Everybody walks back up the same streets to the same two Metro stops. And a hot miserable night. Back to the game. As my friend said after the game: "Who was that team in Black out there? I haven't seen them before this season." Felipe has turned out to be a key acquisition this season: Always buzzing around to receive the ball from a guy under pressure; Always looking around while he's moving to space and just before he gets the pass in order to make another quick pass; Always cutting off passing angles to the other team's forwards.
That was a very impressive performance. We were unlucky to only be up 1-0 at the half. Lots of guys played well. Brilliant had a very, VERY solid match. Nice to see.
3 off the woodwork. Two for Rooney, one for Segura. I liked the flashing lights. Nice effect. Maybe they'll do some other patterns. Other observations: We moved the ball remarkably well, and remarkably -forward- more than usual. I only counted fewer than a handful of hospital balls. Down side, a higher-pressure team capitalizes on those. Seattle (outside their #9) didn't. Hamid still can't see and distribute to good runs, particularly by Arriola. Felipe: So, I don't want to like him, given 2013, but danged if he isn't making it difficult. He's been great at disrupting and making himself a good pressure relief valve for surrounding players, and after every match he's always walking the west dasher boards and spending time with fans...pictures, handshakes, acknowledging folks up in the stands. Amerikwa: The more I see him, the more I like him. He's like the bigger, forward version of ABMOD, disrupting the opposition plays at both ends and everywhere in between, AND keeping the opposition defensive line on their toes. Now, if he could just stay onsides more....
Also, Alan Kelly, the ref where depending on whether the minute of the match is even or odd, a two handed shove may or may not be a foul, and just because you have advantage of position and possession doesn't mean you didn't commit the foul, but only sometimes.
I'm pretty sure I wrote "2 crossbars, 1 post", so yes, I am aware that's three times off the woodwork.
To be fair, I didn't get back to my house 'til midnight, so my reading comprehension might be off. Were this the ref forum, I'd try and pick nits to see where each hit, to see if it really WAS the crossbar versus post.
I almost find it odd that we'd clash with a fairly small Seattle contingent. Makes me wonder what the flash point was, since it also wasn't a particularly contentious match. That said I through our security presence has varied through the year. I've seen a secondary security provider at some games in addition to CSC. These guys really stand out. Tactical gear, dogs, overtly armed and generally pretty big guys. I didn't see them last night. Hanging it on the Barra without some concrete statement of seeing Barra gear on the perpetrators which would also make them pretty stupid. Even still any large group is going to have its assholes who operate with the mandate of the group. Notable un-Ben like behavior. Proactive subbing last night had me doing double takes at our bench. Benching Lucho was an easy call and long over due. The team is much better without a passenger right in the middle of the field. Benching Jara costs us some offence, but puts our best defensive 6 out there and it shows. I have to say benching Jara might be an underrated move if it takes us past a 1st rd playoff game. Can't say I am on board with Filipe yet, but he's doing all the right things. Now he just needs a key goal or big stick in a massive situation. Arriola's workrate is epic. They need to lock him down so no one comes along and turns his head like that business with Lucho last off season. Next step with Lucho is to leave him out of the 18, but I am not sure we'd even have 7 guys on the bench. He came out at halftime which is always informal, but he just looks so apathetic standing all alone, not moving to passes that were easily pulled in by taking 2-3 steps. Completely off target passes and not really participating in whatever it is the bench players do in this time. He cut a really forlorn figure out there all alone. Then he comes on and does very little really. Dude looks so checked out. I don't think I want to see him again. I don't think he's responded very favorably to being benched. Dead opposite to what you'd like to see from a guy who is committed to pulling themselves off the scrap heap.
DC can't afford to leave Acosta off the 18. He was plenty effective when he came on for Rooney last night (I don't think 22 of 24 passes completed and 3 successful take ons in 15 minutes is doing "very little"), and I get the feeling he'll see some important minutes in the playoffs.
The lights were first used for the intro at the Puebla game. That, to me, should still be a work in progress. It's still awkward when the light program is complete and followed by the team entrance. I liked it after goals. Other teams have been doing light shows and it was one of those things I was surprised they hadn't done since day 1 at EagleBank Field.
I was at the Puebla game, but must have missed the lights during the intros (I think I got outside just before the anthems).
Nice stats I guess, but to the naked eye, he created no danger, had 1-2 apathetic looking give aways and generally didn't look like a guy trying to prove he belongs in the 11. Take a guy like Quincy who has a lot less talent but much more work ethic. They're apples and oranges WRT to what role they fill so I will not say one guy deserves more time over the other, but one guys comes on and shows me that he wants more time. The other guy not so much. And once again, we're looking much better without a passenger in the middle of field.
That's a risk with guys like Acosta, innit? If his low percentage opportunities pay off just -slightly- better, he's a wonder, otherwise it's just turnovers. Whereas when he started playing for us, few knew what to expect, now he routinely draws 3-4. He just has to learn to release to the open people that creates faster, is all.
Juve has been using the light show for the team presentation for a couple of years, but I like it better during the goals.
Bennyball or bust. Three straight shutouts! We haven't talked about him much but Joseph Mora might be the best defensive LB in MLS. And Birnbaum and Brillant can be the best defensive pairing in the league on their day. Throw another defense-first RB like Canouse back there and, damn, they look comfortable in defense.
Funny, because I thought he had what should be a relatively easy job for him and was . . . fine. But not influential to the result.
The guy standing next to me at the game probably got tired of me singing Mora's praises. Mora is the only DC United player past or present who doesn't make me cringe when he does a slide tackle. He's also practically never out of position.
I actually saw a congratulations directed toward one of the newer staff members on twitter last night.
I'm not sure what you're looking for out of a 77th minute sub while holding a 2-0 lead? He was effective. The numbers show that. It's also clear that his performance was not worthy of being singled out to be dropped from the 18 for the rest of the season.