Raise your hands if you were a D.C. fan worried about advancing in the Champions Cup. D.C. made it look easy in posting a 5-0 win against Harbour View on Tuesday. Luciano Emilio and Devon McTavish (yes, Devon McTavish) netted a brace each to push D.C. to the Champions Cup semifinals against the winner of the Pachuca-CD Motagua series, which concludes tonight after a 0-0 tie in its first game.
While Emilio and McTavish scored the goals, Brazilian midfielder Fred enjoyed a stellar performance, scoring a goal and setting up another.
MLS can make it two for two tonight if Houston can beat CD Municipal in the second leg of their series. Houston tied the Guatamalan club, 0-0, in the first leg in central America. Kickoff is set for 8:30pm (FSC).
What did you think of last night’s performance? If you’re a D.C. fan are you feeling better about the season? Still waiting for Marcelo Gallardo to sprinkle gold dust? Would you rather face Pachuca or Amado Guevara’s CD Motagua? Share your thoughts below.
re: 2001 COPA MERCONORTE.
I will say congrats on qualifying but lets discuss the Metro’s record in the tournament. A 3-3 record with 2 of those by forfeit and a 3rd place in the group. If you want we can pick up this discussion the next time you’re in an international tournament and advance from the group stage.
Harbour View?
Isn’t that the name of a hotel in Jamaica?
Was that the hotel staff that D.C. United were playing?
Touche Haig and John! Haig…You are being too kind to the DC Scum by calling them idiots…
and I agree with you John…It is way to early
to consider DC as MLS Cup contenders and I look forward to the Bulls wiping up the Scum this season…
From savannahfan:
“Oh yeah, that’s right, the Red Bulls never have been been good enough to participate in international competitions, nor represent MLS…”
NY finished won the east and finished 2nd in the overall standings in 2000, and so, alongside MLS Cup and Supporters Shield winners Kansas City, REPRESENTED MLS by PARTICIPATING IN THE 2001 COPA MERCONORTE.
That was the point I was responding to. Don’t move the goalposts.
We won’t get into a discussion of just how much pride one can really legitimately take in winning two international trophies by playing four of five games at your home stadium and one at a “neutral site” in your own country.
Come on now — Harbour View is the 5th place club from the Jamaican National Premier League. I don’t think you learned anything about DC United from this tie.
Let’s talk after a couple of MLS matches and the Champions Cup semifinal.
By mid-April you should know if DC United’s off-season hype justifies the personnel losses (Christian Gomez, Greg Vanney, Troy Perkins, Bobby Boswell, Josh Gros, Brian Carroll).
Dear DC Idiots:
The Merconorte, the precursor to the Sudamericana which you are all so desperate to participate in, was a legitimate international competition, and the Metros were in it.
——————-
Ok, Haig,/Hudweilers Odoreaters
Question 1: How did you qualify for it?
Question 2: Did you win it?
I was at the game last night. RFK was freaking pumpin! DC UNITED!!!
Can someone shed some cultural light on this for me?
I lived in the Dominican Republic for a couple of years and noticed a very different style of humor in tv programming. I am specifically thinking of a show where a bunch of adults were supposed to be kids. There was always some big guy in a diaper (at least every time I remember seeing it) that would say something in an annoying voice and then make a face and that was hilarious somehow. I know it’s not just in the DR, either cause my friends Brazilian wife loved that show, too (and please no one think that I am dissing on Dominicans, Brazilians, or any Hispanic culture–my point was simply to illustrate an example of something that made perfect sense to that culture, but no sense to me).
My question is whether or not the rocking the baby thing, or the pacifier celebration has any sort of Hispanic cultural significance that maybe we North Americans are just not getting?
Anybody? Some help please?
I haven’t rocked the baby since world cup ’94 (Bebeto)
Eugene – I thought Gallardo was definitely good, and you’re right, they did run the offense through him in the 1st… but DC scored 4 in the 2nd, when Fred really came on.
Definitely not a knock on Gallardo, except in that he just looked like a good player out there. But if you told me before the game that one of these guys was a DP and I didn’t know who, I wouldn’t have had a clear guess.
Dear DC Idiots:
The Merconorte, the precursor to the Sudamericana which you are all so desperate to participate in, was a legitimate international competition, and the Metros were in it.
So stick it.
McTavish started scoring when Gallardo started serving it up for him. I don’t understand how people could not be impressed with Gallardo’s impact, he was very influential in the first half and only slowed down in the second as Fred become more of a factor.
“So now he’s the leading scorer for DC this season with 3 goals?!? Weird.””
———-
Even weirder, CONCACAF has him as the Goal Leader for the tournament so far.
It will be interesting to seee if that holds up
Does anyone remember Fred’s celebrations last year? The “Jesus Loves You” one shown in this video comes to mind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg16DwgN39U
Why no complaints of evangelising at a soccer game?
Was that really Harbour View from Jamaica out there? To me the team looked exactly like that Haiti U-23 team that played Mexico on Sunday night.
Harbour View were undermanned (due to visa problems) and it showed, expecially in the 2nd half.
————
Good thing none of those Pachuca players have immigration issues and the US is not worried about them overstaying their visas….
==========================
BTW The Red Bulls did win an international comeptition in Spain 2-3 years ago!
————————
Please don’t be embarasesing yourself. The La Manga Cup was slightly below the Pan Pacific Championship in terms of importance.
What did The Red Bulls oops, I mean Metros win to get them in it? The same thing the LA Galaxy won to get into the PPC and last years Superliga. Nothing.
Call us when you win a) something meaningful and b) a competition which you qualified for based on MLS standings.
So many people upset over a silly little goal celebration? Yes, yes, we can all agree that we’re very manly men here- feel better now?
This DC fan wants Pachuca since they were last years Champion and they are struggling in their league right now. A win over a mexican side > a win over a Honduran one.
DC has proven it can win big away against a Honduran side already (4-1 at Club Olimpia last year).
Time to do it in Mexico. The game last night should put all of MLS on notice, especially Energy Drinkers.
Who is everyone taking in tonights game in Houston? I like the Dynamo by 3
Jim Romes cool he has the balls to talk sh it to peoples face when they come on his show so no prob with him
I wouldn’t want to be a red bull fan in MLS East! DC reigns supreme! Several comments:
– They look amazing for the preseason and having to incorporate all of the new players into the lineup and, able to do that without the two formost leaders of the team, Moreno and Olsen. It says a lot
– passing looked pretty good for mid-march
– since when did McTavish become a goal scorer?
– Defense looked solid
– Santino may have made the changes necessary to become a force
– Still looking rusty so it will be interesting to see how far they go but it will be a whole lot further than the red bulls.
Really enjoyed the match. DC UTD has really improved in back. This allows all the fun, creative stuff up front to happen. Kudos!
DC UTD puts in a sharp, classy performance and we want to whine about goal celebrations….may be Fred is talking about us! Time to get over it 🙂
I can’t believe there’s this much discussion of a goal celebration, and ire about it. Wow.
I admit I was confused when I looked at the scoreline last night at halftime. “Wait a second – Devon McTavish? He scored in the last game, and said he hasn’t put one in since his rookie season. This can’t be right! Why are we looking at last week’s gametracker?!” Then I saw the other goals get posted…
So now he’s the leading scorer for DC this season with 3 goals?!? Weird.
When DC United caught fire at the end of last season, it was when Fred turned it on. DC’s offense really feeds off that guy. Gallardo was good, not great. Love to see what happens when he kicks it into a higher gear.
MasterShake, Fred’s wife is indeed pregnant. The celebration was a tribute to her and their new baby.
I’m more impressed that Fred can stow a pacifier in his shorts for most of the game, and then whip it out to celebrate.
Jim Rome can eat it, choke on it, and then get a life. Seriously, forget that guy. TK might not get it, but at least he won’t call it something its not and condemn 3/4 of the world for it. I’m cool w/ the pacifier celebration.
I don’t really think they were honoring anyone. They both did the rocking the baby to sleep notion, which is a common celebration in football..albeit pretty dumb one.
In any case, some poor baby is missing a pacifier tonight. Whats wrong with the scum??
Thought DC looked great last night. Gallardo was very good with his set-ups, crosses, free kicks, corner kicks (and the volleying the rebound from the free kick off the wall). He would have gotten more assists had other players finished the numerous opportunities he created.
FSC incorrectly thought the Harbor View GK knocked the ball to Emilio when it was actually Fred who back-heeled it to Emilio to set up the goal. Great pass.
I don’t care if he is honoring his baby…it just looks stupid.
Can’t wait for that to show up on Jim Rome. Or Tony Kornheiser.
(Warning: Following comments are partially tongue-in-cheek…)
It’s a pretty minor point in a pre-season game but watching Fred celebrate his wife’s pregnancy that way just brings out all the out-of-touch, provincial, 30-something white American guy grumpiness in me. It doesn’t look like he’s honoring anyone. It really just makes him look like he’s being infantile himself. Maybe he should change his own diaper on the field if he really wants to get into the spirit of it.
Perhaps it’s time we introduce our athletes abroad to a more John Wayne model of strong, stoic men who kept more of their feelings to themselves. Then again, I’m not sure if soccer players really ever fit that model anyway. LOL 😉
(Ahh…that felt better. Now returning to normal, open-minded, progressive self).
Well, it wasn’t a polished performance by any stretch of the imagination, but for what is effectively a pre-season game it showed considerable promise for the season to come. Three primary thoughts:
First, Peralta/Martinez/Namoff/an improving Marc Burch could well be the best DCU defense in a decade, or since Pope/Agoos/Llamosa/Medved. It’s clearly a quantum leap forward from the leaky crew of last year, especially in terms of speed and composure.
Second, Gallardo is going to be an absolute force once he gets in sync with his teammates, and vice-versa. He has been very close to scoring already (a number of very close free kicks, and several high quality keeper saves prevented that), his passing is first rate and he works much harder at both ends than Gomez (as much as I am a fan of his) ever did.
Finally, it appears that depth is not the issue it was for last year’s side. That team could not absorb any losses to injuries, and when people started getting hurt at the end of the year (notably Moreno, Emilio and Gros), the team fell apart. This year, there appears to be good depth, especially forward with Neill, Quaranta (who showed very well last night) and Dyachenko and at keeper. The only concern might be the loss of a central defender, but even there the addition of Jeff Curtain and rookie Dan Stratford’s play (even though he is listed as a mid) gives some basis for confidence.
All in all, this has to be regarded as a very encouraging performance by United, especially since once they got HVFC down, they went and applied a knock-out punch. This was a serious flaw in 2007. It’s still a work in progress, but it seems to me that this is a team that can do serious damage, not just in MLS but in their many international events as well. Bring on Pachuca!!
Harbour View couldn’t have made it much easier in the second half. I think this game could’ve ended 1-0 if Harbor View just stuck to their tactics. I think I could’ve passed through that high offsides trap. Dumb.
Congrats DC scum… now the true test awaits you vs Pachuca or Montagua…Harbour View were undermanned (due to visa problems) and it showed, expecially in the 2nd half. BTW The Red Bulls did win an international comeptition in Spain 2-3 years ago!
fred wife is eight months pregnant, hence the tribute.
I hope devon has a nice incentive package, he’s already exceeding expectations. If he’s in form, and Tino is playing well, this could be a he’ll of a ride.
I guess since im not American and my names Juan Dixon I dont get the reference
Oh savannahfan, how quickly you forget the glory that was Metro’s triumph in the uber-prestigious, World-Renownedâ„¢ La Manga Cup…
Tell ya what, when the Red Bulls win in international competition, and represent MLS themselves, then you can judge DC United.
Oh yeah, that’s right, the Red Bulls never have been been good enough to participate in international competitions, nor represent MLS…
Is Fred’s wife pregnant? are they expecting a baby? I read somewhere that they are expecting and that was in tribute to the expecting newborn. If that isn’t the case then it is very childish. I think Carlos Tevez also put a pacifier after a goal.
Are you sure he didn’t just have a baby (or someone close to him?)… it seems that was what the celebration was for.
On another note, Fred looked good in the attack but did anyone notice him repeatedly falling to the groud with less than emphatic tackles throughout the whole first half? I guess he’s not there to defend much, though, so carry on…
I see the correct score. My bad.
Juan Dixon,
Thumb sucking, while extremely excruciating to watch and shocking for most Americans, is in honor of the player’s baby or young child.
A very stupid celebration at home, why would you want to be quiet? Oh maybe because your not very good
DC wins ths cup this year in an all- MLS final
Who started the “I’m a baby” goal celebrations? I want to wait 3 years, go back in time, and show him how stupid he looks.
Wasn’t it a 1-1 tie in their first game in Jamaica?
that photo just proves what we always knew: DC SUCKS!
Gallardo almost DID sprinkle gold dust with that crazy volley after his free kick. That was sick.
Go Dynamo!
DC should be expelled from the tournament for using the pacifier goal celebration.
I absolutely want a piece of punk-ass Amado in the next round.