D.C. United Fall To Seattle Sounders, New Additions Flounder

by Martin Shatzer on Jul 15, 2025 11:35 PM EDT in Match Reviews

Ned Dishman - Getty Images

United's best attacking weapon was 17-year old Andy Najar

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I'm sitting here wondering if I just saw it.

Nah, that couldn't have been it. Not now. Not already. Could it?

Did we just see the end of the season?

I want to say that other MLS teams have come back from farther behind to make the playoffs late in the season, but I'm too pissed off to actually do that research right now.

Some might write tonight about how DC United created plenty of chances but were thwarted by a good goalkeeping performance from Kasey Keller. But that's not what I'm going to write. Because I don't think United deserved to win this match. United got beaten by a team that's better than them. And that team has a 5-8-4 record.

There was only one player wearing black who looked likely to score, and that was Andy Najar. Najar was frequently making good runs off the ball, abusing Leo Gonzalez, and when his teammates found him, he usually got off a decent attempt. Julius James also had another impressive match at center back. He has a penchant for winning the ball, then immediately drawing a foul from the opposing attacker. Quality.

89 minutes of good defensive efforts from Dejan Jakovic and Jordan Graye, but a letdown in the final minute of action cost us the game. Graye played well defensively, but made quite a few poor passes in transition to give away chances. Jakovic getting beat by the previously terrible Roger Levesque is inexcusable. I spent all of halftime worrying that United would fall to the Sounders in the second half because Seattle would bring on newcomer Blaise Nkufo for Levesque, but it turns out they didn't even need him.

The Sounders had 11 corner kick chances and Clyde Simms defended 5 of them. No kidding. But United should have dominated the midfield in this match. We had far more talent in that area. But it just didn't happen tonight.

Santino Quaranta was more involved than he has been in some other recent offensively disappointing matches, but it still didn't amount to more than that big 0 on the scoreboard. I felt like the link was often missing between the back and the attack. That's supposed to be Quaranta's role.

Neither of our two new additions had much of an impact on the match after entering in the second half. Pablo Hernandez came on and immediately attempted to overlap Najar on the right during a counterattack when he should have been trying to get open in the middle. Had he not been watching the rest of the match? Or watching Najar in practice? Najar looks to be the fastest attacker on the team, and he needs no help bringing the ball up the wing in those situations. Get open! Branko Boskovic did little better, and was disrupted easily and often by Osvaldo Alonso.

The match changed in the Sounders' favor when Chris Pontius got a red card and was sent off early in the second half. Oh wait, that didn't happen. Although it sure seemed like it, because he totally disappeared from the match. Outside of one strong run up the left in the opening minutes, and his predictable cut in move at the top of the box when given way too much room by James Riley, Pontius didn't contribute much tonight.

Stephen King had the chance tonight to get revenge against his former team and solidify his vanishing spot in the starting lineup all at the same time. Neither happened. The Sounders had no trouble advancing through the midfield, especially in the first half. Simms is partially to blame for that too, but I didn't notice King causing much of a disruption at all. Can't believe I was advocating him remaining a starter ahead of Najar earlier this week.

***

Now's not the time to write this team off though. Maybe we did just fall prey to a good goalkeeper tonight. Maybe this was just Kasey Keller making up for his horrific performance in our victory in Seattle last month. And surely I'm being way too hard on Hernandez and Boskovic, who deserve more of a chance as they get better adjusted to D.C.

But 11 goals in 16 matches sure doesn't sound like a playoff team.

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Read More: Andy Najar (MIDFIELDER - WAS), Kasey Keller (GOALKEEPER - SEA), Clyde Simms (MIDFIELDER - WAS), Leo Gonzalez (DEFENDER - SEA), Julius James (DEFENDER - WAS), Dejan Jakovic (DEFENDER - WAS), Jordan Graye (DEFENDER - HOU), Chris Pontius (F - WAS), Roger Levesque (F - SEA), Stephen King (MIDFIELDER - WAS), Blaise Nkufo (F - Switzerland), Santino Quaranta (F - WAS), Branko Boskovic (MIDFIELDER - WAS), Osvaldo Alonso (MIDFIELDER - SEA), James Riley (DEFENDER - SEA), DC United, Seattle Sounders

Comments

I wrote the playoffs off awhile ago

US Open Cup, baby! We win on Wednesday!

by Brendanukkah on Jul 15, 2025 11:44 PM EDT reply actions

Just realized something I forgot to mention

the Bryan Namoff chant in the 26th minute. That was really cool. It was clearly audible on TV. Now if only the commentators had any sense to figure out what was going on…

Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.

by Martin Shatzer on Jul 15, 2025 11:57 PM EDT reply actions

Hope the “Come on DC score a goal!” chant came through too.

And if Quaranta gets the same rating as Boskovic and he played a full 90, that should say something about the former. Sit down Tino.

And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.

by Bald Pollack on Jul 16, 2025 12:10 AM EDT up reply actions

That was quite well-done

We knew. The fans knew.

I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart

by Dave Clark on Jul 16, 2025 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions

Let's Give the New Guys a Chance

Pontius and Quaranta are floundering—especially in the final third. Our best player is 17 years old—Najar deserves DP money!

by dc army on Jul 16, 2025 12:09 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

Quaranta

Tino just isn’t getting the job done. He had one tremendous strike but the rest of the night was just too ordinary. The one trait he has consistently shown during his career is resilience. Maybe a spell on the bench will reinvigorate him.

by Croftonpost on Jul 16, 2025 12:25 AM EDT reply actions

Did we just see the end of the season?

When your coach says it’s a little bit like the end of the world, guessing that’s pretty much it.

And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.

by Bald Pollack on Jul 16, 2025 6:56 AM EDT reply actions

I totally disagree about Graye - he's the goat.

He was a walking turnover machine last night, including the turnover that led directly to the goal.

Actually, for about the first 10 minutes of the second half, everybody in black was a walking turnover machine. Waaaay too casual on the ball - soft passes into space, letting a pass hit you on the foot and roll out of bounds, just horrible stuff. Only Graye never shook it. Every time he got the ball in our defensive third after halftime, I was nervous that he’d pass straight to someone in green, which he did with alarming frequency.

Shatz, you are right that we didn’t deserve to win last night. Outplayed in possession, United still managed to have the better of the chances in the first half, but at some point, they lost their edge and packed it in. The fans deserve better, and hopefully we’ll see it Sunday.

by The AMT on Jul 16, 2025 8:11 AM EDT reply actions

Better than the walking pylon he was in the first half, though.

Pat Noonan was just abusing him. Pat Noonan. Pat Noonan sucks.

Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.

by Chris Pendley on Jul 16, 2025 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

"...but at some point, they lost their edge and packed it in"

This happens almost every week. With a team as poor at scoring as ours, the pattern of the game against El Salvador (dictate through first half, score in 2nd, control tempo afterward to win 1-0) should be, if not what we aspire to, then at least a plausible way to win games. Instead, everyone knows that if we don’t score before halftime, we’re almost certainly going to lose because we either lose confidence, forget what was working, or fail to adjust to our opponent’s moves at halftime. To see this happen so often is maddening.

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jul 17, 2025 10:26 PM EDT up reply actions

ugh...

- Bosko didn’t look to be match fit but had some quality touches. I’m optimistic.
- The guy who scored for Seattle we call the Barista because he really looks like one (and plays like one for 89 min, then turns into f-ing Wayne Rooney for 1 min) Otherwise Seattle was toothless and we should have pounded them. It sucks to lose to them on a late goal (where have we heard this story before?)
- I also thought it was a decent first run out from Hernandez. He probably doesn’t really know the players on the team yet. Though he seems to have typical striker defense which is to stand around. Something I like about Christman and Alsop is they pressure high on defense.
- Time for Party and Tino both to hit the bench. They seem to be out of synch and we do best when we’re in synch.
- Perkins had a good game… except, the guy cannot seem to distribute the ball. Way too many long balls that just went to them. Would do better to just distribute from the back.
- Najar is the man. But a 17 year old should be a complementary piece, not the star attraction.
- Graye looked lost in the final third. Can see him thinking “I can beat these guys but I’m not supposed to because I’m a defender” He thinks a beat too long and then loses the ball.
- Afraid too that that might have been the season.
— Glad that Onalfo tried for the win and thought Najar did well on D.

Bitter.

by Irrlicht on Jul 16, 2025 8:13 AM EDT reply actions

SB nation

Any idea why the blog does those lines though the posts?

by Irrlicht on Jul 16, 2025 8:14 AM EDT up reply actions

I think the hyphens automatically strike it somehow, depending on carriage returns and other weird formatting shite.

And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.

by Bald Pollack on Jul 16, 2025 10:44 AM EDT up reply actions

My advice

Avoid dashes. SBNation’s software just doesn’t like them. For a post like you wrote, maybe use * instead?

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jul 17, 2025 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Time for D.C. United to act like 4-time MLS champs!

I agree with the article about Najar being the only Unted player that looked capable of scoring. Not sure why Morreno got the start.

The defense did not look so good to me, thank goodness Zakuani can’t seem to shoot when given the opportunity or else it would have been a long night for Perkins.

How about stepping up and signing a Top striker from anywhere (recruit now during the summer Euro Team showcase here in the states) and try finding a coach with a track record of winning.

Bob Bradley may seem to big a name but he would be worth the $ and exposure a name like that can bring especially with his profile right now following the WC and being mentioned in coaching searches overseas.

Chris Wimmer
http://vasoccernews.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/vasoccernews

by Chris Wimmer on Jul 16, 2025 9:14 AM EDT reply actions

It's really sad when a team of grown men

have to count on a teenage boy to carry them through to victory. Honestly he was the only one who seem liable to to put one away.

It’s hard for a striker to look good when we are constantly playing this kick and chase soccer that United has regressed to. I am really over the 4-4-2 as it does not play to the possession style that United is famous for.

Also the substitution pattern was terrible for me. Why when taking of jamie did he not bring on another mid-fielder. The mid field was being over run the entire game.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 16, 2025 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions

+1

“It’s really sad when a team of grown men have to count on a teenage boy to carry them through to victory.”

Haha, Sad and yet true.

Ski-U-Mah!

by CrazyCollegian on Jul 16, 2025 8:36 PM EDT up reply actions

Keller's Dive

Anybody have video of that Keller dive outside the box? I was seated in perfect view of that play - complete dive.

by VamosUnited on Jul 16, 2025 10:36 AM EDT reply actions

Watching keller flounder and flop around

trying to get the ref to blow the play dead was pure comedy.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 16, 2025 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions

Trying?

On the corner that followed the initial incident (in which his injury, which is apparently a foot sprain, happened not on contact with Najar but because his foot got caught under his body as he landed), Keller fell down for no reason and got exactly the call he wanted.

I didn’t like it, but it was pretty cagey stuff from a veteran.

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jul 17, 2025 10:30 PM EDT up reply actions

I kept swearing he should have been whistled for a handball outside the box when that happened, but I haven’t seen the replays since (and don’t want to).

And I thought Tom Soehn was a shitty coach.

by Bald Pollack on Jul 16, 2025 10:45 AM EDT up reply actions

The match changed in the Sounders’ favor when Chris Pontius got a red card and was sent off early in the second half.

This has me laughing but I think it is a bit harsh on Pontius. When Onalfo deicded to go like for like in his substitutions he screwed Pontius royally. So in the first half Jamie was dropping off and receiving the ball deep and attempting to initiate play from was was essentially a mid-fielders role.

When Curt put Hernandez in Santino started dropping back. The problem was he kept shading to Pontius’s side of the field. So obviously when the switch happened it went to Najar who had his man isolated on the touchline. Okay so in summary Tino being a forward and not a play maker coupled with his natural tendency to drift to the left side of the field canceled out any effect that Pontius could have on the match in the second half.

Onalfo putting in a striker for Jamie was him acknowledging that his system/tactics were actually working which was far from the true. I am thinking a 4-5-1 is the only way for this team to move forward.

by ccrun1800 on Jul 16, 2025 10:38 AM EDT reply actions

...so will it be next season when that happens?

I can’t figure Onalfo would make any tactical changes at this point in the season, and after going to …whatever the heck that was late in the game; was that 3-4-3? I’m not sure I want him to, lest we end up with 5-1-2-0-2 or something completely asinine.

Maybe he’ll switch to a diamond and call it a radical revamping.

Simulated Gameday Experience - just like the real thing, only we have smoke machines.

by Chris Pendley on Jul 16, 2025 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

I didn't mind replacing Moreno with Hernandez

That move had to happen, and was probably pre-planned no matter what the score was.

I had issues with the second two subs.

I was looking for Boskovic to replace Pontius instead of King. Pontius had disappeared from the match for the reasons you mentioned, and adding Boskovic while leaving Pontius/Quaranta/Najar in meant we had way too many attacking midfielders on the field.

And then bringing on ANOTHER forward and taking off a defender didn’t incrementally add much offensively, while it created a huge liability defensively. I don’t mind taking a risk to go for the win, but that substitution was absolutely a contributing factor in the loss.

Managing Editor for BlackAndRedUnited.com. Weekend Writer for SBNation DC.

by Martin Shatzer on Jul 17, 2025 8:33 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

I didn't mind the 343 switch at all

What good is 1 point to us? Our loss was obviously painful because of who it was against and how it happened, but let’s be realistic: A draw was virtually the same as a loss for us. In fact, I’d have been furious if Onalfo hadn’t gone to the 343. We have no choice but to roll the dice like that every night. We should have had Perkins in the Seattle box on that late free kick, too.

My issue with the sub was that we left Graye in. He was having an abysmal night as it was, and then you ask him to play in a back three? At least McTavish has experience playing in that system in MLS. I know Graye has more speed (vital in a back three), but his poor play on the night should have easily been the determining factor.

Black and Red United

by ChestRockwell on Jul 17, 2025 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions

New guys

Yes, you were too harsh. Hernandez was pretty intelligent in his movement and seemed to have a decent touch. Not particularly pacey, but quite balanced and alert. However, he showed a strong tendency to come deep for the ball, which is fine in and of itself, but will hardly help with our need for an out-and-out finisher. In line with Chest’s post earlier this week, Hernandez may simply be another withdrawn/wide forward to add to the pile with Moreno, Pontius, and Tino.

Boskovic was rather obviously not in synch, and playmaker is a role you don’t just step into and smoothly control. But I thought he showed OK. There really wasn’t enough opportunity to render any kind of serious verdict with him.

I think you’re also a bit too harsh on the guys on this team not named Najar. Andy isn’t just a cut above DCU’s regulars, he’s a cut above MLS. He understands space, movement, control, and passing sequences at an instictive level that reminds me of Wayne Rooney when he first came up for Everton. (This is certainly not to suggest that Andy will be a world-class player; I am merely noting that he plays the game much more intelligently than his age should allow.) Unless we see some serious flaws crop up in his game that aren’t evident right now, he will be gone for Europe within 18 months. He’s just got too much class for this league.

by Stunned Duck on Jul 16, 2025 2:00 PM EDT reply actions