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.

Look at what United brings to the table:

• Tactically skilled veterans who can't, or won't, muster the energy to play all-out offense and defense for the duration of their time in the game (Moreno, Gomez, Olsen, Emilio, Fred);

• A pair of South American skill players whose performances fall far short of the expectations created by their salaries (Emilio, Fred);

• Two above-average veterans who make up for other deficiencies in the lineup, and whose absences have a disproportionate impact on the final score (Simms, Namoff);

• A left back who plays sub-par defense, especially when the formation has only 3 at the back (Burch);

• Young guys with great promise but who still need work and experience to become well-rounded contributors (Pontius, Wallace, Quaranta, Jacobson, Janicki);

• A coach who (i) plays lineups unsuited to the personnel available; (ii) constantly fiddles with the lineup so as to never give the young guys a chance to gain experience in their preferred positions; (iii) is afraid to bench worn out veterans; (iv) seems to have a limited, unimaginative, playbook of tactics; (v) hesitates to make timely in-game adjustments that could make a difference; and (vi) repeatedly fails to get his team "up" for games on the road.

This is the way it has been, and the way it shall continue to be for the foreseeable future, win or lose.

BDR sums up the situation piquantly:

A good coach would bench Emilio's lazy and petulant and selfish ass once and for all, a good coach would keep Goddamn Fred on the bench until and only until down a goal late against an exhausted defense. Either they can't play defense (Goddamn Fred) or they won't play defense (Goddamn Fred sometimes, Emilio always), and if one is in the game, much less both, that's on the coach.

So what can be done? Oh, plenty can be done after the season ends, but for now I would recommend a few quick fixes.

First, good defense is essential. Unless you can find a new left back, then play four in the back with Janicki and Jakovic (who is great, by the way), in the middle.

Second, and related to the first, re-think the five man midfield. Why do we have two defensive midfielders? Surely in part to make up for Gomez's lack of defense. Well, too bad for him, he's going to have to either suck it up or sit. But the 3-5-2 only works with quality defenders and good two-way outside midfielders, which the team doesn't have, period (and even more so on days where Quaranta and Pontius are either playing up front or are out).

Third, if you are going to stick with a diamond midfield, then platoon Gomez and Fred in the number 10 position. The net result of Fred, Gomez, Emilio, and Moreno on the field at the same time is often (but, to be fair, not always) a liability because of (i) not enough quality defending or high pressure, (ii) turnovers, and (iii) slow, slow, slow. Fred, although quick, is killing us on the outside through lack of defense and turnovers.

Fourth, figure out what positions best suit the youngsters, and play them there so they get better in those positions. For instance, Wallace seems more effective, yet still rough, on the outside, so suddenly now he is being asked to play as a defensive midfielder. Why?

Fifth, work on set pieces in training. A disproportionate number of goals in soccer come on or right after deadball situations. From corners to throw ins, United consistently fails to take advantage of such opportunities.

Fifth-and-a-half, since when did DC United become all about playing hopeful long balls over the top? One of the changes San Jose made going into the second half on Saturday was it started closing down United's players. The solution to this, if you are United, is quick touches and short effective passing that is supposed to be the team's forte. Instead, whether it was from panic or lack of discipline, it looked at times as if the United players were auditioning for a NFL punting jobs. Why even bother, if, when you hoof the ball upfield like that it ends up in the possession of the opposing team the vast majority of the time?

Absent major changes, what you see is what you get. A team that can be either good or bad depending on how the stars align. A team whose chances of making it to the MLS Cup seem pretty small at this point.

Read DCUMD's remarkably positive review here, DCenters first impressions here, and United Mania's match recap here.

Talon Rating:  2 out of 5 birds