PBP: DC - Me against the World - 2025 season game thread

With this roster Bennyball may be the best we can hope for. Grinding out some points early would sure have been nice, but where we sit in the standings is where we should be. The personnel just isn't there.

Think of who we can bring off the bench... As a starter, who's the spark? Even with Benteke the team is missing a fire starter.

And WTF with Fletcher? If they're really not going to play him, why not just cut him? Seems idiotic to keep him off the pitch if they have any interest in selling him. He has contributed to teams arguably better than one runs out Enow et. al.

Also, the guy from Chivas - is he so bad that he's not worth playing? Haven't seen much of him but maybe so.

Hard to see this year after year. Is the team half empty? After a decade+ hard to see it as half full

 

Yes, high-larious, like this

 

I’m glad they are as it’s better than losing every game.

 

I never had a problem with Bennyball. If that's what you have, then that's what you play.

Now if you've got an organizational plan and you've got the people in place to grow and adopt a workable system, then go for it. But that's not DC United as far as I've seen.

 

It's natural to overestimate the importance of a manager. The Supporters Shield winning manager of the Miami Fusion, Ray Hudson, was fired by DC United 2 years later. That team was loaded with talent.

 

With a US Open Cup match tomorrow the normal debate would be should the line up be regular starters or should others get sometime. With there being so few difference makers healthy I can't see it making a difference.

 

Without Benteke, who is going to score a goal? I see a 4-5-1 with whoever is healthy. Maybe we'll get a 3rd straight 0-0 tie!

 

KC beat the Galaxy recently without taking a single shot. Owen Goal scored for them.

 

Hey, does anyone know if and where this match is being streamed?

 

Paramount plus

 

I got a free 7-day trial of that stupid channel for the Coffee Pot Cup game - as with almost every free trial (which is by their design), I forgot to cancel it on the final free day, so I got charged for another month of it - which I guess will come in handy this evening

 

US Soccer has justifiably gotten criticism over the years for the lack of promotion of the US Open Cup but it's a credit that all of these games are streamed. Has anyone seen details as to how that has come about?

 

I may check out Mobland, thanks for the recommendation, I have never heard of it - and I suppose I might be able to consider an early episode or two of one of the new StarTreks that was never on TV - I really could not care too much less about European soccer

 

Starting lineup for today:

Kim; Schnegg, Rowles, Bartlett, Tubbs, Herrera; Enow, Servania; Peglow, Murrell, Kijima.

Subs:

Farr, Dodson, Fletcher, Hopkins, Leal, Peltola, Stroud

 

Fletcher fills Barajas’ bench spot for the “technical young attacker who can impact the game” role. Troy seems to really dislike these types of players, hence the quota.

Dude keeps attacking talent so far from the pitch you’d think we’re averaging 3 goals scored per game already and don’t need them.

 

This is of course somewhat true, but the league has evolved quite a bit. A great example is Atlanta. They were the toast of the league when they joined but have been largely terrible (and somehow, worse than us so far this year) since Tata left.

That same effect is being felt in Miami this year, with the GOAT and friends all still there.

I know this sounds crazy but I’d rather be losing games 1-2, 2-3, etc. with Troy setting us up and showing that he can coach good soccer and us just not having the horses to get results. That would prove himself and put the onus on Ally to upgrade the roster.

To this point I’ve seen nothing to show that Lesesne is capable of putting a winning product on the field tactically/managerially. The fact that at the 90 minute mark our last four games were 0-0, 0-2, 0-0, and 0-0 (against largely paltry competition and virtually zero attacking moves) does nothing to dissuade this.

 

There are currently under 200 people in the stands.

 

Perhaps there are 200 people under the stands?

 

Actually bummed to miss this one. I’m a sucker as it is but Cup competitions are so much fun.

 

The pyro didn't pyro.

Obviously it's still early and people are still arriving, but this is one of those where I can legitimately count and see most not in the stands.

 

The scoreboard pyro made up for it.

 

FWIW, it's not raining hard, but this is the type of rain and constant saturation that I've been worried about ********ing up the field.

 

Wouldn’t trashing the field only help us? We’re a kickball team. Only the opponents would potentially be harmed.

 

Route 1 to Benteke's cranium doesn't care about the field conditions! And it doesn't matter much now.

I'm watching on Paramount+. I will cancel after the match, suckers!