Official D.C. United vs. Chicago Fire Eastern Conference Semi-final Leg 1 Post-Match Thread[R]

Regarding the lack of production from our forwards, I think there is only one potential criticism you can level at our braintrust--that they didn't actually go out and spend major money (ie: an allocation) on proven attacking talent (which also would have had cap implications--either we use more allocations to buy down the cap hit or we just cut Erpen outright and don't trade for Vanney or engage in some other cap clearing measure). That's the only argument you can make.

1. We had Jamil Walker. He had one great year as a super-sub goal scorer. So you give him a chance to see if he can rediscover it.

2. We drafted some talent (Kpene) that looked promising in preseason. The reality with all young players is you have no idea how they will definitely progress and the rate of growth. Just look at Adu as one example--he showed a fine finishing touch his first 2 years here and his last one he was snake-bit: just couldn't find the goal. Kpene may in time prove to be a fine finisher but he isn't one now.

3. We found pro bargains. We signed Addlery in what has to be some smart scouting (meaning--we had seen him before and we immediately looked at the Mariners roster as soon as they went belly up). And again, you have no idea how a guy playing at a lower level is going to work out--he scored goals in his trial scrimmages before we signed him.

4. The team was considering a deal within MLS (my understanding it was for a reserve forward) in August and September but what I heard was that the other team pulled him off the market b/c they got back in the playoff race.

5. We traded back for Dyachenko (who looked promising last season) but he's had trouble staying healthy.

6. The team made an offer to Veron (which in the short term probably would have put Gomez in a forward rotation with Moreno and Emilio).

I remember when the team signed Mupier and Addlery--the refrain was "another forward? we've got plenty of those! What we need are defenders/midfielders/backup GK"

If Moose hadn't gotten rusty (due to injury) and Gros decommisioned, we could have played Fred at forward. But right now, he's too critical against a Chicago team that is weak on the flanks.

I can't blame the team management for how our goalscoring situation has played out. They've made moves, they've scouted players, they've looked at options. Right now, mostly b/c of how players have developed and injuries, our hands are tied.

 

Repped. I agree with every word of this post.

 

I think he ruins the beautiful game. That's neither funny or entertaining.

 

I love the quote.

You can't win anything in a 0-0 tie.

 

I'm very interested to see how Osorio brings Chicago out for this one. His teams are very organized defensively. Will they go a step further and only start with one forward and add a holding mid behind Blanco so he can have more freedom? On the surface this could protect the lead but then you're forced to make some changes if the game gets tied up.

 

I think they do - but Rolfe has one of the quickest shots in the league. It only takes a milisecond for him to get off a bomb.

 

I think you see the same line-up with Carr in for Barrett if he can't go. The difference is you will see the Chicago from minute 20-90 as opposed to the Chicago of minute 1-20. If anything, Blanco might be pushed up a little higher to try and draw a dangerous FK.

 

Did you even watch the game?

This team revolves around Jaime, even more than Gomez. The game did not change appreciably when Emilio came in.

 

I am going to take middle ground. Our scouting overall has been tremendous. Perkins, Boswell were undrafted. Burch was a reserve foward cast off by two teams. McTavish was a 4th round supplemental pick. Sometimes I think that the teams faith in their scouting pays major dividends othertimes I think it kills us. We should of signed a proven goal scorer.

Imagine how desperate our defense would of been if a rabbit was not pulled out of the hat with Burch. We only has 5 defenders on the roster and 3 of those are converted midfielders/fowards. Our reserve team does not have a single dedicated defender. Any injuries or us not getting lucky (albeit with great scouting) with Burch and our defense is in shambles. Sometimes the team has to much faith in their ability to find, develope, or groom a player in quick order. Sometimes that faith pays off and sometimes it bites us in the ass.

 

Did i give him a pass? I said it was 90% Vanney's fault, and it was. Look at the play. Vanney played the ball perfectly to an onrushing Chicago player IN THE BOX, who scored the goal. Enough said really. Secondly, can I point out that at the time the ball was in the air, if my memory is correct, Vanney was the only person not marked up with a player. McTavish was more or less engaged with one player, and Burch was engaged with Rolfe (not enough apparently). However, Vanney was engaged with NOONE, and as such he could have stepped up into the ball before it bounced. Instead, he sat his clown behind there and did nothing, essentially putting himself under pressure. Even the quote from Perkins that has been posted here acknowledges that ........ in which he said something to the effect that a couple of guys should have gotten to the ball. That 2nd guy was Vanney, and again, Vanney was the one who was FREE to step up for the header.

 

So he's guilty. I got it. But the real question is this: electric chair or lethal injection?

Come on. So what. If we had been able to score we wouldn't be having this discussion.

 

You are so right - as a central back you should go rushing to a ball heading right at your teammate! That would make sense and have two people marking one guy and leaving acres of space open.

And again - Vanney was the second guy - this play doesn't happen if McTavish plays that ball right. So your 90% of the blame is pure BS in your head.

 

that's true ....

 

i totally agreed with you it's Vanney's fault. Again, Vanney never impressed me with the way he play. He consistently make mistake and never make a big play ...

 

The goal was 100% Burch's fault. 100%. Rolfe was Burch's man! Burch stopped marking Rolfe, allowing him to slip in for the easy finish. I don't blame Vanney at all (I still hate him though) and I don't know why anybody would.

As for the rest of the game, I thought this was Kpene's worst game of the season. It's not like he played poorly, he just didn't play well. But i'll give him a break since he needs another striker up there and he's a rookie. I still think he's the future of this team.

Jaime proved once again that he is the centerpiece of this team. We live and die by Jaime. I've said it all year long when most thought he was having a bad season. When he came into the game we immediately played our style and we controlled the game.

McTavish was awful. He was out of position the entire game. Boz should've played instead of him.

Simms did really well to subdue Blanco. He didn't have much affect on the game.

Overall, I'm fairly confident that we can win the next game. The second half is the best I've seen us play since our loss to Guadalajara in the Copa Sudamericana. I predict we will win 1-0 and go on to win in the penalty shootout.

One last question: Away goals don't apply here, right?

 

Yes, Burch was CLEARLY ballwatching on that play. It was a two on four to United's advantage, and Burch just had to mark Rolfe out of the play, but he quite plainly stopped paying attention to Rolfe to watch how the play with Vanney played out, letting Rolfe slip by unchallenged. Vanney's a big man to step up and take responsibility for the misplayed ball, but Burch should never haev allowed Rolfe to slip into that open space ahead of him. He realized his mistake as soon as he saw where Rolfe was, but by then it was too late.

 

Correct.

 

Sweet. That must be why DC didn't bother scoring. Good to know if Chicago puts any in the next week they don't count.

 

sometimes you lose my friends... but it's a really good thing it was just by 1. win next week and we're (possibly) on our way. the coach can't foresee injuries, my friends, sometimes it's just the way it goes. so I think holding our attackers out mostly, then getting them some time, they should be ready for next week, I think it was the right thing to do. I wouldn't mess with the lineup either. Put the guys on who became our #1 choice and shout you lungs out. RFK magic might happen and then we bury them.

Chicago played very well defensively from the midfield back.

 

I only engaged this discussion after the majority of posters failed to even mention Vanney's role in what happened. I wouldn't even be talking about it if not for that. With that said, i find it funny that Vanney understands he was at fault for misplaying the ball and that Perkins acknowledges that fault for Vanney not attacking it, but people are still killing Burch for not anticipating that Vanney would send a ridiculous ball back in the box. Right.

Besides that though, you are clearly right, and the more important issue that needs to be addressed is the offense. Chicago, while having less possession than DC by a large margin, got the better chances. There wasn't a single time in 90 minutes that I was at the edge of my seat thinking that the team I support had a chance to score. Well, let me take that back ......... once. And that was on the breakout play late in the 2nd half in which Gomez, Olsen and someone else were 3 on 2 against Chicago. Of course Gomez then sent a weak pass over to Ben inside the box which was tackled away off Ben's shins for a goalkick. That was it. Chicago on the other hand had 4 golden opportunities, and 2 or 3 more serious scrums in the box in which I thought they would get a 2nd. Absolutely embarrasing offense by DCU.

 

Yeah, Vanney sucks for not coming out in the media and throwing Burch under the bus. How terrible is it that the older veteran got played into a position by McTavish that wasn't a simple one and then takes the blame off of the player with half a year's experience playing outside back consistantly for United so as not to destroy his confidence going into a crucial game.

Greg Vanney isn't Thomas Rongen. He's not going to come out in the media and bluntly throw blame to everyone but himself. Vanney could've done better on that play, but he never should have had to. Burch could have done a lot better on that play, and because of McTavish and Vanney not doing their jobs better he blew it, too. Good for Greg for accepting that and moving on.

 

Bingo.

Bingo.

Did I mention....

Bingo?

I find it funny how people latch onto the most superficial of things and think that that explains everything.

Oh well, i guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Hey, did you notice that Jaime didn't pass the ball to Freddy ONE FREAKING TIME all match either? That must be why we lost.

 

Overall, not a horrible result.

I was initially disappointed by the 4-5-1. However, given the injury situation, I understood the logic.

Once he didn't start, I was surprised to see Emilio enter the game at all. I thought that we'd only see him if Tommy had to hit the panic button- down 0-2 or worse. I did not think that he would risk aggrevating Emilio's ankle injury. At 0-1, I expected to see Emilio planted to the bench, giving him the best chance at being close to 100% next week. What do you think?

At that point you're only down one goal on the road in a two leg tie. This is not a disaster. I would think that those that also watch UEFA cup or Champions league would agree.

I was disappointed at our lack of poise that was most notable before Jaime entered the game. With all of our "international experience" this year I expected a bit more. On the road, we needed to do better with possession, avoid getting pulled out of shape on D, and do better on set peices.

As others have said, now we only have to win next week, by any score to force the mini-game (overtime). If we can't beat them at home, we don't deserve to move on.

I'm taking Thurs off, flying down. See you there.

 

i think you're way overstating it.
if there's such a thing as 'the soccer gods,' they're not prudes and they hate lots of other things that ruin soccer much more than blanco.
(i'm not a blanco fan, or a fire fan, or a dc 'hater,' or a rbny fan. just an mls fan).

 

I agree.
This week, I hate Blanco and Chicago. Next week, I will be more cool-headed and admit that he has clearly done a lot for the Fire and is a very effective player in MLS.

However, I also feel that MLS is in its infancy. There are leagues in the world with more diving/simulating/theatrics, and leagues with less like EPL. Hopefully, higher ups in MLS with find a way to mold this league into one of the latter. Players like Blanco and Ruiz will continue their antics if they see continued benefit from these actions.