@our mascot named stadium, Chester, PA 7:00 pm Newschannel 8, if you're so lucky It's the eagles vs. the snakes, a veritable Mexican flag right there on the field! Anyone else heading up for the game Saturday? I'm looking forward to a better result for DCU than my trip last year (for the stoppage time loss ). Punxsutawney is in Pennsylvania, too. PS: If you happen to drive or walk by the open area with the venting stacks just the other side under the bridge from the stadium in Chester, spare a thought for those who sacrificed to fight a horrible fire there a couple decades back.
Philly games are always interesting (if you like, say, a slow plodding boxing match between two big tired opponents) and unpredictable. So, I'll make a prediction DC - 2 Pontius - 2
Big game. Big big big big game. If United can win playing something resembling the beautiful game we're off and running on an exciting second half. If Philly comes out and scores twice in the first 15 minutes, welcome back turtle and a dour second half grind.
I agree, this is big for DC moving forward. Philly's midfield is unsettled and DC's just got better with addition of Sam. It hurts that Sapong is back and Boswell is tunneling into the center of the Earth but DC has some decent advantages in this game if Olsen sticks to this hybrid 4-3-3. With Saborio playing high and Espindola apparently embracing a wide role, it opens up the field for Neagle at the back post and Acosta to work some magic underneath. Because even if Sapong starts, it forces Philly to honor the guile of Espindola and perhaps drop one of their midfield attackers, probably Ilsinho who is wicked good, but not settled into his role yet. Plus it forces Alberg and Barnetta to be somewhat defensively oriented which neither of them wants to do. If they are forced back, Sapong will be far less dangerous. Going forward, Marquez is good, but Yaro is unconvincing, so Saborio might get a sniff and he can finish if he doesn't knock it down for someone else running on to it. More importantly, Espy and Neagle will pry Crevalle and Carroll apart and should open up the middle for Acosta to do damage and even if he doesn't he should have Kemp whipping balls in as Rosenberry will have to honor Espindola I would think. Now, this all falls apart if DC comes out flat and cedes something easy early. Then Philly can afford to ignore Espindola and collapse on Saborio and we're cooked. If that happens, it's Hamid and Hope. DCUSA has it right. If we can impose with this new style from Olsen that I did not think him capable of trotting out, then moving forward, we can hurt people until Saborio breaks down on the back stretch. Then again, if he can somehow find his way to trusting Kamara and now Sam to pick up the slack for Saborio and a rapidly aging Esindola, heck sub in Opare for a rapidly aging Boswell, then DC has a stretch run to look forward to. If this new formation gets bitch slapped by Pontius and Sapong, expect a long hard summer of discontent as Olsen reverts back to the tried and true grind it out down the stretch.
I read where someone suggested the new analytics guy recommended getting Acosta more touches, and that's what this formation is meant to do. So in a way, it could be the first test for nerdball. That's something different, anyway.
I will be so proud of our coach if I see Opare and Birnbaum starting in Philly. His recognition of the stakes, seizing the moment to establish a new standard for the second half of the season. I will actually stand and clap.
Of course, any fan watching DeLeon and Acosta could see we need more Acosta touches and fewer DeLeon touches, at least in the attacking third.
I love Opare. I would have already groomed him to be a starter in the last offseason. Sure there will be a growing curve, but the player can't take that next step up sitting on the bench. He's 25 already ... not exactly an age where he needs to brought along slowly.
I don't know what it is, but I always feel at ease when Opare is in there. I can think of no higher praise for a center back.
Has anyone heard a recent update on Birnbaum's health? Hoping to see at least 45 mnutes from Sam and 45 from Kamara, ideally the two of them together. Heading up to Chester leaving around 3.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ff-late-drama-in-return-trip-to-philadelphia/ Company man Jared Jeffrey says: "It’s a big game for us,” Jeffrey said. “They’re one of our rivals." Pfft. Rivals. PHILADELPHIA UNION vs. D.C. UNITED TALEN ENERGY STADIUM • Chester, Philadelphia July 9, 2016 • Week 18 • MLS Game #176 7 pm ET (MLS LIVE, NewsChannel 8, The Comcast Network) DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF) REFEREE: Sorin Stoica. AR1 (bench): Claudiu Badea; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Jose Carlos Rivero MLS Career: 50 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 4.1; R: 21; pens: 22 SUSPENDED: PHI: Joshua Yaro (through July 10) WARNINGS: SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: PHI: Tranquillo Barnetta … DC: Steve Birnbaum, Marcelo Sarvas SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: PHI: Raymon Gaddis … DC: Luciano Acosta, Sean Franklin, Nick DeLeon, Jared Jeffrey DISABLED LIST: DC: Andrew Dykstra, Chris Korb INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none HEAD-TO-HEAD ALL-TIME (16 meetings): Union 6 wins, 20 goals … United 7 wins, 21 goals … Ties 3 AT UNION (8 meetings): Union 5 wins, 10 goals … United 3 wins, 7 goals … Ties 0 FUTURE MATCH: 8/6: D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union, 7 p.m. ET MLS Injury Report MLS Disciplinary Report Thx, Jay!
Well, I guess Ben did watch the same game we all did last week Starting XI: Hamid; Kemp, Birnbaum, Opare, Franklin(C); Marcelo; Espíndola, Jeffrey, DeLeon, Neagle; Kamara Subs: Worra, Robinson, Vincent, Acosta, Saborío, Sam, Boswell I guess we'll see what Espindola is still capable of in the MF. And it appears we're stuck with NDL for the rest of time whether we like it or not. Sorry to see Acosta relegated to the bench.
It will be interesting to see where our offensive will come from as Espindola doesn't pass, DeLeon can't, Neagle and Kamara will be too far forward and Jeffrey plays from the back. Ben - really - no Acosta? Hopefully it is minor illness or slight knock. james
First two minutes of #DCU game has been broadcast from end zone cam. Only on @NewsChannel8 !@MLS #PHIvDC— Jay! (@JayRockerz) July 9, 2016 How long are we locked in to this unprecedented coverage? Thx, Jay!