DC United vs. houston dynamo Analysis and Comments

[Bison1997]

Us: 0
Them: 2

NO FLAMES AND NO TROLLS.

[Bootsy Collins]

Houston is a much better team than we are.

Really, not much to say beyond that. Their defensive organization and discipline is as good as any team this year. Ours? As bad as any team this year.

Our awful defense hamstrings our offense, as our midfield has to come way back to help out and to get the ball. This isolates Emilio, who has to play with his back to the goal a long way out. Sound familiar? Like April or May, maybe?

Awful.

They can go five players deep into their bench with credible starters. We can maybe go two. Maybe. We have three starters out injured, so someone's bound to be out there who doesn't belong there; and we have no one who can come in from the bench to give us a spark.

Is there anyone among us -- DC fans anyway -- who wouldn't trade Holden for Dyachenko?

[TOTC]

God didn't want the match to be played, apparently. Of course, thanks to the resourcefulness of humanity, the game continued.

The result? Meh.

A rest will be good for United. I hope there will be "reinforcements." God, I hope so, with the extra millions from Fahrvergnugen.

[bigredfutbol]

Houston is a much better team than we are.

Really, not much to say beyond that. Their defensive organization and discipline is as good as any team this year. Ours? As bad as any team this year.

Our awful defense hamstrings our offense, as our midfield has to come way back to help out and to get the ball. This isolates Emilio, who has to play with his back to the goal a long way out. Sound familiar? Like April or May, maybe?

Awful.

They can go five players deep into their bench with credible starters. We can maybe go two. Maybe. We have three starters out injured, so someone's bound to be out there who doesn't belong there; and we have no one who can come in from the bench to give us a spark.

Is there anyone among us -- DC fans anyway -- who wouldn't trade Holden for Dyachenko?

You can pretty much close the thread. This is the bottom line of DCU 2008: shaky in the back, thin on the bench, short on grit.

Sigh...

[rabble-rabble]

I tried to catch some of the match earlier during the delay and parts of RFK almost looked like a pond. (Much) later I found out it had restarted and watched about the last half hour at which point the pitch was essentially a swamp with rain still pounding down.

Big time KUDOS to the supporters who stuck it out until the soggy end.

[gratedjuice]

Is there anyone among us -- DC fans anyway -- who wouldn't trade Holden for Dyachenko?
At this point i'd trade him for a Gatorade cooler if someone would fall for it.

[freekickwiz]

I was only able to listen on the radio last night, but I watched the "highlights" on mlsnet. By highlights, I mean Houston taking 2-3 shots at a time on us before we can clear the damn ball. We looked absolutely confused out there. 1 little pass would trick the 2 United defenders that were running towards the player.

Very frustrating.

And this feeling will have to sit for a week and a half.

As others have said, much respect to those who stayed out there in the rain.

[JuanMa]

So is the MLS All-Star day a good time to announce coaching changes? how about Arena?

I think DCUnited needs a goalie and a defender, but with Soehn, we are not going anywhere

[ECU_SIMMS]

seriously where is the guy telling us that rod is an easy replacement for gallardo, was that bolvianfuego or something.. do you still feel that way? Do all of you see now why gallardo is so important.. i hope so

[Jimbo]

Last night's formation puzzled me. We started Carroll at right back, Namoff and Burch in the middle, and Martinez on the left. That was the first time I remember seeing Namoff in the middle. Was Fred in the center with McTavish and Thompson on the wings? At times it looked like Emilio was playing alone up top, but Moreno was in the game. All in all it looked pretty disjointed. Then Carroll gets subbed out and we revert to a more familiar alignment. Why didn't we have Moreno as AM with Doe and Emilio up top? Brining in Dyachenko isn't going to fix the abysmal distribution from midfield. Outshot 12-1 in the first half. Outhustled to the 50-50 balls time after time. No offensive rhythm. No capability to link up with the forwards except when Emilo ran away from the goal, with his back to the goal, for a backpass. This team has made big steps backwards in the past weeks. Since Gallardo, Quaranta and Peralta were injured the lack of quality on the field has been telling. The subs simply aren't capable of playing at this level. Either DC gets some more talent to fill the roster spots they've opened up by releasing Neill and Carvallo or they struggle and maybe get into the playoffs. I just hope the injured players come back soon and can pick up where they left off.

[Detective40oz]

lets keep Emilio, Fred and Martinez and start from scratch.

[Hungryjack]

I wanted to drop by and post my respect for the fans who stayed there after midnight for the final whistle. I'd like to think I would have done the same.

[ECU_SIMMS]

I wanted to drop by and post my respect for the fans who stayed there after midnight for the final whistle. I'd like to think I would have done the same.

how can you guys stand your announcers. Two complete bumbling idiots. I give your team props though, you guys looked good.

[revelation]

At this point i'd trade him for a Gatorade cooler if someone would fall for it.

Problem is that every MLS team already knows that Rod plays for them so why trade...

:(

Bootsy, sumed it up well.

Basically, this team is sunk unless we can come up with a serviceable keeper that can actually help this team stay in a game instead of leaking goals all over the place.

And why we didn't play with Namoff at right back, P. Carroll in the middle with McTavish, Martinez at left back, Burch and Fred on the wings, Simms and Moreno in center of midfield, with Doe and Emilio up top is beyond my comprehension. We probably still lose that game but at least we would not have looked like a U-6 team on the pitch and have a credible chance of actually being competitive.

[joehill]

is there any way that we can appeal the suspension for Martinez's ejection? he clearly got the ball. DeRo was the one who deserved a yellow for that kick back at Martinez.

[Sundevil9]

seriously where is the guy telling us that rod is an easy replacement for gallardo, was that bolvianfuego or something.. do you still feel that way? Do all of you see now why gallardo is so important.. i hope so

I don't think anyone has said that he's a replacement for Gallardo.

But he's one of the few people on the team that can fill that role, and the only guy on the bench right now.

As many has said, there's not a lot of MLS ready depth on the bench, right now, and even less in midfield.

[MeridianFC]

I can not believe I have invested nearly 8 hours of my life to watch this match. I stayed to the bitter end (and it was). The question I am asking myself is why. United certainly didn't seem to have the desire to be there, I wonder why I bothered.

Utter shite.

If Rod sees the pitch again I will eat my eyeballs out.

Hey Fred, I appreciate the ballet, make the pass or shot man.

Here's a wee tactical layout of our current defensive set up:

http://www.sitemaps.com/Custom_Map_Design/Historical/Maginot_Line.jpg

[Publius]

The French offered more resistance.

[Sundevil9]

The French offered more resistance.

At least you couldn't go 'over the top' of the Maginot Line.

[shawn12011]

At least you couldn't go 'over the top' of the Maginot Line.

DC United's Maginot Line can be gone over, around and through.