News: DC United 2014 - News, Speculation, and links

Ho do you square this with your argument before the season that historically most teams in MLS that made the playoffs earned 13 points or more in their first ten games? That would suggest that 0-2-4 is a bad place for NYRBLOL to be: from your own research, they would need to win three of their next four (and Chicago would need 2 wins and 2 draws).

In contrast, if United win two of their next 5 games, thats your 13 points in the first ten games benchmark.

 

You're about 4x more likely to get into the playoffs if you get 14 or more points, correct. I think one way to get around the deficit is by at least earning points each game and showing that you can earn points over time.

Few teams earned 20 or more and didn't make the playoffs but some earned 14 or less and made them. We're talking statistical odds here.

 

That's not at all what he said. He said DC played very "direct", which is true. That style doesn't suit his strengths - again correct. He's also right that the young guys won't get much time in DC this year -- again true because that is what we saw last year with Jeffrey, Silva, Porter and Doyle getting big minutes. It's not unreasonable to assume Olsen/Kasper will utilize those players they think will win (and help them keep their jobs). Munoz wasn't one of them. Let's see how much time he gets in KC, or whether or not he winds up in Orlando playing in USL this season and probably there next year in MLS.

 

He'll be the star of the Oklahoma City Energy for years to come.

 

Saying we play direct is about as charitable as you can possibly put it. We hoof it over the top and pray for someone to run onto it and hold the ball. Once we get a lead, we bunker in -- even if it's the first half. That last win was pure luck and was not at all entertaining to watch.

 

If we were depending on Munoz to play significant minutes this season, then we were already in trouble.

 

What I liked best was that he referred to the club as "Kansas" - shades of Ray Hudson!

Back to Rolfe, didn't I read somewhere that we were trying to get him in that free agent thingy they do in the fall? That would indicate that he wasn't signed just as an emergency replacement, but we were interested all along. So far he's looked better than I remember Pontius playing last year. Of course, I've tried to block out all of last year...

 

i disagree

glad the team is getting points but i'd rather suffer short term and build a solid skilled team

he was a good prospect for the style we should be trying to play

 

I don't believe you.

People would be howling for the severed heads of everyone involved if they spent a season rebuilding after last year's cavalcade of shit. We may not like it but Olsen & co. are stuffing this team full of experienced "winners" to get this team up to acceptably decent. Munoz wasn't going to play one minute this season under any circumstances, no matter how much potential he had, if any.

 

all most fans want is a plan
it would be nice if the plan was effective (and entertaining)

last year was pointless

no plan
no results
no beauty

 

There is one and only one plan (how well it is being done, I do not know) - Get a stadium deal.

All other plans come form there. As far as organizationally, anyway.

Olsen's plan (tactics?) seems to be "find a bunch of guys with fight and good chemistry." I wish I could see something more concrete.

 

http://www.dcunited.com/blog/unmarked/2014/04/18/unmarked-ep-1-ben-olsen-micd-up

you guys seen this? Olsen's manner doesn't fill me with confidence. seems like he's feeling in the dark.

 

Fascinating. And yes, I had the same reaction as you.

 

I hate to say it but that bench does not inspire. I think there's a disconnect between our bench and the spirit of the beautiful game. I really wish Olsen would be more confident, take more risks and get a little crazy ... I think Olsen should model himself after Diego Simeone and Jurgen Klopf and show more emotion and instill a sense that winning is inevitable. If we're not going to do it with brains lets at least do it with balls.

 

On the United website, Preston Burpo talks about the upcoming match and what Espindola and EJ bring to the team. His remarks about EJ are disturbing: he describes his role as Pajoy redux; holding up play, dishing off balls, winning long balls from the back, etc.. I want EJ to be running onto balls other players have won and dished off.

 

Exactly! Don't those tools understand what they have? They've got a pretty decent MLS scorer in EJ, and they want him to pull the Pajoy duty? Are they trying to lose on purpose? Hell's Bells!

 

WOW! And this is our COACH?? No wonder players aren't motivated, they may as well coach themselves... Any assistant coach could do better than this, man... We need a MORE EXPERIENCED COACH, we need a REAL COACH

 

Agreed ... Olsen just looks so uncomfortable and unnatural as a coach. He has not been able to allow his personality to grow into the role. He inspires no confidence and he doesn't seem to be enjoying himself.

 

Totally - he's still too much a "player" rather than a coach... He can motivate you as much as a sleepwalker...

 

Luis Silva is an excellent player that makes others around him play better. Unfortunately, acquiring ego-driven guys like E. J. Does not bode well. Not saying it can't work but it takes a STRONG coach. Coaches like Sir Alex and the Special one... Etc. Olsen is failing. Does not have the chops IMHO. DC united and San Hose are on similar paths and on a race for the bottom.

 

So a four game unbeaten streak and a game in hand on the teams below you in the table is a "race for the bottom?" Shammy, did you sign up under a new name?

 

Can you give the MLS equivalents of SAF & Mou? It's pretty unlikely that coaches of that caliber will be leaving Europe for anywhere else anytime soon.

Conversely, EJ won't be playing for coaches like that in the near future either.

Thx,

Jay!

 

In fairness, the unaired remainder of his words would have seen the league sanctioned back into the stone age by the FCC, so we probably didn't get the whole story. If curses were top secret, it would have been a blank page except for the word [redacted] . The man's swear jar could feed a third world country.

 

Wait how is Ashton running the offense problem solving?