One day we'll be back in international competition. When we do, there'll be another prize out there. https://www.concacaf.com/news/conmebol-and-concacaf-sign-strategic-collaboration-agreement/ "CONMEBOL and Concacaf will also organize a centralized 'final four' style club competition featuring the best clubs from the respective confederations. The four participating teams (two from each confederation) will qualify through existing CONMEBOL and Concacaf club competitions and the two confederations are working towards the first edition of this tournament being played in 2024."
I don't expect this to survive long enough for DC United to be involved... These tournaments change like every three years or so. I am shocked the CONCAlaugh Champions Friends and others league has lasted in the current iteration for so long. Of course, we are getting the Leagues Cup this year...
Listened to Extra Time podcast today. Someone asked the group which team had Spoon potential this year. Of course DCU made the list and there was snickering when they mentioned it. We really should change to the tagline to "Welcome to the Tire Fire".
Until they prove otherwise DCU will understandably be in every Wooden Spoon conversation. I'm cautiously optimistic, though, that we can look forward to another glorious mid-table season where DCU spends the last few weeks scrapping for the opportunity to lose a first round playoff game. But it wouldn't be the first time I've been a gullible, naive moron.
It's become our tradition. It's light years from the main issue here. But this is yet another log on the fire of why I still don't know why GB would have told him he was not going to get much time, knowing that there were issues with the parents helicoptering in, the kid's maturity and whatever other baggage existed behind closed doors, there had to be some. This is a question that I haven't seen any of the talking heads hit on, but I think it's very germane. I don't know why you tell a player that they're not going to be playing as much as they thought that they would and then have them coming into camp, in less than the best headspace. It's one thing with a 35 yo guy who is getting a ticket to the World Cup for all he's done for the program and yada yada yada. But a young player who you know thinks he's the first name on the team sheet is just dumb. What happens if there are injuries or god forbid you need a goal to stay alive and you have to run the kid out there at less than his best? And I don't think that this is just a Gio thing, I think a lot of guys would be impacted in some way, shape, or form. Some more than others. It's human nature.
It’s the tip of the iceberg. Throw this in with the Arriola and Pepi situations, and you end up with a pretty savage indictment of GB’s man management skills — which according to him is his strong suit. It’s pretty clear he’s lost the room. I don’t know why you’d keep him at this point, except the USMNT’s front office makes ours look like genius in comparison. Everyone bolting for the exits doesn’t help with the impression that USSF is a complete and utter shitshow.
Quick question in the context of fan belief (FO isn't going to fire Rooney this season no matter what), given what Rooney has said about the physical fitness of the team and that they have been able to get right into technical and tactical training, expectations for the start of the season? Does this team need to come out firing or do they get game time to "gel"? We all know what the Pollyannas and the Nay-sayers are going to say, I'm curious about other fans that are more mixed bag...
I think they'd better come out of the box firing on most if not all cylinders - they will have an inevitable slump mid- or late-season so they had best have a few points to fall back on. Toward the end of the season, it's better to drop down the table a bit than hope to claw your way up it from the bottom.
I agree it's better to already be in playoff position (or at least close) when the final weeks come around, but honestly I don't mind if the season starts slow, and that's what I kinda expect right now. What I really hope from DCU is that some early season missteps lead to a long stretch of relatively solid performances midseason. I do think we'll need some time to gel because of all of the turnover, but if Rooney can manage absences and prevent injuries, then we have a shot at that good midseason stretch. In contrast, for example, I kinda expect my hometown STL City SC to come out firing because the team is built to be incredibly high-energy, and then they'll burn out midseason before hopefully staging a comeback late season once their energy reserves are back up. And that's just not the style of team Rooney has built here. But for both DCU and STL, I'll be happy as long as they're still in the playoff conversation a week or two before Decision Day.
Just avoid another Spoon, please. Per Goff’s latest, all four potential starting center backs are on the shelf: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2023/01/30/wayne-rooney-everton-coach/ A rather lengthy list of injuries, combined with half the roster turning over, means we’re starting slow, regardless. There’s really no way around that. If we can pile up enough points by summer to be in the playoff conversation, then I think we’re in with a prayer to avoid the Spoon. But that’s really all I expect out of this team. I’ll hope for more, but remember our epic collapse in 2021 under Losada? Firmly in 4th, challenging for a home playoff date, and we went 6-2-8 over the back half of the season, including some real stinkers, to finish a point out of the playoffs. And that was our best finish since Rooney played for us.
For me, early season, I am looking for something that is positive. I don't need wins per se, just elements that seem like we could win. However, if we drop a lot points at the beginning of the season, I worry the team will kind of give up and disengage. We saw that a lot last season...
Thats ok, if we were in a rebuilding phase with a coach who was going to be here 3-4 years. This team better make a credible run something with how it's been building the last 2 windows. It's ok if they don't take something home, there are only 3 things up for grabs. A one and done playoff season probably doesn't do it with me considering that they've taken a win now approach to their acquisitions. A disengaged season will see tires burning in the streets outside the stadium. We've seen that at some point in each of the last 2 seasons.
I agree, and I'm pretty sure Rooney won't be here that long even if we are fairly successful from the get-go. I just don't see him committing to DCU for much longer than a year or so regardless of our record.
DC United's next preseason matches are today. They're currently playing Charlotte FC, and will follow that up with a 45 minute match against Vancouver. According to Charlotte's Twitter account and Goffinho, it's currently 1-1. DC scored 3 minutes in on a Benteke goal, Charlotte equalized a couple minutes later. DCU lineup: Bono, Jeahze, Akinmboni, Najar, Ruan, Canouse, Durkin, Pedro Santos, Hopkins, Benteke, Fountas.— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) February 1, 2023
Benteke goal: BENTEKE BANGER❗@Chrisbenteke opens the scoring against @CharlotteFC 👊 #DCU || #VamosUnited pic.twitter.com/Ih2eRctJt9— D.C. United (@dcunited) February 1, 2023
Durkin goal: The turn. The finish. The passion.🗣 GET IN, @CHRISDURKIN0! pic.twitter.com/1mQSdbTq1E— D.C. United (@dcunited) February 1, 2023 DC ultimately fell to Charlotte 3-2.