There is nothing more difficult than writing a post game match report after your team has been completely blown out. After watching DC United be dismantled 4-0 in front of their home crowd, not to mention a national televised audience as well, I find myself doing just that.
Fans at RFK started the match feeling positive and excited after DC’s win over Toronto just a few short days ago. Not even fifteen minutes into the match, Thierry Henry, the former Arsenal and Barcelona star, took advantage of a wide open header to give the visitors the lead early in the game. It seems that DC has not broken the habit of giving up an early goal. Not only will that take away from your home fans, but it can cripple any momentum you have. About twenty minutes later, Henry scoresd another goal to give New York a comfortable 2-0 lead. Both these goals were frustrating to watch because the DC defender, at one point or another, was not goalside on their opponent. That is a cardinal rule for defenders. It was also frustrating because DC was dominating the possession in the first half, leading 63-37 percent at one point. With those sort of numbers, opportunities are almost a must for a soccer team. The first half saw very few chances for United, and they went into halftime trailing by 2 goals.
The second half saw Dax McCarty getting subbed out in place of Branko Boskovic. This isn’t the first time McCarty has been subbed this year, and many are beginning to wonder if he is slowly losing his starting spot to Boskovic. United had more missed chances, such as Fred’s missed shot on an almost open net, and many chances at the end, including Boskovic’s free kick from outside the box. At one point near the end, I was convinced that the “soccer gods” were denying DC a goal because every shot was either miraculously saved, or went off the crossbar/sidebar. I was beside myself literally. The end of the match was 4-0, and if it was not for RSL’s Champion League run, this would be the talk of the town around the league. For all we know, it could still be.
A few things to note from this game: DC played like they were the away team tonight, which is never good. Even after the game had been decided with the third goal, many fans still stayed to watch and made a lot of noise. That takes guts and shows why DC’s fans are still some of the best around. Lastly, Juan Agudelo scored a beautiful goal at the end, and it warrants a mention in this report. I sincerely hope he continues to work hard and develop as a player. Even if he is a Red Bull.
It was an utter embarrassment Thursday night. I find it strange how a team can go from playing great to playing terrible so quickly. Nonetheless, it was hard to watch.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
