Some thoughts on Columbus-Toluca
by ChestRockwell on Mar 10, 2010 4:08 AM EST
3 comments
Hopefully, you tuned into tonight's CONCACAF Champions League match between Columbus and Toluca. Aside from being our region's top tournament, the CCL is usually rife with drama. Granted, this drama is often the result of hot-tempered players, poor officiating, or mistake-riddled play, but entertainment is entertainment. There are few more consistent sources of dramatic, incident-filled games than the CCL, which in my mind somewhat makes up for the standard of play. Sometimes when you go to the movies, you want to see dudes kicking each other more than you want to see brilliant mise en scene. The CCL is a soccer version of, say, "Die Hard" (which makes your local amateur indoor game around the level of anything ever made by Michael Bay).
With that said, I decided to sit down with a Stella and take notes on the first real game for any MLS club in 2010. My collected thoughts, written out at halftime and after the game ended (note: I was watching this off my DVR, since I didn't get back from the gym until halftime) follow the jump.
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Even more new trialists for United
by ChestRockwell on Mar 8, 2010 3:27 PM EST
8 comments
You're probably getting used to this. United heads to _______, a couple guys leave camp, and a couple more arrive. It came as no shock, then, to see that DC's trip to Torreon, Mexico brought with it news that the club now has Juan Manuel Peña, Daniel Woolard, and (finally) Jermaine Taylor on trial. It was also announced that Shintaro Harada's trial is now over, and that former University of Kentucky center back Barry Rice's trial has continued south of the border.
Why am I cautiously optimistic about the addition of a 37 year old center back and a Fire reject? You know how to find out:
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This offseason would be better if...
by ShatzMarinara on Mar 8, 2010 6:26 AM EST
4 comments
1. Curt Onalfo's magic plan to avoid injuries isn't just BS.
2. Jermaine Taylor makes the team and becomes the stud CB we've all been hoping for.
3. DC United finds a brand new stadium underneath all that snow that's been piled in Lot 8.
4. An MLS quality starting right midfielder emerges in the form of one of the following: John DiRaimondo, Brandon Barklage, or Daniel Wasson.
5. Ben Olsen un-retires.
Feel free to add your own...
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DC United roster rolls on down to Mexico
by ShatzMarinara on Mar 7, 2010 10:00 PM EST
in Rolling Roster
7 comments
DC United begins the next leg of their preseason with a journey south of the border to Torreon, Mexico, home of Premira Division club Santos Laguna. This brief stay in our neighboring country will include a match against the home side on Wednesday night, which may give us some more insight into Onalfo's preferred starting lineup at this point.
This will be a major test against an in-season club (although its tough to say whether Santos will be playing many of their starters). Let's take a look at United's options after the break.
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DC United All-Decade Team: Starting Left Midfielder
by ShatzMarinara on Mar 6, 2010 12:00 PM EST
in All-Decade Team
6 comments
Similar to our list of potential starting left backs, here we have a nice collection of some pretty decent MLS starters. But its hard to see many all-stars among this group, and it sure feels like a significant dropoff after seeing the name Ben Olsen among the candidates for our previous position.
Not unlike the list of defensive midfielders (Carroll and Simms still separated by only one vote!), each of our three leading candidates here played the position in very different ways. Bobby Convey was young and quick and a good crosser, and left United with high hopes of being a fixture on the National Team, but has yet to fully establish himself anywhere since. Josh Gros was the epitome of a workhorse midfielder, running what seemed to be a marathon every match, with a cast on at least one arm at a time. And Fred was an attacking midfielder stuck on the wing, and was at his best when making deep runs and playing off fellow Brazilian Emilio.
This might be the hardest vote so far for me. As tempting as it is to get it over with and vote Gros just because he was a fun player to watch, I'm hesitant to do that, because all three candidates are good. Hell, just take a look at Fred's stats even though he had the fewest games out of the three. How will you decide?
The candidates to be our staring left winger are:
Josh Gros (2004-2007), 110 matches, 9 goals, 14 assists
Bobby Convey (2000-2003), 79 matches, 8 goals, 13 assists
Fred (2007-2009), 72 matches, 11 goals, 16 assists
Mark Lisi (2001-2002), 31 matches, 4 goals, 5 assists
Jose Alegria (2001-2002), 31 matches, 0 goals, 2 assists
Eliseo Quintanilla (2002-2003), 27 matches, 5 goals, 5 assists
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Morsink in, N'Galula out
by ChestRockwell on Mar 6, 2010 1:18 AM EST
3 comments
With the club about to head south for the Mexico leg of training camp, it seemed likely that we'd hear about some moves being made. While there were very few surprised fans when the club announced the signing of Kurt Morsink, it came as something of a shock to see that the recently signed Floribert N'Galula was released. Morsink is the second former Wizard brought over by Curt Onalfo (along with Adam Cristman), while N'Galula joins the long list of African players signed from Europe who failed to make the grade (a list that includes Louis Crayton, Ange N'Silu, and David Habarugira).
How should you feel about these moves? I don't know, but I know what my first reaction is:
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DC United All-Decade Team: Starting Right Midfielder
by ShatzMarinara on Mar 4, 2010 6:39 AM EST
in All-Decade Team
5 comments
So far, we've had some positions that are extremely close (including the central defensive midfield position, where only 1 vote separates Brian Carroll and Clyde Simms at the moment), and some positions where voting is merely a formality.
This will be more of the latter. Which is really unfortunate for some of the players here, who might have been more fortunate to make the starting lineup at some different positions.
Regardless, your nominations for starting right midfielder for the DC United All-Decade Team are:
Ben Olsen (2000, 2002-2009), 162 matches, 20 goals, 30 assists
Santino Quaranta (2001-2006, 2008-2009), 111 matches, 21 goals, 23 assists
Earnie Stewart (2003-2004), 47 matches, 4 goals, 6 assists
Dominic Mediate (2007-2008), 18 matches, 0 goals, 0 assists
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"I have known him for a long time, and he is so motivated and he is extremely fit. This is the fittest I have ever seen him... Our goal with Santino is to have a consistent, healthy season, and if he can do that with the fitness and his qualities, he is going to help us tremendously."
Coach Curt Onalfo on Santino Quaranta, via Soccer Insider.
With so many departures from the team this offseason, and only a few new additions, DC United is going to have to look to some of their returning players to step up in bigger ways than ever before. Sounds like Quaranta is ready to be one of them.
8 days ago
ShatzMarinara
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