Three up, three down on D.C. United’s 2-0 win over Philadelphia:
UP: Shutting down the Union in the second half was as important as scoring first – which United has done only three times season. D.C. is actually 3-0 when they score first and lead at halftime. But interim head coach Ben Olsen said he was more impressed with the shutout than Danny Allsopp’s two goals:
“The second half we come out with the right mentality, and I thought really dictated a good half of soccer,” said Olsen. “[We] killed the game in the proper way, the possession was right and the bite was there. I told the guys afterwards it’s been such a long, hard season it’s nice to be rewarded sometimes in a year that we’ve had very few moments of joy but to remember what it took, and it took 11 guys that did it.”
It was also goalkeeper Bill Hamid’s first shutout in league play – he’s done it twice in U.S. Open Cup matches.
UP: There’s never been doubts about Allsopp’s ability to finish, but both of his goals were created by the tireless work of Andy Najar on the right wing, not that there’s anything new or revelatory about that. If you put it on a plate, as both of Allsopp’s converted chances were against Philadelphia, he’s going to put them away. It was notable the way he celebrated the first goal, by simply raising his arms to say, “Finally.”
“I was struggling actually,” said Allsopp. “I’ve had a bit of a virus for a couple of days, and I was busting my backside to get in the box, and then it just fell for me there. It was more like a bit of a relief because I couldn’t be bothered running, I had no energy left.”
It still seems like there are times when Allsopp can be much quicker and more decisive with the ball at his feet, but perhaps Sunday helps breed confidence, which is as important as any other element of his game.
Meanwhile, with all the talk about Danny Mwanga running away with MLS rookie of the year, it would seem that Najar has something to say about that. There’s no argument who was the better player yesterday.
UP: Santino Quaranta got the captain’s armband for the first time, and wore it well. There’ve been times this season where it has seemed like Quaranta hasn’t been able to take his game to the next level, especially given the expectations he had coming into the year, which he began as the anointed No. 10. But he still remains one of the team’s most respected veterans, and Olsen seems to have found a way to tap into that status in a positive way.
”Tino’s been through a lot, and I asked him to be the captain, and he stepped up today,” said Olsen. “I think some responsibility for him is a good thing, and I think he showed that he is ready for that burden. Some guys get the armband and embrace it, and for some guys, it’s too much. I’m glad he performed well.”
“It was special,” said Quaranta. “It was my first one. You just want to lead the guys by example. If we can all come in here like we did today and look into each other’s eyes and know we fought for each other, then I’ve done my job.”
DOWN: Branko Boskovic and Pablo Hernandez aren’t living up to their paychecks. On the week in which their salaries were revealed by the MLS Players Union, neither Boskovic ($516,000) nor Hernandez ($249,000) produced. Boskovic was subbed in the 65th minute – in part a tactical move since D.C. was up, 2-0, but surely fitness isn’t the reason at this point – and Hernandez’s most effective play was the dummy that allowed Allsopp to score the second goal.
DOWN: The victory was against Philadelphia, only the second-worst team in MLS, ahead of D.C. A win is a win, but United isn’t all of a sudden any sort of contender.
DOWN: The timing for D.C.’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal isn’t advantageous. United plays at Chivas USA late Sunday night, leaving only one long travel day and one training session before hosting Columbus on Sept. 1. It will be interesting to see how Olsen deals with his players for these two matches, and he put it into context succinctly after the Union match.
“It’ll be a tough stretch, but the Open Cup is a big deal for us right now,” he said. “There will an emphasis on those games because frankly, it’s the only trophy we can hold this year.”
