Caught in Possession

Soundtrack for this post, courtesy of the Black Keys:





So D.C. United starts two rookies and two brand-new arrivals in last Sunday's 2-2 draw against the Galaxy.

And so maybe those rooks held their own, and one -- the one who took the starting spot normally occupied by a club legend who also happens to be the league's all-time leading scorer -- even chipped in with an important golazzo in the second half.

So yeah, D.C. rookie attacker Chris Pontius enjoyed an outstanding professional debut, and some people even wrote some pretty glowing features about it. But he and the rest of the 2009 crop have got a long way to go, as aforementioned club legend and club captain Jaime Moreno alluded to after United's training session on Thursday:

It’s a long season and there are a lot of things to learn, and to prove, for young guys. You can get excited in the beginning but it’s a long season and you’ve got to maintain that level. You’ve got to keep working the same way and keep the same level, getting better at the same time.

So for me it’s too early to talk. I always like to establish something, if it’s not the middle of the season – or better, after – because at the end of the day what matters here is playoffs. You’ve got to be consistent and maintain that level to take you all the way to playoffs, and hopefully, the final, to be the champ. To do that, you’ve got to maintain that level so that the team does better and yourself, too.

It should surprise no one that Moreno is never happy to spend time on the bench and to be fair, United boss Tom Soehn was all set to throw the Bolivian into the fray on Sunday. But that's when Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki knocked heads on an aerial challenge that left both players bleeding profusely and when McTavish was unable to continue, Soehn had to alter his final substitution and bring on Marc Burch instead.

The 34-year-old Moreno is undoubtedly aware that his squad can benefit from an injection of youthful vigor. But he still harbors enough smoldering intensity to make me second-guess any thoughts of his impending marginalization:

I just want to make sure I’m here to contribute to the team. The coach is the one who decides if I start or if I come off the bench. But every day I work to be in the first XI. I’m not a guy that – I don’t feel comfortable being on the bench. I’m sure a lot of guys don’t [either], so that’s why you work from Monday to Friday to get a place on the first XI. If not, then you’ve got to do something better to get you there. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done everything that’s in my hands to be in the first XI. Then there is a head coach – he is the one who decides who plays.