Before Extra Time – Page 11 – Soccer ramblings from RVA

Before Extra Time: soccer ramblings from RVA

Cut this team.

Troy Perkins- Cut. Who knows what happened to the Troy Perkins that was on the fringe of the National Team picture, but that person must have stayed in Norway.
Bill Hamid- Keep. Good young keeper who will only get better.
Chase Harrison- Keep. Might as well, Hamid needs a backup.
Julius James- Keep. He and Wallace are our only good defenders.
Juan Manuel Pena- Cut him before he retires, just to pay him back for wasting our time and money.
Marc Burch- Cut. Good enough when he’s healthy, but injury prone.
Dejan Jakovic- Cut. Decent enough player, but isn’t good enough on a consistent basis.
Kurt Morsink- Cut. An average player who makes a couple terrible plays a game.
Adam Cristman- Cut. A good work rate, but can’t put anything in the back of the net.
Danny Allsopp- Cut cut cut. Just like Adam Cristman, but doesn’t have a good work rate. Worthless.
Carlos Varela- Cut. Too old to be a part of the long term future and taking spots that could be filled by younger players.
Jed Zayner
Chris Pontius- Keep. Young player with promising signs; next year though, he needs to take that big step forward.
Andy Najar- Obviously keep. Build the team around him. Give him anything he wants. Call it Andy Najar United? Sure.
Barry Rice- Keep. Still can develop into a good defender.
Jordan Graye- Keep. See Barry Rice.
Connor Shanosky- Keep. Hopefully can turn into the next Clyde Simms.
Devon McTavish- Cut. Utility man at best, but not a good sign if he’s starting for your team.
Clyde Simms- Keep or trade. True warrior who deserves much better than this.
Stephen King- Cut. My feelings about him can be summed up as “meh.”
Pablo Hernandez- Extend his loan or buy. He hasn’t scored yet, which is a little worrying, but he’s better than any other striker on the roaster right now.
Rodney Wallace- Keep. Was playing very well before he got injured, and he’s still young.
Brandon Barklage- Eh, keep I guess. He’s young and a good enough squad player I guess.
Santino Quaranta- Keep. ‘Tino has his flaws, but he can be the veteran presence that we build around.
Branko Boskovic- Cut. Signs of being good in this last game, but Najar should take his position and he’s definitely not worth DP money.
Junior Carriero- Keep. Young and has been showing good enough flashes to stay.
Jaime Moreno- Keep. As long as he wants to stay, he should be allowed to stay. Best player in DCU history and one of the best in MLS history. He should be allowed to go out on his own terms.

Where to fill out the rest of the team? Academy signings, trialists, draft picks, and places like that. If we’re going to have a de facto rebuilding season, I want to go full out and actually have some hope for the future. But with the players we have now, there isn’t hope for the future. There is no quick fix for this team; we’re going to be bad next year too. But with the right coach, which I think Olsen can be, we might be able to start getting better starting in 2012. Whether or not they’re still in DC by then is another question.

September 26, 2010
DCU in a 4-2-3-1?

Basketball commentators (especially Bill Simmons), talk about getting your best players on the court, and not worrying about the formation. In the modern NBA, formations and tactics matter less than having all of your best players together.

Like the center who is thrust into the lineup because you’re “supposed” to have all five traditional positions, Danny Allsopp is thrust into the lineup because DC United is currently married to the 4-4-2. But why? Why not roll out a starting 11 in a 4-2-3-1, the formation that was all the rage in the World Cup. It can’t hurt to experiment a little bit, to see what might work for next year. One possible starting lineup, using all of the people who are “supposed” to start, could look like this:

Perkins
Graye Jakovic James Zayner
King Simms
Najar Boskovic Quaranta
Hernandez

But why not get even a little more experimental? Many fans want to see Andy Najar as the #10 and think that he could finally fulfill that traditional DC United role. So why not roll out a lineup that looks like this:

Perkins
Graye Jakovic James Zayner
King Simms
Varela Najar Quaranta
Hernandez

And have Junior be the first sub off the bench on the wing, to get him some playing time too and see what we have. Najar is great as a winger right now, bombing down the right side and causing all sorts of problems for the defense; if his stint as a #10 doesn’t work out, we still know that United has a great winger in the making. But why not try out Najar in that playmaker role for which United has been searching?

September 22, 2010
The Last Match of the 2010 Cycle

I’m excited for the USA-Brazil friendly tomorrow! Now, I know that this might make me a bit of an outcast, but I’ll tell you why. I see this match as the last in the 2010 World Cup cycle. I disagree with those who say that this match is purely a money-grab, although I’m sure US Soccer is loving the ticket sales. This match is a send off, a thank you, an epilogue, to the whole cycle that led up to the 2010 World Cup. How fitting that this game is against Brazil, the team that the USA faced in the Confederations Cup final last year and the game that brought the impending World Cup into the minds of the general public.

This roster only contains one player, Omar Gonzalez, who was not in the 30-man roster for this past World Cup, and only a few players, like Alejandro Bedoya and Sacha Kljestan, who were not on the 23-man roster. But this is a final time for the fans in the United States to go to a game and say goodbye to the players who won’t feature in the next World Cup, or who perhaps won’t ever make a National Team roster ever again. Even the controversial and maligned Robbie Findley should be in the roster, giving Real Salt Lake fans one more, perhaps final, time to see him wearing a National Team jersey.

This could/should be the last match for the National Team before Bob Bradley’s future is decided. He’s been linked to clubs out there, such as Fulham and, as of today, Aston Villa. He would also be welcomed by almost every fan of DC United, should he want to come back to MLS. With the new coach in place, or Bradley’s future secured, the October friendlies should be the first matches in the 2014 cycle. That’s the time that the team should start bringing in players like Charlies Davies, Jermaine Jones (if he’s healthy), Brek Shea, Jack McInerney, Chris Pontius, people from the U-23 and U-20 teams, and all sorts of other possibilities. But let’s have one last hurrah for the men of the 2010 cycle, and give these guys one last thank you.

August 9, 2010
DC United-LA Galaxy quick thoughts

I’m still amazed at how terrible the picture is on Fox Soccer for MLS games; its really, really bad. Let’s just move to Versus already.

Anyways, the game. DC United versus the best team in the league. And, except for the final score, it was just like I said: if you look at the general run of play, it seemed like United was in it, but fatal mistakes at the back and an inability to finish brings another loss. They also seemed to quit soon after the Galaxy PK, not getting back into it until the 85th minute or so. If this starts happening more often, it will be the death knell for Onalfo; once the team starts quitting on him, there’s no going back.

Troy Perkins – 4: Didn’t have too much to do, except for the poor job that he did on the goal. Nothing he could do on the PK: he guessed the right way, but just couldn’t extend far enough to get it.

Devon McTavish – 6: Did good work on Donovan one on one. No glaring mistakes, which is more than can be said for other members of the defense.

Julius James – 3: For the most part, he was solid in the back. I don’t think that handball was necessary, though. He should have let it go; it wasn’t a Luis Suarez situation. And actually, looking at the replay just now, Perkins would have had a good chance on it. Dumb dumb dumb. Those are the kind of mistakes that keep DC losing.

Dejan Jakovic – 6: He was playing well before he went out injured, and hopefully he can be back for the next league game. He had a good stop right before the first goal and wasn’t at fault for it going in.

Jordan Graye – 3: On the defensive side, he was fairly terrible. Bad passes and giveaways, which led to the second goal (although James had a lot to do with that one too). He did look good going forward, but thats not enough.

Andy Najar – 8: I love Andy Najar. He had good balls into the box. He showed more hustle than anyone else on the team. He ran down that ball that was going out of bounds, giving Hernandez a great chance near the end of the first half. And he beat two of MLS all stars to head in a goal, even though he’s one of the shortest players on the field. Too bad he’ll be in Europe by age 20.

Clyde Simms – 5: Showed good effort and defense all day, but its too bad he can’t shoot.

Stephen King – 4: He played fairly well all game, but his mistakes were glaring. He and Simms go for the same ball too often, which leads to turnovers and just bad positioning. He was also abused by Buddle on the first goal. I like him, but I could definitely see him getting benched in favor of Boskovic, even though Branko didn’t look that great tonight either.

Chris Pontius – NA: Got hurt right at the beginning of the game and was possibly playing with a broken foot the entire first half. Apparently told Onalfo that he didn’t know if he could continue, but Onalfo didn’t take him out. If you figure out at halftime that he might have had a broken foot, than somebody should have figured it out earlier and pulled him. That’s on Onalfo and the training staff, especially after Pontius already voiced concern.

Pablo Hernandez – 7: In the first half, he was ever so close. Hernandez was putting himself in good positions, coming close to multiple goals in the first half. He put in some great runs that resulted in free kicks, and put in a great cross to the head of Najar. He’s blown Cristman and Allsopp off the depth chart.

Santino Quaranta – 5: Tantalizing ‘Tino. Always looks so close to taking over, but never gets quite there. Great little pass to Moreno that should have resulted in a goal. However, he also looked like he wasn’t giving his all at multiple points in the game. I kept thinking “Najar would have gotten to that ball,” whereas ‘Tino just let it go.

Jaime Moreno – 5: Did decently, but I would have rather had Pontius in there. I think the FSC commentators were giving him a little too much credit, and thinking he should be starting is crazy. Should have put that ball from Quaranta into the net.

Carey Talley – 5: Didn’t do anything particularly great or particularly bad. I thought the yellow card was harsh. Should Talley be starting instead of Jordan Graye? Right now Talley is probably a better player, but giving Graye the experience will make him get better for the rest of this season and in the future. I say stay with Graye.

Branko Boskovic – 5: Doesn’t seem to be quite ready yet. He showed some nice touches, including a nifty little pass to Graye, who shanked the shot. However, Onalfo might as well through him in there and let him build experience that way.

July 19, 2010
The Galaxy come to town

Sorry that I didn’t post anything about the 0-0 draw with NYRB or the 1-0 loss to the Sounders; I was on vacation on Bald Head Island, NC, with my fiancée and her family. But now the best team in the league comes into RFK. Donovan, Ricketts, Buddle, and the rest of the team are a match for any team in the league, and United is probably just a road bump in their way. But, as Herm Edwards says, you play to win the game, and United can threaten if they put it together.

Injuries continue to hit United. The career suspension of Brian Namoff was a long time coming, but still a sad sight to see. I wonder why MLS sees more of these sorts of career ending concussions than the NFL. Is it that MLS players get more concussions? No. Is it that MLS players are pansies and can’t handle their concussions? No. Could it be that NFL players are forced by cultural and monetary forces keep playing and endanger their long-term health? Probably. There have been a lot of articles recently about all the brain damage that football players suffer over the courses of their careers. Chris Henry, a wide reciever who died recently, was found to have brain damage even though his NFL career only lasted a few years and he played a position that gets less concussions, traditionally, than others. But various pressures, such as money and the traditional branding of football players as “tough,” might prevent them from taking the course of action that has their best health. Adam Cristman is also out for the foreseeable future, going to Germany to get surgery on a hernia. I’m not quite sure why he chose Germany over the US for his surgery, but I hope he recovers soon.

United’s new transfer also made their debuts against the Sounders: Pablo Hernandez came on for Jaime Moreno in the 56th minute, and Branko Boskovic came on for Stephen King in the 72nd minute. The competition for the second central midfielder position between King and Boskovic will be interesting, although who knows if Curt Onalfo will move Boskovic around the field, like he’s done with lots of players.(Quaranta, Najar, Pontius, Moreno, etc.) However, I don’t see either of them starting, at least for a couple of games yet.

Who will start this game? Well, this is what I see happening.

Perkins
McTavish Jakovic Pena Graye
Najar Simms King Pontius
Moreno Quaranta

Although, I would not be surprised if Pablo Hernandez started and saved Moreno for a halftime substitution. The outcome? Even I, one of the most hopeful and optimistic people, can’t predict a DC United victory. I think a 3-1 Galaxy victory will probably be in order.

July 18, 2010
Boskovic and Hernandez lineup math

Ah, the last game before DC United two new signings, Branko Boskovic and Pablo Hernandez, can officially start playing. That’s when lineup choices will start getting more interesting, although I doubt either of them will start that game (against the Sounders), but maybe a late sub depending on how the game is going. The lineup will probably be something like this:

Perkins
Graye Pena Jakovic McTavish
Pontius Simms King Najar
Quaranta Cristman

While the lineup that played in the second half of the last game, with Moreno in on the wing, Pontius up top, and Cristman out, was more effective, I don’t think Jaime can go a whole game on a regular basis. But until Hernandez and Boskovic get up to speed, I think that they should sport that lineup, meaning that it should look a little more like this:

Perkins
Graye Pena Jakovic McTavish
Moreno Simms King Najar
Quaranta Pontius

I’m not sure what Onalfo is going to do with Boksovic and Hernandez once they get up to speed. I think that Boskovic is very likely to slide right in when he’s ready, but I think Hernandez has a much tougher road. If United stays with their current lineup, I think that we can assume that Cristman is going to be the first one out of the lineup: Boskovic could slot into a wing position and Pontius could slid up top, or Hernandez could simply replace Cristman directly. But if both of them are able to work into the lineup, that math gets a little trickier and it basically works out to where Onalfo thinks Boskovic will be most effective. If he’s best as a winger, that means either Pontius, Najar, or Quaranta are going to be on the bench; if he’s best as a central midfielder, then I would bet that King is out. Out of the 4 midfielders and two strikers, I think that Quaranta is the next one out, based on current form. I think that people might riot if Onalfo benches Najar and I think that both Pontius and King are outplaying Quaranta. So unless Boskovic is miles better in the center than on the wing, I think you will see him out there.

I think that Onalfo likes to stick with the 4-4-2; he showed a 4-5-1 once or twice earlier in the season, but decided he didn’t like it. So, if both Hernandez and Boskovic make the starting 11, this is the lineup that I think we would see:

Perkins
Graye Pena Jakovic McTavish
Boskovic Simms King Najar
Pontius Hernandez

Or, perhaps, Onalfo wants to transition to a 4-5-1. If United does, I’d love to see it more like a Dutch style 4-2-3-1. This formation would require more of a target forward up to, and so it would be more like a Cristman or an Allsopp, rather than a Quaranta or a Hernandez, who is supposedly more of a speed option. I think that this lineup might give United their best attacking options while still keeping a midfielder or two back to help the back line. So I would imagine something like this:

Perkins
Graye Pena Jakovic McTavish
Simms King
Pontius Boskovic Najar
Cristman

There seems to be a tactical evolution happening in soccer; the 4-4-2 seems to be the old way, and a more flexible 4-5-1/4-3-3, with hybrid winger/forwards, seems to be what most of the teams in the World Cup are using. If Onalfo uses this lineup, hopefully can get United back to the playoffs next year (especially when Rodney Wallace returns). Oh right, Saturday’s game. Its also the last game NYRB have before a possible Thierry Henry signing. Juan Pablo Angel vs. United’s defense does scare me, but I’m still hoping for a 2-1 United victory.

July 9, 2010
Vuvuzela Hero and other gimmicks

The USA needs a gimmick. No, not the national team itself. They have trademarked American Grit, allowing them to get scrappy wins and play above their nominal talent level. But no, ESPN is the king of gimmicks, and yet they’ve tried to market the World Cup with things like British announcers, top-tier studio talent, and a concerted effort to try and do right by soccer fans around the world.

But, in Germany, there is a new sensation. No, not Mesut Özil or Thomas Müller. Its Paul the Octopus, AKA Pulpo Paul or Paul Oktopus.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

If anyone doesn’t know about Paul, he’s an octopus that picks games of the German National Team. His handlers put two bowls of food in his tank, one with Germany’s flag and one with the flag of the other team; whichever bowl he choses, that team is supposed to win. American sports are built on gimicks: there are rally monkeys, thunder sticks, giveaways, and all of NASCAR. To keep up, ESPN needs a gimmick that can capture the hearts and minds of the common sports fan in America. With that in mind, I’ve come up with a couple of gimmicks that I am sure[1] will catapult the USMNT in the center of the US sporting world.

Ian Darke: We all now know that Ian Darke is far better than Martin Tyler. Tyler’s understated style, overall, is not a good fit for the US public. Combine that with the fact that he wasn’t really as good as billed has led to an underwhelming performance. Ian Darke, on the other hand, has been great. His highlight, of course, was his call for Landon Donovan’s goal in the USA-Algeria game. To build off of that, ESPN should hire him full time and start a line of “This Is Sportscenter,” commercials, in the style of Donovan and Jozy’s commercials before the World Cup. Darke commentating on someone’s attempt to pick up a girl in a bar would also be hilarious.

Vuvuzela Hero: Everyone’s most hated plastic horn has not nearly been overexposed enough. ESPN needs to get the creators of the Fifa World Cup games and Rock Band to combine their talents to create a new game: Vuvuzela Hero. One player will control his side as the other plays the new vuvuzela accessory to try and get their team bonus power-ups and weaken the morale of the opponent. But if the Vuvuzela player isn’t enthusiastic, their team will weaken due to lack of support from their fans. (Note: Vuvuzela accessory is 4 times as powerful when playing against France.)

Any suggestions for other gimmicks you would like to see?

[1]All predictions wrong or your money back.

July 8, 2010
FSC, MLS, and Versus

As I was watching Saturday’s Columbus-Chicago game, I noticed something terrible. No, it was the announcing, although many people harp on that. The two announcers in this game, as well as the sideline reporter (touchline reporter?), felt the need to fill every second with inane chatter about anything and everything without letting the game just happen. It wasn’t the few vuvuzelas that I heard, even though I’m ready for them to be gone. No, what annoyed me the most was seeing the terrible picture quality to which Fox Soccer Channel subjects us. Instead of watching a professional sporting even, it felt like I was watching a soccer game being broadcast on a college-run channel. All that was missing was advertisements for the Ultimate Frisbee tournament.

I’m not asking for everything to be in HD, although availability of FSC HD is ridiculously tiny and they tease us with the words “HD LIVE” in the upper right hand corner. All I’m asking for is that I be able to identify which players are which, rather than seeing yellow and red blobs running around on the field. So, as far as I’m concerned, MLS may as well go to Versus, if for nothing else than the picture quality. Versus has experience with broadcasting a season’s worth of games for a professional sport, whereas the majority of FSC’s programming is syndicated content from around the world. FSC can be found in approximately 37 million households in the United States; in 2009, Versus could be found in over 75 million households. That could take MLS to the next level and allow them to grow while allowing FSC to continue to invest in their syndicated content.

There have been rumors of MLS being in the early stages of talks with Versus about the switch. There have been blogposts from hockey fans who think that the MLS moving to Versus would benefit both leagues. And I think it would benefit Versus as well. They’ve been slowly moving away from their heritage as the Outdoor Life Channel, and advertisements for hockey and soccer matches might keep a more fans and different fans than ads for cage fighting and bull riding. I think that if MLS can manage it, a move to MLS would work out great for them and for the network.

July 5, 2010
Quick thoughts, DC United vs. SJ Earthquakes

Like many DC United games, this one could have been subtitled “The Tale of Two Halves.” Except, unlike a normal United game, they were poor in the first half and then got better in the second. And the Earthquakes were all over United in the first half, keeping all of the possession and sending in some good chances. No clearance on a corner that hit the ground after a poor header led to Ike Opara putting it into the back of the net. goal. Also, United had too many long balls not on target, leading to easy turnovers. One thing I noticed was that I could hear people barking out commands down on the SJ side of the field, but none of that on the DCU side.

In the second half it was a different story. Jaime Moreno was brought in and put on the left wing, with Pontius moving up top. This seemed to work well for United, as Jaime is still good at holding up the ball and passing. Especially after the goal, San Jose seemed to press more and lose possession more easily. The result was a fair one on the balance of play, but its frustrating. United could easily be taking three points instead of one and could be moving up the table. But hey, at least they’re not just getting blown out every game anymore.

And now for the ratings!

Troy Perkins – 3 for the first 85 minutes, 7 for the last 5 minutes, 4 overall: As I’ve said multiple times before, Perkins doesn’t command his box. In particular, in this game he could come off his line and not end up with the ball way too often. There were at least four or five times that this happened, and it happened enough the the commentators started noticing it and calling Perkins out on it. But then Perkins makes three great saves in the last five minutes of the match, preserving the draw.Why couldn’t last 5 minutes Perkins play for all 90?

Devon McTavish – 5: Bad touch off his toe that almost led to a goal, but it was saved by Perkins. Otherwise he was solid, but nothing special.

Juan Manuel Pena – 4.5: Nice tackle to save a shot on goal, but a little shaky elsewhere. Seemed to be always be playing catch-up on defense, never commanding.

Dejan Jakovic – 6.5: He was good on the offensive side: had a nice little run forward and a nice header on target, cleared off the line by Convey. More solid than Pena.

Jordan Graye – 5: Looked nice going forward and generally provided good work in the back; however, towards the end of the game he had some bad clearances. Headed a ball out of bounds that he should have been able to control and missed a clearance or two in the box.

Chris Pontius – 6: The story of Chris Pontius: lots of pretty work but he can’t put any of it in the back of the net. In the first half, United seemed to be trying to press the ball to him and it led to turnovers, both by Pontius and by the people trying to pass the ball to him. He got better when he moved up top and when Moreno got moved out onto the wing. Dangerous but impotant.

Stephen King – 6.5: Anonymous in the first half. Played better in the second half, especially with the great hold up and cross into Najar for the goal.

Clyde Simms – 6: Didn’t write anything good or bad for him during the match, but he was solid.

Andy Najar – 7.5: I want to keep him on DC United as long as humanly possible; however, I don’t think its going to be that long until someone comes along and buys him from United/MLS. He needs some longer cleats because he seemed to be sliding all over the field early. He had some nice forward runs, skipping over a tackling defender, and of course a nice run on the goal. He sometimes tries to do too much and gets dispossed, which he did sometimes in the first half. However, in the second half he settled in and was able to link up better with those around him.

Santino Quaranta – 6: See entry for Pontius. He also had a tricky shot near the end, but it just wouldn’t go in.

Adam Cristman – 5: Good work rate, bad touch. Things opened up a lot for United when he was taken off.

Subs:

Jaime Moreno – 7: Crafty, good passing, helped set up Najar’s goal. Might be worth trying starting him as the target forward next to Quaranta or keeping him out on the wing with Pontius up top; maybe test each out for a half in the next Open Cup match?

Boyzzz Khumalo – NA: Late sub.

Danny Allsopp – NA: Late sub.

July 4, 2010
Quick thoughts, DC United vs. Real Salt Lake

Quick thoughts and ratings after DC United’s 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake…

Never thought that, after the start of this season, I would be disappointed with stealing a point against Real Salt Lake, the current holders of the MLS Cup. But after the way the match went, I can’t help but think that DC deserved the full three points. DC controlled possession, had almost all of the shots on goal (I think RSL had one total), and had inspired defense. If this is the way that DC is going to play for the rest of the year, they might yet be able to salvage something.

Perkins – 7: Played very well in the limited time that he was needed. I still think, in the back of my mind, that they keep running him out there so that they can trade him for something.

Graye – 7: Good, as he seems to have been in recent days. Really growing into his role, and compliments Wallace on the other side rather well.

Pena – 5: Solid in the center defense, but went off early to make way for Julius James. I’m not really comfortable with one of our center defenders going off after 65 minutes because he’s so old (it doesn’t help that his nickname is “The Mummy”).

Jakovic – 6: Solid in his return to the team, which is good, since the last time that I remember him being on the field was him getting a red card which led to a free kick goal and then getting his collarbone broken.

Wallace – 6: Good pace before he went off with a leg injury. Hopefully he isn’t out long; while McTavish is good, I would be more comfortable with Wallace in there.

Najar – 7: Assistant coach called him the warrior, and thats what he is. Although, he was more anonymous in the 2nd half, but he’s still performing well above his age.

Simms – 6: A boss in the central midfield. His return has coincided with the uptake of United’s form.

King – 6: Played with a good effort and showed that he’s a much better version of Kurt Morsink. Good passing on the ball and had a couple of good shots in the first half. Should have had a goal.
Pontius – 5: He’s definitely the best wing option, but he had an okey night. The last two games he’s seemed to have problems holding possesion and getting corsses in; however, I’d still rather see him there than see Boyzzz or Castillo.

Quaranta – 6: Good service, but I’d like to see more of a striker mentality from him. He’s still learning the position though, and I think that the goals will come.

Allsopp – 6: A serviceable night, but nothing outstanding.

McTavish – 6: Definitely played well. A very good backup, but not quite up to the level of Rodney Wallace.

James – 6: Played well in place of Juan Manuel Pena, but I wish he didn’t have to.
Cristman – 6: Has taken over the role of supersub from Jamie and Emilio. He has a better work rate than both and that can cause more problems than either of them.

June 6, 2010