The Fullback Files

Movin' On Up | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-05-16T22:48:00.000-04:00

A measured outing from a makeshift lineup and a deserved victory. If not for an excellent performance from Pickens in the Colorado net, it would have been an even uglier scoreline for the Rapids, and that has to be encouraging. But you can’t ignore that Colorado were severely banged up as well, lacked the rhythm that comes with games in quick succession, and still made things uncomfortable at times for United. Let’s get right to the major talking point I want to focus on.

Movement. It’s not so much an issue now, but off-the-ball movement used to be one of the drums I would always be banging here on FBF. Soehn’s United in particular were guilty of groan-inducing, static play. But look at the movement on the goals tonight. On the first, casual play by the Rapids in midfield hands the ball to Neal[1]. He pushes forward, forcing the issue and creating a 3 v 4 break with Zapata struggling to get back on the Colorado left after his poor ball set the break in motion. Salihi’s intelligent cross-field run drags both center backs with him – away from the gaping hole left by Zapata’s pushing forward – and De Rosario sees the opening, darting into it, forcing Larentowicz to decide between tracking him or closing down Neal. Larentowicz remains indecisive, Zapata can’t recover, and Neal’s ball splits the defense perfectly, the pass and Salihi’s run removing all obstacles and leaving De Rosario with a clear chance that he buries.

The second goal highlights De Rosario’s excellent work rate as a second forward and Boskovic’s surprising range in central midfield[2]. De Rosario tracks down Korb’s hopeful lob, keeping the ball alive on the left side of the box. Unable to find the pass to set up a shot for Salihi, he drops it for the trailing Neal who takes a touch and spots the run of Boskovic, making a dart in behind when the entire back line pushes up bar Zapata (rough night for him, huh?). Boskovic’s header forces another Pickens save and Salihi, still working the margins of the Colorado defense in the box, pounces on the rebound.

Quick hits?

Big, Olsenian efforts on the part of multiple midfielders to get back and man the barricades when Colorado threatened on the break. Nice to see, particularly from guys (Najar, Boskovic, Neal) who haven’t been locks to start. Competition and a fiery boss are good things.
Hard to believe this is Kitchen’s first year as a professional d-mid. He puts out so many fires and is quality on the ball to boot. United dodged a couple of huge bullets with his injury scare and the US failure to make the Olympics.
Woolard has been tremendous as an emergency center back, using his reading of the game rather than physical presence or technical quality to get the job done. Parkhurstian, almost.
But Korb has quietly been turning in solid outings on the left as well, preventing Woolard’s shift from opening further holes. I haven’t been high on Korb thus far in his United career, but at this point, I think a healthy Dudar or Jakovic pushes Woolard back to the left, and Korb to the right to replace the stuttering Russell.
On the other hand, I’m well and truly sick of Danny Cruz. I get why Olsen values him[3]. I might too if he possessed anything resembling technical ability, tactical sense, or discipline. Hell, any one of the three might do. However frustrating he might be for the opposition to deal with, he’s no picnic for me either.

So a steady start to the home-stand against mediocre opposition. With multiple guys starting to return from injury and a couple of winnable games at home against Eastern Conference opposition before a well-deserved break, United have a chance to go into the summer high on confidence and high on the table. The trick, of course, is maintaining that confidence and that position during the long slog through the sweltering heat. That’s where the quality of depth will have its chance to tell and where Olsen will be tested as to whether he can keep players fresh and hungry.

Vamos United!

Who had been, to this point, turning in another anonymous outing that had me scratching my head about why we signed him. Given his part in both goals and generally steady, if unspectacular, play, I withdraw my premature leanings towards criticism and proffer a tentative thumbs up for experienced depth. ↩
Might he yet earn an extension? I know that I’m in the minority in preferring De Rosario played as a second forward, but Boskovic showed far more mobility and desire in this match than I’ve seen from him … ever? Tough to say what he’d do against better opposition, and Kitchen’s range played no small part in his good showing, but that was an encouraging performance. ↩
It’s not hard; he doesn’t possess more than one positive quality: covering massive amounts of turf like a decapitated chicken. Hey! Same initials (Danny Cruz, Decapitated Chicken) . I think I smell a dubbing approaching. ↩

Man on a Mission

2012-05-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

Robben's a Man on a Mission (Simon Kuper, Mio Stadium)

Robben isn’t really a “Dutch” footballer. He was born in Bedum in the windswept north of the Netherlands, 60 kilometres from the German border. No great Dutch footballer had come from the north since the Koeman brothers 25 years early, and none has ever come from Bedum.

[...]

But while the others learned the complex geometric exercises that constitute total football, the villager for years just dribbled down the wing. The typical great Dutch footballer is a western boy, who joined Ajax while at primary school, enjoyed the best coaching in football history, became a cog in a passing machine and has an arrogance known as "Amsterdam bluff". But whereas Sneijder et al are products of Dutch football, Robben is a natural, as if he were born on Mars rather than in Bedum. Nobody taught him. Even when kicking a balloon before he could walk, he always hit it just so.

Soon afterwards he revealed a gift that would have been coached out of him at Ajax: the dribble. "I grew up playing football in the Netherlands, and still remember the cry that used to rise when any kid dared to run with the ball: “Niet pingelen!”, “Don’t dribble!” Dutch football has always been about the geometric beauty of triangles. Even Dutch eight-year-olds know that the ball moves faster than the man. As an untutored genius from the sticks, Robben missed out on all that.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds it impossible to be indifferent where Robben is concerned. For every despairing groan when he has the blinders on and head down, there is a matching gasp of astonishment as he does something marvelous with the ball, be it mazy dribbling run or immaculate finish. The piece could have used more thorough (or any!) proofreading, but it's still an excellent insight into a divisive figure.

Kitchen and the DRK Axis

2012-05-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the lack of a reaction post this weekend – the family took precedence. Having caught a replay, the meat of said post would have revolved around the change in the game after Kitchen’s injury.

It would be facile, however, to blame the loss entirely on his departure. The still-incomplete back line, the heat, and a stuttering (and banged up) attack conspired to tilt the balance in Houston’s favor. But you’d have to be wearing blinders to not have seen the shift in possession following his injury and the fact that Brad Davis’s winner, tremendous shot though it may have been, came from the area of the field Kitchen usually patrols.

We have no news as of yet on how long Kitchen will be on the shelf, but I’ve been doing a back-of-the-envelope review of the season thus far, and it’s left me deeply worried if he’s out for a significant patch of the summer (if not worse).

Let’s review.

With Kitchen starting in midfield, United have posted 5 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. One of those losses was the latest to Houston, where the winner was scored after his departure. With Kitchen either not on the field (owing to Olympic qualifiers) or starting in defense rather than midfield, United are winless – one draw, two losses. Those numbers don’t bode well for a Kitchen-less United, do they?

They get worse if you factor De Rosario and Boskovic into the equation. Why? Because in the games where Kitchen was paired with Boskovic from the start, United have one draw and one loss. That means the De Rosario - Kitchen central midfield axis is 5–1–1 with the solitary loss being the one just suffered[1].

Draw from that what you will. The obvious conclusion is that sans De Rosario and Kitchen we’re screwed (which should have already been painfully obvious). But it also highlights how minimal Boskovic’s impact has been. Remember, he’s on DP money and his contract runs out this summer.

Time to watch and wait. If the news on Kitchen is really bad, does that make shopping for a d-mid a priority during the transfer window (or via trade)? True, we have depth in numbers (Saragosa, Morsink [sigh], King in a pinch), but our record without Kitchen would suggest that maybe that depth isn’t adequate. Pretty stunning when you think that he had next to no experience as an MLS midfielder prior to this season.

And again, the game-winner was scored against United after Kitchen had been forced out of the game. ↩

&*#& Messing Says

2012-05-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

Watching the highlights of Red Bulls - Dynamo (how the Metrodonkeys made that Cooper fluke stand as a winner is quite beyond me), and Messing, commenting on a good try from Adam Moffat from distance says, "He's the last player you'd expect to be shooting from there" or some such nonsense. Does he even watch this league? I present Adam Moffat's two goals for Houston. Note: they are his only goals for Houston.

(skip to 1:05 for the goal on this next one...and a predictably lame call on a stunning hit)

Last guy you'd expect, huh? Sigh.

Not This Year | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-05-05T19:10:00.001-04:00

There was a moment – just the one, mind you – where I thought this one might go south. And it was this: a clear handball on the line to deny United a goal. Should have been a penalty. Should have been a red card. Given just how fragile TFC must be after their terrible start to 2012, that would have been a death warrant for them. But the whistlemen had the blinders on, and I prepared for the worst.

What I hadn’t reckoned on was just how bad TFC is and how confident and committed[1] Olsen’s crew are. Granted, United were easily the better side in the first half despite playing with some key absentees and a re-jiggered lineup. But early in the second stanza, Toronto were asking all the questions until that fateful moment. I hate to keep harping on about it because it’s getting quite stale, but those were the kind of moments that have turned games sour for United the past few of years.

Not this year.

Talking points?

Veteran at the back. Russell and Dudar were the guys brought in to stabilize what had been a leaky back line. While Russell’s been hit or miss in that department, Dudar, after a few early stumbles, has been immense. Yet neither were on the field in this match, and it fell to an unlikely source to step into the gap. Enter Daniel Woolard. Christ but I’ve been hard on the guy, but I’m going to bury that hatchet. I still can’t bring myself to say that he’s any good, but he puts in an honest shift and gets the job done. Sure, part of the reason he looked comfortable in the center was that TFC played with just one front runner and Kitchen was hoovering up the midfield scraps much more effectively than Saragosa. But he also had a number of key interventions in the air and on the ground and never looked as out of place as both Kitchen and Russell did when forced into emergency duty in the center of defense. What he lacks in technical ability, he makes up for with tactical nous.
Fullback options. Of course, Woolard has been the only consistent fullback United has fielded this year, so with him pulled into the middle and Russell on the bench, that meant two new faces on the flanks. While Korb turned in his usual outing of middling defense[2] and piss-poor passing, Najar was really interesting on the right. He did have some shaky moments positionally, but his quickness got him out of those jams and he’s a terror going forward with the ball at his feet (and put a few good balls through for the forwards from deep positions). Granted, he’s probably a better option at the back in games where United are going to dominate possession or are chasing the game, but at least we’ve got a viable fourth option at fullback. Of course, if you saw any of that abomination on Wednesday, you already saw his usefulness bursting from deep…
Open the floodgates! But Najar-at-right-back wasn’t the only useful thing to come out of the loss in midweek. Somewhat lost in the shuffle was Salihi finally getting off the mark. The “what if?” game is for suckers, but it says here on my scorecard that putting one in the net is just the sort of thing that gives you the confidence to take volleys from outrageous angles and stick them just inside the post. Tremendous finish to seal the three points – just what it said on the tin when United acquired him. And Salihi heating up couldn’t have come at a better time with Santos starting to labor…
Sit Santos? He started the season on fire, but he looked beat here. His first touch was abyssmal. He wasn’t winning balls in the air. His assortment of dummies and flicks just weren’t coming off and had me growling at the tube more than once (so I assume Olsen was making similar noises). True, Santos was still getting back after the ball defensively and did put one decent effort on frame, but he may need a rest. Given that United really don’t have any other reasonable target-man options, they’ll need to resort less to the direct ball if he does sit.
Bye, bye Boskovic. Speaking of less direct options. Branko’s bag of subtle touches in tight spaces and languid playing style are at jarring contrast with the way the rest of the team wants to play. They’re racing about at 100 mph while he’s turning pirouettes in slow motion. He’s a lumbering post-up guy on a team built for the fast break. Can’t see him sticking through the summer, but that opens some big possibilities (and a big chunk of the salary cap) come transfer window time. Hmmm…

Quick hits?

Neal looks tidy on the ball but largely anonymous. Doesn’t cause the sorts of problems you’d like a wide midfielder to cause.
Cruz eats up the ground, so he’s hugely useful from a defensive point of view, but he’s a black hole with the ball at his feet.
Hamid was solid. Not sure Willis did huge amounts wrong during his starting run, but Hamid deserves to keep starting both on current form and potential for development.
I’m going to have to do a separate post on where to field Pontius. I’ve said it before, but the comparisons to Dempsey are intriguing.

TFC just might erase any records for futility that Onalfo’s United inked in the Big Book of MLS Failures. They’re terrible, so a road victory and clean sheet against them should probably be taken with a generous dose of salt. That said, you have to win the games set before you, and United were playing with a new-look lineup after Olsen rode his winning team to exhaustion. A road win and a shut-out with a makeshift back line speaks to the quality of the squad, even with the current freakish rash of injuries knocking out spots 2–4 on the center back depth chart.

Vamos United!

Witness King’s stoppage time header off the line. The game was in the bag, but the fight wasn’t over. That’s got Olsen written all over it. ↩
Though I’ll grant he didn’t look half as lost in the air as he usually does. Progress? ↩

Or His Hand

2012-04-30T21:28:00.001-04:00

Favorite moment from a pretty dire top o' the table tilt between the Manchester giants? It didn't come from the players. It didn't even come from the childish antics of the managers...

First half. Maradona shown in the crowd rising for (son-in-law) Aguero's missed chance for City. Cue the commentary team...

(Laughter)
Naill Quinn (color man, Irish): He'll be kicking every ball, won't he?
Martin Tyler (announcer, English): With his left foot.
Quinn: Or his hand.
Tyler: That's kind of you -- from an Irishman.

No Sucker Punches Allowed | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-04-28T22:15:00.001-04:00

Well, we can finally retire the “no back-to-back wins since the turn of the decade” refrain. This won’t be a long or detailed reaction as I tuned in just in time to see Santos head home his first and missed chunks of the game due to family commitments (would it be callous to call them distractions instead?). Instead, let me harken back to the archaic Good, Bad & Ugly format. Given that I probably last dragged out said format back around the time United was posting consecutive wins, it seems appropriate…

The Good

Resilience. I, and others – including members of the team, have gone to the “we would have lost this game last year” well more than once this year. But there’s a reason it keeps cropping up. Last year – hell, the last three years – United would have conceded the equalizer and then failed the gut-check, falling to the inevitable opposition winner. This year, they get their noses back in front twice and looked much more likely to score the next goal than Houston did down the stretch. That latest bit was actually the most pleasing part of this game for me. Instead of going into the early Soehn-bunker, United kept pressing (though not stupidly) for another goal, and that was where…
De Rosario shined. Not sure his “goal” didn’t skim Pontius’ stylish coif, but that didn’t really matter. This was the first game of the young 2012 season where De Rosario looked like the reigning MVP. Skill in tight spaces, drawing defenders out of position and leaving them screwed into the turf, spraying balls to wide areas and forward runners, making intelligent runs without the ball. Terrific stuff.
Santos’ energy and movement were excellent, and he combined really well with the players running off him. But it’s the goals that are key. How long has it been since United had a player scoring this many with his head? Here’s hoping he stays hungry and motivated.

The Bad

Before Dudar fell to the Bum Hammy Hammer, Houston weren’t getting much change through the middle or in the air. With him gone, gaps started appearing and the long ball to the Dynamo forwards wasn’t a lost cause anymore. If he’s down for any significant amount of time, we’re going to suffer. Figures that he would pull up lame on the back of effusive (and deserved) praise from Harkes in the broadcast booth about the quality of his positioning and distribution[1].
Of perhaps similar concern was the highway Houston was paving down their left flank in the second half. Kitchen looked a bit lost, failing to close down the crosser quickly enough on the first and turning the ball over to set up the second. On a number of other occasions he got caught out of position, either too high or too central. Is this next stretch of games where the lack of fullback depth finally raises its ugly mug?

The Ugly

Danny Cruz is a perpetual motion machine, but he’s also a card magnet and generally commits at least one cringe-worthy challenge per game, if not more. Some of these yellows are going to start turning red. It’s just the luck of the whistleman draw they haven’t already.
Willis, though he generally had a decent game, needs to take the blame for the second (conditions understood and willfully ignored as I’m not in the keepers’ union) and probably could have come to claim the cross on the first. He’s also not as quick off his line as Hamid, which led to a couple of scary moments. Is that enough to get Hamid back between the posts?
Given the cliched “slippery as an ice rink” condition of the pitch, we really needed Jakovic out there so we could outnumber the Dynamo on the vital “more Canadians fielded” statistic. Hockey? Canada? Cliche? Sigh.

Frankly, I’m left a bit confused in the wake of this victory. Having suffered through the last few years, I can’t help but feel that the fall is coming. I couldn’t help feeling it was coming in this match as well. Each time Houston equalized, I prepped the iron underpants for the pain that was sure to follow. It’s strange to be watching the guys in black mounting successful rallies rather than succumbing to sucker-punches. Not sure how long it’s going to take to either (1) get used to this or (2) develop any realistic sense of optimism, but in the meantime…

Vamos United!

Harkes also was laying it on thick for Willis just prior to the slick ball skittering through his gloves for Houston’s second. Burn the witch! ↩

Satisfaction | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-04-22T21:12:00.000-04:00

Well, that was satisfying. Let’s get right to the talking points, shall we?

Four goals is nice, but more impressive for me is the defensive performance. Henry and Cooper came into this game averaging more than a goal a game – each! They got very few good looks tonight, and most of those from distance. True, Henry managed to pad his goal tally, but he did so from a set piece when the match was all but won. The difference between having Russell on the back stick rather than Korb was telling when the crosses came flying in (28 according to mlssoccer.com’s stats, vs. just 12 for United), but the effect of the return of Dudar can’t be ignored either[1]. Metrobull crosses and long balls turned into lost causes, his range of distribution was excellent, and he made a number of nice reads on the deck, stepping up to cut out potentially dangerous passes.
Is Pontius the answer up top? It’s long been my contention that Pontius is Dempsey-like in that his best position is debatable (and, of course, the positions he plays are the same). It’s hard to argue with results. Salihi may be pulling down the DP coin, but he’s yet to bag a goal. In significantly fewer minutes, Pontius has four playing as a forward. His movement and ability on the dribble make him a better foil for Santos as well. I’m not going to argue that signing Salihi was a mistake (yet). I still think he has a role to play and will figure things out as he adapts to the league. When the other strikers hit a barren patch, he’ll get his chance, and it’s a luxury to have a proven, veteran goal-scorer in reserve.
I’m not so certain about Boskovic though. He just doesn’t fit the high-energy approach that Olsen favors. And I find it telling that in a situation that seemed tailor made for Boskovic’s talents (late-game lead, time to slow things down and play possession), Olsen called on King to spell De Rosario.
Imagine, if you will, another night and a ref less tolerant of the physical stuff or more easily intimidated by the names on the shirts (Henry…cough, cough)[2]. I could easily see the first and third goals never being allowed to happen and United suffering a couple of marginal PK calls. Kudos to Geiger for letting them play.
McDonald is often wasteful in possession, defaulting to the aimless long ball[3]. Though that worked out in our favor once tonight, I’d like to see more of the technical pairing of Jakovic (striding out of defense with the ball at his feet) with Dudar (prompting the attack with searching balls sprayed to the flanks). That assumes, of course, that Jakovic can manage a stretch of games without suffering an injury.

Quick hits?

After an off-night in midweek where it looked like he might be hitting a bit of a rookie wall, DeLeon bounced back with another good performance (and another goal).
Still not convinced by Woolard, but he was only exposed a few times against Richards, who could probably finish the 40m twice before Woolard crossed the line once.
Once again, it’s hard to fault Cruz for effort and defensive tracking, but with the ball at his feet…sigh. Can we somehow fuse the best of Cruz and Najar?

After the next match we’ll be more than a quarter of the way into the season. United sits second in the Eastern Conference, in solid playoff position, but a quick glance at the table shows that everybody behind United (save Montreal) have games in hand. Still, six games unbeaten, a firm beat-down of the big rival, and letting in less than a goal a game (and conceding few good chances to boot, not just riding their luck)? I’ll take that.

Vamos United!

And makes you really rue that he couldn’t play midweek. Corradi wouldn’t have won nearly as many aerial duels with Dudar on the pitch. ↩
Interestingly, I needed to rely on a Polish-language stream for a little bit of this match (don’t ask), and I heard repeated mention of what sounded like “weenie sack.” I can only imagine that the announcer was discussing the suspended Rafa Marquez. ↩
Otherwise known as the Burch Special. ↩

Rotation Policy | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-04-18T22:31:00.001-04:00

Let’s begin with this: United got lucky. Sure, sure, they probably shaded the quantity of chances overall and were easily the better team in the second half, but Montreal had better looks. Slightly more accuracy in their finishing, and Benny’s got more cause to question his rotation policy than he’ll already be doing tonight.

That said, it’s hard to argue that anybody on the United side (Korb’s first half misery, Najar and Boskovic’s rustiness, DeLeon’s running out of steam, and a reversion to mean for Woolard aside) didn’t have the quality to be a starter. But the lack of minutes showed on those brought in, and I’m taking no bets that an unchanged lineup (injury-enforced swaps excepted) puts up a much more cohesive showing and gets all three points.

Given the tilt with New York at the weekend however, and the reasonable depth that United possesses, I can understand the rationale of going with the team that Benny did. Doesn’t make dropping points at home to expansion-fodder any more palatable though…

Talking Points?

All credit to Santos. He’s done more than enough to have a strangle-hold on a starting position. When his arrival was announced, I was critical, wondering how a player who seemed so lazy in previous MLS stints was going to deal with the Olsen ethos. But he’s worked hard, contributing excellent hold up play, a physical presence in the box, and critical goals to boot, two of them, including tonight’s, manufactured out of absolutely nothing.
Boskovic can hit some useful balls into the box from deeper wide areas and is tough to knock off the ball, but he’s just too slow for the style that United wants to play. True, you can say that Santos’ general energy, confidence, and hold-up play tilted the field once he came on, but De Rosario’s increased dynamism in the a-mid role stretched Montreal defensively, opening space and disrupting their ability their links between midfield and attack. I still prefer De Rosario as a withdrawn forward[1], but it’s hard to argue that there are better options for United in central midfield at the moment.
After the first half, I was all set to unleash on Korb as looking completely out of his depth, but he started the second like a house on fire, hitting excellent crosses and probing long balls, making good tackles, and generally not putting a foot wrong. Until his aerial weakness was exploited…again. If Korb is at right back and I’m the opposition coach, I tell my right wingers to cross to the back stick as often as possible. Of course, the cross should have been closed down better in the first place, but still…

Quick Hits?

You’ve got to think that Dudar vs. Corradi would have been a much more useful matchup for United. The Italian was dominant in the air against United’s center backs[2].
Standard service has resumed vis-a-vis Woolard after a couple of really solid outings. His positioning was generally good, but a couple of shocking technical fails demonstrated his “quality.” Adequate MLS squad player. Shouldn’t be a starter.
DeLeon was looking gassed, and Pontius looked most effective when he pulled wide. I expect DeLeon will get a well-earned rest, and Pontius will start on the left against New York.
Willis looked shaky on crosses and corners. Strange considering that’s been once of his strengths in his recent run of good form.

I’m sure there’s more that I’m missing or have forgotten in my allergy-induced haze, but bed is calling, so I’ll leave things there…

After the comeback against the Revs, I wasn’t alone in the feeling that last year we would have found a way to lose that game. I have similar feelings here. Coming as late as it did and against the general run of play in the second half, Corradi’s go-ahead goal could have been a killer. Instead, United kept up the pressure and were rewarded with the equalizer.

Of course, sometimes luck or fate or whatever you want to call it has to play its part as well, and Arnaud hitting wide from that late corner that pinged around the box certainly reeked of that. Almost as if, on this night in particular, United losing wasn’t an option.

Descanse en paz, Chico.

Despite the fact that he filled his pants on two opportunities when he got in behind the defense tonight. ↩
Though Russell has done an admirable job filling in over the last game and change. Compared to McDonald’s mixed bag of distribution, Russell looks Xavi-esque. ↩

Ebbs & Flows | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-04-14T19:09:00.001-04:00

That was the story of this match, as it so often is in MLS where teams are more evenly matched than is often the case in other leagues. With Joseph missing through suspension and the Revs’ string-puller-in-chief Feilhaber not fit enough to start, I had high expectations. And the early going seemed to bear me out. United were on top in the early going.

But a quick counter put them on the back foot, leaving all that early promise in shambles. Still, United fought back, and a moment of De Rosario magic resulted in Santos heading home the equalizer (corner kick goal? really? and had a second attempt from a corner cleared off the line to boot). Through the remainder of the first half, United were edging things, so much so that I had a creeping sense of optimism (strange to say it, but it’s true) about the second half.

Unfortunately, that optimism looked a bit misplaced as the second stanza progressed. Neither team was dominant, but the Revs were generally the better side, carrying much of the play. When Jakovic had to come of injured (yet again – this refrain is getting tired, isn’t it?), forcing Russell into the middle and the woeful-in-the-air Korb on to wallow in the shadow of the Revs’ big front men crashing the back stick on crosses, I fully expected the worst.

And it so often looked like turning out so. Feilhaber came on to bring calm and vision to the Revs’ engine-room, prompting more effective wide play and springing runners through the middle. I thought United needed another body in the central midfield to act as a tourniquet.

Benny thought otherwise. Thankfully, he was right.

Thought it came completely against the run of play, some hustle from DeLeon and quality from Pontius created the winner. The closing stages would have been nerve-wracking, and really should have been given United’s past few years, but the final ebb never arrived.

Talking points?

Full credit to Santos for getting another goal and to Cruz for painting every blade of grass with his boots, but they’re frustrating players in many ways, particularly when they have the ball at their feet. Santos too often dwells and concedes possession. Cruz usually dribbles into blind alleys. Of course, given how much Salihi is struggling to make an impression and that Santos is putting the ball in the net regularly, I’d find it hard to argue that he should be benched. Not sure Cruz should be keeping Najar out though.
Given Kitchen’s excellent turns in the few shots he had at the d-mid role last year, I wasn’t terribly nervous about his being the heir-apparent this year. True, the thought of Morsink as Plan B made me a little queasy, but the acquisition of Saragosa[1] drew me back from the ledge. This was easily his best outing of the year though. He covered tons of ground, was smart (and capable) with the ball, and resisted the Simms-trap of playing constantly negative or horizontally. I can’t imagine we’ll be able to hang on to the kid much longer as greener pastures await, but perhaps the Olympic failure is a double blessing. Not only will he not miss time with United the summer, but he’ll avoid the attentions of potential suitors scouring the Olympic playing fields.
Do we declare the off-season defensive bolstering a success yet? LA abomination aside, United haven’t given up more than a goal per game. But more impressive is that they are conceding far fewer good chances and seem generally less susceptible to the complete breakdowns and massive brain-fartery that have haunted them over the past handful of seasons. Defending set pieces, another long-term Achilles heel, also seems better. It’s a long haul yet, but the start has been encouraging.

Quick Hits?

Pleasantly surprised with Wolff’s outing. Long-time readers will know I’m not a huge fan, but he looked decent for an old codger. Should have finished his golden chance though…
Willis with another solid outing in net. Couldn’t have done much with the goal, but made a couple of critical saves and bossed his box.
Still not sold on De Rosario in central midfield unless he has two covering behind him. I’ve long been on record as saying you need him in and around the box as much as possible.
That said, the other options aren’t terribly palatable. Boskovic’s window for earning a new contract is starting to close, particularly so if he can’t get on the field.

A quality start to a busy week. With the expansion-fodder from Montreal rolling into town midweek, United has an excellent chance to cement their place in the Eastern Conference playoff spots ahead of the first shots being fired in the Atlantic Cup next weekend. It’s still very early in the MLS season, yes, but better to stay with the peloton than to chase the pack through the summer, right?

Vamos United!

My sympathies, and I’m sure you’ll join me here in extending them, to the player on the recent loss of his father. ↩

The Problem With the 4-3-3

2012-04-13T08:04:00.000-04:00

“That’s the problem with the 4-3-3,” says O’Brien, who played 32 times for the United States and spent more than a decade in Dutch soccer. “You’re pretty exposed and so if you don’t keep the ball, you’re definitely very open for counters. Part of the 4-3-3 is getting used to knowing that when you’re possessing the ball, you’re ready in case the guy turns it over.

“That has to be ingrained a little bit more, what to do in transition. You’re on offense but you’re still thinking defensively. Once you lose it, in that formation you need to be able to press the ball right away and be tight to guys, because you’re so open.”

Good article, but the discussion in the comment thread is better. And, for what it's worth, this is the same struggle my United team is having in FM2012 with a shifting variety of 4-5-1/4-3-3 formations. We're plugging away in the top half of the table, but breakdowns in transition play have cost us points that would see us well clear at the top.

Kick in the Balls? | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-04-07T22:35:00.001-04:00

That was the headline that might have been. It was almost perfectly set up. Two Sounders had gone down previously with boots to their nether regions. On comes Marc Burch, fresh from slagging off United in the media, only for Sigi to give him just two and a half minutes to prove what he couldn’t in a handful of years with DC.

It was there for him. After a raking cross-field ball to start the move, he followed in Alonso’s shot and crashed a header off the post with just seconds to play. Of course, this is Burch we’re talking about. He’s no longer our cause for woe…

So what then is the prevailing feeling in the aftermath of a 0–0 home draw against what is arguably one of the best teams in the league?

Mixed.

Both teams had one glorious chance spurned, one good chance pinged off the post, and precious little else to show for 90 minutes of endeavor. Both spent periods in the ascendency and periods where they bent but did not break at the back. Despite the lack of goals, the neutral would have little to complain about as neither team sat back and both had their moments.

Talking points?

While United’s attack reverted somewhat to previous form: moves often breaking down through miscommunication, ill-timed runs, and a lack of passing anticipation or vision, the solidity of the defense was encouraging, particularly with McDonald suspended. Seattle (outside of that late, late Burch chance) created very little when they weren’t on the break[1].
Salihi continued his pattern of getting a half-decent chance, but not making it count. There’s a conundrum here. Are you disappointed that the guy on DP bucks couldn’t bury that one presentable chance or are you concerned that he’s not getting more than one look per game? The onus has to be on the rest of the attack to give him more chances. When those come, I have little doubt the goals will follow.
Najar back into the starting slot? I think so. Cruz gives you tons of energy, but he’s also liable to cause a cracked LCD when you throw something at it in frustration when he tries to do anything with the ball at his feet. Can I get an “ugh” for miserable technique? For the first 50 minutes or so I was contemplating a post on Cruz being shifted to right back since Russell looked hopeless, but the latter came on really strong in the second half before getting subbed off, and I’m really not sure I’m ready for the body (and card) count that would be sure to follow Cruz’ move to the back line. Disciplined he is not…Hope Russell’s okay, because he finally was starting to look like a worthwhile addition for twenty minutes or so.
Boskovic’s performance mirrored Russell’s in miniature. A hopeless beginning that started to give way to actual competence. I’ve not yet seen enough to have me calling for a new deal in the summer, and I’m not convinced that he fits with the high-energy United that Olsen wants to field (of course, neither do Dudar and Salihi, but there you go…). Still, there were times when his subtlety and calm on the ball were refreshing.

Quick hits?

Dudar’s heading technique is…um…let’s just say he’s got the Morrissey haircut and that’s pretty much how I imagine Morrissey heads a ball. Sigh.
Still not sold on De Rosario in central midfield. I know we’ve got other weapons up top now, but for my money, he’s still most dangerous closer to goal. Unleash the trequartista!
DeLeon had his moments, but so did Pontius in a brief substitute appearance, including a sweet flowing combination move that he probably should have pulled the trigger on a step earlier. Who do you start?

So. Disappointed in the end? Maybe a little. But given the last few years, I’m sure you were as gunshy as I was to run into the arms of Lady Optimism after the 4–1 demolition of Dallas. At this point, I’ll take back-to-back, points-earning results as something to build on, particularly with a clean sheet against a quality team.

Still, not enough for a “vamos!” though. Let’s leave it with an understated fist-pump and a smoldering Olsen-glare at the horizon, shall we?

United often looks worrying vulnerable on the break, particularly after their own set pieces deep in opposition territory, but that’s pretty common for any team. ↩

The Friday Quartet | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-03-30T22:55:00.000-04:00

An excellent result, though you’d have been forgiven if you thought this one was going to turn sour after the break. Let’s be brutally honest. FC Dallas probably should have been up a goal or two in the first fifteen minutes. United looked slow to wake up to the game, a bit disorganized, and were finding little joy in possession.

But after that slow opening, United probably shaded the chances until Santos’ tremendous opener. FCD got the equalizer they deserved, despite the whiff of controversy surrounding their goal[1]. Going into the break, I’m sure I wasn’t the only United fan thinking, “we’ve probably had the upper hand, but I’ve seen this picture before.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t a replay of tragedies past. Another quality finish from the rookie DeLeon and a couple of clinical counters, coupled with Daniel Hernandez’ thuggish best, combined to cap a dominant second half performance.

Talking points?

Hamid, Najar, and Pontius have a real job on their hands to fight their way back into the starting lineup. Willis, as he was last year, has been excellent in net. Dallas had four tremendous chances in the first half, put them all on frame, but only got one past him. He was alert to through balls and had excellent control of his box on crosses and long balls. Cruz and DeLeon, the supposed backup wingers, both had excellent games, each recording a goal, with DeLeon picking up an assist on Cruz’ goal.
While I think you stick with DeLeon’s hot hand until he starts to struggle, Cruz is the more interesting dilemma. The sheer acreage he covers is what allows De Rosario so much freedom to get forward in support of the strikers. Najar, for all his positive qualities and obvious technical superiority, doesn’t give you that. Now, given that Salihi got two solid chances and barfed on both, do you continue to ride him, assuming he’ll come good and catch fire (keeping De Rosario in midfield), or do you push De Rosario high when Najar returns and go with two deeper-lying central midfield options? Whatever Ben decides, it’s good to have options.
Returning to the forwards for a moment. Sounds strange to say it, but I think you’ve got to have Santos down as the first name called for forwards at the moment[2]. How long has it been since United had a genuine, effective target forward? True, he doesn’t always work as hard as he might, but he did a reasonable job winning aerial duels and holding the ball up, and contributed two quality finishes (though I'm not likely to forgive his occasional ponderousness on the ball and failure to fight back after cheaply coughing up possession).
Early wobbles and the goal aside, the defense played a decent game. Perez is a handful and Villar’s movement between the lines is good (though not Ferreira-good). Though Shea didn’t have a great night, Dallas’ shifting him around suggested that maybe that wasn’t all down to him being off. I’m still not enamored of our fullback options, though Woolard had his second straight impressive performance, even managing to contribute offensively a bit. Russell, however, is a tougher sell. He just looks a bit slow of foot and thought – past his sell-by date.

Quick hits?

Look at the spin on Zach Loyd’s long throws and tell me he’s not doing something illegal.
McDonald’s tackle on Perez drew such an awful groan from me that both wife and daughter had to check to make sure I was okay. Sigh.
Our Balkan Buddies[3] aren’t exactly setting the pitch alight. Not sure how well their more technical, cerebral play fits with United’s high-energy approach.
I know this goes without saying, but holy crap was that some inconsistent whistle-work by Hilarious Grajeda.

So a dominant performance on the scoreboard, though I suspect the stats will reflect that shots and possession were fairly even, and I only really felt comfortably when the fourth went in. With that said, I don’t think you could argue that United didn’t have more and better chances over the course of the entire match. The worry, of course, will be that Dallas had four very, very good looks in the first half, two of them before United even seemed to wake up and realize there was a game on. All credit to Willis for keeping them out, and to the team for the response that followed…

Vamos United!

Did Perez gain an advantage by being in an offside position? Absolutely. Hard to argue that Dudar had possession either, though I’d allow the goal just to punish him for a ridiculous error. Little bit of eau de Jakovic there methinks. Also, Santos looked offside on United’s fourth, for what it’s worth. ↩
Though I’ll stand by my pre-season assessment of Santos as a guy that scores tremendous goals but often chokes on the simpler stuff, and whose work rate isn’t exactly up to Olsen-ish standards. ↩
Boskovic and Salihi. Not sure if this will enter the FBF lexicon. Probably depends on whether Boskovic gets an extension on his contract in the summer. ↩

Crawl Before You Run | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-03-25T11:58:00.000-04:00

A point on the board, a clean sheet, on the road, and probably the better team by a slight margin. All without two starters. Considering the struggles of the MLS Eastern Conference versus their Western Conference counterparts, that’s not a bad return.

Those less charitable might point out that Vancouver isn’t really all that great and will struggle to be involved in the playoff picture. Of course, that’s ignoring the possibility (probability?) that United are occupying the same leaky vessel.

Talking points?

In contrast with the previous games, United actually looked like a team. The ball movement was quick, players looked like they had an idea of what they wanted to do with the ball prior to receiving it, and the defense was far better organized. How much of that was down to playing a team that didn’t impose themselves on the game so well as previous opponents and how much is United starting to gel remains to be seen, but it did seem promising, particularly given the number of changes in the starting lineup.
While the defensive organization was better, I feared for United every time they got heavy numbers forward, particularly on set pieces. With the play in front of them and Vancouver lacking the requisite lock-pickers, the defense looked solid. On the break, United was stretched, scrambling and vulnerable.
While the possession play was better, Santos and Salihi seemed to have little understanding between them up top and chances were few and far between. That said, Salihi probably had two of the better opportunities, and though he had to find them from set pieces, only an excellent save from Cannon kept him from opening his league account. United had better chances when De Rosario moved up top, though that seemed more a function of the play getting more ragged and open in the latter stages. Of course, United seemed to exploit their width a little better with Boskovic looking to spread the ball about and De Rosario being more mobile and popping up in the wide channels more than either Salihi or Santos.
Part of my criticism in the previous match was how reactive United’s play was. We’ve already discussed United actually having ideas with the ball and executing those ideas quickly and with relatively good precision[1], but what also stuck out to me – as a defender – was Dudar’s habit of winning balls from attackers. You’d assume, given his height, that he’d be a menace in the air, but it was his feet that impressed me, not in passing but in the handful of times he robbed attackers on the dribble. With McDonald’s pace and a former-midfielder’s confidence on the ball, they look a more able “stopper/cover” pairing than anything else we can field. Hassli and LeToux are a handful but didn’t accomplish much.
Props to Woolard. I’ve been really critical of him and of the team for trusting him as a starting left back. But he played pretty well last night and certainly looked more competent than Russell, who alternated decent patches of play with being caught out for pace and speed of thought. Still, when Woolard did manage to get into attacking positions, he looked pretty much lost. I’d like to see more out of that position, but fair play to him for a decent outing.

And finally…

Dudar’s hair. Anybody else getting a Morrissey vibe? Dudar from the corner, I know, I know, he’s dangerous. Or how about...Panic in the box on set pieces. Here comes Dudar. Here comes Dudar. Here comes Dudar….Here comes Dudar! Sigh.

Conclusions? Not a bad outing. “Crawl before you run” and all that. I was pleasantly surprised at how much better United looked both with the ball and without it, where before they looked plodding and bereft of ideas. The lack of goals is worrying, but at least Salihi and De Rosario had the best of the chances, and those are the guys you want in those spots.

After the disjointed pre-season and first two matches, with the full complement of players either not available or struggling with fitness, Olsen is still mixing and matching, looking for the best combinations. I think he found one in McDonald/Dudar at the back. Given the fluency of the possession but lack of goals, finding a successful pairing up top has to be his biggest concern.

At least my viewing wasn’t punctuated by a series of exasperated sighs as United stupidly conceded possession again, and again, and again… ↩

Worried Yet? | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-03-18T22:02:00.000-04:00

Sure, the Galaxy are the class of the league and the defending champs, and yes, they were playing on their own patch. Sure, the craptastic state of the pitch and the wind didn’t help matters. But for large patches of this match, United looked like they barely new each other’s names, much less belonged in the same division as the Galaxy. Rather than enumerate all the the minor faults in United’s play, let’s focus on just three, shall we? How about (1) lack of connective tissue, (2) poor organization, and (3) an absence of Olsen-ish play?

Dots, Unconnected

While there were more cohesive and dangerous moments here than in the opener, the number of plays that broke down through seeming miscommunication, failure of technique, or simple lack of ideas was hugely frustrating. Where the Galaxy made runs and passes with purpose, anticipating each others’ movement and generally looking like they knew what they wanted to do offensively, United’s play seemed far too reactive, waiting for the delivery rather than making the run, pulling up with a frustrated toss of the hands to the heavens when balls were mis- or under-hit (or not played at all).

Though the dearth of creative runs (or the ability to spot them) was a big factor in the lack of quick transition and space in attack, I’ve got to say that I was particularly disappointed in the play of our fullbacks. Not only were they not (until very late in the match) getting forward (leading to a lack of numbers and thus dots to connect in midfield) but their passing was abysmal. Contrast Korb under-hitting a square ball that leads directly to the Galaxy’s second and Russell cranking wild clearances with Franklin bombing forward into crossing positions on the Galaxy’s right flank and Dunivant playing intelligent balls forward into space on the left.

Name Tags Required?

While the lack of offensive incoherence seemed a touch less in this match and a few promising passages showed that all is not lost in that department, the old bugaboo of defensive disorganization was on full display. If not for Willis, a few heroic blocks by defenders, and a number of missed chances by the Galaxy[1], the scoreline might have threatened to become truly embarrassing. And I saw little difference between the halves to suggest that Dudar-McDonald is going to be any more effective than Jakovic-McDonald[2].

Of course, that may not be fair given the lack of match time together for the previous two, but even then, three-quarters of the back line looks slow of foot and slow of thought. That’s probably aided by the lack of familiarity amongst the players, but for how many years has this been a problem for United? And when exactly does Jakovic ditch his persistent case of the brain-farts? Probably would have happened by now if it’s going to happen…

Not Olsen-ish Enough

But most damning to my eyes was the lack of fight and urgency on display at the end. Sure DeLeon got one back with an excellent finish, but United’s efforts down the stretch lacked the urgency and hatred of losing that Olsen possessed as a player and seemed to have instilled for a portion of last season. Wasn’t the idea of the big turnover and jettisoning of the old guard supposed to signal the turning over of a new leaf, a rejection of the corrupting culture of losing that had seeped into the club?

Hmmm.

Having said all of that, this game could so easily have shifted in United’s favor at a number of points. De Rosario and Santos both had presentable chances to give United the lead. The timing of the LA opener was a killer as having them stewing on dominating the first half with nothing to show for it might have proved useful for United’s second half efforts. And United had some good chances to pull goals back that they spurned.

While much of United’s play had me screaming at my screen in disbelief and frustration, there were flashes of decent attacking sequences. Unfortunately, I tend to be a glass-half-empty guy, so the former outweigh the latter in my mind. Still, missing two starters to Olympic duty and starting without our two Balkan DP’s on the field, there were things to build on here.

But if the defensive discombobulation persists, all that building will be on crumbling foundations placed on swampy ground, and that’s a blueprint for another campaign where the Black-and-Red go home early…

Yes, I am fully aware that United can point to a number of woeful misses of their own. ↩
Indeed, Dudar looked worrying slow, both pace-wise and in reacting. Here’s hoping that’s more a function of his long stretch without competitive matches than anything else. ↩

FM Scouting: Lewis Neal

2012-03-15T15:33:00.001-04:00

English left winger Lewis Neal looks to be the last addition for United until the summer window swings open. I presume few who haven't spent the last year in Orlando or the better part of the Naughts haunting lower-league English football will have had an extended look at him in real life. So, once again, it's back to the FM database we go...

Neal's attributes (click to enlarge)

Not awful, but not good either. He has decent pace and flair, can do a bit with the ball but doesn't seem to have any really special qualities. Looks like pretty standard high-end USL fare. Indeed, a peek at the editor reveals that his ratings for potential and current ability put him firmly in that range (eg. sub-hundred for current, just above for potential). Frankly, he'd be on the chopping block on any MLS team I managed in FM, particularly since he takes up an international slot.

Neal's positions & moves (click to enlarge)

Positionally (see above), he's very left sided, preferring left flank dribbling runs and keeping the ball on his left peg despite having a decent right one. Again peeking beneath the database's skirts, we see that he's professional and ambitious, and not liable to cause much controversy: a model pro.

But what about in comparison to the two players who are (presumably) ahead of him on the depth chart?

Neal vs. Pontius (click to enlarge)

Neal vs. DeLeon (click to enlarge)

He brings slightly more to the table defensively than Pontius, but suffers in pretty much any other comparison outside of pace, where they're roughly the same. With DeLeon, he holds a speed advantage, but is rated the same or lower in every other category.

Frankly, I'm not sure what to make this signing. Clearly, United need -- at the very least -- another left back, even if it's just a backup for Woolard. Instead, we pick up a aging veteran left wing where we already have Pontius and DeLeon and can call upon Najar, Cruz, and Boskovic at minimum for reasonable alternatives. Likewise, we have four defensive midfielders (Kitchen, Rozeboom, Saragosa, Morsink) when it looks like Benny wants to set up with just one in the starting lineup.

Why so much depth in these areas when there's precious little at fullback? I suppose you could say that one of our army of d-mids could also slot in at fullback (granted, that's where Kitchen has most of his MLS experience), but even then you've still only got one "natural" left back on the roster. The rest are chewing gum and toothpick solutions. Other possible reasons for the signing? Frees up Pontius to play up top? Or perhaps a knee-jerk reaction to DeLeon getting the come-hither eyes from T&T for Olympic duty?

I stand ready to be proven wrong, but I'm going to pre-check the box in the FO's "miss" column. Am I placing too much faith in a computer game? Perhaps. But the fact that he's been plying his trade in the fourth division of English football and the third division of the stateside game for the last few years leaves me suspecting I'm not.

Staggering Out of the Gates | a DC United Match Reaction

2012-03-10T22:27:00.001-05:00

Well, that went about as expected. Sporting KC are one of the strongest, if not the strongest, team in the Eastern Conference, and return almost their entire starting lineup from last year. Little wonder that they looked more fluid on the ball and in their movement than a United side that is still figuring itself out and integrating new pieces. Still, it’ll be a pretty pissed off United locker room knowing they were only minutes from a decent draw and a shut-out to boot.

What will rankle even more is that Ben Olsen has been harping incessantly on the need to improve on defensive set pieces. Where did they lose the game? Defensive set piece. It also looked to me that it was Woolard – who’s an adequate enough player, but not an MLS starter – who lost his mark, presenting an open header from the corner.

First Half

United played reasonably well from a defensive perspective, presenting KC with few good chances. That said, they created precious little of their own. Offensively, the lines were too static, with the fullbacks barely advancing past the center circle and neither the midfield or forwards checking deep to receive the ball. As a consequence, there were far too many hopeless long balls that KC’s back line gobbled up without much trouble.

One of the few exceptions where the lines blended was the neat interchange of passes worked by De Rosario and Pontius that sent the latter in for a decent try from the edge of the box that went wide. Decent chance. But the better chance was passed up. Salihi had made an excellent run into the space created when Pontius skipped passed one central defender, forcing the second to slide over into his path. Hard to blame Pontius for having a try at goal, but if he sees Salihi drifting into the box and touches it into his path, I think United go into the break up a goal.

Indeed, of the three DP-money guys on the United roster, I thought only Salihi actually looked the part. He was better on the ball than I expected with good close control, patience, and a bit of vision to boot. That said, he’s being paid the big bucks to stick the ball in the net, and the one solid look he had, he headed wide. It would have been a stretch to trouble the keeper at that range and from the angle Russell’s ball came in at, but Salihi got plenty of power, just not the direction. Neither De Rosario or Boskovic had much impact on the game.

Second Half

I expected that Olsen would make an adjustment at the break to counter the central midfield three of KC that were controlling the possession game, likely by dropping De Rosario into a deeper role, a move that might have helped him find time on the ball given the close attentions the central defense of KC were paying to him. Instead, it looked like Salihi doing more of the coming deep, and through a combination with the wide men pinching in a bit and the fullbacks getting forward, the possession leveled off more.

That said, KC always looked the more likely, getting an increasing number of chances as their midfield and forwards applied high pressure, won possession, and broke quickly. KC hunted for the ball in packs and broke in the same manner, consequently having a number of passing options near at hand or breaking into space. United also began to surrender more and more set pieces in their own end, which looked to be leading to disaster before the knock-out blow came in stoppage time.

Still, the second half was better from United’s perspective. Pontius and Najar received the ball more on the wings and got after their defenders, though neither could find a decent cross. That has to be one of the first notes on the white board tomorrow. With a predator like Salihi in the box making smart runs and a wild card like De Rosario ready to turn a half-chance into gold, you’ve got to get your head up and be ready to deliver, and both of our wide men have a tendency to want too many touches. Likewise, the lines blended better as midfielders and forwards starting dropping off to find space and show for balls to feet.

As the half wore on, both sides dipped into their benches for changes. It was here that the balance tilted. Wolff for Boskovic netted little. Wolff brought energy and a bit more bite to central midfield, but he did little to connect the dots in possession. Cruz for Pontius again brought energy, and Pontius probably isn’t ready to go 90, but pushing Najar onto the left saw him constantly cutting inside and dribbling into blind alleys, while Cruz did little of note on the right. Santos was the most impressive of the subs, winning the aerial challenges that had been going KC’s way prior to his introduction, and showing in flashes the understanding he has with De Rosario.

But it was a KC change that proved fatal. Sapong’s athleticism and interchanging of positions with Kamara, another terrific athlete, created problems for United’s defense, leading to a number of fouls, more lost aerial challenges, and ultimately the sequence that killed the game. A lost mark, yet another ball lofted into the box, and finally Hamid was beaten after making a handful of decent saves. The lateness of the goal left little chance for reply.

Conclusions

United would have been a touch lucky to escape with a 0-0, but this was a close and hard-fought match. I think you saw that in how much the late winner obviously meant to the Sporting players. While United created little offensively, didn’t have many coherent passing sequences, and looked a step slower than KC, that’s to be somewhat expected as United still have to integrate a number of new players and didn’t have much consistency in their pre-season preparations. From the run of play, the defense looked mostly adequate, though I’d expect Dudar to supplant one of McDonald or Jakovic before too long, particularly given that his height and experience will do much to bolster their efforts against set pieces, a weakness that continues to haunt United.

Roster Reset #12

2012-03-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

Hmmm. Thought we would have had the roster wrapped up by now, but United are apparently still auditioning new trialists with the addition of left winger Lewis Neal to the party. Unfortunately, none of the remaining guys getting a look is a left back – a position that is probably United’s weakest from the standpoint of starters, and one at which they have zero depth[1].

Applying the (rather modest) updates…

Salary Budget Players (18 required, maximum 20)

GK, Dykstra, Andrew - Odd that the third-stringer is the only one on the salary budget?
D (I) Jakovic, Dejan
D Woolard, Daniel - Is he really a starting-quality MLS fullback?
D McDonald, Brandon
D Russell, Robbie - Past it or the second coming of Namoff?
D (I) Dudar, Emiliano - Can he supplant Jakovic or McDonald to start?
D/M Kitchen, Perry - The anchor-elect. United lists him as off-budget courtesy of GenAd, but I’m pretty sure he graduated.
M Morsink, Kurt - Surplus to requirements with addition of Saragosa?
M Saragosa, Marcelo - Journeyman vet offers cover for Kitchen
M (I, DP) Boskovic, Branko - Ready to make a statement?
M Cruz, Danny
M/F De Rosario, Dwayne
M/F Pontius, Chris
F Wolff, Josh
F (I) Santos, Maicon
F (I, DP) Salihi, Hamdi
-
-
(optional)
(optional)

Off-Budget Players (maximum 10)

GK (HG) Hamid, Bill
GK Willis, Joe
D (HG) White, Ethan
D Korb, Chris
M King, Stephen
M (HG) Najar, Andy
M/F DeLeon, Nick
M Rozeboom, Lance
(optional)
(optional)

On Loan

D/M (HG) Shanosky, Conor
-

Trialists

M (I) Neal, Lewis - Assuming no green card
M/F Richter, Ryan - Union washout, college goalscorer (for what it’s worth), can play right back in a pinch.

Color me a little confused here. We’ve got three, count them, three fullbacks on the roster. Sure, we’ve got lots of guys who could do spot duty there (including a guy who was our starting right back for most of last year), but why – for the love of heaven why? – do we have so many dedicated d-mids?

All signs are pointing to Rozeboom getting a contract, and, from what I’ve seen in pre-season, I’d say that’s a good move[2]. But he’s also the fourth defensive midfielder on this roster (with Kitchen, Morsink, Saragosa). If we were playing a bucket midfield that’s good depth, but theoretically Benny will be pairing a d-mid with Boskovic (or King – who’s more d-minded than creative dynamo in his own right) in central midfield. So why four?

I guess you could say that we’re not certain that Kitchen will pan out and Rozeboom won’t pick up many minutes this year, so it would pay to have cover, but it still looks a little excessive given the shortfall in other areas…

Roster lists updated to reflect Rozeboom signing as off-budget player

Korb is the current depth, and he also happens to be the whole of the right back depth. ↩
Showed well in patches, but looks more a project than the finished article. How strange is it to have a “project” guy be 3 years older than your “now” starter? ↩

Quick Thoughts on the Coffee Pot Cup

2012-02-29T21:37:00.002-05:00

Just a few notes...

* Didn't show it in the last game, but DeLeon has serious wheels. Had one decent run with the ball, but looked blistering on a couple runs without.

* Not so impressed with Rozeboom this time around. Big effort, but looked more hurried in his efforts and certainly more wasteful with the ball. Not terrible, but not so eye-catching as against the Fire.

* Boskovic looked both more energetic than I expected and less poised on the ball. Odd. Got an assist though.

* Where was Guilherme? He didn't do a hammy already, did he? It's either that or he's got his walking papers. Sigh. Lazarus Act to the rescue? Really?

* Salihi gets 20 minutes and finds the net again. Ready to explode or this year's Brettschneider? Price tag, track record, and stage of career suggest the former. We shall see. Impressive that he's doing this only having been in camp a week or so.

* Jakovic much better than vs. Fire.

* Najar anonymous at right back, volcanic at right wing. Cruz did have some good runs at the defense (with no end result) while he manned that flank, but Najar is a holy terror on the ball.

Certainly not a pretty game, but a result, and the third goal was a thing of beauty -- Najar's barnstorming dribbling exhibition leaves defenders strewn in his wake, quick dish and go with Wolff and Najar's cross from the endline to the wide-open Salihi who makes the smart run to tap in. More of that, please!

Hang the Nepotism Naysayers

2012-02-29T19:17:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to do a big reaction post on the US victory over Italy, just a couple of notes prior to the United game...

* The US were fortunate that Italy (and the linesmen) were not terribly accurate when it counted.

* Fabian Johnson looked a credible left back going forward. Not terrific defending, but adequate enough given the options. I think he's better suited playing higher up the pitch, but needs must, I suppose. His technical quality on the ball is a huge bonus over the other options.

* Altidore's getting better as a lone striker. Helps to be playing regularly in such a system.

* Why did it take until half-time for Klinsmann to make the change and have Dempsey dropping deeper to hassle Pirlo, when the little man was dictating everything?

* Michael Bradley was immense.

Can we end by finally burying the issue of his quality? Not that I'm getting tired of defending him, but if you didn't see how excellent he was, you're just being ridiculously stubborn. Gone were the frenetic chasing and lunging tackles, the trying to do too much. Instead, he played a subtle and unhurried game, keeping possession with good control and assured passing, even in tight spaces.

When Giovinco burst through the left side of the box late in the second half with Bradley in pursuit, I thought he was going to throw away all the praise that was building up in my head. But instead of lunging in, he muscled the little man off the ball and touched it clear with quick feet, remarkable given the quickness of Giovinco's own feet.

Not that it was a flawless performance, but it was a mature, assured outing from a player that would be one of the first names on my USA team sheet.

Lazarus Act

2012-02-28T18:58:00.001-05:00

As of Tuesday's training session Lance Rozeboom, Ryan Richter, Jose Burciaga, Guilherme and Seth C'deBaca were unsigned, but still in camp.
- via dcunited.com

Burciaga's still around? As a reminder, Burciaga has been out of the league since 2008 and failed a tryout for a third-division side last year. And so the Lazarus Act continues...

Roster Reset #11

2012-02-27T19:48:00.001-05:00

Almost across the line. United can add 6 more players before the roster spots fill up, and must add at least two to the salary budget roster by compliance day in order to fulfill the MLS roster regulations. Of course, it’s impossible to tell (from the outside) just how much room remains under the cap, but I think it’s fairly safe to say that we’ll be adding two of the four remaining trialists and not pulling any surprise rabbits from Kasper-Payne’s hat. That said, I do wonder which list they’ll get added to and who gets bumped up if they’re off-budget.

On that topic, Andrew Dykstra’s signing was finally made official, and the roster page puts him on the salary budget list. Interesting, isn’t it, that the #3 keeper is the only netminder who counts against the cap? With Brazilian forward Alfredo dismissed and Burciaga’s Lazarus act over, that leaves us with four guys fighting for a spot.

Of the three, I think Guilherme (based on need – we have no other left back depth outside of Korb, who also covers the right) and Rozeboom (by virtue of merit – he looked excellent against Chicago and got rave reviews from Benny), are odds-on favorites. Richter and C’deBaca have gone the distance in camp, and probably won’t break the bank salary-wise, but just how close are United to the cap ceiling?

On to the updated roster…

Salary Budget Players (18 required, maximum 20)

GK, Dykstra, Andrew - Odd that the third-stringer is the only one on the salary budget?
D (I) Jakovic, Dejan
D Woolard, Daniel - Is he really a starting-quality MLS fullback?
D McDonald, Brandon
D Russell, Robbie - Past it or the second coming of Namoff?
D (I) Dudar, Emiliano - Can he supplant Jakovic or McDonald to start?
D/M Kitchen, Perry - The anchor-elect. United lists him as off-budget courtesy of GenAd, but I’m pretty sure he graduated.
M Morsink, Kurt - Surplus to requirements with addition of Saragosa?
M Saragosa, Marcelo - Journeyman vet offers cover for Kitchen
M (I, DP) Boskovic, Branko - Ready to make a statement?
M Cruz, Danny
M/F De Rosario, Dwayne
M/F Pontius, Chris
F Wolff, Josh
F (I) Santos, Maicon
F (I, DP) Salihi, Hamdi
-
-
(optional)
(optional)

Off-Budget Players (maximum 10)

GK (HG) Hamid, Bill
GK Willis, Joe
D (HG) White, Ethan
D Korb, Chris
D/M (HG) Shanosky, Conor - Ready to play with the big boys?
M King, Stephen
M (HG) Najar, Andy
M/F DeLeon, Nick
(optional)
(optional)

Trialists

D (I) Guilherme - Brazilian left wingback. Has technique, but what about toughness?
D Burciaga, Jose - Back on the list as the Lazarus Act continues.
M C’deBaca, Seth - Haven’t heard his name in a while – for good or ill.
M Rozeboom, Lance - Suppie pickup. D-mid depth? Looking good in pre-season.
M/F Richter, Ryan - Union washout, college goalscorer (for what it’s worth), can play right back in a pinch.

How many of those trialists make the cut? We’ll know by roster compliance day, which is Thursday. I do find it odd that we’re getting this close to the deadline and Kitchen is still listed as off-budget by virtue of being Generation Adidas. Given that he graduated from the program, I wonder if that means (a) the roster on the website doesn’t reflect reality – at least as MLS HQ perceives it, (b) the brain trust aren’t aware he graduated, or (c) there’s some crazy MLS regulatory loophole I’m not aware of. And by crazy, of course, I mean “to be entirely expected in Major League Soccer.”

The Dudar Abides

2012-02-26T08:57:00.000-05:00

Leadership (via dcunited.com).

"Communication on the field is of the highest importance, especially at defense where one has the chance to see the whole field," added Dudar in a post-match Spanish interview. "One has to try to more or less keep things organized. Ethan and I spoke before hand about talking more and it seemed to work."

Leaving aside for the moment why communication wasn't being preached to the back line by the coaching staff in the first place...

They weren't airtight after the break, but given the number of times Nyarko and Oduro got behind the defense in the first half and United's general fragility in conceding such chances over the last few years, Dudar already looks a smart signing.

Also? I'll be intensely disappointed if there isn't a "The Dudar Abides" banner present for the home opener. Make it happen.

Difference Maker

2012-02-26T08:41:00.001-05:00

Oduro wasn't shy to take shots from tight angles for Chicago last night, and he had quite a few of them (including one off the crossbar). Salihi had one such half-chance from a poor angle, and he wasn't shy either.

The difference? He buried his.

Caveat: Nolly in the Chicago net.

Quick Thoughts On: United v. Fire

2012-02-25T20:00:00.003-05:00

Apologies if this is a bit scattershot, but the web feed was pretty rough (though much appreciated) and I'm enjoying some Cabernet Franc with my footie tonight...

* * *

Chicago controlled much of the possession and had more and better chances, but Hamdi Salihi did what he's been paid the DP cash to do. He got one half-decent chance, albeit from a tough angle near the edge of the box after a long ball out of the back, but he buried it to seal a 1-0 victory for United.

United's first half was abject. Chicago's burners up top were consistently getting behind the United defense, with only Willis (PK saved, 2-3 decent saves in the run of play) and Chicago's wayward finishing to thank for a 0-0 deadlock at the break.

The second half saw a much better performance with the wing attackers getting more involved and more sustained possession in general for United. Still, Chicago had a couple of good looks and might want to see a replay of Oduro's chance that pinged down off the bar and looked suspiciously close to crossing the line.

That said, United's "second team" did not show an appreciable drop-off from the starters despite the entire squad (bar Willis) being replaced in fits and starts. Given that depth and finishing have been the major foci of the FO's offseason, you've got to say that what we saw on the field justified their efforts.

As for formation, United came out in a 4-2-3-1 that shifted to a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 at times based on De Rosario's freedom of movement and the wings getting pushed back by Chicago's outside backs. Generally, it looked like:

Willis in net with Jakovic (White) and McDonald (Dudar) in central defense. Russell (Korb) and Woolard (Guilherme) manned the flanks, while Saragosa (Rozeboom) and King (Shanosky) held down the deeper midfield positions. Salihi (Santos) operated alone up top with the trio of Najar (Cruz), Pontius (DeLeon), and De Rosario (King, latter Richter) supporting.

After the goal, and particularly after De Rosario came off, United's more attacking midfielders dropped deeper into a 4-5-1 as they looked to protect the lead and hit on the counter. Though United weren't the dominant force possession-wise, the number of short goal-kicks and considered distribution from the back seemed to suggest that possession was being stressed. That said, both Russell and Dudar (and White on the winner) displayed a preference (and ability) to hit more direct balls out of the back.

Individuals that stood out (for good or ill)?

Jakovic looked particularly vulnerable against Nyarko's quickness (until Dejan kicked him out of the game...sigh) and quick balls over the top.

Dudar looked calm and in control at the back. Some of his balls were too ambitious and didn't come off and his passes back to Willis sometimes looked under-hit to me, but generally he was solid, particularly in snuffing out potentially dangerous situations with admirable cool.

Salihi had some decent moments of hold-up and combination play (as did Santos in relief), but scoring the one half-decent look he had is what he's getting the big bucks for.

Guilherme looked great on the ball and worrying without it.

Shanosky doesn't quite look ready -- too easy to push off the ball and not always smart with it.

Rozeboom, however, should be signed immediately. He looked calm and confident winning balls, distributing, and directing traffic. Don't know that we need him, Saragosa, Kitchen, and Morsink, do we?

Willis saved the early PK, was in good positions throughout, and looked every inch the capable backup he proved last year.

Saragosa might as well have been Morsink. Lunging tackles, misshit passes, deserved yellow (rash tackle at the end of a sequence after his poor pass lead to a transition chance for the Fire). Has to say something that the center of midfield wasn't so over-run when the rookie Rozeboom came on at the half.

Najar showed in spurts in the second half just how dangerous he is on the ball.

* * *

There's work to do, but the early indications are positive. Despite being largely outplayed, United found a way to win; the striker they brought in to get the goals got one; and the lack in drop-off when the subs were introduced speaks to the quality of depth that the club as made it a point to add this off-season. While the possession play was disjointed and the defense was left chasing far too often (though not every opponent will be as blessed with speed up top as Chicago), these are both problems you expect in pre-season, particularly with a number of new faces being integrated.