We have a style of play? I have yet to figure out what it is. We are like a boat with a bunch of guys rowing in different directions. Everybody is going to look horrible because the boat isn't going anywhere and nothing that anybody does appears to move the boat. Soehn did the right thing resigning last year (he had his chance and it didn't work out), but this is why I was in no hurry to FIRE SOEHN NOW last year. I knew that this is the kind of thing that you can get when you have coaching turnover. It isn't even a case of this guy is good, that guy is bad. Some folks may be passible in some situations, but poison in another. Onalfo is poison in this case - and the front office is not yet savvy enough to hire coaches that will meet up to their standards of playing attacking soccer and win. If you are going to limit your coaching search to guys who are only willing to play your brand of attacking soccer, you had better have an amazing eye for coaching talent. Our front office leadership do not. I like their idealism, but they do not have the competence level to pull it off consistently - history shows this (see Rongen, Hudson). FIRE EVERYBODY NOW! feels good to scream when you are not getting results, but firing people puts you in a position where you have to hire someone and that can expose, not only your own weaknesses, but the weakness of your position at a particular point of time. In a world where everybody on every other team gets paid to scratch and claw to make sure that you don't achieve any of your goals, you don't want to put yourself in positions where your weaknesses and the weakness of your situation are exposed. It leaves an open wound that every person on every other team are going to go after. I'm not going to lie. This doesn't look good - but before we shout out to fire everybody, let's consider that firing people is often the first step to hiring worse people. Example - Baltimore want this team really badly. I am going to be Mr. Patient so that Will Chang doesn't start thinking to himself to FIRE DC NOW! He already has one area that have made it extraordinarily difficult to build a stadium in. Do we need to add to that a fan base that are acting like they hate the franchise? (I could see it getting to that point this year - it isn't going to be good) Will Chang has no ties to this area. Baltimore is going to become a more and more attractive option as the season progresses. My greatest hope at this point is that Baltimore doesn't end up getting hired by Chang. This is going to be a difficult season at best.
losing by less each game (this trend is better than the alternative); at least scoring (sloppy opportunistic scoring but goals) in Philly. We all need to give "hope" one more week at least on Ap 17 at home vs Chicago.
I very much doubt that trend will hold. Without Jakovic and perhaps Pena in the back this is gonna be ugly. McBride, John and Nyarko are going to have a field day with that defense.
The first half was absolutely horrific. We had no clue what we were doing. Had no attacking mentality or even committment to attack. Guys that were open were playing and receiving passes with their back to goal. Even at midfield! Can't agree more with the above posts. Troy was blaming himself for the 1st and 3rd goals. I think once he sees the replay of the free kick that started the first goal he will start yelling at the team. Talk about ball watching. Not one, not two but three defenders just stood in the middle of the box after the save. And how about the fact that NO ONE ever covered LeToux or Fred from the start of the free kick????? 3rd game into the season and we don't know how to man mark??????? They were both wide open on the free kick. And Jakovic, Talley and Barklage just stand in the box watching the ball while the play is developing. Do we even have a coach? 3rd goal I will put on Troy as he didn't trust his wall to cover one side and got caught leaning their direction while the kick was taken. I can't even say we are mediocre yet. We have no midfield and are the worst team in the league. Had a good time traveling up with friends and marching in was special. Good to see a new team have a dynamite turnout even though it took them over 20 minutes into the first half to stop the metal searches and let the crowd at the gates in. It is encouraging for the league to see new cities supporting their teams. Hope they keep it up.
For those of us thinking that we are at least closing the gap in goal differential each game I would say that we just lost 9-2 aggregrate to 3 teams in the bottom third of this league. KC, NE minus Shalrie and Reis and the Philly expansion team. That crap ain't gonna fly. I can only hope that we have at least 670K of cap space and will bring in two solid DP's ASAP.
DP aren't going to do squat if there's no team around them. I though Gallardo was a great player. He could put the ball at the feet of any guy, anywhere on the field. The problem is, the rest of the team save for Jaime, didn't know where to go. One guy cannot carry an entire team unless the other guys know what to do. Right now, DCU plays like they are helping little old ladies across the street. When they get the ball, they stop, look all around them to see if anyone is coming and then decide what to do with the ball. Or they kick the ball to a bunch of open space where someone should be, but isn't because he never makes it that far. Completely inexcusable for an MLS team.
FSC's presentation of the game was typically piss poor. There was hardly any real representation of either fanbase, which is inexcusable considering this game. There were almost never the right replays from the right angle, and the announcers (DJ included) had no idea what was happening. No mention of the deflection on Santino's goal, they thought the game was over when it wasn't--- one of the worst productions, even for FSC, in a while. The officiating by the entire crew was typically inconsistent and miserable. Never in my life, game after game, week after week, have I seen so many questionable cards given out for plays and non-calls for so many other plays that should AT LEAST be fouls, if not even cards. I'm not even directing this as a complaint from a DC fan, but as a fan of soccer. It's horrendous. It's almost unwatchable. Perkins owns some fault on the first goal, no so much for the rebound, but for not coming out to collect the cross. That said, Le Toux was WIDE OPEN with nobody even thinking about marking him. He could have been 10 yards from goal and probably scored and Perkins wouldn't take any blame. I could not tell if the 3rd goal went through the wall or around it, but either way it was on Perkin's side and he got that one wrong. He also made a couple very good saves, but did not have a good game. I think he needs to do more, and I think he will, but he is the LEAST of our problems if you are watching the defense. While I think it's too bad that Pena got hurt, there's lots of blame for that in the FO. Hamstrings can be a little random, but in good weather on a good surface, a 37 y/o defender comes up lame in the 15th min of the 3rd match of the season. You get what you pay for. I think the red card could have gone either way, but I have no problem with it being red. What I do have a problem with is Alejandro The Dick Moreno who has got to be one of the dirtiest forwards in the league. He drapes his arms all over you and kicks at you and the moment you touch him he's on the ground. He was using his arms on Jackovic on that play which helped miss the header and when Jackovic used his arms Moreno goes down and the whistle goes. That's bullshit. Overall, on paper, Namoff, Pena, Jackovic, and Wallace is a good back four, and we'd probably do okay with that group. Talley and James in reserve is okay. But when James and Talley are getting regular minutes, we're set for disaster. I dunno what Talley is being told to do, if anything, but whatever he's doing he needs to start doing the complete opposite. Talley is absolutely terrible out there. I think Castillo and Quaranta are both good players who will help the team, but only with the right players around them. Q is not the one man to run the team or lead players, that's just not his style. He gets up, or plays down, depending on the game. We need someone else to drive the team and set the tempo. We need a Ben Olsen. Barklage and Morsink give plenty of effort, but there's just not enough talent. Our play improved when we added more actual skill to the field, but it takes more. Ha. The more the results unfold in the manner that they have so far, the more I am inclined to think that the coaching is not good enough. There's too much disorganization and lack of continuity and concentration, IMO, to lay that entirely at the feet of players not playing well.
Just like last year with Seattle, just like 1998 with Chicago. MLS and its coverage just oozes over their expansion franchises. Just like the Cup in 98 and just like last year in the Cup... just knowing the fuss made over these new teams almost convinces you going in that somehow you are going to have no chance. Mind you, the team certainly did their part to come out with that result.
The opener aside, the 2000 team lost enough close games early in the season to affect its confidence to the point where it ended up in a death-spiral. I'm afraid this season's team is so talent-poor that we don't have to worry about its mental toughness.
I'd like to comment, but after watching Barcelona play soccer twice this week, I might not recognize the game they were playing in Philly last night.
And every MLS fan knows that every MLS team can say the same thing. That is no excuse for DC United to look like total crap against other MLS teams.
I never said it did. I just said that comparing the quality of United versus Barcelona is irrelevant, considering one spends exponentially higher than the other. It doesn't matter if United sucks or is the best team in the league, there is obviously going to be a desparity in talent on the field.
I applaud Onalfo. He isnt the best coach, but he has some serious balls. He basically is trying to do any changes to help us win, tinkering with starting moreno, throwing quaranta on the wing and in the central midfield, and toying with barklage and morsink in the defensive midfield/wing position. I dont think its his fault we are underachieving, our players are in experienced and in over their heads. Castillo is a good example, he has good skills, but he looks like a fish out of water right now. MLS is a different league then what he is used to, the pressure, physicality, everything about our league he needs time to get used to. Philly is a ROUGH team, pena got hurt as a result, and many tough challanges were made by us on them as they pushed the level of physicality and we tried to answer them. Pontius is looking ROUGH out there, although his passing is nice, especially a nice cheeky backheel/flick he had yesterday on the left wing. Quaranta to me isnt a central midfield, as that goal proves it even more, as he scored it frmo the right wing, and the work up play started with moreno in the central midfield position that started the play. That Jakovic red was BS, it best it was a yellow, Ale Moreno suckered the ref into giving a red. But thats the game, he played it well. James is a strong, but not smart defender, I like his heart though. Perkins is nothing special, but i dont want to throw him to the wolves because with no offense our defense will look BAD. Letoux had a field day on him today though, and it wasnt all his fault. That first goal was jakovic or whoever was supposed to cover them middle, Pena was left cover 2 men, and letoux cut loose and scored it. The second goal..... what happened to our defense??? It was castillo and Wallace who was chasing a accelorating letoux??? Third, again reminded me of the goal beck's scored against perkins, had him going the wrong way. It seems thats his biggest enemy, is going the opposite side of teh wall... Jaime still shows yet again his class, with his holding, and touch. He had some really good moments, but we cant count on him to bring that every game. We need a central midfielder this summer to take over in the middle,. Also i forgot allsopp, he has promise and his touch, holding, and passing is refreshing. He looks like he can be very good in our league, he needs to start frmo now on. A goal will come for him, that header was his today off that corner....
Apologies. Given some of your other posts, I thought you were trying to find another excuse for United's sucking so badly. Regardless, it matters to me if United sucks or is the best team in the league. From what I've seen so far, we are the worst team in the league. And I see absolutely nothing to convince me that's going to change any time soon.
“I’ve been through a hell of a lot worse and our group is going to get better. At the end of the day, this is going to make us a better team.” Curt Onalfo Dear Curt, This isn't a lesson in relativity. We've all had obstacles to overcome in our lifes and currently are wrestling with tragedies. Pro sports is more than a game, it is an escape from our real lives and travails. We come to the games to be part of something bigger, to cheer win or lose for warriors and generals fighting the good fight. For you to come out after a display like last night and essentially say "It's only a game" brings me to the reality I am trying to escape by being a DCU fan. You have become the brother-in-law that borrows money and never repays it. I don't need you to come by my house, drink my beer, and tell me "It's only money". So until you can see fit to apologize to me for not paying me, and give me a plan on how you might start to make this right and pay me back, GET F***ED!
well, i have no doubt similar observations were made, but in the event that they were not.... the good-Moreno kept up attacking pressure, versus the last game. As a second half sub, he had fire and went at players more than he did the previous match. Quaranta-he seems hesitant to take a short pass at an inside run, opting for the long ones to switch the field or go for early balls in the box, but you can't argue that he doesn't play with spirit. He made his goal out of single-handed determination. Barklage-He continues to impress me...I think he's got a great sense of strategy, positional play and field vision. He just didn't seem to get much support from the guys behind him or to his left. James-He may not be as technically skilled as some of the others in the D positions, but was stepping up to challenge attackers when others were playing soft. Unfortunately he didn't have the speed to keep up with the surrender-monkey on the second goal, but at least he was in the fight. Wallace-He pushed forward when more than half the squad felt like walking. Granted, his crosses weren't ideal, but at least he played forward! The bad-Both United goals were created solely from individual efforts of the scoring players. The most threatening plays apart from that were Barklage's near-post shot on goal and a couple of set plays. Guys, if you can't create more than one shot on goal in the first half, you're not gonna win a game. Perkins-Don't get me wrong, I like Perkins, but, really, he was out of position on their third goal. To be fair, I don't think he had much faith in his wall, and given the way most of them had been playing in front of him on the night, I don't blame him. Pena-Seriously, you're going to leave your mark THAT OPEN? I was not overly upset to see you limping off after that. Wake the hell up or ride the pine. The ugly-WTF is the deal with Castillo? I thought he was supposed to be good. The past two games, he's been a turnover machine. His passes are underweight, he stops his runs off the ball early, he's often quickly dispossessed. Did he show something to the scouts that we're not seeing, or is our scouting crew that bad? The beer/cup throwers-cut it the fsck out. seriously. I'm not talking about the celebratory beer showers, that's fine, I'm talking about the "this game sucks, this ref sucks, it's not going our way so I'm going to chuck this cup off the deck" crap. Stop being asses. Sure, they put us in the nosebleed section, and the quality of both the ref and the display of many of our guys made me want to hit them with things too, but still. No reason to take it out on the fans a couple hundred feet below us. Stop making the rest of us look like classless ass-hats. Philly-Well, that's really all there is, it's just ugly. I mean, it's practically Jersey. On the plus side, as someone pointed out, we're halving our goal differentials each match. If trending continues, next match will be a tie, then +1, then a +2. If that trend continues, then by my trending calculations, our last match against Toronto FC will have us with a +33554432 goal differential against them. That's about 372827 goals a minute, or 6214 goals per second. I'm feelin' pretty good about this one. Or maybe I should stop working around computers.
I think that first half was the worst half of soccer from a professional team I have ever seen. And I saw the Kansas City game. Hell, I saw the 09 Red Bulls. I wasn't going to write this because hyperbole can be irritating, but I'm racking my brain and cannot come up with anything. Maybe I just need to watch more soccer. Worse scorelines, sure. Philly, however, didn't look particularly good yesterday, DC just looked like they didn't even belong in the league. Those of you who like Castillo, I don't know what you have seen. I haven't seen flashes of talent that go otherwise unexploited by the team. I have seen him hold the ball too long and be dispossessed. I have seen poor passes (more than a few to no one in particular, although the entire team seems to suffer from visions of phantom DC players ahead of them). I have seen him drive toward the penalty box, directly into two defenders, instead of taking the ball out wide and looking for options. It still early and maybe he has yet to adapt to the team and league, but I haven't seen anything to suggest that he is going to be any sort of, let alone a big, contributor to the team. Yes, I am singling out Castillo when the entire team was poor, simply because he was the big signing - I don't know how much money he makes, but I'm willing to be I'll bet pissed when I find out.
No Simms or Namoff was a hard place to put this team in. And as has been said by other posters, "this midfield would barely make our reserves in past years." Maybe the best we could hope is a 1st round draft pick next season. I have to say though, DCU is a display of what a string of bad drafting seasons (except for Pontius & Wallace of course) and bad signings... turns you into... a beatable and uncreative Rapids & Wizards teams... One could blame DCU's FO, but DCUs best seasons were a mix of the following: -Great draft picks turning to star players -Great pick-ups from the USL -Great International pick-ups This year DCU has to face that -Few draft picks in the system -Other than Simms not many great USL pick-ups -Hoping for the best from Castillo and Alsoop, but who knows? - Veterans who are the "core" of the team will be gassed in mid-summer games.... Unlike last year: - No stable (though aging) Olsen - No Fred - No reliable (though inconsistent) Gomez - No somewhat reliability (though even more inconsistent than Gomez) Emilio - Definite upside in Perkins, but a woeful defensive showing (so far from the group) Results: - Expect the worst DCU season unless "journey" players pick up their game. - This year will test if you can stomach a season of cheering a team who will struggle to pick up 3 points on a regular basis. Do we even want to play teams like Houston & Seattle? Can we forfeit now
Yeah, I think this is nonsense (and conspiracy) because you're talking like we'd be better off with Soehn. A good deal of our off-season moves either had zippy to do with who was coaching (retirements and such) or happened before Onalfo was even hired. Might we be better of with Soehn? What does that mean? We draw yesterday instead of losing? So what because one thing is for certain: we certainly would not have been good. And you're worried about what an angry fan base looks like? Well, here's a really splendid way to get a furious fanbase: suck and don't fire the coach. All in all, from the perspective of the angriness of the fanbase I actually think it's pretty obvious that it'd be a lot angrier had Soehn stayed on.