Kick This!

Houston, We Have A . . . . ?

Goff is full of good news:

• The forecast for Saturday in Houston is 98 F with a heat index of 105;

• Rodney Wallace will sit out due to yellow card suspension; and

• United has never won at Houston in all competitions (0-3-1), never scored at Houston and all three goals conceded were scored by Brian Ching.

Fantastic. On the plus side, Santino Quaranta has been practicing and will be ready to play. Let's hope that the match doesn't prove to be a yawner marked by unimaginative tactics and poor ball skills that result in a give away leading to a stupid goal for the home side.

Not that I'm bitter or anything.

United 1 - Firpo 1 July 28, 2009

Wake Me Up Before You Go Go

Wasn't that exciting?

Going into this match I had a bad feeling. DC United had to be tired, traveling cross-country after Saturday's epic collapse in San Jose, during which our star regulars already looked tired and beaten up. C.D. Luís Ángel Firpo appears to be a decent side with a pedigree, although still in its preseason.

With United on weary legs, depleted by injuries to Simms and Boyzzz, and with a league showdown looming in Houston, the stage was set for a fiasco in the first leg of the home-and-away series.

Instead of an apocalypse, however, the tens of United fans in attendance were treated to a poorly played, painfully dull match.

San Jose 2 - United 2 July 25, 2009

Oscillate Wildly

Let's get serious. There is nothing new under the sun, and sometimes in sports, on any given day, a team with a record like DC United's will collapse and a team with a record like San Jose's will make an effective comeback. That's the way it goes.

Once the red mist of disappointment subsides, take a realistic look at United and you realize that the poor showing on Saturday was not an anomaly.

United 2 - Rhinos 1 July 21, 2009

An ugly game, to be remembered for two serious injuries, but which sends United to the USOC final at RFK. I didn't attend the match, but ignorance is never an excuse not to post anentry. For actual eyewitness reports and commentary, see the following:

• Goff's match report , and his player ratings:

Kocic 7, Namoff 7, Janicki 6, John 6; McTavish 7, Jacobson 6, Wallace 5.5, Khumalo 6, Fred 5.5; Moreno 6.5, N'Silu 5. Subs: Pontius 5, DiRaimondo 5, Gomez 5.

• BDR's summary, with some extra added Fred-bashing:

What's amazing to me is in watching these three Germantown games, division 1, 2, and 3 defenders are far less impressed with Fred than some MLS defenders - they watch him do his samba over the ball, then take it from him.

• Unitedmania's game recap.

Let's consider DCU's starting lineup for a moment . . . .

Meet The Team Day

A fine warm afternoon for an outing to RFK. This event is probably a pain in the ass for the players (literally, as they sit for hours under little canopies signing autographs and making awkward small talk), but a true treat for the fans.

Here's a chance to thank the players in person for their hard work, wish them well, and tear into the coaches.

United 3 - Rapids 1 July 18, 2009

Hairy Situation

United found itself one goal down at the end of the first half. The players were stone-faced as they walked off the field. Colorado's score came on an own-goal against the run of play, after United had dominated but had been unable to get the ball into the Rapids' net.

United, in the wake of a long layoff and celebrating a return to health by key players, had been looking to restart its campaign with a big, momentum-injecting win. The story being written at RFK after the first 45" was one of disappointment, however, a reminder that the ball is round and the players we cheer are merely human after all.

Come the second half, with a remarkable turn around United put its stamp on the game, the RFK air was electrified for the first time in seemingly ages, and the fans sung their way happily into the night.

Was the old United swagger and style finally back?

Talon Rating:  4 out of 5 birds

Programming Note

Due to unavoidable circumstances I was unable to attend or listen to the radio coverage of United's 2-1 victory over the Harrisburg. From reviewing the Twitter feed, it appears that various United players had issues finishing, Harrisburg didn't play all that great, and United wasn't so fantastic overall either. Hearsay evidence being notoriously unreliable, I'll stop here and look forward to match reports from percipient witnesses. However, there's just one other thing . . . .

Crew 1 - United 1 July 4, 2009

Yellow Is The Color Of Piss

This was a six-point game, with United sitting one point ahead of the Yellow Team when the opening whistle blew. The depth of United's roster would be put to the test on a night where key starters Emilio, Moreno, Quaranta, and Jackovic were missing.

Depleted though it was, United had the game within its grasp, but could not muster enough sustained tactical variety or individual quality to win. The full three points lay tantalizingly out of reach . . . .

Talon Rating:  2 1/2 out of 5 birds