Fire vs United POST Match Press [R]

[Knave]

Where's Goff's article? Anyway ...
D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH PETER NOWAK

On the match:
"I'm really disappointed with the result. After we tied the game we're supposed to do better. In the end, we couldn't overcome what was essentially two own goals."

On moving forward after the loss:
"We have to go home and fight for the points we gave away today."
Quote Sheet (http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20040905&content_id=13661&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp) - MLSNet

Fire burning up the charts, top D.C. (http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20040904&content_id=13621&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp) - MLSNet

Fire Enjoy Much-Needed Win (http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/National_Teams/page_91_79686.shtml) - Snowden, Soccer365

Top scorers out, but Mapp shows path to win (http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/fire/cs-040904firegamer,1,2635510.story?coll=cs-fire-headlines) - Surico, Chicago Tribune

And this too ...
Dave Sarachan On the play of Justin Mapp:
"He's becoming a man. He's a kid who is developing into a guy that can put in 90 minutes and can make a difference. We've always known that about Justin. I think his fitness, stamina, confidence and the role we have him playing, all those are lining up pretty well. You're seeing a guy that's pretty special."
Why the hell did we trade this guy! :mad:

[BudWiser]

So we're scrambling to not be the worst team in MLS?

Well............................................................it's nice to have a pro soccer team in DC....

[Stogey23]

Why the hell did we trade this guy! :mad:
Because we wanted a cheap player to save cap space. :D

[griffin1108]

Why the hell did we trade this guy! :mad:

Because he wasn't somebody that Ray played against.

[sch2383]

Where's Goff's article?

He was at the WCQ.

[Sanguine]

So we're scrambling to not be the worst team in MLS?

Well............................................................it's nice to have a pro soccer team in DC....

this differs from the previous 4 years how exactly?

[sch2383]

this differs from the previous 4 years how exactly?
We believed in hope this year.

[Benedict XVI]

we aren't as bad as we used to be. we haven't always gotten the best result, but we aren't just as flat out horrible to watch this year. which probably makes it worse as it got our hopes up falsely, but still, we have sucked more than we suck now.

[IntheNet]

Makes me long for the bad old days under Hudson! DCU looks real bad now...heck ... even the Richmond Kickers have a better record... DCU needs a total makeover...Nowak needs to raise his voice and trasfer some of these bums and get some new talent....just a sad result against Fire! Sad.

[terp fan]

Makes me long for the bad old days under Hudson! DCU looks real bad now...heck ... even the Richmond Kickers have a better record... DCU needs a total makeover...Nowak needs to raise his voice and trasfer some of these bums and get some new talent....just a sad result against Fire! Sad.

It takes more than one season to sort out personnel and get the right people in. Peter has learned a lot this year (his first in coaching) and next season we will start to see his type of team. Unfortunately it's a coin flip on making the playoffs this season with this personnel, injuries and player availability have also been a major issue.

[griffin1108]

It takes more than one season to sort out personnel and get the right people in. Peter has learned a lot this year (his first in coaching) and next season we will start to see his type of team. Unfortunately it's a coin flip on making the playoffs this season with this personnel, injuries and player availability have also been a major issue.

I would disagree somewhat. First, Nowak was not a stranger to the league and, since he wanted to coach somewhere, must have or should have been "scouting" the MLS teams to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Also, given the train wreck DCU became at the end of last season, Nowak, Payne and Kasper should have known that a major overhaul was necessary. That brings point two. Given the Payne/Kasper desire to trade draft picks and young players (Mapp, Ziadie, Lisi -- add others you can think of) for players older (Kovalenko) or those no longer here (the stiffs we got for Ziadie and Lisi), it is very hard to rebuild because the draft choices are not there. Remember, DCU reportedly will have to give up its #1 to the Mutts for Moreno and traded a #5, I think, for Thompson this year. Last year's draft choices were Adu (doesn't count because of MLS "decision" that Adu plays in DC), Gros and Ara. Adu is a keeper who will be gone at age 18, Gros appears to be a keeper and, sorry Knave, Ara is a big ???

What this means is that as players age and leave (Stewart, Nelsen and Moreno -- and Olsen slowing due to injuries) and given that Petke, Prideaux and EZ are pushing 30 or past, it will be very hard to fill all of those positions. I'm afraid "stinkus weum" will be DCU's motto for the next 2-3 years until the mess Hudson, Payne and Kasper made has been cleaned up by, I hope, a new Technical Director. Whether Nowak is part of the problem or part of the solution is an open question right now.

[TOTC]

I didn't get a single update on ESPN's ticker, George The Michael, or WTOP. WANKERS!