Black And Red United: FanPosts

We need a lifeline

2013-05-12T18:09:05Z

I said on last night's game thread:

You know what I don't want to hear? Is Olsen’s inevitable “We looked better,” “we saw some good things,” “there were some positive things.” Ugh.

That's pretty much what we got.

Olsen: But, I was proud about the overall commitment and the way they went about things tonight. The spirit was good. They looked like a team that cared and wanted to dig themselves out of the situation they we’re in. That’s important. . . . Again, I’m proud of those guys. There were some guys who gutted through on a back-to-back game, traveling. There are some positives, but it’s a little bit of the same old things that are hard on us.
DCU Post-Match Quotes

I, like most fans, harbor no illusions. We're not going to win every single remaining game. We're probably not going to win enough games to make the playoffs this year. It will be a very uphill battle to make any sort of Open Cup run. Fine. We overachieved last year.

But what we need now is a realistic lifeline. I, like many of you, am bored with the excuses. We've heard them all this season: referees (Kitchen's header goal called off); injuries (beginning with after RSL when Thorrington went down); poor turf; "them's the bounces"; "we had a tough opening schedule"; etc. But this losing streak has gone from a temporary blip to a real problem, for a team that had only built about 2 years of precarious, precious, fragile momentum. We play in RFK; our attendance figures are very low; we haven't won a trophy in years. At the end of last year, it was really easy to get new friends to games. They're gone now. I couldn't, in good faith, drag someone to RFK in the rain on Wednesday. This sort of losing streak--not 1-0 losses to good teams, or hard-fought draws, but 4-0 to a team on short legs--only feeds the friends of mine who say, "MLS is really bad. Didn't I read in the paper on the Metro that DC just got blown out 3-0 by Columbus?? No thanks."

It's high time for a gesture from the team to the players. An acknowledgment (or, dare say it, an apology) from someone other than Ben Olsen or DeRo. Something more than the standard e-mails I get as an STH saying, "thanks for coming tonight, buy tickets to the next match." Seattle gave a refund for a 4-0 loss at home. Discount beers? My ears are open. The ultimate "get out of jail free" card would be a stadium announcement. "We're waiting for the summer window", ""we have explored opportunities" (Kasper) and "It will help when Chris Pontius gets back. It will help when Johnny Thorrington gets on the field again soon" (Olsen) aren't doing it.

I, like most of you, will always support the team and the badge. But we need a lifeline, and we need it pronto.

I said on last night's game thread:

You know what I don't want to hear? Is Olsen’s inevitable “We looked better,” “we saw some good things,” “there were some positive things.” Ugh.

That's pretty much what we got.

Olsen: But, I was proud about the overall commitment and the way they went about things tonight. The spirit was good. They looked like a team that cared and wanted to dig themselves out of the situation they we’re in. That’s important. . . . Again, I’m proud of those guys. There were some guys who gutted through on a back-to-back game, traveling. There are some positives, but it’s a little bit of the same old things that are hard on us.
DCU Post-Match Quotes

I, like most of you, will always support the team and the badge. But we need a lifeline, and we need it pronto.

Salary Cap update. We've got some of the #s.

2013-05-07T04:04:08Z

Since the salary figures have been out for hours, and on one has posted here about them, I guess y'all are waiting for me. Here goes:

While it's never been made clear which number goes into the cap, it does seem to be the guaranteed #, which includes annualized share of signing bonuses and incentives. Of course, that doesn't apply to the DPs. Some folks go on the working assumption that the off-budget roster is confined to Homegrowns, GenAd players and those making league minimums. I'm not sure if that's true, or if there is some flexibility to add players off-budget, even if they don't fit into those categories or salary levels. Still, I'll go with the flow on this. That leaves DCU with 9 of-budget players, including Ethan White, Conor Shanosky, Michael Seaton, Syamsir Alam, Joe Willis, Andrew Dykstra, Taylor Kemp, Raphael Augusto and, for argument's sake, Kyle Porter (Porter's base is league minimum, even if he has a higher guaranteed #).

This year's cap is $2.95 million. So, assuming that DCU has an 19-player salary budget that covers everyone else, from DeRo down to Korb, they are ~~--roughly about $131,000--~~ almost precisely $100,000 over-budget....before allocations.

As for allocation $$ -- The league no longer has the $35k bonus for not filling the last 2 budget slots. It's not even clear if DCU got any regular allocation. The rules this year make mention of ways that teams can get allocation money, but don't make any mention of whether the league still has a baseline allocation for each time, adjusted by reverse order of finish. Aside from the Andy Najar transfer, DCU wouldn't qualify for the identified other sources of allocation money. So, there may or may not be some regular allocation DCU got from MLS.

Though it's not apparent from the rules, I am assuming that each team does get some allocation, with the worst teams getting more than those that finished ahead of them. DCU would have the lowest regular allocation based on order of finish, That's because we finished 3rd, and didn't make MLS Cup, or CONCACAF Champions League, or win the USOC. We don't know what that number might be, but I'd guess it's probably enough to cover the current $131,000 budget cap excess.

More importantly, United did get gobs of allocation money for dealing Najar -- a total of $650k, which could be used to complete a transfer for one of the loaners (Rafael, Raphael or Marcos Sanchez -- what about Syamsir, you say? Are you really asking that?). Right now, I'm not sure that United would want to bring any of those guys on permanently. That money is also available for signing a DP at midseason. A DP signed in the summer would carry only a $200k salary cap charge. So, there would be room for a DP (roster slot #20) and maybe another higher-paid player to replace someone else in the budget roster. I can't wait....

Since the salary figures have been out for hours, and on one has posted here about them, I guess y'all are waiting for me. Here goes:

World Soccer Magazine's Rating of the Best Leagues (where MLS fits)

2013-05-01T01:53:45Z

World Soccer is a UK-based magazine focused on international soccer. In the May 2013 edition, they rate the world's leagues -- and determine who's number one.

Each league is assigned points from different categories to come up with the overall winner. I won't spoil it by giving away all the ratings. I just want to note where MLS fits in the rankings.

MLS comes in 8th in the world for attendance, falling ever so slightly behind France's average attendance per game, while beating out the likes of Argentina, Portugal, and Russia.

MLS comes in 11th in the world for league income, raking in just a fraction of what the likes of England, Germany, Spain, and Italy do. We beat out France for attendance but are dwarfed by their revenues -- t.v. makes all the difference, probably. If you're an MLS fan in the US, I think you're more likely to be attending games in person than any other league fan around the world, I bet. (An MLS fan probably attends more games on average than an NFL, NBA, NHL, or MLB fan, too.)

MLS comes in 8th in the world in entertainment -- measured by the average number of goals per game, tying with Portugal, at 2.64 goals per game. Way ahead of historically defensively-minded Italy, with 2.56 goals per game.

MLS ties for third for "Title Winners" -- alongside Japan and Sweden. This is a measure of how many different teams have won the championship of that league in the past 10 years. Our playoff system gives us a significant edge in this category. We've had 7 different MLS champions since 2003. Spain? A measly 3 (but go Barca!).

MLS doesn't even show up on the list of the leagues with the most successful coaches - managers who have won major titles (like Libertadores, Champions League, UEFA Cup, etc.). That probably has something to do with the fact that we don't even compete in many "major title" tournaments.

MLS kicks major butt -- coming in 1st -- for stadiums. The league has built 13 top-tier club stadiums since 2000, according to World Soccer. Runner up is Germany -- well behind with just 9.

Surprisingly, MLS is in the top 10 leagues in the world with star players. It has 21 players who played in the last World Cup tournament. The top country in this ranking has 76. You can guess who that is. A funny thing about this category: North Korea makes a strong showing with 18 World Cup players. I guess that's because they can't leave.

MLS does not show up at all in the "success" category -- leagues with the most teams competing for their continent's big prizes. For us, I guess that's CONCACAF. I don't think we take that competition seriously enough.

Overall, MLS ends up being the 7th best soccer league in the world, beating out the likes of France, Argentina, Holland, and Russia.

World Soccer is a UK-based magazine focused on international soccer. In the May 2013 edition, they rate the world's leagues -- and determine who's number one.

Each league is assigned points from different categories to come up with the overall winner. I won't spoil it by giving away all the ratings. I just want to note where MLS fits in the rankings.

MLS comes in 8th in the world for attendance, falling ever so slightly behind France's average attendance per game, while beating out the likes of Argentina, Portugal, and Russia.

MLS kicks major butt -- coming in 1st -- for stadiums. The league has built 13 top-tier club stadiums since 2000, according to World Soccer. Runner up is Germany -- well behind with just 9.

Overall, MLS ends up being the 7th best soccer league in the world, beating out the likes of France, Argentina, Holland, and Russia.

Ben Olsen... Bring Back Accountability.

2013-04-30T03:16:56Z

via screaming-eagles.com

It is very possible that the lion's days are numbered.

Some of his maddening in-actions made sense. In a general view, the team has been generating chances that could be easily converted, and it is entirely realistic that each of the last 3 games could have yielded at least 2 more goals in United's favor. So Olsen or the optimistic fan could argue that we're just on the edge of putting all the pieces together and becoming the team that we were last season. But it will be impossible because we're missing something from last year.

No, its not Andy Najar, its not Branko Boskovic, and its not Hamdi Salihi.

Olsen stopped performance-based accountability. At the beginning of last season, we saw some pretty ballsy line-up changes that relegated both Najar and Pontius to the bench when they didn't produce. Despite being established members of the team, they rode the bench after any production less than acceptable, in favor of guys like the unheard-of Nick DeLeon. And we definitely asked some questions. Not for long though. He had nothing to lose and managed to play his way into becoming a key-man.

That culture developed into a constant state of readiness. We had an incredible run last year, and consequently this year, we saw these guys (and us) come into this season with huge expectations and optimism. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but those guys felt like they were coming into this season already proved in the last. But lets be clear: none of those guys are superstars, and they weren't last year. We have no Graham Zusis, no Landon Donovans, no Brad Davises, and no Wondolowskis. Period. There are simply no guys that have proven themselves consistently enough on this team that they are worth leaving in a line up and waiting on.

It was a mistake in the first weeks of this season to leave in guys who had "almost" streaks. Stagnant "good idea" plays don't change the game. Great chances without a finish are 0 goals and 0 points.

Yes, we have a huge amount of talent on this team. We love the guys and personalities. We want those mainstays that succeeded last year to succeed again.

But they have to earn their way back onto that field in games. Chris Pontius scored 12 goals last season after being relegated to the bench. Andy became one of the most consistent, technical, and free-flowing players after his time there. Bill Hamid came roaring back to life after having his confidence crushed and being toppled by a performing Joe Willis. Those guys were not trying to play the way they did the day before, and they weren't trying to play any MLS-ball that had been proven in the past. They went with the game, and we were tenacious for it. We developed a deep bench for it. We were 2nd place in the east for it.

Bad performance simply must have accountability. I think Benny may go, but I will be the first to give him heaps of even more respect if he takes something from this, responds in a positive way, and steers us back toward an attitude of winning ways that secures us next game, the game after that, and the game after that.

Vamos.

via screaming-eagles.com

It is very possible that the lion's days are numbered.

No, its not Andy Najar, its not Branko Boskovic, and its not Hamdi Salihi.

Yes, we have a huge amount of talent on this team. We love the guys and personalities. We want those mainstays that succeeded last year to succeed again.

Vamos.

Post Game Player Power Rankings: (4/21 vs. Philadelphia)

2013-04-23T18:01:37Z

During each game I take notes on each possession. I then award players positive or negative points based on their passes, dribbles, and touches. Each week I will share what I saw and rank which DC non-GK players contributed the most towards our victory or defeat. So here we go:

Name	Overall Score	Passing Score	Possesion Score	Goals	Assists	Shots	Offside
1. Dwayne De Rosario	+9	+6.5	+1	0	1	0	1
2. Brandon McDonald	+8.5	+5	0	0	1	4	0
3.Chris Korb	+6	+6	0	0	0	0	0
4. Kyle Porter	+6	+5	+1	0	0	0	0
5. Marcelo Saragosa	+3	+3	0	0	0	0	0
6. Lionard Pajoy	+2	-2	+2	1	0	1	2
7. Chris Pontius	+2	+1	+1	0	0	3	2
8. Perry Kitchen	+1	+2	-1	0	0	0	0
9. Daniel Woolard	0	-2.5	+1	0	1	0	0
10.Dejan Jakovic	-3	-3	0	0	0	0	0

Subs

Name	Overall Score	Passing Score	Possesion Score
1. Carlos Ruiz	-2	0	0
2. Raphael Agosto	-3	-2	-1
3. Robbie Russell	-3	-1	-2

Points of Interest:

Most Involved in the Game: Brandon McDonald 21 notes and Dwayne De Rosario 20 notes (nobody else was above 15)
Least Involved Starter: Perry Kitchen 3 notes
The 4 starting midfielders, not named Dwayne, combined had less notes than DeRo if you remove Porter's massive crossing number.
Porter had so many crosses there were bound to be some of note. (not high % crosser)
Pajoy would've had a score of zero if it were for his goal. He only had 11 notes, not enough as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1
We had 66.2% possesion most of the passes of note came from our back 4, including the Jakovic turnover for Union goal, McDonald's assist, and Woolard's assist

What are your thoughts on these rankings?

Name	Overall Score	Passing Score	Possesion Score	Goals	Assists	Shots	Offside
1. Dwayne De Rosario	+9	+6.5	+1	0	1	0	1
2. Brandon McDonald	+8.5	+5	0	0	1	4	0
3.Chris Korb	+6	+6	0	0	0	0	0
4. Kyle Porter	+6	+5	+1	0	0	0	0
5. Marcelo Saragosa	+3	+3	0	0	0	0	0
6. Lionard Pajoy	+2	-2	+2	1	0	1	2
7. Chris Pontius	+2	+1	+1	0	0	3	2
8. Perry Kitchen	+1	+2	-1	0	0	0	0
9. Daniel Woolard	0	-2.5	+1	0	1	0	0
10.Dejan Jakovic	-3	-3	0	0	0	0	0

Subs

Name	Overall Score	Passing Score	Possesion Score
1. Carlos Ruiz	-2	0	0
2. Raphael Agosto	-3	-2	-1
3. Robbie Russell	-3	-1	-2

Points of Interest:

Most Involved in the Game: Brandon McDonald 21 notes and Dwayne De Rosario 20 notes (nobody else was above 15)
Least Involved Starter: Perry Kitchen 3 notes
The 4 starting midfielders, not named Dwayne, combined had less notes than DeRo if you remove Porter's massive crossing number.
Porter had so many crosses there were bound to be some of note. (not high % crosser)
Pajoy would've had a score of zero if it were for his goal. He only had 11 notes, not enough as the lone striker in a 4-2-3-1
We had 66.2% possesion most of the passes of note came from our back 4, including the Jakovic turnover for Union goal, McDonald's assist, and Woolard's assist

What are your thoughts on these rankings?

Recoil's Post Game Review: 4/21/13 vs. Philadelphia

2013-04-22T01:32:30Z

Hi everybody! I've decided to make my own post-game review after every game going forward. This is my first post on Black and Red United, so just background on me I am a 22 year old college grad currently living in SC. I was born and raised in DC as a United fan, I currently work in youth soccer and I just thought writing would be something cool way to spend my time. Feel free to comment on my posts and I will do my best to interact with you as much as possible.

So here we go!

Post Game Review 4/21/13: 3-2 Loss vs. Philadelphia Union

Explosive. That is the word one could use to describe the first 30 minutes of DC United's 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Union tonight. Four of the games five goals were scored in the small window. The excitement of all the goals had to have pleased the 12,000 plus onlookers at RFK. DC got behind early and were not able to score the goals necessary to get the win or tie in the game, a fate that could describe the team's entire 2013 season thus far.

Game Timeline

Philadelphia scores two in the first 11 minutes

When you are a DC United squad who has scored two goals in your first six games this has to be the worst possible start you could have in the match. Jack McInerney's first goal of the match came directly off an intercepted pass from Dejan Jakovic into the middle of the pitch in the seventh minute. A team that has such a hard time scoring cannot afford to have to make up for such a crucial error from the onset of the match. And if one mistake wasn't enough, Conor Casey was able to score just four minutes later off of a very simple build-up in which Danny Cruz was able to take the ball up the right wing and make a simple centering pass on the pitch to Casey who was able to get a shot off thru United's centerbacks and Bill Hamid was not able to get enough of a hand on the shot to keep it out of the back of the net.

DC gets one back

After such a poor defensive start for United, their offense was able to make up for it by scoring their third goal of the season. After a poor free kick from midfield by Chris Pontius, Brandon McDonald was able to make a beautiful over the top pass to Dwayne De Rosario who then picked up his head and found a streaking Perry Kitchen coming from his CDM position who was able to get the ball past the Union's keeper.

McInerney says "Not so fast," scores their third goal of the first 30 minutes

Philadelphia has had trouble playing with leads this season, but tonight was an exception when momentum was returning to United they refused to give in. Philadelphia has a knack for scoring goals on set pieces off of long throw-ins deep in their opponents territory and unfortunately DC was unable to stop it as well. This time McInerney was the benefactor of the set piece and he was able to score his second goal of the night, and sixth of the season putting him in the league lead.

Pajoy helps himself

DC fans have been speculating on different ways to get some offense going after the slow start this season. Some have suggested that taking Pajoy out of the lineup may lead to greater offensive output for the team. So Pajoy, scoring on a header off a ball crossed in by Daniel Woolard just after half time, may have given himself more time in the starting eleven for DC going forward this season.

Unable to equalize

The last 43 minutes of play plus stoppage time after the Pajoy goal led to chances for each team, but neither team was able to capitalize on United's more aggressive approach in order to try and tie the score for the first time since the sixth minute. United was able to match their goal scoring output from the first six games in this game, but conceding three goals early put them too far behind to catch up.

Moving Forward (next game 4/27 at Columbus Crew)

After United's first 2 goal game of the year, some things are clear about our style of play with De Rosario healthy.

Our left and right backs will be playing up on the wings in order to free up space for our outside midfielders to cross the ball into the box, or to cross the ball themselves. We had 24 open play crosses tonight where Philadelphia had only 7.
De Rosario is our only real offensive presence in the middle of the field
Our centerbacks need to limit their mistakes or they will concede tons of goals

This style can work, but my only question is why play three players in the center of midfield (De Rosario, Kitchen and Saragosa/Agosto) if our goal is not to utilize all three? If we are looking to play the ball on the wings, why not play another striker, bolster our attack and continue to use the wings as the focal point of our attack?

On a positive note Hamid continues to impress me, I watched Robles of the Red Bulls play earlier today and Hamid is a level above him.

Thanks for whoever reads this post, I'm willing to change what I put in this moving forward. Go United!!

So here we go!

Post Game Review 4/21/13: 3-2 Loss vs. Philadelphia Union

Game Timeline

Philadelphia scores two in the first 11 minutes

DC gets one back

McInerney says "Not so fast," scores their third goal of the first 30 minutes

Pajoy helps himself

Unable to equalize

Moving Forward (next game 4/27 at Columbus Crew)

After United's first 2 goal game of the year, some things are clear about our style of play with De Rosario healthy.

Our left and right backs will be playing up on the wings in order to free up space for our outside midfielders to cross the ball into the box, or to cross the ball themselves. We had 24 open play crosses tonight where Philadelphia had only 7.
De Rosario is our only real offensive presence in the middle of the field
Our centerbacks need to limit their mistakes or they will concede tons of goals

On a positive note Hamid continues to impress me, I watched Robles of the Red Bulls play earlier today and Hamid is a level above him.

Thanks for whoever reads this post, I'm willing to change what I put in this moving forward. Go United!!

Re-finding DC's Identity

2013-04-10T23:12:16Z

via www.soccerbyives.net

After a disappointing 1-3-1 start this year, its pretty clear that our offense will be the difference between a ~~Stoke-City~~ questionably play-off worthy finish, based on playing defense strength and grinding out 1-0 games, or coming back with the May form last year that made us so deadly. But in order to do the latter, DC will need to re-acquire its offensive style.

With injuries coming at an important momentum-gaining time of the season, Benny will now have to rely on unproven (however, encouraging!) players. This is a critical point in the season; without the heat of the summer, and yet a relatively steady set of games to play, DC can be expected to rely on potentially high-performing line-ups again and again without having to cycle out our valuable veterans to catch up with the heat of the summer bog that is the District (I'm looking at you De-Ro, ~~Thorrington~~, Neal, Ruiz). So what rhythm will we see? The recent Pajold-up style or last May's DC Maicon Fuckin' Santoses? (Seriously, RIP). Let's start with what we know:

1) Defense. Apart from the Woolard/Riley arm wrestle, our defense is set. Bill Hamid will continue to dominate, and McDonald and B-Mac will anchor with Korb running out the wings.

2) DC was last season, and will be, a high working winger based team. We have encouraging potential on our wings in Porter, a versatile journeyman in Sanchez, and a bearded, bleachy DeLion that's raring to go after his recovery.

3) Perry Kitchen. Try taking him out of the line-up.

Which brings me to my questions:

Will Pajoy be a part of the preferred line-up?

Don't get me wrong - I fully acknowledge that Pajoy is blamed for much more than he is responsible for, and that he is not the reason for (all) our frustrations. His inclusion in the line-up has implications that lead back into the mid-field. With his high energy hold-up play, Pajoy in theory can harass defenses and free up DeLeon and CP13 to create. But this reliance on the wingers means that they can't focus on tracking back as much. Hence:

Will DC United be a flat double-pivot team in 2013?

Highly likely. Its been proven and its safe. Benny likes winning games, even if it means we don't play pretty. At this point, the lack of offensive firepower forcing itself on the field encourages a lock-down in the midfield. If we can't score, they can't score. BUT, If players like Dwayne De Rosario and Gladiador start producing up top and creating legitimate presence in the attacking third, we can (and probably will) start to see Rafael Augusto emerge as an offensive twist within that pocket of center midfield. He's looked consistently good since making his first appearance during last year's play-off ~~game~~ crying-fest with Houston, and his traits can potentially create a dynamic, 2-way machine in the back of the midfield (I'm thinking last year's SKC-esque dynamic midfield featuring anyone + Roger Espinoza).

Will Dwayne De Rosario come roaring back into the season?

Absolutely premature to say, but I can't help but worry... he hasn't looked as sharp, and the injury setbacks of the past 7 months are a little unnerving. I hope I eat that question in the coming weeks. PUNISH ME DWAYNE.

Feel free to input.

via www.soccerbyives.net

1) Defense. Apart from the Woolard/Riley arm wrestle, our defense is set. Bill Hamid will continue to dominate, and McDonald and B-Mac will anchor with Korb running out the wings.

3) Perry Kitchen. Try taking him out of the line-up.

Which brings me to my questions:

Will Pajoy be a part of the preferred line-up?

Will DC United be a flat double-pivot team in 2013?

Will Dwayne De Rosario come roaring back into the season?

Feel free to input.

The regular season does not matter

2013-04-06T22:27:40Z

I've taken the positon that the regular season does not matter, that much - a similar stance to Brian Strauss and others because of the season length. I've taken the stance because the emotional swings is insane (or fanatical) and because of the empirical data.

I'm down playing the regular season to strike a steady calm between those that go ridiculously overboard emotionally, between positive (last year it was "MLS Champions based off of play in May") and negative (this year it is "good a thing MLS doesn't have relegation"). And hopefully, with some emotional stability more a reasoned, empirical, and objective evaluation of the team can emerge.

I also down play the regular season because I've shifted to the majority's position that only winning the MLS Cup matters*. Given that the majority of the teams do make the playoffs (currently 10 of 19) and have a chance of winning the MLS Cup there's no need to get worked up about a single game. , Since entering MLS 2.0:

2012 MLS Cup

LA (8th in Single Table [4th in West]) v HOU (9th in Single Table [5th in East])

2011 MLS Cup

LA (1st [1st in West]) v HOU (6th [2nd in East])

2010 MLS Cup

DAL (4th [3rd in West]) v COL (7th [5th in West])

2009 MLS Cup

LA (2nd [1st in West]) v RSL (8th [5th in West])

2008 MLS Cup

CLB (1st [1st in East]) v NJ (8th [5th in East])

But Jeff Bradley's article (if the data are accurate) indicates the vast majority of teams that make the playoffs are settled by those teams above the thin red line (in the top 4 or 5) 6 games into the season. In 2012, 7 of 10 that did make the playoffs were in a playoff position after 6 games.

2011 it was 9 of 10;

2010 it was 6 of 8 ;

2009 it was 5 of 8;

2008 it was 4 of 8;

Just by an eye test (not always the most valid measure) that is a very good predictive measure; 6 games. Given all the "parity" and "equality" that exists in the middle of the table that's not that much upheaval from beginning to the end of the season. While this may be bad news for those of us rooting for Ben Olsen and DC United it is on the other hand pretty substantial evidence that the regular season does not matter that much. So many games (over the years 28-34) and the teams that make the playoffs are settled after less than a third of the way through. And of those 10 teams that made it to the MLS Cup since 2008 only 3 were either 1st or 2nd in a Single Table (only 4 were either 1st or 2nd in their conference). Only twice, since 2008, has the Supporter's Shield winner been in the MLS Cup (both times that team did the double) which is the same number of times the last place (playoff) team made it.

The best team or even teams in the regular season does not matter for the MLS Cup. A conclusion most of knew. It doesn't even really help improve their odds of being in the MLS cup as one would think or hope. The teams that make the playoffs are decided early and once in the playoffs it is unpredictable. I think it is fairly reasonable to take the position that the regular season does not matter. So, this leads to a number of actions that can be taken by us in DC.

If DC is below the thin red line after 6 games

1. To those that are only or mostly concerned about the team making the playoffs or winning the MLS Cup can stop paying attention, and save their resources (time, energy, money, emotional and physical health).

2. You can take the approach of not being invested or interested in the results this year and just enjoy hanging out with fellow fans (some have noted they already have that position). Thus, you won't feel too bad any negative results and you won't get too high for positive results.

3. Those of us thinking that it's okay that they were bad early on but could improve throughout the season - need to revise their opinions To be fair to me and others my thoughts were about style improving as the season went on as long as they still accumulated points (dropping points these last 2 games was a real blow).

4. Those invested in style over results, well none of this helps you.

*I still think the Supporter's Shield is the best way to evaluate which team is the best over a season and still love and want the Open Cup. But the league, the teams including coaches (hello Kinnear and Olsen, etc) and players (all I hear is about how players that win the SS but not the MLS Cup are disappointed and act like it doesn't matter), media, and fans all weight MLS Cup above everything. I am acquiescing.

2012 MLS Cup

LA (8th in Single Table [4th in West]) v HOU (9th in Single Table [5th in East])

2011 MLS Cup

LA (1st [1st in West]) v HOU (6th [2nd in East])

2010 MLS Cup

DAL (4th [3rd in West]) v COL (7th [5th in West])

2009 MLS Cup

LA (2nd [1st in West]) v RSL (8th [5th in West])

2008 MLS Cup

CLB (1st [1st in East]) v NJ (8th [5th in East])

2011 it was 9 of 10;

2010 it was 6 of 8 ;

2009 it was 5 of 8;

2008 it was 4 of 8;

If DC is below the thin red line after 6 games

4. Those invested in style over results, well none of this helps you.

So many plotlines - Why I love DCU

2013-04-03T06:22:19Z

Four games in and the plot lines for the season are taking shape. There are so many of them. That may or may not be a good thing. But it's interesting. Far more interesting than any other sport. Which is why I love soccer.

1. Will the "old guard" return to form or not? And by the "old guard," I mean DeRo and Pontius. Those two are the pillars around which today's DCU team are built. Dwayne De Rosario, the captain, injured late last season, left the team in the hands of his deputy Chris Pontius who proceeded to lead DCU to a thrilling come-from-sixth-place-and-make-the-conference-championship finish. Pontius was then knocked out of commission in the final game. DeRo then disappointed during preseason with a needless headbutt to a former teammate, resulting in his suspension for the first two games of the season. He has now returned - but there have been only glimmers of his brilliance. Pontius is back, too, but it's not clear if his injury continues to nag him. It's hard to tell because he's so frequently double-teamed. (Subplot: it's hard to call a rookie a part of the "old guard," but DeLeon was integral to last year's playoff run - and he too seems to have a case of the cobwebs - that is, of course, for the first few games he played - because now he's injured and off the field.)

2. How badly will DCU miss its homegrown speed demon? Andy Najar - whose speed and agility seemed superhuman - was sold off to Anderlecht. He was adept at turning good defense into a sudden offensive attack. DCU pulled in Thorrington - not speedy like Najar but a strong and smart playmaker. Unfortunately, Thorrington was promptly injured and knocked out of play for weeks.

3. To Pajoy or not to Pajoy? DCU's main guy up top is roundly criticized for a host of sins - unable to finish, not passing when he should, suffering from a propensity to find himself offsides just as a full attack is coming together. He is also fast, moving like he's skating on ice - when he's on he's fun to watch, frankly. Coach Olsen has clearly favored him while the consensus punditry lost patience with him long ago. The question of whether Pajoy will play in the next game or not has become THE question. The criticisms are not off-target - but Pajoy has found himself the scapegoat for every loss. Unfairly. It's lonely up top. Especially when you're the only thing up top. Should he warm the bench or should he have a partner?

4. Are we ready to unveil our secret weapons? The young Brazilian Rafael - known as the Gladiador - and the old hand Carlos Ruiz - known as El Pescadito for his tendency to feign injuries - are our newly acquired secret weapons. We've caught glimpses of them. Ruiz came on the field during the Real Salt Lake game and showed us a player who is bold and strategic on the attack. Rafael started the Columbus game and zapped a bouncing ball from 35 yards out dead into the net. It was beautiful. But they haven't yet seen the playing time and the partnering that would, I think, send shivers down the spines of our opponents.

5. What crazy save will Hamid make next? Watching Hamid handle shots on goal - especially those chaotic shots close in, with a crowd of attackers - is a thrill every time. It's like the soccer ball is on an elastic string and Hamid owns the paddle. The problem is goalkeeping is not enough to win games. But this man is indispensable.

6. Jakovic. Is that a plot line? May Canada never call him up again while we have games to play.

What plotlines have I missed?

6. Jakovic. Is that a plot line? May Canada never call him up again while we have games to play.

What plotlines have I missed?

Red Bull Arena- March 16

2013-02-28T03:42:13Z

So for the past two seasons I've been talking about going to an away game. I had been planning on going to a Philadelphia game last year but had to go to a wedding for the one followed by a quince for the other. Low and behold this year I will be in Bolivia when United play at PPL. That realistically leaves the Red Bulls games and I realized that our third game of the season on March 16th will be one of those. I've heard in the past about buses of fans going up there together and sitting together. Has anyone here ever been involved in that sort of thing or intend to be this time around? I'm sure I could always go up on my own and just figure things out but it would be a lot more fun going and sitting with other United fans. Any information would be appreciated, thanks!

Riley Flies from Chivas to United, and Defensive Implications.

2013-02-14T19:21:48Z

via www.mlssoccer.com

In case you haven't caught it - James Riley, a seasoned right fullback, has tweeted that he is joining United. Riley brings a pedigree of experience with perhaps the step that Robbie Russell might now be lacking, and will probably decrease his chances of seeing significant playing time behind a quickly developing Chris Korb. Riley has seen long stints at New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders before being drafted in the 2011 expansion draft to Chivas USA.

Riley brings with him a 120,000 dollar contract (2012), which on the surface might miff a little bit, considering our lack of depth at CB and the wings, and our approach of the $2.95(?) million salary cap. But come hither, as this does give Benny O some interesting options:

Fullbacks: Korb, Russell, Woolard, Riley, Kemp (Kitchen, White, LEWIS NEAL)

Center backs: McDonald, Jakovic, White, Shanosky

Though we have been worried about the ability to cope with injuries to the backline, Riley's signing gives us the ability to take advantage of some of our fullbacks' versatility and ability to play effectively at CB (namely Russell and Woolard) in the wake of midseason knocks or yellow cards (and Canadian sabotage). I wouldn't be surprised to see one more low-wage signing at CB, considering Shanosky's suspected loan to the Kickers. But the front office also may try to hold off and save some room for the offensive potential of some of our trial players (Sanchez, Richter, Porter).

Considering some of the versatility of our journeymen midfielders, I can't say I would be too worried with the current defensive lineup.

Thoughts?

via www.mlssoccer.com

Fullbacks: Korb, Russell, Woolard, Riley, Kemp (Kitchen, White, LEWIS NEAL)

Center backs: McDonald, Jakovic, White, Shanosky

Considering some of the versatility of our journeymen midfielders, I can't say I would be too worried with the current defensive lineup.

Thoughts?

Puzzling out DC United Salary cap and 2013 Roster issues

2013-02-11T23:41:59Z

Salary cap estimates are a tricky business. They've taken a stab at Sporting KC's #s over on their SB Nation site, but I think they've neglected to increase the cap over the 2012 figure of $2.81 million. It should go up to $2,950,500 this year.

Then, there's the inescapable fact that all we have to go on are players' 2012 salaries. I think it's reasonable to build in a 5% increase, though some may increase closer to 10%, and others may have a really sweet new deal. Pontius and Jakovic signed new contracts. What kind of raises did they get? We can only guess. Finally, there's wild cards, such as free agent signing like John Thorrington.

The biggest hurdle in projecting how much money a team has available is the allocation number, which MLS never releases. DC United should have had the lowest allocation number in MLS for 2013, based on having the 3rd best record, but not qualifying for either MLS Cup, or the CONCACAF Champions League. However, they sold Andy Najar's contract. That brought in a huge allocation number -- a juicy $650,000 to play with -- and I hope to high heaven that they don't leave any of that sitting on the table at season's end.

So, without further ado:

Roster slots 1-18* for salary cap calculation

Nick DeLeon -- $79k, up to $83k?; Dwayne De Rosario -- a $350,000 DP salary cap hit; Andrew Dykstra -- $44k, up to $46,500; Bill Hamid, $85k, up to $93k?; Dejan Jakovic, a $228k hit, and I'm guessing in the range of $260k, (just a tick over BMac's last year, though he probably should be even with BMac now); Perry Kitchen -- $171k, up to 180k; Chris Korb, 44k, up to $46,500 (the most underpaid player in MLS, based on talent -- this guy better get his passport ready for after the 2014 cycle, because he will deserve a national team look); Brandon McDonald - $258k, up to $271k; Lewis Neal -- $47k, up to $50k; Lionard Pajoy -- $195k, up to $205k (this makes me retch); Rafael -- a $200k Young DP cap hit; Chris Pontius - from $166k to...??? -- I'm gonna guess he's getting as much as BMac, so I'll peg Pontius at $275k; Robbie Russell -- $110k -- I can't believe his deal would have involved an escalation, but I'll be kind and put him at $115k; Marcelo Saragosa, from $74k to $78k; John Thorrington -- there's the rub -- from $170k to....Wolff's free agent deal gave him $170k, so I'll peg Thorrington at $150k; Casey Townsend -- $79k to $83k; Joe Willis from 44k to $46,500; and Daniel Woolard, from $56k to $59k.

It's possible that Raphael Augusto is on the salary budget roster, but I'm guessing he's not. His $44k last year, could be any number this year, but I'm guessing he's off budget.

With a rough number of just a tick over $2,590,000, I'm guessing United has...wait for it...ding, ding, ding....

....$360,000 in pure cap room left. That's equal to a DP salary and change. Let's say they bring on Porter -- they can keep him off-budget., but he eats up the last international slot. If they sign Richter, they might to add his $44k minimum to the budget -- meaning they'd have to use some allocation money to bring in a DP. Good think they have gobs of it. The $650,000 from the Najar deal, plus whatever their base allocation was. Of course, my salary assumptions, especially with respect to Thorrington, Pontius and Jakovic might be too generous -- but I'm going off what I think were the too generous precedents with the deals offered Joseph Ngwenya and MacDonald. The team might have more than $400,000 in salary cap room...plus they have all that allocation to play with.

What can they do with that allocation money?

To sign players new to MLS (that is, a player who did not play in MLS during the previous season).
To re-sign an existing MLS player, subject to League approval.
To "buy-down" a player’s salary budget charge below the League maximum of $350,000.

So, that money could be used for a nice juicy, international -- either to get below the $350k DP charge, or just because he's new.

There is one other use of allocation worth mentioning:

In connection with the exercise of an option to purchase a player’s rights or the extension of a player’s contract for the second year provided the player was new to MLS in the immediately prior year.

That might be useful with respect to Rafael or Augusto's deals...or not.

Also -- and this is probably what should happen -- at least some of that allocation money will be dealt to bring DC United an additional international player roster slot...which they would need to bring in Porter and a DP...or a good Honduran now, and a Euro DP in the summer (with only a $175k cap hit).

* I'm presuming that United will try to keep the roster at 28 players and 18 on-budget (salary cap) players, as they did last year. They could expand the budget roster to 19 or 20 players, if they want to add more than 3 more players to the overall roster. I'm assuming that Rozeboom, Augusto, Alam, Shanosky White, Seaton, and Kemp will be off-budget for now...with more to come. As ever, if the team gets a cap bonus of $35k each for leaving open the last 2 slots of the 30-man roster. United was keen to get the bonus last year, but with all the allocation money this year, that probably isn't a big concern.

Did I leave anything out?

So, without further ado:

Roster slots 1-18* for salary cap calculation

It's possible that Raphael Augusto is on the salary budget roster, but I'm guessing he's not. His $44k last year, could be any number this year, but I'm guessing he's off budget.

With a rough number of just a tick over $2,590,000, I'm guessing United has...wait for it...ding, ding, ding....

What can they do with that allocation money?

To sign players new to MLS (that is, a player who did not play in MLS during the previous season).
To re-sign an existing MLS player, subject to League approval.
To "buy-down" a player’s salary budget charge below the League maximum of $350,000.

So, that money could be used for a nice juicy, international -- either to get below the $350k DP charge, or just because he's new.

There is one other use of allocation worth mentioning:

In connection with the exercise of an option to purchase a player’s rights or the extension of a player’s contract for the second year provided the player was new to MLS in the immediately prior year.

That might be useful with respect to Rafael or Augusto's deals...or not.

Did I leave anything out?

USL Pro Club Orlando City SC Signs Former DCU Forward Long Tan

2013-02-06T23:43:36Z

via secure.dcunited.com

Remember that friendly fellow on the Twitter who suited up for the Black-and-Red several times in the second half of the 2012 season? Well, after being released by DC United this offseason, he's signed with third-tier side Orlando City FC. Coincidently, Orlando City is affiliated with Eastern Conference foes Sporting KC.

Tan signed with DC United on June 28, 2012 for a first-round 2015 Supplemental Draft pick (aka for free) from the Vancouver Whitecaps. In six appearances for United he scored one goal in a 4-2 victory against the Chicago Fire. Tan has spent time in the lower divisions of the American soccer pyramid having spent a season with NASL side Tampa Bay Rowdies (then FC Tampa Bay) and with the PDL team Atlanta Blackhawks.

It's possible that Tan could face his last employer as United head to Orando, Florida this weekend to begin the Disney Pro Soccer Classic which Orlando City are taking part of. While DC and Orlando City are in two separate groups, if the stars align correctly Tan could be facing a very familiar foe.

via secure.dcunited.com

Fourteen D.C. United Academy players sign with Division 1 universities

2013-02-06T19:08:44Z

While the hope of every MLS academy is to be producing players for the first team on a consistent basis, everyone knows that the vast majority of players graduating from the academies will find their way to universities across the United states. Today is National Signing Day for universities and colleges across the United States of America. While pretty much all of the focus in the media is on college football, today is also the day that thousands of high school seniors are declaring their intent to play college soccer in the fall.

D.C. United announced today that fourteen players from the U-18 academy team have committed to playing Division 1 soccer in the fall with half of them staying local in Maryland or Virginia.

DCU's Director of Youth Development Soony Silooy said, "We're proud of the college commitments our Academy players have made for the 2013 fall season. The chance to play at the collegiate level is a great achievement, and we're confident that each of them will make their mark at their respective universities."

Carlos Canas - Longwood University
Goalkeeper
Three years with DCU

Suliaman Dainkeh - University of Maryland
Defender
Three years with DCU

James Doll - Duke University
Midfielder
Three years with DCU

Lars Eckenrode - University of Michigan
Defender
Three years with DCU

Rafael Fagundo - Wake Forest University
Defender
Three years with DCU

Patrick Foss - University of Virginia
Defender
Three years with DCU

Benjamin Ferrell - Longwood University
Defender
One year with DCU

Ian Harkes - Wake Forest University
Midfielder
One year with DCU

Braden Horton - University of Pittsburgh
Goalkeeper
One year with DCU

Christian Kershaw - Loyola University Maryland
Defender/Midfielder
Three years with DCU

Kennedy O'Shea - Coastal Carolina University
Forward
Five years with DCU

Michael Sauers - University of Maryland
Midfielder
Two years with DCU

David Warburton - Loyola University Maryland
Defender
Two years with DCU

Abdi Yusuf - University of Central Florida
Defender/Midfielder
Three years with DCU