Photo by ISIphotos.com
By TRAVIS CLARK
The stakes were still high for Saturday’s D.C. United-Seattle matchup despite no trophy on the line. With the playoff race tightening each week, both side needed three points in the worst way. The pre-match build up wasn’t quite the same the second time around, but the desperation was evident through the physical play of both sides.
Still, the contest was similar to the Open Cup final in several ways — not surprising, when you consider it was their second match in 10 days. D.C. dominated possession, yet failed again in the final third, while Seattle this time turned their chances into at least one goal in the first half.
The distinct contrast in strikers ended up making the difference in this one. While Montero’s run and finish earned the three points for Seattle, Luciano Emilio had another poor game. He missed two scoring opportunities in the second half that would have given United a lead; playing with his back to the goal, he often failed to retain possession on balls played to his feet, in one such case the ball glancing off his foot straight onto his face.
Some of the old players for D.C. showed their worth, with Ben Olsen testing Kasey Keller with some long range shots. While his mobility is obviously not the same, Olsen is still an important player in terms of team spirit. Jaime Moreno, while much slower, controlled the game well but almost took too long on the ball to strike quickly.
The lack of creativity in the final third has doomed United from almost the beginning of the year, and it was the same story Saturday. Emilio’s profligacy aside, Christian Gomez’s triumphant return was supposed to change amend an issue such as this one. Yet the midfielder was reduced to a short cameo towards the end of the game, with 2009 shaping out to be very much like last season.
Confidence continues to build for Seattle’s road form, as they improved to 3-0-1 on the road in their last four trips away from Qwest Field (including the Open Cup final).
However, they’ve struggled to score in Seattle, failing to score in their previous three league games at home. Kasey Keller was aware of that after the match.
“We haven’t been scoring the goals at home that we’ve wanted to — so we can’t just think ‘ok, now we’ve got good road form and now we just take for granted that we’ll go home and win’,” Keller said. “People enjoy coming to our house to play because of the crowd and the atmosphere so we have to continue to stamp our authority at home as well.”
So while the focus is on finishing out with three of five matches on the road, Seattle may be hitting their road form at just the right time.
D.C. can only be left searching for answers. It would be in their best interest to scrap the CONCACAF Champions League, and their playoff destiny is very much in question. They remain in the top eight, but only because they’ve played more games than anyone else in the league. Results will soon have to tip in their favor if they hope on staying in the mix.
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What did you think of the game? Think D.C. is going to miss out on the playoffs again? Is Seattle going to make it? Share your thoughts below.
Bud, your original post contained absolutely no animosity whatsoever. Just what has become the standard stupidity when it comes to discussing Sounders/United. Just drop the whole attendance thing; neither side of the debate can utilize it positively because the rebuttals on each side are too many. And one other thing: IT DOESN’T MATTER. Hate the United FO all you want; that has more to do with the product on the field than how many fans come to a rotting stadium to watch a team that has been mediocre for two years play in the midst of a city that has been very heavily affected by the worst recession since the Great Depression.
Leonardo, I’d say about 95% (if not more) of all United fans want Wicks gone. He’s a crazy and emotional guy who cannot control his temper, and therefore, until he learns to do so, has no place starting for any professional team.
Montero is a significant talent, but he’s also quite the diver (clutching your leg when Wicks stomps on, if anything, your hand or abdomen? C’mon…). I hope he stays here a couple more seasons to up the level of play in the league (though he will undoubtedly hurt United several more times in the process), but he’ll be in a top European league soon enough.
…ok back to soccer.
Montero is awesome. he owned Wicks. i think Wicks is a punk who has some nasty alien in his neck that possesses him in wild fits of rage. Montero retaliated getting stepped on by wiggidity wacko wicks with a BADASS goal; pure class. dont know why peeps keep calling out Montero; he just proves himself on the field time and again.
Had no idea that the $2/$2 thing was a sham. If that’s the case, I just lost some respect for the DCU FO… and I liked them. And I’m a Sounders supporter.
Kfly- when your effing front office is such jerks that they promote $2 beer and hot dogs for a month leading up to the Open Cup Final, and then during the game, there is no such thing as a $2 beer and the $2 hot dogs are a freaking 10 minute walk away (during which you have to talk your way past a bunch of security guards who insist you can’t leave the area) then you have to expect some animosity.
Cheap, dishonest, pathetic, threatening jerks.
Rastafari- Namoff?! When has Namoff ever said anything controversial? Could you please give an example of when he has “run his mouth”, because I am, to be frank, utterly bewildered that someone would accuse Bryan Namoff of trashtalking. Maybe I’ve just been blinded by my respect and admiration for him, but I’ve never heard or seen anything that would lead me to believe he’s that kind of guy.
SeattleStan- Well, I can’t say I’ve seen much of the attendance talk coming from the United fans (I mean, it wouldn’t make sense, would it? Seattle clearly has the best atmosphere and the highest average attendance in the league- the only thing we can argue is that our fans are more passionate, which is entirely subjective and probably something nearly all Seattle fans disagree with), but we’re on the same page. A lot of this “rivalry” has been caused because of the silly argument about who has the better fans. Who the f*ck cares?! Right now, Seattle clearly has the edge on the field. That should be all that matters. But to so many people on both sides, proving how super fantastically awesome their own fans are and how the other teams fans suck (something which is true for NEITHER side) seems to have priority over the product on the field. It’s ridiculous. If we’re going to have a rivalry, which appears to be the case, can we please not center it around the tiresome arguments about fan quality/passion?
Sorry for that unnecessarily long rant, but I’m getting pretty pissed off about this whole thing haha. I think I’ll hit the sack now to prevent any further tirades on SBI or elsewhere.
When I saw the replay and Namoff was the one burned by Zak… I had to laugh. That guys mouth is always running faster than he is.
I’ve found all 3 Sounders/DCU games highly entertaining this year. DC played better on Saturday than they did during the Open Cup final, especially in the 2nd half. I was impressed with the officiating too. It was a physical game, but he let it flow and didn’t let it turn into a broken up card fest.
Also I did’nt see “all the smack DC fans were talking”. Ive seen mostly Seattle fans exaggerating everything and picking fights. DC “trash talk” has mostly been passionate fans defending themselves and their storied team after being constantly egged on by Seahawk fans with a newfound hobby.
This only continues with more attendance doubts.
“I was not aware DC was that old, wow.”
Yes, we are almost all past our teens.
In reality DC needs to win out the rest of their games to be a playoff team. With the schedule remaining it should be do-able but wear and tear may have them miss out on the fun again.
Even if they do make the playoffs would they have enough energy left to put forth or an even tighter roster due to injuries after needing full effort in the remaining reg season and concacaf games?
Ives, Any word on what DC’S “elders” might decide on after an even slower year?
I expect Moreno Olsen and Gomez are all contemplating the big R.
Kfly, to be fair, I’ve seen quite a bit of attendance comments from DC fans. I agree though, it shouldn’t really be relevant. It cracks me up about the numbers FOs try to announce sometimes. I was in Dallas for an FC Dallas game and they announced 12,000 and there honestly couldn’t have been more than 5k. Which is too bad, I wish ever team had more support.
^ I believe the crowd numbers are a continued feeling of being slighted for not being able to host the open cup final.
I don’t care, Seattle is the only MLS team to beat DC at home in league play. I’ll take it. I was not aware DC was that old, wow. But I guess that is what happens, send them to the nations capital and wait for them to get retire or die, no other way to leave office. Works for Politics, works for United.
Was the 19,000 attendance figure a head-count for the day’s game or simply a cumulative monthly total?
Posted by: bud | September 14, 2009 at 01:14 PM
Actually, it was neither! It was, in fact, irrelevant!
Man. A lot of you Sounders fans are getting annoyingly cocky. You won the game. Twice. Congrats. Can you leave us alone about our supposedly low crowds now? Those of us who care do the best we can.
was at the game. good amount of people there. was glad to see that. but man, DC United looks so slow compared to Seattle. There were a few bright spots (Pontius, Wallace, and even Santino) but that was about it. DCU is becoming as old as LAG. Get some youth already!
@DC Josh: I would suggest that Namoff is not part of the problem. Our highest-paid players not performing is.
And Avery John is a bit player. Nobody in their right mind would expect him to be influential
This is why DC sucks:
Emilio: 30+
Fred: 30+
Gomez: 30+
Moreno: 30+
Olsen: 30+
Namoff: 30+
John: 30+
NO SPEED = No dimension besides passing it square, can’t get behind defenses, no goals.
DC showed spirit the second half and that it can play competitively to win, even with the Brazilian duo. Unfortunately, Soehn killed the dynamic by making the two late substitutions, which resulted in a break in flow and a quick goal for Seattle.
We definitely need to upgrade our top paid players – they are no where producing the quality play they should at that level and salary.
Doesn’t seem like there’s such a thing as an easy game, or an unimportant one in the run-in .
Not pretty, but three VERY important points. I’m not so concerned about the Western Conference standings, I’m concerned about Colorado and Chivas coming on strong with matches in hand.
Need to keep the wins coming to hold our playoff position, and it all starts with a revenge match this Saturday….
In the second half DC settled in and played some good football. That was a very good half of football from both sides (first half was very scrappy). Setting up, knocking the ball around. Really exciting, nice pace,e tc.
Problem with DC in the end is that they have pissed away $1.2m on Emilio, Fred, and Gomez (who is a shawdow of the player who tormented everybody a couple of years ago). I can see Moreno and Gomez as being useful roster guys at lower salary slots (not at $325k like Gomez is currently). They are both cultured players and can add value to a roster.
But if you are expecting to make the playoffs wiht Gomez as your 10, you have issues. If Fred is supposed to be that player who can break down opponents, you have problems. If you Emilio is your poacher who will steal a game you have problems.
What DC is lucky though is that they have pieces. Quaranta is garbage, but can play. Pontius definitely can play. Same with Wallace.
If they can replace Emilio and Fred and upgrade Gomez, there are enough complimentary parts on the roster for DC to have one of the top offenses in the league.
Wicks in goal is a loose cannon though, and the issue of depth on the backline is huge…there is none (which honestly has been a problem for as long as I can remember…at least since Nelson left). Namoff doens’t really impress me either.
Was the 19,000 attendance figure a head-count for the day’s game or simply a cumulative monthly total?
Wicks didn’t attempt to injure any of the Sounder’s players this game. So I count that as a step in the right direction HAHA
Very important win for my Sounders, but they need to keep it up to stay in the thick of a tight Western conference.
Also, after all the smack DC fans were talking prior to the Open Cup, it’s really sweet to go into their house — twice — and beat them. Maybe now they’ll start taking Seattle seriously.
i have enjoyed watching these two teams play against each other this year.
An ugly loss. We just don’t match up well for speed against Seattle. I thought we actually held our own pretty well, esp. given that we were missing Jakovic and Burch on our back line, and I thought we’d end up with a point.
Oh well.
It seems unlikely that we’ll make the playoffs.
We would prefer not to look back thank you very much.
I think Seattle learned two valuable lessons against San Jose (A): First, that teams are going to get rough when playing at home and that the ref isn’t going to bail you out on the road.