Official Pre/In/PostMatch Thread:: DC United @ Harrisburg Islanders USOC July 11 2007

Uh, the big picture is that we just lost a chance at hardware. And we blew it not to New England or Dallas, but to a USL-2 team.

 

Repeated, just cause I like the quote.

 

Third tier, actually.

Agree with everything else you wrote. Well, except the bit about the next two tournaments. The SuperLiga is meaningless to me, but I guarantee it's not to the players. The SudAmericana, I'd like to do well in.

 

This is not a good thing. This was the best chance for a trophy out of all the tourney's we are in this year. Anybody else think we have a snowballs chance in copa sundamericana?

 

My sentiments EXACTLY!!! And Nolly is now 0-2. I pray for Troy's health.

 

Aw, damn ...

I'm late to the freak out!

 

Well, I'll tell myself it's OK since it clears the calendar a little. However, it will be in the news and I will hear it at work tomorrow from my boss to the cleaning lady.

If this is how our "reserves" respond to a challenge, we should leave them in PA and take the Islanders home.

Is this our depth that's going to help us win.....

No respect for the jersey at all from this lot.

Mercenaries.

 

Oh, I'd like for us to do well in them, too. However, they're just as superfluous to our schedule as the Open Cup, and I'm not convinced that Soehn will take them any more seriously than he did this game. For all the hoopla of the Sudamerica, it will take a helluva lot more effort from this team in those games to top how we did tonight.

 

Hopefully this is just a phase.

 

IIRC every DCU player at the game in Richmond came over either before or after the match to thank us for coming out. I'd imagine they would do it again. Guess we'll find out in about another hour or two when folks get home.

 

obviously, this week's question was, "Does MLS care about the Open Cup?"

The answer is no.

MLS clubs shouldn't even enter it next year.

 

I'm Tallguy and I agree with this post. Seems to me that three or four Harrisburg City Islanders ought to have earned themselves tryouts (at the least).

 

I admit it...I was there. Oy. The team didn't play like a team, but really, how could they when you have people like Boswell on the same pitch as Brad North? It was just so many different levels of play and different mindsets. Harrisburg obviously felt they had a lot to prove and were out for blood. And the ref sucked; no really, it was kinda ridiculous.

My heartfelt appreciation goes out to all the loyal Screaming Eagles/Barra Brava/La Norte/wandering DC fans who lumped together in one corner and chanted all night. At least we drowned out the utterly poor selection of '80s stadium rock played all. freaking. night.

Cheers.

 

peipuM eriF!

And screw the rest of the reserves, for that matter. Double-screw to the regulars who started the game, especially Boswell. Stop being a pretty boy and play the effin' game, Bobby. Disgraceful to lose to a 3rd tier team. Way to represent the DC United tradition.

 

I'm beginning to agree. I don't think the NASL ever bothered with the Open Cup. Personally, I love the idea of the Open Cup but I think it's got several things working against it from an MLS viewpoint:

1. This becomes a third tier tournament for teams involved in SuperLiga and/or Copa Sudamerica. Obviously, you're not going to burn out your starters on the Open Cup with these competitions ahead of you. Add in Gold Cup and Copa America and the US Open Cup becomes a complete afterthought.

2. The salary structure of the USL Leagues is becoming something much like the old PCL vs. MLB wage structure where borderline major leaguers could make much, much more money playing in the PCL than moving "up" to the big leagues. I suspect that under normal circumstances that the starters in USL would normally be the MLS reserves but are getting more money in the lower leagues and the actual MLS reserves may very well be of a lower quality than the the USL starters.

3. More importantly, the fans, for whatever reason either don't get the Open Cup or don't give a damn. There's a reason DC plays even MLS opponents at the Germantown Soccerplex in this tournament. The fans, aside from the hardcore supporters sections, just don't care.

 

Damn, there goes our MLS power ranking.

 

MLS cares a bit. It just that teams with crowded schedules because of additional tournaments, don't care. Notice that all 3 of the teams that went out were teams that have a 2nd half schedule that is LOADED due to Superliga (all 3), Beckham (LA), Copa Sudamericana (DC). I'm happy that DC is out. Honestly. We couldn't sustain all of these tournaments with full squads. If the 2nd squad couldn't do it, oh well.

 

Absolutely correct. All the DC players acknowledged the fans who made the trip and were very gracious and thankful while signing what seemed to be thousands of autographs for every tiny Tim in Eastern Pennsylvania. SOme were a bit sheepish to be sure given the result, but they acknowledged the fans all the same.

 

No its not. This is the 2nd most important title in the US. The US Open Cup should be given the respect it deserves.

For DC United to lose to a USL 2nd division team TWO levels and a lot of money down from MLS is ridiculous. The Team should be utterly embarrassed.

In addition, this type of performance has been a harbinger of failed performances later in the year.

 

And until home seeding for each U.S. Open Cup match is no longer granted to the highest bidder, I don't care, either.

This is NOT the FA Cup or Copa Liberatadores, people.

 

exactly...thats why im not even going to consider going to an open cup until i see that united gives a shit about this tournament...

they have fooled me way too many times in person...