Official DC United vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds PRE Match Thread • USOC • Third Round

[Knave]

DC United vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds

• 2003 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup • Third Round •

• Wednesday, July 16, 7:30pm EST •

• Maryland Soccerplex, Boyd, MD •

• No television ... that stinks.
• DCUnited.com Match Preview (http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=188838)
• Pittsburgh Riverhounds Website (http://www.riverhounds.com/)
• Pittsburgh Riverhounds discussion board at USLdiscussions.com (http://www.usldiscussions.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=25)
• The US Open Cup board at BigSoccer.com (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=86)
• English Webcast (http://www.970theburgh.com/)
• PBP Chat Information (http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=42696)

And ...

• Everyone should read this great article on the Harmarville Hurricanes (http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/other/20030713opencup0713p4.asp). They won the USOC in 1956. Trust me, it's connected to the Riverhounds ... sort of.

This post will be updated later in the week for corrections and additions.
Items in gray will be updated once available or confirmed.

I really hope the team takes this tournament seriously. We've blown it off too many times in recent years.

No Flames • No Trolls

[CHICO13]

No Beer :rolleyes:

[McOwen]

Its okay Chico. We can make up for it on Saturday. Did they say anything about liquor?! :D

[soccerhooligan33]

I think that Brian Carrol absolutely has to see the field in this game hopefully as a starter.

[Jose L. Couso]

I think Ray Hudson also needs to find some time for Stokes in this game.

[scruggs45]

hey guys what is the la barra brava turnout going to be like on wed??? i usually show with a few friends but i think its going to be just me this time...and did chico say NO BEER????

[JayRockers!]

I'm all for Doug Warren getting some time in goal. Rimando has been letting in too many soft ones the past three weeks, and we need to get the understudy some time.

Warren plays at Richmond or Va Beach, right? Or does our backup 'keeper never get in any game work at all? It'd be nice if he had played Pittsburgh before and knows what to expect.

Thx,

Jay!

[DigitalTron]

Dema gets a 1 game suspension ... I guess that means he's out for the Quakes game, but technically this would be his next game. Assuming he's available for this game, I expect to see these guys all to get 90 minutes:

G-Warren
D-Stokes
D-Carroll
M-Dema
M-Marco
M-Eliseo
M-Devin
F-Esky

Chino is probably still in Peru to be with his seriously ill dad. That leaves at a minimum Namoff and Prideaux to share minutes in defense, and who knows who all else to share minutes in attack.

I'm a big proponent of going for the gusto in the Open Cup, but right now our chemistry is quite fragile and if we get a win at home against the Quakes it will go a long way towards righting our ship. So I don't want fatigued players for the Quakes game. At least from the next round onward all of the MLS teams will be dealing with the same problems.

-Digital

[rymannryan]

I agree with Tron. I want to see those players get time. Also, is Etcheverry actually having problems with his heel or is that just cover?

[Red&Black]

http://www.riverhounds.com/usocbus_2003.htm

some group calling themselves the "hound hooligans" (i swear i am not making this up) are organizing a trip down for the match.

probably a better showing than the 4 guys from jersey that showed up for the scum match.

[ursula]

It would be a mistake though to treat this game as a walkover as Pittsburgh ain't chopped liver. I like DT's list above, but my feeling is that not all those guys will play as probably Ray has some serious reservations with one or two of our players:

-Etcheverry will obviously play IF his heel injury isn't too serious AND his relationship with the team is not that bad. Two IFs there, boys. Actually three IFS with the thid being that Hudson might want Etch more for the Quakes game- I mean who's gonna play in the middle there- Hristo- Olsen or Q2?

-I can't imagine Q2, Escandarian, Kovalenko, and Barclay not playing and most likely Warren will play too.

- I'm less sure of Carroll or Stokes since obviously Hudson doesn't have a lot of confidence in them yet. Hopefully they play too.

How folks lineup is Dyson's guess since he sees them in practice, but here goes:

-------------Warren
Carroll----Stokes---Petke---Namoff
------------Kovalenko
Barclay-----------------Quaranta
-----------Etcheverry
------Eskandarian-----Quintinilla

I'm 100% sure this lineup is wrong; at any rate it sure looks shaky.

[rymannryan]

Originally posted by ursula

How folks lineup is Dyson's guess since he sees them in practice, but here goes:

-------------Warren
Carroll----Stokes---Petke---Namoff
------------Kovalenko
Barclay-----------------Quaranta
-----------Etcheverry
------Eskandarian-----Quintinilla

I'm 100% sure this lineup is wrong; at any rate it sure looks shaky.



I'd make a few changes for a few reasons.

1. If you're going to rest either Petke or Prideaux, then rest Petke as Prideaux sat out the Scum game. If one needs a rest out of those two, its Mike.

2. I think Nelsen has to play just about every game, he's probably our most indespensable player. He has to be on the field if we are truly taking this competition seriously.



So the lineup I would put on the field would look more like this:

-----------------------Warren--------------------

-------Namoff-----Stokes-------Prideaux---Ivanov

----------------------Nelsen---------------------
---------Dema------------------------Caroll------
---------------------Quaranta-------------------

----------------Esky--------Barclay------------

[Lowecifer]

I don't care who they trot out there, but they better win the damn game.

NO EXCUSES.

[andylovesoccer]

Four weeks ago, I seriously doubted our ability to get out of the first round of this tournament. Now, we seem to have stepped our game up a little bit and we might actually win a couple of games. I will be very surprised if Hudson doesn't field a very competitive team.

[um_chili]

I'm looking forward to this game. A few weeks ago, I was thinking it would afford our only shot for some hope or excitement this season. Now I'm not so pessimistic, but that's the rub -- Hudson can't throw our best side out there because we need to stay healthy and conserve energy for the league games, especially because a few wins now could vault us into the unfamiliar area of playoff contention. However, this team isn't so good that we can send a B-squad out there and expect a win versus an A-league side. So it seems a little dicey.

Still, anything less than a win would be really embarrassing.

[MikeLastort2]

Originally posted by DigitalTron
Dema gets a 1 game suspension ... I guess that means he's out for the Quakes game, but technically this would be his next game. Assuming he's available for this game,

He's available. His card only affects MLS games.


I expect to see these guys all to get 90 minutes:

G-Warren
D-Stokes
D-Carroll
M-Dema
M-Marco
M-Eliseo
M-Devin
F-Esky

The only players I agree with on your list are Dema, Marco, Q2 and Alecko. I don't think we can risk a loss by playing Warren, Stokes, Carrol or Barclay. We MUST win this match.

Even with that, I'd probably use the same starting lineup that we used against the Fire on Saturday. USOC match or not, I don't see any reason to screw around with what was a successful (if not beautiful) game.

Chino is probably still in Peru to be with his seriously ill dad. That leaves at a minimum Namoff and Prideaux to share minutes in defense, and who knows who all else to share minutes in attack.

I hope his dad is going to be ok.

I'm a big proponent of going for the gusto in the Open Cup, but right now our chemistry is quite fragile and if we get a win at home against the Quakes it will go a long way towards righting our ship. So I don't want fatigued players for the Quakes game. At least from the next round onward all of the MLS teams will be dealing with the same problems.

I see your point, but if Hudson uses his subs wisely these guys should be able to start Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon. And as much as I hate to say it, I think that we have to go for it all in the Open Cup because I don't realistically see United winning MLS Cup this year.

[MeridianFC]

Originally posted by CHICO13
No Beer :rolleyes:

But plenty of rum and coke in the Super Big Gulp. If you know what I mean..................

;)

[CHICO13]

Originally posted by MeridianFC
But plenty of rum and coke in the Super Big Gulp. If you know what I mean..................


10-4 :D

[Red&Black]

sounds like a day for "Airplane bottles"

[Footer Phooter]

Originally posted by MikeLastort2
[B


I hate to say it, I think that we have to go for it all in the Open Cup because I don't realistically see United winning MLS Cup this year. [/B]

Personally, I really don't care about the Open Cup. I think Saturday's game is much more important, and don't think losing this game with a bunch of backups hurts morale too much, so I'd like to see Barclay, Stokes, etc. out there.