Four Fs: DC United v. Real Salt Lake

RioTinto Stadium was the scene of DC United’s first loss of the year, a 2-1 defeat to Real Salt Lake. The Four Fs takes a closer look…

Forward
I would feel better about this loss if the offense hadn’t looked so anemic. Generating six shots, putting only two of them on frame, is not the stuff that wins are made of. To put it in further perspective, Louis Crayton made as many saves as United had shots overall. United had a number of corner kicks, yes, but too many of them failed to clear the first defender. Once Salt Lake leveled the match, my initial thought was that hopefully they could hang on for the draw. Once Salt Lake took the lead, I knew that there was no chance that United were going to salvage the point. It was one of those games.

First Off The Bench
Until all of our defensive midfielders and fullbacks are healthy and can play together for stretches of games at a time, I am accepting of the fact there will be lapses due to lack of communication or what have you. That does not excuse the criminal marking at the back, especially on long balls over the top from the flank, struck from the furthest-from-goal half of the United defensive half of the field. Time after time Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan were unmarked, drifting away from the back of a defender or just running unimpeded. Principally I remember when Findley had a header that was an easy save for Crayton because it was not well-placed, and Movsisyan striking the bar with a header, as times where United should have been punished, but escaped unscathed.

Flank Play
Is there nobody capable on this side of taking a dead ball from 35+ yards? Marc Burch, still riding his USOC success, is not getting the job done when it comes to quality service. Certainly someone else can just put the ball into the area around the penalty spot. It doesn’t have to have a wicked swerve or tremendous velocity. All I’m asking is that someone clear the first defender and give our guys an opportunity to go get it, instead of inadvertently setting up the counter attack for the opposition.

Final Score
I keep trying to come up with positives about this match, but I really can’t. That isn’t to say that it’s all doom and gloom, the sky is falling, and Soylent Green is people; it’s just that this was a singular poor match for DCU. The Pontius Excitement assist for Luciano Emilio’s finish was the high point of the night, and now the club will just need to regroup over the short week for New England on Friday night. It’s a loss, and they didn’t deserve to win.