And we’re not talking ties, that’s for sure.
Instead, how about the report from Soccer by Ives that former D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak is taking the same job in Philadelphia, where he’ll be the Union’s first-ever head coach. Current DCU head coach Tom Soehn: “I’m happy for him, if that’s the case. He’s had a lot of success in our league, and he knows the game. He’ll try to play, which I think it’s all our responsibilities to show that this league is attractive. I’m real disappointed in the way it happened with Salt Lake, the mentality. It’s not a good brand of soccer to watch when teams come and pack it in. Peter’s always tried to play so I think it’s adding one more guy who’s going to make the league attractive.”
Meanwhile, apparently some team called Real Madrid will face DCU at FedEx Field on Aug. 9. Here’s Soehn on the last match between the two clubs three years ago in Seattle: “It was a great game. They came out and scored, and we got one back and had some opportunities. It turned out to be a real entertaining game. Hopefully, it’ll be the same, and I’m hoping that some of the rumors of who they’re going to sign come true because I think it would be a great chance for our city to see some real stars.”
Now, back to more pressing matters, such as New England this weekend (I’m hearing, for one, that John DiRaimondo won’t be making the trip. Instead, he’s off to Richmond on loan.)
First, Soehn’s last word on last week’s 0-0 semi-stinker vs. RSL: “I still say it was the first game we underperformed. In all the other games, I could say we had about ten guys who stood out. In this game, I almost counted on one hand the guys that had good games, and you’re not going to win games like that.”
Soehn on his rotation of players within DCU’s attack: “I think any game, you kind of see what’s given to you, where you can break a team down, and who’s best suited to do that. I think in the last game against Chivas, we felt it was important to get Fred inside and move Tino [Quaranta] wide, and it ended up being something that really affected Tino more than it did Fred, where he got an assist and a goal. Having guys who can play multiple spots keeps other teams on their heels.”
