Saturday, May 17, 2008

DC United/Chivas USA running blog


Hi yall, (By the way, the Barra Brava has taken up residence in the Riot Squad's usual stadium spot)

Luciano Emilio isn't starting - Francis "Grandpa" Doe has been given the chance. Chivas USA has nine players injured apparently, so their starting lineup should be interesting. Given that development, I'm calling this one 2-1 in favor of DC. Moreno and McTavish with the goals. Kljestan with the consolation.
Post your predictions up to kickoff time.
Jesse Marsch is playing centerback for Chivas USA. Marsch last played centerback when he was 13 for Racine United. Yep, in Wisconsin.
No, I don't know this off the top of my head. David Lindholm, Chivas USA's press guy, just told me. he also mentioned that minus their third-string goalkeeper, every player Chivas USA has healthy is in the starting lineup or on the bench tonight.
DC's lineup: Zach Wells, Bryan Namoff, Marc Burch, Domenic Mediate, Gonzalo Martinez, Santino Quaranta, Marcelo Gallardo, Clyde Simms, Ryan Cordiero, Francis Doe, Jaime Moreno
Chivas USA: Guzano, BB, Big Red, Marschman, Panchito, Dandini, Sach, Nags, Braunbear, Tiba, Te.
Luis just mentioned that someone laughed at him when he mentioned Pancho as left back - well, that's exactly where Mendoza is lining up.
The Legion is still boycotting. This is apparently the last game of that, though, since the player they're protesting for finishes his suspension then.
Kickoff!
1- Chivas USA with first shot and attack. 'Te from outside the box. Deflected off DC defender.
5 - Play is mostly in the midfield. Oooh, pass over the top to Ante, who goes all-out versus Wells. Bigtime clash. Both players are down for a matter of minutes.
8 - DC with an attacking play; well, not anymore, cross into the box cut off.
9 - Well, my Mctavish score prediction can't be right, because he isn't available. I'd guessed he might be back. Wishful thinking.
10 - DC FK. Tricksy Gallardo tries to sneak it in near post, Guzan parries but give up corner. Gallardo to take, but there's shoving in the box holding up play. Gallardo serves it in - Namoff heads wide.
14 - Chivas USA give up a deep FT, but then wriggle out of the difficulty.
16 - DC has the better of possession, but Chivas USA is getting counter chances, like the corner earned just now by Razov. Kljestan on the kick, Sims clears.
18 - The atmosphere here is weird. There's noise from the fervent fans, but everyone else is so quiet that one can hear the players talking to each other.
19 - Gallardo serves in another freekick that Marsch clears well. Racine United would be proud.
21 - Burch catches Kljestan with a leg tackle that flips the Chivas USA midfielder partly sideways. Yellow.
23 - Doe is pushing for a yellow after a tackle on Panchito - Kennedy chooses to whistle sternly at him and point emphatically instead.
25 - Moreno with a shot from middle distance - doesn't get much leg on it and it rolls wide, though Guzan dives for it.
27 - Gallardo working a few good passes up the flank with Quaranta. But generally, both teams are bogging down the midfield.
29 - The crowd is trying to start the wave and booing whatever section gives up on it. So basically, they're not even really watching the game any more.
30 - GOAL! Gallardo! He gets a good pass near the top of the arc from Quaranta. Paladini falls trying to cut it off, then Gallardo cuts back on Marsch, and nails a shot into the top upper corner of the net. Racine, Wisconsin weeps.
33 - Simms with an outside shot, gets nicked on the follow of the shot and is down for a while.
35 - Corner for Chivas - cleared.
36 - Offside! The crowd hates the linesman for that, because it would have been a goal, because Wells came out and the canny vet Ante put in a chip header behind him. The replay shows the press box nothing, so if you have a DVR, you know better than we do who is right.
39 - Gallardo is down. Is DC timewasting? It seems way too early for that. perhaps not, because th'e on the sideline, and DC is playing a man down. Ball over the top to Atiba Harris. "It's only Atiba" says a reporter in the box, implying, of course, that there is no threat. Harris gets a wayward cross off, Klejestan has to backtrack for it, and eventually, DC escapes danger.
41 - Gallardo gets back into action and is down again. this time Nags took him down and gets yellow for it.
43 - How timely is my Gallardo feature for espn.com going to be now that he's scored? I'm blessed.
44 - Doe was offside, but he took a shot anyway. And missed.
45 - Quranta sacrifices his bod to shield a ball going out for a goal kick. Crowd boos, thinking it touched him anyway. It was close.
45 - Close like Moreno with the shot just now over the bar.
Halftime - Chivas USA must be fuming about that offside call on Razov. Though DC hasn't played great, they deserve the lead, as they have created most of the chances on goal. If Chivas USA doesn't come out with some new energy and effectiveness, the visitors are taking this. For heaven's sake, the home team didn't have a single shot on goal in the half.

Okay, LB chiming in here. It's about five minutes before the start of the second half and I'm writing all of my stories as a Chivas USA loss. They've never come from behind to win a game, ever, and I don't see them doing it with such a depleted lineup. I say they throw Jorge Flores and Gerson Mayen out there and hope to catch lightning in a bottle.

Now back to AC...
Heck, I'm surprised Flores didn't start. Hey, that's weird. To rally Chivas USA at the start of the second half, the stadium PA is playing Kinky (Mas) - the band that provided the Galaxy their official song last year and played in a pregame concert for the team. I suppose the music guys don't know this.
47 - Chivas USA pushing a bit more into DC territory. Marsch has been moved to the midfield. Kraig Chiles is in.
49 - Yellow for Mediate for a foul on Razov. Kljestan on the FK, scrum in the box. Trouble with the wall, and all the drama is meaningless becaus Sach chips over the wall and the bar. Poor.
53 - Chivas USA keeps getting stuck in the defensive third of DC. Razov nearly gets sprung, bu he's just offside and throws his hands up in frustration.
56 - Sach crosses into the box and it looks like a handball and DC amazingly fail to clear, but no call.
57 - Eric Ebert getting set to come in, setting off all sorts of puns in the pressbox about his poor play and decent movie reviews. "Thumbs down," says one. "He nearly gave a goal away in the last game with a bad backpass. He's in for Dandini. Emilio is in for Doe, too.
61 - DC is scrapping this one out. It's not elegant, but it's working.
63 - Like on the last play - 'Tiba gets a nice through ball that leads him into the box and Gonzalo Martinez shoulder charges him into last week. It works.
66 - Soehn is pacing the sideline - oh, here comes Jorge - "The Dream" for Chivas USA.
69 - CK for Chivas USA after Wells parried a nearpost shot. It's cleared for another corner on the opposite side, Sach takes that one, too, and this one gets safely cleared.
70 - People are already learing.
72 - Moreno holds off two defenders on sheer skill, gets a deep FT, takes a bunch of time off the clock.
74 - GOAL! The pride of Racine! Jesse Marsch! The forgotten MLS original today. Ebert sends a leading pass in for a speedy 'tiba, who doesn't get onto it well, but manages to deflect it off a charging Wells. Marsch is there to send a following shot off past a fallen Wells. 1-1 He knee slides to celebrate. Rock on, Jesse.
76 - GOAL! Sach! Harris gets up the wing again, totally befuddling the DC defense and hits a decent cross this time that DC fails to clear l Kljestan connects. 2-1. Chivas USA, improbably and against all history and while not even playing very well with a decimated lineup, is leading.
80 - Yikes, Harris gets behind the D again, gets he ball to Kljestan and Chivas USA gets about three clear chances to pad their lead, but deflections and a shot over the bar is all that results.
82 - GOAL! The pressbox is beginning the Soehn deathwatch. The Dream scores! Harris looks offside, but in fact a wayward DC defender on the far side kept him on. Harris comes in on goal, while the defensive line looks in vain for the call, then lays the ball back for Flores. Wells looks like he has the hard shot, but it slips past him. 3-1 The Raging Goats.
85 - Bryan Namoff is down. He probably wants to be carted away from this misery, even if it's in an ambulance. Looks like an ankle problem. Oooh, bad - he's limping off.
88 - DC's defense is horrid. I just checked and they haven't had a single shutout this season.
89 - CK for Chivas USA and they are taking their time over it - ooh Kennedy has a card out and is surrounded by players. Not sure what's going on. The Barra crew is giving Kennedy the finger, hard - turns out it was a yellow for Quaranta.
90 + Apparently the key for DC was taking out Grandpa.
hivas USA with a chance to further pad their lead, but Anthony Hamilton misses a sitter.
Final whistle - It's official, DC is having a horrid season. It's Chivas USA's first victory over United, by the way.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Off topic, but since we are all plugged in tonight. I thought El Gato's act tonight in NYC was impressive-even up to the the unmarked equalizer. Wondering what your thoughts are as to his chances of ever getting a cap againg as a No. 2,3 during WC qualifying-given the nature of duty/injuries during that period.
Anon in Augusta, GA.

A.C. said...

I think El Gato's time is done, frankly. Bradley has looked to youth more than Arena in some ways. He's brought in Seitz, Hesmer, Perkins and other younger keepers recently, and I doubt Hartman will get another look.

nothingtoseehere said...

3-1 DCU

L.B. said...

No cap for Gato. Just don't see it happening.

As for the game... I'd picked Chivas earlier in the week but it's hard to see them winning a game with this lineup out there.

1-1 draw.

Unknown said...

I predict 2-1 for Chivas, mainly because I'm a DC United supporter, and I'm feeling very pessimistic about this season. Don't know much about Chivas' goal-scorers, but 1 of their goals will be a DCU own goal. Jaime will score a PK in consolation.

And Ben Olsen's ankles will magically regenerate in time for their next game.

*sob*

Anonymous said...

Empty House! Terrible TV!
Aug.

Anonymous said...

Yikes, please tell me there are more people at HDC than the picture makes it look like. Any attendance guesses?

Anonymous said...

AC, LB, I understand the El Gato views and am behind them somewhat, and yet...I see Keller, who I wrote off in Germany-doing great in ENG. Razov, who is DEADLY in the slowest way. I remember the CZ Repb last WC, who I realize didn't advance, playing beautifully with "old men" and I wonder if we don't write off older American players too soon. In MLS, which we all realize ain't the WC, older internationals are "revered" somewhat and many an American fan is quick to say that we'd love to have a Schelotto to take us through qualifying. In the same breath we will tear a Stevie Ralston to pieces. We are so torn on the question of AGE, that given what we are seeing tonight, Gallardo and all, what are both of your thoughts?
AUG. GA

Unknown said...

Woohoo, Gallardo! I would love for my prediction to be wrong.

A.C. said...

I'm not saying I agree with it, but definitely, the trend in the US is towards youth. Keller is a notable exception because of his experience.

L.B. said...

Several good MLS goalkeepers have not been called up much or at all in recent years, such as Hartman and Joe Cannon. It's one thing to call on an MLS veteran who has played for the US before, it's quite another to call on someone who has seen little or no action at all.

Anonymous said...

AC, so domestic experience, no matter how developed, is inferior to foreign experience? Is that what we think? I guess I sometimes wonder if we squander a "regional" craftiness that would be valuable in CONCACAF. At times, I see the European players come home and play "baffled" in WCQ. Thanks for the time. I know ur busy!
AUG., GA
PS. Will DC be the only "Southern" team in MLS when all is said and done?

Anonymous said...

Did the pitch look this bad last week? I was at the game but admittedly I was a wee bit inebriated (blushes) and didn't notice the condition of the field.

Anonymous said...

LB, in response to your comment, it sounds as if you refer to an older uncapped player. Say that is the case, isn't it unfamiliarity rather than of lack of ability that limits the player. Yeah, yeah, I know I'm splitting hairs. My points are fairly irrelevant in an all important WCQ! And still I wonder how the vet not chosen would do instead of a say, ...Santino, for example.
Aug, GA.

Unknown said...

"anonymous", I could see other southern teams eventually, but it would take time. Charlotte and Atlanta seem like they could support teams. Don't know if you'd consider Miami "South", but an MLS team should return there. Look at just about any big southern city, and I think they could support a team. MLS frustrates me at times, but I think they're right in their slow-growth approach. It's just going to take time...

A.C. said...

A couple of the press folk agree with you and think the field looks quite a bit worse this week. We've had a really hot past couple of days, though, and the grass could be in shock. Sometimes it really seems the HDC crew isn't preemptive about stuff like extra watering on hot days.

Anon from Augusta, yeah, domestic experience is viewed differently from foreign. What's weird is that if MLS defenders are worse than those abroad, a goalkeeper here can get a lot more work and experience - witness the progress of Guzan. Still I have to say, Guzan was caught rather flat-footed on Gallardo's goal.

Unknown said...

Stupid question time: why does FSC play that weird "button-pushing" phone sound? I've been hearing that for ages from them, and I have no idea why they do it.

Anonymous said...

Coach is happy. Doe gets PT, but no goal. Emilio gets half on bench, and yet gets in the game, so no sulking. Coaching Nirvana! Everything in its place!
Aug, GA.

Anonymous said...

who's the high school band? they sound good from what i hear on tv.

Unknown said...

Dammit

Anonymous said...

Speaking of high school, that was some high school defending on that goal.

Unknown said...

Double dammit. I hate soccer.

Anonymous said...

Marsch...Old Guy...Hmm...was the following run ability, or crafty, grandpa awareness. And Now! SK, kid for sure, scores a beauty! Case Closed?
Aug, GA.

Unknown said...

Uh, triple dammit? I've lost tracks of dammits. I can't see through my tears.

Anonymous said...

DC is making the Galaxy defense look sound. What a Chernobyl-esque meltdown.

Anonymous said...

Goal Flores, but young keeper Wells muffs a do-able save. Flogging that dead horse!
Aug, GA.

Anonymous said...

I was at DC's home opener where they killed Toronto. That team is gone. This one stinks! Badly! Y'all are right. The defense...wait...what defense? Hamilton misses a sitter! Woe is DC.
Goodnight y'all!
Aug, GA.

Anonymous said...

wow! what a turn around, congrats chivas eeuu!!!

L.B. said...

High school band was from the Santee Educational Complex High School.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you about these. Well someday Ill create a blog to compete you! lolz.