[Knave]

<center>... always look on the bright side of life ...

What utter nonsense! Up next on the DC United misery tour ...

DC United at The Chicago Fire
... discuss ...

No Flames
No Trolls
No Goals
No Wins
No Playoffs
No Hope



I'm bitter. It's been a tough night ...
</center>

[Jose L. Couso]

Just when you thought it was over...

DC United-1
Chicago Fire-0

[Cweedchop]

Originally posted by Jose L. Couso
Just when you thought it was over...

DC United-1
Chicago Fire-0

Jose, are you watching the same team I've been watching lately?

Chicago 3
United 0

[CHICO13]

Well, considering Lassiter will probably be working at Al's used car lot Monday morning, we'll have to see what Q2 and Curtis can do together. Sheesh, like playing in Naperville aint bad enough.

[ursula]

Well it will be interesting to see what sort of formation/lineup Ray goes with since we played so well (I'm not being sarcastic here) with the 352 vs the Revs. The Fire of course have a much better offense than NE, but one can't mistake them for Brazil. We have shut them out twice this year after all. But now Pope seems ready to get back into the game which seems to create a situation where one normal starting defender sits. Here's what I'd like, at least for the next five minutes:

-----------------------Rimando
---Prideaux-------------Pope-------Reyes
----------------Nelsen--McKinley
Villegas----------------------------Convey
-------------------Etcheverry
------------Q2----------------Curtis

Olsen will sub for Curtis probably, maybe Villegas. Williams can sub for McKinley. In this formation, Nelsen plays very deep, practically alongside Pope, giving Ivan the Terrible license to look forward more (which is why I have him starting over Wee One).


My guess though is that either Williams will start, probably for Nelsen in the above lineup or we will go 442, but I just don't like a 442 with our defenders- Mckinley is the only real left back in that formation and he's too slow getting back and Pope and Prideaux are a bad combo in central defense.


BTW, I also really likes Reyes and Convey on the same side (and McKinley and Etch go to the left also). However this brings up a problem which is a big reason why we didn't score vs the Revs: with those two guys on the same side our offense is so left sided that the opposition can focus it's defense there. This was why vs NE Villegas, Alegria, and even Williams had fairly wide open shots on the right side, the weak side of the NE defense. In the NE game I was actually thinking of early on in the 99 season when we were having problems scoring too. Back then, the offense tilted right towards Olsen who was much more creative than his opposite winger, the rookies Jason Moore or Otero or Brian Kamler. Neither of those three were good at carrying the ball forward and the opposition could favor our right side. When we traded Kamler for Maessner we then had a balanced offense and another championship. I presume that when Olsen moves back to right wing our offense will get more potent regardless of our forward situation.

[Jose L. Couso]

Originally posted by Cweedchop
Jose, are you watching the same team I've been watching lately?

Chicago 3
United 0

Yes I have.

IMHO DC United outplayed both Columbus & New England.

The reason DC United has had problems scoring beside the usual suspects, is that in the last two games both Columbus & New England scored first and bunkered.

If DC United were as bad as some people are saying, then those teams would not be bunkering but would be going all out and trying to score more goals.

The fact remains that DC United has arguably the best defense in the whole MLS, teams are not going to be scoring to many goals against them, so they will take one goal, and hope they can score another one on a counter.

DC United has played entertaining and fluid soccer, it is just a matter of time before they get some results.

With Ben Olsen back more scoring opportunities will become available. With Moreno coming back in two weeks (he will only miss the Chicago game hopefully) the offense will be much more dangerous. And with Gazza coming on board, more goal scoring opportunities will occur.

So I think it is a matter of time before the floodgates will open!

On the playoff front, Columbus is only 5 points ahead of DC United, but DC United has a game in hand. Another factor to consider is that Columbus has gotten 10 points out of their total 25 against DC United. Which means that they have only gotten 15 against the rest of MLS. Columbus does not play DC United again, so their point gathering is going to be a little harder.

The glass is half full.

[luvsuperbobby15]

Originally posted by Jose L. Couso
Just when you thought it was over...

DC United-1
Chicago Fire-0

just when you thought it was over, you were right, it is over.
chicago: 3 (razov,wolff, and curtin)
dc: 1 (convey or nelsen) if we are lucky enough to score a goal...

[Barbara]

Originally posted by Jose L. Couso


If DC United were as bad as some people are saying, then those teams would not be bunkering but would be going all out and trying to score more goals.

So you're saying that teams only bunker against good teams? That doesn't make any sense.

The fact remains that DC United has arguably the best defense in the whole MLS,

You could argue this but you'd be wrong. We have the 5th best defense in the league if you look at goals against for the season. That puts us arguably smack in the middle of the whole MLS.

DC United has played entertaining and fluid soccer,

Sometimes. Sometimes not. Most times not, I think.

So I think it is a matter of time before the floodgates will open!

From your fingers to god's ears, Jose. I hope you're right.

[Jose L. Couso]

Originally posted by BarbDett

So you're saying that teams only bunker against good teams? That doesn't make any sense.


You could argue this but you'd be wrong. We have the 5th best defense in the league if you look at goals against for the season. That puts us arguably smack in the middle of the whole MLS.


Sometimes. Sometimes not. Most times not, I think.



From your fingers to god's ears, Jose. I hope you're right.

I stand corrected!

I hope I am right too!

I am even going to pray and I am not a religious man!

[Cweedchop]

Jose,

I love the optimism my friend and at a time like this we need fans like you to pull us through these dreadful times..

You definitely are a glass half full kind of dude and that is a definite thumbs up..

My only point of contention is the ignoring of facts in front of our eyes..

Jose, we've been arguably outplaying teams on the field for the better part of the last 3 seasons but the FACT remains that in that 3 year period, we are the WORST team in MLS record wise..

The bottom line here is this team has lost it's swagger and edge and other teams exploit our serious lack of conviction when we fall behind.. If I was an opposing team and got the lead on United, I wouldn't worry one bit because United couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat right now.. They are a laughingstock of the league right now.. EVERY team knows that all they have to do is get a lead on this team and the game is essentially over.. Confidence is everything in this game (just ask the USA team that got off to a great start at the WC about how much confidence does for a team psyche) and United keeps sinking lower and lower with each agonizing defeat..


Again, please keep up the good morale because it is needed in the face of my dire negativity...