My wife and I are sitting in high school bleacher style aluminum seats overlooking freshly watered field. We can’t see the Gulf of Mexico, but know it is right behind the distant fences. It is a warm day with temperatures above 80 degrees, but thankfully for both us and the players there is a cool breeze coming off the Gulf. We’re looking at the players and the uniforms are familiar, but the names and faces are different. I quickly consult the new roster on my cell phone to learn the new players' numbers.
Anticipating the game, I wonder if Coach Olsen will employ different tactics this year. He has a plethora of talented midfielders with very good technical abilities. Surely this means more possession and less direct play. I’m hoping for less booting the ball from the back line to the front line. Why bypass such a talented group of midfield players? But the challenge today is for the players to get to know each other in competitive conditions. Play is likely to be disjointed in this first game of the preseason.
Malmo is a good team. They have been champions in the Swedish league for 4 out of the last 5 years. In 2105 we saw them beat DC United at the same site by a score of 1-0. At that game Chris Rolfe put on quite a show, not displaying any signs of his eminent decline due to concussion issues.
The game starts cautiously. This gives me time to check my cell phone to identify the players. Malmo is a possession oriented team, connecting short very accurate passes. They were giving the trialist left back Requejo fits, perhaps picking on him as a new player. Malmo is clearly better than United in the run of play. Several of the DC United first team players are either sick or injured, so new players get a chance to show off their skills.
Junior Moreno in defensive midfield is positioning himself well and connecting passes. I notice he keeps his head up looking for options. He might be a very good pairing with Russell Canouse in many situations. Ulises Segura is floating around the midfield going to the side of the field trying to find the ball. He’s getting involved with play. Frederic Brilliant is controlling the back line and is quite talented with the ball at this feet. His distribution is first class. Mattocks is a high energy player and running off the ball, but appears to be out of sync with his teammates. Ian Harkes seems to struggle to get involved with play.
DC United has their moments. Zoltan Stieber shows his class setting up several of his teammates with both technical skill and great passes. Of the new players I especially liked Junior Moreno. He seems to have both vision and the ability to connect with his teammates, even after only a few weeks after knowing them. Make no mistake. This team has a higher ceiling and greater potential than those in recent years.
With the addition of Bruno Mirando in the second half DC United started to see some better scoring opportunities. After what appeared to be a dramatic whif on one shot, Mattocks makes up for it by finally finding the back of the net. Give him credit. It was a nice finish. After that DC United makes mass substitutions and the play goes downhill. But there were also some individual bright spots.
After the game we head for our favorite fish restaurant in Sarasota. Captain Brian’s located right by the Sarasota airport. Afterward we take a walk starting at the New College of Florida in Sarasota. It is right next to the Ringling mansion called House of John that abuts the Sarasota Bay. The sunset is spectacular. All in all a nice day, seeing the first game for the "new era" DC United capped off by a beautiful sunset along Sarasota Bay.
