Yesterday, D.C. United tweeted a roster update that indicated, among other things, that they have two available international slots. This was news to most of us, as most people's math had the number pegged at one. As is usually the case, Steve Goff, the Post's Soccer Insider, has the scoop today and is reporting that LEWIS NEAL has received permanent residency in the U.
According to the official Weibo, the Chinese approved version of twitter, of Jiangsu Sainty F.C., the team has signed D.C. United striker Hamdi Salihi; the striker will meet up with his new team in Turkey today. This is not the team with which he was rumored to be signing a few days ago, but it is a team in the same league.
As everyone who has watched D.C. United this offseason knows, Hamdi Salihi is not in Ben Olsen's plans for next year. The team has been actively attempting to offload him, preferably through a transfer that would allow United to clear his designated player contract off of their books without having to eat any of it.
When we're looking at formations, central midfield is where the changes usually are. Teams don't go from 4231 to 3412 to maintain their central midfield trio, for example. If you're the third-best guy in that situation, you get dropped so that the back four can be maintained.
We all know that Hamdi Salihi isn't a perfect fit for the way that Ben Olsen wants D.C. United to play.
Salihi has some skills that are seen as valuable in any league in the world - he's got a clinical finishing touch when given some room and time near goal. But Salihi's weaknesses kept him from being a regular starter for United.
With that out of the way, let's see what's being said around the intertubes about D.C. United's playoffs-clinching 3-2 win over the Columbus Crew.
What They're Saying About It
Shatzer: We weren't surprised to see both teams going for the win, with so much at stake in the dying moments of the game and the dying moments of the season.
D.C. United has scored more goals in the 2012 season than all but three other teams in MLS. Some of them have been a bit lucky. Some have been opportunistic. But some have been very attractive. Some have been game-winners. Some have come at huge moments, or in huge games.
You can vote for your favorite Goal of the Year on dcunited.
D.C. United climbed into third place in the Eastern Conference after Hamdi Salihi took advantage of sloppy mistakes to score a goal in the 88th minute of a 1-0 victory at Toronto FC.
The decisive play began when Toronto defender Jeremy Hall – under pressure from D.C.'s Maicon Santos – misplayed a high bouncing ball at midfield.
Would you like the good news first, or the bad news?
Good news? Okay. Then let's call this a gritty win. A win on the road. A win that was secured by a great defensive effort from Bill Hamid, Dejan Jakovic, and Brandon McDonald. A win that extended D.
This is a game that D.C. United needs to win. It is not a must win, as they can still make the playoffs without it; dropping points, however, would lead to talk of backing into the playoffs rather than the team controlling its own destiny. More than that, even, there is still a chance that United could catch the New York Red Bulls or the Chicago Fire and get out of the play-in round.
When you take the hands out of a game, you remove man's special tool for refined play and
frustration becomes the order of the day. The low scoring rate in soccer reflects that reality.
There are two ways to address the problem, run up your opponent's frustration by forcing him to
make more passes to get to the goal or minimize your own frustration by accepting the delay and
beating it with cunning and skill.
When you take the hands out of a game, you remove man's special tool for refined play and
frustration becomes the order of the day. The low scoring rate in soccer reflects that reality.
There are two ways to address the problem, run up your opponent's frustration by forcing him to
make more passes to get to the goal or minimize your own frustration by accepting the delay and
beating it with cunning and skill.
DC United has drifted into a deep malaise over the past two months. Only sporadically does the
team seem to be in sync. Play is unfocused and only moments of individual brilliance have allowed
the team to salvage as many points as they have.
Frustration is the spirit of the day and Sunday's game saw it come out.
The Geiger Show and Andy Najar took center stage, while Marfan, Mac and Hop went silent. PSP has
postgame analysis and player ratings of Sunday's 1-1 tie between the Union and DC United.
The Union earned a stunning 1-1 draw on the road Sunday against DC United, as referee Mark Geiger
sent off three players and disallowed two United goals, including one by Dwayne De Rosario. PSP was
at RFK Stadium and has a recap, with quotes from both teams.
It's not easy being Ben. Good coaches have a basic philosophy and try to fit their team into a
framework within which it can succeed as a unit. To that end, a new coach will seek players to fit
his system and adjust to what he inherits as he builds the new structure. His task is complicated
as injuries, trades, losses to international duty, and the unanticipated variables of the game mess
with his plans.
It's not easy being Ben. Good coaches have a basic philosophy and try to fit their team into a
framework within which it can succeed as a unit. To that end, a new coach will seek players to fit
his system and adjust to what he inherits as he builds the new structure. His task is complicated
as injuries, trades, losses to international duty, and the unanticipated variables of the game mess
with his plans.
It's been 56 days since Sporting Kansas City defeated Toronto 2-1 at Livestrong Sporting Park. That
game started a string of 17 games in that time frame. Basically a game every 3 days for an 8 week
period sees KC with some very tired legs. Meanwhile in that same stretch of time, Kansas City's
opponent tomorrow is DC United has played only 8 games.
D.C. United returned to the friendly confines of RFK Stadium for the first time in a month and
didn't disappoint in their 3-0 thrashing of the expansion Montreal Impact. Chris Pontius scored his
fourth goal in his last three matches to lead United to their sixth consecutive win at RFK.
D.C. is once again in sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference, with the
Montreal Impact being their latest victim.
United cruised to a 3-0 victory over the expansion Impact in front of a season-high crowd of
18,302 at RFK Stadium on Saturday night. Chris Pontius scored his third goal in two games after a
great dribbling effort just before halftime, and Robbie Russell and Hamdi Salihi each found the
back of the net in the second half.
Just as the transfer window has opened up DC United has made two speculative player moves. Given
his small salary, Long Tan, acquired in a trade from Vancouver, is low risk as an addition to a
fairly large cadre of forwards. Branko Boskovic is the high risk/reward signing and he needs to see
more playing time to justify his new contract.
Setting: Saturday, June 16 at PPL Park in Chester; kickoff
scheduled for 7:15 PM Eastern
Broadcast Information: CSN Philadelphia (JP Dellacamera, Bob
Rigby), with coverage beginning at 6:30 PM Eastern with a pre-game show / CSN Mid-Atlantic (Dave
Johnson, John Harkes) / Galavision nationally / MLS Live (CSN Philadelphia feed; blacked out in the
DC area)
When the San Jose Earthquakes needed a late goal this past month, Alan Gordon came to the
rescue. Not once, not twice, but three times. In a row.
Gordon's trio of consecutive late-game goals directly secured five points for the Earthquakes,
and his heroics helped earn him SBI MLS Player of the Month honors, becoming the second Earthquake
to win in as many months, following in the footsteps of Chris Wondolowski.
D.C. United defeated their nearest rival, the Richmond Kickers, 2-1 to advance to the next rounds
of the U.S. Open Cup. United needed a extra time play to dismiss the Kickers from the 98 year old
tournament with a strike from Marcelo Saragosa in the 107th minute of play. Photo Matt Mathai.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Revolution scored two early second-half goals to erase a 2-0 halftime
deficit, but D.C. United sub Maicon Santos scored in the 61st minute to give the home side a 3-2
over New England.
It was the second straight game that a second half sub has scored and stolen points away from
the Revolution, this time ruining a valiant second half comeback attempt led by goals from Saer
Sene and AJ Soares.
The New England Revolution will have to put last week's disappointing home draw with Houston far
behind them as they travel to the nation's capital to take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium. Despite
the Houston draw, New England is in decent form, having recently beaten Colorado and Vancouver
before the Dynamo draw.
Revolution midfielder Ryan Guy pushes past D.C. United defender Perry Kitchen on Apr. 14.
(Photo: Kari Heistad)
(Editor's note: Prior to each Revolution match, New England Soccer Today will invite a
reporter who covers the Revolution's upcoming opponent to provide greater insight on what to expect
on gameday.
Over the second half of the 2012 season there have been plenty of things for D.C. United fans to disagree on. Even as the club embarked on an impressive run during September and October, returned to the playoffs, and invigorated a fanbase that had seen casual support lapse, there were rumblings of discontent.
A pair of defensive mistakes opened the door and seldom used Designated Player Hamdi Salihi pounced and slammed the door on Toronto FC in D.C. United's 1-0 win in Toronto, Canada this afternoon.
Join the guys as they look back at United's victory over the Revolution and their Open Cup win over
the Richmond Kickers. The guys also take a look at the US Men's National Team's action in
anticipation of their match vs Antigua and Barbuda.
Nine months after claiming the Eastern Conference crown, the Houston Dynamo are finally on the
verge returning to the top of the ladder.
Riding four consecutive wins, the Dynamo will face the New York Red Bulls Friday night with
sights on extending the streak and passing their conference foe for first place.
DC United move on top of the Eastern Conference, San Jose extended their Western Conference
lead, and much more in Major League Soccer (MLS) on June 30, 2012.
Toronto FC 1-1 New York Red Bulls
TFC's poor season continued with a draw after New York took an early lead. The point puts the
Red Bulls just behind Eastern Conference leaders DC United while Toronto are pretty much already
out of the playoff race.
One-by-one the results kept coming in Tuesday night, with each one seeming more unlikely than
the last. On perhaps the wildest, most unpredictable night in U.S. Open Cup history, seven MLS
teams were eliminated from the competition the third round, and the manner in which some of them
were sent packing was downright shocking.
Fans of D.C. United certainly had reason to have high expectations for Hamdi Salihi when he signed with the team. His resume contained some numbers that were just stupid - Salihi had scored 142 goals in just 262 professional matches before arriving in MLS.
There was another number on his resume that should have stood out to us also though.
D.C. United announced today the signing of Brazilan striker Rafael to aYoung Designated Player contract. Rafeal, a20-year-old forward, will be a season long loan signing from Bahia in Brazil and will most likely cost United between $150,00-$200,000 on their salary cap. Rafael will join compatriots Marcelo Saragosa and Raphael Augusto (in negotiations to extend his [.
Yanks Abroad confirms Union have already picked up the 2014 option on Pfeffer's contract. Eastern PA USOC qualification recap. MLS Cup Final viewership numbers. Will Messi break Muller's record today? More.
MLS players were busy over the last couple of days in international games (2014 World Cup qualifiers). We know about the US win and I've joked about the Canada blowout on Twitter (8-1, seriously?).
Anyways, here is how everyone did these last couple of days in their respective games.
