Game 7 - DC United 0:2 Chicago Fire

I am now worried about making the playoffs. My worries can by put into to two main categories.

Personnel:

It look like the bench is no stronger this season than it has been in the past few years. With Gallardo and Fred out, the midfield was severely out classed by the Chicago Fire. Dyachenko is not creative enough and is prone to brain cramps where he holds the ball too long and gets it taken away from him. Burch, once again, proved he isn't a midfielder. In fact the whole DC United offense last night seemed to consist of passing the ball around in the midfield until someone kicked it directly to a Fire defender. Directly to them. And I have a question. If one of your forwards is the size of a small point guard and the man marking him is the size of a power forward, does it make sense to continuously play the ball in eight feet off the ground? Niell is pint sized, Dyachenko. Stop sending head balls to him.

Tactics:

Game after game, United seems unable to push forward with numbers. The slow build allows the opposition to father forces behind the ball and mount a defense which requires tremendous ball skills to penetrate. DC United lacks the requisite ball skills to do this, so what happens is any pass which isn't played into space or to Moreno is fumbled and turned over. Seven games, same results. When United scores it is in long ball passes or when the defense makes a mistake. I think it is time to go to a counter attack offense. Back to the 4-4-2 lineup and have Fred, Gallardo, Quaranta, and Emilio make runs into the box when possession changes. Five times DC has given up the first goal, all losses and four of them shutouts. They simply can't afford to give up the first goal.

Grades:

Forwards (Emilio and Niell) C-

Lack of imagination only mitigated by one or two quick decisions which resulted in shots on goal. Niell was directly and solely responsible for the second goal after a reckless giveaway at midfield.

Midfielders (Simms, Burch, Dyachenko, Moreno, and Quaranta) D

Simms was his normal, steady self. Moreno was also effective in the central midfield. Quaranta looked tired and uninterested. Burch proved once again that he has no right foot by failing to make simple passes with his right in favor of trying to make awkward stabs with his left. One time he sent the ball out of bounds on the far sideline because he tried to switch fields with an outside of the foot cross which he toed and missed his target by twenty yards. Even Prideaux was able to stay in front of him because he went to the end line every time he got close to the box.

Defenders (Namoff, Peralta, Martinez, and Wells) B+

Best game of the year from Wells. Namoff was the best player on the field for United. Peralta was fine except for his strange inability to control headers. Martinez was very solid and made several good runs with the ball.

Substitutes (Doe, Stratford, and Kirk) C

All were ineffective. Kirk only played about a minute.