Getting to be a trend

It’s safe to say that the 2008 edition of DC United was more talented than the 2009 edition.  But we spent weeks upon weeks upon months waiting for the team to gell, and it just never happened.  Indications from the RFK Northern Annex (Giants Stadium) is that the 2009 edition has gelled.  Even before the dramatic finish you see an esprit de corps from this team.  In the Dallas game when Brandon Barklege scored, goalkeeper (and roommate) Milos Kocic ran out to midfield to congratulate him.  When Rodney Wallace put the first goal in, teammate/roommate Chris Pontius looked almost as happy as when he got his own first goal in LA.

It was a good move to not use Jamie Moreno on the concrete pad known as Giants Stadium.  It’s not the venue for an older player with knee and back issues.  And likewise, 50 minutes out of Ben Olsen is the max you’d want in that scenario, too.  Leading to the situation that Tommy Soehn’s comments about team depth better be true. Turns out, it is.

Even though Wallace and Pontius were thrown into early games due to injuries, they’ve firmly grasped their roles and have made it difficult to keep them off the field.  And fortunately, they don’t show signs of slowing down.  Hopefully, Soehn can work some rest into them during the oppressive heat of the summer so they don’t hit that rookie wall.

The Goals

The first goal went against United tradition.  Tino got the ball beyond the 18 and realizing that he could not beat the onrushing Jon Conway, sent in a low hard cross in front of the goal mouth, just beyond the reach of Pontius. But Wallace, defying unwritten team rules, made a far post run, made a lunge for it and poked the ball into the net.

United had a couple of opportunities to pull away, but Tino lobbed a shot over the goal as well as over Conway in a one-on-one situation.  When he sees the replays and the amount of time he had, he’ll wish he tried a move (or 17…he really had that kind of time) and kept the ball on the ground.  Also Emilio had some opportunites, but wasn’t getting any luck since he was the victim of many uncalled fouls (in addition to some borderline calls that he tried to influence).

With the game at 1-0, Juan Pablo Angel, made us all remember why he’s so dangerous.  He basically had one opportunity to score.  And he did on a free kick from Rojas.  Then he victimized United 6 minutes later by sending in a header that handcuffed Crayton at the near post, leaving a rebound 5 yards out from the goal.  It was agonizing to see (in seemingly slow motion) United’s defense react while a real-time Dane Richards swooped in on the loose ball, sending the Red Bulls on top.

Last year, the team would have been demoralized, and packed it in.  Heck they may have given up two more goals.  But they stayed in the game.  Bringing on the only offensive substitution left, Boyzzz Khumalo for a winded Wallace in the 81st minute.  Initially, United tried to posses the ball throgh the Red Bull defense to no avail.  Then United tried to switch fields quickly. (FINALLY!) First Burch tried from the left no no avail.  Then Pontius sent one in from the right to Tino on the left, Tino volleyed it into the area.  In the 90th minute, Tino’s ball hit the mark as Emilio got on the end of it and just popped the ball over the keeper to tie the game. 

But United wasn’t done.  Another long ball drifted towards the keeper, but Boyzzz had more energy than anyone else on the field and seemed determined to justify his staying on the team (there was a lot of speculation that he’d be the player dropped instead of Francis Doe to bring on Avery John) and beat the goalkeeper to the ball.  Twisting and turning, Boyzzz seemed to lose track of the goal as he shot sending the ball less towards the goal, but more towards the far sideline and without a lot of velocity.  Pontius pounced on this loose ball and hammered the ball home for the miracle comeback in the 91st minute.  In that scramble Pontius was the first to the ball even though he must have been 10 yards away while falling Red Bulls were as close as two yards away.

And just like that, a game that could have been a debilitating loss, becomes a resounding victory. 

New York, New York, so nice, DC beat it thrice

OK, that’s not how the saying goes, but DC swept New York on Sunday.  United dramatically, and traditionally beat the Red Bulls, the Caps beat the Rangers, and even the Nats beat the Mets.

The Red Bulls are so desperate for any resemblence of success that they’ve hung a "We were #2 banner at midfield".  OK, it says "2008 MLS Cup Finalist,"  but who the hell trumpets that kind of thing?