This couldn't get any worse than the last ESPN2 game between these teams. That was easily the worst soccer match I've ever seen. I lost some potential fans to that one. Hopefully this will see the team wake up and start playing. My lineup, which likely won't happen: Bo Zotinca Garcia Thomas Burciaga Klein Guti Victorine Zags Arnaud Sealy If it plays to a bunkering tie for 60 minutes, subs: Jewsbury (Victorine 65) - or just start him in that way, although both Sasha and Jack seem to have a knack for scoring Preki (Zotinca 70 - push another into midfield and attack for a win for once, OR Sealy 70 - depending on how he is playing, put a capable player up top to score) Hartley had Preki up top in the Colorado thread. I think that would be an interesting way to deal with Josh's absence, but I don't see Bob being innovative enough to try something like that. Also, from the sounds of things, Pore and Sealy didn't work out and Arnaud should be feeling better, so he'll be starting. Man, our rookies are getting a lot of touches right off. Hopefully that benefits us down the road as it hurts us now. Is there any watch party planned?
staubio -- nice lineup. I'm not feeling good about this one at all. Bob will go with his more defensive lineup. And we will lose again. We cannot sit back and wait for them to score. Plus, this is the one team I would rather have someone else in goal against. Let me put it this way, DC knows Bo. They beat him. They will beat him again. DC owns us. It is most definitely time to be innovative, to take some chances on winning for a change. My even more ridiculous lineup: Hesmer Zotinca Garcia Thomas Burciaga Klein Victorine Zavagnin Jewsbury Arnaud Preki Subs: Bo, Gutierrez, Sealy, Roberts, Brannan.
Are you talking about the sleeper game "against" DC where both team's field players were simply awful and I could have had a good game in goal? One or two of Bo's saves were made spectacular by his leaping in the air. Or are you talking about the game "@" [this means "at"] DC where United beat us 3-2 and it wasn't really that close?
i am not going to make any predictions because every time i do we loose. i just hope we win because we could use it. we're actually not doing that bad, tied for 3rd in our confrence and tied for 4th over all. not bad.
This game couldn't have come at a worse time. We don't play well at DC. We're semi-slumping. We just lost on the road. We're playing a division "rival" on the road.. This all addes up to a great opportunity for the Wizards to fall into a mid-season slump. I hate to say all that, but it really is there. If we don't get our act together we're going to find ourselves fighting to make the playoffs. What is it with some people always wanting to switch out starters when they predict lineups? hartley, assuming you were serious and not to pick on you, what are you thinking with Hesmer? Bo might not be the best keeper in the league, but throw Hesmer into a game on the road against DC? Not something I would push my inexperienced goalkeeper into. Bo's the starter and starting goalkeepers rarely get a "day off" for no good reason. --------------Bo--------------- Zotinca-Thomas-Garcia-Burciaga ----Zavagnin------Gutierrez----- ---Arnaud-------------Victorine- ---------Preki------------------ ---------------Sealey----------- Oh, and we take a lead and find a way to lose. First, because that's what we're good at. Second, because Andy will probably freakin' be there.
Ben, No offense taken. Some of us just like to play with lineups. And I said it was ridiculous. So, why are you taking Klein out of the lineup? For Arnaud in the midfield? Don't we need dangerous offensive players on the field? Just curious. Unfortunately, I don't see Zotinca getting on the field for some reason. He didn't even make the subs for the Colorado game. I don't understand. I guess Victorine has come in and taken his spot. But I see them as two different types of players. I heard Victorine played well against the Rapids, so this will be his bad game. One good, one bad.
Andy Mead, can we get a confirmation that you will be at this match? I'm waiting to make my prediction until we find out if you will be present.
According to what he said in the DC thread, he's covering the Gold Cup and will NOT be attending this game. Everyone can breath a big sigh of relief now.
Have you forgotten the ESPN curse? The best we can hope for is a draw -- just like we got in Chicago. DC 2 - 1 KC
New to Bob's system, Sasha Victorine will have a momentary lapse and accidently put a shot into the back of the net off of his head. Bob's hopes for the tie record will be mortally wounded and, regrettably, the Wizards will win, 1-0.
Cause I'm a retard and had a brain fart. --------------Bo--------------- Victorine-Thomas-Garcia-Burciaga ----Zavagnin------Gutierrez----- ---Klein--------------Arnaud----- ---------Preki------------------ ---------------Sealey----------- Nothing like posting saying people shouldn't leave out permanant starters and then forgetting Kleiny. LOL.
Looks like the players missing situation benefits us a slight bit... INJURY REPORT: D.C. UNITED - OUT: MF Steve Guppy (Achilles tendonitis); DF Bryan Namoff (hip flexor strain); DF Kenny Arena (ankle sprain); DF Tim Merritt (plantar fasciatis); DOUBTFUL: FW Alecko Eskandarian (concussion); PROBABLE: MF Nick Van Sicklen (quadriceps strain) ... KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: MF Diego Walsh (athletic pubalgia); GK Matin Hutton (L hamstring strain) INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: DC: MF Ben Olsen; FW Santino Quaranta (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup) KC: FW Josh Wolff, DF Jimmy Conrad (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); MF Khari Stephenson (Jamaica; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
My presense or absence from the game won't alter the result one iota. The "curse" as some call it is nothing. Nor am I a "lucky talisman" when I show up to home games. The Wizards are probably the worst road team in league history. They're dreadful. The fact that they're 0-11-5 in away games that I've seen has less to do with me, than it does with the fact that the team rarely plays to win on the road. Last week's gutless display against Colorado should be example enough. I will no longer confirm, nor deny, my Wizards related travel plans until folks around here, and also on the DC forums (remember - it's all away games, not RFK), get over it. I'm just a fan turned photographer. I don't kick the ball, throw the ball, decide on lineups or tactics. If you want to pick a score, I'd look at the fact that the mighty Wizards just managed an amazing 4 points from 3 games versus 3 of the 4 worst teams in the league. If I show up and they win, it would be surprising - because they suck on the road regardless of who shows up. If I don't show up and they win, people will say I'm a curse. If I show up and they don't win, likewise. If I don't show up and they don't win, it will be ignored like the littany of other gutless losses and ties on the road. If the Wizards don't win at RFK, the curse is Bob Gansler's. Not mine.
I was just teasing man. You joke about it all the time. Notice the wink? Lighten up. It's a running joke like Ben never showing up to a kickaround, Derek not making it into the game, etc... Anyone who really believes your presence affects the game one way or the other is an idiot.