At this point in time right now, the USOC is the number one priority for the team. Period. This would mean resting starters again NY. Perhaps just playing Emilio, Fred a half and giving Moreno the whole night off. Maybe saving Perralta for Tuesday or just giving him about 15 in the game against NY to work his fitness. I want to see this team win some silverware and this might be the best chance to do it. They haven't won USOC in 12 years either so its about time. Am I alone in thinking this? HBR
1.we could still win, we only need to be top 8 in the league 2.yeah pretty much out of reach 3.auto bid for CCL next year (IMPORTANT) 4.were in the group of death, with how thin our lineup is, i say this is the last priority so in other words, i dont mind if we play reserves against NY, esp since there pretty weak right now, but i would still like to win
You're not alone. And despite what Jeremy hopes will happen, this team is increasingly unlikely to win the Supporters Shield and MLS Cup while a possibility is a far longer shot than the Open Cup. All we have to do is beat New England and some USL team, C'Mon. No Open Cup win could mean DC sits out of the 2009/2010 CONCACF Champions League. I don't think anyone wants that so yeah, Open Cup should be the priority. In reality its our best shot for international play next year. DC has taken too long to sort out its issues to hope for any shot at entry vis a vie the Supporter's Shield. And who think we're going to win MLS Cup with Zack Bambi Wells in goal?
Because the USOC is first, I think they should go all in. It's the best chance we have at winning something this year. I believe we can compete for the MLS Cup but it's far off and mathematically more difficult. Especially if the team doesn't reload somehow. HBR
Did I not read that DC has asked to postpone the USOC to September? I thought this was if they go to the final? Not against NE. HBR
Given where we are, I think our most likely chance at hardware is USOC. That said, which players exactly are we planning to play against NY? Even if we wanted to rest some players, I don't know if we have the depth to put out a B team that would make any sense. We're in the playoff hunt, the Metros are too, and they are our rival. Plus, we are in their heads. I think we want to win that game. And to the larger issue, how have we gotten to this point? And no, bad luck is not an answer -- all teams have some bad luck. Is it conditioning? Schedule management? Poor development of the b squad? I just feel like we've been here before and we need to figure this out -- especially since other teams (Houston) seem to have addressed the challenge.
I agree with you on all points here. With the PinkCows in the hunt for a playoff spot and our ever so important Atlantic Cup at stake we can rest some but not all of our guys. I think in large part the problem is poor development of our reserves. It's been a problem for a while, we haven't seen these younger guys really be able to step it up when it matters. The injuries haven't helped much either. We need to go "All-In" for USOC, the Supporters Shield is pretty much a wash and MLS Cup while still a possibility, is going to take a lot more effort at this point given all of our remaining matches. My priority list: 1. A NEW STADIUM 2. USOC 3. MLS Cup 4. CCL 5. Supporters Shield and yes this is a change from the priority rankings I posted eariler this year, just goes to show in this town priorities always change.
You think we have a decent chance at winning the Supporters' Shield? I'd agree if I thought we did. But at this point, I think we have less than a snowball's chance in hell of winning the Supporters' Shield; so it's hard to fathom prioritizing it ahead of USOC. It's sorta like prioritizing winning the PowerBall over going to work tomorrow -- yeah, it'd sure be cool if I won the PowerBall, but it ain't gonna happen, and it'd be silly to blow off work over the chance.
Agree with Bootsy, here. We have no chance of winning the Supporter's Shield, and a slim chance at MLS Cup, again IMHO. The best shot we have of winning anything this year is USOC. If we don't win the USOC this year (from what I've seen of the team in the last several matches), we're not winning anything, IMHO.
We're 11 points behind New England, with a game in hand. Sure, it's unlikely that we'll win the SS, but it's too soon to rule it out, at least IMO.
To answer the OP's thread title in the form of a question: NO My priority list: 1. USOC 2. MLS Cup 3. CCL 4. Supporters Shield The supporters shield, at this point, is pretty much out of reach. As others have stated, MLS Cup is still a possibility, given its a clean slate tournament for every club involved regardless of table position at the close of the regular season. ( home field advantage aside) Realistically, The USOC is the best possible chance we have at any sort of "prestigious" award this year, and I say United should full on focus on that for now.
My .02 on priorities at this time: 1. USOC 2. MLS Cup 3. CCL 4. Shield We need to win the next USOC game at all costs. It is a high probability shot at getting to CCL next year. The effort it would take to win the shield will kill this team. I am prepared to accept league ties/losses to win USOC and advance in CCL for next spring. We just have to make the playoffs to have a shot at winning the cup. And I don't see us winning out all tourney's and the league with the schedule we have in August and September (having starters healthy or not). So I'm with HBR and several others on this.
I do not see how giving all of our attention to the USOC now affects our chances in MLS Cup at all. Shield... sure, but as long as we make the playoffs (which I do not think focusing on USOC would stop) then we can give each one all we have just at different times.
I agree with your response to the question and your priorities but it is actually a very poor question as we do not have to sacrifice all to win another 2 games for USOC. So maybe we sacrifice the NY game and another for USOC. We will not sacrifice the playoffs for it. The NY game itself is a real challenge just for the fact that Peralta and Tino need to build up some stamina and need to get on the field with the first 11 again. Now with the group we have in CCL we will have some serious decisions to be able to maintain a playoff position and advance in CCL next spring. That will be the real challenge.
I don't have problem with playing reserves + invited PDL players in NJ as long as it means we have competitive team with balls* vs Revs *not sure we have any of those left
seconded, a point that needs to be emphasized. At the most you're looking at fielding a less than full strength squad in 2 regular season games in order to concentrate on the USOC. Shouldn't really make a difference in terms of qualifying for the playoffs. In my mind the priorities are; 1) new trainer 2) MLS Cup 2.a.) CCL 2.b.) USOC
In regards to our run to the Cup, we do have several CCL matches in Sept/Oct that could play in to our overall health as a team going into the playoffs. There are definitely a lot of "what-if" scenarios that can play out, especially depending on which competitions earn the priority status.
I do not see how giving all of our attention to the USOC now affects our chances in MLS Cup at all. It would just mean resting key players in a few games. Remember DC plays the 10th and 16th around their 12th USOC... so a both games would likely see limited star action. Also the final match would see the same course of action if we got there. That is 4 games and a potential 16 points. Not to mention the fact that DC has 6 games left at home and 8 on the road. The 4 games affected by USOC could have a big affect on making the playoffs... Have you seen the table lately? We are one point away from being in the lower 10 of the league. HBR
We won't have to SACRIFICE ALL to win the USOC - Its only two more games tightly packed in between Red Bulls two days before and similar congestion last week in August ending with the Bulls - Rest starters a bit for those games right around the USOC games and take the toss of the die I think the Supporter's Shield is out of reach right now, unless New England & Columbus fall apart completely in Aug and Sept and Oct - NE has their own schedule congestion last of Aug beginning of Sept with a series against Joe Public to qualify for their CCL spot - If they qualify, they're in a relatively easier group with only Atlante as a serious opponent, but all those are still 8 extra games for them - That leaves Columbus, Chicago and Real Salt Lake as potential league leaders WITHOUT extra CCL games - DCU would have to be red-hot and all those guys would have to go stone-cold and/or tie each other all the time - We could start to get hot in late Sept early Oct which would be ideal for the playoffs, but thats the best we can expect And the MLS Cup is a crap shoot, AND you need a game-stopper goallee to stand a chance in a tournament - Wells is improving here and there a bit every game, but he has never shown he has this quality in him this year - We might be peaking at the right time, but I still don't think we have the clean sheet defense and goallee we would need - And I don't think we'll have too much difficulty qualifying That leaves the CCL - As I said elsewhere, doing well here really boils down to how well we do against Saprissa - Not automatically easy, but we should win here and hope for a tie down there - Beat the others Central American team and then squeeze a tie at home against Cruz Azul, who should beat the pants off of everyone else - We don't have the WIN the CCL group - Just come in 2nd and that would be great USOC and CCL - Then take your chances in the MLS Playoffs if we get hot - SS is out of reach
I'm afraid that it's the USOC or nothing because (unless there's a dramatic roster upheaval over the next month) we're probably not going to make it back to the MLS Cup championship game (assuming, of course, that we even make the playoffs) and, roster overhaul or not, we're too far behind to win the Supporter's Shield. Anybody here think that we've got much of a chance of escaping the Group of Death in the CCL this fall? Ha! Winning the USOC is eminently do-able now that we're in the semi-finals. And, it would be the gift that keeps on giving because it would get us a birth in next year's CCL. Maybe, next year with fewer injuries and another year of rebuilding the team, we might have some fun in the CCL.
Winning USOC requires little sacrifice (only 2 MLS regular season matches fall near the USOC schedule, correct?). Therefore, if I were Soehn, I would put best face forward for USOC games and rest players on 2 reg season matches. MLS Cup, while unlikely given our current form, it is not something to "sacrifice" ever, in my opinion. Supporter's Shield means nothing to me. We dont stand a chance in CCL or any other international competition as we have no depth to deal with those games AND MLS Playoffs.