Danny Allsopp was a pretty good finisher. But he wasn’t a great striker, and that’s why D.C. United had to let him go, as they did officially on Monday – even though he scored in half of the team’s victories this season.
Allsopp finished tied for the team’s goal-scoring lead, but four of his five league goals came in two games, a 2-1 win over Kansas City on May 22 and a 2-0 win over Philadelphia on Aug. 22. What did I write after his brace against the Union?
“There’s never been doubts about Danny Allsopp’s ability to finish, but both of his goals were created by Andy Najar. If you put it on a plate, as both of Allsopp’s converted chances were against Philadelphia, he’s going to put them away.”
I also wrote: “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.”
Okay, nevermind.
Allsopp was an unfortunate victim of a D.C. United offense that lacked a central playmaker and was thus entirely too predictable throughout the season. Allsopp’s final goal came in D.C.’s surprising victory at MLS Cup-finalist(?!) Colorado, ending United’s decade of futility at the base of the Rocky Mountains. But it was a clean-up effort, not a thing of beauty. By then, Allsopp’s future wasn’t in doubt – it wasn’t going to be in Washington.
And it’s back to the drawing board for D.C.
