Let's recap. For this upcoming RSL game, and several of our upcoming games, we have several notable absences.
Moreno
Boswell
Olsen (all Copa America)
Arguez
Casal (both U-20 WC)
The Fab Five will miss five games as a group -- @RSL, COL (6/28), @KS (7/04), @HOU (7/08), FCD (7/14) -- and then the Copa America absentees arrive back on the 15th in plenty of time for the All-Star game v. Celtic. Meantime Arguez and Casal (if they stay through the U-20 final on the 22nd, in which case they'll miss @NYRB the same day) will arrive back in time for the Superliga game v. Monarca Morelia (7/25). Point is, these guys are out a couple weeks and DCU is forced to cope. Let's see if we come out like guns blazing or like socks being knit.
So here's what I see for the DCU lineup tonight (and you know what, this is probably DCU's First XI for the next five games at least):
---------Kpene----------Emilio-----------------
Fred------------Gomez--------------Moose----
-----------------Carroll-------------------------
Gros-------McTavish-----Erpen------Namoff--
-----------------Perkins (praise be)------------
Subs:
Dyachenko (useful for depth in the wings)
Addlery (will prove invaluable to depth up front)
Simms (will prove invaluable for depth midfield, in back)
deRoux (depth on the wings; relief for Fred, or more likely Moose)
Nolly
The McTavish-Gros experiment seems to be successful, which at this point in the season is a minor miracle. This is the time for Fred and Emilio to shine and for Gomez to come out as the veteran leader. Kpene and Moose have some great opportunities in the coming matches to impress Soehn and DC fans everywhere as to their usefulness to the squad. New signing Mira Mupier looks impressive for a reserve player. I would be very surprised if he were included in the roster for RSL, not so suprised if he's given a look in the next few games over Dyachenko. Btw, thoughts on Dyachenko: somehow I get the feeling that when Dyachenko comes on, it'll be Gomez heading off and then some formation changes ensue, like Fred slots as #10 or Emilio drops back and Dyachenko fills in where needed. Just a hunch.
Crazy experiments? Sure, what the hell. In a couple games' time I could see Soehn slotting Fred in for Gomez if Gomito needs the rest and trying deRoux out left. If we were really desperate, Simms for Gros or Namoff (or McTavish, if results don't continue to impress). But that's about it.
End result: our offense seems as strong now as it was before, but our defense is mildly worrisome.
And by the way, it seems like everyone is dreading the RSL match for reasons no more solid than some bad omens. I have this to say: winners make their own luck.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think we've still got Olsen and Boswell for RSL tonight before they catch the plane for Venezuela and I'm still not entirely sold on Gros as a left back. I still think that has to be our number one transfer target cause he's still a liability in my mind. Whoops, just noticed the time, I should be grabbing my beer and heading for the TV right now.
That's a precarious position, have a left back as a transfer target. Ideally it'll be an unknown domestic player that we can throw into the squad without having to adjust for international slots and cap room, but it seems like the front office is all out of ideas. We'll probably end up shelling out more money than we want for less talent than we need.
I've heard people throw out the idea of Simek as our DP, but that seems silly for a number of reasons.
Post a Comment