I keep watching that Rooney goal again and again. I doubt MLS keeps the stat but it would be interesting to know how long it's been since someone scored from a free kick that far out, and how it ranks among the longest free kick goals in MLS history. It was hit a ton and had a wicked bend too. Amazing. That will get some play across the pond. With DCU I remember Stoichkov hitting one from about 40 yards in a US Open Cup game at Soccerplex, but that may have been in the run of play.
Just gave a look to the standings... we are all there, NYCFC 53 Philly 50 C'bus 48 DCU 47 Montreal 43 Anything is possible. C'bus and Montreal have the easiest calendar, the others play each other at least once (NYCFC twice), both DC and Philly play NYCFC. They are really at a major risk.
I'm not saying it's likely to happen but if DCU finished in 3rd place it wouldn't be a total shock. Considering where they were when the stadium opened, that's astonishing.
I thought the whole back line defended very well. Timely blocks, interceptions and gobbled up everything in the air. Durkin was fine, but I can't wait to have Moreno back in there. We were getting too clustered in the center, and resorting to long balls. They need to take a lesson from Bradley who was constantly switching the point of attack, finding wingers isolated 1v1. Our buildup was too dependent on overly elaborate flicks, dummies, give and go passes through traffic. Durkin is playing too much the way he's facing. Sometimes you just have to pick your head up and trust your ability to spray a ball 30-40 yards into space. From where I was sitting, Acosta was frustrating me more than Asad. Asad recklessly playing out of the back is something I've gotten used to from previous games. He's actually really good at it, and draws a ton of fouls. Acosta on the other hand seemed on the brink of changing the game, but this is the 2nd game in a row where he's just overdoing it with Rooney. Too predictable ... the same dummies, the same low percentage flick passes. The other attacker that disappointed me the 2nd game in a row was Stieber. Tactically I think he was fine ... always in position to help out defensively. He helped keep the ball moving in possession. But at this stage of the season you also want to see an attacker try to change the game near the box. Whip a cross in, take a shot from distance. Stieber just defers to Acosta too much, and doesn't assume enough responsibility.
I see some broadcasts with measurement graphics superimposed over the actual video but not during any MLS, or at least DCU broadcast I've watched. So distance for records would need to have some universal, quasi calibrated method of measurement. Pretty much up to the eye of the beholder. NTL, a very powerfully and skillfully made shot, perhaps not defended as well as it should have been, but a highlight film topper for sure.
NDL with United's first shot on goal of the game was a pleasant surprise. Sure, his second attempt was of the more traditional NDL variety, but still. Defending, while Toronto did get a few crosses in from his side, way more often than not he forced them to reset, and I didn't expect him to successfully maintain possession out of a 1v3 situation late in the second half. While otherwise our defensive performance was solid, I do wonder at Birnbaum and Brillant's repeated plays back to Hamid, after his injury. It was pretty clear he wanted the ball less, given Toronto's constant high pressure. I do remember at least a couple of times Hamid having a few choice words at particularly ill-conceived flat passes in front of goal. I'm with folks on Asad's performance. He seems to want to either do all the things at once, or make the last pass and stop. On the Asad/Lucho breakaway, if he had kept up his run after the tap back to Lucho, he'd have had a tap-in to an open net, but it isn't the first time he's stopped the run after making the pass. Truth be told, that's been a problem for a lot of United players over the years, so I'm wondering if it's just not ingrained in them, or they're just thinking energy conservation or what. ....also, is spreading the opposing team as wide as possible not a thing for corner kicks? We seem to jam near post to middle of goal, and then send the balls far post instead... Also also, the AR on my side was basically guessing at all the out of play calls. Some wrong in our favour, others not. And some were shockingly obvious. He was probably getting tired of my $#!t by the middle of the second half.
"Cringworthy" American commentator? That's Dave Johnson you're talking about, mate. Kiss my ass. https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...res-stunning-35-yard-free-kick-dc-united-mls/
I was watching that from the stands and I literally wanted to go jump on the pitch run up and strangle him after I saw that. I can't figure him out, one game he is nutmegging opponents and making/scoring chances the next second he does incredibly dumb things.
I guess you haven’t made it until you get a hack piece from The Sun. Dave should print this and frame it
If we're honest that wasn't one of Dave's better calls, and while I know many DCU supporters love it I have never been a big fan of "it's in the net!" It has always felt to me like too forced an effort to have a signature call (when it's not a particularly good one). Won't happen but if he dropped it tomorrow I wouldn't miss it in the slightest. All that said I like him and think he's a good announcer otherwise.
If he only used half the time, it would be twice as good. There's an easy tell to figure out the difference between the shitty teams in MLS and the good ones. It's whether they have an announcer scream "gooool" into the stadium PA after the home team scores. Right now, DC United is still a shitty team.
Or the Tommy Smyth "it's in the onion bag." Goal calls are like home run calls, there aren't that many to choose from. Russ Hodges shouted "bye bye baby" for Giants' home runs. Lon Simmons said "tell it goodbye". We should be grateful that goal celebrations at AF remain modest and traditional and focus on the player. No musket volleys or "Timber Joey" bullshit.
I may be the biggest Deleon hater. He did play well. He played within himself, didn't over commit or get caught out of position. Its like he studied soccer while he was injured.
The point of it is that it doesn't matter how it gets there... so I like that he uses it every time. I don't *love* the call in the abstract, but I love that it belongs to DC and that it's been part of the team through all of it's years. I assume that few/no other teams can say that about their announcer/goal call.
Asad was clearly gassed early in 2nd half. I don't think he was physically ready to play at all. You could see his body language...just screamed exhaustion. Was shocked the sub was for Stieber and not him. At least the move allowed him to move up and not continue to be a defensive liability
That's the Sun. Why would anyone ever believe what they say? Why are they still in business? Kiss your a$$? I wouldn't use that rag to wipe my a$$. asitis
I also thought he was sick, he kept wiping his nose. At the end of the pregame warmups, he just sat in a crouch -- thought it might be a hammy or something muscular. If he was sick, that explains some of it. However part of being a responsible professional means saying "I can't go or I'm not good for 90 minutes." Moreover, if he wasn't right, that makes Olsen's sub of Segura for Stieber rather than Asad even more mystifying. For whatever reason, Olsen has Stieber on a short leash, Asad not much at all.
and why is everyone so amazed at the Rooney free kick. It was good but not that great. Simply what I would expect.
You can never truly assess how a team plays without seeing the whole field. I've only been to 3 games this year, win over Portland, loss to Philly and last night. The difference between last night and every other game ive seen in the last several years is the cohesiveness in play. Defensively, when high players pressed everyone else moved at the same time to close space. Defending deep, they held their li e when needed, when a step up was needed it happened and rest held position just right. They mostly closed space on attackers in the box appropriately, a VAST improvement. Offensively the movement off the ball was also a huge improvement. Pressed ball handlers almost always had an option and they used it. Aforementioned attacking breakdowns aside, this is a nice team to watch now.
Arriola will be back for Sunday's match, but I doubt he trained much if at all while in SoCal, so his minutes may be limited, Usually, Stieber is his sub, but Stieber may start again. If Asad is sick/gassed, Stieber on the left and Arriola on the right would be fine, and you can throw Segura into the conversation. Whatever the lineup, we have to lessen the Rooney/Acosta combo in favor of bringing in other players, because teams are catching on, particularly by swarming Acosta.