Monday, March 31, 2008
MLS Opening Weekend
Couple thoughts on an interesting MLS First Kick weekend...
DC United didn't look bad to me, per se, aside from a surprising lack of incisiveness in the attacking third. But the team definitely looked distracted. And perhaps I would be distracted, too, if I was facing a midweek trip to play a hugely important match against quality opposition at 7,000+ feet in a distant corner of a hostile land where your club's history and record is simply dreadful.
How many times must the lesson of the MLS playoffs and the fall stretch run be rehashed, year after year? League matches in March and April are only important to expansion teams, poor teams or teams otherwise lacking in confidence and structure. We're not going to see the true colors of DC or Houston for another month or so.
Many people are talking/blogging about how bad the LA Galaxy are. And yes, they are quite bad right now. But the sight of David Beckham with time and space, looking upfield with the ball at his feet, is still exciting and even wondrous for the soccer fan to behold. Carlos Ruiz's knee injury is highly troubling for LA but if they would just throw on a few frontrunners with speed, basic finishing ability or, perish the thought, BOTH, I think they'll be scoring goals routinely.
And finally, I must say I was truly gratified by a thought that struck me during one brief, unremarkable passage in the LA-Colorado rout...I believe it began with the Rapids' delightfully odd netminder Bouna Coundoul taking umbrage at the manner in which Ruiz threw himself (studs first, of course) at a hopeful ball served into the Colorado penalty box, and subsequently chased down Little Fishy to poke, confront and otherwise 'ice-grill,' or 'mean-mug,' if you will, the Galaxy striker. Rapids defender Kosuke Kimura, who I am told is the first Japanese player in MLS history, played the voice of reason as he attempted to restrain his strangely perturbed goalkeeper...though I'm not sure just how he'd get his point across...
I know that MLS was founded as a legacy of the 1994 World Cup to promote the sport to the xenophobia-inclined sports fans of this country and help develop the American player, etc etc. But how can a lifelong U.S. soccer devotee not take heart -- and also be entertained -- when he tunes in to an opening day broadcast of his 12-year-old domestic league, and gets to watch a big, quirky Senegalese goalie yelling at a widely-despised Guatemalan hitman while a scandalized-looking Japanese teammate intervenes and a world-renowned English legend looks on...in a contest wherein a creative little Argentinian earns Man of the Match honors?
Diversity is good for MLS. Internationalism and cosmopolitanism is good for MLS. And I am thrilled, not worried, to witness faint echoes of NASL's 'foreign legions' in the league today.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Abe outtakes
Abe Thompson...my profile is here.
I got acquainted with Abe through my indoor team at Dulles Sportsplex. The father of a friend and former UMd teammate of his plays on my team, so on a couple of occasions the college guys would help our humble division 3 team roll to victory, just to get some touches in their offseason. I don't care what level you're playing at: Lord, what a joy it is to have real, matchwinning quality on your team. Abe is of such quality on and off the pitch and graciously called me up for a great interview.
"I think maybe on the field, he disrupted [our chemistry] a little bit, just because when we brought him in I think we only had maybe seven or eight games left in the season, and it’s always hard for a player coming in to adjust to a new league and for him to adjust to us and us to adjust to him. As far as in the locker room goes, he was one of the funniest guys on the team and just a great personality to have. If anything, off the field I think he helped boost morale."
-on over-the-hill Brazilian World Cup vet Denilson's arrival, and subsequent fizzle, in Dallas
"Obviously Sasho and the rest of the coaching staff, they do a great job of recruiting and he does a good job of bringing in high-caliber players. Playing against guys like that day in and day out, naturally you’re going to get better. So you have some guys that maybe going in, weren’t really thinking about turning pro, by the time they’re done, having played all those years against other great players, they’ve gotten so much better that now that’s a reality."
-on the soccer benefits of matriculating at the perennial NCAA powerhouse that is Sasho Cirovski's U.Maryland program
"Obviously, if you have the opportunity at a young age to go overseas, you probably should, because playing at that level over there is going to pay big dividends for you later. But as far as the college ranks go, it’s always a bit tough to predict how a player will turn out, because there’s some big-name guys that get picked up that turn out to not really be good choices. And there’s a lot of guys that get picked up and people raise their eyebrows wondering what the reason for that pick, and they end up being great players. It’s a bit of a crapshoot, really."
-on the college-pro quandary that faces promising young Americans
"It’s definitely tough. I was in that situation for two years myself. It’s tough making that little amount of money, especially if you’re far away from home. You’re contributing and working hard every day, just as the other guys on the team are, but not receiving anywhere near the amount of compensation that other guys are."
-on the struggles of young MLS players scraping by on a developmental salary's poverty wages
"We talk just about every day...Just financially, he’s making more money than he would’ve here, and also, every soccer player in the world grows up dreaming of playing overseas...This is an opportunity for him and he decided to take it: a change of scenery, experience a different culture, and he’s going to make some good money while he’s at it."
-speaking approvingly of childhood friend and former teammate Clarence Goodson's decision to turn down a new contract with MLS and take his chances in Europe. Goodson plays for IK Start in Norway.
I got acquainted with Abe through my indoor team at Dulles Sportsplex. The father of a friend and former UMd teammate of his plays on my team, so on a couple of occasions the college guys would help our humble division 3 team roll to victory, just to get some touches in their offseason. I don't care what level you're playing at: Lord, what a joy it is to have real, matchwinning quality on your team. Abe is of such quality on and off the pitch and graciously called me up for a great interview.
"I think maybe on the field, he disrupted [our chemistry] a little bit, just because when we brought him in I think we only had maybe seven or eight games left in the season, and it’s always hard for a player coming in to adjust to a new league and for him to adjust to us and us to adjust to him. As far as in the locker room goes, he was one of the funniest guys on the team and just a great personality to have. If anything, off the field I think he helped boost morale."
-on over-the-hill Brazilian World Cup vet Denilson's arrival, and subsequent fizzle, in Dallas
"Obviously Sasho and the rest of the coaching staff, they do a great job of recruiting and he does a good job of bringing in high-caliber players. Playing against guys like that day in and day out, naturally you’re going to get better. So you have some guys that maybe going in, weren’t really thinking about turning pro, by the time they’re done, having played all those years against other great players, they’ve gotten so much better that now that’s a reality."
-on the soccer benefits of matriculating at the perennial NCAA powerhouse that is Sasho Cirovski's U.Maryland program
"Obviously, if you have the opportunity at a young age to go overseas, you probably should, because playing at that level over there is going to pay big dividends for you later. But as far as the college ranks go, it’s always a bit tough to predict how a player will turn out, because there’s some big-name guys that get picked up that turn out to not really be good choices. And there’s a lot of guys that get picked up and people raise their eyebrows wondering what the reason for that pick, and they end up being great players. It’s a bit of a crapshoot, really."
-on the college-pro quandary that faces promising young Americans
"It’s definitely tough. I was in that situation for two years myself. It’s tough making that little amount of money, especially if you’re far away from home. You’re contributing and working hard every day, just as the other guys on the team are, but not receiving anywhere near the amount of compensation that other guys are."
-on the struggles of young MLS players scraping by on a developmental salary's poverty wages
"We talk just about every day...Just financially, he’s making more money than he would’ve here, and also, every soccer player in the world grows up dreaming of playing overseas...This is an opportunity for him and he decided to take it: a change of scenery, experience a different culture, and he’s going to make some good money while he’s at it."
-speaking approvingly of childhood friend and former teammate Clarence Goodson's decision to turn down a new contract with MLS and take his chances in Europe. Goodson plays for IK Start in Norway.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
DCU Kickoff Luncheon: notes and quotes
Got lots of interesting stuff from Tuesday's DC United Kickoff Luncheon at the Capital Hilton yesterday, which featured a keynote address from MLS Commish Don Garber.
For DCU, this event has become an annual ritual somewhat along the lines of Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day appearance: fast or slow, ready or not, the weather is changing and the new season is at hand.
In recent editions the stadium issue has been a theme, but one that was hovering in the background -- whereas this year I got a sense that patience is really running out as everyone, league and club alike, is ready for something meaningful to happen SOON. A sort of determined optimism, you might say, that a tipping point is near and even if the club has to leave DC and move out to Prince George's County, at least it's action and movement.
Of course, the Don was thronged by media swine like me long after the event's conclusion, and after talking to Tom Soehn and several of his players, I got to participate in the tail end of the Garber Q&A.
Certainly the league would prefer to keep United in DC, but Garber broadcast loud and clear -- at least in the diplo-speak practiced by people of his rank and standing -- that he is tired of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's games and is ready to see a decent plan put up for a vote by the City Council.
"Not yet," he said when I asked if the stadium situation had reached a critical level. "I think we’re encouraged by the show of political support here, but we need, and I am hopeful that our mayor, the mayor, will push this to the council for a vote that we’re hopeful will be positive. Until it goes to the council for a vote, we’re almost at stage one.
"The mayor has been supportive, he’s been to games, I’ve met him at games. I know he loves this team" -- and at this point Garber stopped and corrected himself – "loves, no, cares about this team and understands the significance of the team in the community. But it’s a political process and this is a political town."
Later I mentioned a 3-5 year timeline for getting United into a stadium SOMEWHERE, and the Commish corrected me.
"I don’t want to wait five years for a stadium. It would be really disappointing if it takes five years for this team to get a new stadium – so you’re talking about 18 years before DC United has its own stadium. It would one of the last MLS teams in our league to get its own stadium. That’s inconceivable to me."
A few other tidbits:
"We have more international TV rights than ever before, those started last year, a lot of that had to do with David [Beckham] and [Cuauhtemoc] Blanco. A lot more interest for our sport down in Argentina, we’re getting covered down in the newspapers over there. Sponsors are interested in what’s going on with us here and down there. "
-in response to John Haydon's question about Argentina paying more attention to MLS in light of new arrivals Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez
"You know, I think all union negotiations are difficult. But I think both the players and the league ownership are smart, and we’ll go through these discussions in a careful way on both sides. But it’s never an easy process in pro sports...The league is certainly more stable and more viable than it was [when the current CBA was signed], but that’s countered by the hundreds of millions of dollars that’s been invested up to this point. So I think you’ve got willing participants in a negotiation and that’s a good thing. "
-on the prospects of a knock-down, drag-out negotiating battle over the league's next collective bargaining agreement with the players' union (he also noted that those negotiations have already begun).
For DCU, this event has become an annual ritual somewhat along the lines of Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day appearance: fast or slow, ready or not, the weather is changing and the new season is at hand.
In recent editions the stadium issue has been a theme, but one that was hovering in the background -- whereas this year I got a sense that patience is really running out as everyone, league and club alike, is ready for something meaningful to happen SOON. A sort of determined optimism, you might say, that a tipping point is near and even if the club has to leave DC and move out to Prince George's County, at least it's action and movement.
Of course, the Don was thronged by media swine like me long after the event's conclusion, and after talking to Tom Soehn and several of his players, I got to participate in the tail end of the Garber Q&A.
Certainly the league would prefer to keep United in DC, but Garber broadcast loud and clear -- at least in the diplo-speak practiced by people of his rank and standing -- that he is tired of DC Mayor Adrian Fenty's games and is ready to see a decent plan put up for a vote by the City Council.
"Not yet," he said when I asked if the stadium situation had reached a critical level. "I think we’re encouraged by the show of political support here, but we need, and I am hopeful that our mayor, the mayor, will push this to the council for a vote that we’re hopeful will be positive. Until it goes to the council for a vote, we’re almost at stage one.
"The mayor has been supportive, he’s been to games, I’ve met him at games. I know he loves this team" -- and at this point Garber stopped and corrected himself – "loves, no, cares about this team and understands the significance of the team in the community. But it’s a political process and this is a political town."
Later I mentioned a 3-5 year timeline for getting United into a stadium SOMEWHERE, and the Commish corrected me.
"I don’t want to wait five years for a stadium. It would be really disappointing if it takes five years for this team to get a new stadium – so you’re talking about 18 years before DC United has its own stadium. It would one of the last MLS teams in our league to get its own stadium. That’s inconceivable to me."
A few other tidbits:
"We have more international TV rights than ever before, those started last year, a lot of that had to do with David [Beckham] and [Cuauhtemoc] Blanco. A lot more interest for our sport down in Argentina, we’re getting covered down in the newspapers over there. Sponsors are interested in what’s going on with us here and down there. "
-in response to John Haydon's question about Argentina paying more attention to MLS in light of new arrivals Marcelo Gallardo and Claudio Lopez
"You know, I think all union negotiations are difficult. But I think both the players and the league ownership are smart, and we’ll go through these discussions in a careful way on both sides. But it’s never an easy process in pro sports...The league is certainly more stable and more viable than it was [when the current CBA was signed], but that’s countered by the hundreds of millions of dollars that’s been invested up to this point. So I think you’ve got willing participants in a negotiation and that’s a good thing. "
-on the prospects of a knock-down, drag-out negotiating battle over the league's next collective bargaining agreement with the players' union (he also noted that those negotiations have already begun).
Monday, March 24, 2008
Ingles 101 w/ Professor Simms
Hope everyone had a great Purim, Happy Easter, et al.
I'm still wrestling with my DC United preview package for MLSnet today, but going through my DCU notes and quotes made me remember this brief exchange with Clyde Simms after Tuesday's demolition of Harbour View.
Plenty of stories have already been written about United's bevy of new South Americans and the linguistic challenges brought on by their arrival. They've all been taking English lessons for weeks now, but sometimes there's just no substitute for learning by experience in the sound and fury of match play. I asked Sims -- whose holding midfielder role sandwiches him between Gallardo in front and Gonzalos Peralta and Martinez in back -- how the communication process was playing out.
I'm still wrestling with my DC United preview package for MLSnet today, but going through my DCU notes and quotes made me remember this brief exchange with Clyde Simms after Tuesday's demolition of Harbour View.
Plenty of stories have already been written about United's bevy of new South Americans and the linguistic challenges brought on by their arrival. They've all been taking English lessons for weeks now, but sometimes there's just no substitute for learning by experience in the sound and fury of match play. I asked Sims -- whose holding midfielder role sandwiches him between Gallardo in front and Gonzalos Peralta and Martinez in back -- how the communication process was playing out.
"It’s getting better," said Sims. "I actually had to teach [Gonzalo] Martinez a word [tonight], just to say ‘push,’ because he was just yelling my name and I had to turn around to see what he wanted, see what he was talking about, and I ended up telling him just to say ‘push.’ He got it. So it’s getting better."
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
There is no safe Harbour
DC United could be a very, very good footie team in 2008. What we saw floating to the surface in flashes against Harbour View on Tuesday night could go on to become a truly dominant side in the MLS Eastern Conference and beyond, although the starters are, really, still just getting introduced to one another in terms of the anticipation, telepathic understanding and high-speed decision-making of game situations. But there is a frightening array of talent on offer for Tom Soehn.
It is wise to approach the game's last 25 minutes with a healthy dose of skepticism: HVFC were gashed badly at that point and seemed pretty shell-shocked about it. And why did it take so long for United to find that killer instinct, that cutthroat mentality? Didn't anyone tell them that they were fully capable of dominating the Jamaicans from the very beginning of the tie? (Similarly, Luciano Emilio in particular comes to mind as one whose final statistics may flatter his overall performance.)
I think it is safe to say that Soehn and co. surely DID suggest something to that effect, but the squad is perhaps only now getting wise to one another. It's ample fodder for those who (often in the context of criticizing the genial nature of the MLS regular season setup) contend that the thrill and pressure of meaningful matches simply cannot be replicated. Here we have a team which is gelling before our eyes, almost minute-by-minute. I would expect that a similar rate of improvement can continue over the next month or so as United settles into the metronomic routine of daily training and "normal" life around DC.
Gallardo looks class, as the English would say. He wants the ball -- all the time, as a #10 should -- and he knows how to get it almost anywhere on the field, and where and how to ping it elsewhere in pleasing ways. And I don't think he is as picky as Christian Gomez was/is about it: he'll drop back into his own team's box to snag possession, he'll buzz around opposing central midfielders to win it back, he doesn't seem to require any special circumstances to assert his influence on the match, and so forth.
Now the question is how he gets on in MLS action. Week in, week out, he's going to have to wrestle with pain-in-the-a$$ holding midfielders -- an MLS specialty, one type of player the league churns out with sweatshop efficiency -- and how will he deal with that? It starts in a minor-league baseball park outside Kansas City in 10 days or so; you can bet that Wizards Curt Onalfo will be telling Kerry Zavagnin to lace himself into Gallardo's shorts from minute 1 of the season opener on 29 March.
It is wise to approach the game's last 25 minutes with a healthy dose of skepticism: HVFC were gashed badly at that point and seemed pretty shell-shocked about it. And why did it take so long for United to find that killer instinct, that cutthroat mentality? Didn't anyone tell them that they were fully capable of dominating the Jamaicans from the very beginning of the tie? (Similarly, Luciano Emilio in particular comes to mind as one whose final statistics may flatter his overall performance.)
I think it is safe to say that Soehn and co. surely DID suggest something to that effect, but the squad is perhaps only now getting wise to one another. It's ample fodder for those who (often in the context of criticizing the genial nature of the MLS regular season setup) contend that the thrill and pressure of meaningful matches simply cannot be replicated. Here we have a team which is gelling before our eyes, almost minute-by-minute. I would expect that a similar rate of improvement can continue over the next month or so as United settles into the metronomic routine of daily training and "normal" life around DC.
Gallardo looks class, as the English would say. He wants the ball -- all the time, as a #10 should -- and he knows how to get it almost anywhere on the field, and where and how to ping it elsewhere in pleasing ways. And I don't think he is as picky as Christian Gomez was/is about it: he'll drop back into his own team's box to snag possession, he'll buzz around opposing central midfielders to win it back, he doesn't seem to require any special circumstances to assert his influence on the match, and so forth.
Now the question is how he gets on in MLS action. Week in, week out, he's going to have to wrestle with pain-in-the-a$$ holding midfielders -- an MLS specialty, one type of player the league churns out with sweatshop efficiency -- and how will he deal with that? It starts in a minor-league baseball park outside Kansas City in 10 days or so; you can bet that Wizards Curt Onalfo will be telling Kerry Zavagnin to lace himself into Gallardo's shorts from minute 1 of the season opener on 29 March.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Prognistication station
Here we are again: 2008 Opening Day at RFK (not the ever-so-cleverly named "First Kick," mind you, but opening day nonetheless)...The field is lush, green and nicely hemmed with fresh white paint, La Barra and friends are already posted up in Lot 8...so who takes the glory tonight?
How about 2-0 United, with goals from Fred and Niell?
Human predicts, God laughs...
How about 2-0 United, with goals from Fred and Niell?
Human predicts, God laughs...
Monday, March 17, 2008
A few DCU tidbits
I was able to watch a big chunk of DC United's training session on Saturday morning, and by and large, the squad looked pretty lively. Obviously, DC benefits from hosting the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup tie with Harbour View at home... but beyond that, there's no denying the intangible boost this group is enjoying after a looooong stretch on the road. Familiar cars, houses, couches and beds, home-cooked meals...and like Tom Soehn sardonically told me over the phone a few weeks back, it's nice to re-introduce yourself to the family every once in a while.
A few players caught my attention during a small-sided drill that emphasized width and movement, with full-sized goals bracketing a very short field to encourage shooting from all over.
*Marc Burch: Assertive on the ball and with plenty of bite in his challenges, the Maryland alum's confidence seems to be growing steadily -- and why not? He's effectively an unchallenged starter at left back (Soehn could insert Devon McTavish in that spot but it would require a serious drop in Burch's form for him to even consider such a move) and he's got all the tools to become one of the best in MLS at that position. And left back just happens to be a problem spot for Bob Bradley's US National team as well...
*Jeremy Barlow: I was one of several observers who mistook the former Houston Dynamo man for Franco Niell -- he's small but quick, always moving, and possessed of the technique and mentality to run at people and make things happen with the ball at his feet. His local ties and developmental roster status make him a no-lose proposition for United.
*Justin Moose: With the arrival of Niell and Barlow, perhaps he can claim to be the progenitor of DC's recent short-guy stockpiling, though that would surely be a disservice to Richie Williams. This preseason, Moose had to work hard just to earn another season of poverty-level developmental wages and reserve team toil, and reportedly considered leaving the game entirely...but I think he may have a role to play for United this season. He's good in tight spaces and just doesn't ever seem to stop running.
And finally, at the tail end of his conversation with the media I got a glimpse of The Feisty Tom Soehn, who saw a need to put me in my place when I asked a followup question about Jaime Moreno's hamstring injury. (I had previously requested a brief interview with Brian Goodstein, DCU's athletic trainer, to talk more about Moreno's situation, but was denied a face-to-face with "Goody.")
I have no medical background to speak of, but thanks to soccer I do have plenty of scar tissue in both hamstrings and in my experience a 15th-minute hammy pull has a different significance than one occurring in, say, the 80th minute. But I guess I wasn't specific enough with Soehn because he seemed to take umbrage, perhaps thinking that I was insinuating something about Moreno's age or his preparation levels.
"He’s been working really hard and we’ve been making him work extra-hard to get everybody fit. Injuries happen, there’s no rhyme or reason, you know," said the second-year boss, then added, "Don’t start thinking beyond what you should be thinking – it’s an injury. Don’t try to make something out of nothing. I know where you’re going with it – don’t make something out of nothing. It’s an injury. Just like anybody else."
Hmmmm...is this how a head honcho gets tagged as a "player's coach"? Or have the murmurings about Moreno begun to truly annoy people in and around the club? Or maybe I was just barking up the wrong tree...?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Weekend
DC United will finally get a chance to return to something approaching a normal routine this weekend, with morning training sessions at the usual time at the RFK Stadium auxiliary fields on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I'm looking to catch at least one or two of those sessions and share some observations and reactions right here at CIP.
And there are plenty of questions to ponder looking ahead to Tuesday's Champions Cup second-leg match at RFK...
United clearly need to improve their fluidity and possession -- and do MORE with it, too, by creating and finishing more scoring chances. I think it's wise to assume there will be no Jaime Moreno on the field on Tuesday. Who will hold the ball for them, then? If Gallardo keeps dropping deep to receive the ball (in some cases within spitting distance of the fullbacks), can they really be as dangerous going forward as last season's squad? With a hamstrung captain and the series balanced at 1-1 on aggregate, what is the team's psyche like? Might the Black-and-Red even find themselves in a position to be...dare we say it...nervous?
And there are plenty of questions to ponder looking ahead to Tuesday's Champions Cup second-leg match at RFK...
United clearly need to improve their fluidity and possession -- and do MORE with it, too, by creating and finishing more scoring chances. I think it's wise to assume there will be no Jaime Moreno on the field on Tuesday. Who will hold the ball for them, then? If Gallardo keeps dropping deep to receive the ball (in some cases within spitting distance of the fullbacks), can they really be as dangerous going forward as last season's squad? With a hamstrung captain and the series balanced at 1-1 on aggregate, what is the team's psyche like? Might the Black-and-Red even find themselves in a position to be...dare we say it...nervous?
Thursday, March 13, 2008
First thoughts
Dashing out a few thoughts before bed following Harbour View 1-1 DC United...
United can't really feel too bad about this result. Yes, they were five+ minutes away from a first leg victory when Lovel Palmer's finish punished some lead-footed set piece marking, but they'd hardly built any sort of clear advantage up to that point in what was on balance a ragged and disjointed match. The two Gonzalos in central defense looked capable and assured all night, but deserve fair criticism just for that blunder alone, which took place on a particularly high, floaty corner kick delivery from onetime Wizard Jermaine Hue.
The biggest talking point of the night has to be Moreno. I'm stunned to see him last less than 15 minutes on an evening featuring near-ideal weather and a rough, but not unplayable, pitch. Are his legs really that worn down by preseason fitness work? Is he truly match fit? Might he even have warmed up inadequately?
For all the murmurs about his advancing age, Moreno is more central to this team's prospects than ever. He holds the ball better than anyone on the team, he wears the captain's armband and with the influx of South Americans, he's a primary conduit of information flow both on and off the field, and in a number of directions. Soehn is going to have to clearly and honestly attempt to assess just how many minutes Moreno's body can bear this season, because it's going to have plenty of influence on the season's course.
Now, the squad can journey back home to DC...finally...could that alone spur a positive result on Tuesday...?
United can't really feel too bad about this result. Yes, they were five+ minutes away from a first leg victory when Lovel Palmer's finish punished some lead-footed set piece marking, but they'd hardly built any sort of clear advantage up to that point in what was on balance a ragged and disjointed match. The two Gonzalos in central defense looked capable and assured all night, but deserve fair criticism just for that blunder alone, which took place on a particularly high, floaty corner kick delivery from onetime Wizard Jermaine Hue.
The biggest talking point of the night has to be Moreno. I'm stunned to see him last less than 15 minutes on an evening featuring near-ideal weather and a rough, but not unplayable, pitch. Are his legs really that worn down by preseason fitness work? Is he truly match fit? Might he even have warmed up inadequately?
For all the murmurs about his advancing age, Moreno is more central to this team's prospects than ever. He holds the ball better than anyone on the team, he wears the captain's armband and with the influx of South Americans, he's a primary conduit of information flow both on and off the field, and in a number of directions. Soehn is going to have to clearly and honestly attempt to assess just how many minutes Moreno's body can bear this season, because it's going to have plenty of influence on the season's course.
Now, the squad can journey back home to DC...finally...could that alone spur a positive result on Tuesday...?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Buckle up, baby!!! *
I'm back, people.
I've spent a long two weeks away from DC, helping, no, trying to help a close family member deal with a host of personal, legal, financial and health-related problems...neat closure and/or a happy ending was elusive, but I did what I could and am certainly glad to be back in the Diamond District.
There's been plenty of goings-on around the local soccer scene and on the DC United front, not to mention the futbol world at large. Several area youth standouts are rising to the top of the nation's recruiting classes -- not only in terms of college recruiting, but professional scouting as well -- the US Men's Olympic squad seems dead-set on flirting with disaster with roster choices as well as qualifying results, and the brave boys from Barcelona seem to have missed their best opportunity to reel in Real Madrid at the top of La Liga standings. Sigh.
But with the long-awaited kickoff to their 2008 campaign taking place in the capital of Jamrock later tonight, United is taking center stage this week. Dave Kasper and Tom Soehn's grand chemistry experiment will get its first public test on a dodgy pitch in Kingston, where long balls and crunching tackles are sure to be flying about in equal measure. Harbour View have a decent squad with some technical ability, but I'd bet dimes to donuts that Moreno, Gallardo, and Fred, just to name the three top targets, are going to get grass on their unis pretty quickly.
Some have speculated that Gallardo may not be quite fit enough to get the start, but I think the only real question in terms of the first XI is the right wing role. There's plenty of good reason to suspect that Tom Soehn will give in to the "play it safe, be defensive" angel sitting on his right shoulder and start Dev McTavish or Dom Mediate in that spot. But based on my weekend conversations with Tino Quaranta, and to a lesser extent, Quavas Kirk, I think Soehn's "don't be a weenie, go for the jugular against this second-rate Caribbean bunch" angel will win out and Quaranta will get the nod.
Despite coming off early with hamstring tightness in last week's preseason match against Chivas USA in Texas, Tino insisted that he was 100% fit and expressed the sentiment that, basically, he hasn't worked his butt off all offseason and done the prodigal son routine just to be a squad player. He wants to start in the right wing role and has been working towards that goal from the get-go this year. If he's as motivated and ready to perform as he sounds, there's no reason why he can't make that spot his own for the next couple of months, if not beyond. Beyond that, I do expect Emilio to be substituted, probably by Niell: Soehn has made clear that the prolific Brazilian reported to preseason with poor fitness levels and Gallardo might give way as well -- to Moose, perhaps?
As for tonight's result, I believe there will be some nerves and a few hiccups on the Black-and-Red side. As such, these would only be disastrous for DC if they took place along the back line, and at an inopportune moment. Realistically, the environment is not going to be that hostile, despite the fact that tickets are priced at the equivalent of a mere US$7.
I played footie in the Caribbean for a couple of years during Peace Corps and while West Indians do their best to be threatening and hostile, they do not typically dig into the Central American bag of tricks that includes bags of urine as projectiles, constant crescendos of boos/whistles and speaker trucks blaring music at the team hotel all night. The bumpy field will disrupt DC's efforts at smooth possession and one-touch passing, yes. But the goals are the same size and the HVFC back line is bound to lose its shape, present big gaps or ditch marking assignments on multiple occasions.
Prediction: 2-1 United, just like the previous meeting in 2004. Goals from Emilio and Niell.
*hat tip to Dave Chappelle
There's been plenty of goings-on around the local soccer scene and on the DC United front, not to mention the futbol world at large. Several area youth standouts are rising to the top of the nation's recruiting classes -- not only in terms of college recruiting, but professional scouting as well -- the US Men's Olympic squad seems dead-set on flirting with disaster with roster choices as well as qualifying results, and the brave boys from Barcelona seem to have missed their best opportunity to reel in Real Madrid at the top of La Liga standings. Sigh.
But with the long-awaited kickoff to their 2008 campaign taking place in the capital of Jamrock later tonight, United is taking center stage this week. Dave Kasper and Tom Soehn's grand chemistry experiment will get its first public test on a dodgy pitch in Kingston, where long balls and crunching tackles are sure to be flying about in equal measure. Harbour View have a decent squad with some technical ability, but I'd bet dimes to donuts that Moreno, Gallardo, and Fred, just to name the three top targets, are going to get grass on their unis pretty quickly.
Some have speculated that Gallardo may not be quite fit enough to get the start, but I think the only real question in terms of the first XI is the right wing role. There's plenty of good reason to suspect that Tom Soehn will give in to the "play it safe, be defensive" angel sitting on his right shoulder and start Dev McTavish or Dom Mediate in that spot. But based on my weekend conversations with Tino Quaranta, and to a lesser extent, Quavas Kirk, I think Soehn's "don't be a weenie, go for the jugular against this second-rate Caribbean bunch" angel will win out and Quaranta will get the nod.
Despite coming off early with hamstring tightness in last week's preseason match against Chivas USA in Texas, Tino insisted that he was 100% fit and expressed the sentiment that, basically, he hasn't worked his butt off all offseason and done the prodigal son routine just to be a squad player. He wants to start in the right wing role and has been working towards that goal from the get-go this year. If he's as motivated and ready to perform as he sounds, there's no reason why he can't make that spot his own for the next couple of months, if not beyond. Beyond that, I do expect Emilio to be substituted, probably by Niell: Soehn has made clear that the prolific Brazilian reported to preseason with poor fitness levels and Gallardo might give way as well -- to Moose, perhaps?
As for tonight's result, I believe there will be some nerves and a few hiccups on the Black-and-Red side. As such, these would only be disastrous for DC if they took place along the back line, and at an inopportune moment. Realistically, the environment is not going to be that hostile, despite the fact that tickets are priced at the equivalent of a mere US$7.
I played footie in the Caribbean for a couple of years during Peace Corps and while West Indians do their best to be threatening and hostile, they do not typically dig into the Central American bag of tricks that includes bags of urine as projectiles, constant crescendos of boos/whistles and speaker trucks blaring music at the team hotel all night. The bumpy field will disrupt DC's efforts at smooth possession and one-touch passing, yes. But the goals are the same size and the HVFC back line is bound to lose its shape, present big gaps or ditch marking assignments on multiple occasions.
Prediction: 2-1 United, just like the previous meeting in 2004. Goals from Emilio and Niell.
*hat tip to Dave Chappelle
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
