Pre-Match Thread:: DC United @ Chivas USA:: May 17 08

[Riz]

http://i27.tinypic.com/9h76ac.jpg
DC United @ Chivas USA

Time: 10:30PM ET
Date: Saturday May 17, 2008
Location: Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
TV: FSC (http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6577120), FSE
Radio: 1050 AM (http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=249) (Eng), SRN
Riz is: 32 weeks pregnant.

Weather
http://image.weather.com/web/common/wxicons/31/32.gif
Sunny, high in the mid-80s.

Team Notes

DC United

OUT: MF Ben Olsen (ankle surgery); MF Jeff Carroll (toe surgery); DF Jeff Curtin (groin strain);
QUESTIONABLE: MF Devon McTavish (mid-foot sprain); MF Fred (hamstring strain); MF Marcelo Gallardo (groin strain);
PROBABLE: MF Domenic Mediate (hamstring strain)

Chivas USA

OUT: DF Jonathan Bornstein (L knee LCL sprain); FW Alecko Eskandarian (L groin strain); DF Lawson Vaughn (facial injury); MF Raphaël Wicky (R ankle sprain); DF Alex Zotinca (R knee ACL surgery);
QUESTIONABLE: DF Carey Talley (R quad strain)

[entropy]

Hey, the weather's gonna be warm there! Maybe Emilio will score!

Ha!

[MattMathai]

[CENTER]http://i27.tinypic.com/9h76ac.jpg

Are they going to be adding referee pictures to all game announcements from now on?

[Nacional Tijuana]

http://image.weather.com/web/common/wxicons/31/32.gif

Awww. That cute little icon ought to brighten the spirits of the most frustrated MLS fan. :)

On another note, DCU has a Curtin?! Hot dang diddely!

[traversunitedfan]

If there is a team we can score on it is Chivas. Tommy better have a smart game plan.

[Bootsy Collins]

All appearances suggest no Fred or Gallardo for this one either.

Ugh.

[elprincipe]

All appearances suggest no Fred or Gallardo for this one either.

Ugh.

Ugh indeed. Our midfield play is going to have to drastically improve from the Chicago disaster.

[nobletea]

All appearances suggest no Fred or Gallardo for this one either.

Ugh.

That would mean back to back games without the 5 most important players.

1. Olsen
2. Gallardo
3. Fred
4. Emillio 2007
5. Unacquired wing player

I mean, Captain, #10, best attacking MF, MVP and leading scorer, and the perpetually missing link.

What kind of team with a salary cap wins a lot of games without those?
Not too many.

I am sure some drink will help me through this game.

[chessplayer]

Maybe we can try Niell as a wing midfielder and Quaranta up top with Moreno and sit Emilio, at least for the first half. I don't see MacT going all game in his first game back, so we can use him on the other side to start the game and make a change at halftime if necessary. At halftime, we can put Doe in up top and move Quaranta to the wing and sit Neill.

We gotta play four in the back, we can't be farting around with the defense this time. They still have Kleschtan, Razov, and Galindo so their offense is likely to be too much to not hvae cover behind Simms. Peralta and Martinez make an effective partnership in the middle. Or we could have MacT in the middle with Peralta and Martinez out wide in the back, pushing Burch to a midfield wing.

I can see us playing a 4-5-1, in which case I hope we have Quaranta be the guy up top and Moreno in the middle, with Simms and Dyachenko/Stratford supporting and MacT/Niell on the sides. Or Quaranta on a side and Doe starting up top.

Our bench will effectively consist of Emilio. But by the 65th minute he may have worked up enough desire to be in the game to go out and give an effective 30 minutes and maybe get a goal.

[MattMathai]

Maybe we can try Niell as a wing midfielder

That might be interesting, but do we have any evidence that he can pass the ball any distance let alone cross from the wing?

[BigKris]

Maybe we can try Niell as a wing midfielder

Ugh. Really? We're to that point?

Maybe we can try missing the flight and claiming that we "overslept".

[morrissey]

Ugh. Really? We're to that point?

Maybe we can try missing the flight and claiming that we "overslept".

You could - but the weather is nice out here, so that's a plus.

james

[Malice]

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict Soehn, will use the 3-5-2 formation again vs Chivas LA, due to it's overwhelming success so far this year; and that United will keep it's torrid scoring pace, away from RFK, intact.

Malice

[garbaggio]

Niell might actually be a good speed matchup against their slow central defenders.

Last Sunday Chivas looked pretty awful with the slow Shavar Thomas and slower Jim Curtin paired centrally. Balls chipped over the central D or through the central D could be run onto by anyone faster than a snail.

This week they should have Claudio Suarez back. He's smart and knows how to position himself but the good news is he's old and guess what else? He's slow.

At least he's got the excuse of being old - he got his nickname due to the fact that he used to be an emperor in ancient Rome...

[voyager]

I'll play left wing! That was my position 17 years ago, and I think I can still hack it.

However, if Soehn refuses to put me in, I suggest the following

Wells
Namoff, Peralta, Martinez, Burch
Kirk, Simms, Moreno, Niell (hurts to put there, tbh, but I suppose Dyachenko could start)
Quaranta, Doe

Emilio comes in for Doe at the 65-70 minute mark.

Very experimental line up but I prefer Burch in a back 4 and Tino up top.

[fanx317]

Has the roster for this trip actually been announced anywhere? I've looked and can't find it.

[Big Roy]

Can't believe that I'm going to stay up past my bed time to watch this turd bowl. :mad:

As frustrating as last weeks game was, it at least passed for entertainment -- not sure this one will.

[skippy]

Goff suggests that Gallardo will play and that Emilio won't.

Emilio sounds upset about it. I'm sure he's crying all the way to the bank....

Oh and a 442? Maybe there is hope for Soehn yet.

[John_Harkes_6]

Mediate in central defense - holy crap are we screwed

[MattMathai]

Mediate in central defense - holy crap are we screwed

I don't know if that's true. Dom is nothing if not steady, and he's a seasoned pro not given to panic. He knows he's not a flashy player and will play within the role he's given. I'd rather have him there than someone who's going to roam the field looking to score from the back line.