Four Fs: DC United v. FC Dallas

With DC United’s comeback 2-1 win over FC Dallas in the books, the Four Fs looks closer…

Forward
While it’s hard to quibble too much with two second half goals, that this team ever trailed in this match is troubling. Similar to the New England match, DC United had outplayed its opponent, and still found themselves needing to score to level the match. Yes, Ben Olsen rescued them in stoppage against the Revs, and Jaime Moreno rescued them Saturday night, but should the team have required rescuing in either case? Coming from behind to salvage points feels great in the stands and while watching on TV, but it’s maddening from an overall perspective. There are only so many times DC can get away with it, and one of these matches they just aren’t going to be able to do it, at which point we’ll be left blaming the finishing, poor crosses, or Rod Dyachenko for the loss. In truth, this team does need to increase its finishing proficiency, especially when dominating the match, or else these 1-0 deficits that have been turning into 1-1 draws and 2-1 wins are going to become 1-0 and 2-0 losses.

First Off The Bench
It was a virtuoso performance by Jaime Moreno that brought DC United back from the depths. He’s healthy again, he was definitely rested after not playing in New York, and he was without question the man of the match. I felt like I was watching blond #9 Jaime again, and that feeling is one I’d like to have more often. While we can’t expect this from Jaime on a weekly basis, we should soak up his performance on Saturday night and hold it as one of his best ever considering the circumstances in which it came (the deficit, the win, that he isn’t exactly a spring chicken anymore).

Flank Play
Could the insertion of Christian Gomez as a second half sub be something we see a little more often? He was one of the game changing players from my perspective, brought in to hold the ball a little more, distribute it a little more wisely, and he also has a little experience playing the position. We’ve visited the issue over whether it’s wise to start Ben Olsen, Moreno, and Gomez all at once because you’re locking yourself in to subbing all or some of them before the initial kickoff. Yes, while Santino Quaranta and Chris Pontius have proved at least servicable in the central attacking midfielder role, it’s evident that they don’t bring as much to the table as Gomez. That said, it may be worth it, especially against the lesser competition of MLS, to try to rest Gomez for a match here and there and only bring him off the bench if necessary.

Final Score
The troubling lack of finishing and wasting of possession aside, it’s still a win and three points in the most crucial column of all. We shouldn’t be jumping up and down for joy, but perhaps a bound or two could be allowed because this team is tied for first in the East and tied for third overall in MLS. I’ll just leave it at that.