Official DC United vs The Chicago Fire PRE Match Thread

[ursula]

Originally posted by Thamlin19
In 7 games that Eddie has started for United on defense, our goals against average is 1.57 with 1 shutout.

In 12 games that Eddie has not started for United on defense, our goals against average is 1.33 with 3 shutouts.

Discuss.

I'd also like to se how many games Pope and Prideaux have started together in central defense as my thoughts say that they are a bad combo. Then add Lazy and McKinley to the defensive mix as JH6 says... Look, we have a very good defense. The problems that we have are twofold:

1) You have to have the right combination of players out there to make it work. For instance, Nelsen is the only organizer type, Prideaux and Reyes are best when they are man marking first and foremost, McKinley is best when he is not the last line of defense, etc. This leads into the second problem,

2) We are slightly lacking in depth. We need one or two decent subs for times when injuries and call-ups occur. I think we can pick up those players in next year's draft.

Overall our defense is worlds better than the past two year's and credit goes to Hudson for reorganizing it.

Pope is not a problem, just how he's been used at times. Now that Nelsen has "come of age" there's no reason to play Pope and Prideaux together.

[Winoman]

Originally posted by GersMan
Actually, I think there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic.

1) A very good new signing. This guy ran out of gas in the 2nd half, but prior to that he was running well, creating chances and linking up with his new teammates. I can't pronounce his name, but he is a good addition to the offense.

2) Before he wore out, I was thinking Olsen looked like he hadn't missed a match. He REALLY added something to this team.

3) All of the above are a big help for Bobby Convey, who continues to develop. The three of them make a really nice combination, worth paying to watch.

4) The defense looked solid, and that was without Eddie Pope.

Now granted, Roy Lassiter is a disaster. More worrisome to me is the way Marco repeatedly gave the ball away and otherwise ended some good-looking buildups. Some of the situations called out for him to shoot on goal and he just wouldn't, couldn't, do it. Gazza in that position, well there's a lot of potential there.

I'm not as down on Williams and Mckinley as some of you. But they need to remain in their roles. You can't depend on them for offense and to the extent we do, they will look bad. Yes, Villegas had problems finishing, but I still think he adds a lot in terms of being lively.

If only we had Quaranta and Moreno back, the offense, to me, could look quite good. That will happen,and if we get Gazza, well, we could be pretty decent.

I'm pretty much in agreement with you gersman. But regarding the last paragraph (the if's....), I need to remind you that if a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump it's a$$ every time it jumps.

Winoman

[JAnderson14]

Originally posted by GersMan
I can't pronounce his name, but he is a good addition to the offense.
Kin-tahn-EE-ya.

It's fun to say.

Originally posted by ursula
Pope is not a problem, just how he's been used at times. Now that Nelsen has "come of age" there's no reason to play Pope and Prideaux together.
Exactly. Nelsen has earned his spot in the starting XI. If we play a back 4, Prideaux should move to left back. If we go with 3, then we have tough decisions to make.

***

If Chicago plays like they did in the first half against the metros, we're in trouble. As good as our defense is, we just aren't enough of a threat to worry them defensively. One plus is that it is easier to defend on their smaller field. We played very well in all facets of the game, save finishing, against the Revs.

I'd like to see the same formation again, except with Curtis in for Lassiter. McKinley wasn't awful for once, and who knows? We might actually manage a goal somehow.

[scarshins]

All the statistics of goals- against and such aren't really worth anything. Our defense seems to be good, statistically, because Ray Hudson has them playing a more defensive style especially on the road. In fact most teams are now playing more practical soccer, playing conservatively on the road, bunkering later in the game when they have a lead- like NE just did.
But I do think we played well against NE. Almost everything was there, except our goalscorers, you can find them going in and out of the hospital.

[-cman-]

Originally posted by luvsuperbobby15


just when you thought it was over, you were right, it is over.
chicago: 3 (razov,wolff, and curtin)
dc: 1 (convey or nelsen) if we are lucky enough to score a goal...

Ouch. You guys are at a low ebb. Thanks for the vote of confidence in Jimmy though. That would be two goals in two games to make his career total ... 2.

And now (as they say in the UK) for something completely different.

From the folks at football365.com Paul Gascoigne's greatest moments (http://www.football365.com/Fun_Games/Fun_Features/story_35894.shtml). And if that wasn't enough,even more Gazza moments (http://www.football365.com/Fun_Games/Fun_Features/story_36152.shtml).

Seriously. These will have you rolling. Best of luck to you lot. See you Wendesday.

[GoDC]

I have said I will make no more predictions but I am back one more time.

DC will suck.

[jmeissen0]

is there going to be a dcu english language radio webcast?

i can't make the game :(

thanks in advance

-jim


oh yeah, nice to see olsen playing again... real nice

[revelation]

Predictions:

- Rimando will make some good saves.

- DC's defense will play relatively solid.

- Chicago will bunker and counter.

- DC will create chances.

- No striker will finish DC's chances.

- Chicago will catch our defense out on a counter and score.

- Everyone will claim that DC United is "unlucky" and that Thornton played an incredible game.

[Red&Black]

i thought the first half against metros was more about poor defending than the awesome power of the fire. i mean curtin (? the big tall gawky dude who is disturbingly effective at times) had no business scoring that first goal.

while i hope we can play better defense than metros, we do give up a bothersome number of soft goals.

i think DC will score wed, random chance would seem to almost dictate it.

2-1 fire

[Lowecifer]

Lemme see....

MiniDitka 1.... aww f*** it.

[Red&Black]

is this another game with no tv coverage?

[Jose L. Couso]

Originally posted by Red&Black
is this another game with no tv coverage?

Yes. unfortunately. :(

[GDopplerXT]

Originally posted by Red&Black
is this another game with no tv coverage?

Looks like there will be a webcast on dcunited.com, though.

[Lowecifer]

I wish they would look into doing some digicasts. I watched some of the Seattle Sounders - Vancouver Whitecaps digicast from the new stadium in Seattle last night, and the quality was excellent.

I have a DSL connection, so I'm not sure what someone with a dial-up would get, but the signal was only slightly jumpy. The picture was very sharp and the audio crystal clear.

I want to see digicasts of United games that are not televised locally in the future.

[GDopplerXT]

Originally posted by Lowecifer
I wish they would look into doing some digicasts. I watched some of the Seattle Sounders - Vancouver Whitecaps digicast from the new stadium in Seattle last night, and the quality was excellent.

I have a DSL connection, so I'm not sure what someone with a dial-up would get, but the signal was only slightly jumpy. The picture was very sharp and the audio crystal clear.

I want to see digicasts of United games that are not televised locally in the future.

digicast = audio + video webcast??

That would be cool, but only for you high-speed folks I would think. Then again, if I could watch DCU on the web, I would probably become one of you high-speed folks.

[DigitalTron]

Originally posted by Thamlin19
In 7 games that Eddie has started for United on defense, our goals against average is 1.57 with 1 shutout.

In 12 games that Eddie has not started for United on defense, our goals against average is 1.33 with 3 shutouts. OK, here are my excuses for that false-positive:

1) Most of those games were in the first third of the year. There were almost never any two defenders at the same time that had played together in any previous year. Players need an adjustment period to cover for one another on a back line.

2) New coach and new defensive philosophy. While Rongen's defensive philosophy sucked, the players needed to learn Hudson's from scratch, and that also takes time.

3) Missed games. Reyes wasn't acquired until late. He had an adjustment period to MLS refereeing as well as his teammates, etc. He missed several games because of cards. Pope missed several games because of injuries or Nat's callups. The team never fielded the same lineup for 3 games in a row when Pope was available.

4) Prideaux being played out of position. He's a man marker and can play either flank or marking back. But, he's not an organizer. While he did OK in that role, he didn't do stellar.

5) Nelsen's improvement. IMHO, Nelsen has shown tremendous improvement over last season, and almost with each game he improves. I'm impressed. He didn't really begin to demand playing time until a few games before he started scoring. Now we realize that he was the glue that we've been missing in the back.

6) Defensive shell. We've bunkered a LOT this season, and no matter how good your defense is, if the game is played 75% in your half, you're going to give up goals. Lazo as a right winger is too defensive, and pairing him with McKinley who moves forward but is too slow to get back and defend, will inevitably expose the rest of the back line.

7) Focus. Pope has been focusing on the World Cup. Now that it's over, I think we're getting the "real" Eddie Pope. The same is probably true of almost all of the USMNT players. Look at McBride, DaMarcus, Wolff, etc. They are playing with focus and total determination now.

So I'm saying that the correllation is a false-positive.

-Tron

[Th4119]

As I said in my post about the GAA with and without Eddie, discuss the statistics. I'm not saying "bench Pope", or "Pope needs to be in at all times", just presenting the facts as they happen to be.

As for predictions...4-1 United. I know I'm probably wrong, but how much longer, honestly, can we not score goals? On the tiny pitch at Naperville we might accidentally score a couple as we're trying to pass the ball around in the box. Also, I truly believe that once we score one the floodgates will open.

[DigitalTron]

I wasn't dissing you Thamlin19. :) I actually thought it was a very good discussion and one I had been meaning to bring up (although I had no idea what the statistics were I did kinda think our D was allowing fewer goals without him).

Thanks for originating the discussion.

-Tron

[andylovesoccer]

DC 2 (Q2 and Benji)
Chi 1 (who cares?)

[Th4119]

Originally posted by DigitalTron
I wasn't dissing you Thamlin19. :) I actually thought it was a very good discussion and one I had been meaning to bring up (although I had no idea what the statistics were I did kinda think our D was allowing fewer goals without him).

Thanks for originating the discussion.

-Tron

No problem Tron. I took no offense from any of the posters who quoted my post, just wanted to make it crystal clear to everyone that I was just presenting the facts. However, if you include the Boca game which (correct me if I'm wrong...I can't remember!), Pope didn't play, the DC GAA without Eddie drops to 1.23.

I don't care who plays where though, we just need a win in Naperville!! Unfortunately we are running out of games, and we have 3 remaining against the Metrostars who as much as they suck have found a way to not choke too badly this season, and 2 more against (wow this sucks) the Earthquakes.