Before Extra Time – Page 7 – Soccer ramblings from RVA

Before Extra Time: soccer ramblings from RVA

Defense is the Problem

Well, we all know what the problem is with this DC United team, both the reserve team and the first team: defense. United’s defense has been torched in its last two games, giving up 7 goals (including a goal and an assist from former William & Mary player Alan Koger). The three best players on the back line so far are the three rookies, Perry Kitchen, Chris Korb, and Ethan White. With Jed Zayner coming back soon, hopefully for tomorrow, why not start a back line of Korb, Kitchen, Jakovic, and Zayner? When United acquired Zayner from Columbus last year, he was introduced as a player that could play either fullback position. Marc Burch got exposed, badly, against the Red Bulls and if we can get him to the bench, that may shore up the left channel at least somewhat. And while I think that Ethan White may be starting in place of Dejan Jakovic by the end of the season, that time has not yet come.

There is also the problem of Branko Boskovic. He came in and ignited United during their US Open Cup match versus the New England Revolution, before picking up a bit of a knock. It doesn’t seem to be serious, so hopefully he can earn his first start of the year tomorrow against the Houston Dynamo. This is a team that needs Boskovic: they are trying to play a creative, attacking style but their central midfield pairing is more suited to a Bob Bradley counterattacking style. United needs Boskovic to step up and play like the playmaker he was brought in (and paid) to be. I do not see Ben Olsen going to a 4-5-1, and so that means that one of Dax McCarty or Clyde Simms will have to start the game on the bench. I am thinking that it will be Simms, especially since Houston has not had that threatening of an attack so far this year; however, I would not be surprised if McCarty sat. If the defense continues to be a problem, I could see McCarty sitting more, with Simms necessary to protect the back line.

Here is what I am hoping for tomorrow, if Zayner is fit:

Hamid
Korb Kitchen Jakovic Zayner
Najar Boskovic McCarty Pontius
Davies Wolff

Do I expect that lineup? Not really. I expect Burch to be in there, regardless of the health of Zayner, and Fred will probably start in place of Andy Najar. Regardless, this is a team that can do some damage offensively, as long as it can keep its feet defensively. Going to Houston is a rough proposition, and so I am hoping that United can sneak away with a 1-1 draw. Its less than what I am truly hoping for, but its more than what I should be expecting. Therefore, a compromise. I’ll be back tomorrow if Steve Goff gleans any nuggets of information.

April 28, 2011
Back on the right foot: US Open Cup vs. the New England Revolution

After last Thursday’s debacle, DC United looks to get back to its winning ways in its match against the New England Revolution. Most people seem to agree on the lineup, which is:

Onstad
Korb Brasesco White Woolard
Najar King Morsink Quaranta
Brettschneider Ngwenya

I don’t really have much to add to that, except to wonder why this game isn’t being streamed online? I’m pretty sure most/all of the early round US Open Cup games were streamed last year. Budget cuts? I sure hope not. I am going to call for a Brettschneider brace and that United will continue its winning ways in the Open Cup 2-0. Hopefully they can eventually dance their way into the Open Cup proper.

April 26, 2011
Welp, that sucked
Well, there is no two ways around it. The game against the New York Red Bulls exposed all of the flaws in this current DC United team, while showing none of the good things that they have built so far this season. Actually, it reminded me a lot more of last year’s team, which is never a good thing.

Is DC United that bad or are the Red Bulls that good? I’m leaning towards the latter. With Henry finally getting hungry, this team is now cooking on all cylinders, while United is a team still finding out who they are. This will happen with a young team, and they need to figure out how they will learn from it. If not for Pat Onstad starting a couple of games, this would have been the youngest team in all of MLS; let’s not crush them with expectations just yet.

The bad
- Marc Burch: What was he doing out there? Almost all of the Red Bulls’ offensive action came down the left side. The second goal coming because Burch was in a bad position and then got muscled off of the ball. His abilities going forward, which are average at best, in no way make up for his poor defensive play. United needs Jed Zayner or Devon McTavish back, or perhaps should give Daniel Woolard a run out too. I would suggest even putting Ethan White there, except for…
- Dejan Jakvoic: What was he doing on Henry’s first goal? United needs a centerback who can be physical in the air, and that person is not Dejan Jakovic. I seriously think that, by the end of the year, Ethan White will be starting alongside Perry Kitchen unless Jakovic does something drastic to his play. White is a more physical player than Jakovic, and the hope is that he can develop into an Oguchi Onyewu type player. I say throw him in at let him develop now, because Jakovic isn’t getting it done.
- Offensive play: The offensive play of United reminded me so much of last year’s team: tons of possession but no real chances. There was good linking play up from the midfield down towards the box, but no one wanted to make that final run or that final cut that could free them to put a shot on frame. At halftime, I thought the move would have been to bring in Andy Najar for Fred and let him run at people; sure, he might have got dispossessed, but at least he would have brought some energy down that line. Also, why bring in Branko Boskovic for Dax McCarty when you are already down 2-0? I thought Dax was having a decent game, not great, but the more offensive play is to let Dax be the holding midfielder and sub out Clyde Simms.
- Charlie Davies: I would not have taken him out, but he was not having his best game. His first touch was very heavy, often bouncing ten yards away and leading to a lot of turnovers. There will be off nights for Charlie and he will continue to improve.
- The linesmen: Charlie Davies was very onside, as was Josh Wolff.
The good
- Akron Defenders: If you are looking for anything good out of this game, it is surprising to say that it was from the defense. However, I thought that United’s two rookie defenders from Akron put in some solid work. Perry Kitchen was very solid, including a hard, but clean, tackle in the box to stop a goal scoring opportunity. Chris Korb wasn’t quite as solid, but I thought that he put in a good effort and had some nice defensive plays. Hey, only one of the 4 goals came down his side, so that’s something?
- Josh Wolff: I like what he does. He puts in some very quick, tidy passes that are usually on target. Often I’m sitting there wondering how he did that. He does need to put the ball on frame more, but his tidy passing does free people for opportunities.
April 22, 2011
Take back the Atlantic Cup!

After taking care of business over the weekend against Toronto, DC United now faces the much more difficult task of welcoming the Red Bulls down to RFK. The Red Bulls are following the classic New York style of building a team: buy all the star players you can get and don’t worry if they actually fit together. It worked out pretty well for them last week, even without Juan Agudelo playing, and so their offense will put some heavy pressure on United’s young back line.

DC United also looked very good last week, with their 3-0 thrashing of Toronto FC. I am especially excited for the return of the Party Boy, Chris Pontius. I also think that Ben Olsen and United have finally solved the question of in which position does Pontius belong. He has locked down the left midfield spot, over United’s designated player, and has built open the form that he showed in his rookie season. Hopefully there won’t be any more calls for Pontius to return to the forward lineup, even though ESPN’s FC Manager still lists him as a forward (yes, I tried to pick him up for this week).

I expect the lineup to be similar to last week’s, with the except of right midfield; I do not think that Fred will get another start. It could be either of Santino Quaranta or Andy Najar: ‘Tino provides the hustle and hard work that will be necessary to disrupt RBNY’s attack, but a more aggressive style of play will be needed in this game. I think that with Pontius and Najar bombing down the wings and with Josh Wolff and Charlie Davies pinning back RBNY’s slow centerbacks, United actually has a decent chance to come away with a result.

So, who is that lineup again?

Hamid
Korb Jakovic Kitchen Burch
Najar McCarty Simms Pontius
Wolff Davies

Can United escape without giving up a counterattack goal or a Dejan Jakovic brainfart or a rookie defensive mistake? I think that they can and that they can show all of MLS that they should be taken seriously this year. 2-1 to United, and the first step towards bringing the Atlantic Cup back to DC.

April 21, 2011
Red Dead Continuation: DC United vs. Toronto FC

Onwards, my friends! This is just a quick post because I’m not going to be in town again this weekend, but I wanted to get a post out there. I think that United has a good chance to pick up three road points this weekend, and anything less is going to be a bit of a disappointment. Not surprising, but a disappointment. Here’s how I see the lineup shaking out for tomorrow:

Hamid
Korb Jakovic Kitchen Burch
Najar McCarty Simms Pontius
Davies Wolff

I have heard the reports that Fred has been training with the first team and so that he may get the start. Really? With Quaranta out, I would much rather see Najar playing over there, or if Pontius or Boskovic can play the right wing, one of them too. At this point in his career, Fred is a nice spark off of the bench, but he is not a starter.

Also, Perry Kitchen might still be too sick to play a full 90 minutes; if that is the case, Ethan White would again get the start. While I really want Kitchen to be back, White showed well last week and I would not mind too much if he got the start.

As for a prediction? If Kitchen comes back, I am going with 2-0 United; without Kitchen, my guess is 2-1. This is the week that the offense really needs to come back, or it may feel a lot like last year. Vamos United!

April 15, 2011
Stay in School, Juan

Rumors are coming out that big European clubs, like Athletico Madrid, are continuing to scout Juan Agudelo. This is nothing new; the American phenom that European clubs come over to scout. But this script plays it in a couple of different ways. As much as I dread United facing him, I think that Juan Agudelo needs to stay in MLS for at least this season and the next, for the sake of his development. Everyone knows that MLS is not yet on the same level as the top leagues in Europe; but MLS is good enough to develop quality players, both for those leagues and for the national team.

Clint Dempsey, for example, amassed 74 appearances in MLS, playing in almost every game over the course of 3 full seasons, before transferring to Fulham in 2007. Stuart Holden made 105 appearances in MLS, playing almost every match for 3.5 seasons before transferring to Bolton. The case against moving early could be Jozy Altidore. Altidore made 37 total appearances in MLS, starting for one full season, before transferring to Villareal in the middle of the 2008 season. Jozy has never had consistent starting minutes in any of his European adventures so far, save his season with Hull City.

Gale Agbossoumonde, a U-20 centerback, is an example of another risk faced by young players. He signed a 3.5 year contract with Traffic Sports and has found difficulty finding a club and consistent playing time. He rejected what he thought was a lowball offer from MLS’s Generation Adidas and thought that this would be a better move. Traffic seems like a pretty shady company that is not working in the best interest of its players; there is a great Soccernet article about them and Boss which explores their shadiness.

But just counting caps is not an indication of whether someone is ready or not. Freddy Adu played in 98 MLS matches before transferring to Benefica and we all know how that has worked out so far. Michael Bradley transferred to Heenrenveen after one season with the MetroStars, but has played well both there and at ‘Gladbach and has become a stalwart for the national team. And you cannot blame players for wanting to transfer; most American soccer players grow up idolizing teams like Manchester United, Real Madrid, and AC Milan, and if an opportunity presents itself to move closer to one of those teams, many people would take it. There is also the fact that players sometimes want to transfer for reasons that make sense off the field. Money can play a large role in these deals, making some players jump into a situation for which he is not ready.

I, obviously, do not know Juan Agudelo, or any MLS player for that matter. Juan Agudelo could be ready to go overseas and light it up, because he is a different player than Freddy Adu, or Jozy Altidore, or Clint Dempsey. But what I do know is that MLS gives young, talented players a unique opportunity to develop their game on the field; players like Juan Agudelo and Andy Najar can learn and develop while getting starting minutes. If players start to recognize this fact, not only will they do themselves a favor, but they can also help raise the quality and reputation of the league as a whole.

April 14, 2011
Sneaking out a point
Good teams do not just play better, they create their own luck. DC United might not yet be a good team, but they have finally started to make a little of their own luck. People say that, over the course of a season, calls have a tendency to work themselves out; if this is true, United’s goal this past weekend gave them about half of the New England debacle back. Now, this is not necessarily a good reflection on the state of MLS officiating, but hey, I’ll take it.

Now, since this is rather late, I’m not going to get into a game summary; I just have some random thoughts to put out there. (This weekend I was out of town on a retreat that I had to go to before getting married, so that’s why this is late)
- While I miss Jed Zayner (and his nice pass that sprung Josh Wolff in the first game), Chris Korb has been surprisingly solid. He has been like the middle class man’s version of Jordan Graye; less pure athleticism, but a better on the ball defender. Seeing as Zayner still has not recovered from his hamstring issue, we will probably seeing much more of Chris Korb.
- Ethan White has definitely jumped over Daniel Woolard and Rodrigo Brasesco on the depth chart for central defense. If Dejan Jakovic keeps having Dejan Jakovic moments, White could be pushing for a starting roll by the end of the year; if Jakovic keeps playing like he did on Saturday, then he will keep that job.
- I am not too worried by Ben Olsen pulling Dax McCarty for Branko Boskovic; Boskovic has to be the most frustrating player on the team this year. His potential is there in spades, but he cannot put it together in real MLS games. Dax does need to step it up, but I think that he can do it.
- The Davies-Wolff combo will be coming to a Toronto near you this weekend. I like the work that Blake Brettschneider has been putting in, but he still needs time in the reserve league to develop his goal scoring touch. As of now, though, he gives United what Adam Cristman gave last year with the possibility of improving; Cristman had maxed out his potential.
I’ll be back on the blogging horse tomorrow, but those are my thoughts about this past weekend. Also, hurray for the Open Cup win! Although the road is tougher this year, I wouldn’t mind United making a concerted effort in that competition.
April 12, 2011
Into the Hall of the Burgundy Kings: DC United at the Colorado Rapids

After a rough outing in New England, DC United is (hopefully) ready to put that behind them and concentrate on a tough game against the defending champions. Traditionally, Colorado is not a place where United succeeds; they were able to buck that trend last season, pulling off a shocking victory. I think that Omar Cummings and Conor Casey will both have returned, and that will put United’s makeshift back line under a world of pressure. If Clyde Simms, is out again, I do not know if they can weather that pressure. However, I am hoping that their luck can continue, perhaps snatching a point away.

Even more so than last week, United misses Devon McTavish. The versatile defender can fill in almost anywhere along the back four, and his concussion plus Dejan Jakovic’s suspension will put either Ethan White or Daniel Woolard into central defense. Based on comments by Ben Olsen and Steven Goff, I expect to see Daniel Woolard. He got a good amount of time in the preseason, so I hope that he can step in without too much trouble. I cannot wait for Perry Kitchen to come back. Also, with Ben Olsen not sure if Jed Zayner is even going to fly with the team, I think Chris Korb is getting the start again, especially since he played quite well being thrown to the lions.

If this game had been at RFK, I would have guessed that Charlie Davies would make his first start. Since this game is at altitude, I think that Joseph Ngwenya will get one more start, with Davies coming in later in the game. Apprently Josh Wolff picked up a slight knock, so that could throw Davies into the mix, regardless. He is expected to travel, and I expect Wolff to start. If Ngwenya performs poorly again, I would expect Davies to start next week.

Onstad
Korb Brasesco Woolard Burch
Najar Simms McCarty Pontius
Ngwenya Wolff

I am eternally optimistic, so I am going to hope that United can pull off the 1-1 draw. If Simms is out, that likely shrinks somewhat, although Morsink acquitted himself decently last week. A win, a draw, and a loss is what fans were hoping for out of the first three games, just not quite in this order. If United can play well at the Rapids, especially after an emotional loss to New England, it bodes well for the rest of the season.

April 1, 2011
Power Rankings, Week 2
Power rankings are back for week 2!
1. Real Salt Lake: After grinding it out one week, RSL finds its offense and blows out the Galaxy. (LW: 1)
2. Colorado Rapids: The defending champs continue to roll along. (LW: 5)
3. New York Red Bulls: NYRB was still able to get a draw missing half its team, which is good in my book. (LW: 3)
4. LA Galaxy: Will the return of Donovan Ricketts cure what’s ailing the Galaxy, or do their problems run deeper? (LW: 2)
5. San Jose Earthquakes: The ‘Quakes were better than FCD in the only metric that counts. Also, it looks like Wondo is picking up where he left off last season. (LW: 11)
6. FC Dallas: Not time to panic yet, but 1 point out of the first 6 isn’t good. (LW: 4)
7. Chicago Fire: I still have no opinions of the Chicago Fire, but a 3-2 win over Sporting KC looks nice. (LW: 8)
8. Philadelphia Union: The Union gutted out a win against a 10 man Vancouver and now sit atop the Eastern Conference. (LW: 10)
9. Sporting KC: Here’s what I wrote last week: “SKC’s offense looks potent; their defense, especially against Chivas, leaves something to be desired.” It’s still true. (LW: 7)
10. DC United: We can talk about United being robbed, but they definitely didn’t do enough to win that game. (LW: 6)
11. New England Revolution: A win is a win, no matter how much the ref helps you. (LW: 14)
12. Seattle Sounders: Seattle got a tough draw in its first two games, but no points in their first two matches is tough for their desires of an MLS Cup and a Supporter’s Shield. (LW: 9)
13. Houston Dynamo: I don’t know if Houston’s draw against the Sounders speaks more about the Dynamo or the Sounders. (LW: 12)
14. Chivas USA: No goal against a Rapids team missing both of its starting strikers is an opportunity badly wasted. (LW: 13)
15. Vancouver Whitecaps: The Whitecaps put up some fight against the Union, surviving 20 minutes on ten men before giving up the goal to El Pescadito. (LW: 16)
16. Columbus Crew: Maybe Columbus just is that bad, doing nothing against a Red Bulls team missing something like half its starters.(LW: 15)
17. Toronto FC: Well, at least they are 1-1 against expansion teams! (LW: 18)
18. Portland Timbers: Getting shut out by TFC gets you a spot at the bottom. (LW: 17)
March 28, 2011
The MVP of the Reserve League; or, how much longer will Boskovic be on this team?

One of the main things that is still with me after the game against the New England Revolution isn’t the missed handball call, or the questionable penalty, or Jakovic being Jakovic. These sorts of things are going to happen with a young team, and I was glad that they did not crumble at the sight of going down 2-0. Especially when Charlie Davies came in, there was still fight in this team, and I would expect nothing less from a Ben Olsen coached team. There will be more games like this, and probably more tough games coming up soon, but hopefully this experience will build up some toughness that United can draw on later in the season.

But the thought that has stuck with me is how long will Branko Boskovic be on DC United? He was brought in under the previous regime, under Curt Onalfo, and even when Onalfo was coach he has struggled to find his place in the team. He was brought into United to be the creative playmaker in the middle that United has always had, even though he plays as a left midfielder for the national team that he captains. After struggling through last year, many thought that a full offseason would allow him to blossom into the type of player you expect when you pay designated player money. He has looked good in the reserve league so far, as a designated player should, but apparently he does not fit into Ben Olsen’s plans.

Chris Pontius has beat him out for the starting left midfield role. And the game against the Revolution seemed to show that both Fred and Santino Quaranta are ahead of Boskovic on the depth chart. With all of that, will Boskovic be feeling the pressure, from himself and from his national teammates, to try to get a loan somewhere before their June 4 match against Bulgaria so he can be match fit to captain their team? Montenegro is currently tied on points with England atop group G in Euro 2012 qualifying, with four matches still left to play. They have already tied England at Wembley and they are far above Wales and Bulgaria in the FIFA rankings. It looks like Montenegro has a solid chance to at least get to the two-legged playoff for a spot in Euro 2012 proper. If Boskovic is not getting the playing time here that he thought his designated player status would afford him, you have to think he is going to try and get a loan to somewhere that he can play.

Moreover, it is probably in United’s best interest to get at least some money back for Boskovic over the course of the season. I think that, for many teams in MLS, Boskovic could be a good starter. But United already has its one year difference maker: Charlie Davies. Boskovic was brought in, with Pablo Hernandez, as sort of a last gasp effort by Onalfo and the front office to turn last season around. Now that Ben Olsen is in charge and is leading the youth movement, Boskovic is without a place on this team. If he can find a place in this team and be a solid contributor, I would be all for it; but if United could get a quarter, a third, or even half of Boskovic’s salary loaning him back to Rapid Wien, a club in Montengro, or wherever he thinks he can get playing time, I think the club should do it. It would be a classy move to let him get fit for his national team and it would recover at least a bit of the sunk cost United has already put in, especially if the coaching staff and front office know that he does not play into their future plans.

March 26, 2011