In reading around the boards today, Knave I'd have to say you sound positively irked that DC United made the playoffs. My guess is that you fear the return of Hudson because of making the playoffs. Right now I don't care if you compare DC United of 2003 to the ugliest of the ugly - the team made the playoffs and that is an improvement over the last few years. You are right that DC has not yet returned to "glory". I don't count glory as making the playoffs when 8 of 10 teams make it. It should be mandatory for DC United! To miss out once is an abberation, twice in a row is an abomination, and three times in a row is just kicking a puppy in the face. However, if you cannot see that this team has done better than the teams from 2000 to 2002 then you must be deluded. Do they compare to DC of 1997 to 1999? Not yet, but maybe they will and if the "hope beyond hope" happens and they win an MLS Cup, just how ugly will they be then...
We do not play in any other league in the world. We play in MLS. In our last nine games, we went 3-3-3. Not true. The Fusion were eliminated from the semi-finals in overtime of Game 3. http://www.mlsnet.com/games/01/1017sjmia.html You can't take away their last-minute wins. They happened. They counted. Games are played until the final whistle. If you take away theirs, you have to take away ours. Good analogy. Wolyniec's performance this year is very similar to what Wood gave us, mostly in 1999 - a big, hardworking, but largely unskilled journeyman who came up with some clutch late goals.
Good post, Knave. Spot on. If we play well against Chicago, I'll be thrilled. If we actually get to the conference championships, I'll be ecstatic. If we manage to get into the Cup, I'll hope the snooze alarm doesn't go off before my subconscious conjures up Hristo floating a beautiful 50-yard shot into the far upper corner over the outstretched hands of Pat Onstad or Kevin Hartman to give us the win in the 5th minute of 2nd half overtime. But will any of that erase the shamefully lacklustre play, the ugly, bunkering attempts at draws, the apparently random tactics, lack of cohesion, and excerable shooting that have marked the 2003 edition of DC United? No. We have some heroes. We have had some magnificent games. But, as a team, over the whole season, DCU has stunk more than its shined, and I hope that even the pine-fresh car deodorizer of an MLS Cup victory will not erase the stink of certain games when the DCU braintrust is looking over the roster and staff list in the off season.
I do worry that it'll be an excuse/justification for things that I think are undeserved. But what's irking me isn't that they made the playoffs but the uncritical attitude that some people have displayed on this board. I am really disturbed how some people refuse to make any critical judgments about this team. And they condemn anyone who doesn't mindlessly cheer them on. To me that sort of attitude is dishonest, disturbing and it's not at all what I think supporting a team is about. I do fear that. But if you actually read my post carefully, that's not at all what I was writing about. Indeed, it's totally beside the point. BroonAleMagpie has a great post right above here. It say's a lot of what I said, just more succintly. I just want to make sure that people are honest about how badly this team was this year. That's not to say there weren't certain improvements. I'm very up front in praising the defense in particular. But, overall, we were really pretty bad this season. Making the playoffs doesn't change that. As I said above, the team is obviously improved in certain respects. My bone in the first post wasn't about the team though. Look more carefully at whom I calling to task there ...
How about because there's no one in that group that will score more than 6-8 goals in an entire season? How about because the central midfield would be terrible (no true defensive mid, no true attacking mid) For starters. I haven't read all the posts in this, so if I'm restating someone else's brilliance, apologies. But I thought the standing ovation at the end of Saturday's match was pathetic. All those chances in the last two seasons to find some real impact players wasted. And we sneak into the playoffs in fourth place, ahead of only the pathetic Crew. God forbid we make a Revs-like run and further cover this team's glaring weaknesses.
I think Knave, BroonAle, and Freestyle have made some very salient points throughout this thread. Face it, DC United is a mediocre team. With Olsen in the picture, we were a slightly better than mediocre team that could occasionally play quite well. I, for one, don't think that losing Rimando was all that important (other than depth-wise)...Warren's looked good overall. Above all, being a critical fan doesn't mean that one is any less of a fan than someone sporting a shite-eating grin on their face, wearing rose-colored glasses, constantly extolling the virtues of Etcheverry/Convey/Stewart/whomever without heed for dissent, and thinking everything is just plain hunky-dory in DC United land. It ain't. This team limped into the playoffs, both literally and figuratively. I mean, if people are perfectly happy being a sub-.500 team and squeaking into the playoffs in the last possible way, then hell, let me know what you're drinking/smoking/injecting, cuz it must be effective.
I can't help but think that you are aiming this directly at me.. Yes, in some aspects I am a little obtuse when it comes to this team, but it most certainly hasn't stopped me from being critical of this team at times this season.. It would really take a blind homer to say that this team is playing well and I don't think anyone is really saying that.. Like I said in an earlier thread, I think this was more a sense of relief than a sense of playing well to get into the playoffs.. You're absolutely right Benjamin, this team isn't very good.. We don't have any dangerous forwards, we have a fractured midfield in terms of style of play but we do have rock solid defending and good goalkeeping which in the end wins most games.. I don't think anyone who looks at this team objectively would say that they are on their way.. All I was merely trying to say was that in regards to the past few seasons, this season was a definite improvement though they most certainly limped to the finish line.. There is tons of room for improvement on this team on the field and off of it as well..
I had the impression that you were aiming at the cheerleaders - the folks who cannot and will not accept the truth about the abilities or lack thereof in our current incarnation of DC United. Chris, while being more optimistic than many of us, is much more realistic than the cheerleaders and much better informed, as well.
I can't decide how I feel about things. Perhaps if we hadn't had that sweet run a few weeks ago where everything looked great I wouldn't be so conflicted now. (yeah, yeah, I know all about the injuries and stuff but that knowledge doesn't make me feel any better. I'm happy that the boys have gotten to the playoffs, as modest an accomplishment as that is in MLS. I hope that they make the best of their opportunity and kick the Fire's ass. Hell, I hope they win the freakin' MLS Cup. But that isn't likely to happen and I don't expect it. What I do expect is a better team next year. I expect a team that actually attacks, not one where the coach simply says they're going to attack. I expect a team where the prima donna's keep their thoughts to themselves during games and don't break anyone's legs and don't get too fat to run around the field usefully for 90 minutes. I don't think that's too much to hope for but it's certainly more than we have now. And, like Knave, I'm getting sick of the folks who think it's treasonous somehow to criticize the team or individual players. War is peace and limping into the playoffs is glory. Blech.
Knave originally said: "My concern is the number of posters who, to me, seem to have lowered their standards to such a degree that they’ve lost all capacity for judgment" I think we can all judge; what so far has been a disappointing season on whole for D.C. United! Yes, they are in the playoffs but only by the skin of their teeth! DCU's best keeper is on crutches, and its best forward is also out, and the team is still handicapped in a big way by a coach clearly unable to function! So who will the DCU savior be? It will not be the Coach; Hudson clearly showed his inferior mettle all season and most recently at Kansas game, becoming unrattled and pushing his player Quaranta in front of fans, swearing like a truck driver, and otherwise doing nothing during game that led to an unimpressive tie: could DCU have won that game: yes, but it lacked, and has lacked, experienced coaching. It will not be Hristo, who has shown moments of brilliance during season, but lets such brilliance become overshadowed by an ego and temper that becomes a liability for team, trhreatening his own capacity, Stoichkov is likely to be red-carded in the first game of the playoffs! It will not be Cerritos, the former dazzling forward, who seems to lack the fire that characterized his addition to DCU. It will not be Convey, who seems to have lost the steam he once had, the wind let out his sails in his failed bid to head to English Premier League play. It could be Kovalenko, who returns to team from penalty, Dema could be a decisive factor and seems to be the only one on field playing old-time soccer; with one's heart! No.. the savior of United will likely again be Marco Etcheverry, who like so many times, has come back, picked up the baggage left by inferior players and coaching, and made DCU a team with promise. El Diable... Go Marco! IntheNet
FYI - I knew full well that Knave was aiming at the above people. I just think that is unfair. While the "holier than thou" attitude of some is a definite turn off, they are no worse than the "doom and gloomers" in their rigid adherence to fallacies. In celebrating a return to the playoffs for the first time in 4 seasons, I can forgive when a few of these posters go over-the-top. Just like most people at the stadium on Saturday, I know that the team barely made the playoffs and we have a long road ahead. I believe that most fans see it the same way. Some I met were less than thrilled to be back in the playoffs, which regardless of how minor a feat it was, deserves to be celebrated if only because we missed out the last 3 seasons. In talking with the coaching staff and players at the post-game event, I am convinced that none of them have delusions that this is a great and wonderful team and there are no problems. While they may have a less pessimistic opinion than some posters, they too see the weaknesses of the team and that these must be corrected if we want DC United to "return to glory." But again I give them leave to celebrate a bit as this has been a tough season and a tough few years for the front office staff - why not let them revel for a couple days before bringing them back to earth with talk about how bad this team is...
Treasonous? HOW CAN YOU NOT CRITIZISE THIS TEAM!!!! everybody knows that Q2 has no right foot, that earnie has been disappointing, that marco is old and possibly on his way out, bobbito ? HA! 2, thats it. 2 goals ALL SEASON! THAT IS CRAP Hristro is an ogre, tino's made out of glass, ray seems allergic to offense, bennies hurt, and I SOUND JUST LIKE SORMUN!!! ya like analogies? here's one. you have 2 friends one guy is fun and upbeat, not stupid, just upbeat. the other guy constantly reminds you that you have acne and are overweight. ALL THE TIME. you tell him about this girl you like, and he reminds you that you haven't been laid in 4 years. The first guy knows these things to, and dosen't tell you your don juan or fabio or anything, he just dosen't rub the harsh realities of life in your face EVERY STINKING DAY. You wonder why the 2nd guy even hangs out w/ you. Change friend to fan, and there you are. La norte w/ their drums, Barra Brava w/ their stand- shaking jumping, these are the first kind of fans. Blindly optimistic is lame, I agree. Morbid fatalism is just as bad. GO UNITED
From here in Columbus, I would have to agree with the posters who are worrying about the "standards" issue. I have seen the Eastern Conference playoff race from the other perspective but having watched all of DC's final games as well... The worry I have for both these teams is that the short-term gain (and it is one) of making the playoffs will blind the fans and possibly the management (more of a worry in Clb than DC) of the serious problems that both these teams have. Though once again, I may simply be an idiot as inexplicably, as it stands right now, the team that made the playoffs (if you trust what you read here) is about to implode and the team that missed out, is about to keep everyone involved with this year's debacle. I can't explain it... Anyway, it's just that simply making the playoffs or even advancing one round (and that is as far as we can possibly get... sorry) should not prevent DC from overhauling the team. The fact that Columbus managed to stink more than DC, and trust me... that's what happened. That DC managed to drop fewer points than Columbus should not be a reason to say... "let's stick with what we got." Oh no... It should be the motivation to in fact make this team demonstrably better, possible including coaching changes... Here in Columbus, we have seen when a team holds on to low expectations too long (I have never seen a team try to turn the Open Cup into the most important event Ohio had ever seen, like Columbus did) DC still needs to make changes, and in fact... I am rather confident that they will... Meanwhile... I have no clue what is going on here w/Columbus So in the end... nothing has really changed...
The team doesn't need to be overhauled, it just needs to be healthy. We were on the verge of doing some major ass-kicking and name-taking and then folks started dropping like flies. I think a few small changes on the field could make a huge difference. The trick is deciding what those magic changes are because I know I don't have a clue and I'm not quite sure our coaching staff does either.
This is absolutely untrue. Hudson recognized the mismatch of Quill against Quintanilla and neutralized it by putting switching Q2 and Earnie. He recognized Preki and Klein were flooding the central MF and overwhelming Namoff, so he pushed Nelsen up and Bobby in, which also helped unlock our own MF problems to boot. Then, I believe it was old inferior Ray that trotted out Hristo in the second half so he could be on the end of Convey's cross to score the most important goal in DC's recent history. There's more things he did, but bottom line, if you're looking at that game from a tactical standpoint, Ray clearly held his own against one of the best tactical coaches in the league. Pushing Q and swearing were meaningless events. How about we focus on the coaching part?
I have a Paul Gardner like love of attractive soccer and, in fact, at no point during this season did I ever think DC looked good, let alone perfect. But this thread seems totally mistimed to me. Once the offseason begins - whether we get destroyed by the Fire or win the cup - then we can start moaning about all the obvious deficiencies in this team (slow midfield play, no goalscorers, late game mental errors, fear of attacking). Right now we've got the two most important games in the last four years to look forward to. A DC game that means something! Why in the world would I go into these next two games with a sign that says "Ray - please do not construe my support of the club as satisfaction with the manner in which the team has played" when I could just cheer "DC United!" If DC continues to play ugly, defense-first soccer but manages to win MLS Cup what level of happiness am I allowed to feel? More than last year but less than when DC won the cup in 99? Of course DC probably played much better in 98 than in 99 so should I have enjoyed the 98 cup loss to Chicago more than the ugly 99 cup win over Kevin Hartman?
You are right in that tactically Ray got this game right. Unfortunately this hasn't been the case most of the season where Ray has been out coached tactically more often than he gained the upper hand in this department. Can he do it more often? History says no, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then.