Pre-match: DC United v. Tonto's F*C*

Where: Estadio RFK
When: Saturday, May 19, 7:30 pm
TV: Comcast SportsNet

Still plenty of prime seats available... With 8 MLS losses in a row, will this be the match that gets Aron Winter sacked?


"No, srsly, dude, the fish had to be this big! I woulda got it, too, but that mofo snapped my line."

I'm still fuming about last time they came here, with that De Guzman goal in the middle of our sub.

Those fuzzy penguins have a 62% better chance at putting together 90 minutes of good soccer than TF(ing)C has.

They only beat Canadian and CONCACAF teams, they have no chance against a decent MLS side like United

I can only hope the guys are serious and prepared for this match and don't let up because of Toronto's record. Or be looking forward to either the NE game or their time off. If they do, they'll lose this game.
Otherwise I have no concerns.

You should. TFC outplayed us in the first half up in Toronto.

TFC plays a very different style of midfield than Colorado does. I don't expect Boskovic to have the same kind of performance as Wednesday -- and I don't mean that as an insult at all, but just an acknowledgment that he's not going to get the same time on the ball.

Our biggest advantage at this point has to be that Toronto's minds are messed up and their morale is for crap. I hope we can jump on them early, get a quick goal or even two; the longer they hang around, the more we could get surprised.

I wouldn't put it that way.

First half stats:

---------------------------DCU------TFC----
Total Completions-------234-------110-----
from w/in Opp. Half------61--------39------
from w/in Final Third*----13--------13-------
Shots-----------------------5---------4-------
from w/in Box-------------1---------2--------

DC dominated the possession, while TFC stacked the back and waited for counters. It was only so-so in terms of success. Our attack bogged down in the final third, as we struggled for ideas against a packed in defense, but that's somewhat normal in that scenario. They were aiming for a smash-and-grab job of scoring one against the run of play and defending long enough to make it count. We didn't do a masterful job breaking it down, they never really took the game to us, and their gameplan never looked all that likely to work (partially, it's because their formation isn't suited to it). I consider it fairly normal that it takes some time to unlock a bunker.

(* "Final Third" is defined here by the mowing line on the Opta chalkboard that is roughly three above the center line, as seen here: http://www.mlssoccer.com/sites/all/...mdGltZT0wLDI3NjEwMDAmem9uZT03MCwxLDEwMCwxMDA=. Results will vary a bit depending on precisely where that line is drawn, but hopefully the general point will remain the same.)

If they play the same type of game they played in Toronto last time, I don't think they'll have any more success against us. With the United offense firing on all cylinders as it has been lately, letting us control possession and take the game into your half is not a smart approach. Do you really want to let Salihi spend the entire game hanging out by your goal? How many long range shots do you want to give Pontius or DeRo? And how many Boskovic corner kicks can a team like TFC absorb?

We're vulnerable to a team like San Jose that can score as well as we can, but I think a team with an anemic attack that is going to try and bunker against us is setting itself up for a disaster.

TFC is flying from Montreal after Wednesday's (1-1 draw, fantastic volley from Hassili)

Amway Canadian Championship final first leg. The second leg is next week. There's a chance TFC rests their players this weekend. But I do not care. DC United must win. Play the same line-up from the mid-week, maybe Pontius/Santos for DeRo.

"Mofo butter layin' me to da' bone, jackin' me up... tight me"

Yeah, this is odd; because what I remember from watching that half is that when we had the ball, we couldn't move it around effectively at all; and when they had the ball, they did.

Now I want to go watch it again, except recording the Houston away match bumped it off my DVR, dammit.

Flying in from Vancouver. Hassli's goal was gorgeous and in the 93rd minute a real heartbreaker.

I still feel like they have an MLS win coming at some point and I worryy that this could be it. They just can't keep losing forever.

that's right, thanks.

I think it only SEEMED that way, because we were expecting them to roll over entirely. United's, and in fact both teams, trouble was maintaining solid possession in the midfield and the transition from midfield to forwards. United did have a better time of it, though. Got a Roku? I think the MLS Live channel can let you watch some archived games without a subscription. I'll have to check mine, but I know I could watch the DC/RBNY game archived.

DC is still a streaky enough team to be worried for every game they play. There is no team in MLS that DCU is above worrying about. I'd put Col, NE, and Tor at about equal likelihood of beating us. NE, probably is the most up and down themselves. If they come out playing well, they can be a real handful. We came away from there with a great result when our solid run was just getting going. 4 points from the next two home games would keep us up in a solid playoff position and keep pressure on the other second tier Eastern Division teams. Unlike last year, we could be the ones with points and other teams could be chasing us and trying to count on games in hand. We all know how that went for us last year.

I get it. Nobody wants to be the guy that tempts fate and posts about us being a better side than Toronto and a team that should expect three points here. With them at 0-8, nobody wants to be the jinx guy.

Everyone would feel MUCH better about this game if Toronto was 1-7. Which is pretty bizzare when you think about it. I mean, they didn't get to 0-8 by losing a series of coin flips. They earned it by being a shockingly poor side. They have some counterattacking prowess through Plata that we need to keep an eye on. They have some size in the defensive midfield and on the backline. But when you look at the sides that have bedeviled us (throwing out the Houston game where we were setup to fail), they aren't remotely close to as good in stringing together an attack, and they are very weak and disorganized defensively. Hassli's volleyed goal at midweek in the Canadian final was awesome, but remember that it came from leaving Vancouver's best player completely unmarked ten yards from goal in the dying moments of a 1-0 game. Hassli actually had time to work some touches in there but just chose to turn on the style instead. Toronto isn't just some hard luck side -- they actually do suck. Their goal differential is -12, 5 worse than any other team in the league despite having played the fewest games. They're a train wreck.

You don't EVER take three points for granted, not against any side. But we would have to lay a serious egg to drop points at home against these guys. Although we might beat ourselves, Toronto cannot beat us. They're 0-8 for a reason. After Saturday, those should be the same reasons they are 0-9.

Now everyone can blame me if we drop points.

Winter won't be sacked, at least until next Wed's Voyageur's Cup final, and that is if TFC loses to Vancouver. Probably not until 26th vs Philly at BMO Field.

This is my favourite fixture all season, because I love goals

TFC vs DC at RFK
2011: TFC 3-3 DC
2010: TFC 3-2 DC
2009: TFC 3-3 DC
2008: DC 4-1 TFC, DC 3-2 TFC
2007: DC 4-1 TFC
TFC will have tired legs, and half an attention on Voyageur's Cup final, and apparently Torsten Frings is not making the trip.

Respectfully, I disagree. TFC's main failure is defence, not offence, and that may be more or less fixed now that there seems to be a constant back four. TFC beat Montreal 2-0 while playing 10 men for about 70mins and if it wasn't for Ricketts it would have ended like 4-0. TFC put Vancouver on back heel for a lot of the game at BC place, and a wonder goal by Hassli at stoppage time saved Vancouver, while TFC created some quality chances that Joe Cannon saved. Doneil Henry was like half a step away from putting a block on Hassli on that goal. Nobody expected him to volley when most players would have taken a touch before shooting.

TFC is unbeaten in 3 games at RFK. While I think TFC's defence still is questionable, then again I don't think DC's defence is exactly stellar right now with injuries. It's anybody's game.

We have seen many a dire egg laid in the past. That's why everyone is worried.

Their track record in league play just does not support this. They have scored 6 goals in 8 league matches. And in their last 4 games across all competitions, they have 3 goals. More to the point, when we played this exact side this month at BMO, we kept a clean sheet with basically the same personnel that gave up a 5-spot in San Jose.

It's not impossible for us to drop points here, as I said. But part of being a winning team is having the expectation that you go out and play your game and dominate against weaker sides. That is my expectation for this match. If it is not met, it will be because DC took the day off, not because TFC is anything to fear. I also think you also underestimate DC's defensive woes. San Jose was a disaster, but we have given up 1 goal in our past three matches.

I think we win 3-1, and are in control throughout.

Any team can lay an egg at any time. Putting in a sub-par performance can happen just as easily against the best team in the league as against the worst.

The differerence is, the best team in the league will punish you for your mistakes. Our defense in the San Jose game was cobbled together and we ended up getting pounded like a virgin at a Roman emperor's birthday orgy. But, we still managed to score 3 goals against one of the best teams in the league. Against a middling team, that would have been enough to carry the day. And against someone like TFC? Even if, worst-case scenario, our defense plays the way it did in San Jose, does anyone really expect Toronto to be able to score enough goals to override our offense? (which currently seems to be clicking really well?)

Toronto isn't "due" a win just because they've lost the last 8.

Dave Johnson also on the Admiral Ackbar wavelength:
http://www.csnwashington.com/soccer...trap-against-Toron?blockID=710180&feedID=6359

It is not taking it for granted, but review last match.

United came off short rest from the west coast, and as you said, did look tired on the road in Toronto coming out in the first half. Yet, still won 0-2.

At home with them coming off intense big match in Vancouver we should step on their neck early and put this one to bed 2-0 or 3-0. They are a bad team, and they have one eye on that second leg against the Whitecaps. I don't want to seem arrogant, but this is a scenario where we should be cool and confident and take three points in a clinical display.