Sadly most of who we have to talk about just don't play to their potential whatever that might be. I really don't think we are as bad as the record but......... Speaking of REALLY BAD and playing to potential - the broadcasts!! Even Dave Johnson who is one of my all time favorites isn't sounding so good. Probably because his co-commentators are just so poor. The non-HD is bad enough - add some awful Color Commentary and all there is is Dave. There have to be better analysts around! Glad I go to most home games so I don't have to watch (or listen) to the 'experts'.
I like the idea of Brown better than the reality. It'd be nice to have a forward with his physical gifts (especially speed) that also knows how to link up with the midfield, but I don't think that's him. Presuming we go into next season with Big Signing as our starting striker and Mullins backing him up, I'd rather have Miranda as forward #3. We looked like a team playing its third match in eight days: Took a while to get into it, faded late. Thank you for your service, Franklin, but I think we've got it from here. Unless you're willing to take a big pay cut. Harkes looked like a rookie today, which is good -- it means our midfield now has enough talent that he has to try and catch up. Hopefully it'll force him to step his game up in order to get on the field.
Actually the team is worse than the record which is flattering to their underachievements in every category except Own Goals by Opponents. Hope they figure out how to re-sign Hamid. Clark is a perfect fit with the other maladroits on defense, but you need some skill somewhere in the back and he can't catch a low shot
Columbus looked active, skilled, and well coached. DCU didn't. Like the Red Bulls, the Crew had players wide open on every foray into our defensive third. And their passing was dead accurate almost all the time. Ours wasn't. I thought Acosta was subpar tonight. Arriola was much better, and Canouse had a good match, as did Korb. But, for all I expect to see from our new players in 2018, I don't expect them to advance much under Ben and Chad. IMO.we need new faces among our coaching staff. Berhalter had his team moving like a well oiled machine. Ours moved by fits and starts.
Agree too that new staff is needed. Ben hasn't seemed to have improved despite being there so many years now. Chad I hear is not a favorite of the players but I think they still like Ben but I would rather they do no tlike their coach and be better! They have only been consistent in poor to mediocre play under those guys. Maybe they can move Ben to the Broadcast booth and he would improve that!
It's like listening to Baghdad Bob on how well resistance to the US invasion is going. A real problem with team-produced broadcasts is the lack of objectivity in what the broadcasters feel they can say when the team's been a dumpster fire for most of the season.
There were parts to the game that were good and encouraging: midfield play and Korb. But too often passes from the Centerbacks or from Franklin went straight to Yellow jerseys. oh, and Brown really sucks
Yes, he does. Our forwards should be Mullins and Miranda - period. Further, I would prefer to see Miranda in the middle, rather than being out wide. Here's an idea: when subbing out Acosta, as often happens in the second half, bring in Miranda and have him be the front runner while Mullins drops back into Acosta's "withdrawn forward" spot. Mullins can distribute. It might even be a plus: IMO Acosta has been forcing things too much by relying on his dribbling prowess, and is giving up the ball too easily, so I wouldn't mind if he is spelled now and then.
100% disagree. Mullins can layoff as needed. his entire game is getting in a spot and one touching on net. maybe he can, i don't know but i've never seen anything to suggest he can play anywhere but up top
I saw Mullins a few times at Maryland. He could fill the withdrawn role, just differently than Acosta. With Stieber and Arriola buzzing the wings and Canouse and (Harkes/someone else), you have the ability to engage in quick one touch ball movement. The actual playmaking would tend to come from the wing, but that can work as well. Essentially, all of the 5 midfield players could interchange positions on the fly and help disrupt a defense. Different that Lucho pulling the strings, but different can be effective.
Just back from... Columbus! In an impetus of masochism, a friend of mine and I drove friday night and returned today. Despite the loss and the poor game (ours, fully expected) we had fun. Surprisingly, we were not the only people there, a couple from DC came on their way to Nebraska, a guy with a Barra shirt flew in and was with a friend from Detroit. Plus I saw some other people with DC shirts here and there, probably locals or people who live in Ohio (but they did not come to us)
BTW, Clark is not the answer for the future. When Hamid goes, we need to find another kind of replacement
Hamid likely doesn't save either goal last night. The corner goal scorer was left wide open by Franklin. The 2nd goal happened because Franklin was roller skating backwards inside the box and the Columbus winger curled in an easy shot. That shot is literally the shot EVERYONE practices when they're farting around. Pitiful display by Franklin. I would fine him for that. Something is seriously wrong when our defenders back off like that IN THE BOX. We make clubs look like Barca when they possess the ball. Olsen and Kasper are wasting our time.
Not talking about the goals, I was there - I have seen them very well. But Clark is unsecure, he grabbed and lost the ball three times, and it had already happened the game before. He does not transmit confidence. Franklin was tragicomic, he needs to be let go at the end of the season
Well, I'm not gonna defend Clark. Hamid is better, but as we know, GK is a deck chair on this sinking ship. We're not going to get better without some serious tactical changes that I don't believe Ben is able to make.
Been off the grid for a bit but agree so much. They are DCs crew but even so - its hard to listen them not really giving the real stick on things. There is a way to do it without being an asshole (ie Lalas). I really hope they leave channel 8 and bring back sone of the guys they use to have - The Georgetown coach Keith T... (spelling too hard); Sasho from maryland or Harkes although his ego is so big I found it hard to listen. actually so was Sashos! Anyway - they need a new production and new color commentators - keep Dave of course. he is awesome. A new team may help
I like Devon, he's learning (of course once Tino learned and got better they dumped him) - and it's sort of understandable why he wouldn't rag on his old team constantly - and I feel he's done some decent enough criticisms of the lack of offense at least. No way would they get rid of Lindsay, she's the communications director or something. I'm not sure why she has such a big part of the broadcast and if they move to a real outlet she likely won't. I like her, she's very nice and when she's not on TV she knows her stuff pretty well - but a team spokesman has no business being part of a game broadcast imo. Put me down as anti-Sasho - he'd be great for a post-game show but I don't find him useful at all during the actual broadcast. Could Russ Thaler and Dave J fit inside the same broadcast booth? They both kind of do the same job I guess but both are good at it. I wish the second guy wouldn't try to tell me what I can already see but talk more about the reasons why I'm seeing it instead.