Alright so it’s no secret by now that DC doesn’t look very good. Is it Olsen’s absence? Fred’s poor decision making? Burch’s ambition to send those cross field balls? Who knows? But what could be said for sure is that United needs a change, and they need one quick. They have come out in the last two games playing a style of passing that in a lot of way’s doesn’t fit their roster. By keeping the ball on the wings and in the air they have essentially rendered players like Marcelo Gallardo, and Franco Niell useless.

I was skeptical of the Gomez trade when it initially went through. I was dissapointed, but had to shake my head and just go with the flow. Payne’s gotten it right before and I thought that we should give him and his crew the benefit of the doubt. But now I’m not so sure, Gallardo’s play has been particulalry troubling. On one hand: yes, he hasn’t gotten the kind of attention, or service in the middle that is needed for a player of his style, but on the other hand: he hasn’t worked hard enough the warrant that attention and when given the chance he has not shined terribly bright. He’s gotta step up. This next game against Toronto should reveal quite a bit of how United might shape up this year. With last year’s offensive catalyst (Gomez) gone, this team will need to prove to a home crowd that they are still a viable offensive threat. Moreno will be back (in one form or another) and that should certainly give Tommy Soehn a bit more breathing room than he’s had the past couple weeks.

With all of that being said though I think we still need to work with Gallardo. He’s a very talented player at the heart of it and we as an organization should incorporate him a bit more. This game may be a good time for the team to mix things up. It’s early in the season and there’s a lot of guys on this squad that are hungry for some time. I say give players like Carvallo, and Kirk a look. It’s a long season and we’ve gotta see what these guys can do when their off the bench. I’ll throw this lineup out there…

——————–Carvallo——————–

–Namoff—–Peralta-Martinez—–Burch–

——————-Strathford——————

–Kirk————Gallardo———-Fred—-

————Ouaranta–Emilio—————–

Yeah, it’s a bit out there but the guys out there last week didn’t earn the right to wear the shirt. Give em’ some time on the bench and see what happens. Toronto’s not terribly frightening and United needs a shake-up. I wouldn’t be surprised if we actually did see something close to this line-up out on the pitch tomorrow. Today United uncharacteristically held a closed door practice early in the season. I’d expect to see maybe everyone listed above out there with the exception of Strathford, although it’d be nice to get a look at what the kid has to offer. Either way it’ll be a good match and I for one am very excited to see where the team will go tomorrow. See you all there!

Since D.C. United began it’s quest for a new home inside the district many years ago, they have always had the support of Don Garber and the other owners within the league. There never once has been a sentiment shared (a least in the media) that could give the impression that United did not have their peers support… until now.

This week Major League Soccer’s current Commissioner Don Garber gave the keynote address at D.C. United’s annual United For DC Fundraising Luncheon. In the speech Garber spoke candidly on where United has been in it’s stadium search, and where they should go. For the latter it was the first time that Garber publicly expressed his obvious frustration with the situation at hand. “It’s frustrating and continually surprising to me that such an authentic team that is so deeply embedded in this community, that has been a great partner in the District is struggling to get a stadium built. And yet we have teams that are being launched around the country that have had a much easier and faster path. I applaud Victor’s patience and his willingness to continue to work through the process, but when you think about how great this could be, it’s disappointing that we are going to have to wait so far for that true vision of the team to be realized.”

It is quite a predicament he has on his hands. Garber has his arguably best team playing in a dump right now, and with as good as this teams front office “appears” to be, they haven’t gotten it done. Can Garber point the finger at Kevin Payne and blame him for this situation? Has United’s front office and their investors done enough? We may never know, but at this point in time it appears that the league may be loosing it’s faith in United’s under the table, slow and steady strategy.