Quarter Volley

The way this season has gone thus far, I never thought I’d be disappointed in a draw at New England, but I am. For about an hour last night, DC United was dominant offensively. They moved like a well-oiled machine and, if not for Matt Reis standing on his proverbial head, would have scored four or five goals. I wasn’t even really that worried when New England scored its first goal, not because of the confidence I have in this team this season, but because of the confidence they’d given me that game. I was convinced the three points were coming.

Of course I was wrong. Some of the problems that United have faced all year reared their ugly heads once more. Zach Wells’ command of the penalty area was improved, but not where it needs to be. Bryan Namoff’s failed clearance on the near goal at the end of the first half almost erased United’s halftime advantage. Fred failed twice to clear the ball on Adam Cristman’s goal to cut the deficit to one, and Namoff kept Cristman onside, and he must’ve known it too as he was the only deep defender not running with his arm up. I can’t fault Wells for the first goal, as he was essentially hung out to dry by poor defending, but how much of the second goal was his fault? It looks like he misjudged the cross, starting to come out from the goal and then making for the far post. It’s unclear whether he would’ve been able to stop the first headed ball from Jeff Larentowicz, who abused Santino Quaranta to put it back across to Kheli Dube, who ran past not one, but two DC United players who barely breathed on him to find himself unmarked to to level the match. I don’t expect this team to be perfect, but these little mental errors or mistakes in execution showed up at the wrong time and cost the team two points.

It wasn’t all bad. DC United became only the second team to score more than one goal on the Revs at home through fluid and dangerous attacking that had me on the edge of my seat. It felt like every time United got within 30 yards of the goal they were getting a shot off that would test Reis. Luciano Emilio looked as alive as he has all season, dribbling defenders and making space to get off shots, and he was in the right place at the right time to score the initial goal. New England looked like it had given up as Fred slammed home the third effort of a brief assault on the Revs goal, as the defenders seemingly forgot he was there and watched as the ball flew across the line to extend the advantage to two. Domenic Mediate, playing centrally in the back, looked fairly comfortable for someone I thought was a wide midfielder. Again, Wells was better, but not as good as he needs to be.

There were pluses and minuses to come out of this match, but after watching that performance I feel a little bit better about the team than I did after the 2nd Toronto match. I didn’t expect the draw, but I got it, and if you told me 24 hours ago that I’d have it I would’ve taken it. But now I’m a little disappointed. And that by itself, that I’m disappointed that we only took one point away from New England on the road, is a good sign.