http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=181301 Good quotes from Trask (love the talk about what we'll see from Ivanov and how we'll use him) and Hudson (on Spurs, Kansas, Marco, and more). Good stuff, Dice!
Great work again. Is there any other team that has this much access and content from the staff? The comments on Harkes are great, best tribute I've heard yet. As has been discussed before it does seem that Ray has the clock ticking on Marco. "I cannot be too clear right now. I cannot crucify him right now. I cannot. I appreciate what the fanatics see right now. I think they see it well. I think they see it pretty damn well!"
Ray seems like a politician to me. Sounds like Hristo, Stewart, Eski, Curtis and Q2 should all be starting at forward on Saturday. I'm still not sure where he stands on Marco. Sounds like he agrees with the critics, but he's afraid of insulting his captain; Marco's maybe not the player he was, but Ray's not ready to sit him. I just hope he doesn't wait too long to pull the trigger and sit the 'royalty,' if/when the time comes (and if it hasn't already, depending upon your opinion). Doesn't sound like Dante is in the works from this, though it might be too early to say for sure. Does anyone think Barclay has enough experience (when healthy) to take over at wing if convey moves marco to the bench and dema moves inside? Just curious.
reads to me like Etch has got him at wits end, and time is running short for some results to roll in... wishful thinking?
I think time is running out for Earnie and Quaranta as much as it is for Marco. He references the lack of forward play quite a bit and that was unprompted. He was put on the spot a bit in the quote about Marco. I'd love to hear hat he would have said about Earnie after a similar question. Quite honestly, if I had to pick a guy for the bench right now, it'd be Earnie. He's done next to nothing. Even against Tottenham. Did you even notice how little he affected play in the second half? I'm not disputing Marco could improve and be more consistent, but he's not the only one that needs to step up very quickly. I think Earnie is who Hudson is referring to with the royalty warming the bench crack.
I agree that Stewart has done very little so far, but this was definitely about Etcheverry. Stewart may be also in Hudson's mind there, but Etcheverry is who he's mainly focusing on. And, I'd say Kovalenko has been the starter who's done the least. Lots of effort, no output, and rather surprisingly poor in his positioning when defending a man with the ball. Of course, the only players that have been up to what I would have expected are Nelsen, Prideaux, and to a lesser extent, Petke.
Ray reveals a lot about what he is thinking and what he fears in that great article by Dyson. Basically, it is completely spelled out that Ray is planning to or has given Marco a date or a hurdle of some kind. I think that if Marco does not meet a certain standard by a certain game that he is sitting. That is apparently the deal as I read it. Whether it was a spoken deal, or whether it is in Ray's own mind, we don't know. I understand how people could be frustrated with Stewart, but if you think that Ray is referring to anybody but Marco in the "royalty" comment, then you're doing some wishful reading there. It is patently clear that Ray is revealing that Marco has three paws in the dog house right now. I would venture to say that the only paw that is out was the one that scored our last goal in Colorado. Because Marco was injured in that game and is recovering fitness, perhaps this is the what is stringing Ray along. The comments about the fact that he "cannot" sit Marco now, to me, said that Ray feels that he has an obligation to fulfill a promise or an obligation to give Marco some dignity in how he steps down from Captaincy. It also does not help that Stewart has performed sooo poorly thus far, as he would likely be the captain should Marco not start...therefore, Ray "cannot" apply such a double standard. The easy out for Ray here is to give Ben Olsen the armband. The obvious way to go about this is for Ray to say, "look guys, Marco and I have talked it out and he feels that it is best for the team that he play a reserve roll. Because he will relinquish the captain, he and I have completely agreed that Bennie should be captain, as he represents the longest vet here at the club and will carry the torch." I predict that if Marco has a mediocre game this weekend that he might sit next week. In turn, you will NOT see Stewart on the bench. Rather, you will see Earnie taking over for Marco, along with Bobby. Here is what we will see, IF Ray gets around to sitting Marco: -------------Nick------------- ----Ivanov--Petke--Prideaux-- ------------Nelsen----------- -Olsen-----Convey-----Dema- -----------Stewart----------- ----Quaranta---Hristo/Eski---- What tells me that Ray is looking to get this midfield out there are his comments about "when we do not have the ball." If there is anything that Stewart will bring to the table in midfield that is the great ability to close down on the opposition, position without the ball, and stay focused when he does not have the ball. Hence, you've got a midfield that is well suited to play off each other's strengths. You've got players that will work for each other and that will, generally, focus on defense as a means of creating offense...and not as an after thought. Having thought about Ray's comments long and hard on the way home last night and my commute today, the light bulb finally went off: "we have been for a very long time, the worst team in MLS at pressuring all over the field to win the ball back." This was the primary focus of the Arena system, and is what our US Nats are world reknowned for excelling at. This is what Ray is talking about with the "when we do not have the ball" comments. I think that he and Trask have wised up (and it is patently obvious when you think about it) that in order to create more chances and to put their own stamp on games, DCUnited absolutely must become (pretty much instantly) a forcing midfield. Many times has it been pointed out that this league is just way tooo mature at this point to rely on a style with a fulcrum of Marco and no all-around pressure. In essence, United has been playing a man down for two years. Times are a changing, I hope. Cheers, Tim
I guess everyone who's calling for Dante Washington must be disappointed by his comments that there are no Americans out there that he thinks are worth pursuing.
Well, he will sit next week for sure, since the team doesn't play next week. But I believe he is also planning to get his knee scoped after Saturday's game to minimize the time he's not available to play. He'll miss the Dallas game for sure, but I think he might be back for the first week of June. I see this as a very tricky situation because we get to see the team without Etch in Dallas, but even if we play really well without him, it wouldn't be fair to keep him out based on his poor performance because he was playing injured.... I think Ray just needs to make an honest assessment of whether he thinks Marco is contributing enough, and if not, Ray needs to take him out.
It may be that DCU no longer thinks Dante can help out. I think it's more likely that a transfer fee would be involved to the Mariners. And it's my understanding that DCU spent all of the discovery transfer fee money available on Reyes. That could just as easily be a factor. Once again, great job Diceson! Keep up the good work!
ok so maybe Marco sits. What exactly has Dema and Bennie done to deserve to be on the field? Maybe they should sit too. The easy out for Ray here is to give Ben Olsen the armband. This is why I wanted to respond to your post. Ben Olsen for captain?? HELL NO Our offense has been a joke. The captaincy belongs to someone on our defense, or our goalie Rimando. To me, the captaincy, and MVP honors, belongs to Ryan Nelsen.
"And, I'd say Kovalenko has been the starter who's done the least. Lots of effort, no output, and rather surprisingly poor in his positioning when defending a man with the ball." ______ I'd have to agree that dema's produced little more than a broken leg, but I can't help thinking the guy's played at least three different positions already, as far as I know, and, like stewart, might not yet even have a defined role. poor excuse, though, I realize. but I do wonder how much of a factor his absence was in regard to our lack of possession against the metrotards. I guess there's no telling for sure. I would absolutely love to see tim's lineup with stewart at a-mid behind eski and tino, and convey linking. that's what I've dreamt of since we got earnie. and eski and tino really seem like the closest thing to actual scoring threats -- would ray ever start two youngsters up top?
I think the difference is, you can at least tell Kovalenko is on the field. Stewart hasn't been invloved in anything but missed chances. Is it all his fault? No, the team isn't playing with him.
Ditto. Plus, this lineup looks like it would be dangerous on the counter and could move the ball through midfield pretty quickly, rather than the usual molasses-slow pace of playing through Etcheverry.
You can't blame Dema and Earnie for their lack of productivity when their style of play is completely inconsistent with the player who starts EVERY single attack. If you take Marco out, and we finally have a attack of players on the same page (Bobby, Dema, Earnie, Bennie, Santino, etc.), then it will be fair to criticize Kovalenko, Stewart or the rest if they don't produce. My guess is that they will though. I'm also sick of hearing about how Marco is playing hurt. The issue is not that he is less than 100%; the issue is his slow and deliberate style of play where he insists on starting every attack and disrupting our counters.