Official DC United vs Dallas Burn PRE Match Thread [N&A]

[Knave]

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DC United vs Dallas Burn
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• Date & Time :: Saturday, September 11 @ 4:00pm EST
• Television :: ESPN2
• Audio Webcast :: English (http://www.1160wmet.com/), Spanish (http://www.radioamerica.net/), Other Webcasts (http://www.socceraudio.com/)
• Broadband Video Webcast :: None
• PBP AIM Chatroom :: BigSoccerDCU :: Directions Here (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=2238175#post2238175)
• Match Previews :: DCUnited.com/MLSNet
• Referee Analysis Thread

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Items in gray will be updated as information becomes available.

News, Analysis, and Serious Discussion Only
:: Non-N&A posts may be deleted. ::

No Flames - No Trolls

[CHICO13]

Well after a loooong road trip it'll be good to see my friends at the tailgate. :rolleyes:

I just want the team to show some pride and come out fighting. All the reports I read from Chicago were very disappointing to me. I expected MORE out of a Piotr Nowak coached team. I hope having Esky back up fronts sparks them. Another week of practice under Nellie's belt can't hurt either although the weather is supposed to suck the rest of the way. Tough to say what kind of crowd to expect on Saturday.

I'd like to see Nowak use what ever he can to fire the team up. Kuffour off the bench would be one option. From what little we've seen of him, he seems to fire up the side when he's in there. Do what ever Nowak, just get us three points!

[GoDC]

I will not be at this game so will Tivo it to watch when I get home. I don't even know what to hope for with this team. A point would be nice. 90 minutes of effort would be nicer. A win, now that might be asking for too much. I think I should hope for a New England loss.

[Pints]

Dallas 1 DC 1 in Dallas.
Dallas 5 DC(limping C Team) 1 in Dallas
Dallas 2-DC 3 in The District

We will NOT score off a corner in this match. :rolleyes:

The Weather (http://www.weather.com/activities/events/sports/weather/weekend.html?locid=USDC0001&from=search) looks pretty good if not perfect for a match, so far.

And as Chico mentioned EZ and Esky are back....and sprightly apparently. (http://dcunited.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20040907&content_id=13829&vkey=news_dcu&fext=.jsp&team=dcu)

[elconejito]

i'm glad this thread was started because the Fire postgame was just too depressing.

I think the team comes out fired up, whether or not that results in a win remains to be seen.

nowak has some interesting choices this week...

with esky's return to the starting spot next to jaime. does gomez slide right into the AM spot behind them? or does adu hold onto the spot? or do both adu and gomez start and one of dema or benny goto the bench? this is the most intriguing choice, IMHO as it speaks VOLUMEs about how nowak wants to play. 1) with adu and gomez starting that gives a lot of offensive firepower, but will strain a not-too-good defense to the max, and one would hope we would just outscore them. this also leaves us without a offensive choice as a sub late in the game should we need one. 2) adu starts with 2 DMs behind him. we've played very well in this lineup lately and would probably be my first choice. i think he's earned the keys, and has driven the car pretty well so far in this role. 3) gomez starts with 2 DMs behind him. according to The Soccer Show (i forget who was talking at the time, probably diceson) gomez was lighting it up in practice. playing here in his more familiar and comfortable role will almost surely pay more dividends than at forward. gomez and jaime have an immediate understanding, and esky will probably benefit here as well. how adu reacts to coming off the bench will be another side story. i dont think adu takes wither gros or earnie spot.

with a fully healthy (i think) defense to choose from, their will be good competition for starting slots. i think namoff and nelsen are locks, and probably EZ fills the other spot.

[Pints]

1) with adu and gomez starting that gives a lot of offensive firepower, but will strain a not-too-good defense to the max


I would love to see us go on an offensive frenzy. If there is ever a time to be doing so I would think right now is that time. If there is ever a payback we need to handle this is the match.

Our defense sucks plain and simple, with Nelsen, it's a one man army at times. Let's flourish in something, hopefully it will be a killer offense.

[sch2383]

We need a win badly, but we shouldn't throw caution to the wind and attack all out in this one since Dallas thrives on the counter. My guess would be our standard lineup, with Ez playing right back and Namoff moving to the left:

---------Esky----Moreno----------
--------------Adu----------------
Gros----------------------Stewart
-------Dema------Benny---------
Namoff------Nellie-------Ez
--------------Perkins

I don't think it would be shocking if Prideaux start on the left, its just that Namoff has been our most consistant player this year and deserves to be on the field and it is far easier for him to play on the left than Ezra. If we need a goal late, Gomez would come on for either Stewart or Olsen...possibly Esky if his ankle isn't holding up. If we need to protect a lead, bring in Prideaux (or Namoff, whoever doesn't start) and switch to a 4-4-2.

[Pints]

....... and switch to a 4-4-2......

:D yeah right, not this season.

[Cweedchop]

1) with adu and gomez starting that gives a lot of offensive firepower, but will strain a not-too-good defense to the max


I would love to see us go on an offensive frenzy. If there is ever a time to be doing so I would think right now is that time. If there is ever a payback we need to handle this is the match.

Our defense sucks plain and simple, with Nelsen, it's a one man army at times. Let's flourish in something, hopefully it will be a killer offense.

With all due respect, your whole post is a contradiction..

Offense has not been the problem with this team the second half of the season, it's the defense and taking out an extra holding midfielder and putting Gomez and Adu on at the same time is not a solution to holding down a dangerous attacking team like Dallas..

Generally, we have had the run of play at home this season with only the one attacking midfield spot.. I say continue on and if need be late in the game, bring on the extra offense if needed.. Right now this team needs to stop the leaking of goals into our own net.. The offense has done just fine at home this season (21 goals in 11 matches)..

[Jegao Paraiba]

I like our chances this game and this year.
With only 2 away games remaining this year, we will make the playoffs.
Goal differential will get us through the first round of the playoffs.
That gets us to November 6.
From there on out, my chrystal ball gets a little fuzzy.
What animal is most appropriately sacrificed and in what fashion in order to GUARANTEE that our well deserved fate comes to fruition?
Does anyone have experience in this matter?

[Pints]

With all due respect, your whole post is a contradiction..

Offense has not been the problem with this team the second half of the season, it's the defense and taking out an extra holding midfielder and putting Gomez and Adu on at the same time is not a solution to holding down a dangerous attacking team like Dallas..

Generally, we have had the run of play at home this season with only the one attacking midfield spot.. I say continue on and if need be late in the game, bring on the extra offense if needed.. Right now this team needs to stop the leaking of goals into our own net.. The offense has done just fine at home this season (21 goals in 11 matches)..

hmmm..true enough.

Perhaps what I should have said is. Instead of preparing for an attack and holding it off for 90, I would love to see us go into a match score immediately and then proceed to romp all over a team and get so far ahead in the scoring we essentially phase their team into a defensive mode and keep it all game long. If it is with one AM or two I don't care.

I also meant that depending on our defense to counter other teams attacks hasn't done much for us. Yes our offense has been good lately, first part of the seaosn they couldn't put anything together.

We always go into every match saying our defense is lacking, we need to be wary of the attack, and it always comes and always stings us. Once I would like for them to go onto the field prepared to put away 5 in the first half and do it. Just pure emotional specualtion here, a little off the N&A so my apologies. Long story short I wanna see a really good a$$ whooping ala 6-2 That's all.
ahem anyhow please proceed.

[onefineesq]

I like our chances this game and this year.
With only 2 away games remaining this year, we will make the playoffs.
Goal differential will get us through the first round of the playoffs.
That gets us to November 6.

Your enthusiasm is commendable, but how in sam's hill do you believe so confidently that we will get through the first round of the playoffs playing like we are now? Hell, I'm still trying to recover from last years double 2-0 thrashings against the Fire (made even more painful by actually attending the first game).

[Jegao Paraiba]

Originally Posted by onefineesq
Your enthusiasm is commendable, but how in sam's hill do you believe so confidently that we will get through the first round of the playoffs playing like we are now? Hell, I'm still trying to recover from last years double 2-0 thrashings against the Fire (made even more painful by actually attending the first game).

It's just my sense that we've been more good at home than we have sucked on the road. Just a quick glance down the schedule and we seem to do better at home than our opponents do when we're on the road. Our home win margins seem bigger than theirs. Put differently, our homefield advantage seems bigger than theirs. That will help in a home-and-away format.
And hey! Who said optimism is logical?
That said, Chicago might just have our number.

[Jegao Paraiba]

I did some math:
Eastern Teams

Aggregate goals:
DCU v. Columbus
6------ 4--- 1 away game remaining
DCU v NY/NJ
8------ 5--- 1 home / 1 away remaining
DCU v Chicago
1------ 7--- 1 home game remaining
DCU v New England
3------ 2--- 1 home game remaining

In a home and away format, I like our chances... with the glaring exception of Chicago. And who knows, maybe we bullwhip them on the 18th and get that number back towards respectability.

[TOTC]

We need to make good chants ....

"F-U-Dal-Las!" (rather than FC)

"Mooooooooooooo!" (as disorganized as a herd of longhorn cattle)

[Diceson]

If you have Stewart on your fantasy team, you might want to start making plans for a substitute.

[CHICO13]

If you have Stewart on your fantasy team, you might want to start making plans for a substitute.
That's a pretty big meatball you left hangin' out there, care to 'splain?

[sch2383]

That's a pretty big meatball you left hangin' out there, care to 'splain?
What I get is that either Stewart is hurt or benched. If thats true, then I would think Gomez gets a start and DC pretty much plays a 3-4-3 (although with Adu in there, that could turn into a 3-3-4 real quick). The other possibility is that Nowak took a blow to the head and has changed systems to a 4-4-2.

[Cweedchop]

If you have Stewart on your fantasy team, you might want to start making plans for a substitute.

This doesn't sound good at all..

As much as people love to rag on Stewart for being overpaid, not scoring enough goals blah blah blah, there simply isn't anyone on this team that can play his position..

I suppose we could put Lawson or Olsen out there but it wouldn't be the same IMHO..

If Stewart is out due to injury, this could really hurt the team going down the stretch..

[LN - Dougg]

I just want to know what is up with Nowak... He is happy to come away with ties in games we could have won.. He should have gone all out last week but didn't...

If he doesn't go all out in this game, as well as the players, hate to say it, but we won't see the playoffs...

here's hoping to a good ol' fashion ass whoooping.. I'm talking 5-0.. 6-1... hell maybe 7-0...

We were the first team (and only?) to post 6 goals in a game, why not be the first to score 7? :D

(slaps self) ok... ok.. Maybe a 3-1 or a 2-0 is more realistic.. I hate to play the same damn song again but damn it.. "WE NEED TO WIN THIS GAME... hell.. we need to WIN OUT..." :mad:


Dougg