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Mixing it Up in DC

News   September 12, 2009 at 10:54 am SoundersNerd

Sounders, 8-6-10, 34pts, 4th place Western division

vs

DC United, 8-5-12,  36pts, 3rd place Eastern division

4:30pm. At DC.

Last meetings: 9/2/09, Open Cup Final, Seattle 2-1

It’s been so long.  Who are the Sounders?  I mean, the NFL is starting and Vick is back doing whatever and who are the Sounders?

What were they doing?

Oh yeah, they beat DC in DC in the Open Cup Final.  That’s the team I want to recall, not the other one.

Since then, tragedy has struck part of the world and euphoria in the other via the World Cup qualifiers. The US is on the path to be the least deserving team in the World Cup, with an insipid 1-0 victory over Trinidad.But I digress.

marshall
Tyrone Marshall, Photo by Jack Hunter

Just like ten days ago, we’re playing in DC against DC again.  But unlike ten days ago, Ljungberg is out for multiple yellows. Hurtado should be playing, as should Marshall, but oddly, they’re both absent on the lineup posted on SoundersFC,  instead starting with Wahl and Ianni.  They proved themselves last time, so I’ll wait before cringing.

Most importantly, the Sounders are floundering in the playoff standings, falling now to seventh out of eight places. At least the trend now has been to excel in games that matter away against tougher teams (Houston, LA, now DC). Another trend is mixing it up and deviating from the standard lineup.  We started with LeToux and Vagenas against DC, and Levesque against Houston, our last two good games. Perhaps that’s the formula for victory.

I hope so, as only one team has beat DC at RFK and DC is desperate to not let us do it again.


  • grass rooter

    Also in DC:

    Tea baggers, 2, Black Family Reunion 1.

    In terms of getting attention on cable.

  • grass rooter

    Also in DC:

    Tea baggers, 2, Black Family Reunion 1.

    In terms of getting attention on cable.

  • brokejumper

    You like your hyperbole…

    The US is on the path to be the least deserving team in the World Cup

    The US is on top of the group and even if you don’t like the “win ugly” style, they are winning. What is more, is that our heavy emphasis on counter-attacking football is pretty much guaranteed to make us look much better than our talent against better teams (Spain, Brazil, etc – Have you forgotten the Confed Cup already?) and much worse against the minnows who put very little into the attack.

    Settle down Soundersnerd and enjoy the show. We are not great but we are pretty good – and sometimes that is enough to go pretty far. (See 2002)

  • brokejumper

    You like your hyperbole…

    The US is on the path to be the least deserving team in the World Cup

    The US is on top of the group and even if you don’t like the “win ugly” style, they are winning. What is more, is that our heavy emphasis on counter-attacking football is pretty much guaranteed to make us look much better than our talent against better teams (Spain, Brazil, etc – Have you forgotten the Confed Cup already?) and much worse against the minnows who put very little into the attack.

    Settle down Soundersnerd and enjoy the show. We are not great but we are pretty good – and sometimes that is enough to go pretty far. (See 2002)

  • SoundersNerd

    No, I hold my ground on that statement, and it’s not hyperbole: what other team can get into the World Cup playing as lazily and half-heartedly as the US? Every other team has to work their asses off as the competition is fierce. We were pathetic against Trinidad -they even out shot us the first half. Last time we played it was 3-0. This time it was barely 1-0.

    I realize this is due to the weakness of CONCACAF, but I expect better. I can only hope that Bradley is running through variations of the B Squad to see who’s worthy of the big games. Then again, I hope we get a real coach by next summer, which I guess is all but an impossibility now.

    We CAN be good -2002 good- but more often than not we stink, like ’98 and ’06.

  • SoundersNerd

    No, I hold my ground on that statement, and it’s not hyperbole: what other team can get into the World Cup playing as lazily and half-heartedly as the US? Every other team has to work their asses off as the competition is fierce. We were pathetic against Trinidad -they even out shot us the first half. Last time we played it was 3-0. This time it was barely 1-0.

    I realize this is due to the weakness of CONCACAF, but I expect better. I can only hope that Bradley is running through variations of the B Squad to see who’s worthy of the big games. Then again, I hope we get a real coach by next summer, which I guess is all but an impossibility now.

    We CAN be good -2002 good- but more often than not we stink, like ’98 and ’06.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com/ Gomez

    Sounders soccer is fun to watch, while American soccer in general, like Latin American soccer, is unwatchably boring. Too much sitting back, plodding with the ball and playing not to lose. I hope the Sounders can somehow influence MLS and American soccer in general towards a more free-flowing, upfield, entertaining form of soccer.

  • http://gomezticator.livejournal.com Gomez

    Sounders soccer is fun to watch, while American soccer in general, like Latin American soccer, is unwatchably boring. Too much sitting back, plodding with the ball and playing not to lose. I hope the Sounders can somehow influence MLS and American soccer in general towards a more free-flowing, upfield, entertaining form of soccer.

  • jns

    hey SoundersNerd,

    help a rookie soccer fan understand: if a win = 3 pts, and a tie = 1 pt, where do these totals come from, in terms of standings?

    Sounders, 8-6-10, 34pts (30 pts?)

    DC United, 8-5-12, 36pts (29 pts?)

  • jns

    hey SoundersNerd,

    help a rookie soccer fan understand: if a win = 3 pts, and a tie = 1 pt, where do these totals come from, in terms of standings?

    Sounders, 8-6-10, 34pts (30 pts?)

    DC United, 8-5-12, 36pts (29 pts?)

  • SoundersNerd

    8 wins, 6 losses, 10 ties
    8×3 + 6×0 + 10×1 = 34.

    I think you think the middle number is ties, but its losses.

  • SoundersNerd

    8 wins, 6 losses, 10 ties
    8×3 + 6×0 + 10×1 = 34.

    I think you think the middle number is ties, but its losses.