DC United Had Better Play with Fire

DC United Had Better Play with Fire

Mike Martin

May 07, 2008

DC United's Fred reflects on his team's inability to defeat the Fire
Photo: Martin Fernandez

DC United is beginning to see their season slip away after another bad road loss in Colorado last week and will need a passionate performance tomorrow night against their nemesis, the Fire if they are to going to turn their season around anytime soon.

Washington D.C., Well, the stage is set. Chicago is dancing near the top of the table at 4-1-1 with the best defense in MLS, while United appears to be tunneling towards the center of the Earth at 2-4 with one of the worst defenses in the league. This could either be a disaster of epic proportions, or just the kind of gutsy performance that United needs to get their season turned around.

It’ll be interesting to see which team turns up. The United side that confidently dispatched Toronto and RSL at home in the second half of those games, or the team that looked like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs against KC, RSL, Columbus, and Colorado just last week. This really is a tenuous time for the vaunted Black and Red as their expected success this season is rapidly slipping away.

The offense has been inconsistent, the defense prone to crumbling under constant pressure since the offense can barely keep the ball longer than a pass or two. It’s pretty bad when Rongen and Dave Johnson barely have time to identify a DC player with the ball before that guy turns it over. But unfortunately, they generally have plenty of time in replays to wax philosophic about the defenders who get burned by the counterattack.

Truly this team is nearing a crisis. They are clearly talented, they talk a good game, they say all the right things, they’ve shown flashes of absolute brilliance, yet they have yet to really show the type of passion and heart it takes to scrap out a win in MLS when things aren’t going your way. They’ve been showtime when the ball bounces their way, which is nice, but they need to show a lot more intestinal fortitude if they expect consistent success in MLS.

And this is the perfect opportunity. Not only is the Fire smoking hot, but United is reeling from a few inopportune injuries to wing players, which also happens to be their weakest position on the roster anyway. Fred may well be back gritting his teeth through charley horse, but McTavish and Domenic Mediate are still out leaving only Quaranta and Quavas Kirk as tested outside players.

Now’s the time for Soehn to earn his money. He’s been ineffective in getting the team to play well on the road in MLS, and he’s not really been able to get them to play all that well at home either outside of the explosive second halves in their two wins when they scored 6 of their 9 goals on the year. Now, he's got some injuries and maybe even his designated player banged up as Gallardo has not practiced and is rumored to be out for this game.

Soehn has tinkered with lineups, tactics, rested players, etc. None of which has worked beyond a few moments of glory. He now needs to buckle down, eliminate the fancy formulas, don’t overthink anything, trot out some hungry players and do some creative benching if that doesn’t work.

It’s not time to panic, but it is time to expect results. It’s not panicking to yank Emilio or Quaranta if they simply refuse to trap a ball properly or complete a simple pass for example. It’s not a bad message to send right now to bench some of United’s elegant talent if they refuse to actually dirty themselves scrapping against some rookie who is hungry to outplay them like the nobodies that outplayed them in Colorado. Frankly, I’d take 11 rookies who might get hammered, but who play their hearts out as opposed to 11 superstars that refuse to do what it takes to win.

Now ranting aside, I would hope United has simplified their thinking and strategy. I would expect a basic 4-4-2 with Burch back at left back, and hopefully Fred, but maybe Kirk in front of him. I could see maybe playing a 3-5-2 giving Dyachenko, or even Stratford, another chance as giving Simms some help against Blanco might be a wise move, but that could back fire if Chicago actually finishes the chances they’ve been leaving on the table so far this season, and with Rolfe playing his natural forward now, that’s not a good bet to make.

Still, either way should give United enough defense to keep the Fire under control as long as DC’s offense has got it’s act together. And that’s a big IF. Truly the offense has been the problem all year. United has the two best possession players not named Valderamma in the history of the league in Moreno and now Gallardo, yet they can barely string three passes together under any kind of pressure when the game hangs in the balance. That’s simply unacceptable.

The offense is where Soehn needs to be absolutely ruthless. If Emilio has had a mediocre week of practice, he should be benched. If he starts, but refuses to make runs off the ball, he’s got to come out for Doe who will run if nothing else. The second Quaranta makes his tenth stupid turnover, he should get yanked for Kirk (or Cordiero if Kirk is already in the game). The moment Moreno refuses to hustle to pressure their backs, unless it’s in the second half and we’re leading by two, he’s got to go.

All this goes for Gallardo too if he plays. A Ferrari is lovely to look at, but if the engine doesn’t turn over, it’s just lawn art. He didn't practice this week for an undisclosed reason. I would hope it's innocent and he will play, but the same goes even if he does start and gets his engine revving a little, but the game turns out to be more nascar than formula one. If that’s the case, no use wasting his lovely passes or exacerbating an injury, just bring in Dyachenko to do the bumping and grinding that it takes. If talking and working hasn’t lit a fire under these guys for this game, then maybe a little bench time will sharpen up their focus.

Bottom line is that this game is more about the mentality of the players than about the lineups and tactics. United should have a little revenge pent up inside as the last time the Fire came to town, they were eliminating United from the playoffs last year, which led to the team getting blown up.

Chicago has a nice run of form right now, but DC needs to have that wounded animal mentality. Last week, Gomez and Erpen gave them a lesson in how a little desire for revenge can influence a game (Good lord, it would be horrific if Prideaux exacted some revenge this week. Then we’d be truly cursed!). But, now it’s time for DC to show a little of that heart and determination against a Fire team that may not be as good as they are on paper.

They have the best defense in MLS to this point, but they’ve beaten an injury riddled Colorado once and Revolution twice, and beat an even more anemic San Jose too. They lost at home to the Wizards and got a miracle tie in RSL. They are a good team, but maybe not the earth shakers they appear to be in the standings right now.

United has some advantages on offense too if they choose to exploit them, Moreno and Emilio in MVP form should easily be able to toy with their central defense as Soumare is a red card waiting to happen and Gutierrez is all brains, but snail slow and quick to give up fouls. Quaranta outplayed Mapp when they were teammates here and should still be able to do so if he tones it down a little and doesn’t try so hard to hit the home run every time he has the ball.

If Fred plays, he the best scrapper on the team and pushing Thorrington back will take pressure off Gallardo and also help DC’s defense tremendously. But, the huge advantage is Gallardo against Pause, especially if Thorrington can’t help him. If the Doll can’t torch Pause, who is a decent player, but who will have no help in front of him and very little help behind him, then we truly got robbed on the designated player market. I hate to say it that plainly as I may have to eat my words, but seriously now is the time for a truly transcendent performance from the Argentine international if the first half of this season is to be salvaged at all.

On the defensive side of the ball, it will be interesting to see how United’s shiny new defense stacks up against the players that caused last year’s defense to leave town. Peralta and Martinez replaced Boswell and Vanney (and McTavish), who couldn’t get the job done in the playoffs against Chicago last year. The microscope will be on them now to show why they are an improvement.

And those central pair will be the key too as Chicago plays right up the gut for the most part. Mapp and Thorrington are really for decoration and to clean up any loose balls. Blanco switching and launching counters and through balls to Barrett and now Rolfe (who took his forward slot back when Frankowski rolled an ankle and looks unlikely to give the job back anytime soon) is their bread and butter.

Those guys rely on quick shots, or to exploit holes for open looks at the goal. Peralta and Martinez were brought in specifically to clean up such things or not allow them to happen. Soccer gods willing, that’s what they do this game.

It seems shocking to think about it, but this game has actually become ridiculously important for an early season match. DC is slipping fast, excuses won’t cut it anymore, Soehn is under pressure, new defenders have to show that change was worth it, Gallardo has to show he can be the difference between winning and losing, Emilio and Moreno have to show that their best days aren’t behind them, Fred and Quaranta have to show that life without Olsen will be OK, Wells needs a signature win, etc.

But, no matter what the result, DC has to show some passion and determination. A valiant, undeserved loss can be tolerated, a sister kissing tie reserves judgment for another week, but another rock bottom performance and this team might have just hit an iceberg.

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