A Little Less Conversation

World Cup v. DC United

2006-06-09T23:09:00.000-04:00

I'm totally and utterly engrossed into the World Cup therefore DCU coverage will be shotty for at least this weekend. It could also be due to the fact that I didn't pay for MLSnet.tv and that's the only way to see the game.

Speaking of the World Cup, Germany and (unfortunately cause Poland is in my group of teams in the office pool) Ecuador had strong performances. It will be interesting to see how England plays tomorrow morning.

If you aren't in a pool yet but want to start one here's an easy way to enjoy the Cup. Obviously it's useless to just choose the team that'll win because the Conventional Wisdom is that Brazil and Argentina will come out on top and the smaller games don't really matter. Ok here's what you do:

Get four people total (or eight people total with four teams apiece). Put all 32 teams in a hat and everyone randomly draws a team sequentially until all 32 teams have been picked. The goal is to add up all points earned by all your teams. The winner is the person who's 8 teams (or 4 in an eight person pool) had earned the most points total. This actually made the Ecuador-Poland game worth watching. And since it's drawn randomly it not only prevents people with more info from getting an upper-hand, it also allows for late comers to create a pool.

Ok. Real quick: DC-LA preview.

LA is going through a bit of turbulance in their organization right now. They lost to Chivas. Let me repeat...They lost to CHIVAS. I know Chivas is a better team but come on. DC is riding a wave of success and should take care of LA pretty handily. Even though it's in LA, I think DC has the composure to get past the fans and play their game. DC should watch for being overconfident and should grind out the game especially if they get a goal early. Take LA out of the game and wait for good chances at goal they will definitely be there. Our strength this game should be the defensive midfield if we control that and are able to make the pass to the offensive midfield then the runs and shots on goal will fall into place.

DC United 1: New England Revolution 0 :: Soccer Fans Everywhere: 0

2006-06-04T22:38:00.000-04:00

What an ugly game.

The game was uneventful except for a couple flashes to excitement from both teams. DC got the win which is all that really matter but I would've liked to have seen more from both teams.

The tempo was set early by the ref. The Revolution quickly realized that the ref was letting the teams playing more aggressive that usual. Normal fouls weren't called and fouls deserving yellow cards drew a simple whistle. He let plays go on even when there was no advantage. It was reminiscent of the Chicago game at RFK during the playoffs last year. Just ask Jaime Moreno how much the ref was calling. I felt like I was watching the first half of his career when the way teams contained him was to foul him hard. To be fair, I'd be upset if I saw my keeper and one of my defenders get completely embarassed by him.

The physical play seemed to benefit New England but they couldn't capitalize. They had periods where they were stringing 5+ passes together seting up a shot on goal but could not get past Troy Perkins. I thought he did an amazing job expect for the one cross he dropped near the top of the box and the almost goal that everyone in the stadium thought tied the game but was ruled offsides. Pat Noonan left the game relatively early with something it was odd because one minute he was dribbling through the defense, the next he just bent over hurt. It was strange and the outcome may have turned out differently for the Revs but that's how the game is sometimes. New England did have a good opportunity at the end of the game which was their highlight of the night. Cancela had a free kick right around the 92nd minute. It reminded me of last year when New England had a penchant for scoring game-winning goals at the very end of games. But again, this isn't last year and Cancela hit the ball straight at Perkins.

Defensively, it was a bit of a mess. There was a whole lot of stabbing at the ball with out following through and there were too many uncontested crosses. Like I said, Troy had another solid game. There is a world of difference between 2004 Troy, where he was good but still unsure of his role on the team, and 2006 Troy where he is steady and much quicker and more physical. He even seems to have a swagger, which all the good keepers need. Something unknown to the television viewer is that Nick Rimando was warming up in the goal prior to the game from around 7:10 until the team went back to the locker room. Troy on the other hand looked none too happy when he walked back to the locker room at around 7:15. It at least looks good that Novak is letting them compete for the starting position. It'll bring out the best in both keepers. Right now I feel Troy has played well enough to keep the starting position until he makes a drastic mistake. Nick should also learn how to sit on the bench as a #2. If DC has another Columbus-type game then I think he should get some playing time. But for the time being, he should accept that he's not the starter.

The biggest story of the game is Jaime Moreno's 101st goal. And it was gorgeous. A perfectly timed run combined with a sweet move that ended in a goal. Though, Jaime could have hit the ball a little harder because he gave the NE defender plently of time to clear the ball off the line. Fortunately for DC, he tried to be fancy instead of just blasting it off the line and the ball went between his legs. It may have been the slowest nutmeg I've ever seen. The move was nice, the finish could have been better. And the run was onside, no matter what anyone says. The farside defender kept him onsides. It's not Jaime's fault that the Rev defend collectively kept running upfield which made Jaime look offsides. It was a beautiful pass and Jaime has the experience to get past the keeper and get the goal.

Other offensive notables: Alecko Eskandarian had one of his patented break aways and had only Matt Reis to beat (which would have been the sweetest revenge) but his shot lacked the spin to get around him into the back of the net. The ball got past Reis but just missed. It was a gorgeous play that was left unfinished. Adu also almost came up huge with a volley that came from a cross (though I'm not sure that was his intention) from Domenic Mediate. The high cross fell in perfect line with Adu's favored left foot and his volley was a laser of a shot that Reis had no chance of saving but it hit the crossbar and the score remained 1-0.

Notes from the stadium: It was Armed Forces Appreciation day and I still become a six year old when I see the helicopters and humvees. The U.S. Army Drill Team performed during halftime which drew a bunch of ooh's and ahh's from the crowd.

All in all it was an ugly game that saw good chances for both teams but only Jaime Moreno could find the back of the net to reach 101. DC United is now undefeated in it's last five games (W-T-W-W-W).

Next up: Bottom feeder Los Angeles Galaxy. With even less threats than New England and Columbus, the rivalry may not present itself, then again, it is an away game.

Preview - Revs vs. DCU

2006-06-02T20:02:00.000-04:00

Obviously DC is riding a wave of success at the present moment. The hardest part about success is that you take it for granted. As long as DC doesn't think they can just walk all over the rest of the league, they should be fine. That being said, they have to know they can beat anyone in the league especially at home. Even one point would be disappointing for this team and its fans.

If I'm not mistaken, this is Alecko's first time facing Matt Reis. Ever since he was knocked out for the rest of the season a little less than a year ago, I know I've had special disdain for Matt Reis as a keeper. Nothing would please me more than a break away run by Alecko heading straight for the North goal and scoring a booming goal from about 20-25 yards out a la 2004 playoffs against the Revs.

New England enters the game with a L-W-W-L-T record over the last five games. From what I hear, they are not playing all that well. For some reason they are not clicking the way they did last year. Like the DCenters says, both DC and NE always pick up their games when playing each other, especially the team that had been struggling in recent games. The way to take out New England is to strike early and disrupt their game. Defensively, shutting down Taylor Twellman and making sure whenever Shalrie Joseph gets the ball there is someone immediately on him well ensure that the Revs' attack stalls.

For DC, they have to focus more on moving the ball up and down rather than left and right. Offensively, crossing runs by Alecko and Adu will effectively break down the New England defense. On set pieces, I think the quicker the better because New England seems to do better when they can get into position. Their weakness is when plays break down. Therefore, DC has to pounce on their mistakes. They shouldn't look for maintaining possession in those situations. Instead, they should head straight for the goal and let it rip. The follow-up of the shot from players like Gros are key for this to be successful. The New England defense seems to have lost its identity. They are confused and lose the players they are responsible for. Quick passes and crossing runs will be the key to winning the game.

It may or may not rain tomorrow night but it will be balmy and humid. Personally, I think that the forecast favors DC.

I'll be there rooting the team on. Hopefully this time I'll remember the camera. We should get three points. I'll say a 3-1 win for DC. Adu is long overdue for a goal, I think Jaime will get 101 and look for Alecko to get subtle revenge.

More from the Columbus-DCU Game

2006-06-01T21:55:00.000-04:00

There is a point where a team stops competing against other teams in the league and starts competing against history. We're not there yet but a couple more games like the Columbus game and we'll have to evaluate how this team ranks against the Golden Age of DCU. Right off the bat, if this year's team ends up being comparable to those classic teams it'll be without the first generation of legendary names such as Harkes, Agoos, Etcheverry, Lassiter, Diaz Arce, Pope, Sanneh, LLamosa and others. DC has consistently drawn players that aren't big international names but that fit into a system.

One of the reasons that I see that accounts for DC's early success is the way they play with the ball at their feet. Many DC players (when playing with conviction) are looking for the quick pass and as soon as the ball leaves their feet, they run into space. But above all else DC has the ability to shake off shoulder charges. Jaime is one of the best in the league at holding the ball and taking a challege from defenders while maintaining his composure. Many times last night Adu (who's pretty small) would shake off Columbus midfielder Rozental.
Alecko is at his best with a defender on his right arm running straight at the keeper lining a shot up with his left foot. Gomez and Gros also have the ability to keep a challenging defender at bay.

Gros also needs more accolades for his tireless efforts. He, above all other DC players, can run up and down the field and play consistently well on both ends. Not only does he have amazing endurance, he is one of the fastest players on the team. On more than one occassion he has tracked back from midfield to clear a ball out of bounds at the endline. A key move that shut down what little offense Columbus did have was to move Gros from the outside left in the first half to the outside right in the second half. Taking nothing away from Namoff and Adu's games, they could not contain Ngwenya in the first half. Unfortunately for Namoff, he had a mental lapse and left his man (Ngwenya) alone for a pretty good goal. Gros put a stop to all of that in the second half and had enough energy left over to grab himself a goal. To have the endurance to run up and down the field and contribute offensively and defensively, signals to me that we're looking at an sorely underrated player and as soon as the finer points of his game (such as his first touches and confidence striking the ball) are refined, he'll no doubt become an All-star, premier outside midfielder in the league.

Thing I missed: July 12th at RFK DCU plays run away Scottish Premier League Champions Celtic FC at 7:30 pm. You can count on the Celtic fans to show up and represent so we have to get out there and make sure our presence is felt.

If anyone has the video of the opening montage that they play right before the teams come out onto the field highlighting DC United's first ten years, please let me know.

Finally, little did I know that Olsen put out an instructional video in his younger days. Below is a teaser of just that video. Look at that shaggy hair.

What an Electrifying Game - Columbus:1 DC:5

2006-05-31T23:51:00.000-04:00

Every game I've attended before this, I've taken my camera and shot putting boring shots. This game could have changed all that and what do I do?? Forget the camera in the car. It's as if I was being punished for leaving it in the car. Needless to say no pics this time.

NOTE: This was written from what I remember from the game. Highlights aren't posted yet so the specific touches may be inaccurate but this is what I saw.

What an amazing game!!! Too bad it wasn't on TV. To anyone who missed the game: I'm sorry and I'll try to put everything into perspective. A lot of things happened and needless to say that DC dominated offensively and aside from a couple of mental lapses (one which led to the goal), the defense was solid.

Real quick: Columbus came out and tried to run up and down the sidelines like they did the last game. Only this time DC was ready and shut down the flanks for a majority of the game. Columbus had very good chances but they couldn't take advantage of the few defensive lapses. Ngwenya had a very good goal that capped a string of 5-plus passes for Columbus. That was the most dangerous they looked the entire game and, for the most part, the defense went out and did it's job.

Offense: so I may have underestimated our potency on offense. They went above and beyond everything I could have predicted offensively. Remember the breakdown of shots on goal from last game? Columbus: very few and DC: a whole lot. It was pretty much the same this game only they actually finished. FIVE GOALS...simply amazing. The first goal was going to be a through pass to Alecko who would have dribbled around the goalie for an amazing left footed shot. Unfortunately, Columbus's tenth-string goalkeeper went straight for Alecko's knees which drew a pretty obvious penalty kick and a yellow card. Guess who takes the penalty kicks for DC. Hint: he's been pretty much automatic from the spot for the past two seasons. That's right! Jaime Moreno setup the shot and converted for his 100TH GOAL!!!

The next goal didn't come until early in the second half. Christian Gomez took the corner. It was low, direct and aimed for the near post. Out of nowhere Alecko flew in and deflected the ball towards the goal. At first it looked like a straight goal but thinking about it again, it seemed like it bounced around a little and ended up being a Columbus own goal. But it all started with a perfect service from Christian Gomez for the second straight game. Alecko ran pretty much the same route as the KC game on the goal that was nullified by a phantom foul. He used the screen other DC players produced by just standing still to free himself from his defender and he had a clear header. Funny thing: during the celebration most DC players were pointing to Alecko's head and gesturing as if to say "you shouldn't use your head".

The third goal was almost Jaime Moreno's 101st. He received the ball deep in the Columbus box with his back to the goal. One defender was on his back and two were closing in. He took a couple touches away from goal, turned, and took a hard right footed shot on goal. The keeper did well to deflect the shot but the Crew defenders just stood and watched as Josh Gros performed clean up duty and scored a nice goal. Gros is all hard work and those types of goals are tailor-made for his work ethic. No matter what happens he finds a way to get it done.

At this point I thought DC would sit in a shell and protect their lead. Well they finally realized that the best way to win a game is to maintain pressure throughout the entire game. The fourth goal came via a classic-Eskandarian run. After a scare at the other end. Perkins played the ball to Gomez who then passed the ball straight down the field to Alecko that had to fend off his defender as another was seconds from getting in position. Alecko's strength and speed held off his man and as soon as he saw the left side of the net open, unleashed a rocket that the newbie keeper had no chance of stopping. It was gorgeous.

The last goal just summed up the night. After DC subbed out Gomez for Filomeno, I thought that Novak's plan was to slow down the game. But Filomeno wasn't having any of it. He picked up where Gomez left off. He was on a mission and he looked very sure on the ball. Adu started the play by taking a solid shot on goal that was fisted away by the keeper only to land at the feet of Lucio Filomeno about 3 yards away from goal. After fumbling a little bit, he got the ball into the position he wanted and finally scored that ellusive first goal. His celebration said it all. He took off his shirt and you could almost see him shaking the monkey off his back. The first goal is always the hardest and let's just hope that this is the first of many.

Last Columbus-DC game I said that DC played like the varsity team who takes playing the freshman team for granted and ends up getting embarassed. This time DC played like the varsity team that takes all competition seriously and crushed a weaker freshman Columbus team. DC is point blank the best team in the league; offensively and defensively. They are on a roll now and nothing in the near future looks to stop them.

P.S. It was a good showing from the fans. La Barra Brava was out in full force and as loud as ever. I noticed a new chant though (well new to me). They took the popular USMNT chant of "U S AAAAAA, U S AAAAAAA, U S AA, U S AA, U S AAAAAA" and replaced USA with United. I liked it and it's something everyone can chant. On our side their were four middle eastern? hispanic? men that were banging away at their drums and getting everyone in adjacent sections to clap and dance and chant in unison. They were having a blast and it was actually nice seeing some emotion from the middle sections on our side of the stadium. The atmosphere was exciting and as the goals piled up the entire crowd got more vocal and hungry for even more goals.

I'm sorry to all of those who missed it but hopefully it's a taste of the rest of the season.

Next up: fledgling New England Revolution on Saturday at 7:30. It will be televised.

Columbus Comes for Dinner

2006-05-30T21:44:00.000-04:00

The worst thing that can happen on hump day is a bad day at work. After what happened two Saturdays ago I have a feeling that DC is going to be that tyrant boss that makes you (Columbus) wish you called in sick. Tomorrow night twenty-two guys will take the field and only half of them will be happy they get paid to play soccer.

After DC got embarassed (honestly, they did) by Columbus last match, DC should be looking to rebound and maintain the unbeaten home record. From what I've heard their second half against KC was pretty ugly, with a lot of defensive play and very little possession. I'm not bothered by that. At the end of the day, DCU came out of KC with an immensely productive half of play and the solidarity in the defense to withstand another half of unrelenting attack. DCU should feel good about the entire KC game and should go into Columbus ready to dominate.

The offense is the most potent in the league. DC has the most game changing players than any other team. Adu, Gomez, Moreno, Eskandarian, Gros, and even Erpen and Boswell have the ability to step up. It's only a matter of actually stepping up. Last game against Columbus, DCU could not step up in any form and failed to keep possession of the ball for even moderate stretches of time. It's not an exageration to say that DC's goal against Columbus was against the run of play.

Tomorrow night Columbus will again try to use the flanks to attack while making runs behind the defense. DC has to communicate. Defenders have to know where the attackers are and the only way to do that is to talk. DC is getting into a groove and they have to make sure not to become complacent. They took the game to KC and they have to again take the game Columbus. Get them on their heels from the beginning and they'll never recover. Columbus is injured and their attack is still too young to create a real threat under pressure especially at RFK.

Tomorrow night promises to be a good showing hopefully by both teams. MLSNet.tv will be showing the game but for the rest of us who didn't subscribe the only resort we have is to fight traffic and get our butts to RFK. I'll be there taking pictures (as bad as they may be) and hopefully I can get some good stuff.

Predictions? uhh...2-1 DC. Alecko and hmm...Gomez. Probably all wrong but might as well throw it out there.

98 & 99

2006-05-28T14:14:00.000-04:00

Before I begin I have to say that I didn't watch the second half of the DC United and KC Wizards game. When my DVR stopped recording the final score was DC-3 KC-1. I was upset enough that I let myself look at the TV screen when, in the back of my head, i knew that it was live action. I watched the first half and since that half ended 3-1 then I figured there was no reason to watch the rest. If something big happened let me know.

There is no better way to start the game than with a goal. Jaime Moreno's 98th goal began with him being offsides. He trotted back to be even with KC Defender Garcia and Gomez served the ball at the exact moment that Moreno broke back towards the endline for a beautiful goal. It was subtle but Jaime also paused for a split second that froze Bo Oshoniyi in the middle of his goal (not letting him chase Jaime) that freed up the near post. The service by Christian Gomez was absolutely perfect. At first glance it looked like a poor pass because it was so far ahead of Moreno, but it was also short enough that Oshoniyi didn't have the chance to come off his line. Moreno is faster and probably stronger than Garcia so he had the time to think and score.

Jaime Moreno's second goal came on an unfortunate (and blatently wrong call). Clyde Simms simply lost his footing and mishit the ball. The ref's angle, the way Simms fell, and KC Defender immediately throwing up his hands afterwards are my factors that contributed to the call. Usually when a defender throws up his hands like that, it means that he actually did make contact and doesn't want the call. I think if the defender just went along with it there may not have been a call. Either way I felt bad that United's second goal had to come that way. I know Moreno is automatic from the spot, so part of me wanted Moreno to purposely miss just as a gesture of good sportsmanship. The other part of me knows that purposely missing a penalty against the next top team in the East would not have made Coach Novak very happy. I probably would have discussed it first, run it by Novak, and acted accordingly.

The second goal did have repercussions. On Clyde Simms very next touch, he got tackled from behind in what was given a yellow but should have been a straight red. Simms was tackled in retaliation. The KC player never meant to get the ball, he came in from behind, and it looked like he made the kind of foul that potentially ends careers. Should have been a red card but wasn't. The teams should now be even right? Well apparently the ref had to make amends because he later took away what would have been a Goal of the Week by Alecko Eskandarian. Now everyone has made up for the poor call by the ref.

The only thing I have to say about the KC goal is that the defense has to do a better job of clearing the ball. Credit KC for the effort and having bodying in front of the box to clean up loose balls.

The final goal came right before half time from an Adu cross and Boswell header. It was textbook. Adu hit the ball low and hard and all Boswell had to do is tap it to slightly change its direction and it's in the back of the net.

For the first half, DC United dominated a team that should be one of the elite teams in the league. DC's offense was spectacular even without the goals. I really feel that Adu more than everyone else is getting comfortable in his role on the outside and is looking for his teammates more and more. Everyone was in a groove and United not only controlled the midfield but players were making dangerous runs behind the KC defense. KC really is a shell of itself without Josh Wolff, Eddie Johnson, and Jimmy Conrad. They came out flat, allowed a goal early and never recovered. United came out with a purpose and the effort was great.

Now all they have to do is repeat it against a team that they haven't beaten this season. This Wednesday the Columbus Crew comes to town. I'll be at RFK taking pictures and seeing the game from field level.

BTW-Catch the USMNT game on Friday? Convey was a terror. We need him on the field in some form or another. It's too bad that he doesn't play on the right because he would definitely start over Glass-Legs MaGee: Johnny O'Brien. Olsen had a quieter game but still effective. Slowed the game when necessary and put in a hard working effort all around.

How Do You Stop Beating Yourself?

2006-05-24T17:41:00.000-04:00

The world-wide stereotype of U.S. soccer fans are that they are passive. There is no fire, no emotion, when they are at soccer games. Obviously those of us who go to the games, especially DC United games, know different but common observers still believe the stereotype. Usually its the players themselves that show the passion.

Last night the roles were reversed. The atmosphere looked great (all red, white and blue) through the television broadcast, but the team itself was flat. This is a team that's supposed to transition into the upper tier of national teams. We're now expected to compete with teams like Italy and the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, against Morocco, the USMNT failed to step up to the plate and there was no spark. A few sparks came in the form of Bobby Convey (who I think need a lot of playing time) and Eddie Johnson but for the most part I was underwhelmed.

The reason I'm delving into this game is because how familiar it seemed. I saw this game before only I saw it last Saturday in Columbus. Watching this game reminded me of the DC United-Columbus Crew game. Both involved superior teams that could not penetrate the other teams defense and the superior team failed to excite. Both also were missing a key ingredient: Ben Olsen.

Don't get me wrong, Ben Olsen shouldn't start for the national team. I don't think his abilities will carry him for 60-90 minutes a game, but the team needs someone that can run ragged, throw his body around, and generally pick up the pace of the game. He's exactly what the team needed in the last 20-30 minutes. No offense to Pablo Mastroeni, but he slowed the game down and his passes were not on target. Olsen could have quickened the game and he isn't intimidated by anyone which would have definitely benefited the team. Out all 23 players on the national team, he's the only one who I see being able to instantly change the speed of the game. He plays with all heart and will always give everything he has. His experience also give him an advantage in that he's smarter on the ball. He can survey the field and get it either out wide or down the middle depending on the play. He also hasn't lost his power as was evidenced by his goal from distance earlier this year.

All this means that Bruce Arena would do well to give Ben Olsen more playing time. If the national team starts playing flat again, I would love to see Ben Olsen get into the game and I think he would instantly pick up everyone's game.

News from Around the Net

2006-05-22T18:51:00.000-04:00

Here's a look at the DC United-Columbus game from the Crew's point of view by Walter Wheeler.

Relatively old article by Jeff Carlisle spotlighting Alecko Eskandarian: Back with a Vengeance.

Awesome new MLS website launched by Adidas. The DC United section features Jaime Moreno. With good speakers the website looks sleek and sounds cool. Check it out.

Finally, Kyle McCarthy takes a look at early season trends in the MLS. It focuses on the disappointing and mid-table teams but hints at how DC and Dallas are playing (at least have the potential to play) at a higher level than the rest of the league. I would add Kansas City and even Houston to that list.

DCU 1: Columbus 1 - Post-Game Outlook

2006-05-21T18:45:00.000-04:00

According to a writer of the Mid-Atlantic Soccer Report, DC United, among others, are playing on a completely different level than the rest of the league. I whole-heartedly agree and certain games this year you've seen games that resemble a high school varsity team versus the freshmen (see DC vs. NYRB).

Watching the Columbus game I couldn't help but think that DC sometimes plays like they are the varsity team v. the freshmen. What I mean is that they are expected to win most games and play without any urgency because, well, they know the goal will come eventually. This game for example: They started the game flat as is they felt like they were going to just steamroll over Columbus without any effort.

It wasn't until right after the Columbus goal that DC showed what they are capable of. For their goal, which defines DC soccer, Jaime Moreno started with a gorgeous dibbling display and laid it off to Freddy Adu who ripped a low shot that GK Jon Busch couldn't hold on to and Christian Gomez was there for the clean-up goal. Team play, a little one-on-one, a hard shot and the follow-up if need be are things that define the DC offense.

DC seemed for a little while that the fire that they were playing with after the Columbus goal would lead to multiple goals for themselves. Unfortunately, they couldn't find that last pass to finish Columbus off and in the second half they just got tired.

Towards the end of the game I would've liked to see Jamil Walker come in for Jaime Moreno. I know he was having a great game, but he's always been prone to getting tired early. Everyone was tired and Jamil's speed could have been the deciding factor. I would've also like to see Domenic Mediate come into the game for...hmm...Christian Gomez. Adu and Gros were playing great and Gomez's touch was failing him at the end. Mediate would have been brought on for his fresh legs and ability to get forward (at least from what I saw last game).

The problem is that Novak can't keep changing the line-up. I understand if someone's injured but he can't change the roster every week because the players can't form an understanding of each others' playing styles.

Now the problem is also what it has always been: the defense. That first goal was a defensive mistake but more than that, it was a goalkeeper mistake. Troy Perkins was a step to slow in coming out to stop Joseph Ngwenya's goal. Ngwenya easily chipped the ball over Perkins for the goal. It's always easier said than done but Perkins should have stayed on his line and forced Ngwenya to not only beat a trailing Josh Gros, but also force Ngwenya to have to hit a tremendous shot to beat him. I think Perkins learned from his mistake because later in the half Jason Garey had a similar play but instead of coming out to meet him, Perkins held his position and forced Garey to shoot the ball. On that play Perkins made a great save. Some of you might think that Garey's shot was close to beating Perkins, but I say that I trust Perkins to save those shots more than I trust Perkins to come off his line and time it so that he can stuff the ball when the opposing forward already has control. If Perkins had come off his line to meet Garey, all Garey had to do was either chip the ball like Ngwenya or tap the ball towards the endline away from Perkins and use his speed to catch the ball and have a shot with a wide open net. All I'm saying is that while Perkins makes mistakes, it looks like he's at least trying to learn.

Now the defenders. When I look at the DC backline, I only see two true defenders. Bobby Boswell and Facundo Erpen are the only players that have the ability to shut a player down completely. Namoff (to me) is more of a defensive midfielder. He had an incredible game but still when I think of the defenders of DC, he doesn't come to mind. I wonder if DC would be better off putting him in Olsen's vacated position and acquiring another true defender.

That's another thing. Who will replace Olsen. It looks like there's a massive void in the midfield that DC is trying to fill. Whenever the opposing team has the ball it seems like everyone is covered except of a solitary player that Olsen would have pressured. DC looks like at times they are playing with ten men when the other team has the ball and they are scambling to chase down that extra man. I understand putting Filomeno in that position (offensive player to overwhelm Columbus) but Novak should've known that forwards generally aren't very good defenders and to put him in that position was borderline reckless. DC began to regain control of the game when Simms was able to help Carroll. In my opinion, Mediate in Namoff's position and either Simms or Namoff in Olsen's position may help the defense settle down.

To sum up this game, Novak didn't use his subs effectively (i.e. leaving Mediate and Walker on the bench), Novak's continually changing of the starting line-up disrupts the consistent play that DC United needs, and finally the DC players have to stop thinking they will win every game and actually start playing like they want to win every game. I know you are supposed to be happy with points on the road no matter how many, but would anyone out there be satisfied if we tied Real Salt Lake or Chivas or New York? I didn't think so.

Next game is a biggie at Kansas City on Saturday the 27th at 8:30 pm (ET). They will be seeking revenge and DC should be seeking to find their game against a World Cup depleted Wizards team.

Where We Stand

2006-05-16T18:17:00.000-04:00

So on Saturday I watched the game at my parents' house. Turns out that their cable was on the fritz and Comcast had no sound.

Either way I watched the game and boy what a game it was. Well the second half was forgetable but the first half had plenty of action.

Before I begin, here's the updated standings (adjusted):

Major League Soccer Table (Adjusted)
Rank	Team	Games Played	Total Points	Points/Game
1.	D.C. United	7	14	2.000
2.	FC Dallas	8	15	1.875
T-3.	Houston	7	13	1.857
T-3.	Kansas City	7	13	1.857
5.	New England	6	10	1.667
6.	Columbus	7	10	1.429
*7.	Chicago	6	7	1.167
*8.	Colorado	6	7	1.167
9.	Los Angeles	8	7	0.875
10.	New York	6	5	0.833
11.	Chivas	5	4	0.800
12.	Real Salt Lake	7	4	0.571

*Ranking based on goal difference

FC Dallas and Houston tied earlier in the day on Saturday (highlights of which I saw on SportsCenter) which left the door open for DC to claim first place. Overall I'll admit that the penalty that led to DC's second goal could have easily been a non-call. I think Alecko Eskandarian could have kept his feet and control of the ball in order to take a shot, but the replay also shows how he got shouldered off the ball from behind. I'm not 100% percent sure that the foul occurred in the box. Either way the ref saw it differently and it broke the mini-drought Jaime Moreno had.

Offensively: My favorite players today were Moreno, Eskandarian, Josh Gros and Domenic Mediate. I think the wings this game were extremely dangerous. Gros, with his ability to run all day long, has improved immensely both offensively and defensively. Domenic Mediate has finally gotten his shot and shown how dangerous he can be. Mediate even had a couple chances for a goal. Moreno found his touch and on more than one occasion held the ball with three defenders on him. Alecko definitely found the positioning needed and his goal was amazing. It was funny cause Bo Oshoniyi thought it hit the post and was still in play. The bewildered look on his face was priceless. The rest of the offense was comfortable and playing their game. DC controlled the midfield and the "wave" style of offense was definitely in full effect. Strong performance by everyone.

Defense: Things looked much simpler to me. There was no fancy play and no one took any huge risks. From what I counted there were only three major mistakes. 1) Obviously Freddy Adu's foul that led to the KC goal. He had no business swiping at the ball. He was pushing the KC player to the endline and just slowing down and standing his ground would have made the play slow down enough for other defenders to get into position. It was a mistake and luckily it didn't cost the team the game. 2) The wide open net that Sealy (I think) could not seem to hit. After a tremendous save by Troy Perkins, Sealy was unmarked and had an wide open shot. I'm guessing there wasn't enough communication over man marking responsibilities. 3) In the second half Erpen fumbled a clearance which Perkins had to jump off his line to block. It was a goofy looking play and I understand that Erpen wanted to keep possession but in those situations, blasting the ball as far and as wide as possible is the goal. The three players who did exceptionally well were Carroll, Namoff and Perkins. Carroll and Namoff were solid and did not hesitate to throw their bodies to win the ball. Watching Perkins throughout the season, you can just tell how much he has grown. When he leaves his line he looks confident. There is no wavering. If the ball is in the air and he believes he can reach it will will go after it full force. His biggest asset is his length and if a ball hangs in the air too long he will grab it. He looks quicker and bigger when running towards the ball.

Kansas City looked weak with the absence of their World Cup call ups. All in all DC has shown that they should be fine during the World Cup. I haven't seen other teams but DC looks in good shape. They are currently undefeated after 5 games at home. The true test will be the next couple months where 10 out of 15 games will be played on the road beginning with Columbus next Saturday.

Saturday Night Clash

2006-05-11T19:10:00.000-04:00

The current MLS standings are a little wacky with the disparity in number of games played. Therefore I present the standings league-wide (no conferences) based on points per game:

Major League Soccer Table (Adjusted)
Rank	Team	Games Played	Total Points	Points/Game
1.	Kansas City	6	13	2.167
T-2.	Dallas	7	14	2.000
T-2.	Houston	6	12	2.000
4.	D.C. United	6	11	1.833
5.	Colorado	5	7	1.400
6.	Chicago	5	6	1.200
T-7.	New England	6	7	1.167
T-7.	Columbus	6	7	1.167
T-9.	Los Angeles	7	7	1.000
T-9.	Chivas USA	4	4	1.000
11.	New York	5	4	0.800
12.	Real Salt Lake	6	1	0.167

Now as you can see D.C. United is currently fourth in the league. It's a tight race at the top but if Dallas and Houston tie and DC wins, then we finally get sole claim of first place in the league. But any other situation and DC will have to be patient for their chance.

As far as Saturday is concerned, I expect DC to bounce back and play their game. Returning home and the prospect of a big early season win should light a fire under the DC United belly.

As of right now the weather conditions look clear and the temp should be in the mid-60s.

The only game I saw from KC is their game against Dallas a couple weeks ago. There was nothing terribly exciting from what I remember. So I'm assuming that KC can be taken out of the game early. If DC gets a quick goal and holds their offense and maybe gets another goal right before halftime then we should be in good shape.

The focus for this game should be basics.

Offensively: Simple passes. No back heels. Just one and two touch passes, nothing fancy. Look for open spaces. Everyone should keep their heads up looking for the next pass. We can obviously finish from anywhere on the field so don't be foolish on the ball. Freddy and Alecko have to get into positions to shoot the ball while the others crash for the rebound (I'm thinking about Gros). Jaime must be a factor. He's only shown up for maybe a game and a half. He needs a good game. Maybe an assist this time around.

Defensely: They have to learn to mark their man. Enough of this letting people get behind them. They must communicate better. If one defender moves up there better be talk about who is coming back to help and what everyone's responsibilities are. I'm assuming KC is fast so maybe Wilson should start over Prideaux then again that's a sacrifice since he's been playing well. Who ever is responsible for the defensive midfield should learn to stick their butt down and control that area. If KC has the ball 30-35 yards out, I should see a DC midfielder in his face, be it Gros, Carroll, whoever is in Olsen's place or even Adu or Gomez. This game should be all about talking to each other.

Result: I wouldn't be surprised with a draw (1-1 or 2-2). I think it'll be good as long as United can find their game again. If we lose or draw 0-0, I'll be disappointed because this team is built for goals and I'll know that the offense didn't have enough chances. Above all DC needs to focus on not making mistakes and they have to control the tempo. They will be at home and there should be a good crowd so there is no excuse for playing without any conviction.

Game Recap

2006-05-07T00:04:00.000-04:00

Everyone has to lose sometime. It's the way DC lost that bothers me. We were not beat by a better team. We were beat by our own careless mistakes.

How well did DC United stick to my "Keys for United"? In terms of patience, it looked to me that DC was rushing the ball around. I think there were too many long balls and players were trying to do too much with the ball. While they had good patches of play, for the game as a whole the team did not show it's willingness to let plays develop. The goal was one of those good patches and it started with Namoff and after four or five passes ended with Gomez sliding the ball into the back of the Colorado net.

This was also one of the few noticable moment that DC accomplished the second "key",controlling the midfield. For too much of the game they were letting Colorado kick the ball to the wings. While I don't think that Colorado controlled the midfield either, DC should have done better not letting themselves become disrupted.

My final "key" for the game was maintaining defensive positioning. You can obviously guess how well that one worked out. As a defender, you should never let the forward get behind you. On Colorado's second goal, not only was the forward behind the defender (Erpen?), the DC defender was maybe 10-15 feet away from the play and resorted to sprinting straight to the goal hoping for a deperation deflection. Also, Erpen came from across the goal box to defend the ball but instead fouled the Colorado player which lead to a successful penalty. I may be wrong but I didn't see the need for Erpen to: 1) come sprinting across the field, it looked like Bobby Bosell was about to handle it, and 2) leave his feet. I'm sure he'll get criticized for it and rightly so. He needs to understand that not every ball is a must win, especially when the risk was so high. I have no doubts that as soon as he left his feet, he knew that he had to chance to get the ball. Erpen needs to learn how to contain the man and body him off the ball in those types of situations.

Other observations?
I'm still confused as to why Jamil Walker started. Why tinker with a line-up that was working. The only explanation is that something happened during practice. Either way, DC began ok but not spectacular, which is a shame because Colorado was very sloppy to begin the game. I couldn't help but wonder what would've happened if Freddy Adu started on the wing with Alecko Eskandarian up top. Walker did not do anything particularly bad, in fact he had a couple chances, but my argument is for the sake of continuity. It broke up the flow that DC usually starts with. I like Walker in more of a super-sub role instead of starter. His speed works better when the defenders have already been running for an hour.

Also, something has to be said in terms of Jaime Moreno's form. Unfortunately, it seems that he's losing the ball much more often than usual. His touch is failing him and he can't quite make that one move that frees him from the defender. I wonder if there is a problem. Regardless, as a captain he should understand that the team comes first. If he finds himself dragging down the team, he should take himself out of the game and let fresh legs come in and pick up the slack. Jamil Walker would fit this role perfectly.

This loss means that United doesn't gain any ground towards catching Kansas City. Not only do we not gain ground, Kansas gains a point and Houston surpasses us with their win against Dallas. That means that there are four teams within two points of each other. Dallas and DC remain at 11 points, Houston has 12 and KC has 13. The bright spot is that after these four teams, the closest teams are still 4 points back.

Next week Dallas plays two games. One against stuggling Los Angeles and one against Houston. There's a good chance that they come out with 6 points total. I think they will get at least a point against LA. And the dagger is that no matter who wins the Dallas/Houston game someone will be ahead of us no matter what we do. If Dallas wins or ties midweek and they win next Saturday, then they will have either 17 or 15 points. If Dallas loses next Saturday that means Houston will have 15 points. This all makes next week's game against KC that much more important because we need 3 points to stay in the mix.

Have I said how glad I am that the league made the Supporter's Shield actually worth something?

DC United at Colorado Rapids Preview

2006-05-05T17:33:00.000-04:00

I haven't had a chance to catch any of the Rapids games this season so I'll focus on what DC needs to do.

The game is being carried by Comcast SportsNet at 9:00 PM ET and MLSLive.tv.

They are playing in Colorado and it'll be around 58 degrees with a 40% chance of rain.

Rain has been good this year for DC. A 4-1 thrashing two weeks ago against Red Bull NY and a 2-0 win against a strong Chivas team the second week of the season. Interesting that the even number weeks of the season have all been played in the rain and have resulted in wins.

Keys for DC:

Patience
Control the midfield
Maintain defensive positioning

Against a team like FC Dallas, patience will kill you (see the end of the first half). Colorado on the other hand does not seem to be that type of team. Instead of a relentless attack, DC United should look to string several passes together through the midfield. Gomez has to show up this game and be the general of the team. A controlled, patient attack should wear down the Colorado defense and allow the forwards to make diagonal runs behind the defense. The higher the number of passes strung together the higher the chance that Colorado will take chances and expose themselves. There should be enough room for Freddy Adu and Josh Gros to run at the outside defenders. I wouldn't be surprised if Adu gets a goal this game. Their patience will also reduce the number of careless mistakes (which seemed to be quite abundant last game). The defense should look to maintain its positioning and not run all over the place. It's not necessary against Colorado. Mark your man and the Colorado offense should become ineffective. If the opportunity presents itself then Erpen or Boswell should take advantage and move to the offense but they shouldn't force anything.

The rain hasn't seemed to affect DC that much this year but I have a feeling that this game will be sloppy and rather low scoring. The "keys for United" do seem a bit remedial, but in wet conditions, the team that executes the fundamentals the best usually comes out on top.

If both teams come out to play, DC United should win by one goal but dominate the game.

Familiar Faces and Stadium Atmosphere

2006-05-04T17:27:00.000-04:00

Like I said in a previous post, the crowd was electric during the game against FC Dallas. It may have had something to do with the following people:

I don't think there is anything more exciting in MLS than RFK after a DC United goal. Arguments can be made for other teams but when you see the stands bounce, the confetti flying from every part of the stadium and that enormous banner, you just get chills. Notice how the smoke rises from the stands over at La Barra Brava.

Here's La Norte's attempt at the flares. Wasn't as successful. The smoke kind of just gathered as a cloud in their section. Eventually the smoke moved onto the field. Needless to say, the humorless stadium security did not find it funny. I overheard that if they set off another one, the would remove the entire section. I told you, humorless.

Now for a couple familiar faces:

EL DIABLO
It's pretty easy to see why Marco Etcheverry earned the nickname. All the little girl wanted was an autograph.

Obviously I'm kidding about the story with the little girl. Marco actually signed autographs longer than any other player. In fact he was still signing while the teams were trotting onto the field.

John Harkes was an amazing player. He's also rumored to have a pretty good sense of humor. I think it has more to do with the fact that he kind of looks like Jim Carrey. While other people may not think so, I'll continue to stand by my assertion.

Honorable Mentions:
Bruce Arena in the vicinity as was Raul Diaz Arce. Weren't those first few seasons incredible?

In the news: The Washington Times has a pretty good article about DC soccer fans. The article does kind of hate on the Nats fans, but it is true that they don't really have much enthusiasm. I've never seen a Nats flag. It would be interesting to see what a baseball game would look like with the chants, flags, flares, and streamers in the background. At any rate, the article made me feel good.

The Announcement!

2006-05-02T18:45:00.000-04:00

UPDATE:
Goalkeepers
Kasey Keller, Marcus Hahnemann, Tim Howard

Defenders
Eddie Lewis, Oguchi Onyewu, Freddie Hejduk, Steve Cherundolo, Eddie Pope, Carlos Bocanergro, Jimmy Conrad(hmm...), Cory Gibbs

Midfielders
Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Claudio Reyna, John O'Brien, Ben Olsen(!!!!!), Demarcus Beasley, Pablo Mastroeni, Bobby Convey

Strikers
Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Josh Wolff, Brian Ching (interesting)

Tune in the Pardon the Interruption for an interview with Bruce Arena (not expecting much but we'll see) on ESPN2 at 7:00 Eastern and on ESPN News at 7:00 some players will also be interviewed. (all via DuNord).

QUICK NOTES:

Hopefully I'll post more later but for now, Ben Olsen deserves this because of his heart, dedication and the fire he'll bring to a game as a sub. Good choice by Bruce Arena. If I see him and get to talk to him at a Fairfax hotspot, I'll buy him a drink. Ching is a surprise. I'm guessing that his size was taken into consideration over Twellman's potential. Jimmy Conrad was a surprise to me. I'm not sold on him just yet. I hope to be proven wrong but I just think at times he could be lulled out of a game. He's just doesn't give the impression of consistency that I get from the others, though if it were either him or Berhalter (sp?) I choose Conrad.

Bruce was watching, I saw him see it.

2006-05-02T16:00:00.000-04:00

Funny how the end of a semester leaves little time for everything else. I'll try to make this short and sweet.

I was at the game and the atmosphere was anticipatory. I felt like we were all waiting for a big win so that DC could be alone in first place. And I know that it was the decade's best celebration (or whatever it was called, pictures will be posted later in the week) but I can't help but wonder if the atmosphere had anything to do with needing every win to maintain first in the league. Right before the presentation, there was a video montage of the first 10 years. I almost forgot the time when even the upper tier of RFK was full. I wonder what will happen in a new stadium when we reach capacity. Will ticket prices rise? Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

Anyways, DC United came out of the gates firing on all cylinders. I said to myself before the game that we have to take them out of the game early and never let them back in it. FC Dallas has never been a team where we could just sit back and essentially outlast them by waiting for the counterattack.

United started the game really well. Passes were fluid, runs were in sync and the "wave" style of offense was being executed well. The United "wave" offense starts by the build up of a play either from the wing (Adu or Gros) or centrally (Carroll, Olsen, Gomez) and the ball ends up at the feet of the forwards. The forwards either turn and eventually shoot (first wave) or lay it off. Either way if it isn't a goal, the second wave (usually Gomez, Adu, Gros and occasionally Eskandarian if he's not part of the 1st wave) takes a shot on goal when the ball is laid off, as was the case for Ben Olsen's gorgeous goal, or passes it out wide for a cross back in. In the latter situation, the third wave comes into play. The third wave can include anyone from the first two waves and either Erpen or even Boswell on set pieces. Their role is clean up crew or on crosses heading the ball into the net, obviously. As a sidenote the term "wave" doesn't refer to waves of certain players, but waves of pressure. The main point is that if the first chance doesn't work there are players pouncing on the rebound to take a chance and there is a cycling (or waves) of lines of attack until a goal or we lose the ball. It's a little hard to grasp (and explain) in words but take note and look for it during the next game and it'll make more sense.

Back to the game- after the first goal the emotions were running high in the stadium and everything was going United's way. This was the time to go for the throat and suffocate Dallas's defense and hopefully go into the half with a 2 goal lead. Again, the way to beat Dallas is to hit them early, hard and often. We got the early and hard part down (Olsen's goal has teh potential to take the wind out of the opposing team). The trouble is that instead of an unrelently attack, we sat back and waiting for Dallas to come to us. When the only player in the attacking half of the field is Moreno and other players are only half-heartedly running into the attack, it does not bode well for the momentum of the game. Dallas's goal was as gorgeous as Olsen's. I keep wondering where Olsen and Carroll were when Ronnie O'Brien has that much room. I wonder if next time we'll leave him that open. Oh well. That was the game.

In the second half, the game calmed down and played out like two equal teams vying for first place. Both had great chances yet couldn't finish or were denied by the defense. It was a stand-off and no team could get the edge.

The result was a point apiece and both teams relinquishing first place to Kansas City who now holds first in the league by a point.

I'm being told that the US National Team announcement will be the next hour so I'm wrapping this up. Bruce Arena was obviously at the game and Olsen's performance was exceptional. I hope that he makes the team. Though he's not a starter, he's a leader in MLS and deserves a chance to show the world what he's made of.

The Game and the Man

2006-04-25T15:23:00.000-04:00

Better late than never, right? Man, quite an exhibition of skill and beautiful soccer was on display last Saturday.

Not only is DC United the flagship team and the dynastic team of MLS but they more than any other team I've seen play beautiful soccer. Everyone played great. No one overstepped his role and everyone was on the same page.

Our defense was on top of its game and Troy Perkins didn't embarass me. I'll go as far as to say that when Nick Rimando comes back he may not be automatically given back his starting position. The signature moment for the defense was at the end of the first half when Troy Perkins totally stuffed a Red Bull NY player (hard to tell from the replay). While the defense could have done better marking the player, it shows how in the crunch someone will step up and take the lead. Our defense is still learning what it needs to work on and what it can get away with. One of those things it can get away with is moving into the offense. Whether it be Boswell on set pieces or Facundo Erpen's sheer audacity anywhere on the field, the defenders are creeping in to worry the opposition. As far as Erpen's concern, I'm still debating whether he was aiming for a goal or was he just shooting towards the goal and he got a miracle goal. Those of you who play soccer know what I'm talking about when I say that when you're halfway between the goal and the midfield line, the last thought that goes through your head is "Gee I think I can score a goal." True we were up by 2 goals, and no one was really putting pressure on him but still. Though if he can make those (or goals similar to it) then all the better. How intimidating must that be for the other defense. You have at least 7 or 8 people who can consistently score or create goals.

On the offensive side, it was Alecko Eskandarian's day. Was anyone else getting annoyed by the announcers' constant chirping about how good and fast Marvell Wynne is? It felt pretty good that his mistake lead to the first goal. And that two other goals originated from his side. So the lesson? No matter how good the rookie is; how quick, physical, blah blah blah, he is still a rookie and can be beaten.

Does anyone else wonder what would have happened if Alecko started last season this way and didn't suffer a concussion? Personally, I think that Bruce Arena would be calling. His quickness, power and instinct makes for a good compliment to Eddie Johnson. He'd be a good sub and definitely shows the intensity that you need to bring to the World Cup. He bleeds his team colors, unfortunately he's still recovering. That being said, I'm still not convinced that Alecko shouldn't be on the team going to Germany. As it stands right now the four forwards are Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Taylor Twellman, and Josh Wolff. Twellman is similar to McBride and Wolff is Johnson's counterpart.

So here's my question: as it stands right now, who's a better forward and who would most help the national team, Josh Wolff or Alecko Eskandarian?

You can guess my bias, but seriously what is Josh Wolff's last contribution to the team? Arena can't bring in Brian Ching because his lack of form for one and also, he would be the third target striker. He's in the same mold as Twellman and McBride. So who accompanies Johnson? I don't think Arena has a choice but to have Wolff. I personally think that Esky is a better player but Wolff does have the experience, then again experience is nothing without the skill to use it with.

Side note: I'm out with my girlfriend in at the Coastal Flats restaurant in Fairfax and who should walk in? None other than Bruce Arena. He just has an air of confidence around him. So he was walking towards the outside bar, yet when we went out there he disappeared. The uncharacteristicly slow service that Saturday prevented us from asking him the status of the World Cup Roster, especially Ben Olsen's status.

Dude, Where's My Stadium?

2006-04-19T21:29:00.000-04:00

I haven't heard much being said lately about DC United plans for a new stadium (besides Mayor Anthony Williams seemingly empty promise during the first game of the season). There was a point over the break that I almost lost hope. It's great that the DCU front office is low-profile about the stadium except for the fact that it also leaves us non-investigative people in the dark.

Well since I don't want to do any research on actual school work, I present you with what I've dug up regarding the soccer specific stadium at Poplar Point.

Last I heard the obstacle to overcome was that the stadium site was owned by the federal government, which means that in order to be leased to build a stadium, it has to be owned by the District. In order to be sold/given to DC, Congress has to pass a bill.

On March 31, 2006 the Washington Business Journal ran its "Conversation with Kevin Payne." Here's the important excerpt:

How are things going with D.C. United's proposed new stadium?

The legislation is in the Congress. We don't believe there are any impediments. We believe it has cleared most of the hurdles in the House and the Senate. We've been and will continue to work with agencies of the city including the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. The AWC has recently begun the master planning process on the land, which we expect to be done expeditiously, and then we'll work together on the process of the ultimate land transfer and what the deal will be between us and the AWC. It is our hope that we will be playing in the new stadium either in 2008 or at the very latest in 2009.

How will that change the team?

It will change the business dramatically. We are in a situation at RFK where it is virtually impossible to make money. There are no suites. There are no club seats. Our share of big-game revenues are small [compared with what the team would get with a new stadium]. It is difficult to maximize day-of-game revenues because the concession facilities are antiquated. It is just a difficult place to do business.

The House Bill is called the Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2005 (H.R. 3699) It's a whole lot of contract and legal speak. I only skimmed through it and it all seems uneventful. It looks like the last action was done in February.

I dug a little deeper and found this. I know it's old but it's nice to see a government official say to the House Subcommitte on National Parks of the Committee on Resources that the Department of the Interior strongly supports the bill.

The Senate has its own version of the bill and the same government official made pretty much the same speech in front of the Senate.

Here you can find entire Anacostia Waterfront Initiative plans.

Here you'll see maps of the entire area for the National Park Service (not to mention another copy of the bill)

Here you can find the Senate hearing on the subject.

To sum up everyone is pretty much saying that giving the land to the District of Columbia would make everything better. The U.S. Government isn't using it and, in fact, since it's not in use, it's actually a detriment. So it seems to me that the bill has to go through the motions and there are no real problems in transferring the land.

As far as the next steps (building the actual stadium and whatnot), I can't seem to find anything. All those links above don't actually mention a stadium, but I couldn't imagine *not* building the stadium.

I'm sure I'll post more as more comes out but for now all I want to say is that when the stadium is build they better actually have seats that are field level. Right now we usually get tickets on the first row right where the players get sign autographs, but seriously it's maybe 15 feet away from the actual field, which will not do for the new place. I want to be scared that I'm going to get pummelled by a clearance, that's how close I want to be. Also there better be a section that has some give so that the entire section can bounce along with La Barra Brava. I don't think there is anything more intimidating than seeing a whole side of a stadium bouncing and chanting in unison (especially if it's only 5 feet away from the players). Also, I'd want better acoustics so that I can hear the other side of the stadium's chant. The goal should be to create a stadium atmosphere that, when I bring friends neutral to soccer, will penetrate their soulds and with awe and excitement.

Just a suggestion.

Sounds of the Game

2006-04-17T19:09:00.000-04:00

I say "sounds" cause after struggling to get a video feed for the first 15 minutes of the game on Saturday I gave up and settled for the audio feed. Did anyone else have their hopes of watching online dashed when about 3 minutes into the game the nice video link that's usually on the Sights and Sounds page on MLSNet (the 350K link next to the games) just disappeared. What made it worse was that the DC United homepage still had a "Watch Live" link. My hopes of watching one of the matches that we could see in the finals this year were dashed.

I also noticed something else. As I understand it MLS will charge $20.00 a year to watch the games that for the past two years were free. So far so good, I was actually thinking that one of the ways to increase revenue was to charge for the games. The only part that troubles me as a DC United fan (and more importantly a COX Cable subscriber) is that the games that will be shown online are the ones that aren't broadcast by ABC (fine), ESPN (ok), ESPN2 (check), and HDNET (huh?). That means that if ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 or HDNET are exclusively broadcasting the game then it will not be online.

I'm not 100% sure but I think that if ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 aren't broadcasting the game then Comcast Sportsnet will carry the game. If these four don't broadcast the game then that usually means HDNET will pick it up. But if you are a COX subscriber, even digital cable (which I recently signed up for), you will miss the game. There is no incentive for me to give MLS my money if the only games that I will miss (the ones that are exclusively shown on HDNET) are not going to be online. If I'm wrong, please someone let me know. I may have to switch to satelite (COX btw is one of the only carriers in the country that doesn't carry GOLTV in their channel line-up, so it won't be hard to convince me to switch)

So this means that the game analysis will be brief cause it's hard to get perspective and see plays developing when (as great as he may be) the announcer can only focus on one player at a time.

Here's what I did notice: Josh Gros is maybe the best investment for the future of this team. As his minutes increase, he continues to gain confidence and more comfortable combining his strength and speed while maintaining his vision on the field. From the MLSNet highlights (which is a great feature), on the play that lead to the foul and his goal, the ball was passed in his vicinity by Troy Perkins and at first it looked like the defender would have no problem securing the ball. Out of nowhere Gros speeds by and is able to shoulder the defender off the ball and crosses the ball straight to Jaime Moreno. Gros also plays defense and can run forever. If he continues to improve like this he will in no time have English teams calling. His tenacity and work ethic would make him a perfect fit in England's Championship League or even Premiership.

You know whose name I didn't hear a lot? Troy Perkins. You know what that means? The defense held its own against maybe the most lethal scorer in the league. The backline shut down Houston's Alejandro Moreno and Brian Ching. Ching's disappearance was shocking because the biggest weakness for the DC defense was set pieces and crosses in general, which is Ching's expertise. To name any one player would be a disservice to the other defenders so for this game the collective defense gets my accolades. I will mention Perkins because I haven't been his biggest fan. For this game he did great. He got the shut out and from how it sounded he didn't have any nervous moments. This is one good way to gain confidence, especially since Houston will probably finish the season as one of the better offensive teams.

What more can you say about the offense? Like I've said before the number of weapons DC has is incredible. Ben Olsen and Josh Gros are great in the clean up roles, Adu and Eskandarian being able to score amazing goals, Christian Gomez and Jaime Moreno can create and finish goals with the best in the league. I wish Lucio Filomeno would get over the hump and score his first goal. He seems so close just a step too slow or a couple inches off. Regardless, it is hard to defend our offense and focusing on any one or two players leaves plenty of room for the others to exploit.

Up Next: Rematch of the homeopener. Red Bull NY welcomes DC United. Let's see if our potent offense can pick up where it left off during the second half of the last game, while our defense can better protect our half of the field.

Game Day in Pictures

2006-04-13T20:07:00.000-04:00

Last weekend's game was a bit of a contrast to the season opener. In the first game there were twice as many people and it was a gorgeous day. Last Saturday was cold and wet. There were more ponchos last weekend, though there was one guy without a shirt on in La Barra Brava. The one thing that stayed the same was the fact that the other team was well represented by their supporters. The game was sloppy so that leads to sloppy pictures. Enjoy!

This was the common scene in the stands. As the game started, more and more fans sat in the rain but for the most part you saw fans under shelter.

Unlike the last game I could actually hear the chants from La Barra Brava. This was interesting because at certain points in the game, especially when the Chivas fans were getting louder, our side of the stadium joined in on the other side's chants. It made for a pretty good feeling of solidarity.

The aforementioned Chivas fans. Needless to say that they were very upset when the refs didn't call the free kick a goal. Oh well, there's always next time. They should be commended for the support of their team (though I'm not sure if they support Chivas-Guadalejara or Chivas USA).

The greatest sight after a goal is that gorgeous flag.

Now for the team:

National team goalscorer: John Wilson & Clyde Simms
Ben Olsen

Reserve player: Christian Gomez
Brandon Prideaux

Man of the Match:
Jaime Moreno

Jaime Moreno via Google Video

2006-04-08T23:50:00.000-04:00

I don't know who this Matt Hilliard guy is but he's my new favorite person!
Here's a highlight video of Jaime Moreno. I could watch these videos all day long.
As he's approaching the league lead in goals, I can't help but remember my dad going on and on about how amazing this guy was going to be as we drove to his very first game as a D.C. United player about mid-way through the first MLS season. I remember hanging out with him and my dad watching golf of all things and how he loves my mom's cooking. He's just a normal guy, even coming to my high school graduation party.
It makes me proud to read everything that is written about him.

As a side note: it's amazing how many times Jaime absolutely embarrassed Matt Reis. Good stuff.

Fun with Google Video

2006-04-08T23:39:00.000-04:00

Every D.C. United fan has to check out this video by Matt Hilliard.
It shows Alecko Eskandarian's goals from the 2004 season. It's incredible and makes me excited for the day he gets his killer instinct and touch back to 100%.
If you have trouble viewing it go to Google Video to find out why. I think you'll need Macromedia Flash Player or something.

Game Day Report

2006-04-08T18:59:00.000-04:00

What an ugly game. The weather was cold and wet and the slick conditions made the ball hard to control. Keep in mind that the following is from my perspective at the game.

Bobby Boswell start.,Alecko Eskandarian started and Christian Gomez returned from serving his suspension. Clyde Simms, Freddy Adu and Brandon Prideaux all sacrified their spots. The first half of the game showed exactly what we are good at and exactly what other teams can exploit. First of all, a goal can come from anywhere as proven by lethal shots from Jaime Moreno, Alecko, and Lucio Filomeno. Ben Olson was just itching for a loose ball that he could get National Team type shot at. The weather was just bad enough to disrupt the shots and passes. Sometimes though it seems like they were trying to string together too many passes, which is a big flaw is teams that play beautiful soccer such as United.

The defense on the other hand seems like organized chaos. Just a lot of flailing, stabbing and sliding until we get the ball back. Erpen gambles just enough to win a majority of the balls but every once in a while will get beat and it's devastating, considering our keeper is losing his confidence by the minute. Boswell is too slow to get into the footraces that Erpen's gambling gets him into. Our worst defense came when the Chivas players decided to run straight at us. Our timing was off and they were able to put dangerous passes together. Ante Razov actually looks dangerous, which is much different than I'm used to seeing him. Paco Palencia is their main weapon and for very good reason. Our defense fought tooth and nail to contain them.

There were a couple of good moments in the game. For one, at the beginning of the game Josh Gros sat deeper in the mid-field. He was almost a right defender while Erpen and Boswell were in the middle. The two of them are very complimentary with Erpen's flamboyent style and Boswell's hard as a rock style. I wonder if we would be better served with four defenders, the only problem is that one of the central midfielders would be sacrificed. Has anyone else noticed Carroll's offensive mentality? He's still good at his position but every once in a while he'll push up and actually hold the ball and take players on trying to create offensive plays. I think that it's great and I want to see more of it.

Now for the goals. That first goal by Jaime was a little lucky. Due to the aforementioned slick conditions Brad Guzan couldn't hold on to the ball and it skid past him and trickled into the goal. It was a nice way to shut up the Chivas fans in the stands. As for the Chivas "goal", at no point did the entire ball cross the goalline. The ball hit the crossbar bounced straight down then right back up and hit the crossbar again only to bounce out. Now I understand the complaints of the Chivas community (read whining) since it looked like a goal to the naked eye. But the physics doesn't really seem to make sense. There would have to be insane amounts of top-spin (or bottom-spin I'm not sure) on the ball to make it so the ball went into the goal and bounced back in a way that when it hit the crossbar for the second time it would bounce out. But maybe I'm being apologetic. The second goal on the otherhand was too much for Guzan. Jaime's rifle of a shot was blocked by the Chivas keeper but the ball was wet enough to continue in the direction of the goal and it just fell in. Seriously in the stands it looked gorgeous. And the fact that Freddy and Jaime had other chances speaks to how the game could have ended in a rout.

All in all, DC dominated the first half, Chivas dominated most of the second half and DC dominated the last five minutes, including extra time (which if you remember was a weak spot last season). Our defense may be in trouble when we face the better teams such as Houston, KC, or NE, but our offense has the potential to always keep us in the game.

**CORRECTIONS**
1) Turns out Jaime's first goal was not on his strike but a ricochet off of Guzan. Still his courage to get in front of the clearance and redirect it into the goal is pretty impressive.
2) The non-goal by Chivas did not hit the crossbar a second time. It only hit the crossbar after the shot and as Jason S points out in the comments had so much spin that it bounced away from the goal. Watching it on video, I can't help but wonder why Troy didn't even jump for it. It seemed as though he thought it was go over the goal.

Pictures and Post-game Conversations

2006-04-06T15:16:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to show you guys what I was talking about when I said that the atmosphere at RFK Stadium during D.C. United games is one of the best U.S. soccer has to offer.

On the left, you can see that the ref just award Red Bull NY a freekick. If you look closely, you can see that our fans on the other side of the stadium do not really care for the ref's opinion. Is it just me or does anyone else prefer "Red Bull New York" instead of the "New York Red Bulls"?

On the right you can really see how full the stadium is without the glare of the sun. Now you can pretty much fill in the rest of the stadium and the parts of the upper deck and you can imagine what the entire stadium looked like. This picture is from the second half right before the first goal. We were firing on all cylinders and the everyone knew that the goal would come soon.
This is a picture of our side of the stadium, the quiet side. I'd say most of the "soccer moms" and their families have tickets on this side. Unfortunately (or fortunately if trying prevent a huge brawl), all the Red Bull fans were also on this side. If you look closely, in the shadows, you will notice the Red Bull Fans cheering in unison. They dominated the sound for the first half of the stadium. But the stadium roared after Alecko's goal and our "quiet" side came alive. Proud of our team, we were not to be disgraced in our own house. For the rest of the game, the entire stadium was itching for more goals and ready to explode with excitement. I don't remember hearing much out of the Red Bull fans after that.

So after the game a lot of people stay to get autographs. Well what I'm about to describe is the reason I think Alecko Eskandarian is something special and why (for me) Freddy Adu has a long road ahead of him. Both players had good games (even though it was Freddy's foul that led to the first goal) and neither had anything to be ashamed of.

Alecko was gladly signing autographs and going through the normal routine, it was awkwardly quiet so I decided to make a little joke. I said, "hey, why don't you facebook us?" alluding to the website popular among the collegiate contingency that joined me at the game. He has a profile and everything but apparently never responds. Well, he explodes into laughter that is infectious because everyone started laughing. He went on for a long time after signing autographs.

Freddy on the otherhand seemed burdened by having to sign autographs. At one point he complained over how far away the fans were located from him on the field (due to a separation for the baseball setup). He seemed frustrated that the fans would locate themselves at a place where he would have to lift his arms and reach to give autographs. I may be wrong be he seems like a bit of a "diva". I don't see him ever being the type of player like a Christian Gomez or Jaime Moreno or even Alecko.

Those three players show passion and desire. They not only love the game, but they love the uniform the put on. They are what makes the game great. Not just great play, but great attitudes.