Game 12 - DC United 0:2 Houston Dynamo

I don't know if it is the summer doldrums, United's recent run of losses at home, the constantly evolving schedule, or some other influence, but I'm glad there is a week and a half break until the next game. The SuperLiga was a disaster. Injuries played a large part in it, true. But a team needs to be able to absorb two or three lineup changes without falling apart. Admittedly, I was not at the game on Wednesday due to the late schedule change (and let's be honest, in hindsight it was a blessing to miss it even on TV), but the drop off from Peralta to his replacement and Gallardo to his is jarring. I can remember complaining about this last season and lamenting that United were one injury away from oblivion. I can honestly say that unless Gallardo returns at full strength United will not make the playoffs. And the next game with both Gonzolos unavailable is not looking good. So much for all the good stuff that happened in June. DC United start over again in August. As Fred and Emilio would say, meu deus.

US Open Cup Quarterfinals - DC United 2:1 Chicago Fire

DC United has advanced to the semifinals of the US Open Cup after outlasting Chicago in extra time. The goals were scored by two unlikely players as Doe and Namoff tallied for United.

The win might have been costly as Moreno left the game after playing only about thirty minutes and Fred was visibly limping at the end. United will play New England in the semifinals next month at RFK.

No grades as I listened to the game on the radio.

Game 16 - DC United 4:1 Los Angeles Galaxy

DC United are back. This was evident in many ways, but let's concentrate on three.

1. The offensive creativity which has defined the United attack was varied and potent. The Galaxy defenders, not world beaters on their best day, were disorganized and caught out all afternoon. United were able to attack from the sidelines, up the middle, and on set pieces. United played beautiful long balls, deft short passes, and creative dribbling. It was beautiful to watch.

2. While still a work in progress, it is impossible to deny that the United defense has allowed a total of four goals in the last four games, all wins. Martinez, still the favorite for team MVP, has been excellent and steady, Peralta is working well in the center with McTavish, and Namoff continues to have his best season.

3. Ben Olsen. When he walked up to the fourth official and checked into the game, the roar was partly for him, partly surprise, and partly a cheer for the Tradition he represents. While he may not be the Olsen of last year, having him on the field is a great sign and I for one am thrilled he is able to play.

Grades:

Forwards (Moreno and Emilio) A

Emilio played his best game of the year. He netted two and could have had two or three more. Moreno played a fine first half as almost a withdrawn forward. I really like him in that position and of course he scored on his chance from the spot. Excellent game from these two.

Midfielders (Gallaardo, Simms, Fred, and Quaranta) A-

Possibly the best game of the year from this group. Simms was steady. Fred was dangerous. Quaranta, while he was on, was very good running down long balls and making well struck crosses. But, Gallardo was the class of the group. From beginning to end, he was the best player on the field. Just a masterful game from him, and his goal could win goal of the week.

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

The lone goal was not something to put on a training tape, but the rest of the game someone always stepped up to make the crucial play. All five made key saves on dangerous plays.

Substitutes (Burch, Olsen, and Dyachenko) A

Burch made an immediate impact with his cross to Emilio. He also had a massive strike on a free kick which struck the crossbar from around 25 yards away. Olsen was good at maintaining possession on the right side and Dyacheno nearly had a goal of his own on two occasions.

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.

Game 10 - DC United 3:2 Toronto FC

Apologies for the lack of posts during the last two weeks. Personal travel and a wedding anniversary combined in a way which prevented me from watching any of the games live or on same-day-tape. Once I was able to watch them several days later, the posts I would have written seemed dated since there was a game either that night of the next day.

So where is DC United? One third of the way through the season and United is sitting on nine points. They are way off pace for making the playoffs and seem to be out of both the Supporter's Shield race and the Easter Conference title. The offense is playing below expectations, not generating the chances which were anticipated. The defense is actually playing better than last year. The keeper has been a bit spotty, but the number of goals allowed is exactly the same as it was last season through ten games. The fact that there hasn't been a shutout skews the numbers a bit. So what is the biggest difference between this year and last? The inability to earn a tie on the road. If United was standing on a 3-3-4 (W-D-L) record, there would be no panic, and large amounts of optimism. However, the three extra losses make for a depressed locker room. The most recent game is cause for hope, but the needed breakthrough on the road better come soon.

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.

Game 6 - DC United 0:2 Colorado Rapids

DC United were shut out for the third consecutive time on the road to begin the 2008 season. From watching the game, I didn't see anything that was definitively different from what they try to do at home. Fred was missing, but he cannot be the difference between four goals and a shutout. Moreno didn't start, but he played in the second half and never seemed to get it going. Colorado are a decent team, but United now have a -8 goal differential on the road in only three games.

I thought the defense played well and the two goals were more a result of good play by the Rapids. The first goal was vintage Christian Gomez. Just an excellent pass and an equally impressive one timer. The second goal was a very nice quick cross and header by Erpen. It was like old home week with the DC United Alumni Association: Colorado Chapter getting a bit of revenge. Peralta had a much better game in central defense. Zach Wells was not at fault on either goal. Both were rocket shots that I wouldn't expect any goalie to save.

I'm not sure if it is panic time yet, but in my 2008 season preview I crunched a few numbers and determined that DC United needed to average eleven points for every six games to have a shot at the Supporters Shield and eight points to make the playoffs. United stand on six points. They are now 20% of the way through the MLS schedule. I'm not in panic mode yet. However, after game twelve, United had better have at least eighteen points.

Grades

Forwards (Neill and Emilio) C-

Another quiet game from the forwards. Both were subbed out in the second half and deservedly so.

Midfielders (Gallardo, Simms, Burch, Quaranta, and Dyachenko) B-

I liked Dyachenko this game. He has some ball skills which can be developed. Simms was fine and Gallardo was the best player on the field for United. Burch is still out of his depth in the midfield. An off game from Quaranta.

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

Solid game from this group. No complaints. I liked the runs forward from Martinez and Namoff.

Substitutes (Moreno, Doe, and Kirk) C+

Doe and Kirk were unable to create any real chances. Moreno was unable to put a stamp on the game with a full half of work.

Game 5 - DC United 4:1 Real Salt Lake

So I managed to avoid seeing the score of this game during the time I was on vacation and was able to watch it on tape. As always, I don't look at anyone other blogs or articles before writing up my review, so I apologize if my comments are redundant.

I liked the formation. Not sure about giving the new kid Stratford the start in midfield, but it looks like Soehn wanted to give him some minutes, and I bet he has been great in training sessions and this was a reward. Quaranta should remain in the right midfield role at least until Olsen returns and if the formation remains 3-5-2, maybe Olsen is returned to defensive midfield. Gallardo, Emilio, and Moreno worked very well together with Quaranta and Fred/Burch working the wings. Even Namoff and Martinez made several runs into the box which I have been waiting for defenders to do for years. I would still like to see Moreno in the midfield but I'll take this formation for the next few weeks to see how it progresses.

I was not at all happy with Wells. He seemed indecisive and poorly positioned. He made one excellent reflex save, but was several yards away from a bushel of near misses. And one play particularly vexed me. On the free kick from the top of the box which hit the post, he didn't even make an attempt. I want to see the goalie dive for it even if it is a futile attempt. Let's see some effort out there. And I hope D gave the referee full marks for this game. Best officiated game I have seen this year.

Grades

Forwards (Emilio and Moreno) B

Excellent use of his body to shield the defender and earn the penalty. He seemed a bit better at the post up but still not great. Moreno was his menacing best. Keeping possession, making good passes and converting his penalty kicks. I could do without the heart attack chip shot, but as long as he continues to convert, he's my guy at the spot.

Midfielders (Gallardo, Simms, Fred, Quaranta, and Stratford) B+

Simms seemed a bit off during the first half. Uncharacteristic bad passes, losing shape, and out of position. I think it was probably how badly Stratford was playing, but I was still surprised by it. Stratford was obviously a bit overwhelmed and was justifiably removed. I think he'll be fine, but he was all over the place and not accomplishing anything. Fred goes down with what looked like a quad bruise. But he and Quaranta looked very nice on the wings. Gallardo had his best game this year and both his and Tino's goals were things of beauty. However, Gallardo's has goal of the year potential. Wow.

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

I liked the runs they made. I liked the covering for each other. I liked the toughness. I liked the good decisions they made. I hated the goal tending.

Substitutes (Burch, Dyachenko, and Kirk) A-

Excellent work by this group. I still don't like Burch in the midfield. he has no right foot and his crosses aren't very accurate. But is an emergency situation, he played very well. Dyachenko did well to push the attack and allow Gallardo to play closer to the goal. Kirk got his feet wet. I want to see some more from him.

Game 4 - DC United 1:2 Columbus Crew

Apologies for not posting a preview of this game. I had one
half finished, then work got busy and I spaced on finishing it. Sorry

I am worried. I wasn't this worried last year when DC United started with three losses and a tie in the first four games. Then I was thinking, new coach, new players, give them a month and we'll see what happens. Now I am thinking same coach, two home games, a road game against the awful RSL, and some more new players. There have been two shutouts and another one goal game. There has been better defense, and there has been an inconsistent offense. Why do I feel worse? Why do I feel like there isn't going to be a huge turn around? Why do I feel the depth issues are as bad or worse as last year? Is it all Ben Olsen? Is it Gomez' absence? Or Perkins? Man for man, I like this starting roster more than last year's. Peralta and Martinez are better central defenders than Boswell and Vanney were. What are the problems?

1. Emilio is not a post up forward. He cannot play with a man on his back, and another closing in from the side. He will invariably cough up the ball. Most of the time he can't control the ball so it stays at his feet. It bounces away and the defense takes possession.
2. Too much offense has been flowing through McTavish. His skill set is not developed enough to distribute the ball forward. Balls on the ground are not precise enough or not given the proper weight. Crosses are balloon balls which give the defense too much time to recover and disrupt the play.
3. Not enough runs into the box. United's offense seems to be build from the back and then pass around the outside of the penalty box until someone wins a corner or gives up the ball. For a team that went like two years between corner kick goals, that is not a winning strategy.
4. Quaranta should be starting until Olsen returns. This seems so obvious. Keep Burch and McTavish out of the midfield. Put Santino up top and Jamie in the midfield. How about playing Jamie in the middle and Gallardo in the "Donovan" USMNT position? A little up and a little right. Let Namoff play a little forward to fill the space with Martinez on his side to compensate when he runs forward.
5. Atrocious gambles and goals in the box. Both goals this week were the result of bad marking and bad goalie positioning. There is no virtue in playing great defense for eighty-eight minutes and two minutes of kiddie league tactics.

Look, it isn't all doom an gloom. If the referee had called either of the obvious penalty fouls, it would have been a completely different game. But I am less optimistic than I can remember, maybe since 2003.

Grades

Forwards (Emilio and Moreno) C-

Very little possession from these two. When they were in position, they didn't make good decisions.

Midfielders (Fred, Gallardo, McTavish, and Simms) B-

Just an average game from this group. I still don't like McTavish in the midfield. Fred was good, but not great. Gallardo worked very hard but kept trying to get the ball to Emilio when he was posting up. A whole lot of effort with not much in the way of results.

Defenders (Namoff, Peralta, Martinez, Burch, and Wells) D

Terrible communication between goalie and defenders. Martinez and Wells were yelling at each other at one point. The two goals were comical and a third took a remarkable save from Wells to prevent.

Substitutes (Niell, Dyachenko, and Quaranta) B

Not bad from this group. Dyachenko showed good ball handling and vision. Quaranta was involved in trying to get the equalizer and Niell didn't throw up all over himself. He did whiff on his one good chance, though.

Game 3 - DC United 0:4 Real Salt Lake

Oh, holy shit! This was the worst performance by a DC United team since the 4-0 shellacking in the playoffs by Chicago in 2005. There was nothing redeeming about it. Nothing. The goal tending was crap. The defending was worse. The midfielders couldn't pass to the forwards. The forwards couldn't make good runs. We will never speak of this game again.

This is two years in a row that United has started the backup keeper in Salt Lake City. Why do that on turf when you are also sitting Gallardo and Martinez? I said it last year after the RSL road game, and I'll say it again, starting every game shouldn't be a problem for a goalie with no injury issues. This isn't hockey. And wasn't Rod Dyachenko pulled from the game for his awful play at RSL? Yes, he was pulled in the 44th minute and wasn't injured. Nice choice, Tom, to put him in there. Maybe he doesn't play well on this type of field? Hmmm?

The only thing you can say in United's defense is that it was played on that god-forsaken artificial turf which causes the ball to travel at warp speed. It removes 3% of the bad taste. The 97% that remains is enough to make you want to take a shower. And don't forget, that makes two straight shutouts on the road. Dammit! Why are United the only team in the league who can't beat RSL in Utah.

Grades

Forwards, Midfielders, Defenders, and Substitutes F

Round 2, Leg 2 - DC United 2:1 Pachuca

Pachuca advances 3:2

I sit about even with the top of the six yard box on the gravel end of the stadium. So sometimes my perspective is influenced by what happens right in front of me. Rarely does the in stadium replay help in deciphering whether what my eyes tell me happened actually happened. I'll give you two examples:

1. My eyes told me that Emilio was butchered after misplaying the ball in the box right in front of me. Penalty! I read on Soccer Insider that Emilio says the player got the ball first and even though it looked like a dangerous play and I think clearly would have been a foul outside of the box, it did not deserve a penalty. Huh.
2. At the other end of the field, my eyes told me that Fred had a clear chance on goal but was pushed off the ball. Penalty? This one apparently deserved one due to a shirt pull I couldn't see and still haven't. Damn RFK MicroTron scoreboard.

It is really difficult sometimes to know whether or not a referee is blowing the game. I try so very hard not to blame the refs, but MLS makes that extremely difficult with the inconsistencies from week to week on how the game is called. My biggest beef last night was the yellow card on Emilio. Never have I seen a more obvious example of an official determining that he was going to give a card to a player the next time he did anything questionable and then not even get that right. Emilio leaned against a Pachuca player looking up for the ball. He didn't use his arms or elbows, he didn't even push the Pachuca player off his spot. He simply leaned with his rear while trying to get position. Needless to say, I wasn't hopeful for a well called game after that. It wasn't the regular MLS horror show, but it was inconsistent.

I really like the 3-5-2- lineup. I think Moreno's best position is withdrawn forward or attacking midfielder. If Martinez can play on the right side of the defense, DC United might have a viable alternative formation. And this isn't a knock on Burch. Just a more offensive formation. When Benny comes back (soon I hope), that would be a pretty potent lineup. McTavish was the weak link. Too many times the offensive buildup ended with a bad pass off his foot. He has a tendency to loft passes into the offensive third giving the defense time to get under the ball. He wasn't bad, just not the player I want to run the offense through. Pachuca clearly decided to find Fred and Gallardo and mark them closely, so that left the right side as the path of least resistance. Fred and McTavish switched sides a few times to try and throw the defense off, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Gallardo was very good controlling the ball and distributing it. His free kicks/corners were not great, but I hope that is just my own comparison with Gomez and Etcheverry. Not every player who wears #10 will be able to put it in the upper corners from twenty-five yards out. Martinez continues to impress and Wells had two excellent saves. Peralta was a step slow, but against arguably the best team in North America. Niell was fine, but his goal was offset by his inability to do anything when he gets possession. He won't shoot or pass. He just holds on until he is dispossessed. But, all credit for taking the one timer and scoring. Gallardo had a similar chance a little earlier, but instead tried to improve his angle and ended up not getting a shot off. Sometimes you just need to put the ball on net.

Was it just me or were there a ridiculous amount of deflected crosses? It seemed that every attempt at a cross from the wing was blocked by the defence before it went ten feet. Just great defense by Pachuca.

Overall, this felt like a 1-1 game, but given the quality of the opponent, I'll take it.

Grades

Forwards (Emilio and Quaranta) B-

Emilio didn't have his best game. He was put in position to make something happen and just didn't have the ability to convert his chances. Quaranta was adequate. He was well positioned and even tracked way back to play some defense when the positioning got way out of whack. He looked like David Stokes backpedaling and stalling for time (I honestly think he would have continued all the way to the end line if the Pachuca player hasn't passed), but I appreciate the effort.

Midfielders (Gallardo, Fred, Moreno, Simms, and McTavish) B+

A good game from this group. Moreno was effective for about 75 minutes and I think it was a direct result of not having to make the long runs down field. He and Gallardo seemed to mesh well together in the middle with Simms playing stopper behind them. I want to see more of this formation.

Defenders (Namoff, Peralta, Martinez, and Wells) A-

The goal was more a result of pressing for the score rather than a defensive lapse. Excellent game from this crew.

Substitutes (Niell, Burch, and Dyachenko) A

Two goals from this group. What more can you ask for?

One final comment about Greg Garber's comments about DC United not doing well in these tournaments.

Shut up, Greg!

Game 2 - DC United 4:1 Toronto FC

When the game was 3-0, I thought that it had the feel of a 4-0 game. United was dominating possession, the defense was stout, the offense was creating dangerous chances, and Toronto looked like a team which was beginning their second season and had great difficulties on the road. The two goals to start the game were a great sign, and just before the red card we were thinking in our section that the only way things could get worse for TFC would be to go a man down. Then they did. So on came the subs in the second half. Niell was awful again. I'm thinking he will go down with the likes of Filomeno, Guppy, and Donnet. Gallardo on the other hand looked great. I love the long balls over the top. Not your typical MLS prayer, but tactical decisions based on the positioning of the opposition. If he grows his hair a little longer, I might start having El Diablo flashbacks, but with a better shot.

Grades

Forwards (Emilio and Quaranta) A-

I liked the Quaranta up top and Moreno in the midfield experiment. I want to see more of it.

Midfielders (Gallardo, Fred, Simms, and McTavish) B+

Once Olsen makes his way back on the field, United should really have a potent lineup and quality depth on the bench.

Defenders (Namoff, Peralta, Martinez, Burch, and Wells) A-

Excellent work by this group.

Substitutes (Moreno, Niell, and Dyachenko) B-

Moreno actually stole the ball from Niell just before he scored because he was taking too much time. When Moreno thinks you are stalling in the box, that's saying something.

Round 2, Leg 1 - DC United 0:2 Pachuca

A couple of streaks continue. DC United still hasn't won a game in Mexico, and DC United has been shutout in back to back games. It's games like this that make me believe that there should be stricter altitude rules. DC United was equal to the task through the first two thirds of the game. However, with about thirty minutes to go, United suddenly was unable to maintain possession. Some awful passes resulted in lengthy Puchuca ball control and the inevitable goal eventually came. Maybe Wells took his eyes off the ball to try and anticipate the cross he thought was coming, but it was just a great shot. The second goal looked to be a bad job of marking by Gonzolo Martinez. The Gonzolos had a good game, but here, Martinez simply seemed to lose track of his man.

A one goal loss would have been admirable and perhaps fortunate. A two goal loss was deserved.

Grades:

Forwards (Emilio and Niell) C

Unable to maintain possession and Emilio seemed a step slow all night. I never thought they were close to scoring. Were there any shots on goal?

Midfielders (Fred, Gallardo, Simms, and McTavish) B-

A mixed bag here. Fred had a good game. I think he was the best DC player. McTavish was ineffective. Simms was average. Gallardo was good, he was just a bit off in his timing with his forwards.

Defenders (Namoff, Martinez, Peralta, Burch, and Wells) C+

An uneven performance. Some nice defending would be negated by a clearance directly to a Pachuca midfielder.

Substitutes (Quaranta, Dyachenko, and Mediate) C

Nothing remarkable other than Santinos memorable slip which allowed a dangerous possession to end with a whimper.

Game 1 - DC United 0:2 Kansas City Wizards

I am going to be honest, I fell asleep a few times during the broadcast of this game. I had gone to the Nationals-O's exhibition game and when I settled into watch the DC United game, I was pretty tired. I made it about 15 minutes and fell asleep. I woke up after halftime and it was 1-0. I rewound the DVR and watched the goal. I then watched the last twenty minutes which was some pretty entertaining soccer. I'm not sure about all the offisides calls. It was really tough to tell with the camera angles they had. It sure looked like United got the raw end of the deal, but who knows.

No grades this week as I only saw about half the game.

Leg Two - DC United 5:0 Harbour View FC

United advances 6-1

Okay, a very late recap of this game. I wasn't at the game due to a birthday coinciding with the game of a person related to me by marriage (can't skip out on your wife's birthday), and I didn't actually see the game until the next night. At that point most everything has been hashed and rehashed. It was nice to see the offense light it up. It was better to see McTavish play the role of Kaka. What was best was how quickly and dramatically the new players (Gallardo, the Gonzolos, Wells, and Niell) have integrated into the team and are also applying their own flair and style. DC United is now big in the central defense, faster up top, and just as creative in the middle. Was is just me or were there more quality runs behind the defense in that one game than in a month of last season? McTavish, Emilio, Niell, and Fred were all anticipating passes rather than chasing after them. Good sign of things to come. So, let's all get ready for the MLS opener this weekend. Preview should be up by Friday.

Leg One - DC United 1:1 Harbour View

Well, that was a boring game. I love my soccer and this was the first game of the year, but after a really boring first half, I found my attention wandering in t he final fifteen minutes. And isn't that interesting, so did the defense. It's hard to formulate my thoughts into a coherent analysis since so many different things were happening, so I will tackle what I feel were the major questions entering the game and see if I think any answers were given or alluded to...

1. Gallardo as the new #10 was as expected. He clearly doesn't have the same skill set at Gomez, and he isn't as familiar with the DC United system. However, his on the ball skills were apparent. He seems to hang a bit further back than Gomez did and will try more long balls from midfield, much like another former #10 did, Etcheverry. One of his dead ball strikes was really nice, and he seemed to have the creative eye any team would want. So I am pleased with his first game.
2. The Gonzolos as the central defenders. They are big boys, huh? I like that. They don't seem particularly fast, but with proper positioning, that can be mitigated. After a very nice, easy first sixty-five minutes, things began to get more interesting and the corner kick equalizer was part hand ball, part poor marking. I'm not sure who was at fault, but no one was in the middle with two Harbour View players and no one was on the far post.
3. Zach Wells in goal. Well he sure plays a different game from Perkins. I had no problem with him at all, he just seems to be more at home on his line with crosses and takes fewer chances. He did come out to jump on balls at the top of the box a few times and seemed to be fearless when he does decide to come out.
4. The uniforms will take some getting used to. The front seems like a black hole. I have to assume there will be a sponsor by midseason to fill all of that space.

Grades:

Forwards (Moreno and Emilio) B-

Midfielders (Fred, Gallardo, Simms, McTavish) B

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

Substitutes (Niell and Stratford) B+

Playoff Game 2 - DC United 2:2 Chicago Fire
Chicago Advances on 3:2 Aggregate

I'm angry. My anger exists on many levels. I will try to calmly and clearly explain who I am angry at and why. A few notes: I haven't seen any replays except for what was on the stadium screen. I don't know who was pulled for poor play and who was injured. Any incorrect assumptions I make I apologize for in advance.

First, I am angry at Tom Soehn. The major reason I am angry at the coach is that the tactics he employed in the first game of this series put DC United in a terrible position. There is no way around it, he played for the tie in Chicago. When he didn't get it, DC had to chase the win in the second leg. This played exactly into what the Fire wants to do, counter attack. It is what Chicago did tonight, and when you are chasing goals against a good countering team, you can get into trouble fast. And tonight DC was in trailing-by-three-goals trouble.

Second, I am angry at DC United's midfielders. Christian Gomez has not been playing as well as he did last season and with the addition of Fred and Olsen's good play the DC United attack has moved from the center of the field to the wings. Bring it up the sidelines and cross to the middle. This worked well for about three months, but starting at the end of September the crosses started missing their targets. It seemed that everything either didn't make it over the first defender or went way over the top. Tonight was no different. An unbelievable amount of crosses were well off target.

Third I am angry at Marc Burch, Greg Vanney, and Bobby Boswell. It is inexcusable to allow man after man to run free through the line of defenders. I'm all for playing high and trying to run the offside trap. However, I am more for preventing goals. Those three were horrendous tonight and have been off for most of the season. Perkins has been tremendous this year and was better than his GAA, but these three have been playing a matador defense for a few months now.

Fourth, I am mad at the referee. Consistently inconsistent, that's the MLS referee mantra. No yellows in the first half, nothing called on multiple hand balls in the box by Chicago (I'm not the only one who saw them, right?), constant time wasting all game long. However, the first big call he makes is a questionable call in the box after Gomez puts in the series tying goal? Where was this guy all night? If he had been making the tough calls all along, I would have respect for his season-altering call. I might not agree with it, but I would respect it. But he didn't call any of the other tough ones, and there were multitudes.

Finally I am mad at MLS. Get rid of the home and home series. If Chicago can't finish in the top two in the conference, they don't get a home game. Find better referees. Hire them from Europe if necessary. The ones you have aren't getting the job done. Maybe if Beckham says it, Greg Garber will finally do something about it.

Grades:

Emilio (C) Not a great game, but again, he didn't get good service
Moreno (B-) A decent game, but not involved in anything that dangerous
Gomez (A-) Held on to the ball too long in the first 45. Amazing in the second 45.
Fred (B) Ran his rear off for 90 minutes.
Simms (B-) Terrible first half. Awesome goal.
Olsen (B-) Had his moments, but seemed more concerned with drawing fouls.
Vanney (D) Defense needs to be reworked this winter. I don't see him back.
Boswell (D+) Looked at fault on at least one of the goals.
Namoff (B) Again the best defender on the field.
Burch (D+) Looked like he was pulled for bad play, not tactics.
Perkins (A-) Did everything he could to keep United in it.
Dyachenko (A-) Assisted on both goals. Great game.
Addlery (C) Good effort, great positioning, awful finishing. Three whiffs?
McTavish (B) Pushed up well when United needed offense.

I am really upset about how the season ended. Three things need to be addressed in the offseason. The defense needs to be looked at and revamped, the bench needs bolstering, and a stadium needs to be finalized.

Have a great winter everyone. I'll post as DC United news seems appropriate.

Playoffs Game 1 - DC United 0:1 Chicago Fire

So it's halftime in the first round, and United is training 1-0. That's how I choose to look at this. And I assume that is how Tom Soehn looked at it as well, right? Otherwise, how can you defend his choice to put out a completely new formation and essentially concede that United wouldn't score in the first 45 minutes. The total goals by the lone forward on the field this season? Zero. We'll get into the fact that Brian Carroll was in the lineup in a minute, but where was the offense going to come from in that lineup? The midfield has to be the answer. Where were the threats in the midfield? Two were on the wings crossing to the middle. Fred and Olsen were playing as if Emilio and Moreno were in the box to receive their crosses. Burch was crossing to the middle as well. Unfortunately the only person in the box to receive the passes was five foot seven inch Kpene. I don't care what he is listed at on the roster, he's no taller than that.

Now, Carroll. His offensive skill set is horrendous. How many times did he have the ball at his feet and his head down, surrounded by Fire defenders and midfielders? How many times was he given a good setup ball on the ground and he shanked the shot? How many times did he give the ball away with little pressure? If Carroll is on the field, we are going to lose. He even out-influenced Simms' extraordinary record when he starts. It was Simms' worst game of the year. And you can't say it was unrelated to playing next to Carroll. Here are the players I would have started over Carroll at holding midfielder: Moose, Dyachenko, Boswell, Addlery, Jeff Carroll, and Nolly. Okay, maybe not Nolly.

The Good:

• Didn't give up the second, series jeopardizing goal
• Perkins looked good
• Gomez was excellent if you discount his dozen offsides calls

The Bad:

• ESPN's Coverage. They just can't figure out when to go to the closeup reaction camera. Here's a hint, not when a team is in the offensive third of the field.
• Vanney's attempts at clears on balls in the air
• Coaching strategy

Grades:

Kpene (C) He really wasn't given much to work with
Fred (B+) Really picked it up in the second half. Very dangerous.
Gomez (A-) Best player on the field. Let's hope he can continue it. And no spitting.
Olsen (B) Uneven performance. Seemed a step slow.
Simms (C-) Blanco was held in check, but how much was United's doing? Shanked several shots.
Carroll (D-) I don't understand how he keeps getting on the field
Burch (B-) Good crosses, average defense
McTavish (C) The middle defenders were not solid. Good job compacting the field in the second half.
Vanney (D) Terrible. Boswell should replace him at RFK
Namoff (B+) Excellent at pushing forward in the second half.
Perkins (B+) Not at fault on the goal. Good coverage and distribution.

Review of Game 30 - DC United 2:3 Columbus Crew

As I have been called out for being lazy and not posting the regular review of this game, here are my thoughts on what should have been a night to forget.

The fact that the starting eleven had nine of the normal starters in it, you have to believe that Coach Soehn was going for a result to keep the unbeaten streak alive. Personally, I would have started Kpene, Addlery, Dyachenko, both Carrolls, Moose, Boswell, McTavish, Burch, Namoff, and Nolly. If they play well, great. If not, since United was obviously not trying, no momentum lost. Momentum being a state of mind, you can't lose it if you are not trying to maintain it. Since that is obviously not what happened, now United must deal with the fall out. First, a short week with a Thursday night game to open the home and home with Chicago. Second, Emilio and Moreno are now recovering from injuries rather than training for the Fire. Third, the team is now depressed and on a four game winless streak. Momentum has shifted 180 degrees.

The Good:

• Gomez and Fred were back on form and making nice runs at the defense
• Kpene played his best game since May

The Bad:

• Injuries, Short Week, Momentum
• Brian Carroll was his usual disjointed self
• Mediate was invisible

Grades:

Forwards (Moreno and Emilio) C

Before getting injured, I can't recall anything memorable from these two. The only thing I remember is thinking how quick Jamie looked and how agressive he was tracking the ball. And then he stepped on a seam in the turf.

Midfielders (Fred, Gomez, Carroll, and Mediate) B-

As good as Fred and Gomez were, Carroll and Mediate were that bad.

Defenders (Namoff, Boswell, McTavish, Burch, and Perkins) C-

They never looked great, but they held the 1-0 deficit pretty well for most of the game. However, the third goal was a pathetic effort.

Substitutes (Kpene, Simms, and Olsen) B

You'd expect a good effort from two starters and the team's third best forward. Yet another game where Simms didn't start and United lost.

Playoff preview coming Wednesday.

Game 28 - DC United 1:1 Kansas City Wizards

Well, United did just enough to squeak out a tie which maintains their margin over Chivas USA where DC is in control of their own destiny. If United gets all six points from their last two games, they retain the Supporter's Shield. (Tie goes to United.) However, United should have won in KC. Even with Fred unavailable and Moreno starting on the bench, there is no way KC should have kept United off the board in the first half.

The Good:

• Gomez does it himself to get the point.
• Perkins plays a great game on the road
• New England falls five points behind

The Bad

• Sure looks like an injury to Olsen, Moreno, Gomez, Fred, Emilio, or Perkins and the MLS Cup run is in serious jeopardy. Serious depth issues.
• Chivas pulls the full three points

Quick Grades:

Forwards (Gomez and Emilio) B

Midfielders (Simms, Carroll, Olsen, and McTavish) B-

Defense (Boswell, Vanney, Burch, Namoff, and Perkins) B

Substitutes (Mediate, Dyachenko, and Moreno) C