Official Kansas Wizards @ DC United POST Match Thread [R]

Just because a half of soccer is "up-and-down" doesn't mean that Kansas had any desire to go forward. Usually it meant that Wilson was so far up field that not even Bunker Bob could keep his team on its own half of the field.

Anyway, these are the games that you rue at the end of the season. You've got to get three points from a team like Kansas at home.

 

KC was attacking. DC had more of the attack through the whole game, but KC wasn't sitting back nearly as much as they would have 3-4 years ago. The first half was exciting soccer, period. People complained that the last time these teams played on ESPN they were boring, tonight was not boring. And {gasp!} KC was involved in the excitement.

"...team like Kansas..."?
Care to expand? Cause last I checked we were above you in the standings and met you in MLS Cup '04. Not like we're Columbus or Chivas. We have an organized, talented team. Losing to us at home, while not fully expected, can't be that much of a surprise.

 

Yep, just got home. And the photos are stunning. Possibly my best game ever. I may have 50+ print-worthy shots of Freddy Adu alone. I think I tracked at least 6 runs he made in the first half.

Speaking of photos. I've got work to do. Later.

 

You mean that game where Bo had to make more than a few spectacular saves to keep DC from scoring? That game? The one where KC had zero offense in their own stadium? And that's not playing conservatively?

Look, I can understand playing defensively on the road, especially when you're missing key players. I can understandand bunkering after you score a goal in order to preserve a win. What I don't understand is how you can say that KC was "very good" or "fast paced" in the first half when you can count the number of chances they created on less than one hand. Running down the sidelines and getting stuffed on shots and crosses isn't exciting; it's typical of any soccer game. Hell, the number of DC fastbreaks (1v1, 1v2) in the first half alone was more than KC's shot total for the night. That's says a lot about your team's ability to create offense and our inability to finish chances. KC made the most out of their best opportunity of the night, but don't let that cloud your vision of how unspectacular they were in this game.

 

A team that you haven't lost to in your own building in a decade. A team that has no desire to play for the win on the road. A team who has exactly one creative player on the roster - and he's 872 years old. You know. Kansas.

RS

 

I'm sorry, which KC/DC game are you whining about?

 

I THOUGHT I saw you on TV sucking up to Brandi's presence wearing a US #6

 

Most DC fans I know are great folks and don't overly internalize the fortunes of sports teams they follow, but some you have mastered the difficult art of being both poor winners and poor losers. Your parents must be proud.

 

Another reason you shouldn't be surprised, because we were due. We'll win in Chicago someday too. We got our first draw there this year!

Hmm, thats weird. Gansler was on the "Coach Cam" during the second half saying the Wizards needed to continue what they started in the first half and go for the win. Then he brings Preki on in the 70th minute. Yeah, thats a move that just screams "go for the draw".

Does it take "creative" players to win? I wouldn't say New England or Chicago have overly creative teams. They have players that fit roles in their system and it works.

Kansas City.

I had to do it.

 

Preview:

 

more in the KC forum thread.

 

It is so emabarassing to lose to that sorry collection of negativism. I am so pissed at our players who let a crap team walk away from RFK with our three points and not even one em was limping. Dreadful performance, just dreadful. I am surprised that 18k came to watch a bunker bob performance. We had no leadership last night. I am so embarassed.

GM

 

Wow, I'm sure the Thomas family will want to print these baby's for the family scrap book.

 

great series of shots! this one is calling for a caption

 

Damn, I just got posterized!

 

Because Gros is left-footed; it's his right that he sometimes struggles with (like last year in the win over Dallas at RFK when he had several poor right footed crosses).

 

He's a right footed player. He's on the left because of his ability to cut into the middle and get his shot off. Inaccurately, but get it off none the less.

 

I wish we could get creative and talented players like Dema Kovalenko to come and teach us how to play exciting soccer. How did we ever lose Brandon Prideaux?

 

Gotta agree with this... if we don't finish, we don't win - simple as that & for all the nice plays & posession (esp. in the first half) we didn't have sheet to show for it.

Missing our big boys terribly right now... is Esky gonna die? Cause if not, he needs to be out there NOW. He can "not finish" better than our strikeforce out there against KC.

Oh yeah and Freddy needs to forget that fancy crap & just play soccer.

 

Eh I don't know Ikeniston, re: Esky. You really don't want to rush a guy with a concussion.

 

Random thoughts (Warning, some may be similar to earlier posts)

1. The Nana Kuffour sub for Walker energized our team and the game. I couldn't believe how well he kept the ball under his feet while bulldozing forward through 2-3 defenders. Nana should definitely start over Walker if Moreno is not able to play next Friday.

2. Brian, Brian, are you color blind? You work so hard to make tackles and intercept passes, then you negate your effort by making lazy passes yourself. Several were almost picked off, and your game-losing give away was a 10-foot soft pass right to a KC player in our half of the field. Again, are you color blind? On the other side, you did have a couple of nice long passes over the top and some, albiet unsuccessful, long passes trying to spring a runner behind the bunkered KC defense.

3. Agree with the comment about Gutierrez. Hope the league does review the tape and fine him. Anyone else notice that Adu took out Gutierrez with a hard foul in front of our bench about 10 minutes later? It was definitely delayed retalliation.

4. Kennedy had his card stuck in his pocket the entire night or Freddy would have been carded. Kennedy also elected not to pull the card for several other cardable offenses. This was not the totally incompetant officiating performance that he is known for. He let the game flow, as much as a KC game can flow.

5. What is up with the lack of pre-game information on Jaime's injury? Lack of good game preview injury information in MLS is one of the sport's glaring weaknesses. (Maybe the teams, the league, and the sporting press think no one cares.) Some of us play fantasy soccer as well, and it would be nice to know in advance that Jaime's not going to play.

6. More information is also needed on Guppy's potential return from injury. He was on the sub's bench tonight and warmed up some, but wasn't used. Is he match fit and just not winning a position? Or is he still regaining match fitness with reserve games?

7. The talk about Gros being right or left footed makes no difference to me. What is important is that he needs to improve his crossing ability from either side. His crosses are usually low or long.

8. Jewsbury is a cheating diver. He blatantly flopped three times, but Kennedy did not fall for any of them. However, why didn't Kennedy card the cheater for bringing the game into disrepute?

 

GM hits on a key point here. Nobody lead the team last night, the absenses of Olsen and Moreno on the field were obvious. There was little on-field direction (except maybe Dema yelling at Freddy not to send throughballs to the goalline).

 

Terrible game to lose.

I don't want to say we dominated the game, because that implies that we actually scored. At no time did I think KC had the upper hand. It was the type of game, though, where you say to yourself, "They're gonna get lucky and take this from us." That feeling of dread started to sink in.

Why is it that Freddy and Christian can't connect better? Do they really need Jaime on the field to do that for them? They don't seem to create opportunities for each other like they should when they're the two best players on the field.

Why doesn't Jamil Walker actually use his one assett, his blistering speed? Why are we sending crosses into him of all people?

How can somebody who works so hard like Dema Kovalenko not actually achieve anything on the field? He needs to start earning that large paycheck of his.

 

I watched 3 games yesterday:

DC-KC
NE-Chi
Metrotards-LA

And I've gotta say we're the 5th best team in the East right now. We shouldn't be. We're better than that and I think eventually we'll be ahead of KC.

NE when healthy and back from international commitments is the top, no doubt.

Chi is good and getting better every time I see them. They've got some good young players.

Metrotards should have blown out that pitiful excuse for a soccer team that LA put out there yesterday. They didn't, but that bit**h Guevara looked really good connecting with Razov and SGR. They're gelling.

On a slightly happier note, we'd be the second best team in the West after Dallas.