Game 15 - DC United 3:1 San Jose Earthquakes

Maybe there won't be a shutout this season. Is that such a bad thing? Personally, I'd rather win 3-1 than have a bunch of 0-0 ties. And a shutout doesn't mean that you have great defense. It can mean you play like a bunch of babies and put nine men behind the ball. Am I rationalizing? Maybe. But I do think the shutout statistic is vastly overrated. So, other than allowing a goal, what else happened?

The Good:

• Martinez and Namoff continue to make runs up field and look good doing it.
• Emilio's scoring streak reaches five games
• The back line was solid

The Bad:

• Distribution from defenders to midfield and midfield to forwards was poor for most of the night
• Fred, Burch, McTavish, Simms, and Moreno all have substandard games
• Wells was shaky yet again

Grades:

Forwards (Moreno and Emilio) B

Emilio was extremely active. He made nice runs and was dangerous in the box. San Jose needed to know where he was at all times. In addition to the very nice goal, he also hit the post off of a nice combination with Gallardo. Moreno was not bad, but he didn't seem to influence the game very much.

Midfielders (Gallardo, Fred, Simms, and Burch) C+

Simms' touch seemed to fail him most of the match. There were numerous passes which had the wrong weight and never made it to the intended recipient. He had an excellent strike which deflected into the net (he must have worked on those long shots over the winter) but he cancelled it out with his bad passing. Fred was occasionally brilliant, but often lousy. He was pulled early and deserved it. Burch has no right foot. San Jose realized this and made him use it. He couldn't and was completely inneffective. Gallardo was very influential. I watched him with binoculars for about ten minutes during the second half and this is clearly his team. He was directing players constantly shouting encouragement and criticism at what seemed to be appropriate times. He decided who took free kicks and corners and demanded the ball when he was open. His passes at times seem ambitious, but I think the team is beginning to understand how he sees the field and is starting to anticipate his passes and are starting to run on to them at the right time.

Defenders (Peralta, Gonzalez, Namoff, McTavish, and Wells) B+

If I was going order the players from one to ten on how likely they were to score a goal, it would have been as follows: Emilio, Moreno, Gallardo, Fred, Peralta, Burch, Simms, Namoff, McTavish, and Martinez. Numbers one, seven and ten scored. The Martinez goal was gorgeous and shocking. He has been spectacular the last two months. So far, he is the player of the year im my book. Wells keeps this group from an A. He was directly responsible for the goal, although none of it happens if Corderio doesn't get blown by on the sideline immediately preceding it. McTavish makes the spectacular save but doesn't make the simple passes. Peralta and Namoff were excellent in defense.

Substitutes (Corderio, Mediate, and Dyachenko) B-

I give partial blame on the goal to Corderio. I honestly didn't notice Mediate or Dyachenko much other than the red card which Mediate was part of.

Preview of Game 15 - DC United vs San Jose Earthquakes

DC United, 5-1-7 (W-D-L), welcome expansion franchise San Jose to RFK stadium for the first of two meetings this season. United have rebounded nicely from a terrible start in which they only netted six points from the first nine games. Since then, United claimed ten of a possible twelve points. United have scored at least two goals in each of their last four games, including four last week against NYRB. DC are in the middle of a stretch of games where they play at home from June 14th thru August 10th, a total of nine games. United are 4-0-2 at home with a +7 GAA. United (1.23 PPG) are in 5th place in the Eastern Conference, eleven points behind New England (1.93 PPG) with a game in hand. DC are 9th in the Supporter's Shield race also led by New England.

San Jose Earthquakes are playing as you would expect an expansion team to play. They give up a lot of goals and don't score very many. Despite being shut out the last two games, San Jose have pulled four points out of their last three games going 1-1-1 including a 2-0 win at Columbus. San Jose are 2-1-4 on the road with a -4 goal differential. San Jose only average 0.67 goals per game on the road. San Jose (0.92 PPG) are in last place in the Western Conference, nine points behind Los Angeles (1.67 PPG). They are also last in the Supporter's Shield race, sixteen points behind New England.

If DC United are going to break through and get their first shut out, this is the game. San Jose are a fairly defenseless team. United need to attack from the start and keep the foot on the gas. With Gallardo and Namoff back from red card vacation but with Quaranta leaving for a yellow card vacation, I expect the starting eleven to be Emilio, Moreno, Gallardo, Simms, Fred, Burch, Namoff, McTavish, Peralta, Gonzalez, and Wells. Dyachenko, Kirk, and Stratford could see time as substitutes.

I'm one game late, but let's look at where United was after the second fifth of the season. United had thirteen points after twelve games for an average of 1.08 points per game. That is well off the pace of 1.83 necessary to contend for the Supporter's Shield. United will need to go 12-3-2 in the remaining seventeen games to hit the fifty-five point threshold. The margin for error is very slim. To make the playoffs, DC needs to get to around forty points. Eight wins in the final seventeen games would get them there.

Prediction:

DC United 3:0 San Jose Earthquakes