How about Ian Harkes tonight? 85% passing, led the team in chances created, touches and total passes. That's what I want from that spot, you can't link if you're not on the ball. The reality of a Durkin/Harkes pairing will never match my dream, but Jeffrey/Sarvas is the worst in the league (someone has to be), so I'm really hoping for the opportunity to be disappointed.
...that was the most entertaining game since Atlanta. That's the version of Harkes I hope we see. It helped that LAG didn't seem to pressure a lot in the middle of the field, giving the kid more time to look up. Still, he's already our third most-creative player. Thought Nyarko looked good, too. He's got to be our first choice among wide midfielders, and it's not very close. Getting him back is important to the team's watchability. Good game from Robinson. Boswell's got to be the odd man out back there. 575 minutes without a goal. But at least we kept those Galaxy pricks off the board too.
Easier to say in hindsight. When Franklin was re-signed, Korb wasn't on the team, NDL had never played the position, and Odoi-Atsem had never played a pro game in his career
All of these posts acknowledge the problem with constructing an "Over the Hill Gang" in MLS. Olsen and Kasper have relied on their "difference makers" (other than Acosta) to be guys that other teams had moved on from: Sam, Nyarko, Neagle, Boswell, Franklin, LeToux, and Sarvas. And before that: Parke, Rolfe, Arnaud and Espindola. There are two major problems with that strategy: (1) you are paying hefty salaries for long service players who may well have "deserved" their pay rates several years earlier; and (2) because said players are nearing their "sell by" dates, you have to hope for lightning in a bottle in one season because these oldsters will begin to drop off in durability, quality and performance rather rapidly. I believe #2 explains that absolutely toothless offensive game DCU has.
Rolfe's concussion had nothing to do with his age as far as I can tell. And he was still and excellent player when that happened. There's always going to be a cycle when you are building a team. But I agree somewhat that DCU has collected too many past their prime players in last several years. Nyarko was great last year, but he's had injury issues his entire career. Neagle was our leading scorer last season. But seems to have dropped off a lot this year along with Sam and Boswell was already shaky for a lot of last season. But he was useful when he first came back to us. Espindola was a crazy person. And of course EJ had his issues too. But I do agree with those saying we need to figure out which of the younger players are worth keeping. And since many of them are performing better than the old guys anyway it should be a no-brainer.
You kind of prove my point regarding your comments on Nyarko and Neagle. They were very good last year, this year for whatever reason they aren't. We disagree about Rolfe, before his injury last year he hadn't scored and just looked a half step behind play. He was dropping off, the concussion was just a sad and tragic way to end his career. EJ was still in his prime when acquired, he just had bad luck with his heart so I wouldn't put him on my list. The only younger acquisition we've done recently was Silva. He was good for awhile, fell off and then has pulled splinters out of his ass in Mexico and Salt Lake. Again, this approach doesn't build a team that can consistently perform well. For that you need a robust academy and some form of scouting beyond watching video tapes and getting schmoozed by player agents.
This consistent falling off in the 2nd or 3rd season could also be indicative of a dysfunctional team. Maybe in their first seasons they come with a lot to prove since they were generally considered surplus goods at their last teams. Over time the shittiness of our soccer philosophy rubs off on them. In other words we change them more than they change us.
Arena Arena named him to the 40 player Gold Cup roster but upon perusal of the list he's going 2nd- 3rd string almost all the way. Hamid got the nod as well and based on his form should be the #1 guy. Will Birnbaum get minutes? Maybe against the weaker opponents so claims to being more than just a pool player are on shaky ground
I agree that last night's game was one of the more entertaining matches of the season. It wasn't because of anything DCU did differently however. LA chose to sit back and not put high pressure on us like every other team in the league. Their strategy was to draw us into over committing on the attack and hit us on the counter. It's a good strategy against teams that park the bus like we do. It just didn't work for LA as they're a very average team. I'll just sit patiently and wait for the team to be sold to committed ownership in 5 years. I remember KC spending money their last season in Arrowhead and entering their new place on hr upswing. Not us... At least it was a great tailgate yesterday and we can always hope for more opposition tactics like LA's.
Yeah ... kudos to the fans. Looked good on TV considering we're a bottom of the table club. Can't wait to attend some games once I move back into the area in August ...
I think MacTavish is really growing into a good color commentator. His next step is to be more critical of the team, when it's warranted. He could actually do national games if he wasn't quite so much of a homer. DC's broadcast team is good, and it doesn't need an English guy who barely knows the league to add "authenticity." That's what loser teams like Portland, San Jose, Colorado, Kansas, and Orlando do. And then there's Lindsey Simpson. Regarding Opare and Robinson she thought the black line looked good. Ok, Lindsey.
I guess I'll disagree. Maybe I am spoiled by how excellent every level of Capitals commentary is but I think Uniteds is pretty bad all around. They seem to replace the color commentary role with similar homers so it really doesn't matter who sits there. Simpson is just god awful.
More so in the locker room than on the field perhaps.The only thing about any of them I'm impressed by is Dave Johnson's frequent flyer miles.
I noticed watching the game how well he was passing. On target, so unlike DC United, and that was a nice through ball he had in the first half.
Excellent Capitals broadcast!! Craig Laughlin is the worst color guy in the history of hockey!! He is everybody's buddy pal. even if they don't like him. He is clueless about the game and it is painful to listen to him. Now the play by play guy is good, Joe B. But Laughlin is horrible. Oh and Laughlin is one of the worst homers EVER!!
The English dude adds NOTHING. Which still makes him an improvement over Simpson. Agreed on McTavish. He's really becoming good at this, holding his own with the seasoned pro Johnson.
Outside of being a traditional thing (which has mostly been trashed by Levien), I'm not fan of Dave Johnson. I like JP much more. PBP guys are like ice cream though. Everyone has their flavor. Mine just isn't Dave Johnson. If you watch Philly broadcasts, you'll see he's still honest when he comments on the team. Johnson is 100% homer. I also like JP's cadence more. He just makes the game more exciting.
TV guys can be neutral when they're broadcasting on FS1; when they're on my local channel covering my local team, I want them to act like they're more of a fan than some boring neutral analyst trying not to hurt any viewers tender sensibilities. You can definitely tell Simpson works for the team and not the TV station and that's where it goes overboard imo. You can be hopeful in your announcing without blowing a steady stream of smoke up the GM/owner/coach's butt No one would watch if you constantly criticized. They'd log on to some obscure website to read that instead
I don't speak Spanish but I prefer Spanish speaking PBP announcers over Brits and McTavish isn't all bad
That may have been true in the olden days. But now, close to half of their viewers are out of market. It KILLS me to have to listen to Portland broadcasts, for example. I literally have to mute them. San Jose too. If MLS Live were ambitious, and they're clearly not, (the app has tumbled off Mount Quality this year), they'd give an option to just listen to stadium noise. I would love that.
Objectively, I can see your point. But for me, it's also like ice cream in a way--specifically, soft-serve ice cream from a seasonal stand in your hometown/neighborhood. There's nothing special about it, maybe, but it's strongly tied to a specific place/time/recurring event and it's just part of the experience in a way that objective "better" ice cream from somewhere else can't be.
A) Perhaps 100% homer is what DC United wants? B) Johnson is totally capable of not being homer - see all the nationally televised games he did once upon a time.
if you want to hear homers, watch the MN United broadcasts. One of their guys could break the leg of somebody on the other team, and they would all say they can't see a foul or even any contact. I prefer announcers who don't insult my intelligence by calling down, up and white, black. All local broadcasters are going to be homers to an extent, but they should be independent enough to call it like it is, not like they'd like it to be.