DC United Beat Seattle Sounders Off Chris Pontius Hat Trick
by Martin Shatzer on Jun 11, 2025 1:07 AM EDT
in Match Reviews
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These two teams don't disappoint. No, I've never seen a boring match between DC United and the Seattle Sounders.
There were so many great storylines in this match. Chris Pontius going from zero goals on the season at the beginning of the night to the team's leading scorer. United's makeshift backline holding the highly rated Seattle attack scoreless for 89 minutes. The Sounders' stoppage time comeback after many fans had departed for the parking lots.
I thought it unfortunate that ESPN2 chose to report United's supposed luck as the biggest storyline of the first half. Sure, Pontius's first goal came off a deflection, and his second really should have been saved by Kasey Keller. But what about the build up to those two goals? That was just luck too? Pontius's right-footed fake brought two defenders to their knees to set up his left footed strike that just happened to glance off Patrick Ianni's back. Deflection or not, that's a goal of the week candidate. And the second goal took a whole lot of skill too just to get a shot off while well marked.
There's lots of optimism all across the D.C. sports scene right now. Glad to see United is starting to share in it.
Had United preserved the shutout, I may have led with a different player here, but the man of the match has got to be the triple goal scorer Chris Pontius. He took command of this match like no other player has this season (save for maybe Allsopp's two goal performance against a much weaker Wizards side last month).
Julius James put in probably the best defensive performance of his career tonight. James was able to frustrate Freddie Ljungberg from very early on, and blocked more shots than I can count. I've got to think he must have several bruises from all those shots he took. This is the Julius James we were all hoping to see eventually. If he can keep it up, he may keep this job permanently.
I was also extremely impressed with the play of Devon McTavish tonight. Did anyone else notice that virtually every scoring opportunity for Seattle in the first half came from their right flank? McTavish held Steve Zakuani and Leo Gonzalez to just one shot combined on his side of the field.
Troy Perkins and Dejan Jakovic also had productive games for United. Perkins was in absolute control of his box for the entire match. Early in the season he looked uncomfortable and noncomittal at times. Not tonight. And neither goal was his fault. Jakovic was quiet but solid.
In his first league appearance, Barry Rice did not look out of place. Playing in a new position on the left, Rice made some tackles and won some headers early after entering in the 48th minute. I don't fault him too much for trying to stop James Riley's shot but instead deflecting it into the net (which was NOT an own goal by any stretch of the imagination). But Rice was also beaten by Fredy Montero on a header for the Sounders' second goal.
United is still struggling to find the right target forward to pair with Quaranta. Last week it was Allsopp who didn't work out, this week it was Luciano Emilio. Might the team be looking at some new options in the transfer market shortly? The former MVP did very little. That's really all I can say. Even in the second half when we had the lead and Seattle was setting up their attack from the back, we would always see Quaranta running after defenders, but Emilio was nowhere to be found.
***
It's really an unfortunate time for a break from action, with DC United now on a five game unbeaten streak. This would be a perfect time for them to get some games back in the Eastern Conference with their players finally nearing top form, but a 16-day break from league play may suck out the team's momentum.
With tonight's victory, United climbs out of the cellar. They are now ahead of the Philadelphia Union, and only one game back of the New England Revolution. After the break though, United continues their four game road trip, with stops in Columbus, San Jose, and New York.
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On the bright side
The 16 day break means we don’t have to be sweating injuries for 16 days. And we should get Pena and I’d assume Graye back to full health.
by Brendanukkah on Jun 11, 2025 1:13 AM EDT reply actions
I don't know
Training has seen us lose some players, too. Makes you wonder if we’re ever safe.
by ChestRockwell on Jun 11, 2025 1:27 AM EDT up reply actions
Quibbles
MLS appears to agree with you on Rice getting an own-goal (they gave it to Riley), but it sure looked like one to me. That shot wasn’t on frame, Rice deflects it, ball goes in. That’s an own-goal in my book, for as much as that matters.
I agree with most of your ratings save McTavish. No way was he a five. Added nothing to the attack. Most passes went lateral or backwards. Exposed a handful of times defensively and probably would have been more exposed were it not for the ease with which Seattle were exploiting our left (security through obscurity?).
I’d be curious as to your number rating for Najar. He got into good spots and was a bundle of energy, but never really created any danger and gave the ball away far too often.
by The Fullback on Jun 11, 2025 7:52 AM EDT reply actions
Own Goal?
Though the MLS gave credit to Riley, I’m not sure what to make of Rice’s deflection. In all honesty, I’m not so sure that it wasn’t an own goal. But while the label is relatively unimportant all by itself, there are two important issues to consider in an own goal scenario - regardless of of to whom the credit is given: the intentionality and incompetence, if any, behind the event. In the case of Rice’s deflection it was plain old bad luck; and since he was neither intentional nor incompetent, I don’t think he’s blameworthy. But in spite of that, the fact remains that he deflected an off-target shot into the net. By most interpretations, blameworthy or not, this is an own goal. To add insult to injury, it was his MLS debut and he was tasked with marking one of the toughest strikers (albeit fragile – WTF with all of F.L.’s whining?) in the league. Considering all that, Rice still had a reasonably good performance.
(If we were going to abide by FIFA recommendations, Rice would’ve had an own goal. As he’d fall under scenario 3 below (the whole topic is pretty murky though - FIFA even neglected to mention own goal scenarios in Laws of the Game.):
"From a FIFA study group led by Holger Osieck:
1) If a goal-bound shot accidentally bounces off a team-mate into the opponent?s goal, the goal will be awarded to the player who struck the ball towards the target in the first place.
2) If a goal-bound shot is intentionally redirected into the opponent?s net, the goal will be credited to the player whose action produced the change of direction.
**3) If a shot is going wide and is then deflected or redirected into the opponent?s goal by a team-mate, this player will of course be credited with the goal."
Own goal links here: http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/news/newsid=71928.html, http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/news/newsid=70226.html,
http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name;=News&file;=article&sid;=34579, and also here, with video: http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/a-new-definition-of-own-goal-for-world-cup.html)
by break away on Jun 11, 2025 10:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I thought Najar did very well to help McTavish out defensively. He covered a lot of ground, and did so effectively.
Offensively, I thought he really struggled. Gonzalez figured out that if Najar gets the ball in space, he always looks to go 1v1. So, while our passes rolled to Najar’s foot, Gonzalez stepped up to leave Najar with no room. That’s why all but one of his dribbling attempts ended with Gonzalez nicking the ball away. Teams are going to take notice of this and RSL’s approach (doubling him with Johnson). Najar needs to learn, quickly, that if he’s not running onto the ball or granted time to face up by his marker that we’re better off just maintaining possession. I’d also like to see him engage in more combination passing, since he has the speed to get around defenders. Play a quick 1-2 and fire in a cross from deeper.
by ChestRockwell on Jun 11, 2025 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Najar, McTavish
I don’t rate every player. Typically I only rate players who I have something substantial to write about, positive or negative. But Najar would probably have been a 3 for the reasons Chest outlined. He displayed lots of energy and willingness to contribute defensively, but added very little to the attack.
I guess I rated McTavish higher than you might expect because of all Seattle’s attackers, I was most worried about Steve Zakuani going in. As it turned out, McTavish handled him quite nicely, and he was barely a factor in the game.
Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.
by Martin Shatzer on Jun 11, 2025 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions
What, no three?
"It's good to be compared to great players, great teams. But we're not Oilers, we're Capitals."
~Alex Ovechkin
by amkcaps on Jun 11, 2025 8:18 AM EDT reply actions
Good and Bad Luck...
Last night’s game was a hell of a show! Even though DCU conceded two "eleventh hour" goal, we’ve got to feel good about the team’s overall effort. First off, James and Pontius played excellently. James looked cool and collected in tackles, made his presence felt in air challenges, and rarely botched clearances or distributions. He also paired nicely with Jakovic (who was also strong); I was really impressed. Though Chris Pontius had some good luck on his finishes, the offensive build-ups to his goals were the real deal. In all honesty, I’d not been too impressed with his effort this season, but he showed technical sharpness last night that was great. His touches were impeccable – hell, just being able to cut and shoot in such tight circumstances was amazing.
As for Devon McTavish, I failed to see where he made a substantive impact. Sure, he stopped some shots, but he frequently got beat flat-footed then having to chase down his mark. I also think he looked nervous getting "stuck-in" on tackles, frequently choosing not to. There were numerous instances where a Seattle player ran at him and he back-pedaled ad infinitum until the attacker distributed the ball. I fully understand containment tactics in defensive soccer, but I understand contain to mean just that: CONTAIN the ball and your mark. Rarely does McTavish contain either. In fact, he frequently gives the attacker ample time to make a decision and by the time McTavish decides to go in, the ball and/or the player have him beat. This is poor defense and I think it’s one reason there were so many nail-biting chances in Seattle’s favor. Lucky for DCU, Seattle didn’t remember how to finish a shot until the 89th minute. And then they nearly put DCU away in stoppage time.
Though DCU capitalized on some good opportunities, Seattle was by and large the dominant team. And even though DCU clogged Seattle’s attacking lines very well, Seattle still missed numerous lethal opportunities all by themselves. I’m thankful for those missed opportunities, but on any other night, Seattle’s normally dangerous offense would’ve at least tied DCU well before stoppage time. Yes, I do think good and bad luck played a big role in this game for both teams.
by break away on Jun 11, 2025 11:26 AM EDT reply actions
Well Done DC
Sincerely,
San Jose Fan
You can change your job, you can change your wife, you can even change your gender, but you can never change your club.
Win or lose, we will always be here for you.
Fear no foe, wherever we go.
by johnjahafanclub on Jun 11, 2025 7:51 PM EDT reply actions
Pontius loses hat trick...
So Pontius didn’t get the hat trick after all. Looks like Cristman claimed it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061106740.html
by break away on Jun 13, 2025 12:13 PM EDT reply actions
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