This might be a crap thread, but there seems to be a disconnect. I don't mean whether the team can win literally. I'm sure DC can win some games this year. My problem is this: My reaction, and the reaction of others, seems to be that thus far, DC looks like a cellar team and we didn't see that coming. Granted: It's two games against teams that are supposed to be good. It may be too early for "the sky is falling" posts. However, I haven't seen anyone saying, "if only..." The defense hasn't looked quite as fragile as last year, but still is prone to mistakes, poor communication, and giveaways (and giving up 45+/90+ goals). The midfield has been a non-factor - the "stars" of this team, DeRo, Pontius, Najar, and Boskovic (insofar as he is a DP), haven't looked particularly impressive. Maicon Santos has displayed the shooting accuracy of Quaranta's later years. We haven't seen much of Salihi, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is going to get good service or that he can create without it. Offensively, creativity and ideas have been non-existent. Execution all over the field has been poor. Looking at the pre-season expectations thread, I don't think a lot of us saw this coming (if you did, good for you). I'm wondering if people think a turnaround toward the pre-season expectations seems realistic and if that is to happen, how would it look? What specifically would we need to see for the current DC team to look competitive against the top teams?
Season Motto: It's the Possession, Stupid. We give the ball away so easily in the linking from defense to midfield that we couldn't win with Barca's attacking players right now. We have to focus in on making changes that will allow us to get and hold the ball for extended stretches and allow our attacking talent to do its work. If you're asking for actual fixes, for me it starts with moving DeRo into the #10 role and giving him freedom to move deeper to get the ball. I'd use Pontius and Salihi up top, with Bosko in his natural left mid position and Najar over on the right. Ideally, I'd have 2 D-mids to provide that very attack-minded group of players with some support (and make it easier for our passing-challenged defenders to link up), but I'm not sure we have the personnel to run a 3-5-2.
I think we need De Ro in the midfield and two strikers up top. we need to find somebody who can play LB. Saragosa had a good showing in the mid today, I think he's better than Kitchen right now so let's try Kitchen there when he gets back from olympic duty. and we need to shitcan Boskovic. put that money somewhere else. my two cents.
I'm going old school and donning my flame retardant suit, but I was actually encouraged by this game. I still firmly believe there's an exciting attacking team in there somewhere and it will just take some time to figure it out. United will improve, but so will everyone else. They are in the east so they have a shot. If I can get over the frustration of inconsistent performances, I think this team will be fun to watch. But defensively, they're just going to take turns being calamitous. I have no confidence that this is a solid group, nor do I believe Olsen and company will successfully mask its deficiencies. All I care about is winning at home. If United can't do that, Olsen has to go, simple as that.
Some idiot at DCU has believed we could play a 4-4-2 with "two way" midfielders and high flying wings for since we dumped Gomez and the 3-5-2. Such midfielders are rare in MLS.
Yes, this team can win. For one thing, not playing the odds on favorites for MLS Cup 2012 back to back in weeks 1 and 2, would help. DC took a very good KC to the wire before losing unfortunatley. DC gave up a bad goal late in the first half to LA, and still held up well until the last 15 minutes or so. Yes, these are rationalizations, but this team is better than it's results. There are very encouraging signs undeniably. They have not been able to have a good pre-season together, they have a ridiculously hard opening raft of games (any MLS teams have a harder first 5 games? Anyone?). Just saying this team is behind the 8-ball. As long as they don't lose their nerve or implode with injuries, etc., they will get a lot better as the season goes on. They just have to get into the top 5 in the East and there's plenty of reason they will. Nothing but patience needs to happen.
Yeah this team can win. Honestly with the unproductive preseason we had who really expected DC to get much out of their first 3 games? It's a brutal start to the season. If you look at the conference we're in there are 5 other teams I think sitting on 0 points. There's 2 more sitting on 1 point. Our playoff chances will be decided when we play these teams. I still think April is the key. We play mostly Eastern teams in April and mostly at home. If we're not in the top 5 by the end of April I'll start to worry. My only worry before then is that there's seemingly a lot of incompetence and lack of confidence from the coaching staff. I can only hope that they have a long term plan. Everyone in MLS always says that you want to hit your peak in late summer/fall going into the playoff run. I'm hoping that the starting lineup against LA somehow fits into that bigger picture, because if Olsen honestly thought that this was the best 11 he could put out there for this specific game, we're in real trouble.
It's not the losses per se, it's the lack of actual competitiveness during the games. DCU got one shot on goal against KC and couldn't maintain possession. If not for Willis standing on his head yesterday, it's 2-0 or 3-0 at halftime. Right now DCU reminds me of the USMNT of the early '90's, they were "competitive" in that they would hold on for 45 or 60 or 70 minutes before imploding. However, you knew they never had the wherewithal to actually challenge a better opponent and actually make them concerned they would lose the game.
I'm going to agree with the statement in general. Since Tommy Soehn this team has been a slow starting team, Why? Lack of head coach experience. And you could say the same with assistant coaches too. Obviously learning to prepare a team in pre-season in a big key for a head coach. Once the season starts, then the coaches attempt to find consistency, then correct the consistently weak problems. I believe Olsen and the others do a decent job at this. In 2010 he made small strides with very limited time and resources. Last year's team was significantly better than 2010, and probably would have made the playoffs with one or two better bench players. If Olsen is around by the end of 2012, I feel this team will end up better, and probably in the playoffs. It is important to realize that DC United played two of the better teams in MLS. Likewise, both have incredible home records. Like Colorado, SKC and LA are owning their home field, which is expected by good/great teams. I'll think that 15 points at the tenth game will be what I'm expecting. I actually believe that they'll get 6-10 points over the next five games. Somewhere between 1-3-1 and 3-1-1.
Did I wake up on Mars today? Mike Martin and his constant preaching of patience is beyond me. C'mon Lonnie, I know you're with me!!
I am waiting to see how Mike's being patient is gonna play out. I feel I may end up like the unfortunate Discovery Channel cameraman watching one of the last of a dying breed being eaten by an alligator when he finally cracks. I am, in general, over-optimistic about United each season. I definitely started out that way in 2012. After watching the defense in Charleston and the whole team this LA game, I am fixin' to hit the panic button. It is like we have gone out and found 23 people who have never heard of soccer and signed them to contracts. Is it the black uniforms? We seem to enjoy passing to people wearing different colors than us. Maybe if each player wore a different color we'd accidentally complete more of our passes?
As everyone else said, no possession. We need to get a midfielder for Branko, or slot DeRo in that role. Otherwise, we miss the playoffs. That is the measuring stick here, right?
My wife and I were talking and came to the conclusion that this team needs consistency. Yes, there are Olympic qualifiers to deal with, but that only means there should be only three 'ideal' lineup players not on the starters list. I know Ben wants to insist on giving the starting spots to those who show the best in practice. To an extent I can handle that, but not when it means ridding all semblance of a consistent line up. (You know what, I think Grasscutter's right about this!) Someone mentioned Barca above, so let's look at that example. How often in the last 4 years has Pep Guardiola made 4 unprovoked (i.e. not injury or international call-up related) changes to his lineup? If it has happened, it hasn't happened very often, and certainly not in the first two games of the La Liga season. I believe we would be hard pressed to find a team on MLS history that has made those sorts of changes from week to week that has made the playoffs. (By the way, any references to MetroScum will be ignored just as anything MetroScum should be. Other than the stink, of course.)
There is ZILCH for speed. It is very hard to win in this league without someone who can stretch defenses and create space for mids. We don't have enough in the center mids (thanks Bronco II) to hold the ball under any kind of pressure. Sorry, I'm not seeing it. That said, if someone emerges with some burst we could see this team make a 'run'.
Lack of quality players, especially defenders, is a pretty good excuse. Jakovic < Boswell. McDonald < Hainault. Russell < Jeff Cameron. Korb/Woolard < Ashe.
Cruz, Deleon and Najar all have speed. We need get speed on the field. We have an orange traffic cone combination at left/right back, neither of whom provide defense in place of their lack of offense making continued selection an exercise in futility. Olsen needs to get with the program and check out the wide world of football and see that these days the left and right back are attackers more than anything else. He could play wide midfielders like Deleon and Cruz at left and or right back and put speed onto the field.
