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Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
The Atlantic Cup, which D.C. United lifted last night
for the seventh time. (Photo: Aaron Morrissey)
In the infinite District/New York battle, soccer supremacy -- at least on the field at the club level -- has to go to D.C. After all, the Atlantic Cup, awarded to the winner of the season series between the two teams, has come back to United in six of the last seven seasons.
Make that seven of eight, as of last night, mainly due to the efforts of the new big man between the sticks, Josh Wicks.
"He manned the box very well. He really had a presence in the game, especially on a wet day," Head Coach Tom Soehn said of Wicks's performance last night. "He really stepped up."
On the other side, New York midfielder Jorge Rojas -- so instrumental in keeping the Cup game between these two teams from turning into a total laugher, was again at the forefront of anything the Red Bulls had going forward. In his first game back from suspension, it was clear that the Venezuelan was the impetus behind the Red Bull side. There were many examples -- as in the 14th minute, when he almost found striker Juan Pablo Angel unmarked in the box to take an early lead.
But for all Rojas's spark, New York's biggest problem so far this season has been conceding the first goal -- when doing so, they had been 0-7-1. Well, that, and the fact that they had yet to score on the road. Both tendencies reared roughly around the visitors on the evening.
Fittingly, it was United's answer to Rojas, Santino Quaranta, who broke through. Fred -- whose last two games have displayed a form sorely lacking so far this year -- dribbled delicately through the box, tiptoeing the end line and delivering a perfect cutback into the feet of Quaranta, on a bullet train towards goal.
Of course, 'Tino played it cool afterward: "[Fred] did all the work" -- but anyone who witnessed him steamrolling from the center line to the six-yard box could probably wax a bit more poetic about his part in the tally.
On such a rainy evening, staying afoot and working the goalkeepers -- with any kind of shot on target -- was going to be of vital importance. But the players didn't seem to mind; heck, some were outright excited. "It was beautiful, nice, wet, fast. I think that's the way every game should be played," said Quaranta.
Wicks was definitely in charge of the back line, making great efforts at the end of both halves in one-on-one scenarios: in the first, a crunching but legal tackle on striker Danleigh Borman which left the South African shaken; in the waning moments, a world-class save to deny the prolific Angel from notching a late equalizer.
"I feel personally that I had another good game, for my own liking," said Wicks.
United's midfield, especially those who had been inconsistent recently, also had a good game. At the half, Soehn brought on Christian Gomez to push for a second goal which would give D.C. their first win in more than a month -- and he almost delivered immediate dividends. The ball broke to him at midfield, and from thirty yards out, he tested Conway. The keeper was up to the challenge with a sprawling save, only to be tested again as the ensuing cross met Gomez's head and clipped the crossbar. On the wing, Fred's two-way play was excellent, and he was responsible for some top-class marking and distribution.
Chris Pontius also had a solid, if unspectacular game -- including a funny bounce in the 74th minute, which saw the ball deflect off a defender and come on a string to his feet. He broke away free on goal, but Red Bull keeper Jon Conway's face denied him glory.
A very strange series of events transpired after Emilio was subbed off for Jaime Moreno midway through the second half. The striker, who had certainly had a frustrating evening, took it out on some water bottles -- as a result, he was given a straight red card and ejected from the game. Luckily, United had already made their substitution, and were still able to play with eleven men. Officially, Emilio was booked for "abusive language," whatever that means.
Was it a perfect performance? No. In fact, there was basically an air of inevitability as New York pressed for an equalizer in the last fifteen minutes. Moreno's penalty -- well taken as it was -- was less a deserved climax and more United catching the opposition with their hand in the cookie jar.
But the team took three points, which, after a stretch of four points of a possible fifteen, has to feel good. As Soehn said, "we've had better moments soccer-wise, [but we] take a game and there's a real positives in that."
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Emilio's outburst was stupid. Fred needs to touch the ball as often as possible, as he seems to be one of the few United players capable of creating chances, as opposed to aimlessly booting balls vaguely into the vicinity of the opposing team's box.
The Atlantic Cup is a joke competition, but it always fun to use it in a joke about the Red Bulls. It was a fun match last night in the rain, glad I went.