As was previously stated here (okay, I was off by a little bit), it looks like Ben Olsen is
going to hang up his boots. Although it could have been easily guessed that his time was running
out, Olsen has decided that either pain or other considerations have made it undesirable to
continue his career.
Click to continue reading...
Little tidbit: Shipalane will be with DCU next year, says the man himself on Pennlive.com. So,
that's one name you can pencil in for next year.
Click to continue reading...
Just coming out at Behind the Badge, Tom Soehn will not be back next year as DC United's
manager. This was the move you knew would happen, as two years out of the playoffs is just not
acceptable to anyone involved.
The harder decisions (roster) are forthcoming, and hopefully, a good search can be conducted and
the best possible candidate can be hired.
Click to continue reading...
As always, Mr. Unprecedented Access, Steve Goff, has a sit down with Kevin Payne and Tom Soehn
over on his blog. Some big quotes...
"We don't want to play like Colorado or New England, which most of the season sat with eight or
nine guys behind the ball. How many people go to watch Colorado or New England play?
Click to continue reading...
I won't write what I wanted to write after watching the Kansas City game, because the more I
kicked it around, it was a trite and cliche angle. The game was exciting, and the team fought as
hard as they could (in the second half). Reckless desperation is always pretty fun to watch, but as
DCUMD noted, a lack of defensive concentration (which is not a skill but an effort) ended our
season.
Click to continue reading...
Well, the long winding MLS season has come down to this: needing 6 points from 2 games and
needing a host of other things to go our way in MLS play for the chance to advance into the
playoffs. Last year around this time, Columbus was eliminating us at Crew Stadium, and I was happy
that the elimination might lead to sweeping changes in the team.
Click to continue reading...
There is a caveat to this post: we don't have it near as bad as Red Bull fans have it. True,
they have a new stadium coming, but that team is a disaster from top to bottom, with little hope of
immediate recovery. Now that I've cleared that up, this is a bad time to be a United fan.
The breadth of this experience was on display Sunday afternoon.
Click to continue reading...
Following their 1-0 win at San Juan Jabloteh on Sept 15th, the guys have been resting up,
practicing, and hopefully getting some tactical and finishing work in before their next game on
Thursday, against Marathon. I've been doing much of the same, save for the practicing or working on
my finishing.
Click to continue reading...
As originally reported here (in The Offside's First official scoop), Bill Hamid, Annandale
native and academy product, has signed with MLS and will be on DCU's roster as the third
goalkeeper. As a result of this and other additions like Shipalane, Habarugira, and James, someone
on the current roster will have to be cut.
Click to continue reading...
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the last CONCACAF Champions League game my fiance and I will
be attending until things change. The lineup put on the field to start was a sham. That backline
had no prayer of stopping goals, as they had never played together, and one of the worst defenders
I have ever seen, Avery John, was at center back.
Click to continue reading...
In the sprinkling rain at RFK, DC United attacked the Galaxy goal, strung together passes in the
midfield, and played strong enough in the back to not concede. Unfortunately, United's finishing
and final third passing let them down, and the 22k in attendance had to settle for a goalless
draw.
This team has been nothing this season if not frustrating.
Click to continue reading...
Tomorrow marks the third inaugural "Beckham invades DC Tour". I've been to the two before, and
I'll be to the third. In the two previous meetings, we saw two wins for DC, and the win last year
in decisive fashion. The circumstances leading up to tomorrow's match are starkly different, with
DC United on a steep decline and LA Galaxy as hot as fire.
Click to continue reading...
A busy day at Offside HQ, and whole boat load of stuff to talk about. Strap in.
- First and foremost, roster moves. The long rumored, and now finally finalized move for David
Habaruguira, defender from Anderlecht in the Netherlands. He had throughly impressed Tom Soehn,
enough that he had this to say,
"He is pretty versatile, pretty polished," Soehn said.
Click to continue reading...
Well, you kind of knew it was going to happen. For 45 minutes, United was able to frustrate
Madrid, keeping compact and with great goalkeeping. Unfortunately, you can't hold back the ocean.
There is a reason they've spent so much money this offseason. The attacking weapons that Real
Madrid have, even in reserve, are an embarrassment of riches.
Click to continue reading...
After watching my Chelsea FC's diamond formation look like a poor fit for the Premier League, I
will be heading to the concrete cooker of FedEx Field. I'll be there in the second row, melting in
the sun, and hoping we are able to get out before sundown.
I really don't care how this game turns out, because it's money for the team, and I doubt this
game will make MLS many fans, because I'm sure the one in Toronto didn't.
Click to continue reading...
If you've been following me in the past week or so, or are a poster on BS or BTB, you might know
that I was a tad infuriated with the team selection last Tuesday at RFK against Firpo. I thought
that it was pure evidence that the team didn't take the tournament seriously, despite lip service
to the contrary.
Click to continue reading...
What happens tonight (at least in terms of fight, energy, and team selection) means a lot to a
lot of people.
Don't disappoint, guys.
I may live blog for those of you who don't get FSC. If I get any comments asking me to do so, I
will.
Click to continue reading...
So, for the first time all year, I missed a United game. I was in NY on Saturday in a place
without the wonderful FSC, so I was stranded. I checked the score before bed on Saturday night on
my phone, and saw us with a 2-0 lead, and I felt content with the certain three points and drifted
off to sleep on an air mattress.
Click to continue reading...
So after talking again with my source, as well as team officials, I'm pretty sure we can say
that Ben WILL finish out the season, but should be seeing reduced minutes once Clyde gets back from
his surgery, and Danny Szetela works his way into the team. Hopefully, Jacobson can break thru his
quasi-funk, and be a contributor.
Click to continue reading...
1) Game worn jersey cards do not, in fact, contain pieces of actually game worn jerseys. I
always suspected this, but I suspended this doubt, for the reason of basking in the pleasant glow
of finding insert cards. This brings me to number 2.
2) DC United players, and one can deduce the entirety of MLS, do not respect grown men who collect
their cards.
Click to continue reading...
I got in trouble that last time I posted something unconfirmed, but under my new charter of
"being unofficial, being irresponsible, and being the first to report stuff", I'll give it a go
anyway.
I just heard from my source (the same one that said the Real Madrid was confirmed, and then it
was later on in the week he said it would happen), that Ben communicated to a confidant that he was
done playing due to the pain he was experiencing.
Click to continue reading...
Just like I never left...
This season is past half over, and DC United is tied for second in the Eastern Conference. With
a record of 5-3-9, this United team has not blown the doors off, and has shown the ever maddening
"flashes of brilliance" followed by the defensive meltdowns reminiscent of 2008.
Click to continue reading...
Well, this is my last post on this fair blog. It really is for a number of reasons, with a
particular incident acting as a spark to finalize my decision. I realize any sort of gut wrenching,
soul spilling explanation would be extraordinarily self serving and even more self-important then
blogs are naturally.
Click to continue reading...
Like kissing your sister, as long as your sister isn't hot, or a good kisser.
The thing you'll hear most from any reports you're bound to read about this match is that Josh
Wicks did well, and RSL bunkered. Honestly, that's about all I could tell you about it, too. DC
started out bad, and finished bad.
Click to continue reading...
After vanquishing FC Dallas at home a few weeks back, our Reserve squad will again look to beat
NYRB at home in the second of two US Open Cup play-in matches. I can't say for sure, but I'd
imagine in the thirst for finally getting a trophy, the NYRB plays the big boys to knock us out of
the competition.
Click to continue reading...
In an Encino Man like effort, Moreno scored a brace in the win against Dallas this past weekend,
and as a result of his deft finishing and sneaky runs, he was given the MLS player of the week
honor. I'm sure as a result of this, he gets a lifetime supply of Fruit Rollups, or something
similarly worthless.
Click to continue reading...
Tradition
Ah, the annual trip to the concrete jungle, the armpit of america, RFK North. With Red Bull Arena
under construction and supposed to open for the 2010 season, this could be the last time United
plays the metroscum/pink cows in the spectacularly horrid Giant Stadium.
Click to continue reading...
The rumor was flying around last week and now its official. Avery John has been
added to DC United and Francis Doe has been shown the door to free up a roster spot. Goff broke the
news yesterday on his blog over on wapo.com. Nobody was sure who would go to make room for
John.
Click to continue reading...
As Jon alluded to a few days ago there is a new blogger coming on board on the DC United blog. That
blogger is me. I'm here. Hi.
The Intro:
My name is Chris and I am an avid DC United fan and member of la barra brava. I spend way too much
time online reading, and writing about soccer online.
Click to continue reading...
Two new things...this blog will have the cowriter it so richly deserves later this week. And the
other thing, a little birdy named, we'll call him Smeelosh, told me that Milos Kocic will make his
debut tomorrow at the US Open Cup play in game against FC Dallas. Be among the 500 fans to witness
this!
Click to continue reading...
What a meh week following a meh result, that I couldn't see. Gotta love when a game isn't on,
and you have to catch whatever you can online. So, we all know now that DC lost 2-1 off of a goal
by Javier Morales. Before that, United-Slayer Beckerman smacked the crossbar. So, after the first
goal by RSL, you really felt that the field tilted their way.
Click to continue reading...
DC travels to Sandy, Utah for their second road game of the year in a city that usually spells a
loss and ugly play. But that was Rice-Eccles Stadium and the concrete turf that entailed. A new
history can be written at Rio Tinto, and DC get their first chance to do that tonight.
Sitting on 5 points from 2 draws and a win, DC is traveling with an almost absolutely healthy
squad for a chance, minus apparently Ben Olsen, who Goff reports may have been left at home.
Click to continue reading...
This is a big game. I don't care that it's April. I don't care that we're not fully healthy. We
need three points, this weekend. That's it. End of story. Houston is not considered to be a
contender this year, with losing DeRo, and not many more additions. The team [...]
Click to continue reading...
