Maybe the best half they've played this year? Still not so good but getting better. The game needs more quality from Flores, Perez and Gressel. Skundrich looks like Skundrich. I might go with 3 center backs and pull Perez for a second forward. I think Chicago can be had going over the top, just like they're trying to do to us. Need a big goal from Flores this half, he's gotta be due or how long do we have to wait?
To be clear, coming back at the half to catch up on the posts, unit I got to "pregame show" I figured you were talking about the last ten minutes of the half.
Lineup just isn’t up to the level of the league. We look like Cincinnati - a team combining mid-tier MLS and USL level guys. Not seeing much Losada ball. Oh, and I remember being at the Harbor View game. Different time, different vibe. Tonight we’re sitting home watching. Can’t justify freezing my ass off for this team. Smith, after playing well gifted that goal to Chi. It takes more
A bit choppy but they're attempting great passes and runs. They're making all the passes that you are usually screaming at the tv for them to make.
I'm not sure I need to see Perez much. He's like another Flores, drags the play down, has no urgency. It's fine if you produce but he doesn't so get Yow in there. Robertha needs a firecracker up his butt as well.
I have to agree. Our wingers just aren't dangerous. I like Skundrich for what he is but he's just painfully slow footed. I don't know how you over come that unless you're stacked all over the field. The opposition just glides right by him all day.
Glad I didn't go. Djeffal just put Nyeman on the bench tonight. That kid can play, didn't look overmatched at all. As someone said, Skundrich was Skundrich, on a good team he's the 4th midfielder. Why Perez over Yow makes no sense whatsoever, the guy is just not MLS quality. And Flores, jeez what a blackhole of suck -- he's barely better than Perez. Kamara was fine, Estrada showed a bit and nice to see Robertha. This team needs a 2nd central midfielder and someone, anyone, to take Flores's job away from him. Hopefully Taxi arrives sooner than later and can help. Otherwise tonight is the beginning of the slow sink to bottom rungs of the table. There just isn't enough talent there to compete. Chicago isn't good, but they were organized defensively and there just isn't enough skill - or pace - on DCU right now to break down an organized defense.
To those asking why the doom and gloom, well … this. We were rarely menacing going forward, and we made a team that had yet to score a goal look very efficient and dangerous. On our home turf. Which is supposed to be our fortress. And while they don’t have as far to go as Charlotte and Cincinnati, Chicago is far from a good team. They’re just better than us.
Really low soccer IQ on display from DC. Outside of Najar and Gressel and Djeffal who looked great, most everything looked pedestrian, slow thinking, obvious. Feels like they got a lot worse in the offseason. Wow. How’s that always happening?
I really only noticed consistently good play from Najar and Djeffal. Gressel, Skundrich, Hines-Ike, Birnbaum, Smith and Kamara were all pedestrian at best. Perez and Flores didn't provide any offense at all, and not much defense, for that matter. I was impressed by Chicago's defensive organization, and when they went on attack, they were very good at passing to the open man. I haven't seen any stats, but DC's passing was not good at all, especially in the offensive third. Bill had some great saves, but it looks like we're back to "Hamid and hope."
I agree except on Gressel. I like him a lot but I thought it wasn't a great night for him. It seemed to me a high percentage of his passes weren't connecting. But I will say this in defense of every player on both teams: IT WAS EFFIN' COLD OUT THERE TONIGHT, AND THE WIND WAS BRUTAL (15 mph gusting to 35). That was up there with the coldest I have ever been at a sporting event.
RSL managed a three-goal comeback in the snow and wind in New England. DC United looked listless going forward late in the game.
The conditions were always going to make this a scrappy, game. Some players struggle in this sort of weather. So, it is hard to draw too many conclusions. Positives: Djeffal looks solid. He is able to cope with the physical aspects of the game and made good decisions out there. Kamara's hold up play and movement off the ball were very good. Right now, he looks better than Estrada at the #9. Since Estrada can actually score goals, maybe we should find a way to get him on the field instead of Perez. Flores looked more involved. His movement off the ball was better, and he got more touches in good areas as a result. He looked hesitant and indecisive near the box, but there were signs of improvement. Najar showed more of the attacking flare and confidence that we saw last season. He seemed to push forward more than in the first two games. Negative:: We still look like a pick up team that is poorly organized, and has no identity. Last year, the team was imperfect but seemed to be growing over time. Losada was teaching a high energy, high-pressing, direct-attacking style. The attack was raw, but it was dynamic and fun to watch. We didn't have the most talented team, but the players worked together and created lots of scoring opportunities. This year, not so much. In the latter part of the season, Losada seemed to be trying to strike a balance with the pragmatic reality that no team can press for 90 mins in the summer heat and every team has to know how to protect a result to earn points. The team slowly matured over time. We saw more organization, with better choreographed high pressing as the lines worked together forming a unit. There were also glimpses of the occasional counter press and mid-block defending. This year, the high press is haphazard and ineffective. Coordination and spacing between the line is poor. Passing lanes are left open and the press is broken too easily. As a result, fewer turnovers are created. In addition, chemistry between players in the final 1/3 has not improved. Sadly, it looks like we are starting from ground zero and we can only hope for progression as the season goes on.
Something has happened. Losada’s team selection and tactics are indefensible. Either he has given up on the team and is trying to get paid out/fired or something is deeply broken. Last year the team was fun to watch and it was wonderful. This year the team seems hopelessly incompetent. Hard to understand how a full offseason under Losada led to this result.
So we played two really terrible teams and one mediocre team this year. In two games we won because those teams are absolutely not making the playoffs. Chicago feels like an incompetent team that makes the playoffs but not at a high end of season position. Maybe they are the last slot in, that kind of thing. So we played Charlotte and Cincinnati and it didn't really give us an accurate impression of where we stand. Playing what could be a major competitor for the last playoff slot did. We looked as bad as expected. Could we have scored 1 or 2? Yea, ok, but again they are a terrible team. They could have also scored 4 if they had any skill or motivation to do so (but they don't). If (and when) we play against a team with 2 competent offensive threats, we are in trouble. The part we all agree on is that Skundrich is bad, Perez is bad, Smith remains hit or miss, Gressel is generally good, Najar is generally good (with flashes of bad), Robertha is the same slow and uncreative person on the ball he always was (another salary sponge). This is the part where I disagree with people in the thread: Djeffal is not a good football player. He occasionally makes a pass that gives you an impression that he isn't awful, but then he almost throws the ball away into a an odd man break toward Hamid. He's not a good dribbler, he's not a good passer, he's not a good shooter. He's not the answer to the midfield and neither is Nyeman. I refuse to accept this notion that he's better than a wet paper bag so we need to praise him. He is as replaceable as Perez and Skundrich. BUT HEY, HE'S CHEAP! Flores was bad, as usual. There was exactly one moment where he was dangerous and it was a deflection. Kamara looked dangerous 3 times and he isn't costing us a used Pagani. Michael Estrada scored 2 goals (against a terrible team), disappeared the next game and wasn't even on the field this game. Is he giving the team and coach shit at practice? Is he as lazy as everyone in Mexico said? Ted Ku-Pietro and other Loudon types or superdraft picks are not the answer and I hope they never see the field.
I was at EagleBank Field too. I'm pretty sure I had more than four layers on top and bottom. I felt good mostly just listening to the game. I got home for the second half and I felt better. Wow. #2, #3 and #1 after needing a buzzer beater against the 10 seed. I won't acknowledge any other events last night.
Agree on Kamara+Estrada. Kamara convinced me he'll be more active than Estrada up top, and Perez convinced me he's a lower-deck deck chair. But we saw a different Flores. That was his worse game under Losada and possibly his worst game since he came here. Poor touches, poor decisions, poor shots. There was a ball from Gressell(?) in the first half that was begging for the attacker on Flores' side to make a darting run and slot home--very similar to Chicago's goal. Flores was practically standing still as the attack was pushing forward and he was too late to meet the cross two years from goal. Looks to me like he's getting more touches because teams just are constantly shifting toward Gressell's side to block his crosses or underneath toward Kamara. I'd like to give everyone a pass for last night, but as people have said, we were one of eight teams that played in the frigid northeast weather, and teams like Salt Lake, NYC and Philly managed to push the accelerator when they needed to.