Only on BigSoccer can a guy (Diablo), the leading scorer of the team last year: -First have "posters looking out for the team's best interests" plead DC and MLS not to sign him -Once he's signed have the same "posters looking out for the team's best interests" relegate the just-signed-for-the-max player to the bench w/out him playing a single game -Being relegated to the bench is not enough so let's relegate him to the bench TWICE COME ON GUYS. GIVE ME A BREAK. DIABLO IS NOT GOING TO BE BENCHED AFTER SIGNING FOR $250,000. WOULD YOU GUYS JUST CHILL OUT AND AT LEAST WAIT UNTIL THE SEASON STARTS. IF DIABLO SUCKS THEN YES MAYBE SOMETIME YOU GUYS' ULTIMATE DREAM OF HIM BEING BENCHED WILL HAPPEN AND THEN YOU CAN LIVE HAPPILY FOREVER AND EVER AFTER THAT. Sometimes I wish Diablo would sit on the bench just so people would quit WHINING about him and SHUTUP
With all due respect, "SUPPORT" what?? Three years of shame we need to support !! We are the most supportive and the bigest fan base in MLS. Our team is the LAST team !!! Ech performance was a "plain" shame !! You want to support this kind of soccer quality and on top of that you believe "he" is gonna respond. Yes, he had responded allright, he pocket $ 1 million bucks !! How many decent players could we have for this kind of money ?? That's why I am asking you !! ARE YOU NUTS ???
Yes you are right, I wish the MLS had the guts and brains to cut him off about 2 years ago !!! The US professional soccer league, the MLS, is NOT a retirement house !! Unfortunately, the league has no professionals recruitment !! That's why they keep dumping "garbage" old players into the teams and they don't do proper "sanitation" by taking out old "farts" from the MLS fields. The league has no brains when in come to recruiting players and salaries ! Just look at the credentials of the people in charge. Non of them have played profesional soccer at the international level, what so ever. The "IDIOTS" keep Ech on the field and players like Nunez out !! I bet you the DCU team will be much better of with Nunez than with Ech !!! PS. YES, I wish Eh was benched two years ago !!!
If MLS could sign Pele cheap at 55 or whatever his age is and sell tickets w/out making the league look illegitimate by signing him, they'd do it. The league is just trying to SURVIVE We've GOT to have flamboyant big-time Hispanics on our team, unless we want to cut our attendance by 25%. Last I checked at least 1/3 of the people there are Hispanic. If you've got another high-profile to replace Diablo, that'll put more people in the seats, then we're talking. You think Eskandarian is Salvadoran by accident?? Of course not. I'm just saying let's WAIT UNTIL THE SEASON STARTS! before benching him!! He's got a new cast this year if he can't do it w/this year's cast I'm sure he'll be gone.
Does anyone want to ask Hudson what milestones he's set for Etch and who he sees in the middle if Etch were say injured or somehow not available? Hudson will be at the Meet the Coaches night Tues at The Exchange, along with Trask, Kasper, Stoitchkov, Stewart, Petke, Kovalenko and Ivanov
Hispanics are like everyone, they will support a good team. Give them a good team and they will show up. Sachin
Hey, we'll even support some bad ones...ie; DCU 2000,2001,2002 After watching todays scrimmage I think all you Marco bashers better focus on somebody else.
I second that! How quickly some people forget that Etch basically Taught some players the game of soccer. I just dont understand some people who single out one or two players to blame for the team's lack of performance or good results. Let the season start and games go by, and then critizise players. Honestly , if you dont have marco, or reyes, do you think there would be the same attendance at RFK?
Marco showed yesterday that he's capable of making the quick pass if there is someone to pass it to. Wouldn't anyone prefer to play that way? It's a lot easier to make that quick pass than to wait until you are double teamed to try and get off a decent pass. If Marco is as lazy as everyone says, he should love a quick passing game!
Marco played well in the scrimmage, in large part because his team played a three man back line with a five - sometimes six - man midfield. Much of the time he had Convey (and Dema) with him in the middle. The defense couldn't swarm Marco, and he was able to make good use of the extra time he had before the defense closed on him.
Good point Etch666. Actually, Etch has always done an extremely loyal thing and play through injuries. When he's not in the lineup we've struggled. While it probably wasn't a real assessment given Convey's zero minutes of practice time there the week before, the game at Colorado last year is a good example. Etch was a last minute lineup scratch, and Colorado's midfield utterly and completely dominated us, and they went on to crush us under the weight of their midfield. Henderson had a blinder and was virtually unchecked. If Etch had been in the game, his holding ability alone would have allowed us to stem the tide, keep the score down, and have a chance. Without him, it was a rout. Convey redeemed himself at the end of the season with stellar central midfield play, but he also had Etch in a holding role with him in central midfield as well. Looking at our games without Etch, the team seldom fares well. Stats can measure a lot of things, but they also miss some things like defending, ball holding, ball winning, etc. Etch's contributions to possession help the defense even more than the offense IMHO. -Tron
Presently in Preseason games, Etch has not been in top shape or form - neither has the rest of the team. Anyway way you put, if Etch is the man to lead the team - results is all that matters. You can bet if the team slacks in the first 10 games...changes will be made. At you have to look at field general first.
Etch goal Stop with the el Diablo hating ok. You all know that convey can't replace him nore will your "elbows held high at practice" olsen be able to do what el Diablo has done. So please put your XXL D.C United shirts back on a stop crying. Season is about to start. P.s Why is it that i still have that yellow card I have been good! LOL D.C United Rules!