Not much more to say save except "Thanks, Jaime."
Expect the season autopsy to be forthcoming.
Showing posts with label Jaime Moreno. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jaime Moreno. Show all posts
I Have Always Relied On The Kindness of Wizards | a DC United Match Reaction
Huge. Three. Points.
Off the mark, but—and there's always a but—there are still big, big problems to deal with here. And make no mistake, this isn't exactly a confident KC team that's on top of their game at the moment. And they still almost managed to sucker-punch us at the death.
But let's begin with the positives, shall we? Most of the attention—and rightfully so—will fall upon the two obvious stars of the show, Danny Allsopp and Bill Hamid, though I'll give honorable mentions to our Bolivian duo as well.
Let's begin with Allsopp. He had three big chances and took two of them clinically, almost netting a third only to be foiled by a terrific save. But worryingly, all three of the chances came from garbage. Cristman's hustle (and though I won't sing his praises in this reaction, his work rate did not go unnoticed) forced two defensive errors, while Allsopp managed to fashion the third for himself and should simultaneously have cancelled Jimmy Conrad's South African dreams. And yet...and yet...and yet I'm still not convinced: one trick ponies and all...
So how about Bill Hamid, the kid of the hour? About the only nit I have to pick with him was how much he stuck to his line. Still, it's hard to fault a kid in his first professional start for that, isn't it? Mostly I was impressed with how confident his takes were when he did come for the ball. He didn't control much of it, but the areas of the box he got to, he dominated. He also showed strong hands to parry an Espinoza drive, fantastic reflexes to keep Jewsbury out from close range, and made himself big to block an early chance (though he really should have come and cut out the chance earlier...again—nits. I can't imagine him stealing the job permanently, but Perkins will be rightly worried.
And let's pause a moment for our timeless Bolivians, shall we? There were so many little things that Pena did to impress me, mostly through positioning and anticipation. He cut out a number of balls or managed to check attackers' runs, putting out fires before the sparks even started to fly. Of course, he was clearly gassed by the 75th minute (though it took Onalfo 10 minutes to get him off after that), but I'm willing to chalk up some less than stellar early outings to coming back from injury too early because we just didn't have any options. And speaking of options, Jaime Moreno proved that he's a terrific option coming off the bench, but then, we all knew that was always going to be where he excelled this year, right?
So what caused all the worry?
Let's begin with possession and chances created. True to what we've been hearing early in the week on the Goffblog, United's play was more about hoofing and hustle than style. Sadly, despite trying to make ourselves hard to play through, we were still conceding good chances to a KC attack that's been pretty stale of late (and playing without Arnaud, and with Kamara coming off the bench). In fact, where luck has sometimes abandoned us this season, tonight it abandoned the Wiz, who could so easily have had a couple of early goals themselves. And though some recognition has to be given to the fact that our pressure and energy led to chances, our play in possession created very little.
Can I ask a question? Just how much are you pining for Namoff? The positional play of our fullbacks is terrible with a capital "T." They're athletic, yes. And both are good with the ball at their feet going forward. But ask them to pass and it's either a Fred-like turnover (Graye) or a hopeless hoof (Wallace). And how about getting caught out of position? The number of times Graye bombed forward and then jogged back boggled the mind. That's not such a big deal if you have somebody like Quaranta covering. But Khumalo or Castillo? Get on your bike, son! Actually, those starting wingers have to absorb some of the blame in that they left the fullbacks high and dry without ever managing to create the consistent offensive threat that would justify their defensive laxity. United are hugely fortunate that the KC wide men couldn't exploit the time and space afforded to them. Sheesh, I almost miss Burch. Almost.
And finally...I understand that 0-5 means it's time for Plan B (the "B" stands for Brit-Ball!), and I have no problem with that as a temporary solution. Desperate times call for ugly and conservative measures. But if we're going to approach anywhere near respectability this season, we need to improve our transition from defense to attack. True, there were too many fouls, too few good chances, and Onalfo not yanking Castillo when he was clearly playing frustrated had me pulling my hair out. But my biggest problem was that I wouldn't have needed a second hand to count the number of coherent passages of play that saw us move the ball from defense through midfield and into attack. It got slightly better, of course, when Moreno came on, and beggars can't be choosers and all...but holy amateur hour, Batman!
Frankly, even with as little as KC were offering, I'm a little shocked that we didn't blow this one. The signs were all there, and they're worrying signs indeed. There have been excuses, some even marginally believable, that the big problem is that we weren't burying chances when we were carrying the play, leading to the inevitable late scalping by the opposition. But what I saw in this match was that, even with a couple of early chances taken, we're still wide open for that late scalping. Sure, it might result in draws instead of losses, but there's a fundamental problem there that needs to be addressed. Is it conditioning? A failure of concentration and motivation? Personnel?
One thing's sadly for certain: the problems go much, much deeper than player acquisition.
Off the mark, but—and there's always a but—there are still big, big problems to deal with here. And make no mistake, this isn't exactly a confident KC team that's on top of their game at the moment. And they still almost managed to sucker-punch us at the death.
But let's begin with the positives, shall we? Most of the attention—and rightfully so—will fall upon the two obvious stars of the show, Danny Allsopp and Bill Hamid, though I'll give honorable mentions to our Bolivian duo as well.
Let's begin with Allsopp. He had three big chances and took two of them clinically, almost netting a third only to be foiled by a terrific save. But worryingly, all three of the chances came from garbage. Cristman's hustle (and though I won't sing his praises in this reaction, his work rate did not go unnoticed) forced two defensive errors, while Allsopp managed to fashion the third for himself and should simultaneously have cancelled Jimmy Conrad's South African dreams. And yet...and yet...and yet I'm still not convinced: one trick ponies and all...
So how about Bill Hamid, the kid of the hour? About the only nit I have to pick with him was how much he stuck to his line. Still, it's hard to fault a kid in his first professional start for that, isn't it? Mostly I was impressed with how confident his takes were when he did come for the ball. He didn't control much of it, but the areas of the box he got to, he dominated. He also showed strong hands to parry an Espinoza drive, fantastic reflexes to keep Jewsbury out from close range, and made himself big to block an early chance (though he really should have come and cut out the chance earlier...again—nits. I can't imagine him stealing the job permanently, but Perkins will be rightly worried.
And let's pause a moment for our timeless Bolivians, shall we? There were so many little things that Pena did to impress me, mostly through positioning and anticipation. He cut out a number of balls or managed to check attackers' runs, putting out fires before the sparks even started to fly. Of course, he was clearly gassed by the 75th minute (though it took Onalfo 10 minutes to get him off after that), but I'm willing to chalk up some less than stellar early outings to coming back from injury too early because we just didn't have any options. And speaking of options, Jaime Moreno proved that he's a terrific option coming off the bench, but then, we all knew that was always going to be where he excelled this year, right?
So what caused all the worry?
Let's begin with possession and chances created. True to what we've been hearing early in the week on the Goffblog, United's play was more about hoofing and hustle than style. Sadly, despite trying to make ourselves hard to play through, we were still conceding good chances to a KC attack that's been pretty stale of late (and playing without Arnaud, and with Kamara coming off the bench). In fact, where luck has sometimes abandoned us this season, tonight it abandoned the Wiz, who could so easily have had a couple of early goals themselves. And though some recognition has to be given to the fact that our pressure and energy led to chances, our play in possession created very little.
Can I ask a question? Just how much are you pining for Namoff? The positional play of our fullbacks is terrible with a capital "T." They're athletic, yes. And both are good with the ball at their feet going forward. But ask them to pass and it's either a Fred-like turnover (Graye) or a hopeless hoof (Wallace). And how about getting caught out of position? The number of times Graye bombed forward and then jogged back boggled the mind. That's not such a big deal if you have somebody like Quaranta covering. But Khumalo or Castillo? Get on your bike, son! Actually, those starting wingers have to absorb some of the blame in that they left the fullbacks high and dry without ever managing to create the consistent offensive threat that would justify their defensive laxity. United are hugely fortunate that the KC wide men couldn't exploit the time and space afforded to them. Sheesh, I almost miss Burch. Almost.
And finally...I understand that 0-5 means it's time for Plan B (the "B" stands for Brit-Ball!), and I have no problem with that as a temporary solution. Desperate times call for ugly and conservative measures. But if we're going to approach anywhere near respectability this season, we need to improve our transition from defense to attack. True, there were too many fouls, too few good chances, and Onalfo not yanking Castillo when he was clearly playing frustrated had me pulling my hair out. But my biggest problem was that I wouldn't have needed a second hand to count the number of coherent passages of play that saw us move the ball from defense through midfield and into attack. It got slightly better, of course, when Moreno came on, and beggars can't be choosers and all...but holy amateur hour, Batman!
Frankly, even with as little as KC were offering, I'm a little shocked that we didn't blow this one. The signs were all there, and they're worrying signs indeed. There have been excuses, some even marginally believable, that the big problem is that we weren't burying chances when we were carrying the play, leading to the inevitable late scalping by the opposition. But what I saw in this match was that, even with a couple of early chances taken, we're still wide open for that late scalping. Sure, it might result in draws instead of losses, but there's a fundamental problem there that needs to be addressed. Is it conditioning? A failure of concentration and motivation? Personnel?
One thing's sadly for certain: the problems go much, much deeper than player acquisition.
Rawk the Vote!
Jaime's chip is up for goal of the week, and it genuinely deserves to win even accounting for homer bias. I don't think you're likelier to find a more pedestrian set of contenders for GOTW, so go now, internet minions, and do your damage.
Oh, and thank Jeebus that we don't have a Seattle goal in there or who knows what terrors in ballot box stuffing we might witness.
Oh, and thank Jeebus that we don't have a Seattle goal in there or who knows what terrors in ballot box stuffing we might witness.
United Match Reaction | Jaime's Master Class
United have shown over the last three weeks that they can come back in a variety of styles. With heart and grit? See the draw against the Revs. With persistence and a touch of fortune? See last week's win over New York. And now we've seen it done with skill, as the Godfather of Goals, Jaime Moreno, adds two more to his league-best goal tally to lead the way in a 2-1 victory over Dallas.
Talking Points? Sure, I have a few.
* Jaime's second was class all around. And while it was great to see him score the delicate chip, it warmed the cockles of my cynical old heart to watch Gomez slot the ball through for Jaime to finish. In fact, much of what Christian did tonight coming off the bench was promising. Holding the ball, prompting the attack, even hitting a swerving missile from distance. All were reminiscent of the Gomez we used to know. Before I close off my gushing over the old fogies, can I have a moment to consider that break in the first half when Jaime's patience almost paid off with the opener? That is the Moreno that I love to watch and have loved watching lo these many years. Obvious choice for Man of the Match.
* Emilio, on the other hand, didn't exactly justify his DP dollars tonight. He had two golden opportunities, a one-on-one with Burse and a point-blank header. Neither of which were finished. And finishing is what we pay him the DP bucks for. Those are the goals we need to kill off games that the opposition has no right still being in as we come down the final stretch. Still, he worked hard, often being left on his own up top as Jaime dropped deep. And that counts for something, I suppose. The question becomes: if this is indeed the start of another frigid streak from Emilio, do we have the depth in attack this year to overcome it?
* Count Burchula? Despite United's early domination, van den Bergh was getting in some dangerous crosses, really the only chances that Dallas had in the early going. Fortunately, they all seemed to find the head of Dax McCarty, who promptly wasted them. Still, how in the hell does Dax freakin' McCarty, who might be his listed 5'9" if he Robert Smiths his hair, and isn't blessed with a massive vertical either, beat the 6'1" and infinitely more solidly framed Burch in the air? Any counterpoint, Comrade Shatz? ;-)
* Mirror image? Did anybody else start to get a sinking feeling that we were about to see last week in reverse? Dallas kept dumping balls in the box and we were scrambling mightily to keep them out. Despite our struggles at the end, I was a little more pleased with the way we kept putting on pressure after we took the lead. Similarly, I like Soehn's aggressiveness in bringing on the more attack-minded Gomez for Olsen when the latter ran out of gas. So do we then forgive him for pulling off both of his starting forwards in defense of the lead? Probably, considering their age, expenditure of energy, and the fact that we still had two capable forwards (Pontius and Quaranta) on the field. The assassin's instinct to finish off matches still isn't there, but at least we're getting results.
Quick Hits? Why not?
* Namoff, King of Assists? For the second week running, a Namoff ball over the top leads to a goal. In fact, there was another pass he sent through that really should have been pinged on frame.
* Learning Experience. In his first few games, Rodney Wallace didn't close down well enough on the wings. He seems to have worked that out, primarily by hacking down opponents. Now he's got to work on defending corners, because he needs to challenge Rocha more on Dallas' goal.
* Punch Drunk? Seems like Kocic never met a corner...or a cross...or a ball lobbed into the box, that he didn't want to punch. Dude, you're 6'4" and 200 lbs! Go claim that ball!
* And One to Grow On. Jakovic is growing into his role every week. His calm on the ball, positional sense, and aerial ability have been one of the surprising highlights of the young season.
As I write this, the whistle just blew on Chicago's draw with Seattle, meaning that DC United will end the weekend atop the Eastern Conference. Sure, we're only ahead of TFC by virtue of goal difference, but come on! Who would have thought that we'd be atop the conference nearly a quarter of the way into the season?
Now comes a testing stretch of games. DC has demonstrated a surprising amount of quality depth thus far, dealing with an early season injury crisis and discovering that, for once, our draft may just have paid off. We have weapons. The defense is starting to gel. The bench isn't an empty cupboard. But far be it from me to leap to Bretosian assumptions of our MLS Cup credentials or of having the most depth in the league. There are still too many questions about finishing off games, goalkeeping, and coaching for me to be trotting out the high horse. Still, the fact that I'm anywhere near the stable at this point is a pleasant surprise. And that's something, isn't it?
Vamos United!
Talking Points? Sure, I have a few.
* Jaime's second was class all around. And while it was great to see him score the delicate chip, it warmed the cockles of my cynical old heart to watch Gomez slot the ball through for Jaime to finish. In fact, much of what Christian did tonight coming off the bench was promising. Holding the ball, prompting the attack, even hitting a swerving missile from distance. All were reminiscent of the Gomez we used to know. Before I close off my gushing over the old fogies, can I have a moment to consider that break in the first half when Jaime's patience almost paid off with the opener? That is the Moreno that I love to watch and have loved watching lo these many years. Obvious choice for Man of the Match.
* Emilio, on the other hand, didn't exactly justify his DP dollars tonight. He had two golden opportunities, a one-on-one with Burse and a point-blank header. Neither of which were finished. And finishing is what we pay him the DP bucks for. Those are the goals we need to kill off games that the opposition has no right still being in as we come down the final stretch. Still, he worked hard, often being left on his own up top as Jaime dropped deep. And that counts for something, I suppose. The question becomes: if this is indeed the start of another frigid streak from Emilio, do we have the depth in attack this year to overcome it?
* Count Burchula? Despite United's early domination, van den Bergh was getting in some dangerous crosses, really the only chances that Dallas had in the early going. Fortunately, they all seemed to find the head of Dax McCarty, who promptly wasted them. Still, how in the hell does Dax freakin' McCarty, who might be his listed 5'9" if he Robert Smiths his hair, and isn't blessed with a massive vertical either, beat the 6'1" and infinitely more solidly framed Burch in the air? Any counterpoint, Comrade Shatz? ;-)
* Mirror image? Did anybody else start to get a sinking feeling that we were about to see last week in reverse? Dallas kept dumping balls in the box and we were scrambling mightily to keep them out. Despite our struggles at the end, I was a little more pleased with the way we kept putting on pressure after we took the lead. Similarly, I like Soehn's aggressiveness in bringing on the more attack-minded Gomez for Olsen when the latter ran out of gas. So do we then forgive him for pulling off both of his starting forwards in defense of the lead? Probably, considering their age, expenditure of energy, and the fact that we still had two capable forwards (Pontius and Quaranta) on the field. The assassin's instinct to finish off matches still isn't there, but at least we're getting results.
Quick Hits? Why not?
* Namoff, King of Assists? For the second week running, a Namoff ball over the top leads to a goal. In fact, there was another pass he sent through that really should have been pinged on frame.
* Learning Experience. In his first few games, Rodney Wallace didn't close down well enough on the wings. He seems to have worked that out, primarily by hacking down opponents. Now he's got to work on defending corners, because he needs to challenge Rocha more on Dallas' goal.
* Punch Drunk? Seems like Kocic never met a corner...or a cross...or a ball lobbed into the box, that he didn't want to punch. Dude, you're 6'4" and 200 lbs! Go claim that ball!
* And One to Grow On. Jakovic is growing into his role every week. His calm on the ball, positional sense, and aerial ability have been one of the surprising highlights of the young season.
As I write this, the whistle just blew on Chicago's draw with Seattle, meaning that DC United will end the weekend atop the Eastern Conference. Sure, we're only ahead of TFC by virtue of goal difference, but come on! Who would have thought that we'd be atop the conference nearly a quarter of the way into the season?
Now comes a testing stretch of games. DC has demonstrated a surprising amount of quality depth thus far, dealing with an early season injury crisis and discovering that, for once, our draft may just have paid off. We have weapons. The defense is starting to gel. The bench isn't an empty cupboard. But far be it from me to leap to Bretosian assumptions of our MLS Cup credentials or of having the most depth in the league. There are still too many questions about finishing off games, goalkeeping, and coaching for me to be trotting out the high horse. Still, the fact that I'm anywhere near the stable at this point is a pleasant surprise. And that's something, isn't it?
Vamos United!
Picking Up The Pieces
I've been down for the count with some sort of horrible upper respiratory evil spirit, so I'll just take a quick post here in the interim between FA Cup matches to do a bit of news item housekeeping.
Item #1: 60-90 days revisited?
Nick Sakiewicz, no stranger to screwing the metaphorical pooch with stadium deals, is under threat again, this time with the Philadelphia franchise set to join the league in 2010. Does this endanger not just the stadium but the franchise as well . . ?
Conspiracy!
Let's connect some pretty tenuous dots, shall we? Anybody else thinking about who would benefit from Philadelphia bowing out of the 2010 entry window? How about the boys making all that noise about "if we don't get in for 2010, we're outie 5000?" Yes, the Miami-Barca alliance are huge fans of Reality Bites. Could they also be huge fans of pulling strings in local politics to get their petulant way? Hmmm . . .
Item #2: WRongen strikes again!
So, was it a secret assassin in a bow-tie that ended up driving wunderkind defender Neven Subotic into the arms of Serbia? Some pretty damning stuff from Brent Latham at Yanks Abroad. If true, I think this is more of a indication of the rot at the core of the USSF youth programs, where nobody ever seems to get fired--they just get shifted around in a Perpetual Crap Machine.
Item #3: The Godfather Picks His Team
Jaime Moreno puts together his DC United best XI. The best part for my money? That the man picks himself, with the following explanation:
So what do you think of Jaime's XI? Would you make any changes? Should somebody be held accountable in the US youth setup? Will Barca-Miami slip in the door that Philadelphia is leaving cracked open for them?
Item #1: 60-90 days revisited?
Nick Sakiewicz, no stranger to screwing the metaphorical pooch with stadium deals, is under threat again, this time with the Philadelphia franchise set to join the league in 2010. Does this endanger not just the stadium but the franchise as well . . ?
Conspiracy!
Let's connect some pretty tenuous dots, shall we? Anybody else thinking about who would benefit from Philadelphia bowing out of the 2010 entry window? How about the boys making all that noise about "if we don't get in for 2010, we're outie 5000?" Yes, the Miami-Barca alliance are huge fans of Reality Bites. Could they also be huge fans of pulling strings in local politics to get their petulant way? Hmmm . . .
Item #2: WRongen strikes again!
So, was it a secret assassin in a bow-tie that ended up driving wunderkind defender Neven Subotic into the arms of Serbia? Some pretty damning stuff from Brent Latham at Yanks Abroad. If true, I think this is more of a indication of the rot at the core of the USSF youth programs, where nobody ever seems to get fired--they just get shifted around in a Perpetual Crap Machine.
Item #3: The Godfather Picks His Team
Jaime Moreno puts together his DC United best XI. The best part for my money? That the man picks himself, with the following explanation:
Everything is good about me!Yes it is, Jaime. Yes it is. Taking a look at his list, you'd have to do some positional finagling. If you go four at the back, who plays on the right? Who plays on the left side of midfield, Olsen or Stewart?
So what do you think of Jaime's XI? Would you make any changes? Should somebody be held accountable in the US youth setup? Will Barca-Miami slip in the door that Philadelphia is leaving cracked open for them?
DC United Reaction - Soehn's Not Afraid
Well that was certainly more like it, though I was beginning to get worried that we weren't going to finish anything from the run of play. Can we all just wipe the sweat from our collective brows and allow the shakes to subside just a bit? It's all going to be okay, right? Ummm, right? Hey, wait a minute! You can't be serious man. We put down another 4-1 thumping at home and you're still not satisfied? You suck! I'm outta here. Catch you later when you sober up . . .
. . .
Phew! Glad that guy's gone. Now, let's get down to business and do the usual post-game rounds . . .
* Jaime Moreno is class. And ice-cold to boot. Okay, I can see that little chip PK when we're up a goal, maybe two goals. But at nil-nil with the team's confidence low and the boys desperate to get on the board? Christ, what a pair the man has! Beyond the penalties, Moreno was in fine form, holding the ball, spraying it about, running at defenders, and even getting back on defense a few times. A real captain's performance to lead United to victory.
* So is the year-long 4-4-2 experiment now dead and buried? Soehn/Nowak were pretty wedded to three at the back for a couple of years, and it certainly looked pretty decent today for a window between the opening stages and the middle of the second half. I'll forgive the beginning of the match because the team was low on confidence, were probably focusing on not losing any cheap goals early, and needed to work themselves into a passing rhythm. But in the latter stages of the game, we saw why the 3-5-2 will not always be the answer. When we're up against a cautious or defensive side (or one with little wide threat), three at the back works for us. But when RSL started to push men forward late and get balls out wide attackers in forward positions, the three were pulled apart, leading to chances from those wide attackers or from midfielders bursting through the exposed middle. Not good. It'll be interesting to see where Tommy goes from here because . . .
* Soehn's not afraid to pull the trigger on changes. He made the formation change to get Gallardo into the attack more, which certainly paid off. At times on the break in the second portion of the first half, we were starting to look like our old selves again. And Gallardo proved that he's more than just a set-up man with some wicked shots, including the Goal of the Week candidate that he rocketed past Rimando. Soehn also wasn't afraid to make a first half substitution when he saw something he didn't like. Did he pull Stratford because, measure for measure, the Bard wasn't stacking up, or did bringing on the slightly more defensive Burch for Fred give license to insert a more attacking central mid? Or did Tommy just want to go for the jugular? I'm going to go with a combination of #1 (we were dragging Stratford like a broken leg) and #3 (and more power to you, Tommy, for having the killer instinct).
* Tino and Burch were doing good things in the wide areas. Particularly Tino, who was looking to attack his defender and get shots off, something that's been missing from our wide play. Both of those performances are very good news as it means that we've got some selection headaches to worry about--in a good way of course. I think Tino leapfrogged the injured McTavish for the right wing spot, which drops McTavish back to utility man status where he can push multiple players for their starting spots. And Burch was effective enough to worry Fred (here's hoping his injury isn't too bad). I'd almost be tempted to pull Gallardo back beside Simms and let Fred link the midfield and forward lines, but Gallardo was too good in that attacking midfield spot, and I don't think Fred values the ball enough. Compare that to Gallardo, who not only picked up the ball and ran with it, but also knew when to hold it up and look for teammates or hit the long cross-field ball. Good God, if only Olsen were healthy so we could slot him in beside Simms. Alas, but wishing won't make it so!
* Emilio is still in the doldrums. Which makes sticking four in the net all the more impressive, but has to remain a worry. If the rest of the offense can continue to produce, it won't be a problem, as defenses will have to pay attention to our other weapons and Emilio will finally get the space and the chances to overcome the funk and start producing. The question is: how long to you give him to beat the funk before you give somebody else a go? I'm not that concerned about running Doe out there too quickly (though having speed up top would be a novelty), but I wonder what Niell would be able to do if he weren't paired with Emilio? Just food for thought.
* The wobbles at the back continue. I was never terribly confident in Perkins, but Wells has me even more nervous. He doesn't seem to come for the ball nearly as much as I would like, and his communication with his defenders seems to be borderline atrocious. Sure you can blame his high-school Spanish when it comes to Los Gonzalos, but there were times when Simms, Stratford, and Namoff sure could've used a shout. And despite a much improved performance over his last two outings, Peralta still had moments that worried me a bit. That said, we were reasonably solid until they started pouring on the attack in the latter stages.
* Losing the Ben Cup sure is a bitter pill to swallow. I'm sure the team is just absolutely in tatters at not being able to lift the cup this year--I know that it was pretty high up the priority list for this season's goals. Ah well, I'm sure our missing Ben [Olsen] would've been able to pry the cup lose from the evil grasping claws of the Royal Minions. Next year boys, there's always next year.
Well, I guess that's about it. A great result for United that takes the pressure off a bit, but I'm still not entirely convinced that we're out of the tunnel yet. There were too many questionable moments at the back and miscommunication that had the red warning lights flashing all over the place. Emilio is a shadow of his former self right now, and I'm not sure if we've quite figured out what tactics are going to work best for us in the long run. But it is a long season, and we've got a few months yet to really get things rolling before we hit the tournament pile-up in the summer. So let's all raise a glass to better days ahead and a steady climb up from the foot of the table. Vamos United!
. . .
Phew! Glad that guy's gone. Now, let's get down to business and do the usual post-game rounds . . .
* Jaime Moreno is class. And ice-cold to boot. Okay, I can see that little chip PK when we're up a goal, maybe two goals. But at nil-nil with the team's confidence low and the boys desperate to get on the board? Christ, what a pair the man has! Beyond the penalties, Moreno was in fine form, holding the ball, spraying it about, running at defenders, and even getting back on defense a few times. A real captain's performance to lead United to victory.
* So is the year-long 4-4-2 experiment now dead and buried? Soehn/Nowak were pretty wedded to three at the back for a couple of years, and it certainly looked pretty decent today for a window between the opening stages and the middle of the second half. I'll forgive the beginning of the match because the team was low on confidence, were probably focusing on not losing any cheap goals early, and needed to work themselves into a passing rhythm. But in the latter stages of the game, we saw why the 3-5-2 will not always be the answer. When we're up against a cautious or defensive side (or one with little wide threat), three at the back works for us. But when RSL started to push men forward late and get balls out wide attackers in forward positions, the three were pulled apart, leading to chances from those wide attackers or from midfielders bursting through the exposed middle. Not good. It'll be interesting to see where Tommy goes from here because . . .
* Soehn's not afraid to pull the trigger on changes. He made the formation change to get Gallardo into the attack more, which certainly paid off. At times on the break in the second portion of the first half, we were starting to look like our old selves again. And Gallardo proved that he's more than just a set-up man with some wicked shots, including the Goal of the Week candidate that he rocketed past Rimando. Soehn also wasn't afraid to make a first half substitution when he saw something he didn't like. Did he pull Stratford because, measure for measure, the Bard wasn't stacking up, or did bringing on the slightly more defensive Burch for Fred give license to insert a more attacking central mid? Or did Tommy just want to go for the jugular? I'm going to go with a combination of #1 (we were dragging Stratford like a broken leg) and #3 (and more power to you, Tommy, for having the killer instinct).
* Tino and Burch were doing good things in the wide areas. Particularly Tino, who was looking to attack his defender and get shots off, something that's been missing from our wide play. Both of those performances are very good news as it means that we've got some selection headaches to worry about--in a good way of course. I think Tino leapfrogged the injured McTavish for the right wing spot, which drops McTavish back to utility man status where he can push multiple players for their starting spots. And Burch was effective enough to worry Fred (here's hoping his injury isn't too bad). I'd almost be tempted to pull Gallardo back beside Simms and let Fred link the midfield and forward lines, but Gallardo was too good in that attacking midfield spot, and I don't think Fred values the ball enough. Compare that to Gallardo, who not only picked up the ball and ran with it, but also knew when to hold it up and look for teammates or hit the long cross-field ball. Good God, if only Olsen were healthy so we could slot him in beside Simms. Alas, but wishing won't make it so!
* Emilio is still in the doldrums. Which makes sticking four in the net all the more impressive, but has to remain a worry. If the rest of the offense can continue to produce, it won't be a problem, as defenses will have to pay attention to our other weapons and Emilio will finally get the space and the chances to overcome the funk and start producing. The question is: how long to you give him to beat the funk before you give somebody else a go? I'm not that concerned about running Doe out there too quickly (though having speed up top would be a novelty), but I wonder what Niell would be able to do if he weren't paired with Emilio? Just food for thought.
* The wobbles at the back continue. I was never terribly confident in Perkins, but Wells has me even more nervous. He doesn't seem to come for the ball nearly as much as I would like, and his communication with his defenders seems to be borderline atrocious. Sure you can blame his high-school Spanish when it comes to Los Gonzalos, but there were times when Simms, Stratford, and Namoff sure could've used a shout. And despite a much improved performance over his last two outings, Peralta still had moments that worried me a bit. That said, we were reasonably solid until they started pouring on the attack in the latter stages.
* Losing the Ben Cup sure is a bitter pill to swallow. I'm sure the team is just absolutely in tatters at not being able to lift the cup this year--I know that it was pretty high up the priority list for this season's goals. Ah well, I'm sure our missing Ben [Olsen] would've been able to pry the cup lose from the evil grasping claws of the Royal Minions. Next year boys, there's always next year.
Well, I guess that's about it. A great result for United that takes the pressure off a bit, but I'm still not entirely convinced that we're out of the tunnel yet. There were too many questionable moments at the back and miscommunication that had the red warning lights flashing all over the place. Emilio is a shadow of his former self right now, and I'm not sure if we've quite figured out what tactics are going to work best for us in the long run. But it is a long season, and we've got a few months yet to really get things rolling before we hit the tournament pile-up in the summer. So let's all raise a glass to better days ahead and a steady climb up from the foot of the table. Vamos United!
Tickle v. Tackle 25
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Sheffield Wednesday come from behind again to dispatch Blackpool 2-1 and crawl out of the Fizzy Soda Pop League drop zone. Just a bit more consistency should see the Owls move into the relative comfort of midtable, though it sure would be nice to be challenging for something other than safety from relagation--again . . . In other 2-1 come from behind home wins--Freddy strikes again, netting a late winner after coming on as a sub for 10-man Benfica, continuing to state his case for regular inclusion for both club and country . . . But he's nowhere near as indespensible as Cesc Fabregas is to Arsenal. The kid is flat out fantastic. It's hard to believe that he's still just 20 and constantly adding new facets to his game. It's also quite a good thing that Lehmann is no longer in the Arsenal net, as I love watching the Gunners play, but Jens makes me physically ill with his play-acting and whining . . . Ah, ye gods, as if I needed coffee coming out of my nose this badly. Thank you, thank you, Hudsonia for gift of Ray. Truly the gift that keeps on giving till it hurts. Magic, bloody magic indeed . . . And look who else is getting all fired up. Jaime isn't pulling any punches when it comes to the massed ranks of punditry and the negative, negative Fire.Tackle
Big Red to stay? Word around the ever-reliable web has Lalas still clinging to his job in LA. How? Why? If I'm Yallop, I'm bolting for greener pastures, even if they decide to try and keep me. Do you know the way to San Jose? . . . This week wasn't a particularly strong one for referees around the world, though that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. My Sunday revolved around Milan-Roma and Liverpool-Arsenal, and both matches were marred by officials intent on spoiling the futbol party . . . While we're at it, anybody think that Liverpool's Jamie Carragher is sending a portion of his paycheck the way of the referees? That makes it two weeks in a row that he's dragged down an oppenent in the box at a critical point in the match, only to have the man with the whistle ignore the infraction. To be fair, the affair in the derby last week was a much more egregious example of the Greco-Roman stuff than this weeks "handling" of Fabregas.
Tickle v. Tackle 23
What's hot and what's not in the wide world of futbol. At least from this fan's admittedly warped perspective . . .
Thank you, Clavi-holes! The 10-man Rapids find a late winner to shock the Monkey . . . sorry, the Goats, in the Toolbox, thereby handing DC United their second consecutive Supporters' Shield. What d'ya know! Clavijo finally won something in MLS . . . for somebody else. Winners . . . winners . . . how 'bout Michael Bradley getting the winner against the Swiss after Szetela dumped a great cross into the box? Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick--the US is absolutely stocked full of young, talented, athletic central midfielders. Which is great and all, but I've got one question--where are all the forwards? Hello? Hello, anybody there? Speaking of deserted--Chelsea are singing the blues and crumbling like an over-priced jalopy. Terry and Cole are the latest to join the Stamford Bridge M.A.S.H. unit while Drogba is looking to get the hell out--and apparently has been for some time. Tee Hee! If you thought watching the real thing unfold was fun, imagine the mismanagement horrors you could wreak upon the Blues in Football Manager 2008 (or Worldwide Soccer Manager, or whatever the good folks at SI are calling your local variant). Go get the demo and be prepared to part with your $30 at Amazon.com! Hmm, wonder if I should look into affiliate links?
Jaime went away to serve Bolivia whilst MLS blissfully played through the international fixture date. And for what? To play an hour in a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Uruguay and ride the pine in a nil-nil home to Colombia. Fortunately, Goff reports that Bolivia won't call him up If we make it to the MLS Cup Final, which happens to conflict with the next round of South American qualifiers. Thanks for the quality scheduling, MLS! Speaking of thanks being owed, how about Yallop and company sending Cheatin' Bob some spare Spice Girls CD's for pulling Edu out of the TFC midfield to serve with the Nats? The Edu-less TFC succumbed to the frightening might of the rampant Beckspiracy as it continued to trash downtown Tokyo--or something to that effect. Oh yeah, while we're on the subject of downtown--2010 for a stadium in the District? Really? Let's just say I'm not holding my breath. No sense getting blue, passing out, and freaking out the family, is there?
(Warning--new format ahead for TvT! Do not stop, do not feed the wildlife, and please--for the love of all that you may or may not hold sacred--don't stare directly into the cesspool of soccer-hatred that is ESPN lest the Beckham-Cam rob you of your life, your humanity, and your everlasting soul! Oh, and don't listen to Tommy Smyth either--same effect, possibly worse. You've been warned!)
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Thank you, Clavi-holes! The 10-man Rapids find a late winner to shock the Monkey . . . sorry, the Goats, in the Toolbox, thereby handing DC United their second consecutive Supporters' Shield. What d'ya know! Clavijo finally won something in MLS . . . for somebody else. Winners . . . winners . . . how 'bout Michael Bradley getting the winner against the Swiss after Szetela dumped a great cross into the box? Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick--the US is absolutely stocked full of young, talented, athletic central midfielders. Which is great and all, but I've got one question--where are all the forwards? Hello? Hello, anybody there? Speaking of deserted--Chelsea are singing the blues and crumbling like an over-priced jalopy. Terry and Cole are the latest to join the Stamford Bridge M.A.S.H. unit while Drogba is looking to get the hell out--and apparently has been for some time. Tee Hee! If you thought watching the real thing unfold was fun, imagine the mismanagement horrors you could wreak upon the Blues in Football Manager 2008 (or Worldwide Soccer Manager, or whatever the good folks at SI are calling your local variant). Go get the demo and be prepared to part with your $30 at Amazon.com! Hmm, wonder if I should look into affiliate links?
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Jaime went away to serve Bolivia whilst MLS blissfully played through the international fixture date. And for what? To play an hour in a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Uruguay and ride the pine in a nil-nil home to Colombia. Fortunately, Goff reports that Bolivia won't call him up If we make it to the MLS Cup Final, which happens to conflict with the next round of South American qualifiers. Thanks for the quality scheduling, MLS! Speaking of thanks being owed, how about Yallop and company sending Cheatin' Bob some spare Spice Girls CD's for pulling Edu out of the TFC midfield to serve with the Nats? The Edu-less TFC succumbed to the frightening might of the rampant Beckspiracy as it continued to trash downtown Tokyo--or something to that effect. Oh yeah, while we're on the subject of downtown--2010 for a stadium in the District? Really? Let's just say I'm not holding my breath. No sense getting blue, passing out, and freaking out the family, is there?
So, what's the verdict? Should we stay with this more cohesive, story-like paragraph format, or go back to the bullets for the TvT column? Remember, change is not deadly . . . in most circumstances (Blanco-Cam anybody?)
Tickle v. Tackle 22
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- All signs point to action! How will UEFA react to Dida's shameful behavior following the fan incident in the Milan v. Celtic Champions' League match? As we mentioned last week, he definitely shouldn't quit his day job to get into acting. Tomorrow is the day of reckoning. Will Dida be punished? If he is, will MLS even notice and decide to punish their own SAG-rejects (see: Ruiz, Carlos)?
- Barca is a treat to watch. With so much talent, style, daring, and creativity, they're the anti-Chelsea, if you will--entertainment personified. On top of all that, look at the willingness to get the young blood off of the production line and out there on the pitch for meaningful minutes. Despite Real's current lead in the table and an "effective" style of play that gets results, nowhere is the class of La Liga more in evidence than at the Camp Nou.
- Here comes the youth parade. Bob Bradley calls in the young guns for the Switzerland friendly, with the likes of Edu, Adu, Szetela, Zizzo et al. Bob is certainly running the rule over a wide swath of the player pool prior to the start of World Cup qualifying. Kudos for having the stones, Bob! But hmmm, does Edu's call-up mean that he'll miss out on TFC's match with the Gals this weekend? Beckspiracy!
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- 9 games plus a $10k fine for Rico Clark's attempt to volley Ruiz into next week? But what about the Fish-Kicking merit badge that he so thoroughly deserves? Joking aside, nine games seems a bit harsh, but we'll have to see what Ruiz gets, if anything, for his apparent punch to Clark's back and terrible sense of the parts of his own body. Come on Carlos, we all saw the kick hit your shoulder, what's with the head grabbing? Who do you think you are--Dida?
- How many times does it need to be said - don't drink the water! A little bit of Montezuma's revenge maybe? DC drop two valuable points in KC on their march towards the Supporters' Shield with half the squad suffering the ill effects of a trip to Mexico. Of course, it didn't help that they were "Marufo-ed" on a couple of occasions as well--occasions that were sure to turn the stomach as well.
- Hey, all you grand poobahs at MLS HQ--stop scheduling MLS matches on international dates! United will be missing Jaime Moreno for this weekend's tilt with the Fire, a key match in the race for the Supporters' Shield, due to a call-up to the Bolivian national team. Congrats to Jaime for the resurgence in his international career, but AARRGGHH!!! Will it take Jaime missing the MLS Cup final--in RFK no less--for the nabobs of nightmare scheduling to notice that something is wrong with this picture?
United Recap - The Good 4-2
"I don't know. There wasn't a lot of controversy today. D.C. won."
- classy New England forward Taylor Twellman speaks the truth
"...Kenny had won the ball and was about to move on and Olsen kicked his back leg. It was clear as day, but the ref moved on."
- punk-ass Revolution thug...sorry - defender - Jay Heaps (of Manure) making excuses as usual
Just a few things that stuck to my admittedly well-lubricated brain yesterday:
- Run, Run, Run. It was oh-so good to see Josh Gros back hurtling up and down the wings. Depth is never a bad thing and after his injury scare, it's great to have him back for a run at the title(s). Too bad he couldn't shake the rust off to replicate his Rev-killing of a few weeks ago when that early New England snafu in the box presented him with a chance.
- Weakened "D"? Is it just a matter of facing two of the top four in the past week or is the defense finally starting to show some frailty after a month or so of dominating, stingy play? Before the two goals we allowed to Chivas, it had been a good while since we'd conceded from the run of play. Hopefully, two games in a row shipping two goals is not a trend that continues.
- Simms City! Clyde Simms has been massive in the defensive midfield during United's run to the top of the table. Despite Brian "The Argyle Assassin" Carroll's late run and assist, he's just not as tough as Simms, nor can he cover the same amount of ground or be as effective in the air. And while Beninho is plenty tough, he's similarly limited when it comes to the aerial game and covering big patches of turf in the middle. Simms is giving the likes of Fred, Olsen, Gros, and Gomez the freedom to get forward more often in the attack.
- Bombs Away! The Bearded Bombardier strikes again. Despite squandering a big chance after coming off the bench, Olsen gets behind the New England back line to set up the go-ahead goal and continue his unlikely campaign for MLS MVP.
- Jaime, Jaime, Jaime, Jaime - Jaime Mo-re-eh-no! Was it just my ears playing tricks or did I hear Jaime's name being chanted to the Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"? If not, why not? Sometimes Jaime's composure on the ball results in frustration and loss of possession/chances, but other times it just proves his obvious class. What kind of ice do you have to have in your veins to just dance around a bit and chip it over the keeper and into net from a couple yards out when just about anybody else would have gone for the hammer-strike?
- Keep feeding the Goal Machine. Emiligol is really racking them up on his way to a potential Golden Boot. I thought 15-20 would be an excellent haul for his first MLS season, but Luci seems intent on breaking the 20 barrier. More power to the man!
Tickle v. Tackle 16
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- Jaime finally nets #109. Appropriately it's on a penalty. Hopefully we don't have to wait to few months more (or for the next pen, whichever comes first) for #110.
- Deep and dangerous. That's what Liverpool are looking. They ran out the B team against Toulouse in the Champions' League qualifier and thumped the French side 4-0. They were nice to watch as well, with some lovely passing, moments of individual skill, and loads of determination. I'll be hugely surprised if Pennant keeps Benayoun out of this side with any regularly.
- My EPL fantasy side had a great week. Too bad I thought it was going to be better because I forgot that I ditched Fabregas. Ugh.
- MLS is going down to the wire. The race for the Supporters' Shield is on, and any of 4-5 sides have a realistic chance of taking the crown. Down at the middle of the table, the battle for playoff spots is heating up as well as the Crew have been sucked into the morass with KC and Red Bull likely to follow.
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- Poor Frank Yallop. The dude looks miserable on the LA bench. He's a quality coach and it just sucks that he's saddled with Alexi "The Franchise Destroyer" Lalas. The sooner he gets out of that burning zeppelin ("Oh, the Beck-hamity!") and on his way to San Jose's expansion team, the better.
- Not so SuperLiga! Holy freakin' crap! They're capping attendance at 12.5k for an international cup final to ease parking problems at the school? Just hold the damn game at the Rose Bowl! So much for the joy that has been SuperLiga. Makes you think they should revoke the Galaxy's victory over DC in the semis on principle and stage the final in RFK with a team that might give Pachuca a bit of a run for their money. Question is - can we take this as an admission that Becks is out of this game? Of course, all blame must fall squarely on the shoulders of Alexi "The Fledgeling International Tournament Destroyer" Lalas.
- Down, down, down we go! Wednesday are the only team in the Fizzy Soda Pop League without a damn point. But hey, at least we can beat League One sides (at least we can at home, in extra time, in our own house), so things look good for next year. Blech! I blame Alexi "I'm so awful I can destroy second division English sides that I'm not even tangentially related too, except maybe that I played with John Harkes" Lalas.
- My eyes! My eyes! Looks like French cooking has gotten to Platini. And why does Blatter get the armband? Since when has he been an effective and inspiring leader? Looks a bit like Ronaldo in that number 9 though :-) Of course, blame must, as always, fall on Alexi "But old men in tight shirts are my bag, baby" Lalas.
United Recap - Short and Sweet
I'm a bit pressed for time at the moment, and as I'm running about a lap shy of the rest of the futbol blogiverse, I'll make this the condensed, quickfire highlights version of the match recap for United's 3-1 victory over the Metrotards. To whit:
- Ben Olsen - Metrobull Slayer - Can Beninho honestly do any more to endear himself to United fans? 11 of 26 MLS goals against the Franchise From the Swamp? Are you kidding me? See, there are things that players do to cement their positions as fan-favorites. And then there's Benny. He's in his own stadium, playing by his own set of rules in a universe of his own making. Unreal.
- Everybody hold hands and pray for Emiligol's hammy. If this turns into one of those niggling hammy strains that plague a player for 2-3 months, you can wave bye-bye to the Supporter's Shield, and probably MLS Cup as well.
- Little help anybody? While we're on the subject of Emiligol - it sure was nice to bang in 3 without Emilio getting one of them. True, he drew the pen, but three different scorers and none were Emilio. That's the kind of spreading it about that we're going to need if we're to mount a serious challenge. Gomito and Moreno getting their first for a while was nice to see as well - long may it continue.
- Congrats #1 on the 109 to number 99. Related to the previous point - it was good to see Jaime finally get to 109. Now he's got to keep banging them in with semi-regularity, particularly if he wants to hang on to the top spot as Ante Razov is only a handful behind him and closing fast.
- Congrats #2 on making the 18 to number 4. Marc Burch gets the senior roster spot that he's really earned in the last month or so. That means we won't be making any DP signings this season, but Burch has gone a long way to clearing up the messiness at left back. Now, let's put that little flub last night behind us and look forward to the rest of the season, shall we?
- Simms for the win. Brian Carroll is now a late game sub at a position he's good at, playing as one of two holding mids when we need to kill a game off. Simms has staked a claim to the starting d-mid spot and I don't think Carroll the Elder is going to be able to mount much of a challenge.
United Recap - Emiligol Strikes Back!
This one wasn't looking pretty before kickoff. With Fred injured and Gomez and Moreno ailing, the keys were handed to Rodion Sergeyevich Dyachenko. Now, pardon the tangent here, but I do have a science background and I'm pretty familiar with relativistic physics and bodies in motion and whatnot, so can someone explain how putting Dyachenko in midfield instead of up top not only makes him about 800 times better, but also makes him physically faster? Is it a trick of the light? I guess turning him to face goal rather than forcing him to play with his back to it makes all the difference as his one-touch passing was slick and accurate, he ran with the ball effectively, and generally looked much more deserving of the first round pick we dealt to Mad Mo and his scheming Canucks to get him back.
Even so, United will be indebted to Khano Smith, whose "school of Gros" crossing all but eliminated New England's early chances. That left the door open for Matt Reis to have the first brainfart of the evening, inexplicably leaving the ball on a platter for the aforementioned be-casted, en-headgeared one to pounce. Gros poked the ball into the net to general confusion on the pitch and much gnashing of teeth from the Revolution netminder. Could he have been under the spell of the headgear, taking its sweet revenge for the cue-ball keeper's mauling of poor Alecko Eskandarian a few years ago?
And why was Gros in such an advanced position? Quite simply, Marc Burch has saved us from the pain of watching Gros commit cardinal sin after cardinal sin on the back line. The former Terp transitioned seamlessly from his excellent play in SuperLiga back to the rough and tumble world of MLS. The whole back four in general looked pretty good, excepting a bit of trouble on set pieces and late on when the Revs were throwing everybody forward. The return of Namoff may be a significant turning point in United's season, and McTavish should probably be collecting some sort of award for critical shots blocked. Also returning was Guy Kpene, who looked to be getting back to the sort of play that had me, and many others, so excited in the early stages of the season. His skill on the ball and sweet through ball to Emiligol for United's second was good to see.
Speaking of Emiligol, I did call him out a bit after the less than lethal performances he's been turning in lately, and in the early minutes, he dallied on a ball too long when presented a chance in the box and I was in "oh crap, here we go again" territory. But the man stood up to be counted, twice finishing sweet "dagger balls" to bump his MLS total to 12 and reclaiming his assassin's bandolier from the coat-check girl.
While I don't think it's fair to say that United dominated the match, both teams having been blessed with good stretches of play, they looked hungry and determined, pressing high and looking to attack, which isn't something that you could generally say about their road performances thus far this season. But is this a turning point? Bitch-slapping the leaders of the East in their own house and hanging three on them is a good start, but the key will be consistency. Moreno's injury status will be a concern, though improved performances from the younger players will mitigate that and allow the Bolivian to pace himself and go into the post-season strong and healthy, something we didn't see much of in the Nowak era. Dyachenko's solid performance, combined with our acquisition of Fred, means that we could even see Gomez rested a bit, rather than running him into the ground by late August. Now I'm off to see if Lord Beckham makes an appearance north of the border. I'll be in full scouting mode as our next two games will be against Cirque du LA.
Even so, United will be indebted to Khano Smith, whose "school of Gros" crossing all but eliminated New England's early chances. That left the door open for Matt Reis to have the first brainfart of the evening, inexplicably leaving the ball on a platter for the aforementioned be-casted, en-headgeared one to pounce. Gros poked the ball into the net to general confusion on the pitch and much gnashing of teeth from the Revolution netminder. Could he have been under the spell of the headgear, taking its sweet revenge for the cue-ball keeper's mauling of poor Alecko Eskandarian a few years ago?
And why was Gros in such an advanced position? Quite simply, Marc Burch has saved us from the pain of watching Gros commit cardinal sin after cardinal sin on the back line. The former Terp transitioned seamlessly from his excellent play in SuperLiga back to the rough and tumble world of MLS. The whole back four in general looked pretty good, excepting a bit of trouble on set pieces and late on when the Revs were throwing everybody forward. The return of Namoff may be a significant turning point in United's season, and McTavish should probably be collecting some sort of award for critical shots blocked. Also returning was Guy Kpene, who looked to be getting back to the sort of play that had me, and many others, so excited in the early stages of the season. His skill on the ball and sweet through ball to Emiligol for United's second was good to see.
Speaking of Emiligol, I did call him out a bit after the less than lethal performances he's been turning in lately, and in the early minutes, he dallied on a ball too long when presented a chance in the box and I was in "oh crap, here we go again" territory. But the man stood up to be counted, twice finishing sweet "dagger balls" to bump his MLS total to 12 and reclaiming his assassin's bandolier from the coat-check girl.
While I don't think it's fair to say that United dominated the match, both teams having been blessed with good stretches of play, they looked hungry and determined, pressing high and looking to attack, which isn't something that you could generally say about their road performances thus far this season. But is this a turning point? Bitch-slapping the leaders of the East in their own house and hanging three on them is a good start, but the key will be consistency. Moreno's injury status will be a concern, though improved performances from the younger players will mitigate that and allow the Bolivian to pace himself and go into the post-season strong and healthy, something we didn't see much of in the Nowak era. Dyachenko's solid performance, combined with our acquisition of Fred, means that we could even see Gomez rested a bit, rather than running him into the ground by late August. Now I'm off to see if Lord Beckham makes an appearance north of the border. I'll be in full scouting mode as our next two games will be against Cirque du LA.
United Recap - Damn that "Brian" Boswell!
Just a few quick hits in and around this one, once again viewed with my one-eyed pirate's glare.
- Holy crap on that sitter "Brian" Boswell! That couldn't have been Bobby cause I heard him saying that he got his groove back, right? Oh well, must have been "Brian" cause I heard the announcer say his name three times. To be fair, the announcer did drop the ball on quite a few occasions (Moreno hasn't played since the Copa? Really, how'd he do his hammy against Dallas then?).
- Ugh, beaten via the Route One express from a keeper's clearance. What a crappy way to go down. The worst part is that if Ngwenya showed the least bit of competence, we would have succumbed twice to the same Brit-ball special.
- How many freakin' chances do we need to get a damn goal? Wiffs, deflections, blocks, missed final balls, holding it just a bit too long. Aarrgghhh! We need an assassin and Emiligol is falling down on the job.
- Gros just has way too many brain farts. You can't fault his effort, but the soccer brain needs a bit of an overhaul and I just don't think he'll ever be able to adapt to playing defense. Maybe he's carrying too many accessories (headgear, wrist wrap)?
- Jaime was looking pretty good in patches. What could we have done in this tournament with a healthy Moreno? Here's hoping that America will spank Morelia tonight and we'll get a chance to find out. If not, let's hope he can carry his recent form (pre-injury) back to MLS and we can get rolling again.
- We had a bit of a run after Jaime came on where it looked like we might get back into it (was that a 3-3-4/3-3-1-3?), but started to sputter and never really looked like dragging one back over the last 10-15 minutes.
- Time to play the waiting game. Come on America, do us a solid!
Tickle v. Tackle 8
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- US U-20's drop six on Poland. Six goals! By a US side in an international competition! And it's not the women! There were some real gems as well - maybe they could teach the senior side a thing or two about finishing?
- Speaking of quality goals, there were some beautiful "bulges in the ol' onion bag" in the Uruguay-Spain match as well. The U-20 tournament that at first looked to be ready to disappoint from a US fan's perspective, is shaping up to be really enjoyable. Too bad ESPN hates soccer and relegates it to ESPN-U, which is in exactly how many households?
- Copa America has seen the return of two United veterans to their respective national teams when both seemed to have passed their sell-by dates for international play. Jaime Moreno, at 33 years young, played better for Bolivia than he has for United this season, netting two goals for a side unfortunate to go out at the group stage. Here's hoping his revival is a sign of things to come for the Black-and-Red. Maybe he just needs to get the #9 shirt back? Similarly, Ben Olsen has looked pretty solid as part of the US midfield, bringing his trademark bite and energy to a young midfield that's a bit shy of grit. That's no surprise to United fans, but his performances may have earned him a supporting role in the qualifying campaign for 2010, when many thought that Germany '06 was his last hurrah with the US Nats. The Bearded One has just crossed the threshold to his 30's and since he has adapted his game to compensate for the speed lost to numerous ankle injuries, he could serve Bob Bradley well for another couple of years at least.
- The expansion of MLS youth sides is proceeding apace and their future role in providing players for the senior squads has been clarified. This is a win-win all around. Better (and more) youth setups across the country will provide more opportunities for youngsters and the connection to the senior squads will improve club (and fan) culture as teams bring in their own "home-grown" players to fill up the roster, rather than plucking kids out of the smorgasbord that is draft day.
Tackle
- Kasey Keller is done for the US. While you could argue the relative merits of Keller vs. Friedel over the past few years (and I like Friedel - if not his accent - in the interests of full disclosure), no one can doubt what Kasey brought to this team for well over a decade of service. But you can see from the Copa America and the Gold Cup that he just doesn't have it anymore. It's time for a new crop of great American keepers. Hahnemann as well maybe only has a few more good years in him, so it's time for the likes of Howard, Cannon, and Reis to answer the bell, and time to start bringing Perkins, Guzan, and the other MLS standouts into the fold.
- Quick, someone stop Alexi before he trades again! To be fair, he probably did get the better of this one, sending Nate Jaqua to the Dynamo for Kelly Gray and a draft pick. Does Kinnear have a thing for reclamation project forwards? First he brings in Ngwenya, who has settled quickly with Houston and is contributing already, now he's going to give it a go with Jaqua. Cirque du LA land one of the more versatile MLS players in Gray, a forward/midfielder in college and a defender/midfielder as a pro. I was really impressed by Gray's play in the Dynamo midfield during the Gold Cup absences of DeRosario and Clark. The only question is - how long will LA hold on to him before the trade trigger finger gets itchy?
- Just when you think Jonathan Bornstein is starting to look good, he goes and gives the game away against Paraguay. Now, the US really should have done better with the chances they had and run away with that game, so picking a single scapeGoat (get it?) is tough on the kid, but Bornstein's howler pretty much dumped the US out of the Copa. Those Paraguay jerseys are pretty similar to Bornstein's Chivas, so maybe he just thought he was playing a teammate in on goal?
- Danny Szetela to Europe? I know he's scored some nice goals in the U-20's, but what else has he done besides being born with a Euro passport? Has he really proven himself at club level? Nope. Does he seem like a bit of a silver spooner who could use a dose of reality by getting thrown in with the professional sharks at a good European side? Yep. Might be a good move for him. Shake him up a bit and show him the kind of effort he needs to make if he wants to be a professional.
- 3 and out in another major tournament for the US. I know this was a "B" side we sent to the Copa America, but they had their chances and didn't take them. I think we've firmly established ourselves as a decent international side. To make the step up from "decent" to "good", we need to find consistent finishers and quickly.
Copa Dope - Poor Bolivia
Despite dominating the match against Peru and a lovely goal from Moreno, the Bolivians, up a man and up a goal with just minutes to go, fall at the final hurdle. Peru's late equalizer cut short the Copa for Bolivia, who would have advanced as the second place team in Group A with the win. Bolivia played some really nice stuff in this tournament, and I'm sorry to see them bow out after being so close. As a United fan however, I'm happy in a miserly sort of way as Jaime has looked good for his national side and I'll be hoping he can carry some of that form back to MLS.
The results in Group A mean that Uruguay have wrapped up one of the top third place finisher spots. We'll know tomorrow whether the US will have any shot at advancing. The best possible result would be wins by Mexico and Brazil, with Mexico crushing Chile. If those results fall out and Mexico beats Chile by three goals, any US win will see them (somewhat miraculously) advance to the knockout stages on goal difference over Chile. So what are the chances that Hugo "rests" his players in an attempt to screw over the US? Not likely, as Sanchez and Mexico are too proud to do such a thing, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
On a side note, what is with the GolTV crews insisting that Bolivia's young striker Arce is 17 years old? I've heard it mentioned numerous times during the Bolivia matches. Finding it remarkable that more ado (pun intended) would not be made in the world futbol media of a 17 year old with the ability to shine at the Copa America, I did a little digging. All of the information I can find points to a birthdate of April 10, 1985. By anybody's math that makes 22. What gives? Fuzzy math at the GolTV studios? Even by Ray Hudson-esque hyperbolizing standards, that's a bit of a stretch.
The results in Group A mean that Uruguay have wrapped up one of the top third place finisher spots. We'll know tomorrow whether the US will have any shot at advancing. The best possible result would be wins by Mexico and Brazil, with Mexico crushing Chile. If those results fall out and Mexico beats Chile by three goals, any US win will see them (somewhat miraculously) advance to the knockout stages on goal difference over Chile. So what are the chances that Hugo "rests" his players in an attempt to screw over the US? Not likely, as Sanchez and Mexico are too proud to do such a thing, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow.
On a side note, what is with the GolTV crews insisting that Bolivia's young striker Arce is 17 years old? I've heard it mentioned numerous times during the Bolivia matches. Finding it remarkable that more ado (pun intended) would not be made in the world futbol media of a 17 year old with the ability to shine at the Copa America, I did a little digging. All of the information I can find points to a birthdate of April 10, 1985. By anybody's math that makes 22. What gives? Fuzzy math at the GolTV studios? Even by Ray Hudson-esque hyperbolizing standards, that's a bit of a stretch.
Copa Dope - Jaime and Some Other Stuff
Jaime looked pretty darn good out there, particularly his burst down the sideline, hurtling Uruguayans until he was felled by Diogo and nearly setting up an equalizer from distance in the late going. Though he may not be well-rested on his return to DC, at least he'll be full of confidence following his contributions to the Bolivian cause. Unfortunately for his nation, but fortunately for his club, he should be on a plane home before the week is out. Uruguay and Venezuela's wins put Bolivia bottom of the group and needing to beat Peru and get some outside help in order to advance. With the way this Copa has been going, I wouldn't put it past them, though at this point it looks unlikely. Combined with an American early exit, United could be back to full strength as early as this Sunday's match against the Dynamo.
Copa Dope - Conspiracy! Partido Dos
OK class. Hands up if you think that La Vinotinto were denied a late penalty because of a vast CIA conspiracy to discredit and embarrass a certain Venezuelan nabob? No, no Hugo, you don't get to vote in this one - we already know what you think. OK, now hands up if you think that Blatter's evil minions were whispering in some ears to throw Bolivia a bone now that they've been banned from playing international matches at altitude?
(crickets)
United captain Jaime Moreno looked pretty good for about 55-60 minutes for Bolivia, forcing an own goal by the Venezuelans and generally doing his best jaguar impression, stalking about the park with the ball and making deft little flicks and dangerous runs. Much like his current performances for United, I felt that he often held the ball too long and overcooked the chances (fair play to Jaime, I thought he'd made one move too many on the goal as well), though he did on occasion look to shoot, and even tried one from outside the box (shock, gasp, the devil you say!).
The player that interested me the most, both as a United fan and a fullback, was Venezuelan left back Jorge Rojas, who probably should have drawn a penalty at the death. The intar-webs tell me that he plays for Colombian side América de Cali, but I wonder if he'd be interested in moving to the US anytime soon? Specifically to the DC area, as I know a certain team that could use a decent left back right about now.
All in all, an interesting match. I thought that Bolivia played some neat stuff, with quick touches and good passing movements, while Venezuela were content to let them play and then hit them hard on the counter with speed and incisive passing. With Peru bitch-slapping Uruguay in the first match, Group A is pretty wide open right now, though I think that both Venezuela and Bolivia will look upon this match as the one in which they needed to get all 3 points in order to advance.
(crickets)
United captain Jaime Moreno looked pretty good for about 55-60 minutes for Bolivia, forcing an own goal by the Venezuelans and generally doing his best jaguar impression, stalking about the park with the ball and making deft little flicks and dangerous runs. Much like his current performances for United, I felt that he often held the ball too long and overcooked the chances (fair play to Jaime, I thought he'd made one move too many on the goal as well), though he did on occasion look to shoot, and even tried one from outside the box (shock, gasp, the devil you say!).
The player that interested me the most, both as a United fan and a fullback, was Venezuelan left back Jorge Rojas, who probably should have drawn a penalty at the death. The intar-webs tell me that he plays for Colombian side América de Cali, but I wonder if he'd be interested in moving to the US anytime soon? Specifically to the DC area, as I know a certain team that could use a decent left back right about now.
All in all, an interesting match. I thought that Bolivia played some neat stuff, with quick touches and good passing movements, while Venezuela were content to let them play and then hit them hard on the counter with speed and incisive passing. With Peru bitch-slapping Uruguay in the first match, Group A is pretty wide open right now, though I think that both Venezuela and Bolivia will look upon this match as the one in which they needed to get all 3 points in order to advance.
United Recap - Same Old Metrostink
I'm just back from a couple of days out of town and loving what my DVR has dished up so far. Heavy storm activity in the area means I'll be having to catch a re-broadcast of the US match as the satellite is pretty intermittent here. In any case, on with some quick impressions of the DC - Metrobulls match.
First, I'd like to send a shoutout to Brian "Poopstains" Hall, who always manages to "fill his pants" (in Hudsonian parlance) when the time comes to make a crucial call. No specifics, but let's just say "less than impressive" for a man who is supposed to be among the best we have here in the States. And while we're on the subject of a load of Bull...
I wonder what Arena was thinking when he started Mathis over Altidore? The kid caused major problems, ejections, scoring chances, whatever - when he finally got on the field. Not that it mattered too terribly much as DC still managed to "win" 2-1 with him on the field. The ejection of Boswell is going to make next week interesting as Soehn will have to reshuffle the deck a bit. Maybe a chance to see Burch or McTavish on the backline?
Three major positives come to mind immediately:
(1) The stars came out
And isn't it about time? Moreno and Gomez, in particular, played head and shoulders above what they have been so far this year. Tracking back on defense, launching the counter, possessing the ball - all the good stuff we've grown used to and it was back with a vengeance. Emilio got in some dangerous positions, put his shots on target, and was finally rewarded with a return to the scoresheet. And yet the real beneficiary of all this starpower was "everyman" grafter (in the British sense!) Ben Olsen, whose efforts were rewarded with a first career hattrick. I'll have to check the tape, but it occurs to me now that it may have been a "natural" - one with the head and one with each foot, but I may be wrong on the second being with the left.
(2) Width, width, width
Finally! United has been generally stagnant in trying to force things up the gut. In this game, they finally started to get wide. It was a bit hard to tell from TV (what little of the game Comcast showed us between head shots, replays, and focusing on players who had just been fouled while the game raged on ahead of them) but it looked like Gomez played deeper and allowed the wide midfielders (Benny and Fred) to push higher and the midfield seemed much more fluid, with players swapping positions and alternating forward runs.
(3) The counter is back!
Oh United counterattack, how we missed thee! Finally, we started to see some decisive, quick play on the counter and Fred really started to play well with the rest of the team. Flair, imagination, technique - all were in full flower and yet...
There were still too many turnovers in midfield and the defense was caught with its virtual pants down a few too many times. If Angel had buried that first chance that fell his way, who knows what the result would have been? Despite some of these lapses, I think Tommy Soehn may have just figured out the formation to make this team tick the way we all imagined it might in the early, frigid days of the pre-season.
First, I'd like to send a shoutout to Brian "Poopstains" Hall, who always manages to "fill his pants" (in Hudsonian parlance) when the time comes to make a crucial call. No specifics, but let's just say "less than impressive" for a man who is supposed to be among the best we have here in the States. And while we're on the subject of a load of Bull...
I wonder what Arena was thinking when he started Mathis over Altidore? The kid caused major problems, ejections, scoring chances, whatever - when he finally got on the field. Not that it mattered too terribly much as DC still managed to "win" 2-1 with him on the field. The ejection of Boswell is going to make next week interesting as Soehn will have to reshuffle the deck a bit. Maybe a chance to see Burch or McTavish on the backline?
Three major positives come to mind immediately:
(1) The stars came out
And isn't it about time? Moreno and Gomez, in particular, played head and shoulders above what they have been so far this year. Tracking back on defense, launching the counter, possessing the ball - all the good stuff we've grown used to and it was back with a vengeance. Emilio got in some dangerous positions, put his shots on target, and was finally rewarded with a return to the scoresheet. And yet the real beneficiary of all this starpower was "everyman" grafter (in the British sense!) Ben Olsen, whose efforts were rewarded with a first career hattrick. I'll have to check the tape, but it occurs to me now that it may have been a "natural" - one with the head and one with each foot, but I may be wrong on the second being with the left.
(2) Width, width, width
Finally! United has been generally stagnant in trying to force things up the gut. In this game, they finally started to get wide. It was a bit hard to tell from TV (what little of the game Comcast showed us between head shots, replays, and focusing on players who had just been fouled while the game raged on ahead of them) but it looked like Gomez played deeper and allowed the wide midfielders (Benny and Fred) to push higher and the midfield seemed much more fluid, with players swapping positions and alternating forward runs.
(3) The counter is back!
Oh United counterattack, how we missed thee! Finally, we started to see some decisive, quick play on the counter and Fred really started to play well with the rest of the team. Flair, imagination, technique - all were in full flower and yet...
There were still too many turnovers in midfield and the defense was caught with its virtual pants down a few too many times. If Angel had buried that first chance that fell his way, who knows what the result would have been? Despite some of these lapses, I think Tommy Soehn may have just figured out the formation to make this team tick the way we all imagined it might in the early, frigid days of the pre-season.
Where Has the Magic Gone?
Back in the dewy morn of the season, United fandom, and BigSoccer in general, were convinced that the Black-and-Red would take the East, if not all of MLS, by storm. By shipping out fan favorite Alecko Eskandarian and bringing in the well-travelled Brazilian hit man Luciano Emilio, the massed ranks of the unwashed punditry began to prophecy a rebirth of the "magic triangle" in the form of Emilio-Moreno-Gomez.
It began with a bang. United's 7-3 aggregate victory in the CONCACAF Champion's Cup over Olimpia of Honduras showed a team that, while rusty, was capable of scoring magnificent goals. Emilio lived up to his billing, putting three goals past his former side in the two matches. On the verge of the semifinal match-up with Chivas, anticipation gave way to unbridled optimism as the club acquired another Brazilian - Fred "No, not-that-Fred" from Melbourne Victory of Australia's A-League.
With the addition of Fred, the prognosticators predicted an expansion to a "magic rhombus" with Emilio at the point, holding up the ball and banging in the goals, Moreno slightly behind making dangerous dribbling runs, and Gomez and Fred buzzing about the attacking midfield, taking on defenders and fashioning chances for the rest of the attack. Despite bowing out 2-3 against Chivas, the team still looked like it would roll into the MLS season and steamroller the opposition.
So, where has the magic gone? Although Emilio started strong, bagging two goals in his first two MLS matches, he's since gone quiet. Moreno looks like age has wrapped him up in cobwebs, slowing down an already patient style to approximately glacial speeds, while Gomez has struggled to influence games with the same élan as in previous years. Fred has only shown glimpses of his quality in fits and bursts.
Recent form suggests that United are starting to fit the pieces together as a trio of 2-1 victories has pushed them up the table and back into the playoff picture, but the manner of the wins is not the awe-inspiring attacking display that many had predicted. Rather, this is a team that is starting to solidify at the back - despite the worrying lack of shutouts - and can typically maintain an edge in possession, but sometimes looks lost in the attacking third.
Of the six goals in the last three games, four have come from set pieces and one of the others resulted from a cross after a throw in. That makes a grand total of one goal from true open play. I suppose a fan could take heart that the last goal of the six was the one that came from open play and it was a pretty goal, with Gomez driving at the defense and dishing to Olsen for the finish.
Another ray of hope has arrived in the surprise package named Guy-Roland Kpene. Picked by United in the third round of the Supplemental Draft (note that it was the Supplemental, not the SuperDraft), the Ivorian is pushing Moreno and Emilio for starting time up top. While he hasn't proven that he can score yet, he has looked good on the ball, making intelligent, quick touches and passes at speed.
That last bit is the part that United has been sorely missing. Throughout the beginning of the season, it seemed that the opposition always had an extra gear that they could switch to that would increase the speed of play and cause United problems at the back. United never seemed to be able to replicate this feat until Kpene got on the field.
So, the magic hasn't arrived, whether it be in the shape of a triangle or a rhombus, and while DC are scoring, they aren't doing it in with the panache that was expected. Whether it be a lack of fluidity in attack, the inability to string passes together at pace in the midfield, an adjustment to a new style of play under Soehn, or simply the poor form of some key players, United should be a more formidable attacking side.
They'll get a chance to demonstrate this tomorrow at the Toolbox when they face a Galaxy side that is struggling massively in the standings and is decimated by injuries, suspensions, and international call-ups. Despite the presence of two of MLS's best in Cannon and Donovan, anything less than three points from this match will be a massive disappointment.
It began with a bang. United's 7-3 aggregate victory in the CONCACAF Champion's Cup over Olimpia of Honduras showed a team that, while rusty, was capable of scoring magnificent goals. Emilio lived up to his billing, putting three goals past his former side in the two matches. On the verge of the semifinal match-up with Chivas, anticipation gave way to unbridled optimism as the club acquired another Brazilian - Fred "No, not-that-Fred" from Melbourne Victory of Australia's A-League.
With the addition of Fred, the prognosticators predicted an expansion to a "magic rhombus" with Emilio at the point, holding up the ball and banging in the goals, Moreno slightly behind making dangerous dribbling runs, and Gomez and Fred buzzing about the attacking midfield, taking on defenders and fashioning chances for the rest of the attack. Despite bowing out 2-3 against Chivas, the team still looked like it would roll into the MLS season and steamroller the opposition.
So, where has the magic gone? Although Emilio started strong, bagging two goals in his first two MLS matches, he's since gone quiet. Moreno looks like age has wrapped him up in cobwebs, slowing down an already patient style to approximately glacial speeds, while Gomez has struggled to influence games with the same élan as in previous years. Fred has only shown glimpses of his quality in fits and bursts.
Recent form suggests that United are starting to fit the pieces together as a trio of 2-1 victories has pushed them up the table and back into the playoff picture, but the manner of the wins is not the awe-inspiring attacking display that many had predicted. Rather, this is a team that is starting to solidify at the back - despite the worrying lack of shutouts - and can typically maintain an edge in possession, but sometimes looks lost in the attacking third.
Of the six goals in the last three games, four have come from set pieces and one of the others resulted from a cross after a throw in. That makes a grand total of one goal from true open play. I suppose a fan could take heart that the last goal of the six was the one that came from open play and it was a pretty goal, with Gomez driving at the defense and dishing to Olsen for the finish.
Another ray of hope has arrived in the surprise package named Guy-Roland Kpene. Picked by United in the third round of the Supplemental Draft (note that it was the Supplemental, not the SuperDraft), the Ivorian is pushing Moreno and Emilio for starting time up top. While he hasn't proven that he can score yet, he has looked good on the ball, making intelligent, quick touches and passes at speed.
That last bit is the part that United has been sorely missing. Throughout the beginning of the season, it seemed that the opposition always had an extra gear that they could switch to that would increase the speed of play and cause United problems at the back. United never seemed to be able to replicate this feat until Kpene got on the field.
So, the magic hasn't arrived, whether it be in the shape of a triangle or a rhombus, and while DC are scoring, they aren't doing it in with the panache that was expected. Whether it be a lack of fluidity in attack, the inability to string passes together at pace in the midfield, an adjustment to a new style of play under Soehn, or simply the poor form of some key players, United should be a more formidable attacking side.
They'll get a chance to demonstrate this tomorrow at the Toolbox when they face a Galaxy side that is struggling massively in the standings and is decimated by injuries, suspensions, and international call-ups. Despite the presence of two of MLS's best in Cannon and Donovan, anything less than three points from this match will be a massive disappointment.
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