Matchnight: United-Jabloteh

First! Whooo!
Carried over from the WPS thread...

Szetela starting?!?!!?!

My first observation is Szetala is playing.

That's not too bad an 11, considering how many guys are left behind. Maybe they'll put together some quality. At least put some bite into the effort.

This is a very strong line-up. Thank you, DCU, for not wasting our time.

Surprisingly or not, DC United looks to be taking this match seriously. From the 16 players that we brought, it looks like our best 11 are starting. That's a very good looking starting midfield, even by MLS standards. Hopefully Szetela will show that he deserves to be in the lineup, and hopefully we'll get our first look at Shipalane in the 2nd half.

I'm good with that starting lineup. Let's see what Szetala can do.

Soehn will bench Szetela for failing to score a natural hat-trick in the first 15 minutes (he'll score 3, but one of them will come after a goal from Kocic on a freak bounce a'la Danny Cepero).

That said, this lineup looks pretty good, but I'd switch Wallace and Pontius, something I won't be surprised to see happen during the flow of the 1st half anyway.

Maybe this lineup will do better than the so called "fulltime lineup". If DCU fails tonight, they should be demoted to USL2.

One of the Jabloteh players name is Elton John.

The TV Graphic had Boyzzz wide on the right. That's a typo right...?

I didn't plan on watching, and then I saw the lineup, and it looks like we're trying. And now that I have a digital conversion box in my room, I've got this on the comupter and Puerto Rico on the tv

Biggest Loser is on, instead.

Is there anyone at this match???

4 people in attendance?

Attendance: 10-15?

wow...big crowd!

#10 has some killer dreads.

John will get BURNED out left if we don't swap Pontius and Wallace.

(Including the photographers)

vamos united!

i guess dc united isn't the most popular thing in the port of spain tonight...

The United (whoops!) twitter says they figure attendance at around 30 or 40

I know we joke about CCL, and if DCU could win, we would support it more -- but an international match is not more important in these smaller countries?

/sarcasm szetela sure looks like he's not one of the best 18 players on our team /sarcasm off

The attendance figure must include the players on the pitch.

Penalty created from Emilio losing the ball!

Very good work by Wallace...PK drawn by Emilio!

Penalty!!!!!

Um... from the first camera shots, is anyone in the stands?

Was there some kind of earlier fan trouble, so this will be behind closed doors???

maybe we're looking at their *quiet side*.
Maybe this game is overpriced, just like the matches played in the states....
What ever, DCU fans should be classier than being attendance knobs like all those pathetic Sounders "fans".

At least they have steel drums.

The Twitpic the team just posted shows the group of 35 or so sitting at midfield on the near side, out of camera view.

Gomez with a free kick in a dangerous area, and he hits the wall.

There are at least 15 people playing drums. Those plus the photographers, and the ushers, and there is probably at least 50 people watching the game.

I think I saw 3 people sitting in one of the corners!! Yesssss!

I've hear that this stadium isn't on a Metro line, and it's really far out in the burbs...

Well-in, dadryan.

Good work from Kocic there.

actually, all the fans are waiting in line for their $2 beers and hotdogs.

Puerto Rico up 1-0 on Cruz Azul

I think they never made it in from Lot 8

Three points here would be nice. I still think it would be cool to qualify for the next stage of the tournament.

actually, all the fans are waiting in line for their $2 beers and hotdogs.

Posted by: Sec131 | September 15, 2009 8:33 PM | Report abuse

I bet the beer and hot dogs will run out before most of the people get them.

A first-ever CCL win would be nice.

Cruz Azul levels it in the 34th

wtf

Thanks Kocic...and thank you ref.

Szetela with a BAD giveaway.

Kocic comes way out to clean up the mess. Ball off the post. Kocic with a yellow.

That yellow seemed a bit harsh

Puerto Rico grabs a second, up 2-1 in the 40th

If Avery John plays like this every night, I will nominate him for the Hall of Tradition.

Kocic makes his first mistake and gets chipped. Nice job by James to clear the ball off the line.

Someone w/ a save for DCU off the line....James...wow.

Another bad givaway by Szetela (i think). Good defensive play by James.

My bad, that was James that biked to save that ball on the goal line

3-1 Puerto Rico, this one is Adderly in the 45th

Kocic, love the knee when you jump, but you've got to jump straight up and grab it.

Hard luck for Jablome so far!

Szetela still finding the game. Hope he stays in 2nd half.

Emilio on an island up top and looking the part. Christian dropping deep and taking the playmaker role, but not enough productive runs being made. Kocic looking a bit chaotic coming of his line. Szetela showing decent control on the ball but disappeared late in the half.

DCU better be scouting the PR game.

Avery John has been dreadful.

Emilio looks slower than ever.

Jacobson isn't doing jack.

A lot of those mistakes you're attributing to Szetela were Jacobson.

Who's the ref for this game? He's equal-opportunity atrocious....

Am I too late for the Haywood Jabloteh joke?

Posted by: dimesmakedollars | September 15, 2009 1:35 AM
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Better you than me.

That first half was an utter embarrassment. I never thought I'd have to write these words, but this is how bad things have gotten: San Juan Jabloteh is a more talented, more dangerous side than DC United.

Puerto Rico Islanders up 3-1 at half over Cruz Azul. I'm pretty sure there is no combination of players or events which would have this year's DCU model beating Cruz Azul 3-1. We really stink.

Is it just me, or is Kocic awful? He has terrible hands, which would not be a problem for most soccer players...but, it's a career-killer for goalies. His instincts ain't so great either.

Jacobson is an oafish hack. He's Peralta, but with a booming shot over the goal.

Interesting game. Unlike usual, it's the right side of the DCU defense that is being regularly abused...

I'd rather see a booming shot over goal that is eventually going to go in than the tallest defender on the team scoring with his head on a below the knee header... Just saying. Peralta sucked, and I think that once Jacobson gets a bit more playing time and a coach that can help him build his confidence and stay focused on his composure he'll play an fairly important role on some team in the ever expanding MLS.

Gaudette's goatee seems to not be as big...

Did he shave earlier as a time wasting tactic?

Cruz Azul grabs another, Gaudette goes to get the ball so the Azul player can't run it back to the center circle, and this results in Gaudette being pushed into the back of his net, and a yellow card for the goal scorer/pusher. 3-2 in the 68th

I missed it what happened?

I think the referee just awarded SJJ a free kick for Kocic holding the ball too long.

Should that have not been a yellow?

It's been so long since Szetela played that I didn't recognize him with hair.

Cruz Azul ties it at 3s in the 86th.

Kocic already had a yellow, so maybe the referee thought he was doing Kocic a favor. Of course, Kocic really wasn't holding the ball that long.

Gomez with a great pass to Szetela to set him up for a scoring chance.....and he whiffs.

5 minutes left. Still 1-0 DC.

Who is this kid Szetela? Did we just sign him? I think he has potential. Seems like a straight arrow. With the minutes he's getting, it appears that he's already the coach's pet.

Wow. I don't think I've ever seen six seconds called in house league play.

Weird.

A pathetic show on many levels. DCU are shockingly bad.

Bad finish from Shipilane.

Gomez with another good pass.... and Shipalane can't score.

Hrmmmm, that bad huh?

Gomez with another good pass.... and Shipalane can't score.

Posted by: isaac101 | September 15, 2009 9:56 PM | Report abuse

It is part of this year's "We don't score goals" campaign.

Wow the refs were nearly impeccable in the first half, and just fell apart in the second.

Should be an early night for Goff! Only question is, can you give out NR's to players who ran the full 90?

Has there been any reliable info on why the stadium was so empty?

THree points. Not often we can say that.

Jeez, United was so bad they got only three points on the road, in another country, with most of their starters not playing. Sheesh, I love all the gloom and doom after a road win. You guys seriously didn't think United would win 3 or 4 to nothing with most of their starters hurt or resting did you. Jusy be happy for the win and lets hope for an end of the season run into the playoffs.

Has there been any reliable info on why the stadium was so empty?
Posted by: flike | September 15, 2009 10:23 PM |

The Sounders weren't playing?

OK, you earned this w/ last comment:

Why do you look so sad?
Chin up, don't you know your daddy is bad!
Give daddy a kiss, girl.
Aw, Dad!

?

this doesn't relate to anything but I miss Troy Perkins