Of course not. Not all games are created equal. Some are easier than others. But in the end they're all pretty tough in MLS. We have very few blow outs in this league. I know you like to weigh opponents when judging the team. You often use this logic to take jabs at the '12 playoff run. Personally I don't look at the league that way.
Well, that's why you have to observe a number of games rather than one and that's why statistical tests matter. So those 2 losses we had can be statistical noise and mean nothing in the same sense that these last 2 positive results might not mean much. All of them could be noise. In general, the teams that make the playoffs beat (or draw against) good teams more often than teams that don't. Consistency is the key, and right now we've lost to two top teams, tied a bottom 6 team and beat a bottom 8 team. If we look at things in terms of just numbers without qualitatively looking at how players are performing, strategy, who teams played, then we should at least draw next week against 'bottom' NYRB. I'm inclined to look a bit deeper than just the points right now like whether or not Henry and McCarty play next week and what formation they exercise (currently a flat 4-4-2).
If trying to weigh Shammy's perspective, it helps to remember his eye on the playoff clock. That being said, we can all agree- a dismal season last year, a US Open Cup, double whammy allocations and a ton of veteran acquisitions (as recent as this past week) have gotten us to where we are today. Thus far, we've seen this team start the season abysmally unattractively, progress to earning a point against meager competition, and now the next step- a win at home vs. similarly meager competition. After last season's long haul, and the 17(??) match winless streak being put to a halt, it's OVERWHEMINGLY evident some small share of celebration is in order. There are still quite a few things that need fixing, but this match showed our team taking those several small steps needed before addressing those larger obstacles. Blessed evidence indeed for many, though it merely whets our appetite for when the larger tests on this team's quality arrive, as they most assuredly will. Collective worries regarding the long view from the Front Office, and their possible lack of perspective on the issue of an aging roster are inherently valid, but pining for action on these boards along those lines seems so far removed from a remedy- why bother? I'd suggest to counter the earlier argument made in disparaging all this veteran talent, and get set to enjoy the osmosis of younger players witnessing and absorbing those lessons from the veteran players, much like Chris Rolfe displayed tonight. It's relatively easy to tear down individual players as they age. But let's not forget the collective quality their experience can sometimes develop into what can only be described as magic. The George Allen "Over the Hill Gang" had it, heck even the Wizards "AARP" group seem to have it this season(a smaller scale as yet, post-season yet to determine how large a scale before they're through), who's to say this team doesn't get to develop something along those lines, for a single season at least? Sure, we're mindful of the opponent. But like the man said, "It's 3 points." If this team ever gets to anointing itself as a success, that journey has to start somewhere, and getting 3 points in a shut-out, at home, vs. an opponent you're supposed to get 3 points against- sounds as good and likely a start as we can expect.
just got home from playing a soccer tourny with friends and DC managed to get a W the one game i didnt watch...
Own Goal remains the most heartbreaking finisher in futbol. fortunately for a change he produced for our side.
So, we brought someone who likes soccer but hasn't really followed United beyond the cursory glance at sport scores on the TV tickers. No, I WASN'T trying to turn him off the game forever, though I can understand why you might think that. Anyway, he actually did have a good time. But, his first and most oft repeated observations, with me having told him nothing beyond "they've been horrible for the past year," were "My god, their buildup is like molasses in January! Why are they so slow going forward? Why do they keep passing it back when they get to the final third? Why is their decision making so slow? Why are they taking five or six passes to switch the field?" So....Yeah. He was very put out that the team doesn't seem to practice offensive drills like "I want to see a shot on goal 5 seconds after crossing the center line" or "three touches and a shot" or whatever. He was very frustrated by their failure to use space and play in front of the forwards. Also, he thought the quiet side AR was incompetent and the center was questionable. I told him "You're one of us now..."
While his criticisms of DCU are valid, the fact that he chose *these particular points* to criticise DCU on leads me to believe that his past experience with "liking soccer" consists of watching a lot of EPL. True?
I thought it was Kitchen's finest hour to date, and he was my MOTM. (As for Neal, I was yelling for Olsen to sub him out before halftime, so I'm gobsmacked wondering how the mls.com people tab him as MOTM). One more thing about Doyle's play: I saw him standing there, not far from midfield, and I yelled for him to push forward. Instead, he waited there and the game came to him. Either lucky or smart, but it sure worked out.
True that! My guess is that Heaps "lost his composure" over the yellow that the ref gave to Charlie Davies. The ref actually walked back to the bench to eject him, suggesting that the AR had had enough of Heaps' talking points.
So weird to cheer for Rolfe... it was weird seeing him run to the loud side, he even looked confused! Cats and dogs living together! 3 POINTS!
I had no idea how much this run of bad form has been weighing on me. This morning felt wonderful so glad we finally got a Win! I also think you cant argue that every game this team is starting to gel more and more. This could be the FC Dallas game of 2014.
I'd like to give a shout out to my man Saer Sene for forgetting where the goal was located. Also, thanks to Jose Concalves for the clinical finish All in all, I knew this would be an ugly game and at this point, all I cared about was a win. I feel like we can at least get that monkey off our back. Few stray thoughts: I thought Dykstra was solid. Didn't have to do much, but also didn't take any unnecessary risks. DeLeon makes me pump my first in celebration and then cry in the span of seconds. If he can sharpen his game and get on the same page with EJ/Espindola, we'll see more goals. Franklin continues to make long runs out of the back, and doesn't seem to get the ball even when wide open (although his crosses weren't great) Eddie Johnson NEEDS to get a goal and get some confidence back. His touch was as heavy as concrete, and he seems to be down on himself. Espindola was great! I loved how he was being a real pain for NE's defense. Rolfe looked lively when coming in, but did have a few bad giveaways. He'll get better. That goal was a thing of beauty. I'm tired of hearing about how much experience Christian has. Better play, please. Boswell and Parke make me nervous. There were a lot of poor clearances to NE's attackers. I don't understand why Olsen encourages the long ball out of the back. Edit: Also, the first game we lose the possession battle, we win.
I just assumed he was sent off for being Jay Heaps. It just took most of the game for the AR to realize he was there.
Which brought him to the attention of the AR. Who then recalled that the Laws of the Game listed "Being Jay Heaps" as a mandatory red card offense.