What if we went with a diamond midfield. FWD: EJ, Espindola, Pontius, Doyle, Seaton ACM: Silva, "Traded/Acquired talent", DeLeon,Pontius CM: Jeffrey, DeLeon What about a diamond midfield similar to how RSL plays it? Move Pontius up top to compete with EJ, Espindola and Doyle for time. Acquire an attacking midfielder to compete with Silva and Martins (Morales role). Use DeLeon/Jeffries (back-ups: Arnaud, Neal, Porter) as the box-to-box CM's. Kitchen would be the starting DCM (would need to acquire depth). If we went with this, we'd need: Starting ACM CM depth (though if we could use the #1 pick to trade with Colorado for Powers, that would be ideal). Starting LB Depth DCM
I have no problem with the diamond midfield in theory. As you say RSL operates in very nicely. I'm just still traumatized from the last time Olsen went with that formation in early '11. After the way the team played during that stretch I'd expect Ben to still be too traumatized to try it again.
Kitchen and DeRo in the middle, with some iteration of Wolff/Davies/Ngwenya up top. Pontius and Najar wide. That midfield was very soft and always overrun.
You must be some sort of expert on midfields that you can distinguish this. I'd say that just about every midfield DC United has had since at least 2010 has been overrun.
How about -------------------- Hamid Franklin --- Boz ------------Deki ----- Korb --------------------Kitchen ------ DeLeon------------------ Jeffrey ---------------------Arnaud ----------------------------Espindola --------------- EJ That ACM is the question mark.
There are degrees. Even last year, the team won the possession battle often. Of course, they were usually down two goals after 20 minutes and the opposing team could sit back and pick hotties out of the crowd. I think the midfield was more than capable in the latter half of 2012 with Kitchen, Saragosa and Boskovic. They were difficult to play against and had some modicum of a threat with Boskovic and Pontius/DeLeon in good form. You did say 'just about', so we agree.
No disrespect to any poster here, but given the fact that DC United picked-up so many old-timers, shouldn't Olsen be included in the lineup!?! ps-Heck, I can probably fill in the Sir Stanley Mathews role of those over a half-century, but I'm probably in much better shape...
You could put Pontius where Espindola is, Arnaud where Jeffrey is and Silva in Arnaud's spot. Of course the question mark remains. I'd like to see a 4-1-3-2, with Jeffrey in the middle of the three (Pontius/DeLeon). I think you stay defensively sound, but don't have a massive gap in the middle of the field. Espindola and EJ up top would be a headache for the centerbacks, and they can both come back and offer outlets for possession with Espindola out at the touchline so Pontius can get the hell out of there and EJ centrally.
Is it too much to ask to make sure we get player names right on a DC United forum? It's Collin Martin, not "Martins". Jared Jeffrey, not "Jeffries". Sheesh. Some fans some of you are. PS: GAM, not EJ.
Ives Galarcep @SoccerByIves 7m D.C. United's roster makeover continues. I'm told D.C. has sold Canadian centerback Dejan Jakovic to a team in Japan for a small fee. #DCU
With the roster we have right now, my guess is we can either play a 4-4-2 empty bucket or a 4-5-1 with 3 central midfielders. I do not think we have strong enough central midfielders to do anything else. If we go with 2 central midfielders we probably get dominated in midfield - one answer to that is go with 2 deep holding midfielders and play for counterattack / bypass midfield play. If they stay healthy, I think Johnson, Espindola, Pontius, Deleon are a good stable of fast, dangerous attackers that could play in that system. The alternative is to go with 3 central midfielders to try to control midfield more and put EJ up top. We do not have strong box to box midfielders. I am admittedly out of my depth here but that's what stands out to me at this point.
I wonder what "small fee" means. $500,000 I can see the point maybe, but $100,000? At that point you have to wonder what the point is. They must have Michael Parkhurst or Onyewu lined up in the allocation
Yeah, I think it's more getting him and his pay off the books than anything coming in. They're trying to figure out how they're going to pay EJ what he wants, moving money around.
Additionally, as some have already suggested in this thread: Ives Galarcep @SoccerByIves5m For those asking re: MLS Homegrown Players, Jordan Allen to RSL & Jalen Robinson to D.C. United = 2 signings I'm told are expected to happen