D.C. in desperate need of a win Wednesday
Even as D.C. United struggled over much of the last two seasons, team president and CEO Kevin Payne staunchly held onto arguably his most important tenant: while much of Major League Soccer settled for defensive tactics, United always played attractive soccer.
With his team now in historically bad territory, that’s no longer the case.
“I don’t think we’ve earned the right to play good soccer,” said Payne on Tuesday, speaking for the first time on D.C.’s winless start to the 2010 MLS season. “It’s a little more fun to play that kind of soccer, and I don’t think that we’ve earned the right this year, and more the point, it’s not working so you have to do what works. If it’s not working, then you’ve got to try something else.”
With United (0-5-0) desperate for its first win or tie of the regular season against visiting Kansas City (2-2-1), Payne and general manager Dave Kasper defended their roster, which has been blamed as much for D.C.’s woes as the team’s play on the field.
“We believe in the players in the locker room on this team and we believe that we’re going to turn this thing around,” said Kasper.
United also continues to press forward with its overseas recruitment. Team technical director Chad Ashton returned Tuesday from a two-week scouting mission to Argentina. He’ll soon be traveling to Europe and Africa, including Ghana.
“I don’t think our problem is talent,” said Payne. “We could use some more talent in a few spots. But that’s not why we’re 0-5. We’re 0-5 because we haven’t been as competitive as we needed to be collectively or individually. It seems like every game there are four or five guys that don’t really show up the way you expect them to.”
Payne was then asked if the expectations for those players was unreasonable.
“Maybe. I do think there’s a point with certain players, a point at which maybe you have to say, ‘This is it. Maybe this is what we’re going to get, and maybe it’s not as good as we think it is.'”
