A theory about the steaming pile of pooh at D.C. United

Back to back Supporters Shields in 2006 and 2007 isn’t exactly ancient history. The teams that won those trophies were a collection of a few great South Americans to complement a mostly American starting lineup.

I do agree with you on your two main points: That our history sometimes works against us, and that Goff’s excellent reporting builds hype. But I also think that our failures under the Soehn and Onalfo regimes can be attributed more to acquiring the wrong players, or playing the right players in the wrong positions. Castillo is no Gomez (circa 2004) and Allsopp is no Emilio (circa 2007). United has clearly taken a big step back in terms of international scouting. And if the team thinks that Quaranta/Pontius/Wallace is the next Gomez/Moreno/Olsen then they won’t be getting much better anytime soon.

Steve, I think you’re right on in saying that the emperor has no clothes, so to speak. I think there’s probably a very different perspective at this point between fans around the league and DC fans. If people out there still perceive United as having a leg up on player acquisition, then they haven’t been watching very closely. We’ve been as hit-or-miss as everyone else in MLS’s bland middle class.

Quick example of this difference in perspective: Revs announcer Brad Feldman mentioned that we were missing Marc Burch as a possible sign of weakness in our defense. Meanwhile, most United fans have long lamented Burch’s inability to defend consistently, his lack of quickness and agility, and his tendency to dive in rather than stay on his feet. It’s silly for anyone to think that Burch being out is a big blow. Yes, he’s a potential starter, but all that indicates is that our standards haven’t been high enough.

History and coverage do lend an air of elevated importance. I also have no problem admitting that, as a fanbase, we do feel entitled to a little more and also that we see ourselves holding a slightly loftier position than everyone else. Our early success has bred an arrogance throughout the club, from front office out into the stands and parking lots. I will bluntly state that I think DC is more important than a lot of other MLS teams, even with our recent failings.

I mean, look at what passes for failure here: In 2008, we won the Open Cup and missed the playoffs by 1 point by losing to Columbus 1-0 after hitting the woodwork 3 times and having Moreno, of all people, miss a sitter. In 2009, we made the Open Cup final and would have been in the playoffs if Wallace’s late shot is literally 1 inch further to the right in the last game at KC. A trophy, a final, and 2 middle-class finishes are not too bad for Dallas or Kansas City, but here in DC they’re received with the same kind of bile that San Jose fans had for their awful team last year. The standard here is higher, and it should be if we ever want to emulate the United of the 90s.

I still think this year’s squad will finish above the teams that are just crap, and below the teams that are actually any good. That’ll be somewhere between 6th and 12th, basically, just like last year and the year before. To me, that’s totally unacceptable and is also the main reason I didn’t want Onalfo in charge. I thought going after Porter was like swinging for the fences. Maybe he’d be in over his head, or maybe we really would be the smartest guys in the room. People from elsewhere often said that signing Onalfo was “the safe move,” which I never got. How is lowering our standard for success to “Let’s make the playoffs just barely and then see what happens” safe?

As for the specific players you mention, I think Allsopp is a bit underwhelming. I expect 5-8 goals from him, but on a team that will need to score frequently that’s probably a bit short. His miss just before halftime in Philly (with Seitz terribly out of position and an empty net beckoning) is really bothering me, and will until he does something to get it out of my head. Castillo is struggling to adjust to MLS, but I am being patient with him. Off the top of my head, I recall David Ferreira being pretty disappointing until the 2nd half of last season. It’s a different league, and Castillo’s international success came in a different formation (in El Salvador’s 4231, he was free to play a higher role on the left than he does in DC’s 442). I think there’s been a rush to judgment with him. Finally, Quaranta is one of MLS’s best right midfielders, but a) he’s not playing there and b) you can’t build your team around wide players.

DC has a good group of young players. The problem is that we need one or two more pieces that are better than that group to be the kind of team every United fan feels entitled to. Quaranta, Pontius, Wallace, and Jakovic would start on most MLS teams, but they would not be as vital as they are here. We have plenty of great soldiers, but we lack a general or two. That doesn’t necessarily mean a #10 (though in our particular case, it would be extremely nice to add one). What we need are a couple guys who can be the driving force of the team. Wilman Conde is a great example of such a player that defines his team despite not being a playmaker. We need players that our younger guys can look to for their cues. Big players make the small plays that change games, and right now we don’t have enough people making those plays.

I’m glad you picked Colorado out as a contrast. I do realize, to my great pain and displeasure, that the Rapids have taken more points than us in the last 2 years. It goes back to the talk of standards. If you’re within a point or two on either side of Colorado, you have not been a good MLS team over that period of time. Their organization has no ambition, and there seems to be no demand for more from their fans. Simply avoiding being the worst is good enough for them. To see them as one of our peers (an ever-so-slightly better-off peer, at that) is enough to cause me to lose sleep.