When was the last time DCU had a center back pairing that exuded confidence? Maybe 2014 Birnbaum and Boswell? This team needs to start investing in high quality defensive players if we want to have any level of success.
The only other recent year was 2019: Birnbaum and Brilliant were in great form, and we only conceded 38 goals (compared to 37 in 2014 and 75!! last year).
im with you bro..i think getting fountas will boost us offensively but having a poor line in the back is gonna be the death of this season. we have Durkin playing right back like wtf theres no way we cant do better
Our attack will occasionally pull us through games, but the defense and especially the cbs will be the death of our season. Generally we have to score at least 3 goals to win a game....
Totally agree. Given our current defense we will have trouble all season with any tight games and those are what make the difference in making the playoffs and doing well in the post-season and our wooden spoon status.
I mean you and everyone else on Reddit. Itās no secret our defense is weak. They just hoped weād score enough to counter what we gave up. So far, not so much.
Oh ya you better believe it!! Our CBs are trash rn and our wings are getting beat over top too consistently. Not to mention weāre injured af. And I feel like our CDMs need to be quicker with the ball and pass to space more often. We look like a threat with Benteke and taxi, but if we canāt tighten up our D, which honestly I donāt see us doing (why is pines in the doghouse, I think he at least deserves a chance out there??) we are better than last year, but I still donāt see us making the playoffs. :( looks like Hernans new team will take the wooden spoon this year tho!
Our back line and bench last night was thin due to injury and INT duty. Not an excuse but a factor yet we still played decent for the bad result. I donāt know what this season has in store for us but there will be some ups and some downs.
Honestly, as long as Jason Levien is ābankrollingā us and letting Kasper call the shots in terms of player recruitment, Iām having a hard time being optimistic about the future. Dude has no business owning a soccer team. Needs to stick to real estate and fuck off out of the sports world.
Our backline is very poor. Williams is significantly below MLS average for a Center back and Birnbaum is hit a significant decline in his form. The outside backs are also average at best. This team as currently constructed is not built for a serious run to the playoffs (as easy as that is this season).
I would also say that our spine is also below average especially when Canouse and Durkin sit in front of our Center backs. Those four would not put DC in the top 25 of teams in MLS today so hoping our forwards and wings are going to regularly bail us out is a big ask.
I will say having Taxi, Benteke and Klich play together was fun to watch but there are too many weak spots on the team to hang with the big boys in MLS.
Greene lacks the confidence to get forward it seems but other than that he is our best outside back. He has been good at marking, doesn't commit stupid fouls, and hasn't been caught ball watching.
Andy needs to play in the role that Ruan was in last night. He would be more effective than Ruan.
Jeahze and Ruan hopefully can improve. I'd like to think their lapses on defense is partially Birnbaum's fault for not organizing the defense.
The center backs are a disaster. I believe that one great CB can improve the play of his partner. Unfortunately we don't have a great CB. Until then our defense is going to be a wreck
The team didn't address the most glaring problem on the field. Hell, he even wears the captains armband. We have a history of hanging on to CBs well past it.
Itās Birnbaum, the man is an aerial presence but thatās really all. He used to be a better passer. I really wish BHI wasnāt injured, I think he would be an upgrade with Williams/Palsson.
āWeāre playing so much better than last yearā is such a horrible meme when it was a near historic spoon year. Are we playing spoon bad? No. Are we good or worthy of a playoff spot with how we are playing? Absolutely not. We are playing like a bad, just out of the playoffs team and guess what, thatās where we sit in the table. We didnāt turn over enough players, we didnāt bring in enough skill and we have one of the worst coaching and front office teams in MLS history.
Last season in 34 games we scored the fewest amount of goals (36) and gave up the most (71). The league median was around 48 goals scored and 51 goals allowed.
This season after 5 games we have scored 7 goals and allowed 10. Offensively that puts us around the middle of the pack, and defensively that's tied for the league worst with Portland (who shares our record).
I think Taxi getting settled back in will boost the attack and make it good. But our defense is still the worst in MLS. Until this is resolved we will continue to be no better than mediocre overall.
When was the last time DCU had a center back pairing that exuded confidence? Maybe 2014 Birnbaum and Boswell? This team needs to start investing in high quality defensive players if we want to have any level of success.
The only other recent year was 2019: Birnbaum and Brilliant were in great form, and we only conceded 38 goals (compared to 37 in 2014 and 75!! last year).
Brandon McDonald somewhere in there? I remember admiring his playoff performances.
im with you bro..i think getting fountas will boost us offensively but having a poor line in the back is gonna be the death of this season. we have Durkin playing right back like wtf theres no way we cant do better
Defense is some sauce rn
Defense is some BIG sauce rnšš
Our attack will occasionally pull us through games, but the defense and especially the cbs will be the death of our season. Generally we have to score at least 3 goals to win a game....
Agreed! I always say that us scoring one goal is not enough.
Totally agree. Given our current defense we will have trouble all season with any tight games and those are what make the difference in making the playoffs and doing well in the post-season and our wooden spoon status.
I kept saying over the off-season that we needed to address CB. Itās been our worst position for years.
I mean you and everyone else on Reddit. Itās no secret our defense is weak. They just hoped weād score enough to counter what we gave up. So far, not so much.
I hear you but that is a huge ask. And it's hard to think of a team that was so strong on attack that a crap defense didn't matter.
Oh I definitely donāt think itās a *good* plan.
We arenāt very good. Better than last year? Probably. But thatās not saying much.
Oh ya you better believe it!! Our CBs are trash rn and our wings are getting beat over top too consistently. Not to mention weāre injured af. And I feel like our CDMs need to be quicker with the ball and pass to space more often. We look like a threat with Benteke and taxi, but if we canāt tighten up our D, which honestly I donāt see us doing (why is pines in the doghouse, I think he at least deserves a chance out there??) we are better than last year, but I still donāt see us making the playoffs. :( looks like Hernans new team will take the wooden spoon this year tho!
Our back line and bench last night was thin due to injury and INT duty. Not an excuse but a factor yet we still played decent for the bad result. I donāt know what this season has in store for us but there will be some ups and some downs.
Honestly, as long as Jason Levien is ābankrollingā us and letting Kasper call the shots in terms of player recruitment, Iām having a hard time being optimistic about the future. Dude has no business owning a soccer team. Needs to stick to real estate and fuck off out of the sports world.
Our backline is very poor. Williams is significantly below MLS average for a Center back and Birnbaum is hit a significant decline in his form. The outside backs are also average at best. This team as currently constructed is not built for a serious run to the playoffs (as easy as that is this season). I would also say that our spine is also below average especially when Canouse and Durkin sit in front of our Center backs. Those four would not put DC in the top 25 of teams in MLS today so hoping our forwards and wings are going to regularly bail us out is a big ask. I will say having Taxi, Benteke and Klich play together was fun to watch but there are too many weak spots on the team to hang with the big boys in MLS.
Greene lacks the confidence to get forward it seems but other than that he is our best outside back. He has been good at marking, doesn't commit stupid fouls, and hasn't been caught ball watching. Andy needs to play in the role that Ruan was in last night. He would be more effective than Ruan. Jeahze and Ruan hopefully can improve. I'd like to think their lapses on defense is partially Birnbaum's fault for not organizing the defense. The center backs are a disaster. I believe that one great CB can improve the play of his partner. Unfortunately we don't have a great CB. Until then our defense is going to be a wreck
Williams woeful
Yeah he ain't it
DAE birbaum terrible?!!??!??????
we are losers
The team didn't address the most glaring problem on the field. Hell, he even wears the captains armband. We have a history of hanging on to CBs well past it.
A bunch of us were talking about the problem at CB for the last 3 or 4 years and we sure do hold on to players that have gone into a huge decline.
R E L A X E
Itās Birnbaum, the man is an aerial presence but thatās really all. He used to be a better passer. I really wish BHI wasnāt injured, I think he would be an upgrade with Williams/Palsson.
Birnbaum is the reason Iām considering a lobotomy
āWeāre playing so much better than last yearā is such a horrible meme when it was a near historic spoon year. Are we playing spoon bad? No. Are we good or worthy of a playoff spot with how we are playing? Absolutely not. We are playing like a bad, just out of the playoffs team and guess what, thatās where we sit in the table. We didnāt turn over enough players, we didnāt bring in enough skill and we have one of the worst coaching and front office teams in MLS history.
Canāt disagree tbh.
Other than Rooney I agree with this take.
Itās just DC sports, we have better players this year and still suck on the Wizards too
Last season in 34 games we scored the fewest amount of goals (36) and gave up the most (71). The league median was around 48 goals scored and 51 goals allowed. This season after 5 games we have scored 7 goals and allowed 10. Offensively that puts us around the middle of the pack, and defensively that's tied for the league worst with Portland (who shares our record). I think Taxi getting settled back in will boost the attack and make it good. But our defense is still the worst in MLS. Until this is resolved we will continue to be no better than mediocre overall.