesn't? But he also pulled off some spectacular saves to keep KC in the match. The comparison is apt. KC dominated the early stages of the game and scored early. The Red Bulls finally started to fashion some chances and went on to run the Wiz ragged. KC's defense was surrendering chance after chance. But Hartman was always there to save. And if the ball got past him, some Wizard had busted his butt to get back on the line to clear it. That's quality goalkeeping. That's quality team defense. That's giving your all to scrap and claw for a point on the road. That's what DC is missing.

* Good God! Does anybody else remember that we were pretty close to landing Joe Cannon this off-season. Regret is a nasty old path to trod upon, isn't it? What might have been. What might have been . . .

* Mediate in central defense? Is this what it's come to? I know that McTavish was hurt and Peralta was back home with his wife, but Mediate? Maybe none of the kids are ready yet, but don't we have better central defensive options in the reserves? Heck, why didn't we put an actual defender (Namoff) in the center and Mediate at right back if "MLS experience" is such a necessity in Tommy's selection? But let's put all of that aside for a moment, shall we? Chivas was missing way more than we were due to injury. Indeed, they even had a midfielder in defense (Marsh) as well. And we still couldn't make them pay. If we had managed to get a second in that decent spell after the goal, the fragile Goats, struggling at the wrong end of the table and just as win-shy as we are, would have collapsed. Instead, we failed to capitalize, then sat back, made stupid subs and mistakes, and got our asses deservedly handed to us on a silver platter.

* Missing the playoffs is a distinct possibility. This side was constructed by the Front Office to correct for DC's deficiencies in international competition. What good are such drastic changes when the team you put together can't do enough to qualify for international competition in the first place? Heck, with our current league form and the way MLS sides treat the Open Cup, we might as well have a real go at US Soccer's ugly stepchild and hope to qualify that way.

Ugh. I'm not even going to harp on the ref and his inability to protect Gallardo. Michael Kennedy and I have a long and storied hate-hate relationship. That little Napoleon, out there scolding and scowling, trying his best to look an authority figure, rather than an angry, bitter little circus-freak dwarf.

Enough excuses. Sing it with me now, my brethren . . .

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Just gonna have to be a different man

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes
(Turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-Changes
Where's your shame?
You've left us up to our necks in it

Cheers David, you got that right for damn sure!