DC United lose to Seattle Sounders, 2-1

We win trophies. But not all the time.

Great atmosphere at the stadium. My section was in between the Barra Brava and the Seattle supporters, and it was cool listening to the fans trying to out-sing each other. The fans in the sections who don't normally stand and sing were all standing and singing a lot more than usual.

I hate to say it but I guess the Sounders deserved to win. Which is disappointing after all the trash we talked. But Seattle won a trophy in their first chance just like DC United did. Now if they can just win 13 more, maybe they'll have an argument at being the greatest club in MLS.

1. Clyde Simms was in the right place at the right time to score DC's only goal.

1. Josh Wicks was the reason we were still in this match through 70 minutes, but then he was also the reason why we didn't have a good chance to get back into it after we went behind. Wicks looked like a superhero in the first half with all those great saves, but it was absolutely inexcusable for him to stomp on Montero afte giving up the goal. We learned from the Blanco incident last year that MLS will not suspend players for their actions in the Open Cup, but I wonder if United benches him temporarily as punishment.

1. I'm not going to make up my mind as to what I think Tom Soehn's fate should be until after the season is over, and neither will ownership, and neither should you. But this loss certainly makes it much more likely that he will not make it into 2010 as our head coach. His only chance at this point is to win the Eastern Conference Championship. Numerous issues with Soehn's starting lineup. If you were following me on Twitter, you'd know that my starting lineup included Wallace and Quaranta ahead of Olsen and Moreno, and I stand by that. This team is best when Quaranta is playing right wing and Pontius is playing forward. When is the coaching staff going to realize that? And at some point, Moreno and Olsen are no longer to be among our best 11 players. I'm not exactly sure if that point has come yet, but I'm also not certain if the coaching staff is going to be willing to start either of these guys on the bench when necessary. The other issue was the formation. It became clear to me about 15 minutes in that the 3-man backline was not working. But the team made zero adjustments. And I didn't feel like having a fifth midfielder was doing us much good either. Makes you wonder what the lineup would have looked like if Julius James was available.

2. FREDSUX

3. I wonder if the game would have gone into overtime at 1-1 if Wicks was still in instead of Milos Kocic on the second goal. He's much less decisive and doesn't distribute effectively either.

4. The free kicks of Christian Gomez were a constant disappointment. For as many chances as he had, I would have expected at least a couple shots on goal.

That's all. Time to concentrate on the league. As with any professional sports team, DC United has a tendency to let us down immediately following an emotionally draining match like this one. It will be up to Soehn to make sure that doesn't happen on Saturday. And then we actually have a full week off (!) before we get a chance for revenge against the Sounders.

Delayed reaction to USMNT loss to Mexico

Plenty enough has been said elsewhere on the internet about the US Men's National Team's disappointing performance at Azteca earlier this week. Probably not enough has been made in the national media of the vomit-filled cups that were hurled (pun intended) at Landon Donovan while he was taking corner kicks. Real classy, Mexican fans.

But this is a DC United blog, so let me put it in a different perspective. I felt like what the US was really missing in this match was a Gomez. Or a Moreno. The US defenders were mostly solid, but every time they cleared the ball up the field, possession went right back immediately to Mexico. What the team was missing was a CAM or withdrawn forward who would be positioned immediately behind the front runners, and who could act as an outlet pass from the back, and then hold the ball up to start transitioning the other way. Mexico dominated our midfielders, but maybe having two defensive-minded central midfielders and two attack-minded wide midfielders was not the best strategy.

Here's some other quick observations from my viewing experience at the crowded Pour House:

• Only one person could be heard clapping after the Mexico goal. Clearly he or she had wandered into the wrong bar.
• Huge ovation after the Davies goal, as would have been expected.
• No one seemed to appreciate referee Roberto Moreno, as would have been expected. (Update: My blog post about him is still the top hit on google when you search for referee Roberto Moreno. It's going to take him a long time to live that match down.)
• When the camera showed Brian Ching starting to walk off the field, lots of clapping and cheers for "Jozy!" We were all disappointed to see Feilhaber and Holden standing up instead, although they both proved to be good additions.
• The second biggest ovation of the day came when Altidore entered the match. And then he proceeded to disappear.
• Nice little round of applause when mun2 showed the American troops in Iraq, but much louder boos when the soldiers started waving a Mexican flag. Funny how they didn't wave that flag until after their team was winning.
• DCU staffers were on hand with flyers, tshirts, stickers, and the actual 2008 US Open Cup! I grabbed a handful of wewintrophies.com stickers to post around town. One already made it into a restroom in the Ronald Reagan Building.

It was pretty cool actually to get to touch the Open Cup. I didn't find out until later that this was the first stop on the team's "We Win Trophies Tour", which is taking the Cup to bars all over DC for the next couple weeks. I definitely recommend checking it out.

DC United win vs Rochester Rhinos, 2-1

Just realized I never gave ratings for this match... Based on game highlights:

Top Shelf: Boyzzz Khumalo, Devon McTavish, Rodney Wallace
Call: Andrew Jacobson
Rail: Greg Janicki, John DiRaimondo

DC United win vs. Ocean City Barons, 2-0

DC United should be neither elated nor concerned after the team needed 75 minutes to beat a PDL squad consisting mostly of college players and a few amateurs. It wasn't pretty, but DC is one step closer to defending their US Open Cup title, which is more than you can say about the 4 MLS clubs who lost to USL clubs last night.


1. Others seem to disagree, but I thought Ange N'Silu looked good last night. And while he and Khumalo didn't work together very well, which is exactly what I predicted, N'Silu was involved in almost every decent scoring chance in the first half. He disappeared for most of the second half, but he drew the penalty which ultimately put us ahead, and then popped up again in stoppage time to score our second goal.

2. Were this an MLS game being officiated by MLS refs, Chris Pontius would have earned two penalty kicks. Pontius was the best player on the field in the second half.

3. Marc Burch was the best player on the field in the first half. Despite his flaws, the USLlive.com announcer made a good analogy when comparing Burch to the point man on a hockey power play. From a spot on the back line, Burch was organizing the attack in the first half. He passed well with Wallace on the left flank, and would frequently find Khumalo or McTavish open with long balls across the field. And this match also saw the return of the legendary Burchie-bomb, which seems to be reserved only for Open Cup matches, as Burch hit the free kick that Ogunbiye failed to secure for the last goal.

4. Milos Kocic made two great saves in the final five minutes to preserve the victory. Needs to work on his distribution though.


1. This was my first chance to see John DiRaimondo. He reminds me a bit of Jeremy Barlow: small (5'-7", 155lbs) and not the best athlete, but calm and with good positioning. In a match that was often frustrating to watch, the incident in which Janicki bowled over and subsequently injured DiRaimondo provided a bit of comic relief.


1. Maybe this is being too harsh on him, but I thought Andrew Jacobson looked right at home on a field with a bunch of amateur soccer players. Too many giveaways.

2. Ok so we learned two things about Boyzzz Khumalo in this match. First, he's not a right wing. And second, he's not a starter. He had some terrible crosses, and on one fast break opportunity late in the game, he tripped over his own feet. Probably because he was tired after running nonstop for 80 minutes. Khumalo is best when coming on as a sub as a striker in the 75th minute to run around the opposing defense like crazy after they're all winded.

So those red Barons deserve a bit of credit. They put forth a valiant effort against a first place professional team, and I think they probably have some players whose names we might hear again at a higher level in a couple years. Hopefully the United players congratulated them after the match. But we'll be the ones moving on to face our Open Cup rivals the Harrisburg Islanders next week.

Open Cup preview

There's been surprisingly very little debate this year about how we should line up for the Open Cup, which starts tomorrow against Dallas. In years past, we used to have heated arguments about the Cup's virtues vis a vis the MLS regular season, and whether the club should start its best XI, or start the reserves. This year the consensus seems to be pretty clear in favor of getting our reserves some action. For a couple of reasons I think. For one, in 2008 after two consecutive Supporters' Shield winning seasons, I think we'd gotten a little bit complacent with regards to regular season matchups. But now that we've seen that DC missing the playoffs is a very realistic possibility, it's a whole lot harder to take those regular season games for granted. And secondly, with MLS abandoning the Reserve Division in 2009, this might be our first opportunity to see a few new players in action.So I'm 100% on board with playing our reserves, and if they aren't better than Dallas's reserves, so be it.

Here's the lineup I'd like to see tomorrow night:

I don't know enough about Barklage or DiRaimondo to figure out where they might fit in here, but each could be a second half substitute option. Also, the lineup we see tomorrow might be a sign of who will be sacrificed to free up a roster spot for Avery John in the next couple days. If Anthony Peters doesn't get a start in this match, then his days with the team are surely numbered.

Champions again!

In a season that's had its fair share of ups and downs, we've finally got something to show for it! Maybe a title in the US Open Cup wasn't necessarily the goal for this season, but it's certainly an accomplishment the team should be proud of, and most importantly, its great that United has fought its way back into the international picture.



1. Santino Quaranta is making an excellent case to be our regular center attacking midfield whenever Gallardo is absent (or after he retires?). Quaranta was instrumental in both goals tonight, and was in my opinion our man of the match.

2. Since we haven't seen him in a little while, I'd forgotten what I love most about Fred. Those quick diagonal runs from the outside totally changed the match and caught the Battery by surprise. Fred missed his first chance but hit on his second.

3. Credit to Tom Soehn for the lineup decisions tonight. This is a point that Bretos brought up, but getting Fred in in place of Vide just before halftime gave him a chance to get acclimated to the tempo of the match before the break. That decision could have made all the difference in the world.


1. Just after I got finished hyping up Marc Burch for fending off Dane Richards, he has to go and get beat by Chris Williams. Other than that though, Burch was quite possibly our best defender in this match. I think the dude might really be starting to "get it".

2. Maybe Ivan Guerrero was such a non factor on Saturday because he was saving all his energy for the Cup final? This guy made a big impression tonight.


1. As is typical, just too many giveaways from Rod Dyachenko.

So we should be able to expect this level of play from United for the rest of the season right? Not quite. I'm with Fullback on fully expecting a letdown on the road against San Jose this weekend. Because that's just the way this season has gone.

But this United team that we've all had our doubts about over the past two years has finally gone and WON something. Finally! So let's take the next couple of days to enjoy it, because this season is far from over, and we've still got another Cup to win!!!

USOC Player ratings

Since I didn't witness the match myself, the following player ratings are based on excerpts taken from comments written about the game on the Soccer Insider:


1. "For me, Marc Burch was by far the player of the match, and not just because of the 2 goals. Through much of the game, he was among the most active player on the field. In the second half, filling in for Martinez at left back, he kept frustrating the Rhinos' attack, making some impressive tackles and reversing the flow of the game." (ho). "Of course, Burch has to get man-of-the-match for his brilliant grass-cutters. I think he might have even quick-kicked the goalie on the second one." (Fisch Fry)

2. "Pat Carroll was quite good at right back (and offered strong throw-in ability) and then did well in the middle in the second half." (Goff). "Pat Carroll and the new guy Thompson were very good. In Pat, it is nice to see a fullback who can use both feet." (bubbles)


1. "Rod Dyachenko had some nice moments, but disappeared at times in the middle of the park." (Goff) "Rod D did have one scintillating play, where he kicked the ball off the head of a Rhino turned and blasted a shot on net from at lesat 35 yard. Every once in a while he flashes something that makes you sit up and say 'Oh ho! That must be what they see in practices that they like so much.' " (Fisch Fry)

2. "My favorite player of the match was Ryan Cordeiro. He had a few poor touches, but he was the most consistently menacing player for United. With a different offensive philosophy that always looks to go over a defense, Cordeiro would have gotten some breakaways to go with his strong runs on the flank. He also delivered some nice passes." (Fisch Fry) "Cordeiro I thought had a great game - if someone in midfield was a better passer, he could have been very dangerous. He made dozens of great runs, but was only passed the ball twice. " (Lonnie)

3. "I was also impressed with Craig Thompson. I was worried Thompson's size might be a problem, but he handled everything that came his way, and made some good distribution passes from the back." (Dsmac) "Thompson: first touch was nervous. Seemed to calm down after that. Nothing spectacular, nothing horrid." (Old Colt)


1. "I thought Quavas Kirk was awful. Besides the lack of technical ideas, he was severely lacking in fitness. After minute 70 he was done. Cordeiro had to cover alot of space behind him." (Lonnie) "I agree that Kirk's technical ability was lacking. He was put through on a well-timed run and a beautiful ball from [Stratford], but couldn't control it for what should have been a goal." (I-270 Exit 1)

Burchie bombs United into the Quarterfinals

I missed the match entirely. Wound up going shopping with Mrs. Shatz in advance of our Ocean City trip. First full-team match that I've missed all year.

But we did get some answers to the questions that I posed yesterday:
Does [Soehn] choose to start the highly paid Quavas Kirk in this match, or keep using him only in the safety of the Reserve division? Yes! Kirk played 90 minutes on the right side of midfield.
Do we dare give another start to the recently demoted Jose Carvallo? No! In fact, James Thorpe was on the bench ahead of Carvallo. Clearly he won't be around much longer.
Is it worth risking further injury to Ben Olsen just to get him some field time? No! Despite his 15 minutes against LA, Olsen is still not ready for extended action.
Are rookies Jeremy Barlow, Pat Carroll, Dane Murphy, or Mike Zaher worthy of their first appearances with the first team? Only PC saw action in this match. Murph and Zaher were on the bench, and Barlow was left off the roster completely.

Since I didn't witness the match, I'll be accepting suggestions for the Top/Call/Rail categories from anyone who managed to attend the match. My thoughts based solely on the play-by-play are Top Shelf for Marc Burch (obviously), Call for Rod Dyachenko (3 shots on goal), and no Rails. I'm not sure that this clean sheet for Zach Wells was enough for me to release the ban on all defenders from the top shelf category, since Wellsy only had to make 1 save.

Agree? Any additions? Please feel free to add your suggestions into the comments section.

In the meantime, I did get to witness the end of the Houston Dynamo versus Charleston Battery match on USLlive.com. Good to see a lower level team have the testicular fortitude to convert four straight penalty kicks and send the defending MLS Cup Champions packing. Also congrats to our old pals Jay Nolly, Nick Addlery, and Justin Moose. Each played 90 minutes in propelling the Vancouver Whitecaps past Toronto FC in the Canadian Champions Cup.

Open for business

With United's Open Cup debut scheduled for tomorrow evening at the Maryland SoccerPlex, the coaching staff has some really interesting roster decisions to make. Last year, United took a Harrisburg Islanders squad way too lightly, and supposedly have learned their lesson. Even though the Rochester Rhinos are currently struggling in USL, DC should take this opportunity to earn a Champions League birth seriously. Although I can't say I'm too fearful of the Rhinos' lineup. Their "star" player/coach Steve Guppy is suspended due to a red card, and I double checked to make sure that the Ze Roberto listed on the team isn't the same Brazilian national we've all heard of and didn't just transfer to the team from Bayern Munich.

So with Rochester's lack of form in mind, along with the idea of taking the Cup serious for once, I thought we'd take a look at United's roster options. This is not a tournament that United should roll out a full Reserve squad, but then again THEY CAN'T. In Reserve division matches, the team has the luxury of utilizing "guest players" not currently on the roster, but for official matches like this one, the team can only use players currently under contract. With only 9 players from the Developmental roster available, DC will clearly need to mix in at least 9 of the Senior roster regulars. Goff has confirmed that Moreno and Quaranta will not be available, but Olsen and Mediate probably will, and so will newly signed Craig Thompson. (No, I can't believe I just linked BS.)

Here are the up-to-date options then for tomorrow night: Barlow, Burch, Fred, P. Carroll, Carvallo, Cordeiro, Doe, Dyachenko, Emilio, Gallardo, Kirk, Martinez, McTavish, Mediate, Murphy, Namoff, Olsen, Peralta, Simms, Stratford, Thompson, Thorpe, Wells, Zaher. Soehn's choices could say a lot about where he feels some of these players are at. Does he choose to start the highly paid Quavas Kirk in this match, or keep using him only in the safety of the Reserve division? Do we dare give another start to the recently demoted Jose Carvallo? Is it worth risking further injury to Ben Olsen just to get him some field time? Are rookies Jeremy Barlow, Pat Carroll, Dane Murphy, or Mike Zaher worthy of their first appearances with the first team?

Here's my proposed starting lineup with a mixture of the regular starting XI with a healthy portion of developing talent:

---------------Wells--------------
Namoff-McTavish-Mediate-Burch
Kirk-Dyachenko-Stratford-Cordeiro
--------Emilio------Doe------------

Subs: Pat Carroll for Namoff. Zaher for Burch (or Murphy for McTavish). Barlow for Emilio.
Bench players not used: Carvallo, Murphy, Simms, Thompson

The worst thing about this match though is that for some inexplicable reason, it will apparently not be shown on USLlive.com like the Wizards/RailHawks, Dynamo/Battery, and Chivas/Sounders matches. Really unfortunate. Which is making me ponder the long drive up to Germantown. Anyone else going?

How many is too many?

So with the addition of Toronto this year, San Jose next year, and Seattle the following year, the MLS is up to 15 teams. And that's with St. Louis and Philadelphia seeking their own franchises also.

When do we say enough already?

So the question is… Is there enough talent interested in playing in the MLS to support so many more teams? Or is this just going to saturate the league with less talented players? San Jose gets the opportunity to select a player from each MLS team, after they each protect 11 players. Seattle will probably get the same opportunity. That means that in 2008, San Jose will potentially have 11 players starting that weren't good enough to start for their previous MLS clubs in 2007. Although Toronto was a great story this year, particularly with their high attendance numbers, they still finished in last place, with a -24 goal differential.

But the flip side of that argument is that there is actually a large pool of talented players in the USL that will get an opportunity to play in MLS now that there are more teams. The US Open Cup has shown every year that the USL teams can compete with the MLS. Even though a few MLS teams didn't take that tournament seriously this year (cough cough DCU cough cough Jay Nolly), for a USL team to beat an MLS team's Reserves even has to be a good accomplishment. But then for two USL teams to make the semifinals - that tells you that some of these players are legit, and they can compete with the big boys.

It's a nice idea that the new MLS Seattle franchise will be retaining some of the current Seattle Sounders players, as the Owners announced. I'm thinking they should keep the name too out of respect for the history of the current USL team (4-time USL-1 champions) and former NASL team.