Post-match: Houston @ DCU, ECF Leg 2 11/18/12

Discussion in 'D.C. United' started by NattyBo, Nov 18, 2012.

  1. DCUSA

    DCUSA Member+

    Jan 14, 2006
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Neal is dirt cheap and good cover at like four different positions. Throw in the 2 goals, both huge, and he seems like a keeper. Thank goodness you aren't a GM. He was injured today. To put him in the same sentence as Pajoy just isn't right.

    Russell will probably retire and Santos will move on. Pajoy? Who knows, but the whole Pajoy thing ran its' course.
     
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  2. DCWarrior

    DCWarrior Member

    Jun 26, 2008
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fantastic season! Slightly depressing end but I'm happy. I just wanted playoffs and we got it but then the icing on the cake is WE had a direct hand in keeping the Pink Cow trophy case empty! VAMOS!

    As for off season transfers, I hope Salihi stays because I think he can be something special when given the chance to click with the squad. Pajoy needs to go as well as Long Tan. Do we still keep the extra International slot that came with Pajoy if he leaves or does that go back to Philly? That's one bonus!

    I'm straight up scared that if Salihi goes to another squad he will come back and be a league leading scorer with many of the goals against us.
     
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  3. Freestyle2000

    Freestyle2000 Moderator

    Feb 6, 2000
    LA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    First things first: Congrats to Houston. That's a very good playoff-tested squad, the type that plays for November and not July. Good for them.

    As for today's game: Very few teams in MLS could be missing its second-best finisher, only get 30 minutes from its best finisher (who is coming off an injury) and have a chance at making up a two goal deficit. We just don't have the pure finishing ability, the skill to take a ball 25 yards from goal and consistently create a chance from that. Without that, I think it's easier to pack it in defensively against us, as Houston showed today.

    Neither Pajoy nor Santos were real threats to score at any point, and that's just unacceptable. I know, forwards do more than score. That's absolutely true. But at some point, they *also have to score,* or at least threaten to. You can't leave all the scoring to your midfield, especially when the midfield's best scoring threat is injured.

    Russell did everything he could in the playoffs post-Najar meltdown, but he just doesn't have the offensive ability going forward. Neil worked hard but seemed to have an off day in the offensive third. Every time the ball fell to either of them (Russell early, Neal late when he kinda took over that right back area), I couldn't help but think about what Najar would have been able to do with the ball there.

    Olsen did what he could in post-DeRo injury, and he has to be given a ton of credit for this. But, it should also be said that this result was really the ceiling he chose with his strategy. The fact that Sahili got so little time over the last two months really showed in his play today. What would we have looked like if we had stuck with a two forward lineup from the DeRo injury to today? Would we have given up more goals? Would we have scored more additional goals than we gave up? Because of how we've played since DeRo went down, we were never equipped or ready to have to rally from a deficit.

    Off-season: We need a scorer or two. I'd like to see some depth at outside back. Maybe some wide midfield depth. And we need to be grooming someone to replace DeRo - I love him, but he can't have too many years left.

    R.
     
  4. JayRockers!

    JayRockers! Member+

    Aug 4, 2001
    I think the international slots revert to the original team at the end of each season. But don't quote me on that, it's not spelled out on the MLS Roster Rules page.

    Thx,

    Jay!
     
  5. Marco10

    Marco10 Member+

    Sep 9, 2002
    HaHa! You're expecting MLS rules to explain something? Good luck!

    Nice run to end the season, bad luck in the playoffs. That red card and it's a different series period.

    However, what does United do now? They need a striker, a big time midfielder and a big time defender. Pretty much the same shopping list they had last off season.

    When will they improve in team building. Pretty obvious they improved in team spirit and determination, but it takes a little bit more in today's MLS.
     
  6. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It takes more! So you're the one! :mad:
     
  7. JayRockers!

    JayRockers! Member+

    Aug 4, 2001
    No, but Wikipedia did.

    We started with 8. Traded one to LA that we get back at the end of this year. Traded one to Portland that we get back at the end of 2013. We received one for Pajoy that we keep until an unknown date, although it is supposed only until the end of 2012. At any rate. we should be at 7 slots to start next year.

    Thx,

    Jay!
     
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  8. Theopisa

    Theopisa Member+

    Pisa Sporting Club
    Italy
    Oct 7, 2008
    Venezia
    Club:
    Pisa Calcio
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    And don't forget he coming from USL, not EPL... He has done a very good job those times that he's been called up to step in on the field
     
  9. Shammypantaloons

    Apr 20, 2012
    Club:
    DC United
    We need something better than Neal to come out as a sub. Thanks for the work Neal but you gotta go
     
  10. DCUSA

    DCUSA Member+

    Jan 14, 2006
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Think about what you're saying Shammy. Why wouldn't you think about replacing Stephen King, a player adjudged to be worse than Neal based on playing time who is earning in the mid-sixties whereas Neal is in the mid forties and can play numerous positions. He brings flexibility on the cheap. He is not meant to be a first guy off the bench type of player, injuries/suspensions have thrust him there. Sure, it would be nice to bring a Giles Barnes off the bench. At 120,000, you have to pay for that privilege. United needs that player, I agree, but at the expense of cheapy, versatile Neal? That's just dumb.
    Your shooting percentage is about 10%.
     
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  11. BBBulldog

    BBBulldog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2004
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    thank you 5000 peeps that took part, you did amazing :)

    [​IMG]
     
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  12. Shammypantaloons

    Apr 20, 2012
    Club:
    DC United
    I think there are about 8-9 players we should lose this offseason, don't get me wrong, I just think our priorities should be upgrading positions so that certain players rarely see field time.
     
  13. DCUSA

    DCUSA Member+

    Jan 14, 2006
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You have disarmed me once again, Shammypants.
     
  14. DCUnited901

    DCUnited901 Member

    Nov 19, 2012
    United States
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Korea Republic
    How bout Diego Forlan, dirk kuyt, or miroslav klose, as potential dp's?
     
  15. DCUSA

    DCUSA Member+

    Jan 14, 2006
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think United could afford any of them, but for argument's sake, Forlan is in Brazil, I think, and doing well, I think I read that, so I don't see him leaving. Isn't Klose just a better version of Salihi? He's not going to be an Olsen type of player, so I hope they think about that before signing someone of his ilk. Now Kuyt, that is intriguing. He will run his ass off and has (or had, have no idea what he's doing now) a nose for goal. So, I choose option b.
     
  16. ImNumberTen

    ImNumberTen Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This was great! Props to the organizers and the many members from the SGs it obviously took to make it happen. btw, anyone know why that didn't stretch all the way to the BB? It looked freakin' awesome as it was, but had it been the entire side of field it would have been even better. Regardless, it was fantastic.
     
  17. BBBulldog

    BBBulldog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2004
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    It did stretch all the way to BB. From end of DU to end of SE and 24 sections in between
     
  18. itwasi

    itwasi Member+

    May 9, 2008
    I don't know
    Club:
    DC United
    You're such a hero to us all.

    You remind of so many posters that just bitch and bitch. Those LA fans screaming for Arena to be fired. Those Houston fans screaming for Kinnear to be fired.

    Olsen isn't a great coach. Maybe will be. Maybe he won't be. But you being on his case and eagerly anticipating any excuse to complain about him is absolutely worthless and meaningless.
     
  19. roadkit

    roadkit Greetings from the Fringe of Obscurity

    Jul 2, 2003
    Fornax Cluster
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wasn't as engaged with the team this season as I wanted to be (work commitments and all), so I'm going to keep my deep, thoughtful, soccer analysis brief:

    If they only lose one player in the off-season, make it Pajoy. My own reckoning shows he was offsides more times than he had shots on goal. And his haircut reeks of, I don't know -- but my guess is his soccer IQ is room temperature.

    Ugh. Very happy with what this team accomplished this year, in spite of the bumpy playoff ride. I give Olsen a lot of credit for that.

    And if they do pick up Klose in the offseason, I'll be very happy. :D
     
  20. MagpieFan

    MagpieFan Member+

    Apr 25, 2004
    Back in DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Missed this game while at a conference.

    Still, any season here where we

    1) finish ahead of NJ
    2) end NJ's season

    Is a total a good one.

    That we finished third in the league and made the conf. final is sweet.
    That we ended NJ's season in an epically painful way for them is sweeter.
    The only thing that would have made it better would have been that 5th star. But for the first time in a long time, that 5th star feels on the horizon again.
     
  21. DangSkippy

    DangSkippy Member+

    Apr 28, 2009
    MoCo Maryland
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If anything, I think this season should have taught us to look long and hard at our preconceptions about players. DC finished third in the league. Fluke? They also bowed out in the semi-finals/Eastern Conference Championship, but only after the Metro Sandy-and-Snow debacle, a series-changing refereeing decision, injuries galore (including the top two offensive producers), and red cards from two of DC's young and hot-blooded players (plus, Najar's additional two games). Was that too a fluke? Or was this actually a good, solid, if unexciting, team that just couldn't get there through that much adversity?

    Of course, no team should rest on its laurels during the off-season. However, this is a very young team led by a very young coach and, hopefully, they learned a thing or two this year as well. Releasing tons of players and bringing new ones really runs the risk of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I would like to see a more consistent line-up next season instead of watching Olsen try to decide who his starting XI are for the first two months.

    I think next season, DC will probably need to replace some goals. There is a fair chance that Santos won't replicate his hot streak and DeRo will be another year older.
    To me, that suggests either a new striker or possibly a good wide player to allow Pontius to play as a forward. For the record, I assume that Salihi will not be coming back.
    I'm not so sure that DC is in immediate need of new centerbacks. It seemed at the end like the MacDonald-Jakovic pairing finally solidified into a pretty strong defense; hopefully next year won't see so much rotation at the beginning of the season.
    I also don't think that DC will be going after a new "10." If anything, Olsen seems to prefer a withdrawn striker and he has DeRo, Boskovic, and possibly Pontius to play that role.
     
  22. Untroubled by Reason

    Dec 5, 2007
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Did anybody post pictures? If so, where?
     
  23. Oveki8

    Oveki8 Member+

    May 4, 2012
    Club:
    DC United
    And thank you for helping in setting it up! That was AWESOME!
     
  24. JayRockers!

    JayRockers! Member+

    Aug 4, 2001
    Welcome to the forum. This isn't the thread to discuss offseason transfers. Try here instead.

    In addition, if you had read Steven Goff's article over the weekend in the WaPo, Forlan just transferred to International in Brazil. No way he leaves after six months and no way we can afford him.

    Thx,

    Jay!
     
  25. Darth Norteño

    Darth Norteño With Buddha In My Fists

    The Arsenal
    Wales
    Dec 9, 2003
    laceyforest.arl.va
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Wales
    I think the top personnel replacements we need to make this season are Don Garber and the entire referee cabal.
     
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