What rating do you give the fans? Fine form tonight.

For the first time ever, I am awarding a 10 -- to the fans.

Good show, mates.....

Even though we bood Beckham?

Aww, why did you rate Beckham? *sigh*

Good work, Goffinho. Enjoy your flight.

If Wilbon thinks the crowd in New York will be better than the one tonight, he's got another thing coming...unlike RBNY fans we actually support our team even without Becks there.

I have nothing against 45,000 screaming fans at a DCU match, even if they're screaming about Beckham. He came, he did play and not for a trivial amount of time, he had a credible set piece and a couple other decent balls -- and by the way, if you were on the loud side, he was roundly booed, as an appropriate testimony to his stature. I know, I know, we've seen stars before, and it's never made soccer matter . . . but this time, we have almost a full generation of soccer players who have grown up with the game. This might have been their first live pro game -- so what? I think if they liked it, as many did, they might just be back.

Only a 4 for Fred? He did give away a few, but he was still creative and instrumental in that relentless attack.

And I'd notch Gros up to 7. He was everywhere last night.

7 for Boswell? If Erpen had made the mistakes he made last night you would have given him a 4 or a 3. The fair rating would have been a 5. I love you as a writer, but player ratings are not your strength. Stick to your strengths. Would you want Picasso to build your house?

Wow, Yallop needs to watch the replay. Perkins never touched him. Donovan lept over him, and then did this little spastic mid air shudder when he was like 3 yards past. Should've been a yellow for diving if anything.

I think Fred deserved better than a 4, he was linking with the strikers and wide players well, he drew the red card by running at the defense, and he set up at least one golden chance for Emilio (72nd min in the highlights).

Also, Simms shut down Donovan for most of the game and distributed out of the back nicely. Hard to have a better game at that position. I would give him a 7.

have to agree with what is said above about Wilbon's sentiments on the NY crowd being better than ours....maybe more screaming and less booing, but as far as a real soccer crowd...they won't hold a candle to tonight's

4 may be a bit harsh on Fred but he did make several terrible passes...not sure why so many thought he had a good game. I will say he did shake his defenders outta their boots a couple times though.

I was misquoted and taken out of context. Katie Cabbara asked our tailgating group what we thought of all the commotion with Beckham playing.

She wrote I said "who honestly cares about him that much" in reference to people shelling out $200 to see him as if I couldn't grasp the concept of Beckham as an international icon.

What I really said was that I didn't really care about Beckham that much since I would be out at the game anyway and have been a season ticket holder since the inaugural season in 1996.

At least she spelled my name correctly....

Goff,

Did you get a chance to speak with McClaren post-match? I would be interested to hear what he had to say.

Mike Wilbon, are you that clueless? Beckham at his best not being on par with Krol, Weisweiler, or Chinaglia? That's insanity. Just because you can name drop players from the 70's doesn't make you an expert of the game.

As for last night, Fred was dreadful in the 1st half. Time and time again his passes were intercepted by LA. He settled down later, but I do think a rating of 4 is fair.

Great game, great crowd but please no more military aircraft fly-bys. It makes me feel like I am living in a military dictatorship. I would rather pay 1/1,000,000 of a cent less in taxes. Horrible and needless at a sporting event.

Wilbon also forgets that every player around Beckenbauer, Chinaglia, Cryuff, etc, were 1/10th the player that most MLS players are these days. The overall level of play is higher, so guys like that can't come in here and prance through 90 minutes any more.

I think the beer men deserve a 10.5 and I'm pretty sure they were getting a better work out than the players on the field.

Burch gets better with each match and his passing and control last night was the best on the field. At the rate he's going he could easily be attracting attention from abroad. It will be very interesting to see who DCU is able to keep this off season.

I have to say that I was totally blown away by the Barra Brava. Those guys are the real deal. Flags, banners, non-stop hardcore action for 90 minutes. The team should be proud of those guys. I can't wait to join. Anyone know how?

Hoost, I thought the same thing about Wilbon's piece. What a fool.

Here's hoping some folks come back. The fans - the new ones - seemed good and genuinely seemed to like the game.

I wish the MLS/ teams had in the contracts of Burch players like him who get such a pathetic salary a way of rewarding game time. He's done very well and should not have to wait to the end of the season to get rewarded.

Chinaglia just needs to shut up, he's just annoyed because people didn't really take to him much, and he couldn't carry a league in a time and place that was impossible. Becks is, besides all the celebrity, a fighter par excellance, He is, as you might say, game. Real signed him for the celebrity, used him up, and then noticed that he was doing more on the pitch than anyone noticed in the kleig lights. He will make the Galaxy a better team, and landycakes a better player, simply by his professionalism. That said, it was a great time last night, even in the upper reaches of section 512. I went with some people (ok, girls) who had never been to a match, one is a skins ticket holder, one had nats tickets, and both said that it was the most fun crowd they had seen, then pointed down to the orange seats and said 'next time we sit down there' so that's two more people who will be back for another game soon. The screaming eagles and barra brava were the best possible advertisement for MLS you could hope for, good job lads.

Steven,
I'm excited too but your ratings are way high. One goal that should have been saved doesn't equal ggod play in the attack. Lanny should have been awaded a PK and then we may have been looking at a 0-1 loss. Let's keep it real inspite of the Beck's buzz, that wasn't a great (6&7) performance by DCU aginst perhaps the worst team in the league(is RSL still a team?).

Someone mentioned it above, but Landykins' mid-air pirouette move is the dead giveaway that he's selling the foul. If you're really hurt, you don't have time to herky jerk your entire body midway through your fall.

Going to a United match is by far the closet thing to attending a European or Argentinian match. The atmosphere last night was electric, and I had a blast. I still tink it is unwise on the part of the front office to go down the stretch run of the season without picking up a senior international or DP. I think if we got a DP, we could easily pull away from the pack, and capture our 5th title. As for the crowd, I kind of felt like being at a Redskins game when they play the Cowboys. There were just too many opposing Beckham jerseys in the stands, and clearly not enough people have been exposed to United. Hopefully, more casual soccer fans will see the true passion and respect for the game that United has. When United is in top form, they play such a beautiful game. Loved last night, and I wish more home games are that crazy.

Landycakes is a whining diver who doesn't show up in big games. Notice how small his game was last night because Beckham was there. The most overrated and underperforming (in matches when it counts) player of his generation in the U.S.

ImpressedNewbie: Just show up to a game and find them in lot 8. Here is there website for more info:
http://www.barra-brava.com/

"I have to say that I was totally blown away by the Barra Brava. Those guys are the real deal. Flags, banners, non-stop hardcore action for 90 minutes. The team should be proud of those guys. I can't wait to join. Anyone know how?"

www.barra-brava.com has everything you need. Welcome.

Wilbon: "Hey you kids! Get off my lawn!"

There were beer men? I didn't see any.

Wilbon's column is an admission of fear. Fear that MLA just might become something bigger than what it is. As big as the NFL? Unlikely.

But Wilbon can't stomach the idea of MLS being a top 3 sport which it just might be, given some time.

So he digs up some old reports from the NASL days and tries to sound like he knows what he's talking about. Well, he doesn't.

But he does sound scared.

4 for Fred may seem a bit harsh but he was pretty terrible in the first half. He was a bit better in the 2nd when he moved out to the wing. My problem with him is that he just puts his head down and bulls his way ahead. He needs to look for a pass more often instead of thinking he can do it all himself.

What's up with all the trash being thrown onto the field from the "supporters" sections? Water bottles, mini footballs, other garbage. I hope whoever was doing that got pummeled. The last thing we need is one of our guys getting hurt because some moron decided it was cool to throw trash on the field. Cheer and chant and sing all you want.

I had to laugh while watching the tape when I got home. Did Tommy Smyth really say DC United hasn't had a shutout in over a year? Uh, gee Tommy we just had one 3 days ago and there have been others this year.

And did Dave O'Brien really say that all of us were just there to see Beckham? BSPN sucks!

Holy Cow...
Man, is LA ever a horrible side right now.

The look on David's face both before and after he entered the match said a lot.

After the game I watch bits and pieces on TV at home. I agreed with a lot of Wilbon's comments during the broadcast. His comments about how Americans supporting things that American's invented and/or made popular hit the nail on the head. We should try to force soccer down the throats of the average American. Let soccer take care of itself... it will succeed that way. MLS should focus on improving the quality of game (both the experience and on the field) and then everything else will improve.

As for the game... DC wins 1-0. I'm happy.

It was funny seeing so many LA David Beckham jerseys. I had heard they were selling well, but I had never seen someone wear one. I guess it's all good for the game somehow, but I now understand the European's that complain about seeing the Man United jersey's being worn around smaller cities with their own team... (why not support the home team?).

Thanks for the kind words Impressed, we have alot of passionate people in the Barra that makes our group great. Look me up at any tailgate and I'll be happy to show you around.

Great time last night. If Beckhamania converted even 1000 new fans then MLS is looking money. Man I wish Jaime's rocket would've gone in.

That's what we're hoping for -- that people that never would've come to a game came last night, loved it, and will return...

Enjoyed reading Spain's Marca's coverage. Basically, Beckham didn't help the team, LA sucks, and Quavas Kirk is "unknown" :) Credit given to the Burch/Emilio combo, and that DC deserved it. So, beating Beckham is good for DC's international reputation.

Wilbon was much more generous in the booth than he was with his column. He stated how MLS needs to cater to soccer fans, and that's what they have started doing in the last few years.

About Olsen getting the jersey -- we didn't see Benny hand Beckham anything (his own jersey), but I guess he did? And it was interesting that it happened well after all the hand-shaking was done; and that Beckham's man Friday instantly whipped out another jersey for him to put on again -- must be part of the Herbalife agreement.

I've defended Wilbon's writing in this space before, but I have to say that the column was way off the mark. It should have been about last night and not things that happened 30 years ago. Wilbon tried too hard to establish his "street cred" in soccer. That was uncalled for.

Someone tell Wilbon that the NASL and the Dips weren't as great as he remembered. Attendance average for the Dips was 19,200 in 1980 (not anywhere near the 30,000 Wilbon remembers). Next highest was 13,000 in '77 (comparable to Chivas USA). The league high mark was 14,400 in 1980, and that was with the Cosmos avaraging around 45,000. Christ, 20 years from now Wilbon will report how there was 100,000 people last night, and that DC averages 40,000 a game?

The "We Sing Better Than Your Wife" sign was hysterical. A "10+" for whoever did that. I've been to a few United games- the Barra Brava are that passionate at every game.

Oh, and props to dcu for not only selling Beckham jerseys, but marking them up five bucks, wonder how many of them they sold at a c-note a pop last night? Surely not all those people bought them on the internets. And finally, nice job to the guy wearing a 98 MNT Cobi Jones jersey in section 512, classy.

Nick,
Unfortunate you were misquoted and your name misspelled in that "fan story." But Jaysus, what a pathetic piece of drivel. Goffino, WTF? Why would the Post publish such a pathetic piece of drivel. That "reporter" (Let me guess, college intern?) couldn't wash your jock!

Vamanos UNITED! Can't wait to double up Becks and LA on Wednesday. As the Jesus says, "You gotta a day Wednesday, baby!"

I cringed when I read:

"I told them earlier we should stay around until everyone leaves and ask if we can go sit where he sat on the bench," Gould said.

That's a 26-year-old, not a 14-year-old.

Fred, to my surprise, was not great in the middle in the first half (4 = prob on the mark). For all that was played up about his prowess in the center, he was not effective linking up and we simply weren't any good working through the middle. Would've switched Fred for Moreno and kept Kpene in, though Fred did much better on the flank in the 2nd half. Electric crowd and atmosphere, even if folks did come out for Becks. Vamos United!

I second request for any thoughts from McClaren after the game.... curious minds want to know!

Fred rating too low. Boswell too high. I think I'd give Gros a 7 on the Goff scale. He and Fred were creating. Solid game.

Mr. Goff,

Can you pass the following numbers on to Wilbon about the Diplomats attendance:

1974: 4,975
1975: 8,847
1976: 5,963
1977: 13,037
1978: 10,783
1979: 11,973
1980: 19,205
1981: 12,106

There's no 30,000 a game as he said.

Wilbon hates soccer.

;)

Burch has been very impressive. A magnificent left foot and surprisingly good decisions on the ball. I hope he does get the recognition he deserves.

I bet mclaren looks at how bad the Galaxy are and ends Becks' international career now. That is a bad, bad, team, i've seen better spacing at middle school games.

Salute Northzax, I was section 512 row 12! The place rocked even in the rafters! But I NEVER saw a beer man (much sadness).

As for Becks, give him some credit (more than some are giving above). He was yelling at the other LA players the second he got on the field, got them moving, and sent a beaut of a pass to Pavon's head. We were lucky we didn't just get one point with a draw.

By the way, WTF was with the last 20 minutes. DC took its foot off the gas like they were up 2 or 3-0. Fred would be running up the flank and just stop and backpass to the center (same with others). We had no urgency to get a second goal. The first 60 minutes we were cutting up LA in the box, then nothing. You don't sit on a 1-0 lead! I hate LA, but have some respect. Arrrg.

Goff, a few things, if you would. Please tell Wilbon that Beckham finished 2nd twice in World Player of the Year votes (1999 & 2001). Then ask him how many times lazy Giorgio did that. Finally, please tell him that Cruyff was washed up when he came to the states. Yes, he had some skills left in the tank, but he was clearly well past his prime. Beckham, love him or hate him, is still a very good player (please see 2nd half of Real Madrid's season for evidence).

Thanks Goff. : )

I was at that Dips game in 80. It was great, but I was a wee lad and too young to appreciate it. Also, reading up on it, the Dips played liked a bunch of 2nd division thugs-- compeletly unsuitable for Cruyff's brilliance.

I'm glad Beckham is playing, but I am more pleased with the DC Utd victory result getting broadcast around the world. The Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles are the best in the USA. There are tapped kegs in the parking lot to prove it.

Burch has been very impressive. A magnificent left foot and surprisingly good decisions on the ball. I hope he does get the recognition he deserves.

To all of you dissing Wilbon this morning, I think the point that he was trying to make is that, he is indeed a soccer fan, but it is a tough sell for Americans. He pretty muched used the star players from the NASL as evidence that even though they were stars, it was not enough for Americans to embrace the sport. I think where Wilbon got lost, is the fact that the sports landscape and the demographics of this country has drastically changed since the late 1970's and early 1980's. The US has now had its first generation of fans who have grown up with the sport. He was right on with his argument that MLS should only be catering to soccer fans, and not worry about the general public. Guess what boys and girls, MLS and soccer is here to stay. I think Wilbon knows, that in the next 10-15 soccer has a good chance of passing the NBA and maybe baseball, if the quality of play can become the equivlant to big time European soccer. From all indications, it is on that path. I think he sensed it from the passionate fan that were on display last night. I think America had a great introduction to how American Soccer fans can be passionate about their team. Vamos United!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In pre-game "kickaway" Fred threw his ball -- he throws like a girl . . . don't worry about Wilbon he won't be at another game for 20 years . . . leveraged my season tix into many seats for friends and co-workers . . . many good reactions for DCU . . . "I will definitely be back" etc . . . Insider, a few questions for the WNT . . . 1) who do they think has better ink, Beckham or Natasha Kai? 2) what differences (if any) between the Ryan 3-front and the Heinrichs 3-front systems? 3) might they let Markgraf take a PK, in one of the send-off games at least?

I also wanted to give props to La Norte. Last night was my first time with them and they did a great job supporting DCU amidst a sea of Beckham fanboys

I thought DC looked much better on the ball then they have in some time. That's two good games in a row.

It was fun to see the hype around Beckham. He's so solid on the ball. You can just tell he's going to make a big impression on that team. But what the heck happened to Donovan? He had so few touches it was as if wasnt out there.

As for Wilbon, his opinion is irrelevant. There are so many diffences between NASL and MLS, not to mention the fact that MLS has lots and lots of American talent. Plus, we have a reasonably good national team now. There is a solid fan base, and that's just going to continue to grow. We don't need to get all excited anymore when some person expresses their opinion about the game. (Plus, since when did anyone give a damn about what Chanaglia thinks? He's just a blow hard.)

Anyway, glad Beckham is here and playing.

I have to second the comments about barra brava. I watched on tv, and you guys looked great as always. It makes a huge difference that DCU officials allow you to sit (stand) at midfield on the far side. Teams like Chicago have some good fans, but they're buried somewhere behind the cameras so the stadium always looks dead.

United need to give Burch a real contract in the offseason, if not sooner. It's a travesty that he's making only less than $18,000 a year (not sure which developmental contract he has). Maybe he and McTavish can split Vanney's salary next season...

Kornholer hates soccer, Wilbon does not. He wasn't ripping on the MLS, he was ripping on myopic fans from the big 3 sports. He believes the MLS is doing things right and will be wildly successful. yesterday during the game on tv he said soccer has already 'shot past Hockey' and is firmly entrenched as America's #4 sport. He's not anti-soccer.

Kudos for DCU for a great game last night and an electric atmosphere!

As for Becks, I thought he did quite well for the few minutes he played. I can't wait to see him on Aug 26th in Denver.

Interesting thing about Burch he started in LA but apparently they couldn't find room for him there . . . you think they noticed him last night????

Wilbon, if i remember correctly, actually had the Post soccer beat, back in the day, no? And i think he speaks for a generation that had their hearts broken when NASL collapsed and soccer went back to nothing, it is hard to reinvest yourself in something that might vanish again in a heartbeat (not that i think MLS will) that round was top down development, MLS support is much more grounded in the culture of soccer in the US. There is a whole generation of teenagers who don't remember a time when there wasn't an MLS, for all practical purposes, from the perspective of every high schooler in the US, MLS is a permanent entity, in ten years, they will start bringing their kids...

so what's the single greatest thing anyong can do to ensure the future of mls and dcu? Take a kid who has never been to a game, and treat them like an adult. Everyone remembers their first big league game, whatever sport it was, and he or she will wear that jersey out, make it a big deal for them, let them see how much you care, and you make a fan for life.

I'm going to stick up for Wilbon. He's a national sports writer who enjoys soccer and knows about it--we need more of those guys. And I love his argument that soccer has surpassed hockey as the No. 4 sport in America. I hope he's right. Meanwhile, I also think it's unrealistic for soccer to jump into the top 3 anytime soon. What's more, I'm not sure if I care if it ever does.

On TV last night he argued (essentially) that Kornheiser and other national sports journalists don't take to soccer because Americans generally don't take to it... the reason being that it's not a truly American sport like the big 3.

I would argue otherwise. I think most sports journalists fear soccer because they don't know as much about as they do other sports. They are the kids--and I was one of them--who grew up memorizing baseball stats and so forth. They have built careers on years and years of accumulated knowledge. When it comes to soccer, they don't have that same authority.

To be honest, we don't help matters when we blast every sports writer who's not as obsessed as we are.

so what's the single greatest thing anyong can do to ensure the future of mls and dcu? Take a kid who has never been to a game, and treat them like an adult. Everyone remembers their first big league game, whatever sport it was, and he or she will wear that jersey out, make it a big deal for them, let them see how much you care, and you make a fan for life.

Posted by: Northzax | August 10, 2007 10:42 AM

"Great game, great crowd but please no more military aircraft fly-bys. It makes me feel like I am living in a military dictatorship."

You ungrateful wretch, those aircraft - and the men and women who fly and maintain them - are the reason you don't live in a military dictatorship.

I thought Fred was supposed to be an attacking mid. He was much more effective on right flank in second half. He did track back with Donovan on several occasions including a 50 yard dead run - stride for stride. You'll never see that from Gomez. My impression was the game could have gone either way even though DCU was better team. DCU couldn't find the net on offense and their defense broke down badly giving LA many chances. Fortunately LA shot worse than DCU. Great fan atmosphere. It looked like about 90% of fans were on their feet cheering after Emilio's goal.

Last night was just fantastic as a new fan to the MLS and DCU. From the tailgates to the great show in the stands, to the cheers I still heard (30 minutes after the game ended) from the stadium as I got in my car. Bravo DC for showing the world what ALL MLS games 5 years from now will look like.

As for "no more":Great game, great crowd but please no more military aircraft fly-bys. It makes me feel like I am living in a military dictatorship. I would rather pay 1/1,000,000 of a cent less in taxes. Horrible and needless at a sporting event.

Last night's National Anthem and flyby sent shivers down my spine. There is no better way to indoctrinate the world's game into the American psyche than to mix in a little bit of Nationalism. I thought it was grand.

"You ungrateful wretch, those aircraft - and the men and women who fly and maintain them - are the reason you don't live in a military dictatorship."

Wait, the military is the reason we don't live in a military dictatorship? Silly me, all this time I thought it was the constitution. Good to know that the whole reason we don't live in a military dictatorship is that the military has been 'kind' and 'understanding' enough to let us have our contitutional democracy.

I love our troops, but get off your high horse.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this in other threads, but seems the MLS gestapo got to Goldenballs.

"Beckham apologizes for ripping FieldTurf"

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=451617&campaign=rss&source=soccernet&cc=5901

Amazing Game last night.

On Wilbon...his biggest problem is that he doesn't realize that 2007 is totally different than 1977. The last 20 years have seen soccer explode among America's youth.

Also you should never underestimate American's ability to consume. We can handle a fourth sport no problem.

On the game - the crowd genuinely shocked me. Yes people were checking out Beckham - but people were very into the game, reacting to nice touches and passes. Many people may have never been to a United game before, but it wasn't like these people had never seen a soccer game before. My point being that the whole notion that Americans won't "get it" seems off the mark.

Great night.

The funny thing about the F-16s (or F-18s... I didn't pay too much attention) was that it was all part of the Beckham/BSPN Media Machine. It really had me wondering, "Who is more American than David Beckham?". I had no answer... he's so dreamy.... (blah! gag! ugh!)

I don't mind the fly-overs personally. I'm a Navy Brat and grew up dreaming that I'd fly one of those jets... and then I got glasses and my dreams ended. I still love seeing fly across the sky.

Reading Wilbon write about soccer is like watching a car accident in progress. You know it is going to be a mess but you can't avert your eyes. It's almost embarrassing how naive he sounds.

Wilbon's got one or two articles a year of negative press about soccer to contribute to the Post - consistently demonstrated since Freddy signed several years ago. I just wish (a) Wilbon would start following the game and learning the sport so he can speak a little more intelligently on matters, or (b) the Post would give Wilbon a little more vacation and let Goff step into the limelight when it comes to the prominent articles about soccer.

I don't think anyone is truly "blasting" Wilbon. His comments were very good last night. I just have a problem with the over hyping (if you will) of how great the NASL was, and the size of the crowds. As a reporter, get the facts right, your opinion can be anything you want, but don't get the facts wrong.

To the wise guy at 11:20 am: I think the point was that our military defends us from other bad guys, not that our military would take over except for their 'kindness' and 'understanding'.

A follow-up to the turf discussion

"I [Beckham] have to apologize because I didn't know FieldTurf was actually a company," said a smiling Beckham, after criticizing the surface at Wednesday's media gathering. "Funny, I actually have four pitches for my academy that are FieldTurf, so at that level I think it's a great surface."
[from http://www.mlsnet.com//mls/promotions/2007/beckham/article.jsp?ymd=20070810&content_id=110745&vkey=beckham&fext=.jsp ]

Why can't we all get along?

The "We Sing Better Than Your Wife" sign was hysterical

I really liked the "Where is the Olsen cam?" sign too

Chinaglia? Chinaglia?!? I've never understood why people even bother to mention the Grumpy Old Man. Sure he scored some goals, but who wouldn't have on that team? The guy needed 3 sitters for every goal he scored. I keep hoping he'll get his chance to cool his heels in an Italian prison from one of the recent Lazio scandals.

Mike Wilbon you are an idiot - go back to watching the Nats and the Skins. Stay away from soccer since it's obvious you are clueless about the sport.

My only quibble is the 6 for Perkins. His play on Donovan (after great service from the Golden One) alone is worth a 7.

BobF, -that- was more ignorant than anything Wilbon has written.

"Funny, I actually have four pitches for my academy that are FieldTurf, so at that level I think it's a great surface.

Yeah - I liked how Becks actually still managed to throw a dig at artificial surfaces whilst apologizing for criticizing it. Sheer genius!

Here's what Beckhame brings to MLS. I brought two of my nieces, both teenagers. They were of the "look it's Beckham, squeeeeeal!" type. But they did a (minor) tailgate, went in early, watched the teams warm up, watched the fan groups, laughed at the signs, watched the stands shake, saw the game, clapped, screamed, watched more, stood up and squeeeeeeealed when Beckham went in and then whenever he touched the ball ... and then went home and told their mom how awesome the game was, how it's sooooo much better live ...

and how they can't wait to go see DC United play another game.

Other minor points from reading through the thread. First, to Yallop: HOW could that be a PK when Perkins had to slide-tackle the ball away because it was OUT OF THE BOX and couldn't use his hands?? Second, regaring the Olsen-Becks jersey exchange: I saw the whole thing, and Olsen didn't give him jack. lol. Just came running up from out of nowhere, grabbed at him, and Becks laughed and pulled his jersey off. Finally, there was no "man Friday" to immediately replace it when Beckham gave the jersey to Olsen. For those of you watching on TV you were "thisclose" to seeing a shirtless interview with Beckham on ESPN. An equipment girl came rushing up with the jersey right before the interview started and he rushed to put it on. lol.

There are some pretty good pics of the game last night on the DC writeup -- http://dcist.com/2007/08/10/emilios_blast_p.php#more -- and they're not all of Becks!

Beckham loses his shirt more often than Captain Kirk.

Can't be bad for attendance...

Why did Tommy Smyth keep pretending that Xavier is good, then making excuses for his blunders?

"By the way, WTF was with the last 20 minutes. DC took its foot off the gas like they were up 2 or 3-0. Fred would be running up the flank and just stop and backpass to the center (same with others). We had no urgency to get a second goal . . . You don't sit on a 1-0 lead!"

Didn't you watch the Dallas game? I wanted to "ole" all night last night. Way to be smart fellas.

Who would you rather have on your team, Fred or Matias Donnet?

I agree that Fred's backpasses were lame . . . he needs to do some of that Brazilian s#&!! we hired him for and advance the ball, rather than pass back to Simms.

Kpene looked injured, to us . . . if he wasn't, he's got a problem . . .

Burch, in addition to good d, also had a pretty good run and shot, I haven't seen that mentioned. Good to see a defender keep them on their toes.

I don't understand the 4 for Kpene. Granted I was in the end highest row behind the reply board, but I thought he combined well with Emilio (MVP anyone?)M. Also, his speed was something LA struggled to handle. With him, Emilio, and Gros running like crazy in the 1st half, it was the fastest attack I've seen from DC United in years! I would have given Kpene a 6.

Per the Olsen jersey exchange
"My wife will probably steal it and wear it."

Benny better hope she doesn't make him wear it so they can play Boy Spice and Posh Spice.

Second the sentiment about Wilbon's column. I don't care what the guy said last night, his column was terrible. It was off the mark in so many ways. If folks are claiming that he likes soccer then what was that article for?

Regarding Gross's play. Yes he was in a lot of places, but when he's the guy that's on the end of a lot of those runs, we're in trouble. He's not very creative. I love the guy, but we need another option to link to the forwards.

As to the crowd. Fantastic! Besides the hub-bub around Beckham, a very pro DC crowd with chanting/singing all around the stadium! Supporters groups were awesome as usual.

Finally, thanks to anyone and everyone who makes DCU a team that my whole family can enjoy. My daughter, 7, and my son, 5, wore their United jerseys with pride. They love this team and its players. They love the sport! Why? Not because I made them. Soccer and DCU have won them over. A buddy of mine who chatted with my daughter during the game texted me later and said "your daughter knows more about soccer than you do." Priceless!

Vamos United!

my observations of the game (from sec. 445):

1. I am tired a longtime soccer fan who is tired of the old days when any visiting foreign team had more support than any US team. That was not the case last night. There were more DCU fans than Beckham teeny boppers. I was one of the ones that booed him. Barra Brava owned the night. There was no Beckham lovefest.
2. DC United dominated that game from start to finish. They controlled every stat. (Is LA really that bad? You figure Beckham would have had enough since to chose a better team.) I know the last 10 or 20 minutes were boring but I would rather see united burn clock, control the tempo and make LA chase in that heat than risk another Dallas 3 goal run. Tom Soehn is setting goals and meeting them. Coach of the year IMO.
3. If LA is really that bad, how we didn't score more? If DCU wants #5 then we need to see more goals out of midfield. And will some one teach BobbyBoswell.com how to finish?

Not only was the crowd the most amazing I have ever been a part of but on the Metro ride back we spent 20 minutes singing DC United songs at the top of our lungs. I think some people wanted to beat our bottoms but who cares. Welcome to the DC dungeon, we live here everyday.....

To "no more": I realize that soccer in this country is especially appealing to folks who are attracted to things outside of the cultural and political mainstream, and I hope that as the appeal of MLS spreads and becomes more mainstream, the league keeps faith with those who have supported it from the start. Please try to remember, though, that there is nothing inherently left wing or anarchist about the beautiful game, and hard core soccer fans have always come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and political stripes. For those that have served this country in uniform, have friends and loved ones that are serving now, or have lost loved ones in defense of our nation, comments like yours are quite infuriating.

For 11:20am: Sorry if I sounded preachy in my earlier post, but I didn't want to write a long entry on something off topic. I think it is worth noting, however, that all members of the US military are sworn to, above all else, defend our magnificent Constitution. My point is that without citizens who are willing to take up arms to defend it, the Constitution and our republic cannot survive. The military is certainly not the only reason we do not live in a dictatorship, but it has done its part - and that includes the fact that there has never been a coup d'état here.

Perkins beat Donovan to the ball. Nice play, no foul, good non-call. Yallop should be complaining about LA's finishing (or lack of) in front of the net on one of Beckham's other services.

To: RK - Did you even read the Wilbon article? If you had read it and possibly understood it you would see my comment was spot on - simple and too the point.

It was awesome hearing 44000+ fans scream for DCU. i have been a season ticket for many years. DCU usually has around 15k+ for most games. Three cheers for us - the fans!!

Yallop's comment about Landon not getting a penalty based on Perkins beating him to the ball seemed to me way off base. OTOH, he had a more reasonable penalty shout based on Landon's being sandwiched at the top of the box earlier in the game (first half?).
On the other hand, the photo gallery shows that United ALSO had a penalty shout -- remember when Xavier blocked Kpene's shot? There is a great photo of this play in the photo gallery, and it shows Kpene shooting from a falling position -- with a nice fat handful of Kpene's jerey in Xavier's hand, and the tell-tale strain on the jersey in Xavier's direction (showing Kpene being pulled down)

I believe Yallop wasn't referencing the Perkins/Donovan play when he was saying they should have been awarded a PK. I believe he was referring to the play earlier in the second half where Donovan got sandwiched in the box (I wanna say McTavish was in on it). I watched the play repeated on TV and personally I didn't see a foul, but it was a closer thing to a PK offense than the Perkins play.

"For 11:20am: Sorry if I sounded preachy in my earlier post, but I didn't want to write a long entry on something off topic. I think it is worth noting, however, that all members of the US military are sworn to, above all else, defend our magnificent Constitution. My point is that without citizens who are willing to take up arms to defend it, the Constitution and our republic cannot survive. The military is certainly not the only reason we do not live in a dictatorship, but it has done its part - and that includes the fact that there has never been a coup d'état here. "

No worries. Sorry if I was snarky in my response.

one more point. everyone keeps making it sound like Beckham is going to 'transform' soccer in this country. but, if ignore the article about beckham-mania by reporters who clearly weren't at the same game we were, you will realize that beckahm will have little effect on the game over here. most of the posts/blogs are by fans who already know the game and the players. if mls want to succeed it seems far more important to nurture those young players on the DC back (boswell, burch, mctavish) line than to find more expensive discovery players. league play will improve over time. for those of us who remember the early games, it clearly has. i would rather see the league grow by a few more teams, increase minimum salaries and compete more in international tournaments than by another over-priced star

"Per the Olsen jersey exchange
"My wife will probably steal it and wear it."

Benny better hope she doesn't make him wear it so they can play Boy Spice and Posh Spice."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fred a 4?!?! Insane. Without Fred last night, we don't kill off the game. Oh and thanks Ref!

More Fly-Bys:
I don't think the argument against fly overs is that patriotism has no place in a soccer game. Please remember that American Soccer players spend more time representing the united states abroad, through playing in leagues and frequently competing in international tournaments as the US National Team, than do any other athletes.
What makes some people uncomfortable is that a show of military power is associated with a sporting event and that other countries that behave that way tend to not be free societies.

I, for one, would love to see an column of M1-Abrams tanks rolling across an NFL field before a game, or even a parade of prisoners of war before an MLB game.

but I digress.

The point being that we should ask ourselves what we are most proud of or what makes us Americans and what we want to celebrate about our country, our strong military or our commitment to the bill of rights and the consitution?

but last night it was just a PR move, and a good one at that.
But I would rather have a reading of the Declaration of Independence before the game than that stupid national anthem we have, so i guess i'm one of those pinko commies.

I love the idea of a reading of the Declaration of Independence before the game rathern than the national anthem. Could we at least switch it to "America the Beautiful"?

"you will realize that beckahm will have little effect on the game over here. most of the posts/blogs are by fans who already know the game and the players. "

Uh, No. The few crosses Beckham made were pretty good for someone who hasn't played in a match for months. Teams will have to adapt and learn to deal with his skills, thus having an effect on other players and teams. This was, for all intents and purposes, his first game. Give him time before you declare him a failure (hyperbole of Wilbonic proportions).

As for my criticism of Fred earlier, it was only at the end. He was brilliant earlier on and only poor finishing by others kept us from scoring. He deserved at least a 5!

hey "bribri"
Bread and circus for everyone!

"Gros spent the summer of 2003 at the Marines' Officer Candidates School in Quantico, VA, training to be a Marine Corps Officer but his plans were interrupted when he was selected 34th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by D.C. United."

Yeah, if I recall, Gros went from boot camp to soccer and now wants to be a minister? That guys needs to read "What Color is Your Parachute?"

BobF, I read the article and I listened to him in the booth. As I wrote earlier, Wilbon was much more generous in the booth than he was with his column. He stated how MLS needs to cater to soccer fans, and that's what they have started doing in the last few years.

Wilbon used to cover NASL. He knows soccer. He is far from "clueless about the sport". He isn't some beat reporter or intern they threw on the story.

"For 11:20am: Sorry if I sounded preachy in my earlier post"
...
"No worries. Sorry if I was snarky in my response. "

Get a room you two.

I would say that Wilbon may know some soccer, but as long as he continues to bring up the NASL every time there's a "Soccer in America" discussion, it just demonstrates that he knows nothing about MLS.

Also: We are accepting that Wilbon knows something of the game because he was a beat reporter for the Dips. BUT: I have not read anything by him that demonstrates he can break down a soccer game. Ever. Maybe he can.

I've been reading him since 1984. I could have missed it?

Perkins handled the ball when he came out of the box to stop Landon. He controlled the ball with his elbow. It was a clear penalty.

first off, great job of keeping ur feet on the ground, Goff. Beckham mania is cool, but at the end of the day, most of those fans were there for an event...we're in it for the long haul.

I was disappointed by Wilbon. What does he know about soccer? Yeah, he covered it 30 years ago or whatever but if he doesn't think Beckham has been one of the best 10 players in the world at certain points over the past 10 years, he's crazy...or, more to the point, clueless about soccer...

The other play with Donovan in the box the defender grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the ground while making no play on the ball. No question PK should have been awarded but when the LA Galaxy takes 5 shots a game they don't get the benefit an attacking team would and should get.

Did you reach Chicago? Any news about the WNT ?

"Perkins handled the ball when he came out of the box to stop Landon. He controlled the ball with his elbow. It was a clear penalty."

Er, how is it a penalty if he was out of the box?

gallegoscot: Mr Posh Spice is one great player. England would not have advance without him. while landon was making excuses Becks was living up to his rep (bend it). but he is one player and the MLS is always evolving and improving. it won't take long for teams to figure out where he is going to put the ball adapt. yes, that will improve the league, but he only has a year or two to do it before his age becomes too obvious and the Bendan, FL kids start doing the same.

Re: The Fly-by. Those are done anyway, when a sporting event requests a fly-by, they use it as a regular training exercise. So the training would be done, just at a different time. No waste of tax money.

Best post-game comment comes from Donovan:

"It's funny because we played terrible Sunday, and somehow got a point. Tonight I thought we played actually pretty well and somehow we don't get anything out of the game, so it's pretty frustrating."

Not to brag, but maybe the quality of your opponents had something to do with it.

Goff,

What do you think about The Guardian's (UK) article about the game? Everyone check it out here: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2146005,00.html

Perhaps I'm not familiar enough with English football to understand his view that Brand Beckham dominated the evening, but it seemed to me that the crowd was cheering DCU more than Beckham.

"They may have been chanting "DC United" throughout the game, but a stretch or sprint from their new adopted hero was enough to draw attention away from the game and focus on the man of the moment."

Stupid Beckham Cam!

Perkins handled the ball when he came out of the box to stop Landon. He controlled the ball with his elbow. It was a clear penalty.

Posted by: Chris | August 10, 2007 04:47 PM

Um kay. You need to go to FIFA.com and download the laws of the game.

I love the idea of a reading of the Declaration of Independence before the game rathern than the national anthem. Could we at least switch it to "America the Beautiful"?

Posted by: dc | August 10, 2007 03:51 PM

I'd prefer everyone fire up a Marley and sing "Everyday People."

I'd prefer everyone fire up a Marley and sing "Everyday People."

Posted by: Sly Stone | August 10, 2007 05:46 PM
++++++++++++++++

And I'd be right next you... ;-) Don't bogart that j... my friend...

I agree that for those there last night it was clear that the crowd strongly supported United. Even looking at the highlights it was clear - the highlights ended with the Barra and Eagles leading the crowd in pro-DC chants.

But the coverage around the world was really focused on Beckham, which I guess makes sense when your world does not revolve around the United. (I am not in this world, so it does not make sense to me.) Hence, the Spice Boy-cam, the annoying articles about the teenage girls hyped up to see Becks (including in the Post!) etc. I think that explains the Guardian article and others coming in from around the world. For them, it's not a United-Galaxy game, but the Beckham MLS premier, so they're just covering it from a different angle.

Still, what a game last night!

It is interesting that Michael Wilbon mentioned Steve Nash in his column. Today the NYT published the following story about Nash and Claudio Reyna: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/10/sports/basketball/10nash.html. (Registration may be required.)

Only if Jaime would have scored, I would have run onto the field like the 2 guys during Aaron's record trot.

How important is the success of MLS riding on the National Team. The crowds at these games show no unity. There is a lack of cohesion in support for the National Team. They can't garner the spirit that brings the fans together and for the country to be behind them. The National Team is not followed except by the soccer fans. And they don't know how to cheer and show support. The whole crowd can be silenced by fans for the other country. Its sad that I don't see a future for the National Team....this would lend a huge support to MLS. They need a face, like and Adu, but even a star would not bring the silence of the crowd up a notch

A couple of Observations from last night:

Kpene deserves more than a five for his hit of Cannon 10 seconds into the game- nothing like setting the tone.

Wilbon is a moron: to say beckham did nothing is ridiculous-his pass into space to spring Donavan was divine...world class- only perkins brilliance stopped it from going any further.

Gros: is a midfielder not a defender. His movement up and down the side-flank was splendid.

Moreno: magical and had inspiration to ruin Beckham's night....almost

Olsen: Brilliant move getting Beckham's jersey.

LA Galaxy: terrible. Becks has a lot of work to do. Maybe he can talk Scholes and Giggs to come over then they might make the playoffs.

Fred: who needs gomez

Crowd: Awesome

Does Cannon have turrets cause the man spends an awful lot of time cussing and talking to himself when he's kicking off. Or is that just plain crazy?!?!

you guys are high. fred deserved better than a 4 and simms had a mediocre at best night. i counted at least 4 balls he just gave away. he was the worst player on the pitch last night other than those lousy galaxy finishes. que horrible

Olsen disgusted me kissing beckhams ... pathetic

Olsen disgusted me kissing beckhams ... pathetic

Posted by: castroviejo | August 11, 2007 12:29 AM
-----------------------------------------

Olsen was just telling Becks he needed to send in his union dues before the end of the month.

Thats a bit harsh on Fred. He did make some bad passes but did you see him juke those two guys out of their panties.

Fred is awesome.