I think this 3 game losing streak is the longest since '13. Seems like the house of cards is crumbling … We fully deserve this for systematically making this team older and slower with each passing season. We've repeatedly traded away the future for has beens who were quasi elite MLS players 5-10 years ago. News flash … soccer careers are fleeting. There's only so much you can hope for when your ideal signing is 33. Sometimes I think our scouting department is some guy in a basement watching 2007 MLS highlights on VHS. De Leon, Kitchen, Birnbaum need to run for the hills. This team is toxic for their development. You can't learn how to play soccer on a team that refuses to play soccer. We're good for Hamid's development though. There's not many teams where he'll get as much practice as here.
I agree with all posts here, but we should also add that in this moment NYRB is way, way stronger than we are. There's no comparison. They are the best team in the league; if they're not the best, they're the second best, after Galaxy. But I still think they are the best.
Was this posted from a mobile device? I can't parse what you've written. Not taking the piss -- I really don't get it. Can you rephrase?
I can. There were times in 2012 that Olsen made changes to the players on the field and the tactics that improved the team and won some points. That was in response to your query as to whether Olsen's tenure had a match when he made in game adjustments. I would say those games are rare. But it has happened.
The current situation reminds me of what happened in 2007, we went full speed for 3/4 of the season, then, come August sometimes, and with the complicity of CCL, Superliga and something else, we started losing ground; we still managed to win the SS - competition was not as fierce back then and we were really probably the very best team - but we got to the playoff cooked and went out.
And it wasn't just that he changed players for players that played better, but actually changed the system they were trying to execute on the pitch? Are you able to recall which matches?
That was different, though: by the playoffs then, we'd played 10-14 more matches than potential playoff opponents. That's not the case here. Here we're just not a very good team. How many of the players that we started tonight would you put in the top half of starters at their position this year? I don't think there are very many. And that's a recipe for losing when you play a good team; and Jersey are a good team. I don't mean to suggest that that's the whole story with what's wrong with this team right now. But that's a big chunk of it: we're just not that good.
I’m a RB fan so I know some hear might tell me to piss off but I wanted to see what the other team fans was saying. I must say I was shocked at how this game ended yes I had a blast but turf be told coming into the match I was thinking we have 2 teams fighting for top spot in the east and maybe the SS so I had it in my mind this game has tie all over it and there would be some cards flying because the 2 teams would go after each other. After the game I could not help but to think OMG DC played like a USL team not like a team top of the east.
Well, that was a damned mess. We are soooo slooooow. We are slow of foot and we are slow of thought. Is it wrong that I almost want to see Kitchen, Halsti and Arnaud all start in the central midfield? Like a 4-5-1 that leans heavily on wing attackers and wingbacks (Kemp in particular) to link up with a center forward (Espindola, ideally)? No matter what, though, we saw today that we are simply not as talented as that Red Bulls team, in any position other than goal. That's what really hurts.
RBNY is so much better than we are at present. Kind of sad at this point - Pontius is a has been and needs to be traded or let go. Kitchen is starting to display an attitude problem and needs to sit for a game or two to wake up. Halsti is just not very good. Boswell is not getting any younger, and nor is Franklin. Saborio, NDL, and Rolfe just don't even hold a candle to Espy. Without Espy this team is simply toast in the playoffs. Ugly soccer is ok as long as you can score occasionally off the break and have a stronger defense and can maintain possession under pressure. Game could have been 5 - 0 at end of first half were it not for Hamid. Will be interesting to see how Olsen handles this substantial slide. Could be one and done in the playoffs.
People keep clamouring for a target forward. I still want a smart and technically proficient CAM. Put that as tip of the triangle in a 4-5-1 I think we have moderately better success. We still have wings who have trouble crossing, and defensive liabilities with setups like the Kemp/Pontius pairing on the left (it's no coincidence two of 3 goals game that side), but at least maybe then we'd have a linkage between our defense and forwards that wasn't just hopeful long balls or errant crosses.
Well all season long, our little BS community has been split between 2 sides. One side would look at the standings and say. "Look, we're great!" The other side would look at the field and say, "Look, we're shit!" I have been in the latter camp, and last night's game did nothing to change my mind. We only have 2 or 3 players that are better than "MLS average" and the coaching staff is clueless. It would be one thing if we could watch a game and say, "OK, the team is trying to do ____, but it isn't working because _____." But DCU seems to have no plan whatsoever, just put out 11 guys and hope that they try hard and somehow win. Pathetic. And there is no sign of it getting better any time soon.
I know standings wise we look good because seemingly everyone is dropping points, but right now I feel there is 0% chance of silverware for United in 2015. We're sputtering and looking very tired right now. My guess is finish 3rd in the east, or 8th over all. In the playoffs 50/50 shot of beating 6th seed since we're at RFK, then I fully expect to get bounced out by 2nd seed. The concern is 2016 when we'll be older and not sure what our options are. How much of our cap space can we unload?
I never had a very high opinion of Deleon from the beginning, but I have to admit that he's grown on me a little. It seems that he's developed a bit as a player in spite of everything. He's still limited and makes bad decisions in the final third, but that could very well be chalked up to playing on a team with a low soccer IQ. So, yeah. Maybe somewhere else he could yet become a very good player. I HOPE that's the deal with Kitchen. I am seriously doubting his future potential lately, but he's still young.
As much as I wanted Arnaud to sit, this team needs him. BADLY! The worst part about the game was seeing our defense exposed. Now some of that is that they are slow, but most of it was outside midfielders not tracking back the players on the give-and-go (Pontius & DeLeon), which caused the defenders to step up to defend them leaving other players very wide open (Thank Hamid for keeping it more respectful). What is so confusing is that Ben Olsen used to play that position and yes he would always track back. Maybe it was the coach (Arena) telling him, or maybe it was the other players screaming at him, but he did it. Not sure how he cannot be utterly ticked off about this on this team. If we are going to play Bennyball, then we need Arnaud out there screaming at everybody (somebody has to do it), Coyle (because even though he is really a forward, has been playing outside mid and tracking back, imagine that!). Now we just need one more outside mid doing this, I think Aguilar has done this on most occasions, but not consistently (but yet more consistent that either Pontius & DeLeon). DeLeon does this every so often, but then forgets about it in some games.
Note how the Jersey Carcinogens totally emasculated what has been the strongest aspects of our attack, through team speed and a good game plan: First, they so totally occupied our left side that Kemp was unable to do his patented run along the touchline and pump in left footed crosses. Second, they totally swarmed Rolfe so that his clever flick-ons rarely connected, but were often intercepted. And third, they never let Saborio assert himself near the goal. It was a masterful performance, and perhaps the Jersey fans will get over their Pete nostalgia and realize that Marsh might just be a very smart coach.
I don't think Halsti was as bad as many of you say, but other than that I can't argue with any of the other negative things. Boswell was the worst player on the field as far as I can tell, did someone shoot him with a dart filled with cold medicine? He's always slow, but usually covers it with good positioning and being able to read the game pretty well. None of that happened. I actually thought after the first 20 minutes that we might have frustrated them and be able to keep up and sneak one, but after they finally scored, you could tell we were done. We reverted to the pass it backward or out of bounds rather than take a chance going forward style .... and holy f'n crap did we give a ton of balls away in the center of the field. Boswell was the worst, followed by Rolfe, followed closely by everyone else. All NJ defenders/midfielders had to do was go stand near our side of the center circle and we would get them the ball with open space between them and Hamid.