About Hudson [R]

[Claymore]

Erif Nosduh

There, I said it first. Flame away.

[Jose L. Couso]

:)

[Sandon Mibut]

5 games, three points, three goals, last place.

I would say that Punky may want to start calling all the bitches down in Lauderdale to see if they have room in their schedule for him 'cause at this rate, Punky's gonna be sniffin' butts and pissing on fire hydrants pretty damn soon.

I mean, if this doesn't change by the time they come back from Dallas two games from now, Punky's going to be getting walks on South Beach in the beginning of June.

[mdesimone1]

Sit Etch. Fire Hudson. Majority of the problem solved.

[dcfanno]

Gosh, maybe the changes that should have been made in the off season were to get rid of Hudson and Trask and not trade away Pope, Williams, Moreno, Mapp and fire his staff that had been part of the earlier success of the organization. So far this season, we have no wins, 3 goals, and 2 legs broken by opponents from players Hudson could not live without! I do not know about you, but that does not seem to be the way to 'right a ship', or the type of players that an organization can be proud of having represent them in the community

[Fah Que]

Convey plays in middle. Etch sits.

[Hedbal]

Look at the bright side. We have three goals and two broken legs to our credit so far. It doesn't look as if we will score again this season, but with Hristo, Dema and some of their scrappier teammates we have a chance of being the first team in MLS to break as many legs as we score goals.

[Benedict XVI]

I agree with Fah. Somebody shoot me.

I'd ask for a United player to shoot me, but lawd knows they couldn't hit me.

[DigitalTron]

Trask is an excellent defensive coach. Hudson is an excellent motivator. Unfortunately, they're not getting that third element that they need, someone to concentrate on the attack.

We constantly play the ball slowly through midfield and always have to face a set defense with numbers behind the ball. Much of our offensive problems can be attributed to this, as almost any MLS team (possibly excepting Colorado), can stifle goal chances when they have 10 behind the ball.

In soccer, there are really only about 5 different good opportunities to score:
1. Attack an unsettled defense - counter, long ball, switching field, overlapping runs, etc.
2. Set pieces - headers off corners, free kicks, PK's, etc.
3. Shots from distance - outside the box rockets, leading attacker dropping the ball back for trailing player, etc.
4. Maintaining space away from defenders - getting rebounds, ricochets, stealing passes, etc.
5. Forcing defensive switches - overlapping backs, cycling midfielders, beating the first defender 1v1, etc.

Otherwise, you are forced to break down a defense, and very few teams are successful at that in MLS these days. Look at the goals that are being scored in MLS, most of them fall into one of those categories. Sure, there are occasional times where a good pass can thread the needle by 2 or 3 defenders, or the time when an individual effort by Twellman to turn his man and shoot result in goals, but most of the time its when the defense isn't settled, someone takes a shot from distance, someone heads in a corner kick, or someone draws a foul in or near the box. We don't do any of those.

1. Attacking an unsettled defense - we slow the ball down by playing into Marco, or make an early negative pass to slow things up.
2. Set Pieces - our corners are the worst in the league IMHO
3. Shots from distance - we traded Denton, Armstron, Perez, but we still have Santino, Hristo and Esky. Let's start letting them shoot.
4. Maintaining space - our attackers are content to stand still in the box or jog next to defenders, pitiful.
5. Forcing defensive switches - this is Miami Fusion futbol, why can't we do this one at least?

-Digital

[NJDevilsfan]

Hudson should be arrested for impersonating a coach. I was at the game in my black & white jersey tonight, and I was appaled by what I saw. I knew we were having trouble but only 3 chances at goal?

[superdave]

When you watch other MLS games, you see just how bad DC is in the attack. It's not just one problem. We play too slow, and our runs don't create space, and we can't finish, and we don't play "with" each other.

My opinion of the housecleaning has not changed. It was nuts to keep Etcheverry and force Convey to the outside. I honestly think that would solve many, many problems. Most prominently, it would immediately increase the speed and variety of the attack.

One last comment...the DC roster is very, very poorly constructed. First of all, too many hotheads. Second of all, too many attacking mids. And if you're going to assemble a squad like this, play to its strengths. Go 4-2-3-1, or the 4-1-3-1-1 that they listed Reading as playing in the playoff match today.

[Kenobi]

I don't understand why we the fans have been able to see this for three years now, but no one on the coaching staff can: playing the ball through Etcheverry hurts our attack. It's impossible to play the kind of speedy, one-touch, quick-counterattacking football that DC should be playing when every time they get the ball, the player with the ball, stops, looks for Etch, and works the ball to him. Sit him. DC has played better the past few years without him anyway.

[s900mhz]

Hudson and Trask are both absolutely dreadful coaches......word is that there practices are "dated" an unimaginative. Being that Hudson had no "real" coaching experience before Miami (except for some small college and high school) it really is not surprising that he is out of his element. Trask is merely a college coach...plain and simple.

Etch. is about 100 years old now..and it shows..time to retire...

I read an article in 90 minutes magazine about this young American (Bill Morveck? spelling) who coached with Southampton in England and now coaches with Jamaica's National squad....it says he is from Washington.....this man (or someone with similar experience) should be brought in to manage this team. Any thoughts??

[AndyMead]

DC United at Kansas City

http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2003/0412_kc_dc_ajm/web_ajm_6425.jpg
(photo by Andy Mead/YCJ)

[AndyMead]

Chicago Fire at DC United

http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2003/0419_dc_chi_ajm/web_ajm_7919.jpg
(photo by Andy Mead/YCJ)

[McOwen]

I know how he feels...

[Funkfoot]

Originally posted by Kenobi
Sit him. DC has played better the past few years without him anyway.

That's just not true. But he shouldn't be playing now, especially with an injury.

[Kenobi]

Originally posted by Kenobi
Sit him. DC has played better the past few years without him anyway.

Originally posted by Funkfoot
That's just not true. But he shouldn't be playing now, especially with an injury.

Sure it is. Think of all the games when he was injured or suspended where United actually looked like a real team with a flowing offense. As if, when the other players realize Etcheverry's not on the field, they step up and take on more offensive responsibility, rather than sitting back and letting everything go through him. I don't know about their actual record in games with Etch vs. games without him, but certainly to me, when Etch doesn't play, the weakness of United's game with him is exposed.

[Soccer-Six-Shooter]

Originally posted by Fah Que
Convey plays in middle. Etch sits.
I agree with this.

[mosler]

Wasn't there a lot of talk from Hudson in the preseason about two things?

1) The team will succeed or fail on the back of Marco
2) Ray was prepared to make some hard decisions (like which big name to bench) when the time comes.

In my view Marco played well in the first few matches but has not the past two weeks. I think you have to trust Ray to make the call when the time comes. But if current form continues and no change is made, then you have cause for concern.

How long you are willing to wait is up to you.