The scant positives:
Gros is proving a very valuable member of the squad indeed, sliding back into his old position with little difficulty. He penetrated up front more than a few times and fulfilled his defensive obligations well. Burch did admirably, making only one rookie error as far as I could tell and serving a couple good balls into the box. McTavish continues to prove he belongs in the first team. Fred continues to prove that sometimes, he's got more class than the rest of the team knows what to do with.
The plentiful negatives:
Why didn't we have a single person who could put away what Fred provided? Emilio was absent, Gomez was appalling, and Addlery was incompetent. Fred made the most of every opportunity and no one could do the same.
I hereby condemn the 4-5-1 from Soehn's playbook. It's useless. Instead of creating more opportunities, it actually crowded the midfield and allowed Red Bulls to play zone defense with ease. Gros might be the kind of player to pound the endline and find service in the box, but Fred certainly isn't. When you've got players like Fred, Gomez, and Emilio being the vanguard of your attack, you need service on the ground, into the box. Soehn commented at halftime that the team wasn't exposing the flanks enough. Why did this concern him? Instead of taking issue with how the players were adjusting to the formation, why not simply adjust the formation? Remove some dead weight (Carroll, Addlery, Simms) from the midfield and allow for some penetrating runs and smooth passing. Don't force flank play on these brilliant creative minds.
Speaking of brilliant creative minds, Addlery isn't one of them. He can't finish, either. At least Carroll is useful in the backfield.
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In the second half I found myself cussing the same as when the U-20's lost to Austria. Seeing my beloved United flounder so badly had that kind of effect on me. With the schedule getting more and more difficult these next few weeks and our first Superliga match this Wednesday, I think my profanity is justified. We need results fast.
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Other notes:
- The sooner Altidore turns 18, the better.
- Comcast has a very tidy scoreboard. ESPN, please adjust accordingly.
- Vanney and Perkins can be blamed with equal measure for conceding the goal.
- I'm starting to see merit in the arguments against Carroll. He looks like dead weight. Let's get Olsen back immediately.
- The way Gomez missed was disgusting. It's not like he clipped a post or sent it straight into Conway's hands -- it's that from the six yard box, Gomez completely missed the goal. Squarely over the top bar. Nasty.
- Our brief glimpse of the 3-5-2 wasn't pretty. Let's not revert.
- I'm honestly curious to see what Tom Soehn's blood pressure is. Does he stress about this team as much as I do? If so, he should probably seek out some prescription blood thinners. Aspirin at least.
- I excuse Fred for his red card. I hold him absolutely blameless. The referees missed some blatant jersey pulling, blatant even for a free kick into the box, and then Red Bulls got indignant when they discovered that Fred was a little ticked. The red was harsh, even -- there was very little contact and Fred had an honest view of the ball. Shoddy refereeing and a really unfortunate series of events for Fred. Dane Richards is shameless.
- I'm really sorry Gomez can't find his form. We sorely need his good touch and smart dribbles. I wonder, what is it about Fred and Emilio that disrupts him?
Showing posts with label DCU problems on offense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DCU problems on offense. Show all posts
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
A Record-Setting Loss: DCU 3-3 FC Dallas
This was a loss in all but points. I know what the scoreline reads, but any time a team concedes three goals over the course of forty minutes, it's a loss. (And record setting? This was the biggest comeback in FC Dallas history.)
After singing his praises, Perkins let us down. His form not only regressed from last week, but it regressed over the course of those ninety minutes. He gifted FC Dallas their first and third goals. The second goal I can forgive (more the defense's responsibility, really), but misjudging those kinds of crosses is a flaw you resolve while you're still in puberty. Those kinds of mistakes are popular in high school leagues and amateur matches. Really, really, really should have had better judgement, our Troy.
Soehn is disappointed with the defense as a whole. (Shoutout to Dave Lifton over at Screaming Eagles for his podcasts, BTW. Absolute gems, those podcasts.)
Soehn said, "We're actually an experienced team. We shouldn't play like that. We played like young kids... Organizationally we weren't good enough." I agree. Boswell and Vanney played a respectable game versus Houston, but there are still some communication problems which need immediate attention.
"We let in three goals," said Tommy. "Any time you let in three goals, there's work to do."
BDR is furious with Bobby Boswell in particular. I would tend to agree. (Oops, pardon: BDR is furious with the coaching staff that Boswell wasn't traded. I feel that the choice of whether to trade Erpen or Boswell was a crapshoot; it's almost impossible to have any foresight with those two. Let's hope Boswell rewards us for his benefit of the doubt.)
Lastly, about DCU's loss:
OMG, was our offense a relief. Our starters, I mean. And really only during the first half.
But honestly, Jaime seemed to bring our offense back from the brink, Emilio was red hot, and Fred (Fred! Not Gomez!) was connecting with Jaime using some kind of telepathic tandem that thrilled me. Olsen got involved, too; and any time Olsen becomes a productive member of DCU's offense is an indication that our offense is capable of doing well.
I'd say that the biggest tragedy of this game, even bigger than the scoreline, is Jaime's injury. He's really an invaluable part of the squad. Let's he gets well, and soon.
Other notes:
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- Soehn, you've got a real decision on your hands, don't you? DP slot = improvement at left back, improvement at center back, a holding midfielder with attacking qualities, Jaime's successor, or Gomito's successor? Take your pick; you'll be needing to address them all very soon.
After singing his praises, Perkins let us down. His form not only regressed from last week, but it regressed over the course of those ninety minutes. He gifted FC Dallas their first and third goals. The second goal I can forgive (more the defense's responsibility, really), but misjudging those kinds of crosses is a flaw you resolve while you're still in puberty. Those kinds of mistakes are popular in high school leagues and amateur matches. Really, really, really should have had better judgement, our Troy.
Soehn is disappointed with the defense as a whole. (Shoutout to Dave Lifton over at Screaming Eagles for his podcasts, BTW. Absolute gems, those podcasts.)
Soehn said, "We're actually an experienced team. We shouldn't play like that. We played like young kids... Organizationally we weren't good enough." I agree. Boswell and Vanney played a respectable game versus Houston, but there are still some communication problems which need immediate attention.
"We let in three goals," said Tommy. "Any time you let in three goals, there's work to do."
BDR is furious with Bobby Boswell in particular. I would tend to agree. (Oops, pardon: BDR is furious with the coaching staff that Boswell wasn't traded. I feel that the choice of whether to trade Erpen or Boswell was a crapshoot; it's almost impossible to have any foresight with those two. Let's hope Boswell rewards us for his benefit of the doubt.)
Lastly, about DCU's loss:
OMG, was our offense a relief. Our starters, I mean. And really only during the first half.
But honestly, Jaime seemed to bring our offense back from the brink, Emilio was red hot, and Fred (Fred! Not Gomez!) was connecting with Jaime using some kind of telepathic tandem that thrilled me. Olsen got involved, too; and any time Olsen becomes a productive member of DCU's offense is an indication that our offense is capable of doing well.
I'd say that the biggest tragedy of this game, even bigger than the scoreline, is Jaime's injury. He's really an invaluable part of the squad. Let's he gets well, and soon.
Other notes:
----------------
- Soehn, you've got a real decision on your hands, don't you? DP slot = improvement at left back, improvement at center back, a holding midfielder with attacking qualities, Jaime's successor, or Gomito's successor? Take your pick; you'll be needing to address them all very soon.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Winning Streak Fizzles: Houston 1-0 DC United
Recaps from: An American's View, Goff, PPP, DCenters, Edgell Supporters, and Fullback.
My recap is a bit more critical than DCU deserves, perhaps, but these are pertinent points so I'll make em.
In brief: United needed to create more chances in the box, find each other better on the ground, and talk to each other better on defense. These things are nothing unusual, but it's disappointing that we're still dealing with these kinds of problems well into the middle of the season.
Who had a good game? Carroll did well to slow DeRosario and showed himself to be a really intelligent defensive mid. He deserves DCU's MoM tonight, if anyone does. (BDR disagrees.)
I'm really concerned about how McTavish will fit in on the wing now that Boswell is back. McTavish is a good right back, but Boswell doesn't seem to realize that when McTavish is heading forward (like all good wing backs should) he should be pinching over for cover. Vanney does this for Gros. I'm praying that either McTavish learns the right back spot pretty well or Boswell starts showing the potential to become a great center back, because otherwise I'm inclined to put McTavish back in the middle. Yikes.
Am I the only one that thinks Gomez has lost chemistry with the rest of the offense? There are times now when he passes but no one's there to receive, or he makes a pass that kills the momentum, or chips for a run when no one's running. It makes me think that he's a bit lost. Maybe when Jaime gets back Gomez'll look like the reigning MLS MVP, but right now it looks like our young guns are going in a different direction than he is. I'm looking at Gomez' current form and the fact that we're still waiting to use our DP slot and I'm really starting to wonder where Gomez will be by the start of next season.
You know what? Let me go a little bit deeper: I really think Olsen, Gros, and Gomez are still working off the Jaime/Esky system of attack even though Fred, Emilio, and Addlery are working with a completely different dynamic. Where the hell did our chemistry go? We never built momentum and I never got the feeling that we'd capitalize if we did. We seemed almost senseless out there and we're hardly connecting up front at all, as far as I'm concerned. I guess I'll chalk it up to the heat: we had similar problems in Kansas City, but with better results.
For all our problems on offense, it seemed like Houston had the same issues. The game was won on a lucky redirection from Ching, off a shot that Carroll could have closed down or Perkins could have saved. The best they got was lucky. Gomez punished the post and Emilio should have punished the net early on rather than making Onstad look like a hero. Houston really didn't have anything we didn't have; tit for tat. Don't think our performance deserved more than a point though. None seems about right.
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Other notes:
- I wonder how much DCU will improve once Jaime gets back.
- I don't miss Erpen any more, and I wouldn't trade him back for Vanney.
- Let me give credit where credit is due: Olsen and Boswell deserve a lot of applause for joining back up with DC so soon after the Copa. First-class dedication. We really appreciate it, boys.
- A few days ago I read that Osorio (the one who just got hired for Chicago) was briefly considered for DCU's head coaching position before Soehn got the job. If this season finishes the way it started, that little tidbit is going to haunt me for a very long time.
My recap is a bit more critical than DCU deserves, perhaps, but these are pertinent points so I'll make em.
In brief: United needed to create more chances in the box, find each other better on the ground, and talk to each other better on defense. These things are nothing unusual, but it's disappointing that we're still dealing with these kinds of problems well into the middle of the season.
Who had a good game? Carroll did well to slow DeRosario and showed himself to be a really intelligent defensive mid. He deserves DCU's MoM tonight, if anyone does. (BDR disagrees.)
I'm really concerned about how McTavish will fit in on the wing now that Boswell is back. McTavish is a good right back, but Boswell doesn't seem to realize that when McTavish is heading forward (like all good wing backs should) he should be pinching over for cover. Vanney does this for Gros. I'm praying that either McTavish learns the right back spot pretty well or Boswell starts showing the potential to become a great center back, because otherwise I'm inclined to put McTavish back in the middle. Yikes.
Am I the only one that thinks Gomez has lost chemistry with the rest of the offense? There are times now when he passes but no one's there to receive, or he makes a pass that kills the momentum, or chips for a run when no one's running. It makes me think that he's a bit lost. Maybe when Jaime gets back Gomez'll look like the reigning MLS MVP, but right now it looks like our young guns are going in a different direction than he is. I'm looking at Gomez' current form and the fact that we're still waiting to use our DP slot and I'm really starting to wonder where Gomez will be by the start of next season.
You know what? Let me go a little bit deeper: I really think Olsen, Gros, and Gomez are still working off the Jaime/Esky system of attack even though Fred, Emilio, and Addlery are working with a completely different dynamic. Where the hell did our chemistry go? We never built momentum and I never got the feeling that we'd capitalize if we did. We seemed almost senseless out there and we're hardly connecting up front at all, as far as I'm concerned. I guess I'll chalk it up to the heat: we had similar problems in Kansas City, but with better results.
For all our problems on offense, it seemed like Houston had the same issues. The game was won on a lucky redirection from Ching, off a shot that Carroll could have closed down or Perkins could have saved. The best they got was lucky. Gomez punished the post and Emilio should have punished the net early on rather than making Onstad look like a hero. Houston really didn't have anything we didn't have; tit for tat. Don't think our performance deserved more than a point though. None seems about right.
----------------------
Other notes:
- I wonder how much DCU will improve once Jaime gets back.
- I don't miss Erpen any more, and I wouldn't trade him back for Vanney.
- Let me give credit where credit is due: Olsen and Boswell deserve a lot of applause for joining back up with DC so soon after the Copa. First-class dedication. We really appreciate it, boys.
- A few days ago I read that Osorio (the one who just got hired for Chicago) was briefly considered for DCU's head coaching position before Soehn got the job. If this season finishes the way it started, that little tidbit is going to haunt me for a very long time.
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