Pre-match: MLS DC United @ NY Red Bulls 7:30 PM 7.10.10

15 minutes before kickoff and the stadium was awful empty. I asked one of the employees where are your fans. look like 10-12k at best.

 

Two things that haven't been mentioned yet(I think):

Our outside backs didn't make a single overlapping run last night. It seems like when we're really clicking offensively(friendlies and USOC games, I know) our outside backs pretty much set up shop up about 10-15 yards on the other side of the halfway line when we have the ball. I wonder if the lack of that last night was a tactical thing from Onalfo, or just a lot of respect given by Mctavish and Graye to NYRB's outside mids.

Also, Mctavish was truly embarrasing when he had the ball last night. I remember one time that he was staring down a 10 yard pass to Simms' feet, with the marking player maybe 3 yards to Simms' left. Mctavish played a perfect ball to the outside foot...of the RB guy. I should not be dreading a 10 yard pass to feet. I mean, that's warmup stuff before a game! But, all night Mctavish was doing stuff like that. (Conversely, I thought Graye was very composed on the ball last night and distributed very well.)

 

McTavish and Graye aren't really MLS-caliber starting fullbacks so I wouldn't expect a lot of offensive contributions from either of them. If they did get get down to the other team's goalline much they'd probably leave gaping holes in our defensive end.

I was at the game and have relatively few memories of an almost action-free 90 minutes of soccer. But this new stadium is a way, way better place to see a game than Giants stadium was.

 

We definitely miss wallace at LB and Graye is better at attacking down the right flank though we need him on the left. I think graye has been good so far, I think he could develop into a solid MLS right back.

 

I should have just found a local u8 game and gone to that yesterday instead of going up to Harrison for that nonsense.

 

25 photos from yesterdays game.
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/wm_hQQEQr-B/C+United+v+New+York+Red+Bulls

 

Good observation, why don't you ask the coaches.

 

There are some good pictures of the DC United in that album. As are all pictures of Bouna Coundoul, that first picture was very disturbing.

 

I agree. I see little difference between Cristman and Allsop except their respective salaries.

 

Curious what was the shout out to me and pauly

 

There was a crowd shot of the Barra, including you and Pauly and a generic shout out to the traveling fans including LBB and SEs. Rongen (I think that was the one talking) mentioned that he met some of the Barra in South Africa and that one of them teaches air traffic controllers.

 

No way. I was there and the stadium was half empty. DCU supporters accounted for a large contingent. If we didn't show up the place would have been really dead.

 

If Allsopp is making such good runs, why aren't his teammates rewarding him?

If a player isn't receiving the ball, then clearly he's not making runs that his teammates either expect or believe to be beneficial.

Even if 1/2 of Allsopp's run were "good," you would expect his teammates to hit him every once and awhile. Particularly when he's teamed up with the likes of Moreno, who is arguably one of the best supporting forwards (e.g. number of assists) in MLS history!

You logic is backwards.

I would go with, if Allsopp would make better runs, then he'd receive the ball more often, which would lead to either scoring or assist chances. Clearly, neither he nor Christman, nor anyone on the front line is creating chances with their runs or else the offensive scoring would be higher.

 

I would suggest a much easier explanation...

His teammates are poor passers of the ball.

 

Or simply don't recognize decent runs.

 

That too.

 

Yeah, I'd be leaning towards these two points, as well. Marco could pick those runs out from 3/4 the way back and get the ball there. Tino can spot the runs from about 1/2 way, and can get the ball there maybe 25% of the time, and I think he's one of the better at both those aspects.

 

i seem to recall Earnie Stewart making tons of unrewarded runs in 03 and early 04 until we got Gomez and he could find him

 

Exactly. That's supposedly a skill Boskovic has, so I'm hoping his arrival will mean we see more out of Allsopp. We'll see, I guess.

 

pontius also makes runs alot of the current guys don't see. i hope the Serb is as good a passer as advertised. i haven't seen much from Allsopp either but he really has been living off scraps up front. i am told he is a great in the lockerroom and on the training pitch, a class guy all around.

 

that is the $64,000 question, a lot of teams play without a #10 and yet still find runners into the area. i guess The Serb is the answer, we shall see.