Official Crew @ DC United PRE Game Thread

[ursula]

If it isn't one game it's another...

Gametime: Saturday July 15 @ 7:30 RFK

TV: CSN, DK, MLSLIVEtv, radio no doubt


No trolls, no flames.

We'll add more info when we have time.

[ursula]

Starting lineup with Esky out?

----------Perkins
-Namoff--Boswell--Erpen
----------Carroll
Gros-----Olsen-----Adu
----------Gomez
---Moreno------Quaranta

- It's time to put Benny back in his accustomed spot.

- I wonder if one of Boswell or Erpen might sit and rest and Wilson starts? I say no since the team will have a full week off (!) to rest up.

[GUTuna]

These summer games seem to all run together sometimes! With the Open Cup game we'll have seen the Crew three times in less than a month.

Being back at home I'd like to see us put up multiple goals. Both Columbus (against Mid-Michigan in the USOC) and United (v. Celtic) busted out their goal scoring shoes against inferior opponents Wednesday after several anemic performances. Jump on the Crew early at home to let them know that we ain't no PDL team and then bury them late.

It'll be interesting to see if Nowak rests any players this weekend since we have a full week before the Chicago match.

[Claymore]

Judging from last night, give ALL the starters the night off on this one. The subs looked more than capable of handling Cowlumbus. :D

[morrissey]

Let's see if we can't get CumBlowUs to wear Celtic jerseys for the match. Unfortunately we will probably play down to their level and win 1-0.

We need to get out of this league. I am serious. I don't know where we would go, but we play so much better than any team is playing right now when we try, but when it comes to the truly crap in MLS, we always seem to play down to their level.

Here's to hoping that we lay a 5-0 asswhupping on CumBlowUs, but I will have a pillow on the couch just in case.

james

[Sachin]

This is a classic trap game for us, coming off an emotional high against Celtic against a team we dispactched with ease a week ago and facing a nice week off.... Nowak better reach deep into his bag of motivational tricks for this one.

Sachin

[tab5g]

We need to get out of this league. I am serious. I don't know where we would go, but we play so much better than any team is playing right now when we try, but when it comes to the truly crap in MLS, we always seem to play down to their level.


the Concacaf Champions League is scheduled to start in July '07.

i'm sure United could dominate that little competition if they keep their current form over the next year.

[GUTuna]

i'm sure United could dominate that little competition if they keep their current form over the next year.

If we can keep the core of the team together, I'm actually optimistic about our chances in any CCL. BUT...to say we'd dominate it, even in our current form, just isn't so. Playing in Mexico City or San Jose or Teguicigalpa is just damn hard against a quality opponent. Travel + Home Field Advantage is difficult for any team. Just ask Celtic!

Back to the Crew, I really love the way we've been grinding out victories. A couple more wins and we may be able to rest players in MLS games and play our best XI in a bid to win the Open Cup. The next three weeks isn't particularly congested match-wise. Let's get out there and bury the league!

[morrissey]

Going from watching last night's match to Saturday's is going to have a WC to MLS feel I fear.

Last night's match was fun to watch.

james

[perctarit]

This is a classic trap game for us



I couldn't agree more. United has a guady record, but most of its recent points have come from relatively unimpressive 1-0 wins (and even less impressive 1-1 draws). A team that can perform like last night (even against an out-of-form Celtic) is well-placed to dominate the league. You just have to wonder if they can put it together.

perc

[sch2383]

We need to end this one early. Attack right out of the gate, get two quick goals and just take Cowtown out of it mentally. I guess the only question is if Santino or Jamil starts up top in place of Esky?

[BigKris]

We need to end this one early. Attack right out of the gate, get two quick goals and just take Cowtown out of it mentally. I guess the only question is if Santino or Jamil starts up top in place of Esky?

Hmm, I dismissed this at first, but now that I think about it, it's actually a very good question. If you're Jamil and you don't get the start, you have to be asking yourself, "what else do I have to do? Q looked bad in the friendly and I scored, buy HE gets the next start?" So you may need to put Jamil ahead of Q in the pecking order just as an issue of fairness.
That said, Q's flexibility may give him an edge - he and Freddy were pretty flexible last night, with one of them playing wide right while the other pushed forward, then switching back. I really like that because I think it helps to make Fred more dangerous.

[BigKris]

- I wonder if one of Boswell or Erpen might sit and rest and Wilson starts? I say no since the team will have a full week off (!) to rest up.

Yes, I think it would be prudent to sit Boz, because apparently he's got a knee that isn't 100% (per Celtic pre-game reports). I understand him getting geeked up for the Celtic match but I frankly wouldn't have played him in that match if he wasn't fully healthy and that goes for this match, too. We need him down the stretch. Putting Wilson in (who, IMO, has been playing very well this year in both the reserves and his limited first team time) won't hurt us.

[sch2383]

Hmm, I dismissed this at first, but now that I think about it, it's actually a very good question. If you're Jamil and you don't get the start, you have to be asking yourself, "what else do I have to do? Q looked bad in the friendly and I scored, buy HE gets the next start?" So you may need to put Jamil ahead of Q in the pecking order just as an issue of fairness.
That said, Q's flexibility may give him an edge - he and Freddy were pretty flexible last night, with one of them playing wide right while the other pushed forward, then switching back. I really like that because I think it helps to make Fred more dangerous.
I love the speed that Walker brings, it will force Columbus to sit further back so they don't get caught on a through ball or a counter.

I doubt he will do this, but if Nowak sat Gomez again at the start, Freddy could easily be moved into the middle and Santino play on the right. Maybe that is the lineup change we would see at the half, assuming we are up.

[spidergoose]

Gotta go with Walker on this one. As a striker, he fits into Esky's role better than Tino.

Why not sit Jaime for this game? Our back five are doing such a good job that I think we can tinker with the attacking lineups a bit and still win.

[dcsundevil2002]

Hmm, I dismissed this at first, but now that I think about it, it's actually a very good question. If you're Jamil and you don't get the start, you have to be asking yourself, "what else do I have to do? Q looked bad in the friendly and I scored, buy HE gets the next start?" So you may need to put Jamil ahead of Q in the pecking order just as an issue of fairness.
That said, Q's flexibility may give him an edge - he and Freddy were pretty flexible last night, with one of them playing wide right while the other pushed forward, then switching back. I really like that because I think it helps to make Fred more dangerous.

I would start Santino over Jamil, for this reason only.

Jamil coming off the bench against players that have been running for 45 minutes to an hour is far more lethal and dangerous than him starting against guys who are as fresh as he is. He benefits from them being tired. He brings more to the club, which should always be the question these guys ask themselves, when he runs right at the tired defenders as a fresh sub.

I would also start John Wilson over Bozilla Saturday. He performed great against Celtic. Bozilla, according to the Washington Post, seems to be carrying around a slight knee injury. Put John in for this one, and give Bozilla a week and a half away from matches to rest the knee. It should benefit him in the stretch run at the end of the season, the US Open Cup, and the MLS playoffs.

As the United bench is so deep this season, we really need to start looking at resting some of our work horses, (Gomez, Adu, Moreno, Olsen, Simms, Esky, Gros, Bozilla, Erpen, Perkins), to avoid them truely running out of gas when the MLS season means the most, the playoffs. Have Olsen and Simms alternate each week in midfield, or the two of them rotate with Caroll. That way one of them each gets a week off. Have Santino start in stead of Esky or Moreno every now and then, giving them a week off. Nicky proved last night that he can still get'er done in goal, have him start the RSL match at the end of the month. Use Wilson to rotate out Bozilla and Erpen.

Just some ideas.

[Pints]

I love the speed that Walker brings, it will force Columbus to sit further back so they don't get caught on a through ball or a counter.

I doubt he will do this, but if Nowak sat Gomez again at the start, Freddy could easily be moved into the middle and Santino play on the right. Maybe that is the lineup change we would see at the half, assuming we are up.


I think a nice split with Jamil starting and Tino coming in at the half if we're up is good way to get this one going.

Of course Walker has more sprint in him and we have seen this team get lazy with 10 minutes to go and up a point. Maybe his speed is better suited to the second half? Dunno. If we are going solely on "fairness" than Metcalf should be chosen over Tino.

[Liverpool_SC]

Hmm, I dismissed this at first, but now that I think about it, it's actually a very good question. If you're Jamil and you don't get the start, you have to be asking yourself, "what else do I have to do? Q looked bad in the friendly and I scored, buy HE gets the next start?" So you may need to put Jamil ahead of Q in the pecking order just as an issue of fairness.
That said, Q's flexibility may give him an edge - he and Freddy were pretty flexible last night, with one of them playing wide right while the other pushed forward, then switching back. I really like that because I think it helps to make Fred more dangerous.
Jamil is always so much more dangerous when he is a sub. I think part of it is the fact that Gomito and Jaime don't want to make the runs themselves as much in the second half, so they will pass him the ball late in games. However, early in games - Jamil is just not sophisticated enough moving off the ball. As a result, Jaime holds it and Jamil has to play more static so that he isn't constantly moving into an offsides position.

Part of this I blame on the ideosyncracies of Jaime's attacking tempo. Part of it I blame on Jamil's fair-to-middling vision and experience. But it is right there before me every time, so I have to recognize it.

I love watching Jamil play for DC United, but it may be that he has realized that he is a great squad player for a great team. He might get a chance as a starter or at least have a bigger role for an MLS expansion team. But if a guy like Jeff Cunningham still gets lots of his minutes as a sub - then a guy like Jamil may just have to suck it up and accept it.

Also, even played out of position as an out-and-out striker - the cerebral and creative Santino Quaranta just brings a lot more to the team than Walker. Neither of them is a pure goal-scorer. So do you go with the guy that can scheme, has the confidence of Jaime and Gomito and (at any minute) can zing a 45-yard switch or a shot from outside the box? Or do you go with the pacy, hard-working but still rather limited Jamil Walker?

I would love to see Santino in Jaime's role and Jamil playing as 'his' Esky. I think it would work better than a Moreno and Walker combo. But DC remains Jaime's team and Santino and Jamil are going to have to continue to fit into their slots as a consequence.

But as I said, I give all the credit in the world to Jamil. He, like John Wilson and Clyde Simms, does everything he can for the team as soon as he steps onto the pitch. He plays within himself (Esky could learn from him in that regard) and he is very productive - within the constraints that Nowak places around him. He can go to bed and sleep well every night knowing that he is filling his role at DC United as well as Jaime, Benny and plenty of other guys.

[Liverpool_SC]

I believe that Freddy is going to continue his mini scoring revival - getting at least one goal in the next two games. This would be a good game for it, to. Noah Palmer is not great at reacting to shots from deeper positions (especially when he is screened a bit) and Freddy has been consistently putting those on frame throughout the season. Some of those balls led to goals (such as in the first game against the Crew). Some deserved to go in, and just didn't have eyes (I think he leads the league in pounding the woodwork). I think that the quality of the shots he has been taking is going to start being rewarded though (law of averages).

Plus, he really is working better with Jaime, Gomito, etc. Considering that he started the play on a few of the nifty Adu-to-Jaime-to-Gomito combination goals over the past 4 - 6 weeks, he is going to start getting rewarded a bit himself.

Finally, Crew defenders struggle to defend guys with good foot skills. Kotschau especially. Considering that Gonzalez is likely to be out due to his card accumulation, the Crew defense could be a bit of a mess. I don't rate the Kotschau and Marshall pairing much at all. And Chris Leitch and Ezra/Tim Ward are going to have their hands full as well.

It will really be nice having Bennie back in the middle of the field. I think that he will be able to exploit the matchups in that part of the field better (especially if the rather dangerous Seba Rozental plays) and allow us to isolate the Columbus forwards pretty well.

Rather than pounding the ball in and holding it in the attacking third for long periods of time - I hope that we can create some quick breaks and delayed counterattacking moves that catch the Crew defenders further out from goal, trying to trap. We did an excellent job varying our transitional play and linking play against Celtic and I think mixing up the tempo of our attacking play is the key to a 1 - 0 win and a 3 - 0 win.

Gros has been a bit quiet lately, but he was very active against Celtic. Hopefully he is rounding back into form. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few runs out of the back from Facundo - he is good enough to score 5 - 6 in this league (almost grabbed one last week) and again the Palmer factor makes this a good game for him to get forward, if he does so judiciously.

We will need a steady game from Carroll in order to counter the more dynamic players that Crew can throw at us (Jacob Thomas and the-guy-we-make-look-much-better-than-he-is Joe Ngwenya). In general, however, Crew really lack that confident forward that every team needs to build their attacking framework around. Thomas, Gaven and Ngwenya are makeshift forwards at this level.

[GUTuna]

Noah Palmer is not great at reacting to shots from deeper positions (especially when he is screened a bit)

Reports from over on the Crew boards say that Bill Gaudette is healthy again. Not sure if they'll throw him into the fire this weekend, but the Crew finally have another option.