Sounders v DC United – Some Thoughts and Pictures

A Rare Editorial from Us – It’s Just Our Opinion This Time

Normally we just bring you the news on PA. We don’t deal with rumours or gossip, and try not to over editorialise. Occasionally, we’ll do a fun story but even less often do we just come right out and give our opinion.

First we should say, you are welcome to ignore it. Football is a game all about opinions. Not every journalist takes as much time out as we try to, to ascertain what fans are saying. We watch every away game in the company of ordinary fans of all ages. The opinions we hear are very different from the press box.

We’re also using this as a spurious excuse to show you a few photos.

Beware of Overreactions

Last night, Sounders played a 3-3 draw with DC United, top of the Eastern Conference. In our opinion, Sounders outplayed them in almost every facet of the game, bar percentage of chances converted. Some of the players in rave green were those rejected by other MLS sides. Others were guys brought up from the USL. Two are international legends. They were selected not by one maestro with a vision, but by a series of individuals who happened to be in control of player recruiting at any given time. No-one talks much about Chris Henderson these days. He, Adrian Hanauer and latterly Sigi Schmid all had a hand in putting this side together. At all points, they were hampered by what was available and of course the salary cap rule.

Last night Sounders played the most successful franchise in MLS history. We played them off the park. We thrilled 30,000 people. It would have been more had it not been for an enthralling game of children’s rounders going on at the time. (OK that’s the line that gets us the abuse. Baseball’s ok, but football’s just better.)

So firstly, there is nothing to be ashamed on in the result. 17 shots against United is great productivity. We also restricted the most potent offence in MLS to just three shots on target. We are doing plenty right. The one touch passing is a joy to watch and shows that Sigi is determined to play football the right way. Our so called mercenary, Freddie Ljungberg is prepared to get kicked on his highly marketable legs time and time again, and get up off the floor and keep playing for us. A freelance journalist from Sweden watched the game with us and was impressed by his level of persistence. Let no-one doubt his commitment.

Seb Le Toux covers every blade of grass for the cause and after a hesitant start, it appears Schmid has found how he can best be utilised to serve the cause. This site likes Seba. We are biased. We’re Europeans and so is he, but in the times we have spoken to him, his love for the Pacific Northwest is evident. It is due entirely to the welcome the people here have given him. One hopes he never stumbles across the Bill O’Reilly show by accident.

Brad Evans is probably the most underrated player on our side. We think we know why. From the lofty heights of the press box, we can see everything Brad does to protect team mates, provide alternatives when they are in possession and pressured, as well as what he does to link up full backs in possession, with creative midfielders wanting it. On television, we can’t see that. It’s not that Brad doesn’t perform away from home, it’s just that the full gamut of his purpose is harder to see on the small screen. But as Nate Jaqua attested to me, and we agree, when Brad plays well, the side plays well.

James Riley is improving with every game. What we think of yellow boots we will keep to ourselves, but as James’ confidence in his own ability increases, he begins to see that he possesses the ability to match it. Every time James gets forward, Sounders look dangerous. That is due to two things. James is a decent crosser of a ball, and Brad Evans (or latterly Stephen King) is always on hand to provide him with options.

No-one is in any doubt about the moral character of  Kasey Keller. This first registered with us at Kasey’s press conference, when Adrian Hanauer, in one of his very rare miscalculations, perhaps overestimated what a great ambassador and spokesman Kasey would be for Sounders FC. The guy just sat there and took it all in. When they finally handed him the mic, he said “I’m here to play.”

Kasey didn’t come here to do time before a lucrative media job. Kasey came here to make Sounders FC the most professional and efficient football team they can be. Last night, we witnessed his determination and his professionalism in equal number. After the match, press can access part of the locker room, where players can, if they wish, make themselves available for interview. When the team plays well, of course there are more there. The players are still getting to know us hacks and it will take time for a bond of trust to emerge that we won’t take anything they say out of context.

Yesterday, Kasey came in and pointedly sat there getting his civvies on, making himself available. The look in his eye could best be described as steely. This site approached him first.

Kasey then unburdened one of the most honest and eloquent critiques of what went right and wrong last night. No cover ups, no excuses. Kasey had a message for the fans and his teammates, and knew how to get it across. He also respects we have a job to do, and has never hesitated to give this website good coverage. He answered four questions with passion and anger, and then let us know he was done. It was a classy performance from a player who cares, and respects this young franchise. No-one will be volunteering to sit next to him on the plane to New York! But if Sounders FC improve in their attention to detail on Saturday, Kasey will deservedly take some of the credit.

Fredy Montero has come in for plenty of stick recently on fan boards. Some of it is well observed, but our fan base contains some who like to be abusive for the sake of it. Fredy has cut out many of the sins which fans were rightly upset about. Gone is the comical diving and rolling over. Absent last night was the shrugging his shoulders when he lost possession. He’s never going to be a great tackler, but he is making more effort at least to delay the opposition by fronting them. Last night, he brought back the magic with the third goal. There’s surely and hopefully more to come. It’s fashionable to blame Fredy. It’s also wrong.

Now, let’s get stuck in. There isn’t one easy solution for Sounders woes. If there were, Sigi would be implementing it right now. But we do have one suggestion to make. They’re athletes, not saints. Let’s get stuck in, and dish out some justice.

In a second half last night where we were defending a lead, Sounders committed just ONE foul. That’s one foul in the entire second half. Every other MLS side has a clogger. Chivas have several. FC Dallas have exuded cynical time-wasting even from substitutes. Let’s nominate one midfielder to interrupt the opposition’s rhythm – and most of all let their clogger know, Sounders don’t sit back and take it. It would make them think twice before hacking Freddie Ljungberg, if they thought their playmaker might get a dose back.

Nate Jaqua does it but centre forward is not the best position to be dishing it out from. Tyrone Marshall does it, but he only gets in regular contact with forwards. An experienced midfielder who knows how to interrupt the oppositions’ rhythm without picking up too many early bookings would help immensely. It’s a tactic that hasn’t let Chivas down. After all, we’re picking up red cards for Sweet Fanny Adams anyway. A yellow for making Landon Donovan run a step slower would be far preferable to a red for lamping an Art Garfunkel lookalike in the 92nd minute.

Other than that, the 3-3 draw with DC United was far from the end of the world. On a less good night for United keeper Josh Wicks, Sounders may have scored enough to overcome the problems that led to the concession of the late goals. A 5-3 win would have disguised some of the issues Keller related to, but no-one in the locker room would have believed everything was perfect.

Sounders very nearly beat the best side in the country. They outmatched then in several facets of the sport. Losing a 3-1 lead was horrible, but imagine how good this would look if the exact same events had happened in reverse order. We’d be praising Tyrone Marshall’s ability to overcome early tragedy to play a great game, we’d be delighted Sounders had fought back from 2-0 down to lead the game and most of all, we wouldn’t be letting our understandable disappointment at not putting the game away mask the fact that there were plenty of positives that we can draw from last night.

Now if we concede three goals to the Bulls, then return here for our full fury!

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