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Nothing like an old chestnut to give you some hope, but sadly if such sayings rang true, LA would have been MLS Cup champions last season. I do think DC United with a (very likely) much improved team chemistry and presumed team health will take a lot of pressure off United’s young defense, but that may not be enough.

Well, I put this off as long as I could, but there’s no getting away from the fact that DC United may have some troubles on the defensive side of the ball. Unless they find some synergy and become more than the sum of their parts, I think even with an overall commitment to team defense which has been stated as the goal this season, United just does not stack up too well compared to the other defenses around the league.

So here goes. United’s defense as of today:
Bryan Namoff, Greg Janicki, Devon McTavish, Marc Burch, Anthony Peters, Dejan Jakovic, Rodney Wallace, Ryan Miller, (maybe Domenic Mediate). Plus goalkeepers, Louis Crayton, (Milos Kocic or James Thorpe), (maybe Nic Platter instead of Mediate)

Aside from Bryan Namoff, there’s really a lot riding on young players continuing to improve or being able to adjust to MLS very quickly. Frankly, I love that DC United went for a ton of young and American or Americanized young talent, and I believe it will pay off huge next year and beyond, but in terms of this year, there’s a lot to be concerned about.

Now, following my theme of good news first, Bryan Namoff returns for his ninth season with the team and seventh as the starting right back. He’s as good as anyone in the league there, certainly as good as Waibel and Mulrooney in Houston which has had the best defense in the history of the league the past few years. As good as former teammate, Brandon Prideaux from the second best defense last in Chicago, and arguably as good as Frankie Hejduk, who won an MLS Cup last year on the third best defense. Robbie Russell in RSL, Jonathan Leathers in KC, and don’t even get me started on Heaps or Albright in NE, Namoff is as good or better than all of them.

But the concerns start to creep in as we swing around the rest of the positions. On the left side, Marc Burch was a revelation there two years ago, but being bounced around the backline last year certainly didn’t help him. Still, his desire and heart are unquestioned and with his physicality and skill he could be a pretty solid player, but that’s far from a certainty. He also pales in comparison to the best at his position around the league.

Wade Barrett, Gonzalo Segares, Gino Padula, etc. all are better and more consistent left backs than him. Running down some other players, Chris Wingert, Eric Denton, Ian Joy, Michael Harrington, etc, Burch is in the conversation with those guys, but his one on one defending isn’t really as good or consistent, nor is he really athletic enough to make up for mistakes, nor is he a natural defender so his instincts are often in question. All in all, Burch could continue to improve or not, that’s a big question mark.

More question marks in central defense too. Dejan Jakovic is a wild card. He’s young and obviously talented given his resume and I like that he has wide experience in America having played college ball here, as well as consistently been with the Canadian youth and national teams. If he adjusts to MLS, he could be a great young pro like Soumare in Chicago, or Iro in Columbus, maybe even better to compare to the likes of international talents such as Jamison Olave in RSL, or Wilman Conde in Chicago, etc. But, most truly good center backs take a year to adjust to MLS no matter how good they are unless he’s the next Parkhurst or Marshall or Robinson.

Greg Janicki is also a bit of a conundrum. He burst on the scene last year from USL2, and looked fantastic against international competition in CONCACAF, except for the speed merchants from Honduras that made everyone look like molasses. But then again, other than two very good games versus Houston and Columbus, he really had no experience against MLS teams. Granted those two games give reason to hope, but two games does not a season make, and if speed is a problem for him, Donovan could hang 3 on him right in the first weekend of the season.

So, obviously it’s tough to compare either or both of United’s two presumptive central starters against the crème of MLS as these guys simply have no frame of reference against the likes of Robinson, Boswell, Marshall, Garcia, Borchers, Conrad, plus the ones mentioned already, etc. It’s possible, if United’s youngsters gel quickly and gain confidence behind an offense that keeps them off their back feet, maybe they become better than the sum of their parts along with the rest of the defense overall, but that’s a big if.

Even the backups have some concerns. Devon McTavish showed great skills and athleticism at the central position at times, but also showed some horrendous positioning mistakes and mental errors at times too. Then Peters is big as a house, but raw as a skinned knee. Miller is another converted midfielder and rock bottom on the depth chart. Wallace is very promising, but again is a rookie. Who knows how any of these young guys handle their first year.

All in all, a lot of questions with answers all involving hope and speculation if you’re talking Cup titles. I love the fact DC has gone for an overhaul of their backline with young, talented, athletic, promising players all with upside, but then again would it have killed them to get one solid veteran MLS pro to steady this ship? A Petke, an Ezra, a Curtin, or Talley, even a Sanneh for gosh sakes, someone with rock solid experience who can step in if the wheels are coming off the wagon, but better yet provide the knowledge and leadership to help all these young guys adjust to the wacky world of MLS.

As for goalkeeping, that’s still a bit of a crapshoot too. Crayton is the clear starter, as he came in and had an immediate impact last year and locked down the starting role. But even that comes with a caveat. It’s one thing to come into a situation in a shambles and immediately inject some competency. Last year, he was like the only man in the leper colony with all his fingers. Of course he looked like superman. It’s a far different thing to continue on with a presumably much improved team that needs more than simple competency from its keeper.

The fact that DC is still (apparently) hesitating to re-negotiate his contract that is reported to end this summer, seems to indicate that United has some concerns about him as well. He reminds me a lot of Nick Rimando in that he can pull off nice saves, in his case coming off his line as opposed to silly horizontal moves, but is reckless to the point of being a liability from time to time. St. Nick got run out of town in the end for a safer, less spectacular pair of hands. One wonders if Crayton will soon follow.

Plus, if that happens, the alternatives don’t seem too promising. Kocic has had some deer in the headlights moments that are troubling even for a draft pick. Thorpe is pretty raw too, and is likely a long ways from starting. Platter is a solid USL player that may transition well to MLS like a Jon Busch or that Klingon in LA, or be a bust like so many others, or merely a perennial backup like Burpo in Colorado. Plus, Platter would occupy a precious senior spot on the new reduced rosters and probably cost a transfer fee or a few inconvenient games up in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.

So, there you have it. As honest an assessment as my Black and Red heart can make. I’m excited to see this team pillaging MLS defenses like a horny wildebeest, but I’m also worried about the reverse happening more often than is prudent in polite society. I’d like to hope this team’s obvious chemistry and equality and cohesiveness comes together far beyond what last year’s immensely talented train wreck was able to muster, but I think in the end, we’ll have to settle for just being top half of the table hoping to get hot in the playoffs.

Granted that’s an improvement, but merely above average is such a let down when you’re used to thinking about which trophies you expect to acquire, or at least be in the hunt for, each season. Of course there’s always the reality that the rest of the East has been pretty underwhelming this off-season too, but what’s the fun in winning by default?