This season is past half over, and DC United is tied for second in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 5-3-9, this United team has not blown the doors off, and has shown the ever maddening “flashes of brilliance” followed by the defensive meltdowns reminiscent of 2008. In all competitions, 37 goals for and 26 for sounds like a commanding offense, but throwing out the goal fest US Open Cup game against NY, they have drawn 4 times when they’ve scored 2 or more.

This team needs quite a few things for the total package to go into the Playoffs and win, and to show well in its international commitments. Below, I’ll review them, and I hope to elicit your opinions as well.

Need #1: Left back
Marc Burch and Avery John have both been atrocious. Slow, bad passing, and in Burch’s case, generally ineffective on free kicks and service. Burch’s power is not to be doubted, but he has to actually score occasionally to earn his keep if he’s going to stink in defense. Avery John needs to go. He’s past his expiration date, and his experience don’t make up for his complete lack of speed.

Need #2: CAM or Winger
Santino Quaranta has had a strong year, and is currently being rewarded for it with USMNT caps. Christian Gomez has scored 5 goals in all competitions, and has looked dangerous at times, but has generally showed that he’s lost a step, and can’t be counted on for 90 minutes. Fred. Sigh, Oh Fred. The goal scoring touch has eluded Fred, and for his salary, the team has to be looking for more results. He’s good on the ball often, and can make a creative pass occasionally, but, just not good enough right now. Barklage showed some promise, but he’s out for the rest of the season. This roster is screaming out for an experienced left winger (a la a hungry and eager DeMarcus Beasley) or a young creative midfielder with a scoring touch. We’ve got three roster spots to play with, and one of them needs to be used here.

Need #3: Forward Depth
Luciano Emilio should be the picture next to the word “streaky” in the soccer dictionary. As he has in every year since his arrival, Emilio has gone stone cold, but this time it’s in the middle of the season vs. the end of the season. He has 5 goals, along with Jamie Moreno, but he hasn’t scored since May 16th. He and Jaime have had injury problems, but both look to be fit for Saturday’s game against Colorado. Both he and Moreno have demonstrated that DC need to prepare for life after both of them in the near future, and the players currently on the roster aren’t going to cut it. I liked Ange N’Silu, but recently, he has shown tactical and mental lapses that aren’t acceptable at this level. Boyzzz Khumalo always shows creative flashes, but at least once a game, he’ll make a decision that will make you question his sanity. I’d really like DC to go out and get a GOAL SCORER from MLS, someone where you know exactly what you’re in for. Fred wouldn’t be bad trade bait in this scenario, but we’ll see.

DC has done well for itself considering the amount of ties, but we all want excellence and this team needs to reinforce itself before it enters my favorite new tournament, the CONCACAF Champions League.

What do you think the team needs to do?

UPDATE: Well the team has addressed none of these areas, as today, they added Danny Szetela on a free transfer from Racing Santander. Follow the coverage here and here.

Starting 11
I think Soehn will come out with his normal 3-5-2 like so:

———————-Crayton—————————
————Burch—–Jakovic—–Namoff—————-
——————–Olsen—Simms———————-
——Wallace——————————Pontius——
————————Gomez————————–
—————Emilio———–Moreno——————

If this line-up looks familiar, its because it is the same line-up Soehn has been using all year and will likely never change. I can see Fred, Quaranta, and Barklage coming in for Wallace, Moreno, and Gomez in the 2nd half if we have the lead.

Tommy Talks some Smack:
I came across this quote today on the examiner website: “We thought about training in our parking lot to try to emulate what our game is going to be like,” said Soehn. “But there was a little too much gravel. It’s hard because even if we go onto our [artificial turf] field it’s not even close to how it plays there… it plays too much like grass.”

Hey Tommy, talking smack about the field at Giants Stadium before the game doesn’t count as a reason for you not to prepare the team and then use the turf as an excuse for us losing tomorrow

Fred missed a sitter early in the first half, and Quaranta was not playing his best, despite what Goff’s ratings may tell you. If his goal was to enable others, then we was adequate. If his role as forward was to score goals and be dangerous, he didn’t do as well. He missed 1 easy chance, and 2 or 3 that he should have buried. As a longtime Tino supporter, I suspect he’ll do better as he gets more fit.

Brandon Barklage played the game of his life. He was tenacious in the middle, found himself in the correct spots, displayed Rod Dyachenko like foot skills, and of course, took his chances at goal and found the back of the net. I think we may have found the potential replacement for Gomez, either as he fades at the end of games, or next year.

Milos Kocic got his first start, and it began somewhat rocky. In his first two clearance attempts, the ball went away from him and he was almost caught out. On his third chance, he muffed the ball, and had to be saved by headsup defending. He made 2 or 3 saves, and was saved by the rulebook, after Kenny Cooper’s penalty came off the post and he illegally buried the rebound.

The defense of Greg Janicki and Bryan Namoff was top class. The attempts at defense by Marc Burch however, were not. Unable to string short passes together, and needing repeated bailouts by Janicki, Burch may be playing his way out of the starting LB spot once Avery John gets fit.

MATCH RATINGS: Kocic 6, Burch 4, Janicki 7, Namoff 7, Jacobson 6, Fred 6, Quaranta 5, Pontius, 5, Barklage 8, Khumalo (4 in the first, 7 in the second), McTavish 6 SUBS: Moreno 4, Peters 4, Wallace 5, Jakovic 6

Below Highlights;

This Sunday, United travels to the Home Depot Center to visit one of the sadder cases in MLS in the last 2 years, the Galaxy. LA, who have been reorganized and retooled an extent by former USA and DC United head coach Bruce Arena, are moving forward this year with a more “experienced” team than last year, with an average age around 30. This never bodes well for a long season, but its better than playing Josh Tudela every game.

LA strengthened its backline through the draft, picking Omar Gonzalez, and thru the transfer market, picking up Donovan Ricketts, the Jamaican National Team keeper.

Goldenballs is set to return in July, and until then, LA is free of the obligation of his salary. However, they’ve yet to spend that money. So, it’s just a gap in their team.

Landon Donovan, fresh off of his German adventure, brings the only constantly threatening force to a team that will be lacking in attacking bite.

Dema Kovalenko has been added, most likely for his oftsited “grit” in the defensive midfield. But enough about LA.

DC travels across the country, already with its usual complement of injuries. Not making the trip, Santino Quaranta and Fred are already sporting hamstring injuries that will keep them out at least until the home opener, in Fred’s case, and the Houston game, in Santino’s case.

Louis Crayton and Bryan Namoff, who suffered leg and rib injuries respectively, will be fit and in the starting lineup on Sunday.

All week, Tom Soehn has said that he expects that DC will come out in a 3-5-2, at least until their attacking width is healthy. Below would be my expected lineup…

Crayton
Namoff———Jankovic———–Burch
Simms—McTavish
Khumalo—Gomez—Wallace
Emilio—-Moreno
I’d like to see Moreno as a withdrawn Forward, in sort of a dual playmaker roll with Gomez, but we’ll see how it rolls forward.

Links and OPO:
Sports Illustrated says that DC will finish in last. I will eat a soccer ball if that happens. The text for those who don’t want to boost SI’s ad revenue..

• D.C. United will finish in last place. Christian Gómez is back, but he lost his form a while back. Gómez and Luciano Emilio formed a strong partnership in ‘07, but two years later, the two players are fighting to recover from poor seasons. D.C. had a terrible regular season but managed to win the U.S. Open Cup. That triumph set United up for failure this year, as it once again will compete in the CONCACAF Champions League, a tournament that sunk D.C.’s regular-season hopes in ‘08.

Soccer America thinks DC loses to LA this weekend.

The Examiner offers all you need to know about the game, including injury updates for both squads (Ricketts, Buddle questionable, Lewis probable, Todd Dunivant and Leonard Griffin (who?) are out. )

MLSNet’s Charles Boehm has a nice piece about the young defense, and the decision to go with the 3-5-2. Here’s Benny,

“The 4-4-2, sometimes with a young back line, it’s confusing,” acknowledged Olsen, moments after his tongue-in-cheek attempt “to duck what formation we’re going to play this weekend” drew laughter from the media in attendance.

“Sometimes three in the back makes it a little bit more concrete for them as far as their decisions,” he continued. “But we’re working on that stuff this week and the coaching staff will take care of that.”

Steve Goff’s paper preview.

Donovan is still sleeping over at DCenters. I’m sure he’ll having something up soon.

Ok, that’s it. It’s game time, huahh!

Official Prediction!!!

The Official DC United Offside Prediction: 3-2 DC.
Your thoughts?