Meet The New Coach

Same As The Old Coach?

Today brings confirmation that Curt Onalfo will be DC United's new head coach. Back in August when Kansas City fired him, I wrote:

Curt never struck me as that bad, and his team's issues seem more to do with the players available this year, but what do I know?

The Wizards did not exactly shine after Curt was shown the door. However, it seems instructive that when Curt started at KC he announced that the team would play exciting, attractive soccer . . . and look where it got them. And what per chance did Onalfo tell Goff in his first interview after the announcement that he is coming to DC was made?

Onalfo's aim is to play "beautiful, attacking, quick soccer," he said.

Oh, great. Moreover, Onalfo was not, by all accounts, United's first choice, that "honor" befalling someone who would rather manage a team called the "Zips." So can the second-choice United alum turn this franchise around?

I hope so, and will stand behind him until given reason not to. But I'm concerned.

Onalfo has an interesting background as a player. Among other things, he captained the U.S. team at the 1992 Olympics, is a cancer survivor, speaks Spanish, and even played in Mexico in 1995 with Tampico Madero. His name has been whispered as a potential successor to Bob Bradley as coach of the men's national team.

But how has Onalfo fared recently as a head coach in MLS?

To find out, I searched through the archives of that repository of objective, informed analysis, the Big Soccer KC Wizards message boards. In particular, I wanted to read what the obsessive anoraks who watched Onalfo week in and week out thought of his performance. As I'm sure you're aware, the BS boards capture the wild mood swings of fans who yo-yo between ridiculously extreme highs and lows. However, if you step back, squint an eye and turn your head to the side, you might be able to extract from the hyperbole a middle ground containing some basic truths.

So, for what it's worth, the following are some of the more evocative excerpts from messages in the archives. It makes for fairly interesting reading.

From 2008:

When his style works it is great soccer to watch. Our players are just not good enough at controlling possession to pull it off.

. . .

My reasons for contemplating the thought of replacing him were two fold:

1. lineup and substitution choices are consistently puzzling. listen, he's not an idiot. he's obviously making these choices for what he believes are good reasons. he can make 100 decisions that i flatly disagree with, but if he still gets results... well, he's fine in my book. thing is, these decisions that i have issue with aren't getting him any results, at least any positive ones.

2. player development... or lack thereof. i just haven't seen any real improvement from any player on our roster. . . .

the head coach doesn't seem to be doing any effective coaching. and if he was called what i think his position should rightly be titled, the manager, he seems to be failing on that front as well. his formation(s) have been busts so far this season (hell, his plan that he boasted about for the whole season went kaput before he even got out of preseason) and i already touched on the lineup/subs issue in point #1.

summing up, do i think he should be fired? no. do i think it needs to even be considered right now? not yet. why? because in the larger scheme of things with this club, many things still have yet to "find a home." while i don't want this ownership to be sluggish to react, i REALLY don't want them to be rash. do i think these comments/criticisms and his performance/results should have an eye kept on them? absolutely.

From 2009, pre-firing:

We're almost 3 years into Onalfo's reign and you could make a solid argument that the team has at best shown no improvement, and at worst has even regressed since he was first hired.

. . .

I don't think Onalfo possesses the skill to bring the best out of these players. Everything is very stagnant and stale ... I see little hope of progress and I am not excited about the fringe players. The squad needs strengthening, we need a legitimate goal scorer and a mid fielder that can feed him. Ultimately we can get these but if the tactics are ... the same every week its all for shit anyways.

. . .

Onalfo seems to be out of ideas ... and it shows. Nothing seems to change and its frustrating because while the Wizards are not strong enough to compete for top honors, they are probably better than they are allowed to be given the current lack of creativity eminiating from the bench.

. . .

I like Onalfo as coach. I like the tactics. I like his bluntness. KC is entertaining even when they get shut out. Other than a legit concern for hiring zero experience and my vocal distaste for the stench and ruinous taint of dcu and their putrid ilk, [ha ha, "putrid ilk"! -- DCU Curmudgeon] I've had nothing but positives to say about Onalfo. 

From 2009, post-firing:

Honestly, I think this was a bit overdue. For a guy that is touted as an offensive coach, KC has been horrific offensively under Onalfo. He's a nice guy, and I'm sure he'll land on his feet somewhere. Hell, Bob Bradley is one assistant short since Nowak left. But I was never a fan of Onalfo as a head coach. He simply wasn't getting it done.

. . .

His whole playing strategy, with its emphasis on wing play was completely incompatible with the tight confines of Community America Ballpark. With the results not coming so far, he had to go. Kudos to the KC owners who care enough to give him the sack.

. . .

Unfortunately his "attacking style" was in name only. You normally score more than 1 goal in league play since June 13th if you really play an attacking style. It was the same old wizards crap. No creativity. No passion. No real results.

. . .

If I win the lottery tomorrow, I probably won't run out and hire Onalfo to help me build my football empire. Doesn't impress as the sharpest pencil in the box, bulb on the porch, etc.

*   *   *

Stagnant offense? Puzzling in-game moves?? Nonexistent player development??? No creativity???? Dim bulb?????

Holy shit! If you believe the Wizards fans then Onalfo will be the second coming of Tom Soehn!

Let's not go so far. Curt deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least until January 1, 2010. But will the future be bright?

No, it probably will be dark and filled with pain, but we'll just have to see it unfold for ourselves . . . .

UPDATES:

DCUMD seems underwhelmed yet guardedly optimistic by the announcement.

BDR reminds us of Kevin Payne's excuses and the stench of second-rateness.

Fullback weighs in with his thoughts on Onalfo as a safe yet unspectacular pick.

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