Location: RFK TV: NBC Sports Network It's time for a pre-game thread Dullas is 1-1-1 and its last game was a loss to Sporting KC 2-1.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm That one in the upper left is a wonderful likeness of Brek Shia. (Thank you mun2!)
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm It's not Gonorrhea, it's the Burn! Another fast team. That seems to cause us the most trouble in midfield (and central defense). We had better get 3 points, no excuse for anything less. F*C* Dallas
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm LMAO, we should call the dallas supporters "Bronies" http://www.wired.com/underwire/2011/06/bronies-my-little-ponys/
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm -------------------------Willis Russell--------Dudar-----------McDonald-----------Woolard -------------Saragosa-----------Boskovic DeLeon---------------DeRosario-----------------Pontius ------------------------Salihi bench : Hamid, Jakovic, Korb, Kitchen, Cruz, Wolff, Santos
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Does this help with context, Senior Funk (happy birthday, btw)
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Is there an update on Hamid's much maligned ankle? Or is Ben like Caleb and will realize about seven minutes too late that the kid is actually hurt?
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Ffs, how about giving Ben a little credit for not being a complete dumbass?
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm from the twitterz: Steven Goff @SoccerInsider Olsen: Bill Hamid scheduled for a scan on ankle. Pretty good sprain or a bone bruise, club believes #dcu #mls If it's a bruise, then he stepped on himself as no-one was near him when he first went down - so I'm gonna guess high strain
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Does mean Freddy Adu is finally out of the bone scan equipment?
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm I like it, except that Benny went out of his way to compliment Cruz after the last match and didn't mention DeLeon, so I would expect Cruz to pair with Pontius on the wings.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm This thread has too many ponies and not enough baby pygmy hippopotami! More pictures! I also demand DeRo and Bosko in midfield, and Salihi up front. We can argue about a second forward and the wings.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm So terrible loss, Better loss, tie with almost a win, so if they follow the current tread then we should get a close win! 1-0 or 2-1 United.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Thank you! I totally understood the MLP thing, but I was unaware of "bronies." Hope that doesn't make me an uncool old fool.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Totally on board with this. These players are getting the $$$. It seems that the only way DCU is going to be a playoff team is if these players (+Najar and a healthy Pontius) learn to play together. They have minimal experience playing together in real game situations: DeRo was healthy last year, but Bosko wasn't and Salihi wasn't here. Preseason-- Salihi visa issues, DeRo mild injury, Bosko still not game fit. Bosko looked much better last game. His movement off the ball, his ability to show for the ball, his confidence and ability to hold the ball in tight spaces, and his distribution were all much better than previous outing (Hopefully this wasn't just because he was playing against a tired Defense). These guys need games together. It may not be pretty at first, but should pay off in a month or so. What better time to go with an attacking line up than at home? Agree with Saragosa-Bosko pairing.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm i like this, too. We can bust Russell's or BMac's balls, but the bottom line is that they served up a shut out. Dudar was the man, and played well with this group around him. Saragosa looked pretty comfortable with this line behind him. The back four deserve one more game together. Maybe they can work out some of the kinks as they learn more about each other.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm One of my main concerns is our inability to score goals. We did at least create a handful of decent chances last game. In addition, I can see us taking a more conservative approach in a road game. I also believe that there has also been more focus on team defending as defense was a major problem last year. However, I have to say that the attack looks predictable, slow in transition, and plodding. Part if the issue is that DeRo is getting far less space in the midifield. It seems that whenever he looks up, he is facing a well organized and set defense. This seems partly due to DCU being too slow in the transition game. I also feel that this may be in part due to Salihi's positioning. At least in the last game, Salihi frequently faded back into more withdrawn positions rather than making early runs up top to stretch the D. As a result, he was in better positions to help out with team defending. He also was in better position to occasionally show with his back to goal, but he was not stretching the defense to create more space for DeRo in the midfield. Again, this could be by design for team defense on the road. It will be interesting to see where he plays at home tomorrow. We also need the outside backs to take a gamble every once in a while and make runs to throw the opposing defense off balance. Just some thoughts. Now, back to work...
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Salihi also gets pinched back down the field by teams playing very high defensive lines, which are popular today. He can't very well play high if he's wandering offside.... AND the reason teams are allowed to do this is just what you said, too slow in transition OR I'd actually call it the lack of an early ball. If we can get the ball quickly to one of the guys who can pull the strings (Dero, Bosko, maybe Najar), or if we had defenders to play a good quick ball over the defense, Salihi becomes more dangerous and the defenders have to pay more attention to him when their team has the ball, and when you are constantly trying to track a forward and maintain your defensive line, you have a tendency to drop back. The other thing that breaks that up is speed, which of course we have none. So we are only going to do it by early balls, or by our usual plodding posession game down the field.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Goff saying Saragosa missing from practice and teasing details to come. Interesting. (Hamid on bike, Jakovic jogging on the side)
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Yeah I'm hoping he's signing the contract on a new house or something like that.
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm goffs latest tweet: D.C. United MF Marcelo Saragosa has returned to Brazil for family medical reasons. Some things more important than soccer #dcu #mls Hope everything turns out okay for him and his family. Hope Perry Kitchen has gotten over the "Olympics thing"
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm there was a lot more space in midfield compared to SKC wonder if Salihi will fall down less easily tomorrow...really liked what I saw of Salihi and DeRo up top together
Re: DC United vs FC Dallas Fri 3/30 730pm Match preview: -5': Teenage girls scream for introduction of Brek Shea 1': DCU kickoff. McDonald turns ball over with 60 yard lob ball 5 seconds later. 12': DeRosario beats 3 guys and chips ball over to Salihi for diving header goal on garage end. Salihi booked for jumping into District Ultras. 1-0 DC. 20'-25': Willis makes 3 stonewall saves (1 as a result of missed aerial claim) 33': Brek Shea looses focus while trying to maintain mohawk. Cruz slips by and slots for DeRo, who is able to do first 'shake'n'bake' of the year. Many supporters soaked in beer. 2-0 DC. HT: Kids' match finishes 0-0. 47': Dudar called for penalty on clear dive. 2-1 DC. 51': Boskovic skys ball from 35 yards out. 57': Pontius' cut inside move actually works this time, curls one far post. 3-1 DC. 68': DeLeon through on goal, blinded by Hartman's hair. Shanks it. 77': (Insert FC Dallas player here) scores unmarked header off set piece. Sets up nervy finish. 3-2 DC. 89': McDonald misses sliding tackle, Blas Perez finishes. 3-3. 90': DeRo chips Hartmann from resulting kickoff. 4-3 DC.