Preview of Game 8 - DC United at Los Angeles

Three wins in a row for DC United and undefeated in their last four, 3-1-0 (W-D-L), including last week's 2-1 victory over Houston. DC is 1-0-2 at home this season with a -1 goal differential. DC United is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, 7 points behind New England and New York with 2 games in hand on New England and 1 in hand on New York. They are in 8th place in the Supporter's Shield race, also lead by New England and New York.

Los Angeles enters the game with an 1-0-2 record on the road and an even goal differential. The Galaxy are winless in their last three league games including a 1-0 shutout at Colorado last weekend. LA is in 5th place in the Western Conference, 11 behind FC Dallas and in 12th place in the Supporter's Shield race.

This game matches the two teams who have played the least amount of MLS games in 2007. United because of a scheduling gap in case they made it to the finals of the Concacaf Champions Cup and Galaxy due to a backend heavy schedule due to Becks' arrival in midsummer. United looks to extend their season best results streak to five games and four wins in a row against a very average LA team. I expect the starting eleven to be Moreno, Emilio, Gomez, Fred, Olsen, Carroll the Elder, Erpen, Boswell, Gros, Namoff, and Perkins in the same 4-4-2 formation. Kpene and Simms should get in during the second half. Look for United to run the offense through Fred and be very physical with Landon Donovan. Boswell should never be more than 5 yards from him when he is over midfield.

Prediction:

DC United 1:1 LA Galaxy

Preview of Game 7 - DC United vs Houston Dynamo

DC United is finally on a roll in 2007. United is undefeated in their last three, 2-1-0 (W-D-L) including last week's 2-1 victory over TFC. DC is 1-1-1 at home this season with a -1 goal differential. DC United is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind New England and New York with 2 games in hand. They are in 8th place in the Supporter's Shield race, also lead by New England and New York.

Houston Dynamo enters the game with an 1-0-2 record at home and an even goal differential. Houston has have lost their last two matches and four of their last five. Houston is in 4th place in the Western Conference, 9 behind FC Dallas and in 8th place in the Supporter's Shield race.

United should have all hands on deck for this game. I expect the starting eleven to be Moreno, Emilio, Gomez, Fred, Olsen, Carroll the Elder, Erpen, Boswell, Gros, Namoff, and Perkins in the same 4-4-2 formation. Kpene and Casal should get in during the second half. Unfortunately I will not be at the game because I will be in North Carolina and I can't record it due to the fact that it is only on HDNet. So unless the house I have rented has that channel, no dice here. I can't remember the last time I missed two games in a row. Disappointing.

Prediction:

DC United 3:2 Houston Dynamo

DC United to Play in Copa Sudamericana

Boy is it going to be busy in July and August. DC is already scheduled for 9 games in 35 days. Now United has added another series of home and homes which should start in late August. I am of two minds about this. On the one hand, I am more focused on winning the MLS Cup and I don't want anything to distract from that. I see this as an enormous opportunity to get injured and exhausted at the exact wrong time of the year. On the other hand, since United's chances of winning the MLS Cup is probably 8 to 1, the more tournaments they enter, the better chance of having some sort of trophy to add to the case at the end of 2007.

Game 6 - DC United 2:1 Toronto FC

Due to a scheduling snafu (I could have sworn it was a 7 PM kickoff) I didn't see the game. For a complete recap, please head over to The DCenters.

Preview of Game 6 - DC United at Toronto FC

DC United should be rested, healthy and hungry after 12 days with no matches. DC is undefeated in their last two games (4 points). DC United is 0-0-2 on the road this season with a -2 goal differential. DC United is in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, 10 points behind New England. They are in 11th place in the Supporter's Shield race, also lead by New England.

Toronto FC enters the game with an 2-0-1 record at home and a +2 goal differential. Toronto won their last two matches after not winning in their first 4 of their inaugural season. Toronto is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, 8 behind New England and in 10th place in the Supporter's Shield race.

United will have both Fred and Clyde Simms available but not McTavish. Interestingly, McTavish has been described as a "slow healer" by the team in what appears to be a not so friendly shot at the youngster. I expect the starting eleven to be comprised of Moreno, Emilio, Gomez, Fred, Olsen, Carroll the Elder, Erpen, Boswell, Gros, Namoff, and Perkins. Kpene, Casal and Moose should all get in during the second half. In the first meeting between United and Toronto, I expect a pretty boring game. United will try to dictate tempo and Toronto will try to extend the winning streak.

Prediction:

DC United 0:0 Toronto FC

Game 5 - DC United 2:1 Chivas USA

What an odd but satisfying game. It started with a very strange lineup, which included Kpene and Moose but no Emilio. Brian Carroll received another start, whether it is deserved is another matter. It was a 4-4-2 formation for the second straight game which led directly to a very dull 0-0 first half which United seemed to have the better of. Moose, in his first start had two good chances, one of which nearly connected with Gomez as he ran to the post. Only one card in a first half which was well judged by the match official, Kevin Stott. United opened the second half with one substitute, Moose came off in favor of Casal. Gomez put United on the board with a very acrobatic scissor kick about shoulder level off a neat little flick from Kpene. United 1, Chivas USA 0. Casal was also very dangerous from the start of the half, including a sequence where he maneuvered down the left side and cut back to the box. The defender was beaten and resorted to kicking Casal in the chest just inside the box. Penalty! Moreno non chalantly chipped the ball over the sprawling goalie reminiscent of what Zedane did in the World Cup last summer. Now last year, United would have immediately subbed in 2 defenders and a midfielder and removed all the attacking players except for Adu, who would have been the lone player harassing the other team. In an obvious change of strategy, Emilio and deRoux came in for United for Kpene and Gomez. United kept up the attack and was able to keep Chivas from packing it in the United end for the balance of the game. Seven cards from Stott interrupted the flow of the match. I'll never understand some of the cards MLS officials hand out. Simply maddening. The lone United mistake came from Gros who seemed overwhelmed with his defensive responsibilities as the left back. He was beaten repeatedly in the second half and fell down numerous times when Chivas ran at him. In all, a much better performance. Best of the season in fact. Numerous subs were used, and the played well with the regulars. Nice to finally have three points in the book even if it took 5 games to get them.

The Good:

• Kpene continues to impress with his ability to maintain possession. He and Moreno worked well together along with Gomez and Olsen.
• Carroll didn't assist on any goals for the opposition.
• Perkins was excellent.

The Bad:

• Gros seemed over matched at left back.
• Emilio was strangely on the bench for the first 65 minutes. Did he need rest?
• The officiating was terrible in the last 40 minutes.

Grades:

Forwards (Moreno, Kpene) B

Well played game by both. Moreno seemed to tire towards the end.

Midfielders (Olsen, Gomez, Moose, Carroll the Elder) B+

Much better play from this group. Olsen seemed like the Benny of old, controlling the play, distributing well, well organized. Gomez scored a brilliant goal off the corner and Moose showed flashes. Carroll didn't wet the bed, an improvement.

Defense (Erpen, Boswell, Namoff, Gros, Perkins) B

Very good game for the most part. Erpen had a "Flying Facundo" which he pulled off, but was able to stay in front of the Chivas forwards for the most part. Much improved play from him in the middle as opposed to on the right. Perkins was great. He was not at fault on the lone goal.

Subs (Casal, Emilio, deRoux) B+

Casal draws the penalty, Emilio and deRoux keep the pressure on Chivas for the second half. Exactly what was required in this game.

Preview of Game 5 - DC United vs Chivas USA

DC United enters the game fresh off their best MLS performance of 2007. Unfortunately that isn't saying much as it only resulted in a draw. DC United is 0-1-1 at home this season with a -2 goal differential. DC United is in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, nine points behind Chicago and New York. They are in 12th place in the Supporter's Shield race, also lead by Chicago and New York.

Chivas USA enters the game with an 0-0-2 record on the road and an even goal differential. Chivas lost their last game to LA Galaxy 3-1. Chivas is in 6th place in the Supporter's Shield race, four behind New York and Chicago and in 3rd place in the Western Conference, one point behind Colorado and FC Dallas. Chivas has alternated wins and losses in their four games this season.

Fred may not be able to go the whole 90 or at all depending on the severity of his injury which forced him off the field on Thursday. Moreno didn't start last game but I expect him in the starting eleven in this game along with Emilio, Gomez, Fred, Olsen, Simms, Erpen, Boswell, Gros, Namoff, and Perkins. After a nice debut, expect to see Kpene get a longer look, possibly the who second half. Chivas has never played well on the road. They don't score will away from home either.

Prediction:

DC United 2:1 Chivas USA

Ellinger Out, Kreis Out and In at RSL

Real Salt Lake owner Dave Checketts fired coach John Ellinger Thursday. Checketts named forward Jason Kreis Ellinger's replacement. Kreis also retired as a player.

There are a few DC United angles on this story. One of the reasons given for RSL's pursuit and eventual trade for Freddy Adu was his relationship with Ellinger from his days on the U-17 national team. Ellinger will stay on as Technical Director among other duties.

This also means that Jamie Moreno is now the active MLS leader in career goals. He is now two behind the Kreis after his penalty conversion against New England. Look for Jamie to move into first place later this summer.

Game 4 - DC United 1:1 New England Revolution

Well, that was a little better. United started the game in a 4-4-2 formation with Gros, Boswell, Erpen, and Namoff on the back line. Fred, Olsen, Gomez, and Simms manned the midfield and Emilio was joined by a newcomer, Nicholas Adderly, up front. The first half had United with the better of play. Fred was very dangerous on the right wing and with darting diagonal runs to the box. Emilio, Gomez, and Fred played well together to keep the Revolution back line on their toes. United's defense was well organized and other than one Erpen bad pass, played well. That all changed in the first minute of the second half. Namoff played a bad ball which was intercepted and forced Erpen to go out wide and cover for him. Instead of putting the ball out of bounds and allowing the defense to reset itself, Erpen played a high ball to the center of the field which landed at the feet of the Revolution and they moved forward with purpose. Ten seconds later, the Revs were on the board and another give away in the back resulted in numbers for the opponent.

United responded a few minutes later with a long ball to Moreno, who replaced Adderly at the half, on the right side of the box. Reis and Reiley converged on Moreno and Reis would have had the ball easily. However, Reiley shouldered Moreno aside and Jamie ended up on the ground. Penalty! Jamie converted the penalty and all was even again. Shalrie Joseph was ejected on a late challenge which was too far away for me to judge. Fred went down in the 79th minute and was replaced by another newcomer, Guy Kpene. There were three hand balls in the box which were not called during the last 30 minutes, two by the Revolution and one by Carroll the Elder. United attacked with a flurry of shots including one of the crossbar, a spectacular save by Reis, and a cowardly no call in the box by the ref on a ball played by the arm of a Revs defender in extra time. Alas, the go-ahead-goal was not to be. All in all, a better effort, but three points were there to be had on this night.

The Good:

• The new players shined tonight. Emilio, Fred, and Kpene were particularly dangerous.
• Eighty-nine good minutes of defense.

The Bad:

• Gros was invisible for most of the game. Maybe his defensive responsibilities were the cause, but you could be forgiven if you didn't remember he even played.
• One minute of bad defense.
• Unable to take advantage of more than 20 minutes of the man advantage.

Grades:

Forwards (Adderly, Emilio) B-

Emilio was dangerous for good stretches of the game, but Adderly was largely invisible.

Midfielders (Olsen, Fred, Gomez, Simms) B+

Olsen played very well for a large part of the game, but seemed to tire towards the end. He took three shots from distance in the second half, probably two more than he should. Fred and Gomez were very effective in the the middle 30 minutes especially. Did Simms actually play? I can't remember a single sequence he was involved in other than running off the field to be replaced by Brian Carroll.

Defense (Boswell, Erpen, Namoff, Gros, Perkins) C+

Boswell and Perkins played very efficiently. Erpen and Namoff both made mistakes leading to the only goal.

Subs (Moreno, Carroll the Elder, Kpene) B

Moreno drew the penalty and was very effective throughout the second half. Might he be most effective as a second half replacement? Something to consider. Carroll the Elder did nothing to warrant his regaining his starting spot. Who should it go to? Kpene was great. Admittedly he played only for about 15 minutes, but I really liked his style and skill.

Preview of Game 4 - DC United vs New England Revolution

It's desperation time for DC United. Tied for last place in the league, United is 0-0-3 and needs to show significant improvement against the Revolution. United is 0-0-1 at home this season with a -2 goal differential. United is tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, ten points behind first place New York and Chicago, with a game in hand. DC is also in last place in the Supporters Shield race, which New York and Chicago also lead.

New England Revolution are 2-1-1 on a 3 game unbeaten streak. New England is 1-1-1 on the road with an even goal differential. They are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, three points behind New York and Chicago. They are in fourth place in the Supporters Shield race, seven points behind New York.

Early indications are that John Wilson will get a turn on the back line and Facundo Erpen and Devon McTavish will start on the bench. The 3-5-2 formation will survive for another week. Of most importance in my mind is the performance of Brian Carroll. He must cut down on the give aways. After being pulled at the half last game, one hopes he was read the riot act. If this leads to him occasionally looking up to see who is in front of him before making a pass, nothing but good can result from it. Three points are too much to expect. I'll be happy with a point. It'll be a step in the right direction. One last note, Twellman has scored 12 goals in 17 games against United. Take note, defense. Do not leave him alone in the box.

Prediction:

DC United 2:2 New England Revolution