Featured

Dallas Next Up for Downcast DC United

No rest for the decrepit as DC staggers down to Dallas desperate for something positive to spark the team back into the playoff hunt, and Dallas has been pretty accommodating for DC recently, but coming off a Cup final loss and some serious issues to address in the defense United could be in trouble against a Dallas side with nothing to lose.

With the latest bombshell that starting central defender Dejan Jakovic is off to Germany for an evaluation and possible hernia surgery, DC’s reeling defense has taken another huge blow on top of Wicks losing his mind and a coach who has lost confidence in the bulk of his reserve defenders.

Of course Jakovic wasn’t going to play in Dallas anyway being suspended for yellow card accumulation, but replacing him for one game is much different than having to replace him for two weeks at the very least. United will have played a minimum three league matches before he returns, and those nine points could well decide the season for a struggling DC.

Plus, you have to wonder how much confidence United’s backline will have in their starting goalkeeper as Warf seems to be unraveling like cheap sweater in the last few weeks. He’s always been over top shouting at defenders, but with the confrontation with Burch in Chicago, and the stomp (or attempted stomp) on Montero, you’ve got to wonder if anyone in front of him still has him on their Christmas card list, much less trusts his judgment on the field.

Then there’s Soehn who has a real dilemma in what to do tactically with a team playing this badly and seemingly without any competent reserve defenders. The knee jerk reaction is to say go back to four in the back, but who would those four be? Certainly not Janicki as he’s apparently played his last match in Black and Red (although I personally think that is a mistake and he should be given another shot to make amends in this match, but it is understandable indefinitely benching a defender who is averaging giving up a goal a game against almost every time he steps on the field.)

If Soehn goes with four, best guess is that James and Habarugira join Burch and Namoff, but unless Soehn is suddenly ready to try Habarugira in a central role (or let one of the J’s out of the doghouse, Janicki or John), then that means either Burch or Namoff has to play the other central role. Burch has not played well for weeks and never was any good at central defense to begin with, and while Namoff is the veteran and should be able to handle the role, he strangely has not played much central defense in his career and their may well be a reason for that.

Then there’s the idea that three in the back would actually be a pretty good matchup against Dallas as they play a sort of 4-5-1 where Ferreira floats underneath Cunningham with Van den Bergh and McCarty pulling the strings in the middle. So their outside threats are the youngster Shea (or the petulant Rocha) and Atiba the Hun (Marvin Chavez from Marathon just arrived in Dallas yesterday and might only be a sub at best thank goodness), both of which have their flaws so the real danger is right up the gut. United playing five in midfield would help negate the midfield disadvantage, and Dallas having only one true forward to defend means a three man backline could manage decently enough soccer gods willing.

If that were the case a backline of Namoff, James, and Burch should be fine assuming the midfield actually does their job and doesn’t turn the ball over like a running back with no thumbs.

Another advantage of three in the back would be you could play McTavish at right wing where he could help lock down the raw, but shockingly effective Shea or even VdB if he drifts out wide where he plays normally. Even better, on the other side of the field you could put Fred on Hospital Harris as punishment for his dreadful Open Cup performance. It won’t take too many Harris chops on the shins before Fred gets the message that long touches, poor passes and/or dribbling into trouble is not what United needs from him right now.

Then Soehn has some options in central three in midfield. Obviously, the best on paper would Gomez, Olsen and Simms, but I doubt Olsen sees the field in this one. Plus, if he wants to save Gomez and Simms for Wednesday too, he can play Szetela and Jacobson along with Wallace or Quaranta, or Pontius even depending on whichever of them plays forward. Heck, even DiRaimondo wouldn’t be out of place in this match.

At forward, Soehn almost certainly saves Emilio for the home matches coming up, so start Moreno and Q or Pilot, whichever one isn’t in midfield. Moreno would have to go the distance, but it’s certain he hates playing as little as he’s played this season, so run him out there as long as he can stay upright. I bet it’s the full 90, but Let Gomez mop up if it’s only 60 or 70.

That extra attacker as opposed to extra defender also helps pressure a rather porous FCD backline too. Having wing threats will help keep their athletic outside defenders, Benitez and the newly acquired Ihemelu who they traded Drew Moor for this week, pinned back and out of the attack as much as possible. Also, if DC can press a numbers advantage in the middle, Dallas defense is very weak in the middle. U-20 defender Davies is very good, but is playing injured right now and Richetti has been playing there out of position for weeks since George John went down to injury. Both have been exposed pretty often, maybe as often as DC’s central defense even, so anything to give yourself an edge there could be huge in this match.

But, as has become a clarion call these past few weeks, it really doesn’t matter who Soehn puts out there if they refuse to make plays or even put in the requisite effort it takes to win in this league. That Open Cup performance was a travesty. DC didn’t even try to win until it was too late and they were down by two. As a matter of fact lately, this team pretty much balks at any real efforts unless their backs are against the wall, and they usually back themselves into trouble right from the off with poor starts and hideous gaffs. It was just pure luck Seattle didn’t hang three on DC in the first half for example.

And taking Dallas lightly would be a huge mistake. Yes, they’ve had another bad year and might well be planning their tee times knowing full well the playoffs are almost impossible. But, on the other hand they’re 5-3-3 at home and they’ve had 10 days to stew over that lose in NY to the woeful Red Bulls, and they are flat out playing for their jobs next year. That team will get blown up in a few months, no question. It would behoove anyone that wants to stay, or even get traded to a decent team, to play like a cat dropped on the highway.

Interestingly, DC has had a decent amount of success down in Big D lately, despite getting blown out there late last year 3-0, when DC was already planning their own tea times towards the end of a truly dismal MLS season. Before that loss, DC had won three straight at The Oven. Heck, the last time Dallas beat DC in Texas, Kreis was still on the team and Steve Jolley (shudder) got the winning goal!

No bets on which way this match goes though. DC is coming off a solid road win in league play in Chicago, but carrying the baggage of a brutally bad Open Cup loss, where their fans worked harder than they did. If they play like they did in Chicago, they have a shot, if they play like they’ve done every other time out on the road, it’s another three points down the drain.

© 2009 UnitedMania.com.