Where We Stand
So on Saturday I watched the game at my parents' house. Turns out that their cable was on the fritz and Comcast had no sound.
Either way I watched the game and boy what a game it was. Well the second half was forgetable but the first half had plenty of action.
Before I begin, here's the updated standings (adjusted):
*Ranking based on goal difference
FC Dallas and Houston tied earlier in the day on Saturday (highlights of which I saw on SportsCenter) which left the door open for DC to claim first place. Overall I'll admit that the penalty that led to DC's second goal could have easily been a non-call. I think Alecko Eskandarian could have kept his feet and control of the ball in order to take a shot, but the replay also shows how he got shouldered off the ball from behind. I'm not 100% percent sure that the foul occurred in the box. Either way the ref saw it differently and it broke the mini-drought Jaime Moreno had.
Offensively: My favorite players today were Moreno, Eskandarian, Josh Gros and Domenic Mediate. I think the wings this game were extremely dangerous. Gros, with his ability to run all day long, has improved immensely both offensively and defensively. Domenic Mediate has finally gotten his shot and shown how dangerous he can be. Mediate even had a couple chances for a goal. Moreno found his touch and on more than one occasion held the ball with three defenders on him. Alecko definitely found the positioning needed and his goal was amazing. It was funny cause Bo Oshoniyi thought it hit the post and was still in play. The bewildered look on his face was priceless. The rest of the offense was comfortable and playing their game. DC controlled the midfield and the "wave" style of offense was definitely in full effect. Strong performance by everyone.
Defense: Things looked much simpler to me. There was no fancy play and no one took any huge risks. From what I counted there were only three major mistakes. 1) Obviously Freddy Adu's foul that led to the KC goal. He had no business swiping at the ball. He was pushing the KC player to the endline and just slowing down and standing his ground would have made the play slow down enough for other defenders to get into position. It was a mistake and luckily it didn't cost the team the game. 2) The wide open net that Sealy (I think) could not seem to hit. After a tremendous save by Troy Perkins, Sealy was unmarked and had an wide open shot. I'm guessing there wasn't enough communication over man marking responsibilities. 3) In the second half Erpen fumbled a clearance which Perkins had to jump off his line to block. It was a goofy looking play and I understand that Erpen wanted to keep possession but in those situations, blasting the ball as far and as wide as possible is the goal. The three players who did exceptionally well were Carroll, Namoff and Perkins. Carroll and Namoff were solid and did not hesitate to throw their bodies to win the ball. Watching Perkins throughout the season, you can just tell how much he has grown. When he leaves his line he looks confident. There is no wavering. If the ball is in the air and he believes he can reach it will will go after it full force. His biggest asset is his length and if a ball hangs in the air too long he will grab it. He looks quicker and bigger when running towards the ball.
Kansas City looked weak with the absence of their World Cup call ups. All in all DC has shown that they should be fine during the World Cup. I haven't seen other teams but DC looks in good shape. They are currently undefeated after 5 games at home. The true test will be the next couple months where 10 out of 15 games will be played on the road beginning with Columbus next Saturday.
Either way I watched the game and boy what a game it was. Well the second half was forgetable but the first half had plenty of action.
Before I begin, here's the updated standings (adjusted):
| Rank | Team | Games Played | Total Points | Points/Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | D.C. United | 7 | 14 | 2.000 |
| 2. | FC Dallas | 8 | 15 | 1.875 |
| T-3. | Houston | 7 | 13 | 1.857 |
| T-3. | Kansas City | 7 | 13 | 1.857 |
| 5. | New England | 6 | 10 | 1.667 |
| 6. | Columbus | 7 | 10 | 1.429 |
| *7. | Chicago | 6 | 7 | 1.167 |
| *8. | Colorado | 6 | 7 | 1.167 |
| 9. | Los Angeles | 8 | 7 | 0.875 |
| 10. | New York | 6 | 5 | 0.833 |
| 11. | Chivas | 5 | 4 | 0.800 |
| 12. | Real Salt Lake | 7 | 4 | 0.571 |
*Ranking based on goal difference
FC Dallas and Houston tied earlier in the day on Saturday (highlights of which I saw on SportsCenter) which left the door open for DC to claim first place. Overall I'll admit that the penalty that led to DC's second goal could have easily been a non-call. I think Alecko Eskandarian could have kept his feet and control of the ball in order to take a shot, but the replay also shows how he got shouldered off the ball from behind. I'm not 100% percent sure that the foul occurred in the box. Either way the ref saw it differently and it broke the mini-drought Jaime Moreno had.
Offensively: My favorite players today were Moreno, Eskandarian, Josh Gros and Domenic Mediate. I think the wings this game were extremely dangerous. Gros, with his ability to run all day long, has improved immensely both offensively and defensively. Domenic Mediate has finally gotten his shot and shown how dangerous he can be. Mediate even had a couple chances for a goal. Moreno found his touch and on more than one occasion held the ball with three defenders on him. Alecko definitely found the positioning needed and his goal was amazing. It was funny cause Bo Oshoniyi thought it hit the post and was still in play. The bewildered look on his face was priceless. The rest of the offense was comfortable and playing their game. DC controlled the midfield and the "wave" style of offense was definitely in full effect. Strong performance by everyone.
Defense: Things looked much simpler to me. There was no fancy play and no one took any huge risks. From what I counted there were only three major mistakes. 1) Obviously Freddy Adu's foul that led to the KC goal. He had no business swiping at the ball. He was pushing the KC player to the endline and just slowing down and standing his ground would have made the play slow down enough for other defenders to get into position. It was a mistake and luckily it didn't cost the team the game. 2) The wide open net that Sealy (I think) could not seem to hit. After a tremendous save by Troy Perkins, Sealy was unmarked and had an wide open shot. I'm guessing there wasn't enough communication over man marking responsibilities. 3) In the second half Erpen fumbled a clearance which Perkins had to jump off his line to block. It was a goofy looking play and I understand that Erpen wanted to keep possession but in those situations, blasting the ball as far and as wide as possible is the goal. The three players who did exceptionally well were Carroll, Namoff and Perkins. Carroll and Namoff were solid and did not hesitate to throw their bodies to win the ball. Watching Perkins throughout the season, you can just tell how much he has grown. When he leaves his line he looks confident. There is no wavering. If the ball is in the air and he believes he can reach it will will go after it full force. His biggest asset is his length and if a ball hangs in the air too long he will grab it. He looks quicker and bigger when running towards the ball.
Kansas City looked weak with the absence of their World Cup call ups. All in all DC has shown that they should be fine during the World Cup. I haven't seen other teams but DC looks in good shape. They are currently undefeated after 5 games at home. The true test will be the next couple months where 10 out of 15 games will be played on the road beginning with Columbus next Saturday.
posted by SccrPlaya at 6:17 PM
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