A great day, a disappointing game. In the beginning of the game, we seemed to come out ready to go. Etcheverry was on the sidelines, probably explaining to the young lady next to him how he used to tear up RFK -- when there were more seats available. After Olsen's goal, Dallas had us back on our heels a bit. I can only imagine what was said in the lock room. We totally dominated the second half, and were very unfortunate to not get a result. I like Adu, I do -- but he seemed to slow down to let defenders get near him, then try to go by them. I thought he might have a mental block thinking that defenders are faster than he is now... that's not the case, Freddy. Only one or two of them are as fast as you. Also, he seemed to have a shoot first mentality. I swear on the great move he made down the right flank, he could have shot it AT Prideaux and it would have bounced off his head and gone in. Instead, right to the keeper. So, in summary: Freddy--run right by people, and pass! Jaime stays in games because despite 89 minutes of getting triple-teamed and losing the ball, for one minute he'll produce a goal. It didn't happen today, but that's why he gets to stay in, I think. I don't know how or why he gets to stay in 90 minutes all the time. He's going to need a break sometime this season. Gros is everywhere. That motor just doesn't quit. Terrbily unfortunate on the O'Brian goal that he couldn't find his mark. Dallas steals a point on the road -- good teams do that. Ben Olsen is going to Germany, Ich glaube. As for the mocking-the-fans celebration, I'd give them a $250 fine. The league needs to understand that mocking the sponsors is one thing, but mocking the fans is another entirely. I think Dallas needed a pre-meditated solution because they think they're going to be good in this league -- and to be good in this league means that you have to challenge D.C. United. Carroll again looked good.
The celebration was no big deal. People need to grow some thicker skin around here. You can't be laughing and applauding Alecko's antics one week and crying about this the next. I just miss the old days when the team would take matters like this into their hands. Diego Serna dissed us once, remember what happened to him Tommy?
That is exactly what should've happened in this case. Fragile men should be smarter than to do something like that.
Putting the ball into the goal is the soccer trick that impresses me. Missed shot/blown opportunity of the week highlight videos aren't big sellers. He played well, but the great ones score.
A few comments based on both my impressions from the stands and looking at the highlights: O'Brien's goal was the result of first, Carroll getting sucked up high creating a void in the middle and Gros failing to switch in time. I'm not an expert on goalkeeper technique and I read Todd's criticism of Perkins. I think the criticism is a bit harsh, Perkins started with a slide and then realized that ball was struck with more velocity than he first thought. Both Olsen's and O'Brien's goals were well struck shots that beat good keepers, it happens and I don't think Perkins had a brain fart on the play. Viewing the replays, Adu has wicked ball skills. Still, he needs to move quicker and pass quicker because he will draw a crowd and no one in MLS will beat 3 defenders on the dribble consistently. Also, his defense was pretty good, but he woefully missed his mark that led to the first half Nunez shot into side netting that came from a very dangerous position. Prideaux played extremely well. He's the left back over Wilson for the time being. Gros will be a beast by the end of the season, he has the motor, his touch is improving and he is learning to play defense. I think Nowak should have subbed Filomeno for Moreno rather than Esky. Neither was having a good night, but Filomeno and Moreno play the same game. I think Nowak would be well served to sit Moreno sometime soon and let Filomeno go a whole game paired with Esky just to see what happens. Watching Gomez, Filomeno and Erpen together, they always look for one another and seem to "know" where to find each other. I don't think the Walker sub made sense. Walker's strenght is the ability to stretch the defense of a team forced to come forward because it needs a goal. Dallas was bunkered by the time Walker came in and his straight line speed was no factor against the bunker. Finally, props to Boswell. If Ruiz is going to flop, at least get him hard enough for it to hurt.
One question - Did anybody watching on tv notice late in the first half freddy crossed a bal into the 18 from the right-hand side and it hit off a defenders hand (who happened to be in the box)? Was there any replay or commentary on this play?
I was yelling about it when I saw it at the stadium. Don't think Geiger was going to call anything in the box last night. Linesman had to remind him to give Yi a yellow when Esky was going in alone on goal. First time I saw more birds come out for a goal celebration than for the ref. Pretty hilarious. So not a bad match for the ref.
If O'Brien took time out of his game to come over to celebrate in front of the fans that were taunting him, calling him Dema's Bitch, that's proof right there that the fans were getting to him. If I gave an opposition player a bunch of shit and that player scores, I'd WANT that player to give it right back to me. Bottom line is if the fans want to dish it out they better be prepared to take it when the player turns around and gives it right back to them.
Mike and Chico, the whole fecking point is that the discipline committee fined Esky for a harmless celebration. I didn't agree with their action, but there you have it. A celebration as phallus did last night would get an EPL player in very hot water. That plus the recent (over)action of em ell ess discipline committee should equal the phallus symbols receiving discipline. All I'm asking for is consistency and fairness. Taunting opposition fans is going to cause a mess when the fans physically react. Nowak does not allow the tactics employed against Flipper so memorably by Harksie and Aunger. That would be my choice for action. 'Nuff said about those assholes (f*c* meat lovers, not Harksie and Geoff), they're getting way to much attention. In case you haven't by now realized it, MLS crap from on high is really pissing me off. GM
Well, it's sunday amigo. Who's to say MLS won't fine him? They didn't fine Alecko until days after the game. But you're right, we've given this crap WAY too much attention already. In the grand scheme of things, it don't mean squat.
The difference is, Esky used a prop - something that's been banned from the NFL and indicates a level of pre-planning. I don't want the league to start fining goal celebrations in general.
And ROB's celebration/taunt won't make all of the newspapers, ESPN, PTI, etc., the way Esky's did. That $250 bought plenty of publicity, and the only publicity ROB is getting for his celebration is on this thread. Let it die.
I figured they just wanted to see what it felt like to celebrate in front of some real fans for once. Let 'em have their moment.
Not just the EPL. Burciaga got sent off for a second yellow after taunting the fans in the second week against Houston after he scored. I personally don't mind and we should expect to get as good as we give. And I think that the MLS needs more of this, but they can still enforce the rules, its our job to get the player so riled up that he still does it. The whole point is to get the guy out of his game, or get him to respond and pick up a stupid caution. All I am asking for is a little consistancy, that would have been a yellow in any other league and after the caution to Burciaga and the fine on Eski it should have been a yellow here too. I don't think he should be fined. It was something that should stay on the field. I am upset that we didn't get advantage on the play, not that he wasn't punished for taunting the fans.
EXACTLY. Chico is right too. This was a backhanded compliment to the Barra. Players don't bother to taunt the fans of other teams in such a direct way, to their faces. Why? Because they are of so little consequence! You can rarely even hear them in their own stadia!!!!!
I'm not crying about it. I'm just saying: this. I'm not annoyed at them for doing it so much as I'm annoyed at our team for not making them eat that taunt.
Not sure its fair to make comparisons with other leagues like the EPL in this case. The real reason why players are carded/fined for taunting fans in those leagues is because such actions can literally provoke riots (or at least make life a lot harder for the police after the match due to raised tensions). That isn't the case in MLS. Should MLS fine ROB just for hurting our feelings ?
I did not see the game, and I recognize that this is not a game well suited to statistical analysis, but these numbers suggest that F*C*D was fortunate to get a draw: D.C. United FC Dallas total shots: 15 (3 tied with 3) 9 (Ronnie O'Brien 4) shots on goal: 10 (4 tied with 2) 4 (Ronnie O'Brien 2) fouls: 11 (Brandon Prideaux 4) 18 (Simo Valakari 6) offsides: 3 (3 tied with 1) 2 (Kenny Cooper 2) corner kicks: 2 (Adu 1, Gomez 1) 3 (Ramon Nunez 3) saves: 3 (Troy Perkins 3) 9 (Dario Sala 9) It's the nature of the game that the best team does not always win and the 1-1 tally of goals is all that matters, but it sure looks like the good guys dominated. If this were college football, DCU would be ranked #1. I'm just saying the team looks good now and still has substantial room for growth and improvement.
Whoa, I was the one that brought up the MLS examples. And even the people that are saying that it wasn't that big of a deal still are disappointed that a DC player didn't lay out the **********. The yellow card is there so that players don't feel like they have to take justice into thier own hands. If the yellow was given we would all be congratulating ourselves about getting into his head (which we did, he just responded) instead expecting our players to risk a yellow or worse to send him a message. Edit: Apparently a nickname for a cute little kitty is censored. Who knew?
I fear that this may be a bigger problem than we'd like to realize. I wonder if the answer may be to plan ahead of time to sub him out after 60ish minutes so that he KNOWS he doesn't have to go the full 90.
While watching RSL host LA Gals on ESPN2, I could not help but think that MLS would be better served if they could broadcast a "game of the week" that would be determined by current form, rather than an arbitrary pre-season schedule. MLS is selling an entertainment product. I did not see the DCU F*C*D match, but it had to be a vastly superior product than what came out of Utah yesterday. Another thought was that maybe someone needs to talk to Ted Turner. This guy brought us CNN, and more Braves games than I care to watch. He could easily take some fun money and buy up DCU. I'd be happy to watch them on TBS. DCU is already as close as you can get to being "America's Team". There is also quite a southern void in MLS, (if you discount those Texas teams). From DC to Texas, all the way up to Columbus, Chicago, and Colorado, leaves a pretty big hole in the MLS market. Not that he needs the money, but Teddy boy could pick another winner here. Maybe someone can talk to Jane?