We’re the same sad story that’s a fact
One step up and two steps back – Bruce Springsteen, 1987

For every game like last Saturday’s to give United fans hope that the team has turned a corner, here comes yet another example of how for this team still has to go.  My belief that United’s problems stem from an indifferent approach to youth development by Dave Kasper and Tom Soehn remains unchanged, and we saw this again today. 

It was best expressed in the difference between Rod Dyachenko and Nick LaBrocca. Both were given similar roles – play behind the more-talented playmaker, and in front of the destroyer.  Dyachenko, in his third year, continues to show signs of displaying his potential with a good performance like the one last Saturday, but quickly retreats back into mediocrity when given more work.  LaBrocca played all of 67 minutes in his rookie year, but has been a been a revelation for the Rapids in 2008. 

The game will be written about as the battle of Gomez v. Gallardo, with Gomez as the victor, but LaBrocca’s performance allowed Gomez more space to be dangerous all game long, while Dyachenko seemed to suck the life out of the entire midfield.  Simms had one of the worst games I’ve ever seen out of him. 

In other words: Fernando Clavijo is better at youth development than Tom Soehn.

But that still doesn’t explain what’s going on with Luciano Emilio. Once again, he was invisible out there.  Even when he was struggling at this point in the season last year, he didn’t look this bad. It’s quite possible that he is the reincarnation of Alex Pineda Chacon.

This Thursday against Chicago will be a tough test. With a short week of practice, I don’t know if United can make the necesary adjustments against a team that is playing very well and perennially has our number. It could just be a home-and-away thing, in which case United right now is no better off than it was under Ray Hudson.  Again: one step forward, two steps back.

I was going to lead off by saying that the great thing about playing Colorado is that Omar Cummings is proof that, if you’re a half-talent who has a good game for Clavijo, you win a spot in the starting lineup for a long time.  But as I had finished writing that, Dyachenko killed another attack with a giveaway.

The best line of the day was by Kim, who, when the empty seats at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park revealed 85% of the “COLORADO” painted into the seats, said, “Maybe they should have put the number for tickets instead.”