I agree with your post except for this. Martinez is not slow, Peralta is slow. That was obviously the first time you see United play this season and I asure you Martinez is anything but slow.
I'm sure you mean well, but this type of discussion is not useful to DCUnited fans. Blanco, Rolfe, Barrett aren't on our team. If you have suggestions as to how DCU can get better or if you have insightful comments about the game, feel free. Otherwise, please go back to your boards. The last time I checked its been a while since Chicago won an MLS cup. Maybe you should concentrate on your own team. As for my fellow DC fans, I'd be interested in people's suggestions of how Soehn can improve this team's performance now with the current roster that he has available to him.
we could defenetly get someone taller and stronger that spends most of the time on the ground and has a 5'5'' vertical.....Neill I am talking about! the reason he did well in SA is the average heigth in SA is 5'7"....
I think DC would play better defense if they went to a diamond, with Martinez as sweeper and Peralta as stopper, Namoff right, Burch left. You can not have Peralta alone in a 3 man, because he is too slow.If you put him in as a stopper, you've got another ball winner in the middle to help out Simms, with Martinez helping to clean up any mistakes. Also, Quaranta should not be used at Right mid. When he has played well, it has been at forward. He is not a defensive type player, and we should not be asking him to do so. Put Kirk in at right mid, who is a little more defensive minded than Q, who has been getting beat down the field too often, putting tremendous pressure on the defense to clean it up. Get Q teamed up top with Emilio, who has looked better paired with Q this season than anyone else he has played with this season. I really think this would help to get us on the right track.
The back line isn't as bad as it is repeatedly exposed by the midfield is my take. You must be confusing him with Peralta, the big blond one. He's slow. Martinez is the fastest defender we've put out there in some time. Emilio has about as many career goals as Rolfe or Barrett do. . . and Emilio's career is one season long.
what DCU said this team needs a left footed midfielder or defender and if we got a true left defender, we wouldn't have to rely on Burch, who looks like a prospect at some part of the left side but not a mainstay yet. ---- emilio/Doe ----- ???---quaranta ---- fred -----gallardo ---- -----simms or ??? ????- martinez--mctavish--namoff --- let's try carvallo again it's a 4-5-1 featuring mystery players moreno can sub for quaranta or other spots, peralta can sub at centerback or maybe even see how he does at DM
I agree, some of it is just a mentality. I don't know if it is Soehn's fault because I see him constantly motioning to the players to move it wide and it is the players choice to go there. They need to make runs and stop standing around calling for the ball, running, and losing the ball.
That's a good thought: I went ahead and started a thread on that specific topic. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14576452#post14576452
McTavish in the middle of defense is something I'm in favor of, too--when he's not injured. I don't think him playing would do much good until he's healthy.
This is the second or third time I've seen mention of Niell's jumping ability being below par. You can call him short, he is, but the guy can jump.
I don't think this is going to happen unless Peralta gets hurt or Soehn is fired. Remember Soehn blamed him for the goal in the play-off game against Chicago, when it was mostly Vanney's fault. He sat the return leg and that's the reason they went out to get someone like Peralta. I know he's more comfortable playing in the back and really isn't the midfielder people want to make him out to be. If you play him on the wing be prepared to get minimal offensive production from him, it's the way he's being coached to play the position. While we aren't getting much wing play now, that's our biggest problem and playing McTavish on the wing won't solve that problem. I think the reason Soehn plays him there over someone like Kirk and even Quaranta is that he is very reliable and won't give anything up defensively, which in Soehn's mind is job one. Soehn is a very defensive minded coach and while you need a good defense, if you can't score you won't really go far. Are problems aren't really with the back line. What ails us is really bad midfield play . they give the ball up to easily in dangerous parts of the field and then aren't providing enough defensive support. They also aren't providing enough support and service to the forwards which makes us a pretty easy team to play against right now, We don't get in early crosses and the forwards aren't making the runs for the outside players to look for early crosses. we take entirely too much time on the ball and are indecisive when we do have it.
You should go back to your own damn forum. Barrett over the reigning league MVP who scored 20 goals last season? Jesus Christ.
OK so the guy is 5'3" and jumps 5" that would make him 5'10" at best...you call that heigth and air power? I supposed he could dunk in a 6' basket...he has to go!
http://i.pbase.com/g3/58/561358/2/95910527.T4VBUfiC.jpg Yup, that sure looks like 5" to me. FYI Ezra is listed as 6'3"
OK first of all, this thread needs to end soon as it's just beating a dead horse. Venting I can see, but going on four days now? that's just masochism. Second, Peralta or any of the defenders aren't the problem. Look at your next point. The midfield turns the ball over constantly in bad spots. No defense can overcome that. And by the way, McTavish was to blame on that goal in Chicago. That's his man, he got beat. Vanney not being able to cover for him is just scapegoating him. McTavish should have made the play to begin with. Third, McTavish is actually getting better at making deep runs. He scored three goals in CHampions Cup making deep runs. Neither Quaranta or Burch has done that consistently as a wing player, if they did, maybe they would be on the scoresheet too. Olsen and Fred got a lot of their goals last year latching on to back post balls. That has not happened this year. Finally, you put your finger on the actual problem by saying our forwards simply do not influence the game. Emilio's touch and movement blow. Simple as that. Niell moves and trys, but nobody rewards the runs he makes, they expect him to make plays with his back to goal or score off a header. And he does win his share of head balls despite his size, but he's never going to be an aerial threat! How about playing some thru balls to him? He seems to want those, why not give it a try? Bottom line is that this team has not found it's identity yet. Hopefully, they do soon.
Group flagellation is what we do best We agree on the back three or four not being the problem. I believe after the game Vanney took the blame for the goal. Maybe it was the veteran standing up to take one for the young guy or maybe he was telling the truth. They were both at fault to what degree is debatable. Agreed Agreed.
It's inflation. Numbers just aren't what they were. Why, back when I was a kid, a gallon of gas cost 35 cents.
Blanco, while a flopper and buffoon, is head and shoulders above Gallardo right now. Blanco connects with 80 percent of his difficult passes and is spot-on frees. He reads his teammates much better, is liked by his team and is a LEADER (teaches and talks to the guys). Of course he has a slew of people who can run and trust his vision. Gallardo is near 40 percent on difficult passes and is spot-off on frees. Who cares about former pedigree and skill? Should we go out and sign Romario off South Beach Sand Soccer?
Blanco has also had longer to integrate with his team. As you point out, he has runners to go to as well. We don't have all our players, and our results show it. This is a silly argument, and you know it. Why not mention Pele? He used to play a bit, I understand. Find national team players of roughly the same age and make the comparison there.
Give me a break, Blanco has played a whole season with his team while Gallardo has had a handful of matches. Let's wait until the season is a little older before drawing these kinds of rash conclusions.
Right, but Blanco showed up and grabbed the Fire by the scruff of their collective neck from day 1. Gallardo hasn't done that.