First! I hope Gallardo plays...

Any indication on attendance? (I know. Annoying question. Sue me.)

WFED is on the case, a full hour before kickoff. Someone did tell them that kickoff is 30 minutes later than usual, didn't they?

http://www.federalnewsradio.com/?nid=249#

Can't wait to see the Goats get milked.

Wow, that's a thin bench tonight....hope that we can take care of business with the starting 11...

Lots of stabbing for the ball - goal for the goats. 1-0

anyone else having serious problems with Comcast? every 30-45 seconds Im getting these 2-3 second freezes

I live near Philly so I've got to watch it on Telefutura - no problems so far...

no problems on ComcastHD...

So -- who is in pre-season shape???

Dyachenko really brings nothing to the table anymore...

1-0 Chivas at halftime.

Comcast is fine here. Dyachenko doesn't look like he'll score on a Mexican team this time. With only a couple exceptions, the only passes he completes are backwards.

Well that's depressing. For a bit of levity.

"TOR -- Maurice Edu (caution; Trickery) 12"

I am really pissed right now that all these chivas supporters are behind me and they scored on an easy goal. DC really has't played that good. Emilio hit the the post, that should have been the difference. We really need to beat chivas too bad. We can't afford to lose another one to chivas while they are on preseason.
Common DC, you can do better than this.

Yeah, there is a tremendous step down when Marcelo Gallardo can't play and some guy named Rod tries to take his place.

On the bright side, Wells made a few excellent saves early in the first half, and he can't be faulted on the goal. Too bad Namoff's last-man slide came up so totally empty.

Moreno is really playing quite well, and Emilio was unlucky to clang off the post.

Ahahahaha, the lights went out again.

Oh for the love; this is ridiculous. Someone please give us a new stadium. Somewhere, anywhere. Ours is broken.

At the game what the hell are they saying on the tv about the lights??

Dammit DCSEC! You're supposed to turn the lights off on NATIONALS stadium.

They said it happened against KC in 2000, and they just ended the game where it was. Soehn was apparently told it could be as short as 5-10 minutes till they figure it out, or much longer. Basically, they don't know. First thing the commentators said was about our need for a new stadium, and that they home Fenty is watching.

WTH! The electricity went out! Luckily, the wifi still works.
XD

er, they hope Fenty is watching, not home.

"lights will be on by 9:37, play will resume at 9:42"

Limarzi mentioned that some decision is going to have to be made concerning the later match from Houston (or at least Telefutura's broadcast thereof).

Game's back on, with just enough to play with.

I just used the break to catch up on some background reading about this tournament. It seems that one of the first-round games will be played at Santa Clara's Buck Shaw Stadium, that less than major league venue that the 'Quakes are currently using. Is that the best they could do?

*just enough light*

tri-village,

The team may not quite be major league, but all things considered, it's not a bad field. Great sight lines and a good fan experience.

The team may not quite be major league, but all things considered, it's not a bad field. Great sight lines and a good fan experience.
========================================

I don't question any of that. But given that this entire tournament is driven by greed, and that they could play this match (between two Mexican sides) anywhere, I'm a bit surprised that they'd settle for a place where they will only be able to sell 12,000 or so tickets.

Is anyone else really tired of that stupid pitch-changing thing that TFT is doing for "Gol" calls?

Left arm, Zach!

...I'm going to turn off my internet for a few decades.

Wells really does suck. I think if D.C. United can find anything at all in the transfer window, Wells is on the bench.

Didn't see the first goal. Wells didn't suck while stuffing two breakaways while United was pressing. The second goal was a well taken free kick over the wall. Just sayin.

-Why all the gloom? I thought we all agreed in today's first post that SuperLiga doesn't matter and we should play our reserves.

-Francis Doe looks like a chicken with his head cut off when he get the ball. His sense of direction is skewed.

-In the first half, Chivas was very fortunate to get the dive call from the Chivas defender as Emilio boxed him out and was about to turn in score.

-I was impressed by the attendance. Maybe they should make SuperLiga bigger and have it last all season to capture the rivalry to the fullest monetary extent. ;)

-Thompson looks like Ribery, both physically and with his hustle, but his technical abilities are lacking. Overall, good depth.

-Chivas's first goal looked like something we'd give up in our first 12 games.

-Really, DCSEC?

-Burch was solid in the back. His set pieces, however. Ugh.

-Overall, I have a sour taste in my mouth, not simply because we lost (for it is a meaningless tournament) but because Jamie's PK streak and our lossless record vs. Mexicans have both come to a very sad end.

What happened to Roberson Stadium? Some of those Digicel Caribbean Cup matches have more grass!

DeRosario scores...Houston 1-0 Atlante

Another Dynamo score! Houston 2-0 Atlante

What is that? Two goals in 45"? Pitch is awfull!!!!

Someone punched Salvatore :(

I find very little to be excited about OFFENSIVELY speaking. There is a lack of combination work after the initial post-up at the 18. When will someone make a diagonal run? ANY run?

On a positive note, Thompson brings much needed "persistence" and speed to right side...once again though, the second and third touches after his hard work are not acceptable!

We have real potential to execute at a HIGHER LEVEL - I think the key is TECHNICAL precision. If some fellas lack this "ability" then the USL2 is where they ought to work it out...

So, what positions need addressing during the Transfer Window? (and Goalkeeper is not a permitted answer because we read about every other day ;)

ANOTHER goal for Houston! 3-0

Are Atlante taking this seriously? Dynamo up 3-0 now...

Now for comments on the game.

This game was the best I've ever seen Emilio play. He was absolutely magnificent. Too bad Jaime missed that pk, I had a feeling he would beforehand.

Also I met Peralta and he is just such a nice guy.

Random thoughts I had in the stands:

Can we get Chivas' goalkeeper?

Thompson gets Scrappy Doo points. He looked like he was trying too hard, which he probably was, but I liked his spunk.

We need some speed. One of the biggest differences I saw was that Chivas has some terrific speed and we...don't.

Boy, Martinez was having an off night, but fortunately Namoff was on.

I like seeing Burch and Fred on the field at the same time. Shame nobody saw Fred's great run in the second half till it was too late.

Where did McTavish disappear to? He had that near miss and then I didn't even see him again until the end of the game.

Several people were harassing Salvatore. He escorted two guys and then later a third to security. Oddly they came along mildly. They must have realized it was uncool. He looked so let down. :-(

I was a little worried about that PK too. He just didn't hit it. It was perfect height for the keeper to stop it.

Wells really is infuriating. He makes some great, spectacular plays and then he does stuff that is just awful. The first goal was a broken play but the way he came out just seemed wrong and then the dude blew right around him. The second goal he was practically standing on the right post daring the guy to shoot it exactly where he did. It wasn't even that close to the corner of the goal. Just terrible positioning.

But what the heck was the foul call on that play? The ref didn't seem to have much clue. Both teams were beating the crap out of each other without a call. And then something minor would get a whistle. It was just like watching a regular MLS game in that regard.

For the most part the Mexican folks seemed to be pretty good-natured and so were the DCU fans. I wonder if the outcome had been different what would have happened.

All of those flares and smoke bombs have got to stop though!

That was a strange game. It wasn't that dark on the field when half the lights went out. They could have kept playing. It was no darker than your neighborhood park for a night game.

I hope Atlante is as bad against us as they apparently have been so far against Houston.

Houston does it again...4-0 now over Atlante.

Welcome back Goff!

I haven't seen my tape of the game yet but from the RFK stands I thought Wells had his best game of the season.

We lost this game primarily because Namoff gave up the 1v1 for Chivas' opener and because Jaime finally had a PK saved.

To me the biggest shocker was that the lights actually came back on and the game resumed. (Still bitter about Meola's "shutout" against us years ago!)

several things, Dyachenko could be good enough (barely) for MLS games, but internationally his weight is Zero, and the team hurts that void in the midfield. Second, Zach Wells could be better, but it seems that there's a problem with the goalkeepers coach, I mean, who told the guy to try to block a free kick that goes to your left with your right hand? this is goalkeeping 101, you DONT DO THAT.
Third, there's another position we need to fill with a first rate player, a forward. Jaime Moreno is 34 for christ's sake, ok, he is a leader and whatnot, but he is not the future of DC United, the front office should be looking for forwards with real international weight (not that joke of player that was Niell).
Thats it for now.

Sidebar: why are Cervi and Seitz not getting any playing time? There have got to be plenty of clubs in MLS who would love to have their services.

Chivas fans are such a bunch of punks

Second, Zach Wells could be better, but it seems that there's a problem with the goalkeepers coach, I mean, who told the guy to try to block a free kick that goes to your left with your right hand? this is goalkeeping 101, you DONT DO THAT.

Posted by: Loco Bielsa | July 13, 2008 12:07 AM

ummmmm...being a former goalkeeper, I can say that you definitely save many shots to your left with your right hand...THAT, my friend, is goalkeeping 101...now positioning, that is a whole diferent story!!!

Final: Houston 4-0 Atlante

Dynamo will be without DeRosario for Tuesday's tilt with the Guadalajara Goats...he was sent off with a straight red in the first half after an altercation.

Loco: u r right bout our gk coach. His gk's have shown tons of technical flaws over the years. However any well trained gk knows that on a high shot to the corner a gk always goes top hand as wells did on the fk. He was just too slow to get there. Try it sometime...in a full high dive when done correctly a gk can reach higher with the arm that is on the other side from where the ball is headed bcause his body is now parallel to the ground and his "opposite arm" is now his "top hand". A frequent gk speak term. Perkins was terrible at this. Its a clear sign of a gk with technical flaws

Goff's Post Headline . . . . .

Superliga:

Does anyone Care?

One thing about Chivas is they are YOUNG, with a majority 20-21 years old, only a handful older than 24, none over 30.

Our youngest player is 24, and we have 5 (4 starters) over 30.

Chivas fans are such a bunch of punks

Posted by: pigman sweet | July 13, 2008 12:27 AM
-----------------------
I was at the game and that wasn't my experience. I thought the Chivas fans added a lot to the atmosphere. The ones I was near (and there were many) were good-natured and passionate, but not jerks. I've got no problem with The Goats' supporters.

I thought Wells looked pretty good. The free kick looked like a pretty good shot. Maybe Chivas' goalie was a little better -- that play he made to intercept the ball floated to (to Fred?) by the far post saved the game, as did the PK. Still, Wells made huge save after huge save.

Have to agree that Emilio looked pretty darn good, though he should have done better after picking up that loose ball that Doe lost. Emilio's goal was his best effort of the year. As for McTavish, I'm still trying to figure out what he was doing after he hit the post, and then Santana blew by him. McTavish intentionally blocked and waved off the rest of the defense and then left the entire half of the field for Santana. Wells saved our hides on that one. Possibly even a worse play than the giveaway to Dichio in Toronto.

It seems Atlante ought to be easy pickings. Then we have to take care of business against the Dynamo. If anyone cares..... How much do I love Stuart Holden? Lots. He should be with the senior national team.

Steve (poster, not Goff):

Cervi is, inexplicably, out of contract. He thinks he's good enough to pass up MLS, but is apparently not good enough to get a contract anywhere. This makes me think he's an idiot (since he could have been playing in MLS this whole time while still having an agent look abroad).

Seitz is behind Rimando, who became rejuvenated about halfway through last season and has looked as good as he ever has in MLS since.

On the game:

On one hand, I feel like we were very unlucky. Consider this list:

- Emilio hits the post
- Rebound of above hits Chivas defender and then hits the opposite post before going out
- Emilio inconceivably called for non-foul just as he had spun in alone on goal
- McTavish hits the post
- Simms is called for phantom foul in perfect spot for Pineda to hit the 2nd Chivas goal
- Moreno misses his first penalty in years

On the other hand, Wells had to make at least 5 huge saves. I haven't seen the game on TV, but from the stands I agree with garbaggio: he was great. The comments about him using his right hand are, at best, misinformed. matt y explained this well enough, so I won't pile on. I predicted at the game that Wells would get trashed online...I mean, he could have scored the equalizer on that last corner, and people would have said he hit it poorly.

Ultimately, I think that we probably merited a point from this one. It was an exciting, end-to-end game for the most part. Burch did better than I thought he would at center back (let's face it, Chivas is much better on offense than Rochester and a mostly Blanco-less Chicago).

Finally, Superliga (if it continues, which it probably shouldn't) should consider using foreign officials. Walter Quesada made numerous small mistakes, and a couple big ones (like the call on Simms that gave Pineda the free kick). We've all seen worse from CONCACAF officials, but shouldn't we aim higher than "not the worst ever"?

Watched the highlights. Turned out that deflection after Emilio hit the post landed about 5 yards away from the opposite post. My seats are at an angle that made it look like it hit the post. I swear I'm not the only person in that area that thought it hit the post.

Chivas goal #1: Namoff went down but didn't really slide; he just extended his leg as he fell. That let Arellano in. Wells could have gone to ground sooner (maybe after one step when he tried to turn alongside Arellano, rather than after two). Not that he would have gotten the ball or made a save, but he could have forced Arellano to a bad angle. Still, the goal is mostly on Namoff, who looked pretty shaky for much of the game (especially in the first half, where Chivas specifically went at the space between him and McTavish).

Backpass freekick: We really made a hash of that. With all their players in one area of the box, why not play it quickly across the top of the box? You're sure to get more of an opening with people scrambling than you will with an organized wall.

Announcing: Dave Johnson with a rare mispronounciation: Who is this Aranio he was talking about?

Chivas goal #2: The foul, while soft, was at least something. I initially thought there was absolutely nothing there, but there was a little, tiny, sort-of, foul. Maybe. For little kids. Perhaps. The reason the shot goes in was that Wells seemed to react only after the ball got over the wall. Perhaps he didn't have a good view before the shot? The ball came under the bar at such an angle that Wells would have had to have his hand well above the crossbar.

Penalty: Michel knew where Moreno was going the whole time. Normally Moreno places his penalties low and into the inside netting, as well as fooling the keeper. Tonight, it was neither. Still, as with virtually any penalty save, it was a tremendous effort from Michel. He even made sure it got around the post, as it looked like Emilio would have been first on the scene if there had been a rebound.

great pk save...sure moreno put it at perfect gk height, but the chivas gk didn't show where he was diving until it was too late for moreno to switch and moreno put it side netting anyway....well if the shot had gone in of course.....

The chivas gk is real good....top 4-5 mexicans at his position...easy...

I think Michel just psyched Jaime out. before the run up it looked Michel was giving some signals that he was going to his right. i was with jaime on the placement choice all the way until the end when it was too late to change. it was just a very good job by michel subtley baiting jaime into a choice and then getting in good position.

- Chivas fans are such a bunch of punks

Unfortunately we saw many punks. The Chivas fans in our section were awesome they just wanted to see their team win - others...not so much....

Quote: Chivas fans are such a bunch of punks

There were some. I lost track of the number of smoke bombs that were launched in the second half.

But the punk of the night was the idiot in 132 who spent the last bit before the power outage breaking his seat and held them it up as a trophy.

Was not at this game, so cannot comment on Chivas fans last night. But at last year's Copa Sudamericana game, the Chivas fans I saw seemed cool.

Here's what Goff reported to the masses:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071202141.html

I don't fault Wells for either Chivas goal. The first was poor defending that left him exposed. The second resulted from a good free kick that probably shouldn't have been awarded. Otherwise, Wells had his best match of the year. He made several excellent saves and his command of the area seems to be improving.

The law of averages says Moreno was due to miss a PK. But his shot could have been far harder. The GK knew where he was aiming.

The second half attack looked far, far better with Dyachenko benched and Moreno playing withdrawn. Hopefully, perhaps, the DCU coaches finally realize that Dyachenko, at this stage of his development is at best an emergency sub. This is something quickly learned by anyone managing DCU in Worldwide Soccer Manager 2008.

I'm still mystified why Fred isn't the playmaking mid when Gallardo isn't available. Wasn't this Fred's position a couple of seasons ago when he was named MVP of the Aussie pro league?

So Houston 10 men beat Atlante 4-0 and DC lost to Chivas. What does it mean? Is Atlante that bad or Houston rise on the big games while DC always seem to fall this type of games? Now DC needs to beat both Atlante and Houston in order to have the chance. What happens if Houston win against Chivas or goats win on Houston and DC wins in both games, two teams would be tied?
I think the atmostpher was much more better than any game I have attended. There were so many Chivas fans with shirts and of course a lot without wearing chivas shirts who are for them.

An interview with David Beckham will air on 60 Minutes on CBS tonight. I strongly suspect that it is a rebroadcast of a story that they aired some months ago.

Houston reminds me of the New York Islanders dynasty. Once the dynasty got going, it didn't matter to them if they had a slow start or slump in the regular season. They always turned it on when they needed to.

"What happens if Houston win against Chivas or goats win on Houston and DC wins in both games, two teams would be tied?"

It would come down to goal difference.

Sat with the Barra/Eagles for a bit, great work keeping it going.

Sat in the middle of Guadalajara, Mexico for the second half and can say the Chivas fans were fine---as measured by O-zero bottles thrown our direction, although obscenties and the middle finger were omnipresent from them.

Security and one HUGE DC Police officer kept things toned down nicely.

Match:

A) Why was Emilio blown for a whistle when the defender fell behind him? Lucho had a one on one!

B) I'm starting to think Burch is probably a better center back than outside back, and he might be better than Peralta.

He can hit any spot on the field with his left, it seems, something that could prove dangerous if we had some speed up top . . . . but his free kicks are looking ugly.

OffWing has coverage of this game also. Check out OffWing Photo, where we also have more pictures from the game including the power outage. You can also see more photos from the event by visiting our complete photographic game coverage on our Flickr site.

Gracious comments from Chivas' coach from mlsnet.com

On the game:
"Firstly, it was a very intense game. The first half, we had excellent control of the ball, good movement off it, played in depth, and we could have scored one more goal. The second half, we met a very different D.C. They had more players attacking, which generated a few chances. We are lucky to have won this game against an excellent team. They have great quality players and it is well managed. This is our very first game to have played under this intensity. So, congratulations to my players for it."

On the rivalry between nations:
"We try to win every game, regardless of where we play. Despite us playing an American team, the most important thing always is that the rivalry stays in the field, and outside of it we are friends."

If Burch is our dead ball guy when Gallardo is out he better spend every free moment refining his technique. Power only works some of the time. It seems that is all he knows how to do on a fk. I think he did very well at CB. I really like Martinez at LB over Burch. Dyachenko needs the Niell treatment. Question is will Soehn start Tuesday with Saturdays ending 11?

1. Some Chivas fans acted appropriately, some did not. The level of classlessness, though, was not near the level of the Tricolores fans at last year's Gold Cup final. I can still smell the urine that was thrown on me.

In any case, I just wish some DC based Chivas fans would adopt DC United as their second team.

2. Count me as one DCU fan who does not think the team needs to spend money on another keeper. Most of our offensive players are old and need some rest now and then, and our ONE young and dynamic winger, Quaranta, is often injured. We need some more depth on the flanks.

3. Thompson reminded me of a young, inexperience, and less skilled version of Ben Olsen. Tenacious and motivated. He deserved his spot in the starting 11 last night.

I just discovered that CSN (mid-Atlantic) is rebroadcasting this game at this moment (1:30 P.M. EDT). If, like me, you programmed your home video system for the 8-to-10 slot last night, the stadium power out(r)age caused you to lose the end of the game. This is a second chance to see it.

Despite what the CSN program guide says about showing a lacrosse game, I am watching the DCU-Chivas game on the Arlington cable system's channel 10 at this moment. Is the lacrosse game showing on the corresponding channel on other people's cable/satellite systems?

THE FIRST GOAL WAS ZACH WELLS' FAULT! Once a goalie is left one on one, he should go straight to the ball, not let the ball come to him. The goalie coach told Wells this much on the way off of the field at halftime. Wells made a huge mistake on that goal. The second one was a good shot, but I wouldn't have been so close to the far post before the shot was taken. Overall, he played well. The first goal was a sorry display though.

He also needs help on his positioning. I'm tired of saying this after every game.

Who are we looking towards as a goalie? All the guys are tired, Gallardo has been out 3 games now. It seems he is out more than he is in. I say look for a playmaker and another forward. Jaime took a hit Tuesday night from behind by Thorington that should have leveled him. He was in and trying. Gallardo seems to lack "give some for the team" spirit. Anyone else think so?

Doe = Kpene.

Cut him. He is terrible.

At the Becks match all my euro snob friends laughed at the salary DC was paying for Martinez and said he belonged in Europe.

At the Chivas game my Mexi snob friends said Martinez wouldn't last another year in MLS and that he would be gone by the end of the year.

So question is how is DC planning to keep him long term? While a strong outside defender would probably never get DP money in MLS he could probably easily make it in Europe or the higher Latin American leagues.

Its great having him this year but I'm not optimistic about next season...

At 33, Martinez has very little chance of going to Europe.

RE: about Chivas fans; My section was about half and half United and Chivas fans. The Chivas fans were classy. They knew the game and loudly cheered for their team and weren't anti-United or US. In particular, I sat next to one Chivas fan who sang along with both the US and Mexican national anthems. Throughout the game he was telling us about the Chivas players and the Mexican league while asking us about the United players and MLS. Now maybe that would have been different if the game meant more than a Superliga game does. But that beats the heck out of the behavior I've seen from many of the visiting MLS fans over the years.

Unfortunately I missed your tip, tri-village. I wish I had been smart enough to add enough time to the end.

I was at the game and had no complaints about fans from either side. The Barra defintely brought it. It was the loudest I think I've ever heard them. The Chivas fans were numerous, but definately respectful. By the end of the game, I shook hands with several of their fans who were in our section and I think a common respect was earned by both sides. My biggest complaints about fans (from either side) are the people who sit in a seat that isn't theirs (Quiet Side, not BB)and then act surprised or confused when asked to give up the seat. I saw fans from both sides do this.

I thought the biggest difference between our team and Chivas was the first touch and overall ball control. How many times would a Chivas player trap the ball dead to his feet with his first touch and place it on a dime 30 yards away to another player with the second touch? You just don't see that level of ball control from our side and honestly, I can't understand why.

1. Some Chivas fans acted appropriately, some did not. The level of classlessness, though, was not near the level of the Tricolores fans at last year's Gold Cup final. I can still smell the urine that was thrown on me.

In any case, I just wish some DC based Chivas fans would adopt DC United as their second team.
Posted by: hoyanick | July 13, 2008 1:34 PM

*********

yeah, so tell me with 100% certainty that ALL DCU fans act appropriately? Or for that measure, tell me that the fans from ANY team, pro, amateur, college, ALL act appropraitely?

Um, no, that doesn't happen.

Cant talk for the Guadalajara fans who were annoying, maybe they were drunk, maybe they are just annoying people inside and outside the stadium, or maybe they just have annoying personalities, but that happens with EVERY set of fans.

Guadalajara and America are the 2 most popular teams in Mexico, so wherever they play in the US, Mexican fans will show up and support them.

For the record, I am a Guadalajara fan, that roots for DC United in the MLS . . . and in any other tournament where they dont have to face Guadalajara. Fact is, chances are that those Chivas fans that showed on Saturday, if they live in the DC area, they are probably DCU fans.

Sat with the Barra/Eagles for a bit, great work keeping it going.

Sat in the middle of Guadalajara, Mexico for the second half and can say the Chivas fans were fine---as measured by O-zero bottles thrown our direction, although obscenties and the middle finger were omnipresent from them.

Security and one HUGE DC Police officer kept things toned down nicely.

Posted by: delantero | July 13, 2008 11:47 AM
********

And Barra fans dont insult and show the middle fingers to opposing team players when they play in DC????

Wonde how many insults Donovan, Beckham and co. got earlier in the month?

And lets see what the Barra has prepared for NY after the NY fans showed up in RFK mocking Ben Olsen, making fun of his injuries . . . which was pretty low.