Look I realize that people are upset after tonight's loss and there are plenty of reasons to be down on DC United right now. However, might I remind you that it is currently April 24th. As I recall, DC didn't really get rolling last year until September 11th. We have a whole summer to find a central defender, we have a whole summer to get healthy, we have a whole summer to get things rolling. Don't freak out, KP & Co. know what they are doing. I would much rather be playing great soccer in September compared to April.
I remember being at the last ring ceremony. A huge loss to the Galaxy. Similar sentiments were expressed for the first 5 or so months after that loss and then three years of being as close as you can be to a Metrostars fan. Seriously, DC has a good team and should improve their play and position with some time and a few changes. For many, myself included, expectations are high for them to become the dominant force that they once were and become more competetive against the likes of Pumas etal. Since they have started slowly and lost the CCC competition, frustatration has superceded expectations.
This season is playing out nearly identically to last year. Week 1- We win and score two goals in nationally televised game with a gimmick (2004-Freddy, 2005-Chivas) Week 2- 1-1 draw Week 3- 1 goal loss Week 4- Second straight one goal loss. So if the trend continues, we won't win again until the middle of May. Oh well, at least we get another star in November!
I'm just glad it ended up being 4-3 instead of 4-0..... Don't tell me you weren't thinking it was about to happen.... They made it respectable, they fought hard... I know it's April, the loss doesn't piss me off as much, but what does is the fact that we are THE Champions and we are NOT playing like we are.... that's what pisses me off.
But this team isn't the championship team. No Ryan in the lineup, no Namoff, no Dema - hell, no healthy Brandon Prideaux or available Ezra Hendrickson as cover. We don't win MLS Cup or even the Eastern Conference Finals with the defense we put out tonight. With the turnover and parity in this league, patience is a requirement. It's a long season, and if we're playing like champions by September we'll be alright.
After going down 3-0 early in the first half, I'm just happy the team was able to fight their way back to make it close enough to give me hope that we were going to win. I haven't looked at the tape yet, and I'm not sure if the early PK was legit or not. At the stadium I thought the ref called it on Rimando, but a few people said they saw Boswell dragging down whoever Rimando collided with before the collision, so I won't say the ref spotted them the lead until I do watch it. I will say the ref sucked, but I think he sucked in both directions.
I'm sorry for the loss - boy I wish I had been there! I'm keeping the faith - it's early in the season. Once the team is healthy, then if there are results like this, I'll be upset. I didn't see the game, and thus am reserving judgement on the ref. However, I will say this - it was only his 4th MLS game as center. Everyone keeps asking for them to improve, but how are they going to improve unless they get games. Unfortunately when they have bad games, it sucks for everyone. Okay, off my soapbox now.
First PK was a little weak but the header of this thread is correct. There is time to get this going. We are able to play with any team in the league right now but do need to work on the defensive end and get people healthy.
First of all, Mellon is absolutely correct. We dont suck in any way shape or form. Yes, we need to improve. We will get better as the season progresses. We have not been blown out of any league game this season. Thanks for the info. I thought it might have been his first. I couldn't believe I wanted Alex Prus to run on the field and smack him around some. However, the ref didn't lose the game for us. He put us back into it before half. As for improving young refs, I believe the reserve games will help with that in addition to bringing our younger players up to snuff.
I agree. Best quote of the night was during the Dallas FC - Salt Lake game: "offenses take a little longer to get started at the beginning of the season". I think that is the case here. Too early to panic.
Sometimes last for like forever around here... Remember two years ago? I'm still trying to take apart the Ark that I built during those 40 days and 40 nights of rain. Tim
I was saying the same thing last night myself. By the same token though, winning and losing are a habit. I dont want us to be like the Revs, who seem to turn it on at the end and come up perpetually short in the playoffs. Id rather dominate year round
Actually, the player from last year I'm missing every bit as much as Ryan Nelsen right now is Earnie Stewart.
First of all, I don't think the ref lost us the game, so don't interpret what I'm about to say as suggesting that the loss was "his fault." I don't think that. That said, he wasn't very good. The standard of refereeing in MLS isn't very good in general; but this guy's mistakes were of the "someone could get hurt when stuff like that doesn't get called" variety, which are the worst. In fact, at least one player *did* end up in the hospital because of stuff the referee had been letting go. You're right that coaches, like players, get better with experience. But at the same time, you don't want to bring someone up too quickly. If a referee can't keep up with the pace of play in MLS, maybe they need to be refereeing A-league games or college games a while longer. Or something. And brought up to MLS when the gap between what they can bring and what a good MLS referee would need is a little narrower. Hey, Pierluigi Collina is being forced out of his second job this year by mandatory UEFA retirement rules for referees; maybe he'd like to come here and oversee the development of MLS referees. His main job is as a financial analyst, and MLS' offices are in NYC. Maybe he'd like being a financial analyst in NYC? Well, I can dream.
Oops. That should have been "referees, like players". Although the above is true as well, it's irrelevant to the point I was making.
I'll be sure to pass that on to Alex the next time I see him.....which I'm sure will be soon enough. I'm in the process of writing a feature story about the new, upcoming referees for MLS. Once I get it finished, I'll post a link to it, as I'm sure it's something you'll want to read - or at least I hope it's something you'll want to read.
As I just posted, I am writing a feature article about the process these new guys must go through in getting to MLS. The college route is not a part of the system. USSF oversees the training of all referees, and they have a very stringent system in place, however, each state has its own system as well, and though someone has his national badge (which means he's made it through all the requirements), it doesn't mean he's ready for MLS. All the new guys coming up have proved themselves in A-League games and MLS combines and preseason. The potential has to be there for them to be considerered. I know of several who are more than capable to work MLS, but because of their age or their attitude, they will never make it.
You beat me to it, Bootsy. He didn't have the # of goals that everyone expected from him, but he was solid on both offense and defense.
But it is... You are saying that because those guys aren't there this team isn't the championship team? Only 20% of the championship team is not playing right now.. the other 80% is (Moreno, Esky, Gross, Gomez, Petke, Adu, Carroll, Olsen..etc.. etc... etc...) and they have to be held accountable.... we can't do anything about the players that left, that's the past.. we have to focus on the present and the present DC United is struggling.... ...and the defense keeps getting blame... and while yeah we need to improve, the offense does too... This game isn't about DC United only defending and the opponents only attacking.. We have to attack too.. We have to score too and that part is also not getting done... not enough anyway.
Jaime was amazing last year. But Ryan Nelsen was the most important player on that team. And when you combine that with the fact that all of the major changes, either due to injuries or departures, have involved players whose primary contribution was on defense...well, it's not the same team. It's certainly not as good a team. If I can use an NBA analogy - this isn't like the Jordan-era Chicago Bulls bringing back every starter to repeat their NBA title. This is like the Bulls the year after Jordan's first retirement. They still had a lot of great players - Pippen, Grant, Kukoc, etc. - but the biggest piece of the puzzle towards a championship was missing. For them it was Jordan, for United at this point in the season it's the strongest parts of its '04 defense - Nelsen, Dema, Earnie, Namoff, among others. The main replacements in the back are Stokes and Boswell - kids. Talented kids, yes, but still kids. And we have to expect the growing pains that will come from that. Boswell is going to have a howler like he did on Saturday every now and then. Saying this year's United team is a "championship team and they need to play that way" right now ignores that reality. If they aren't cohesive and doing the job by August, when its crunch time and guys are (hopefully) healthy, that's a different story.