Caught in Possession

From Merriam-Webster:
tal•is•man
Pronunciation: \ˈta-ləs-mən, -ləz-\
Function: noun
Etymology: French talisman or Spanish talismán or Italian talismano; all from Arabic ṭilsam, from Middle Greek telesma, from Greek, consecration, from telein to initiate into the mysteries, complete, from telos end
Definition:
1 an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune
2 something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects


Last Saturday was a busy day of work for me in terms of both my writing and my retail occupations, but I was able to snag some space on my girlfriend's Tivo in order to record the Spain vs Turkey UEFA World Cup qualifier at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid, a 1-0 victory for the home side which was every bit as awkward for España as this recap suggests.

Phil Ball is one of my all-time favorite soccer scribes and Morbo, his landmark book on the history and culture interwoven in Spanish footy, is a major reason behind my enduring love of La Liga. I was aggrieved to see Ball step away from his weekly Soccernet columns on the league at the end of last year, but ESPN seems to have done quite well in their search for his replacement, as I have thoroughly enjoyed the work of Eduardo Alvarez -- who offers up another good piece this week, specifically focusing on the national team's boss, Vincente Del Bosque, who seems to have international soccer's in-form team plotting a steady course to South Africa 2010.

Alvarez refers to "El Profesor" Del Bosque's strength as a field general in the center of the park during his playing career, comparable to current stars Xavi (of Spain and FC Barcelona) and Andrea Pirlo (Italy and AC Milan). This type of midfielder is a fascinating concept, and most great teams are paced by at least one such personality.

DC United played their home opener at RFK Stadium on Saturday night and while there are many talking points to consider -- and The DCenters' beautifully exhaustive post-match debriefing does a better job of rounding them all up than I could ever hope to equal -- I find myself most intrigued by the role of Ben Olsen, who I see as the closest thing to "El Profesor" for this year's United squad.

As far as midfield talismans go, DC fans may think of playmakers like Christian Gomez and, going further back in history, Marco Etcheverry. But after two games -- which, admittedly, tell us only so much about his left ankle's long-term durability -- I am convinced that Olsen is head coach Tom Soehn's key to holding his squad together, at least in terms of match performances in the short term.

Steve Goff has examined this angle already, and in the days ahead I will be doing a piece on other aspects of #14's role this season. But it's clear to see how few teammates can match his blend of intelligence, intensity and guidance. For now, I don't see how The Black-and-Red can contend for positive results in league play on a weekly basis without him playing regularly. He's too smart not to be in the first XI when fit.

This also has tactical implications. Whatever Soehn says about his plans to tweak DC's formation, he will have to use 3-5-2 more often than not when Olsen is available. Olsen's reduced mobility means he needs a greyhound like Clyde Simms alongside him to cover ground and make life easier for Gomez at the top of the midfield. Given that a timely intervention of talented youth (ie Pontius and Wallace) means United seem to be surprisingly well-endowed on the flanks this year, how else does Soehn get his most important performers on the field at the same time?

Coaches, parents and fans out there: does your team have a midfield "profesor"? What about a talisman? If so, who -- and is it a good thing? What does it mean for the squad as a whole?

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.

Sounders FC 3 - 0 NY Red Bulls

Big up Seatown!

Congrats to Vancouver, Major League Soccer's newest hometown. The remodeling plans (especially the soccer-specific configuration) for their future home ground, BC Place, are jaw-dropping -- go check 'em out ASAP.

It's an opportune moment to pay tribute to my homeboy Steve Nash -- top NBA point guard, soccer fanatic, MLS Vancouver investor, BC native, son of a Tottenham Hotspurs alum and possibly the greatest all-around athlete in Canadian history...



And how about some love for another soccer hotbed just a few hundred miles down the Pac NW coast. Seattle? Not this time. Sure, the Sounders are blowing up the spot, as the kids say these days -- but their not-so-friendly rivals down in OR are about to have their day, too.

Rose City, welcome to MLS.

Ok, so MLS Barca Miami is out.

St. Louis seems to have everything a good expansion city needs, but The Don still wants to see more dough.

Portland's bid depends on a hefty dose of government support at an awkward time for such things and their leading backer is having, um, issues of his own.

So where the h*ll is picky MLS going to find an expansion site of their liking???

There are many valid ideas and observations out there in the soccer blogosphere, some of which posit that MLS is going to have to drop their $40 million expansion fee a bit, or even forgo this expansion round entirely.

Well, I just got an email from Dan Courtemanche (Senior Vice Prez, Marketing & Comm) at MLS headquarters, and as of now, they say they're not blinking:

"Regarding the expansion fee for the next round, MLS currently does not plan on altering that fee."

Courtemanche had a few more things to offer, and I'll be sharing them on PSW later this week. Stay tuned...

Houston, you have a problem.

With Dwayne DeRosario gone back to Ontario and Sounders Sasquatch Nate Jaqua returning to his Pac Northwest roots, who is going to score goals for The Orange? I would normally respond "Brian Ching, of course" but he made a hash out of the few scoring chances that came his way in the CONCACAF Champions League series against Atlante, and beyond him, you're basically looking to kids for your scoring.

I'm particularly looking forward to another CCL quarterfinal, Santos Laguna vs Montreal Impact at Estadio Corona on Thursday night. After last week's sensational first leg at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, can the Impact's Cinderella story continue?

And by the way, this is the same club whose MLS expansion bid was tossed aside late last year due to the Impact's doubts about the league's $40 million franchise fee. But if they can rack up passionate crowds of 55,000+ for CCL -- by comparison, Houston barely drew 10,000 out to their home match -- perhaps they don't need MLS as much as MLS needs them, eh? It's a subject that has been on our minds here at Potomac Soccer Wire; look out for more analysis and coverage in the days ahead.

In other news, I have, against my instincts and better judgment, gotten rolled up in this Twitter wave that seems to be sweeping the nation (soccer reporters seem especially hard-hit: Dure, Green, Goff, Stouffer, McAllister...and the list goes on).

I am highly doubtful as to my ability and temperament to sustain the terse, constant, often inane chirping that constitutes the Twitter experience. But there does seem to be some potential for meaning and mindfulness in the haiku-like brevity of its format. And it's a good procrastination tool, if nothing else.

Twit me up at: http://twitter.com/cboehm ...