So, three weeks and three losses into the season, D.C. United will have its back against the wall when it faces Chicago on Saturday.
First, the defense is utterly threadbare, with Dejan Jakovic (red card), Juan Peña (hamstring), Bryan Namoff (head/neck), Marc Burch (foot) and Clyde Simms (hamstring) all sidelined.
It seems, then, that head coach Curt Onalfo will have little choice but to utilize a back line that consists of Devon McTavish, Carey Talley, Julius James, and Rodney Wallace.
Talley wasn’t in the team’s plans when training camp started this winter. But due to Namoff’s absence, McTavish was until he suffered his own groin/hamstring injury during United’s trip to Charleston. In just his second full week of training since, he’s anxious to prove himself again.
“I got pretty comfortable out there during preseason, and then ended up missing three weeks,” said McTavish. “I’m a guy that can lose it pretty quick so I’ve been trying to work and get it back. We’ll see what Curt decides, but I’m feeling pretty good.”
Onalfo is also facing serious decisions in the midfield, where despite his determination to get Santino Quaranta comfortable as a playmaker in the middle, D.C.’s offense only got going against Philadelphia once Quaranta was moved out wide right, Chris Pontius shifted out to the left, and Jaime Moreno came off the bench to play a hybrid attacking midfield/forward position. With Brandon Barklage (concussion), who can play in the middile but is potentially out this weekend, might D.C. opt to use 17-year-old Andy Najar in the center of the park?
The argument for that move is Najar has played in that position the last two reserve matches. The argument against, of course, is that he’s 17, and the jump from not playing last weekend due to a sore ankle to starting in the middle in an MLS match is a massive one, especially for a guy that Onalfo said he’s trying give as free rein as possible. And Najar’s pro career has been pretty up and down so far – he started against Kansas City but was pulled at half; came on late against New England; and then wasn’t included in the 18 last weekend due to ankle soreness even though he started in the reserve match two days later. That, too, could affect the youngster’s mentality.
It’s certainly plenty for Onalfo to deal with this early in his tenure.
Add Penalty Kicks to your RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Penalty-kicks
Follow me on Twitter: @craigstouffer
