Steve OH!

Do you really get the feeling that United is disappointed by these losses? I mean, we all hate to lose, but the players know the pay out is not great and there's no significant history in this tournament . . .

Their play has certainly reflected a lack of feeling for the game . .

wait... i didn't get the "reference". what was it?

VW announced plans to open a factory in Chattanooga, TN this week, with production starting in 2011:
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jul2008/db20080715_880127.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_lifestyle

any one else think timberlake looks like a he plays on both teams?

So after two days, we're already ready to make a decision on Diaz? That's either really good or really bad. Care to tell us which one it is, Goff?

Wow, sounds like that German surgeon is Teutonically efficient: line 'em up like a string of knockwursts, give them a snip, and send them on their way. They go in clutching their sports hernias in pain, and they come out Ubermenschen.

Who went first, Gallardo or Peralta? Do they have to share a room?

Did anyone carry Toronto vs San Jose?

delantero:

I would have serious reservations about anyone at DC United that doesn't mind getting knocked out of this tournament. Never mind the money; DC United is one of the only clubs in MLS with anything resembling actual pressure to succeed (along with LA). Failure in the Superliga (especially going out in the group stage) is a flat-out disappointment, no matter how much cache fans lend the tournament.

***

What I'd like to see tonight:

---------------- Doe - Emilio
----------------------- Fred
Cordeiro --------------------- Thompson
----------------------- Simms
Burch - Martinez - McTavish - Namoff
----------------------- Wells

What I believe we'll see:

---------------- Doe - Emilio
------------------- Dyachenko
Fred -------------------------- Thompson
----------------------- Simms
Martinez - Burch - McTavish - Namoff
----------------------- Wells

JustinTv has it on PSN2

Just two days of Diaz sounds like he is headed back to Argentina with no DCU contract.

Wow, sounds like that German surgeon is Teutonically efficient: line 'em up like a string of knockwursts, give them a snip, and send them on their way. They go in clutching their sports hernias in pain, and they come out Ubermenschen.

Who went first, Gallardo or Peralta? Do they have to share a room?

Posted by: dcca | July 19, 2008 4:36 PM

*************************************

I've heards murmurs that Dr. Hfuhrurr's technique is revolutionary.

Can't make it tonight for the game but will be watching on TV. Never leave the beloved team no natter what.

Heading to Pink Cow territory tonight to watch Yankees tomorrow. I will try to get the Goffer a Madonna autograph on my A-Rod jersey. Where is great white elephant (Mastodon) when I need him? Need to know location in the Ironbound area to catch the game after de-tranining in Newark.

My prediction - Payne won't let Soehn lose w/o a fight. Strong lineup from among the weak wounded team.

While I would love to see the team come out and win it by 3, I also think this would be a great opportunity to see our reserves in action. And what would suck is if injuries from tonight's game keeps a starter out of Tuesday's game.

Chest,

""I would have serious reservations about anyone at DC United that doesn't mind getting knocked out of this tournament.""

I think if you race the horses too much you you put your team at in needless jeapordy for not having the gas when it really matters . . . .

. . I don't see Man U crying about not taking the Carling Cup . . . .

. . . the sooner we face the fact that we are heading into a fall campaign of 22 games in 3 months (plus MLS playoffs)--- that includes a few cross country and international flights . . . and the fact that our bench needs game time, we shouldn't care too much.

5:40pm:

Manchester United got to where they are today by being willing to go through hell to win anything, even the Carling Cup. You don't become great by being indifferent to disappointment.

There are other options to give the players the rest they need. For example, we have 15 MLS matches left. Why not give one starter a rest over many of those games? You get the same end result (our starters play one less game), but without any of the games being the virtually certain defeat that sending out all reserves would be. This team is capable of winning against virtually any MLS team if, say, Fred is rested in favor of Cordeiro, or even playing Vide for 90 minutes instead of Simms. There's got to be a happy medium between giving up when the chips are down and the Nowak approach of "all starters, all the time".

"Manchester United got to where they are today by being willing to go through hell to win anything, even the Carling Cup. "

Man U has the depth to shuffle players in and out and not suffer a big dropoff in skill. MLS teams definitely do not.

Thomas Rongen was just on SportsNight and said "If I'm Tommy Soehn, I go for it. Score a lot of goals" in reference to what to do tonight considering their position.

I think we all now know why he isn't coaching in MLS anymore.

If Soehn has a brain in his head, he plays reserves and goes for the win on Tuesday night.

It's one thing if you have your destiny in your own hands (which United most assuredly does not) in regards to tournament advancement, but another thing entirely when you need a multiple goal win against a team that doesn't give up multiple goals and you have to have another team lose outright.

Play the kids, take your beating and get ready for Tuesday night.

That lineup defies all reason! Why??? For goodness sakes, its one thing to risk injury in an entirely meaningless game, its even worse to do so when you have an important one 72hrs later.

United has issued a press release stating that Soccer Insider regular "Chest Rockwell" has been appointed to lineup assistant.

... the only variation in DCU's starting lineup from the one Chest suggested is Pat Carroll instead of Martinez.

Martinez rests. I wish Fred was given this match to rest up, but that would mean someone would play A-Mid that I'm hoping we're trading to open up a senior roster spot.

*cough*

I think Soehn chose a reasonable lineup. Plenty of newer guys in Pat Carroll, Ryan Cordeiro, Craig Thompson and Ryan Cordeiro mixed in with our healthier veterans. We get 4 substitutes so any 4 of Emilio, Fred, Simms, Burch, McTavish or Namoff could get subbed early if they need a little more rest before Tuesday's MLS game. And with experienced players in the lineup the lesser experienced players get to show what they can do in a lineup which is not THAT much inferior to our Best XI.

I will repeat a question I asked in a previous thread several days ago: Which scenario should be considered more miraculous, the one in which United advances, or the one in which the Goats do not?

Already down a goal, even a miracle won't help United

Down another. Can't believe we traded Bobby.

Bobby scores on us

Thank goodness they now sell 20 oz beers at RFK. I am going to need a couple to get through this.

Haahaaahaaaa, Zack Wells, what a pathetic loser. I have 10 eight year olds who can put it by the guy. Oh why can't we fire Soehn and the rest of the front office. This team is now not even worth the electricity I'm burning, watching it on TV. DC just might set the record for passing back to the goal keeper tonight. I can't wait to see one ricochet off a Dynamo player and into the net. Bobby: keep scoring on us; you should have been aiming that air rifle at the sideline!!

@ anonymous:

chill out dude...game means nothing. take a deep breath.

can boswell get fined for his celebration?

every game means something. it would be different if it were all reserves playing. do you think they will come in with a winning streak, drop three straight and then go back to another winning streak? i don't think so. this is bad for moral.

this game is over...where's Dyachenko?

"Where is great white elephant (Mastodon) when I need him? Need to know location in the Ironbound area to catch the game after de-tranining in Newark."

Fornos, Adega, Casa Vasca all good for dinner. Tony de Caneca's for afterwards.

can boswell get fined for his celebration?

Posted by: brad | July 19, 2008 8:52 PM

Nope, guns are now allowed in the District.

maybe this game means a tiny bit, but overall, this game means next to nothing. there are guys in there i have never heard of. this is like an NFL pre-season game. bet you a $1 you'll see a different effort in the mid-week game.

Why are namoff, fred, and simms still playing? I half agreed with the kind of go for it lineup but now its totally over.

The game means something to the Houston players, who still have a chance to earn some money in this tournament.

Well I am glad we left Bobby go without a capable replacement. After all, who needs good depth at central defense?

I hope Martinez plays in midfield for the remaining 25 minutes.

Well I am glad we left Bobby go without a capable replacement. After all, who needs good depth at central defense?

Posted by: Bart | July 19, 2008 9:22 PM
--------------------------------------

We were in desperate need of Zach Wells, so.......

I know this is a meaningless game and DC doesn't control their destiny. But with this loss, that's 3 losses in a row at home.

Are you justifying releasing a former defensive player of the year for a reserve-trying-to-turn-starter goalkeeper?

... A former defender-of-the-year who just scored against us against said reserve goalie?

Are you justifying releasing a former defensive player of the year for a reserve-trying-to-turn-starter goalkeeper?

Posted by: Bart | July 19, 2008 9:29 PM
--------------------------------------

It was meant to be a joke on my part; however, it apparently was a justifiable move on the part of the coaching staff of DCU. Just sayin'.

FORMER defensive player of the year. anyone who thinks Boswell is still the best defender in the league, or even in the top 10, is nuts.

is he worth more than wells? yeah.

FORMER defensive player of the year. anyone who thinks Boswell is still the best defender in the league, or even in the top 10, is nuts.

is he worth more than wells? yeah.

Posted by: | July 19, 2008 9:32 PM

------------------------------------------

You apparently haven't been watching the Dynamo play this year. He was named to the Western Conference Best XI for both May and June. He is the only Dynamo player to play every minute of the league matches this year. The Houston boards are calling him their top player of the year to date, as is Goff's counterpart for the Houston Chronicle. We definitely lost out on that trade.

Maybe it's arguable that Boswell is a top-10 defender (I think he is). But it's CERTAIN that Zach Wells is not a top-10 goalie. If DC wasn't even in this predicament, Wells would not be starting. Not for a team that has MLS cup aspirations.

And what did we get for Boswell? Nothing. Instead of giving him some minutes, we completely shut him out and devalued him completely. That's taking a page out of the Redskins playbook.

Oh please fire Soehn.

I can't help but think about the labor negotiations after next season and how theplayers have so many issues to bring to the table. Guys like Simms are making 60k/year and playing 40 plus games/ year. The league doesn't need more million dollar players, it needs 3-4 more guys per team in the 300-400k range to give teams some depth. I'm glad SuperLiga is over for DCU, this team needs a break.

PS what's up with Onstad tonight? I don't remember him looking this shaky.

PS what's up with Onstad tonight? I don't remember him looking this shaky.

Posted by: tim | July 19, 2008 9:50 PM

--------------------------------------

Perhaps he shook hands with Wells before the match and some shaky stuck to his gloves.

Martinez looks good in the midfield. Some of these reserves look pretty good.

So when's Dyachenko on that month-to-month contract basis we've been hearing about so much lately?

I can't help but think about the labor negotiations after next season and how theplayers have so many issues to bring to the table. Guys like Simms are making 60k/year and playing 40 plus games/ year. The league doesn't need more million dollar players, it needs 3-4 more guys per team in the 300-400k range to give teams some depth. I'm glad SuperLiga is over for DCU, this team needs a break.

Posted by: tim | July 19, 2008 9:50 PM

You're absolutely right.

I had zero expectations for this game so I'm not disappointed. 2 very weakly defended setpiece headers but otherwise our half starters / half reserves lineup played creditably.

Wells wasn't very good but Onstad may have been worse. How can a keeper have so much trouble with long lobbed throw-ins?

Doe, Kirk, Cordeiro and Zaher all had nice moments. Collectively our defense is very slow. In each SuperLiga game we've been easily outsprinted to through balls or balls over the top.

Great work by the loud side supporters who urged the team on all through the game in spite of the low importance of the game.

Atlante 1-0 Chivas Guadalajara, half

So when's Dyachenko on that month-to-month contract basis we've been hearing about so much lately?

Posted by: Glaucon | July 19, 2008 10:01 PM

Dyachenko looked good tonight.

Until we get a credible GK this team isn't going to win anything.

I still don't get why we didn't put the whole reserve team out for this match. Even with the first team out there it would have been unlikely we would win by 3. Let all the kids play and see how cohesive they might be. Let Thorpe get some experience. He truly can't be any worse than Wells. The first goal, I still don't understand how that got in the net. The second one Wells jumped out of the way of the ball. If he had stood still it would have hit him, instead he chose to dive out of the way of the ball. The 3rd one beat him near post. The people behind me started chanting for Scott Garlick at that point.

I liked Carroll. Those throw ins are a pretty good weapon, especially when Onstad just flapped at them. Too bad there was no one in front of the net to knock it in.

Maybe they should just let Martinez play attacking midfield. Fred was not effective.

Dyachenko needs to be waived.

Chest,

Keep Dreaming! You can only put your energies into so much and Superliga in the 90's and humid is not it.

Realism is important.

When the crunch comes, you'll be happy Cordeiro, Doe and the rest of the crew got some quality playing time and the first team got some rest.

I thought our bench showed some quality in the second half, and am encouraged at Cordeiro and Carroll.

McTavish? HE OBVIOUSLY needs a rest!!!!

""Man U has the depth to shuffle players in and out and not suffer a big dropoff in skill. MLS teams definitely do not.""

No doubt, but in less you give the bench some first team minutes, you'll never really know.

I'm still ticked off that Thorpe didn't replace Wells.

I'd rather beat Saprissa in September than the Dynamo in Superliga.

Holy Bejeezus . . . the Atlante/Chivas match is entertaining enough, but the back up Chivas keeper breaks his arm on a one on one as he goes for the ball.

Yeah, I just finished watching Chivas-Atlante. Tough break for Michel (no pun intended) - not clear in the immediate aftermath whether his arm was broken or not but apparently one of the team doctors thought it was a fracture. If he misses a significant part of the season it could wind up costing Guadalajara much more than an early SuperLiga elimination.

With Atlante beating Guadalajara - Houston, Atlante, and Guadalajara finished tied for first in the group with 6 points. DC had 0 points. Surely that means we (DC United) advance as the 2nd place team!

Doesn't it?

Holy Bejeezus . . . the Atlante/Chivas match is entertaining enough, but the back up Chivas keeper breaks his arm on a one on one as he goes for the ball.

Posted by: yikes | July 19, 2008 11:58 PM

*********************************

Luis Ernesto Michel is the STARTING keeper for Chivas and has established himself as one of the top keepers in the Mexican league since Osvaldo Sanchez left Guadalajara for Santos. So his injury, if it's as serious as it looked, is major news.

Final: Atlante 2-0 Guadalajara

Is it me, or is Stuart Holden playing well enough to garner a starting spot on the Olympic team? He has been lights out the last month or so.

""not clear in the immediate aftermath whether his arm was broken or not but apparently one of the team doctors thought it was a fracture.""

It was clearly a fracture. His arm is bent. That's broken.

this losing streak will continue into MLS play, hopefully it will not drop us to far down the east because we are just a couple of points from the bottom, and we dont have a whole season to get back.

P.S. GAllardos Mls career is starting to look like reynas, no if he just retired tommorow that would make my day.

Now that we dont have to worry about stupidliga........League play is gonna blow. Thank goodness that nobody got on the "allstar" roster, we need a good rest before Kansas City.

ANyone catch that nice cross from gomez for the rapids equalizer?

C. GOMEZ for me the biggest loss ever for UNITED since the league started

Here's what is landing on front lawns:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071902167.html

Dc Fan, they have all played 2 more games than us we are not at the bottom of the table. 2 good results and we are in 2nd place

Ok, the kickball exhibition is over. Is there another one of these "tournaments" or can DC focus on the Open Cup and rest of MLS season.

SuperLiga sucked. I hope it bombs and we never see it again.

DCU's poor early season and the Superliga losses -- at home, no less -- again prove that a team needs decent reserves. DCU lacks them. Again, the front office is to blame. Other MLS clubs -- New England and Houston leap to mind -- have deep squads operating under the same roster/budget restrictions. It's time for new suits at DCU.

And it's time for new directors -- or at least sensible ones -- in the TV booths that cover futball in the USA. Don't these idiots know that you never go to close ups of players when the ball is in play. Never, unless you want to rob the viewer of the important stuff happening off the ball. TV directors: watch some British/Euro coverage and learn how to cover match action.

To: LaNORTE,

Nick Rimando is the biggest loss we have had. He is still going strong. We just wanted to go cheap. Who are we looking for in goal? Does anyone have any idea? Unless Thorpe is injured, I say put him in. Wells is a joke.

To: LaNORTE,

Nick Rimando is the biggest loss we have had. He is still going strong. We just wanted to go cheap. Who are we looking for in goal? Does anyone have any idea? Unless Thorpe is injured, I say put him in. Wells is a joke.

It was clearly a fracture. His arm is bent. That's broken.

Posted by: d | July 20, 2008 1:11 AM

***********************************

Both "el radio" and "el cubito" were broken. They'll operate when they get back to Guadalajara tomorrow.

Their regular season starts Saturday.

La noticia:

http://www.chivascampeon.com/noticia/4359/

La foto:

http://www.mediotiempo.com/concacaf/superliga/2008/galeria.php?id_partido=26880&idi=18

Jimmy Thorpe now!

Crap, DC has a Champions League tournament in September and October? Doesn't this garbage ever end? Another tournament where they will get waxed due to lack of depth.

All I want is for them to be full strength for a run at an Open Cup and MLS Cup. Damn, CONCALAUGH is running this team ragged.

Crap, DC has a Champions League tournament in September and October? Doesn't this garbage ever end? Another tournament where they will get waxed due to lack of depth.

All I want is for them to be full strength for a run at an Open Cup and MLS Cup. Damn, CONCALAUGH is running this team ragged.

Posted by: Sam | July 20, 2008 2:34 PM
-----------------------------------------

Not necessarly, its actually the superliga, without the superliga DC would be fine in depth and refreshed. The Concacaf Champions League is a normal league like any other in the world. Since our league still hasnt adopted the fall-summer season, there will allways be a superliga. But dont worry dude, I think in two years the Superliga will fold cause MLS/FMF will not stop until they realize that they are getting dismal attendence becuase its clear that the fans are starting to loose interest. The Champions league has much more teams from the region because people forget that the Concacaf is a region and not US & Mexico and that third place team (insert rest of the region). And plus there is more at stake with the champions league.
so superliga is worthless over all.

And no disrespect to the team but they are doing a poor job at picking up talent. So many have had "trials" and none were picked. Not to mention they only go to two countries to pick. Knowing that their is more countries available for scouting trips. DC needs to open its horizons and start looking around.

Crap, DC has a Champions League tournament in September and October? Doesn't this garbage ever end? Another tournament where they will get waxed due to lack of depth.

All I want is for them to be full strength for a run at an Open Cup and MLS Cup. Damn, CONCALAUGH is running this team ragged.

Posted by: Sam | July 20, 2008 2:34 PM
-----------------------------------------

Not necessarly, its actually the superliga, without the superliga DC would be fine in depth and refreshed. The Concacaf Champions League is a normal league like any other in the world. Since our league still hasnt adopted the fall-summer season, there will allways be a superliga. But dont worry dude, I think in two years the Superliga will fold cause MLS/FMF will not stop until they realize that they are getting dismal attendence becuase its clear that the fans are starting to loose interest. The Champions league has much more teams from the region because people forget that the Concacaf is a region and not US & Mexico and that third place team (insert rest of the region). And plus there is more at stake with the champions league.
so superliga is worthless over all.

And no disrespect to the team but they are doing a poor job at picking up talent. So many have had "trials" and none were picked. Not to mention they only go to two countries to pick. Knowing that their is more countries available for scouting trips. DC needs to open its horizons and start looking around.

Any suggestion by anyone connected to DCU, (especially Soehn or Kasper) that states or implies that the Super Liga games are not that important for whatever reason (lack of sizable money payoff for the players, lack of history, no spot in more prestigious events, etc.) is disengenous if not dishonest. All off season those two along with Payne fed us the line that these international events are how DCU wants to be measured; they they are building the team to compete on that stage, and that through these competitions is how DCU will take its place among the teams of the world. To minimize these games now by saying that, "Oh, boy, are we beat up! We play SOOOOO many games. Our guys are just so tired. We have a league game coming up in three days so we have to decide how to approach that game," is to fly in the face of all that they said before.

The team is beat up....Peralta and Gallardo are going in for surgery, Moreno and Quaranta aren't 100% and Zack Wells isn't a starting-quality keeper. When almost half your starters are hurt and half your reserves are making 19k a year, yeah, you're going to lose some of these games.

I guess I'm late to the party, but I wanted to add a few comments I think should be made. Without question, DCU's best player on Saturday was Ryan Cordeiro. Dude has the speed to blow past defenders with the ball. He also has ball skills with BOTH feet, and some imagination. With experience, he's going to finish off some of those plays.

Marc Burch might have been the best player if he had a right foot -- was it amputated at some point? It was getting comical watching him run around the ball over and over again to line it up with left foot. He could have made some great plays if he'd been willing to even try out that withered stump on his right side. In the offseason, Burch needs to practice being a right-footer, 24/7.

Wells never looked worse, in my opinion -- especially on Holden's goal. He was horribly out of position -- but that wasn't the first time. DDR also took him from long range, but he missed wide in the first half. I don' know -- maybe be just had a bad day. We all have 'em. Rod D had a bad day -- I keep wanting to like him, but he's so awkward and slow-footed around the goal -- the antithesis of Cordeiro.

I think we can see the moves that DCU needs to make in the offseason. They made the wrong ones in this off-season, selling Perkins, and then dealing Boz for his replacement. If they'd brought in Cannon, it would have been OK -- but Wells is no Cannon. I know that Perkins brought the team and the league some mone, but consider the empty seats at RFK on Saturday, not to mention the fact the DC exited so early. Money was lost, in part because Perkins was sold and Boswell traded, all of which left DCU a weaker team and less appealing to fans. Dealing Perkins was penny-wise, but dollar-foolish.

Going forward, we will need more depth at midfield, when Gallardo is unavailable, we need someone to start things We need a seriously good center back. We need a new starting goalie -- I could live with Wells off the bench. And, we need either or both a speedster up front and someone who can score on a sharply-taken header. Not a simple or short list, but there it is. If they can get that, this will be a team that contend in any tournament.