Caught in Possession

On Throwdowns

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 05:43:00 +0000

Former DC United boss Peter/Piotr Nowak, presently leading the US footie delegation in China, had a number of important phrases he would use as touchstones/talking points when talking to media during his time in DC. One of his favorites ran something along the lines of, "always ve haff to do tree tings: run, fight ant play good zoccer," essentially emphasizing a sort of holy trinity of fitness, spirit and technical/tactical quality as central tenets of his team's style.

All three were/are important to Nowak-led teams, but the first two were the most important because they were the easiest to control and produce. In many ways his current and former teams -- Chicago, D.C., the U.S. U23 National team and probably going all the way back to his Bundesliga playing days, too -- reflect differing variations on that philosophy...but I digress. The point is that even on a day when your touch is off or you're a step slow or the rhythm just isn't quite clicking, you can still dig in and get something out of a game with the proverbial p*ss and vinegar.

Rivalry games are usually decided on this aspect, too. When DC United heads up to the Meadowlands tomb of turf on Sunday to try and nab some league points from Red Bull while still keeping one eye on Tuesday's USOC visit from the Revs, is there going to be enough cussedness on the (plastic) field to do the dirt, as they say? Or does a fired-up Red Bull side get it just by wanting it more, having little else to think about?

I think it's safe to say that the Olympic Nats' best hopes for the big clash with Clockwork Oranje lie in turning that match into a bit of a streetfight, too. Who wants it more?

(But maybe some people just want to be loved, and get tired of conflict and enmity, especially when it mysteriously follows them everywhere they go. It's important to keep scoring goals or whatever else it is you're good at, though.)

The rivalry factor sometimes brings out the best in the press box, too.

If there's one thing to be thankful for when it comes to the explosion of the U.S. footie media blogosphere, it's potshots du snark like the ones that occasionally fly back and forth between foes like TOR and MLSR, and oh, let's say...a major-daily pack leader and the tenacious commuter daily dog snapping at his heels!

Goff gets scooped on the VW announcement and doesn't like it...now Craig throws some ever-so-subtle 'bows...y me encanta! I work alongside both of these guys and find them to be smart, decent, hard-working gentlemen -- but so competitive, eh?

MARKETING. JUGGERNAUT.

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:22:00 +0000

Workmanlike workmanship @ RFK

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 04:39:00 +0000

When I visited RFK on Wednesday to chat with some DC United players in advance of Saturday night's home match against the K.C. Wizards, I was fortunate to get a little time with Ben Olsen. Olsen is usually -- and understandably -- reluctant to talk to media too much these days, since with his ankle troubles he's spent virtually no time on the field this season and would prefer to direct attention to the guys who have.

But Benny is obviously one of the most engaging personalities on the team and his insights on the game remain as sharp as ever. We talked briefly about United's recent struggles and he offered the following observations.

"The obvious part of it is, we got some big guns out. We need those back. I think this team believes in the reserves and players that haven’t gotten much time, but with that comes a loss of cohesiveness...

But saying that, I think we need to start gutting out some wins. If it isn’t working soccer-wise, we can still kind of get the other stuff right, the marking and the fighting and the things like that. I’ve seen a lot of teams go through injury stretches and gut out wins, gut out results until the guys that have gotten us those eight wins in a row get back."

After a gritty but effective display like this, I think it's safe to say, "mission accomplished," for now.

Agorsor addendum

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:56:00 +0000

Here's part II of my look at local teen phenom Chris Agorsor. Regardless of whether the finished product matches up to the hype, I'm as interested as anyone in seeing where Chris' path takes him.

And there's something else I wanted to share...After part I was published last week, I got a short but highly entertaining email from a friend and former colleague in the soccer journo world. Turns out, my friend once coached Agorsor when he was much younger, and even at that early stage his abilities were clearly exceptional. A brief excerpt from the email:

...F*ck, that kid is sick, dude. He could have started on my college soccer team as a 7th grader...

I think that about sums it up. Enjoy your weekend.

Trapped at RFK

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:55:00 +0000

...Sounds like a pretty scary concept for a horror movie, yes? After tonight, consider my blood duly chilled.

And speaking of horror shows...ugh. Somebody shoot me. No wait, shoot me with a heavily-dosed tranquilizer dart, the kind that will make me sleep for 36-48 hours.

To paraphrase Hunter, strange weirdness and bad craziness is in the air.

UNREAL: RFK Stadium hosts biblical happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

This...is...ridiculous.

RFK Stadium is a lake. Again.

DC United are getting owned by Houston Dynamo. Again.

We're all sitting around in the press box like a-holes as a weather delay stretches out interminably...again.

And as we wait for various officials to evaluate the soggy pitch while the field crews do their best to squeegee-roll the standing water towards the sidelines...I am expecting locusts, fire and/or brimstone to rain down when and if the players try to re-take the field...The creator, whichever one you may believe in, apparently does not wish to see this match completed.

"It's better to be a dog in a peaceful time than be a man in a chaotic period."
-Chinese proverb

* Image taken from behindthebadge.com (gracias al jefe: Kylinho Sheldon)

"You'll never win anything with kids"

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:16:00 +0000

You're into US soccer, right? So you've heard about Chris Agorsor, then?

You should know.

Knowledgeable types around, let's say, RFK Stadium might tell you he's a bit raw, not refined tactically, a bit skinny, even. So he's got a long ways to go, but sooner or later he might be spectacular. Do stay tuned...and check out Tuesday's wire.

Based on current form, DC United has a long ways to go, too, to get back to their June form...injuries left and right, a shallowness of playmaking skill on the roster and the occasional recurrence of some nameless funk that helps keep this team planted in the "underachiever" category.

United has worked hard to develop a reputation as the best-run organization in MLS. But for months now, the most common and, I think, valid rag on Dave Kasper and Tom Soehn among the local media contingent has centered on the inattention and even in some cases, disdain for the MLS SuperDraft held by some at RFK. It's not seen as a worthwhile conduit of top-drawer talent.

July and August are when the marathon MLS schedule rewards teams whose youngsters step up and help win matches. Who is going to win those types of matches for DC United?

Scenes (and bonus quotes) from a beating...

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:35:00 +0000

Ouch, that was bad. And by that, I mean this, too. Soehn was pretty fired up, and not in a good way. Oh, and he was hoarse, too -- just like on Saturday. When you've given up five goals and been opened up at will over the course of two consecutive matches, and your coach barely has a voice from all the yelling he's been doing on the sidelines, something is amiss, no? Maybe something more than just an injury bug.

Bonus quotes from what we'll just call "the Atlante incident" from now on:

"We weren’t good enough. We came pretty flat and we just played like we didn’t know how to play. I don’t know if it was tiredness or what it was, but there’s no excuse. They did their job and they deserved to win."
-Jaime Moreno

"I think the fatigue is getting to players. First half, we dug ourselves a hole, and it’s hard to get out of it. We tried but they started sitting back in the second half, and they had a couple counters on us, so it was tough. But I think the most important factor was the fatigue."
-Rod Dyachenko

"I’m not sure where the problem was. They were keeping three guys high and – I don’t know. I’ll have to go back and look at it, but they were causing chaos up there and they opened us up."
-Devon McTavish, offering (somewhat of) a defensive postmortem

"We’ve got a couple guys injured and that are coming back from injury, and this might have been a good thing for us, to get a couple bad results and realize that we can’t ever get too comfortable. And now we have the Open Cup and the league to focus on. Chicago just hopped us in the standings, so we have some ground to make up there as well. So we’ll put all of our energy towards that, and make sure we’re involved in this tournament again next year."
-Zach Wells, looking on the bright side, sort of

"There were four forwards on their lineup sheet. I thought they were underestimating us a little bit, considering that we had come off a 4-0 loss. Whenever there’s a wounded team like we were, I think that you have to be careful about a team that’s down and out after their first game. So I think that they were excessively confident."
-Atlante honcho José Guadalupe Cruz

Time in pieces

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:26:00 +0000

I had an interesting conversation with Dave Lifton after Saturday's DC-Chivas game. Talking MLS, the topic of perspective came up -- specifically, the viewpoint of a club's dedicated fan versus that of a journalist, or the proverbial "neutral," and the like.

I am probably oversimplifying here, but in the interests of brevity, Dave described how the instability and uncertainty that loomed over MLS in the years following ~~9/11/01~~ contraction helped inspire him to take more of a documentarian's approach to the small, brave, weird happening that was/is the latest stab at a successful soccer league in the United States of America. If we don't think about it, talk about it, write about it and remember it...eventually, someday, it won't have happened, right?

So then I finally got to read the full text of the interview Adam Spangler (who is the brains behind TIAS) recently conducted with Frank dell Appa, the longtime soccer writer who has lately been reassigned from the Revolution/soccer beat to the NBA/Celtics beat by his Boston Globe paycheck-writers. Great stuff, hinting at powerful emotions:

"We need people to write about it, that know the game, that played it when they were kids, or play it now. And they can see the world game which is what we need. That all helps the sophistication level that is the one thing we don’t have. We haven’t observed or coached in a sophisticated manner and that’s gonna take some time. Hopefully that is going to happen, but the media is just as guilty as everybody else of not being there at the level we need to be at."

And for something completely different (or maybe not?)...who knew Brent Musburger was such an *sshole?

Strange nights

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:18:00 +0000

A weird one. Seriously.

What to do when the stars are stacked against you? No easy answers there, besides just "get better."

Take your chances. Be slick and smart and ruthless and confident and lucky, just like Chivas was. It was enough, even though they weren't fit. The plan was conceived and executed, and all United could do was react.

But hey, don't listen to me. Listen to Devon McTavish:

"Technically, they’re a phenomenal team and they came out and showed that right off the bat. I think they went after the early goal and were fortunate enough to get it, and kind of just – you could see towards the end of the game, they weren’t in midseason fitness, but they did enough to get the job done."

Just for clarity: USA has owned Mexico in contemporary head-to-head international competition. But the average Mexican player is much better than the average Gringo player. More comfortable on the ball, more alert, more intuitive, and blessed with a more aggressive mentality whenever on the field.

So there's much work to be done.

The Worm is...

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:43:00 +0000

...Sooooooooo out of here. And loving it.

As Ives Galarcep noted, Brad "El Guzano" Guzan, who is more down with la gente del sol than any other midwestern Caucasian dude you know of, is off to the Prem to join Aston Villa, after getting the Heisman on his first try due to work permit issues a few months ago. Here's what he said in a post-game interview on Thursday's ESPN broadcast of Chivas USA vs LA Galaxy:

"I hope for the best result for everybody involved....[My MLS career] has been absolutely unbelievable...Obviously being able to stay at a club for three and a half years, learning and growing as a player, as a person, I've been very thankful for Chivas USA and everything they've done for me....And obviously the league has made tremendous strides and hopefully it'll keep going in the right direction."

Dude, he is SO over this MLS thing.

I remember interviewing Guzan after he was selected by Chivas USA in the 2005 SuperDraft, with the second overall pick that year, in Baltimore. Just as a reminder -- hee hee, this is funny -- Real Salt Lake went first that year, picking...Nikolas Besagno. Enough said.

Anyway, Guzan was a big, gangly, almost-dopey kid from Illinois who didn't speak a word of Spanish, but as fate would have it, he would go on to become the most recognizable face of the deeply-Mexican expansion franchise that selected him as of their originals. And man, did he pay his dues. See here for an example of the regular beatings -- mentally, physically, you name it -- that he endured as a rook.

(Just admit it -- how many of you even remembered that Thomas Rongen had anything to do with Chivas USA? My my, where have the years gone. Sigh.)

I'd like to point out that this long-desired move abroad could never have happened without Bob Bradley's knowledge and support. Witness the following from the soccernet.com article linked above:

Guzan had a transfer move to Villa blocked after failing to secure a British work permit in January, but it is believed that Guzan will secure his work permit now after playing in five of the U.S. national team's eight matches this year.

Oh, and this is also going on this weekend. What are you up to?

Mas Blanco

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:32:00 +0000

Well, well, well. Tuesday's little goatrope might have a few more intriguing developments ahead.

I won't waste time repeating what Messrs. Tenorio and Stouffer have explained about what is happening now. And it's a shame that Comcast SportsNet's highlight segment has been taken off youtube by MLS...because 'insider blogs' are all well and good but there's just no substitute for primary source material, is there?

(Before I forget, it's worth noting that DC United officials, starting with Tom Soehn, seem just as aggrieved about John Thorrington's, shall we say, agricultural tackle on Jaime Moreno just a few minutes before the Blanco incident as they are about the Blanco incident itself.)

But make no mistake: the video footage United is submitting to Major League Soccer contains solid evidence of three separate acts by Cuauhtemoc Blanco:

1) a swipe/punch at Clyde Simms in an angry attempt to take the ball out of the D.C. midfielder's hands
2) a subsequent jab of his fingers into Simms' face, specifically his eye
3) a clear head butt to the cheekbone of a prominent member of United's gameday field staff, who was attempting to guide Blanco towards the locker rooms, per the laws of the game.

All the other talk/accusations/gossip blazing its way around the internet -- some are saying Blanco grappled with the Montgomery County law enforcement officers present, to name just one rumor -- is hearsay at best, and should be taken with substantial chunks of sodium chloride.

So there is a body of evidence available to MLS and the US Soccer Federation. But beyond that, we're in uncharted territory -- and it's a good time to step back and once again, marvel for a moment at the inherently convoluted structure of the game here in the United States. If this incident had taken place in the FA Cup in England, it would still fall well within the Football Association's umbrella even if it involved two Premier League teams. But not here...

As has been noted already, Tuesday's match was not an MLS competition, so the league's standard disciplinary procedures do not apply. The US Open Cup is a USSF event, but its mechanisms are particularly toothless in this case b/c Blanco and the Fire will have a nice chuckle at the idea of a suspension -- even a lengthy one -- for him in the 2009 USOC. That would probably just make coach Denis Hamlett's task of resting and rotating his players even easier next summer.

So what happens? What can MLS really do here?

In two words or less...Who knows? The league is renowned for making things up as it goes along, which has many times been somewhat unavoidable b/c it has so often wandered into unforeseen and unprecedented situations over the past twelve years. If Don Garber and co. feel particularly embarrassed or aggrieved by Blanco's behavior, they'll find a way to punish him, and in doing so will set a precedent, whether they like it or not. And if they do nothing, they'll be judged to have decided the opposite, whether that's how they really feel or not.

The late show, featuring Jaime Moreno...

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:29:00 +0000

...with a special late cameo from Cuauhtemoc Blanco!

Yes, it certainly did make for compelling theater at the MD Soccerplex on Tuesday night, with twists, turns and thrills galore. Three goals, six yellow cards, two reds, and 120 minutes of end-to-end soccer, played with urgency and intensity that outshined the long stretches when real quality was lacking.

You had the home team's captain coming off the bench just long enough to play the hero, starkly contrasted by the entrance of Blanco, the Heel -- perhaps the ultimate heel in world footie, even, though Italian defender and Zidane headbuttee Marco Materazzi might argue otherwise.

Moreno's arrival had a milk-of-magnesia effect on United's jittery psyche, soothing nerves and unclogging the attack -- though shouldn't everyone in the D.C. front office edge a few steps closer to panic mode every time their talented squad has to be bailed out by his aging legs? Why is he such a psychological crutch and where is his replacement? Moreno might not retire anytime soon, but he's 34 and ain't getting any younger...and few among the Black-and-Red seem inclined to comprehend life without him.

Conversely, Blanco came in just long enough to lift his team's hopes, then make a premature exit, red-carded when his fiery temperament flared out of control. The departure of "La Mochilita" (the little backpack, and if you don't make that connection then go google a Blanco pic, for cripesake) didn't end Chicago's hopes, but it certainly made DC's job easier.

As supremely aggravating as he can be with his elbows, his diving, his disrespecting of referees, his instigating, his victimization complex...I like Blanco, I really do. He's a working-class hero, and both MLS and the sport in general can use more of those. The adulation he inspires in millions of fans is no coincidence -- Chivas fans aside, he understands and proudly represents the Mexican mindset like few others can. One passage from this Martin Rogers piece, written last September, is particularly illuminating:

...His most interesting comment is not even about soccer. It is a response to being asked for his perception of his fellow countrymen and their role in life in the United States.

"People are here not to steal, but to be able to work hard for a better life and send money to their families," he says. "Even if they put up a wall, we will find a way to get over it or under it. We Mexicans are very smart."

Even the whitest gringo should give Blanco respect for standing up for, and connecting with, the Mexican-American working class, the modern-day untouchables of our society. But like Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne, Eric Cantona and so many other stormy, creative stars of the beautiful game, he plays on the knife-edge of his emotions and seems unable to rein them in when challenged or goaded.

So on Tuesday, the Heel played his role, and a hero named Moreno was there to play the foil, and everyone went home happy.

Fire in the hole

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:20:00 +0000

The Chicago Fire are a good soccer team.

I can say this, with full confidence, in reference to both the club's general state of success in recent seasons and their present form as of July 2008. I have seen them efficiently dispatch favored DC United sides in two of the last three MLS Cup playoffs and on several regular-season occasions in recent years as well. I have also seen them be a general pain in the *ss to most of their MLS counterparts, even when losing, thanks to a uniquely creative sort of destructiveness professionally administered, each in their own special way, by Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chris Rolfe, Wilman Conde, (former coach) Juan Carlos Osorio and the like.

This weekend I got to hijack the tivo at my girlfriend's house long enough to watch the Fire play the Columbus Crew on Saturday. Playing pacey, fluid soccer, the Fire largely bossed the match -- and did enough to feel underwhelmed by a 2-2 road draw thanks to a dodgy late Steven Lenhart goal for the Yellow Football Team.

"Football is time and space, time and space," as my coach in Grenada liked to say -- the outstandingly named Dick Furlonge, a crusty old Trini who'd played for the NASL, Dutch Eredivisie and Trinidadian national team before a blown knee brought on his premature start to a coaching career. And I can't help noticing that Chicago are masters at the second half of that prosaic equation.

The Fire are able to consistently compete against and beat good teams, especially those that are more talented than they are, by manipulating the space in which a game's immediate action takes place.

Defensively, Chicago are a perceptive, well-drilled group able to move collectively and maintain shape. Opposing teams find their space on the ball limited at inopportune moments, whether it be in tight spaces near sidelines or anywhere else that a turnover can be created and exploited, or in their attacking third as they try to create shots on the Chicago goal. What starts off looking like a decent enough string of passes through the Fire midfield is often directed down a blind alley as red jerseys fly to the ball and force quick, difficult decisions. The field shrinks, leading to turnovers. Which lead to...

In the attack, the Fire revolve around Cuauhtemoc Blanco and his adept leadership of the staff of worker bees assembled for his convenience. These are smart, fit, well-coached worker bees, however, who can pass and move crisply and are aware of their teammates' strengths, and try to play to them.

So when Chicago dispossesses their opposition, a quick pass or smart turn swings play in the other direction, changing the point of attack at speed and exposing overcommitment or poor positional awareness somewhere along enemy lines. So often, Blanco or one of his midfield mates finds himself turning towards goal with the ball at his feet, looking at a backtracking defense and multiple teammates to combine with -- and the field suddenly becomes a massive parade ground of space for passers and runners to weave combinations in, as defenders scramble.

In short, a lot of hard work gets prettied up by a sprinkling of inspiration and opportunism, and you have a team that can be very difficult to play against.

A couple examples:

You could contend that this style dates all the way back to the Bob Bradley/Peter Nowak era in the franchise's early days, or try to give Dave Sarachan a bit of credit by pegging it to that since-deposed Fire boss. Or just tell current boss Dennis Hamlett -- who remains, depressingly, the only African-American head coach in the history of Major League Soccer -- to take a bow.

Regardless, it's damn effective and even inspiring, at times like Saturday, to watch. And it has been an absolute bear for DC United in knockout competitions like the US Open Cup, where the teams will meet again on Tuesday. Chicago has had DC's number in do-or-die situations and I think it's telling that Clyde Simms referred to the Fire as "our biggest rival" when we talked last Thursday. Whether it's the reserves or first-teamers or a more likely combination of the two that takes the field at the MD Soccerplex, United must unlock the Fire code.

A Fly July

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Hope everyone is well on their way to a memorable holiday weekend. If you are kicking back at the beach, in the backyard or somewhere out of town, you're not alone. July has its share of compelling soccer moments ahead, with US Open Cup competition providing a nice, down-home contrast to the international vibe and SUM-generated hype of SuperLiga's second annual installment. You can bet good money that the tourney opener, Chivas Guadalajara's visit to RFK Stadium next Saturday, is eagerly anticipated in DC.

And it's worth noting that this is now less than a month away.

I am off to rural Virginia for a wedding -- hope to see you out at the Maryland Soccerplex on Tuesday, when DC United gets another chance to break the Chicago Fire's hex over them in knockout competitions.

GoldenBalls approaches...and other notes...

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:43:00 +0000

OK people, let's do this quick.

Biggest soccer weekend of the summer? Maybe...though Barcelona is coming to New York in a few weeks.

With the top two attacks in the league meeting at RFK Stadium, DC United vs LA Galaxy could be a genuine cracker of a match. But MLS games have a way of surprising -- Santino Quaranta noted this after DC's practice on Thursday, saying, "Games are so unpredictable, from game to game you don’t know what’s going to happen" -- and perhaps the midday heat will slow what could be a breakneck pace down to a crawl.

But defenders can find themselves leaden-legged at the worst time in these situations, and I keep having these visions of Abel Xavier getting his ankles broken by Jaime Moreno and/or Marcelo Gallardo in/around the Galaxy box...and for that matter, a tomato-faced, heatstroke-stricken Bryan Namoff having to leg-whip that pesky little bugger Landon Donovan in front of the DC goal in the 70th minute or so...

So how about it? I'll call a 2-2 draw, with goals clustered at the match's beginning and end.

As for Spain v Germany, well...how can any sane soccer observer bet against the Germans in clutch situations? Sometimes pedestrian, often plodding...but usually effective: Exhibit A for the value of fitness and "fighting spirit."

But these Spaniards seem to be a spirited lot themselves, and boasting no end of "calidad" throughout the side. I've enjoyed watching La Furia Roja this year and even my German ancestry can't prevent me from supporting them in the final. No David Villa, no matter...

3-1 Espana.

To close, here's a few extra quotes from my trip out to United training on Thursday...

"I think that we’re humans before we’re soccer players, and all of us make mistakes. If I have to mark Beckham on Sunday, it’s going to be just like me marking any other player, whether it be someone like Juan Pablo Angel or Etcheverry. If he’s on that side then it will be my duty that particular day. Every player has positives and negatives. "
-Gonzalo Martinez, who's clearly sanguine about the prospect of shadowing David Beckham on Sunday

"I think defensively as a unit, our entire team defense starting with our forwards and through our midfield and defense, has been really sound, and we’re getting better and better . I think that attests to us getting to know one another on the field and off the field. That chemistry is tending to build there."
-Bryan Namoff on United's defensive improvement

"If there was a place you were going to try to break them down, it’s at the back. It’s not like they’re that vulnerable at the back, they’re smart, they’ve got some good veteran players and I’m sure they’ll try to be compact here at the back, hopefully. That’s what they’ll try to do and we just have to figure out a way to break them down, through the wide play and changing the point of attack – that’s what Tommy [Soehn] says and I think that’s when we’re most successful."
-Santino Quaranta, on how United's front line will attack the Galaxy defense

"You could see that we were flat, and we kind of went out on the field like we just expected to win in the first half and it was going to be an easy game for us...We were fortunate to win that game – if that happens [on Sunday] the game will be over by halftime, if we come out like that. The guys know that and Tommy knows that. So we changed some things and it’ll be different from the start."
-Quaranta comparing last week's San Jose match with Sunday's Galaxy clash

"As a defender I try to communicate with Zach -- sometimes there are different times in the game where you have to know how to manage the game, and if we’re winning, we should try to kill time. Those are gamesmanship tactics that you need to do to take advantage of the opponent. So I always try to communicate with him and try to tell him different things about how the game is evolving. But overall obviously all of us support him and we’ll do whatever we can to support him. But we believe in him, because he’s a good goalkeeper."
-Martinez again, discussing his relationship with troubled goalkeeper Zach Wells

"I like Germany, because I like watching Ballack, he’s a good player."
-Fred talks Euro 2008

Atencion - yo soy Martinez

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:51:00 +0000

Just like Craig Stouffer predicted, here's my look at Gonzalo Martinez, DC United's Steady Eddie for 2008.

This Colombian is cool as the proverbial cucumbers, polar bear keratin or pillow undersides -- take your pick. His speed and athleticism make it hard to believe he's almost 33 years old, but then again, heaps of poise and confidence make clear his age and experience.

Looking ahead to Sunday's United-Galaxy clash on national TV, I think Martinez may play a central role in DC's tactical approach to the league's highest-scoring attack.

Assuming Tom Soehn likes him out wide on the left right now and has enough faith in his central defenders to keep the status quo, Martinez is going to face off against the Galaxy's David Beckham throughout Sunday's match. And considering the kind of lockdown defending he's capable of, Martinez looks likely to be Soehn's pick as the blunt instrument with which to stifle Becks' creative threat.

In fact, we might even get to watch the muscular Colombian chase GoldenBalls all over the field, assuming Becks floats in from the right wing in search of the ball, as he's prone to do. And that might even pull Martinez forward enough to allow more looks at goal...and that's certainly not a bad thing for the Black-and-Red now, is it?

Right, said Fred

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Here's my MLSnet piece on the hot commodity that is Luciano Emilio...and I just wrapped up a look at United's Sunday throwdown with San Jose, which should be posting soon.

Plus...on Thursday I got to speak to Fred, DC United's crafty Brazilian midfielder, about his team's recent resurgence and his household's newest member, daughter Eduarda. Though the newborn has made sure he hasn't been getting too much sleep lately, Fred produced a lively performance against New York -- one that saw him excel across the midfield, playing left, right and center with similar aplomb.

I think the confidence is up, definitely, and once you get one, everyone is so much happier and feeling so much better on the field, that we get more positive results.
-on United's four-game unbeaten streak and the renewed confidence it has inspired.

Yeah, I definitely like it, but that’s definitely Marcelo’s position. If he ever needs me to fill in, I will!...That’s my natural position, I always played there.
-on his rare, but clearly liberating, stint in the the central attacking midfielder role. United's regular #10 Marcelo Gallardo was suspended against the Red Bulls.

Yeah, I really like that, because sometimes it’s hard for me to play on the left – I always try to go towards the middle, and playing on the right it’s easier for me to do that. And Tino can play on both sides, so that’s a good change.
-on United's recent tactic of switching wingers during games, to find space and exploit defensive matchups.

Yeah, I don't sleep anymore. Last night I sleep four hours...I try to help out and let [Debora] sleep as much as she can, changing diapers and all that.
-discussing the travails of parenthood, and how he's helping his wife cope.

Euro 08: do or die stages are here

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:46:00 +0000

Wow. Just finished watching the first half of the Germany-Portugal Euro quarterfinal on espn360, and while I expected Portuguese skill to win the day comfortably, I am FEELING the Germans right now. Though I should probably shut up until I see the second 45 minutes.

The buildup leading to Bastian Schweinsteiger's opener was gorgeous, flowing football that few would readily associate with Deutschland, even in the midst of their World Cup 2006 run -- which relied on heart and hustle as much as anything. But it provides a timely reminder that few teams can defend against speed of thought and movement married with sharp passing.

Even the fastest player can be left in the dust if her or his opponent lets the ball do the hard work. It's a lesson that DC United and, to a lesser extent, New England and Houston, have often taught the rest of MLS and it might be the top priority for improvement in U.S. soccer, at both the domestic and international level.

[ADDENDUM] 3-2 Deutschland, and suddenly the Germans look formidable. But I still think this is Spain's tournament to lose.

Tino

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:19:00 +0000

What a career it's been for Santino Quaranta -- and he's only 23!

Earlier today I finished an MLSnet piece about Quaranta's emotional weekend -- it should be up on the site later today -- and working on it got me thinking about Tino's journey, the last four years of which I have been around for.

Drafted by DC United at the then-record age of 16 back in 2001...showing so much alluring potential and so many mouth-watering attributes, only to have injuries and attitude problems -- and as it turns out, so much more -- derail him...yet still helping the US win the 2005 Gold Cup and qualify for World Cup 2006...and now, a true veteran and leader, despite his age, for this year's United squad.

Back in 2004, my first year on the United beat, I was hanging around RFK Stadium as part of MLSnet's coverage of the leadup to the All-Star game, held on a very hot Saturday afternoon at the old concrete bowl that July. A couple of MLSnet's full-timers were down from New York City for most of the week and as we were talking, Quaranta walked by gingerly, grimacing as he held an ice pack to his hip following a workout.

He'd been dealing with a rash of injuries that season, something he'd by then acquired a reputation for (in addition to his rap as kind of a punk in general), and after he passed us, one MLSnet colleague who had worked in and around the league for several years turned to the group and said, "He's finished," with a tone that held equal parts certainty and contempt. And at the time, there was not much of a argument to be made to the contrary.

So it's heartening to see that there's hope for early-blooming phenoms like Tino, many of whom are exalted and then quickly eviscerated by a hopeful yet demanding U.S. soccer community. I wrote up a piece on Quaranta's return a few months ago, when he was tiptoeing around the real reason that New York and L.A. gave up on him so quickly, sending him to what he called "rock bottom." It's good to see that he's finally opened up: as one who has addicts in his own family, I know is a difficult but important step in the healing process.

Saturday's win over New York provided was in many ways "just another day at the office" for Quaranta and his teammates, but that in and of itself is further proof that there's a new Tino in town. He shows up, works diligently, fights as hard as anyone for the club colors, and does what is asked of him. Tino Quaranta, a coach's dream -- who'd a thunk it?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:11:00 +0000

"The first was simply a question of timing his run, so that Torres would see him in time. The second was exquisite, as was the pass from Iniesta that found him. Villa stayed level with the Russian line until the vital moment when his sprint into space enabled the pass from Iniesta - a pass so perfect that Villa only had to poke the ball into the net first time. The pass invited the single touch and sold the goalkeeper completely.

The third was different again, chasing forward from deep to receive an angled pass from Fabregas then tricking his way inside one defender and finishing intelligently, low at the near post...."

That's Phil Ball this week, waxing poetic about David Villa's hat trick in Spain's Euro 2008 opener against Russia. Undoubtedly worth a read -- just as the action is worth a look, while you can.

Having spent much of the past week on the road between DC and Austin to mark the 07 June onset of my fourth decade on earth, I've been badly Euro-deprived thus far. But displays like that Spain-Russia match are a welcome reminder of why Euro is the purest tournament in world footie these days. I'll be watching La Furia Roja -- the sublime, indefatigable Andres Iniesta, most especially -- and calculating how many light-years remain before the soccer played within our own CONCACAF region matches up.

Drenched, dampened and delayed

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 01:43:00 +0000

Well, they finally called this one off, at approximately 9:40 pm, just about when a normal 7:30 match is coming to a close...except they only got 16 minutes in tonight. They'll have to find a time and place to reschedule, and the match will start from scratch -- not like there was anything important to salvage from the 16 sloppy minutes that were actually played.

Early speculation around the press box has this game being replayed in the early part of July, when United has nearly two weeks off between the June 29 "Beckham match" against the Galaxy and the beginning of SuperLiga on July 12. Houston play at Real Salt Lake on Thursday, July 3, but could ostensibly squeeze in a trip back to DC the following Tuesday or Wednesday (8-9 July) before they kick off their SuperLiga campaign on the same day as United. We'll see...

Random thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 18:42:00 +0000

I'm sitting in the RFK press box -- unusually well-populated tonight, especially for a Wednesday game -- watching the rain beat down on the field as thunder rolls around the rim of this old concrete salad bowl. Tonight's DC United-Houston Dynamo match has already been delayed a half-hour and may get pushed off further if the deciders-that-be do not see the thunderheads clearing with sufficient speed.

The pitch down below me has gotten a thorough soaking and standing water is visible along the east touchline and in all four corners as well, so you can imagine United officials being in no hurry to let 22 grown men tear it to shreds without a bit of drainage time. There was never going to be a huge crowd in attendance tonight, but the weather has truly sorted the hard-core from the wannabes and I've got to be impressed with the soaked but spirited Barra Brava contingent banging away on their drums as they wait in the tunnels above section 235.

A couple quick, random United notes as the two teams come out for a quick warmup before the late kickoff...

*With Gonzalo Peralta back from his wife's childbirth and Mediate and MacTavish now getting full consideration as central defenders, Tom Soehn has as many options in defense as he ever has before. Peralta's size and physicality makes him hard for Soehn to leave out of the first XI, but some people -- the Examiner's Craig Stouffer, for one -- think McTavish and Mediate played well enough together in New England to deserve more time.

The biggest loser out of all this: Marc Burch, who has hit on hard times after being such a revelation at left back last season. He's one of the only left-footers on the team and when he's on the field, he gives the squad the width they lack from Fred and Gonzalo Martinez. But Soehn clearly has some issues with his play right now and has used Martinez on the left instead -- a choice made easier by the veteran Colombian's composed, steady performances. Burch can't be happy right now, and in fact he popped off a bit at goalkeeper Zach Wells during training early last week, getting himself a tongue-lashing from assistant coach Mark Simpson.

*Soehn downplayed the possibility of Fred missing Saturday's road match in Chicago on account of his wife Debora's imminent delivery, but her due date is June 9 and I have a feeling that the gregarious Brazilian will do what it takes to make sure he's there for the birth of his first child, just like Peralta did. Oh, and I asked both men about the significance of their children being born in the United States, thus making them automatic U.S. citizens...Peralta said it didn't really matter, but Fred was a bit more effusive.

"Yes, it’s good, good for her future," he said. "She can decide [which identity she chooses] later, but definitely [we'll raise her] as a Brazilian first."

*I continue to be impressed with Santino Quaranta's comeback this season. Having earned a reputation as a "problem child" in his first stint with United, he's been a committed pro this time around and if anyone has a chance to fill Ben Olsen's inspirational role in the D.C. locker room, it's Tino. How easily we forget what a veteran Quaranta really is -- he's only 23 but has been in this league for eight years, and that sort of experience matters. It has certainly helped him in 2008.

Turf Troubles

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:00:00 +0000

Apologies for the shameful lack of posts recently...last week brought a trip out of town on short notice, then a busy holiday weekend polished me off. But there's plenty to talk about this week, starting with another note to add to the growing chorus of doubt and fear -- can we officially call it a backlash yet? -- regarding the second generation of artificial turf which has been taking the U.S. by storm in recent years.

Personally, I am constantly playing on the fake stuff these days, between indoor games at Dulles Sportsplex and the lion's share of my Washington International Soccer League (WISL) men's league matches taking place at FieldTurf pitches around DC and northern Virginia. Maybe it's not the ideal surface for soccer, but anyone who's played in a DC-area league lately -- not only soccer, but also other sports like lacrosse, ultimate frisbee, et al -- can tell you how scarce (and expensive) field space has gotten and how easily grass fields can get torn, worn and pounded into dust and stubble under heavy traffic.

FieldTurf can be used around the clock and gives you the same bounce, however different that bounce may be from real grass, every time...and there are ecological considerations too, with the water and fertilizer levels required to maintain a good grass pitch.

But professionals don't have to experience the frustration of playing on patchy, dusty, rutted fields at local high schools and rec parks. In my conversations with various members of DC United's squad there's been little question of the evils of FieldTurf, among those who have spent their careers on natural grass as well as those who've spent time with clubs that play on plastic pitches...like Zach Wells, for example. We discussed the topic a while back, after United's 4-0 debacle on Real Salt Lake's rock-hard surface at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and I was reminded of it again this week:

"I think if you ask most players around the league, they will say that FieldTurf should not be allowed anywhere," said Wells. "Personally, I dealt with plantar fasciitis for two seasons, and I’m just overcoming it – I had a procedure in the offseason to help it, and I’ve been taking care of it – and just getting on that turf [in Salt Lake City] and training for two days, it flared it up right away. I could feel it in my joints and everything, and that’s after a day or two.

"Granted, I was up in New York on it for two years as well, at the beginning of my career. I don’t know if there’s any scientific evidence but just talking to guys on how they feel, I don’t think it’s ever an ideal situation...The wear and tear on your joints, in a game where you’ve got to run 90 minutes – goalkeepers are one thing, but guys have to run 90 minutes and do a lot of cutting, do 360-degree movements. And just the way the ball plays on it, too – it’s never going to be a pretty game.

"It’s a weird surface – the ball’s bounce, how do you train for that? Fortunately [RSL is] moving into a natural-grass stadium three-quarters of the way through the season, and I’m glad to see that New York is going to do the same. So from all the players’ perspectives in the league, everyone would love to do away with FieldTurf. You can quote that one for sure."

What do you think?

Wells/Olsen outtakes

noreply@blogger.com (Charles Boehm) — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:18:00 +0000

A bit of housekeeping...here's the link to my PSW piece on Wells:

Benny Olsen and Zach Wells were dishing out some really entertaining stuff this week on the topics of environmentalism, home ownership, and life in certain MLS cities...I couldn't fit all of it into today's PSW piece so here's some of the more memorable extra quotes:

"Actually before I got traded I was going to vow to live in Manhattan, maybe share an apartment with some friends from high school and try to make it happen, but then I got traded. In Houston you definitely need a car, and some air conditioning."
-Zach Wells, who first lived in Hoboken and then Jersey City as a MetroStar/Red Bull before moving to the sprawl+traffic mecca of Houston, Texas to join Dynamo.

"That’s when you know you’re in trouble, when [the media are] talking about your environmental skills...He won’t let me turn the A/C on, it’s hot as can be in our house, he’s like, ‘no bro.’ Seriously, it’s news to me. I know he takes the metro, that’s just because he doesn’t have a g*ddamned car."
-a droll Ben Olsen, on the topic of Wells' blossoming environmental awareness.

"Well, I mean my parents were hippies, and my brother is pretty conscious – that’s definitely part of it. I think having a car in a big city is just a burden. I did have one in New Jersey and parking, getting dinged up and all the extra surcharges and everything else, I just figured I’d get rid of that burden, grab a bike, use the metro. You can basically get to everywhere and plus, Ben’s been pretty selfless about us using his car whenever."
-Wells, explaining his outlook as well as his transportation ace in the hole.

"Zach’s place is flooded right now, it’s been flooded three times with all these rains – I’m down there with a f*cking Shop-Vac and the big fans. We’ll see, it might have to all come up. I’ll have to take him to dinner or something."
-Olsen, discussing the less-glamorous side of being a landlord

"They replaced every pipe down there, we can’t find the leak. We keep patching sh*t up and then it rains, and you step on the floorboards and water just comes right up through, it’s a nightmare…And we’re actually saving that water out of the shop-vac and we’re putting it into the tub."
-Olsen again, giving us all the dirty details. And yes, that last part is a joke.