Title 5 for United this year?

[Hokie_Skinz]

What do you guys think? Can the Red and Black make it back to the Championship game and win it for their 5th title in 11 years? It's going to be tough without Eskadarian(sp?). But United has loaded up with midfielders in the Draft.

Hopefully they can avoid the slow start that seems to be the trend the last couple years, and just stay consistent all year.

[tundey]

From what I hear, Eskadarian is very close to being back (85% or so). I think if they can avoid the complacency that crept in late last season, they definitely can win the cup. This is the MLS where, save for DC United a few years back, there hasn't been a dominant team. The phrase "league of parity" applies even more to the MLS than the NFL.

[Hokie_Skinz]

I think the biggest problem United has is Nowak. He is a good coach, knows where to put the talent...he just doesn't seem to have the team playing as disciplined as Arena did. That is probably the biggest reason for that "lull" you were talking about. Clearly Nowak just can't seem to keep the team playing as a team for a full season.

At least to me that is the most apparent problem. When they started losing their passing and exectution got very sloppy. Then they would get it back together, to me that is a problem that is the coaches to address.

[Section106]

I think the biggest problem United has is Nowak. He is a good coach, knows where to put the talent...he just doesn't seem to have the team playing as disciplined as Arena did. That is probably the biggest reason for that "lull" you were talking about. Clearly Nowak just can't seem to keep the team playing as a team for a full season.

At least to me that is the most apparent problem. When they started losing their passing and exectution got very sloppy. Then they would get it back together, to me that is a problem that is the coaches to address.


The problem with Nowak is that he didn't know when to rest his starters. United played in 4 competitions last season; the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Copa SudAmerica, the US Open Cup, and the MLS regular/post season. Last season was also the first year of the reserve league, which United won by the way. The lack of discipline was really just tired legs after playing 50+ matches. Christian Gomez was hurt at the end, as well. He had hernia surgery in the offseason. Kevin Payne has stated that he wants more rotation and I'm waiting to see if Nowak takes his boss' advice. That will be the test to see if Nowak has learned anything from last season.

As for the level of play, DC had its best defensive year ever and was the leading scorer during the regular season. Nowak is a good coach, make no mistake. His only failing, in my mind, is his inflexibility.

The club signed Lucio Filomeno, an Argentine forward that has played at the highest levels in Mexico, Italy, and South Korea. He was Ronaldo's understudy at Inter Milan. He scored United's only goal the other day in their friendly against Getafe of La Liga. He scored another but was ruled offside. We need an answer at left back more than anything. I can't wait for April 2nd.

[IM A REDSKIN FAN]

Wow...I was a little kid when DC was a Beast with the "Magic Triangle" of Moreno,Etchevery and Diaz Arce....I rarely watch them (DC and MLS) anymore though....

[justin_totti10]

i duno why but MLS bores me..its all about the italian league Roma and Totti are unstoppable

[Hokie_Skinz]

The Italian League bores me to death. I like the EPL, Bundesleague, and MLS.

To respond to Section, being in Blacksburg I don't hear much about DC United outside of their season games, and what I happen to catch online. I didnt' realize United played in that many tournaments outside of the Regular season. What you said makes alot of sense as to why United played poorly during the season. Tired legs can make a huge difference.

[Big C]

la liga is where its at...seria a is boring. la liga is exciting, ronaldinho...amazing

[Loxley]

The english premiership, indeed, english football in general is about 6 million times better than the european ones. To you guys over there i guess Britain gets lost in that big blob you think of as Europe. To you Great Britain is just that smiling man on the tv stood next to George Bush.

I know very little of MLS but stopped by here to learn and see how similar our own game is to your adaptation. The english game is far more brutal and violent than the european version, im surprised more americans dont follow that than the european leagues honestly. In Spain and Italy etc the style is different, a lot more finesse some might say, more free flowing passes around the field but also unfortunately.... a lot more diving.

A lot of foreign players come to play in the english league and enjoy it immensely, its hardnosed football, some dont cut it but thats just par for the course with any sport i guess. On the whole though, if you want roaring crowds, punishing tackles, lightning reflexes and the glory of goals then theres no better league in the world than the one here in the uk. The premiership is football at its best.

[Section106]

The english premiership, indeed, english football in general is about 6 million times better than the european ones. To you guys over there i guess Britain gets lost in that big blob you think of as Europe. To you Great Britain is just that smiling man on the tv stood next to George Bush.

I know very little of MLS but stopped by here to learn and see how similar our own game is to your adaptation. The english game is far more brutal and violent than the european version, im surprised more americans dont follow that than the european leagues honestly. In Spain and Italy etc the style is different, a lot more finesse some might say, more free flowing passes around the field but also unfortunately.... a lot more diving.

A lot of foreign players come to play in the english league and enjoy it immensely, its hardnosed football, some dont cut it but thats just par for the course with any sport i guess. On the whole though, if you want roaring crowds, punishing tackles, lightning reflexes and the glory of goals then theres no better league in the world than the one here in the uk. The premiership is football at its best.

MLS can be pretty brutal sometimes. Our season is in the summer so it isn't played at the blistering pace of some matches in the EPL but it is still a fast game as American soccer is predicated on running and physical play.

Jaime Moreno, DC United's captain, played for Middlesbrough and when I asked him how MLS compared to the EPL he replied MLS is more physical. He is our captain because of the departure of Ryan Nelsen, who is now anchoring Blackburn Rovers backline.

Other former MLS players in the EPL - Brad Friedel(Blackburn), Brian McBride(Fulham), Simon Elliot(Fulham), Shawn Bartlett(Charlton), Tim Howard(ManU).

Reading FC has a former DC United starter in Bobby Convey and former MLS keeper Marcus Hahmeman. It looks like Reading will be promoted next season.

The biggest hurdle American soccer & MLS faces now is money. We don't have the funds to pay top talent. That will change however as MLS's business model is moving succesfully to fruition. If you get a chance to visit let me know and we'll go to a match. You'd like the DC United home match experience. We don't draw like the EPL but we have die hard, passionate, and downright crazy supporters.

And as far as how an MLS team would match up against an EPL team, we lost to Chelsea last year in a friendly. However, Chelsea made 11 substitutions in the second half. We beat Spurs in London and in DC, beat Blackburn in DC, beat Forest, tied Leeds, beat Newcastle. These were all friendlies. With the exception of the Spurs match at home all were in your pre-season. The Spurs match was two weeks after your season and Totenham played their starters. It was a hotly contested match and very exciting. I hope this helps. Cheers.

[Loxley]

wow, nice one. I knew Brad Friedel and Brian McBride had their historys started in mls, but didnt know of the others.

Reading have indeed secured promotion to the Premiership, though many people think they wont stay there much more than one season. You guys beat Forest.... :(

Bah well i guess it was bound to happen, we are in league 2 at the moment (3rd league in the order of things) but we are making a comeback.

Yeah id love to go to a proper MLS game tbh, ive been to some awesome ones over here, i think it would be interesting at the very least to see how you american guys do it. Id love to go to a Redskins game too. Hopefully the end of next year i should be able to get over there, im gonna miss the coming season unfortunately i think due to work committments but still. Thanks for the replies anyway. It was an interesting insight into "footy" across the pond.

[Hokie_Skinz]

Yeah id love to go to a proper MLS game tbh, ive been to some awesome ones over here, i think it would be interesting at the very least to see how you american guys do it. Id love to go to a Redskins game too. Hopefully the end of next year i should be able to get over there, im gonna miss the coming season unfortunately i think due to work committments but still. Thanks for the replies anyway. It was an interesting insight into "footy" across the pond.
American Soccer has gotten so much better than what it used to be. 10 years ago when the MLS was formed I was fortunate enough to go to DC United games. The pace was slow, sloppy, and rather amateurish if you ask me. They played a style my old soccer coach (played for the Hotspurs) called kickball. Just kicked the ball downfield and chased it.

Over the years, American style soccer has evolved and become more of a physical control style. Finesse and overal aestetics of the game are no where near as polished as Brazilian or English style, but it is coming along. I believe recent success for the American National team shows the progress.

As for coming to the States to see a game, you have to watch DC United, LA, or the NE Revolution if you want any sort of atmosphere. But if you had the choice, go to a Redskins game...it would be much more exciting and there would be a much better crowd dynamic.

[Big C]

Loxley...premiership players dive a lot now also...robben, wright phillips, cole, drogba...

[Thanos]

The problem with the MLS series is that the fees for transferring players is laughable.Until the series is financially vialbe it will have the look of a hooby ,than a full fledged league.I did like the friendlies agianst Chealsea,Real,Fulham and AC Milan.

The EPL seems to be having problems with overexposure from what I;ve read.Games going unsold and smaller clubs catching hell.Few have Chealsea's deep pockets.But Wigan and now Reading prove that anything's possible.