Official "The Tackle" Thread • • On Video • • DC United vs American University [R]

DCUtd · Mar 25, 2003

[R] DC United vs AU

So of course I get there 10 minutes into the match, and missed what happened and to whom. Can someone please tell me what I missed? It looked bad....

- What I do know is that when I got there all the players were standing around, and someone was injured (I believe a United player). After some time, he was taken away by ambulance, and several players seemed visibly upset about it. I heard an AU player describing what happened, and it sounded like one player came in late and high on the back of another players leg. The angle he was showing looked particularly nasty....

Lowecifer · Mar 25, 2003

Oh come ON!!

Can't you give us anything more than that?

subbuteo · Mar 25, 2003

anyone ??? something???

SousaJP · Mar 25, 2003

[R] DC United vs AU

this does not sound good.

wiede · Mar 25, 2003

DCU v. American [R]

I'm suprised nothing has been posted on this yet.

I went out to AU, arriving 10 minutes into the game. The scoreboard showed 1-1 and 35:00 (assuming it was counting down). Anyway, play had stopped and trainers, staff and players were working on an injured AU player. According to some guy in the stands, a a DCU player had come in cleats up and taken the guy out. Anyway, AU medical staff came out. After about 15 minutes a DC ambulance arrived. It turned out the guy had a compound fracture.

The game was then called. So much for sitting in the sun and enjoying a couple hours of soccer.

I've no idea who scored or who committed the foul.

Sorry to not have more information.

David/

Knave · Mar 25, 2003

Someone must have given the name of the injured player.

SousaJP · Mar 25, 2003

[R] DC United vs AU

just saw this post by wiede on another thread:

"I went out to AU, arriving 10 minutes into the game. The scoreboard showed 1-1 and 35:00 (assuming it was counting down). Anyway, play had stopped and trainers, staff and players were working on an injured AU player. According to some guy in the stands, a a DCU player had come in cleats up and taken the guy out. Anyway, AU medical staff came out. After about 15 minutes a DC ambulance arrived. It turned out the guy had a compound fracture.

The game was then called. So much for sitting in the sun and enjoying a couple hours of soccer.

I've no idea who scored or who committed the foul.

Sorry to not have more information.

David/"

Hedbal · Mar 25, 2003

Abrupt End to AU Scrimmage

I drove over to American University to watch the scrimmage, but it had ended before I arrived. About 15 minutes into the match (1-1 at that point) Hristo made an ugly tackle on an AU player and broke the kid's leg in two places, at which time play was suspended. I was talking to a college coach who also had not seen the play, but had been told by Thomas Rongen that Hristo had been upset because he thought the AU goal was offside, and made a 30 yard run and a cleats-up tackle to put the kid down and out. Not what you want your assistant coach to do or be teaching the young-uns to do. I asked Petke about the play and he just shook his head and said "ugly, very ugly." Having said all that, I certainly can't assert that Hristo was deliberately trying to injure; I didn't see it and several players were saying that it's the kind of thing that happens in matches, as if it was an unfortunate outcome but a fair challenge. Who knows? Maybe someone who actually witnessed the play will weigh in.

There was a weeping Hispanic woman I came across on the way in who said the victim was her husband. Not a pretty scene at all.

DCUtd · Mar 25, 2003

AU player injured - makes sense

it makes sense it was an AU player - I saw a DC Utd player (I think #8, but it was far away) who was clearly upset and being consoled by a few others including Ray and Marco. I imagine he may have been the one who injured the other player.... But that is some serious postulation.

wiede · Mar 25, 2003

Moderators -- please merge the other thread I started with this one.

As I indicate in my other thread, I was at the game, but missed all the action. The name of the injured player I heard mentioned was Freddy. A quick look at the AU site shows a Freddy Llerena. What I believe was his family was sitting next to me. An AU security person came over and asked the (what I assume) dad for "more information" and the (what I assume) mom was sobbing away. The guy sitting behind me indicated that it was an "MLS player" who came in cleats up.

David/

SousaJP · Mar 25, 2003

DC United v. American University [R]

#8 is Hristo.

wiede · Mar 25, 2003

One more thing I forgot to mention. The guy sitting behind me indicated that it was the second time the DCU player (don't know who) had come in cleats up. He also indicated that the DCU player received a red card.

David/

Hedbal · Mar 25, 2003

Please look at my thread entitled "Abrupt end to AU scrimmage" for more info on the injury. And yes, it was Hristo.

Moderators, please merge. There are now 3 threads on the same subject.

Knave · Mar 25, 2003

### MODERATOR'S NOTE ###

Any other threads for me to merge into this one!?

Motterman · Mar 25, 2003

Re: Abrupt End to AU Scrimmage

Originally posted by thomas calhoun
I drove over to American University to watch the scrimmage, but it had ended before I arrived. About 15 minutes into the match (1-1 at that point) Hristo made an ugly tackle on an AU player and broke the kid's leg in two places, at which time play was suspended. I was talking to a college coach who also had not seen the play, but had been told by Thomas Rongen that Hristo had been upset because he thought the AU goal was offside, and made a 30 yard run and a cleats-up tackle to put the kid down and out. Not what you want your assistant coach to do or be teaching the young-uns to do. I asked Petke about the play and he just shook his head and said "ugly, very ugly."

There was a weeping Hispanic woman I came across on the way in who said the victim was her husband. Not a pretty scene at all.
Click to expand...

Man, if Petke says it was ugly, you know it must have been a bad one...

Lowecifer · Mar 25, 2003

Yuck.

That ain't right, Hristo.

banbaseball · Mar 25, 2003

wow, what's stoichkov doing playing so hard like that. i know he gets crazy on the field, but com'on these are college kids. no need for crap like that. this incident can really mar a fairly good preseason and set a bad tone for the group. i'm glad stoich felt bad, but there's no excuse for a player of his class to come into a challege like that in a preseason friendly.

Mr Hanki's Throne · Mar 25, 2003

If this is a pissy act of vengence by Stoitckov, then he does not have my support for this season. Screw him. Maybe I'll step back from supporting the team for a while.

shawn12011 · Mar 25, 2003

Arrogance shows it's ugly head??????? #8

Richth76 · Mar 25, 2003

This guy may be permanently injured. Compound fractures do not heal easily. I'm thinking civil action.

cldiscodan · Mar 25, 2003

Even better, AU Freddy should sue Hristo. That would be incentive for him to stop breaking legs. I hope he gets a couple million from that Bas%$*&

Bill-DC · Mar 25, 2003

Hope Freddy recovers quick. Can MLS or the team fine Hristo for this?

Terry02 · Mar 25, 2003

AU Press Release

http://www.american.edu/athletics/msoc/articles/2002-03/3-25_msoc_dcunited.htm

liverbird · Mar 25, 2003

At the risk of sounding like a DCU suck up, I'll venture that all we have here is a series of reports by people who didn't see the incident. Also we have hearsay from someone who talked to a college coach, who also didn't see it, but reported being briefed by the OTC. If it's as reported then I'll agree with you, but right now I'm going to wait for a posting by someone who actually saw the incident and who I know is objective. Mr. Goff are you out there?

GoDC · Mar 25, 2003

I agree with liverbird for the time being. There are a bunch of guys who did not see this incident saying the Hristo is a bad guy and they do not support him playing or coaching United. If he purposely injured this kid, then he should be dealt with severely. If not, then it was just one of those things that happens in games.