(Get) A Sporting Life

...just took the worst penalty kick in the history of bad penalty kicks. I'm pretty sure a dead goalie propped up into a standing position also would have made the save, as would a box of newly born kittens. No more Espindola penalties please.

Watching DC United get hammered at RFK tonight is thoroughly depressing. (As I write this it is 4-0 Houston going into injury time. I'm praying for the final whistle.) The team will soon be 1-8-1 for the season and it doesn't seem likely to get any better. Indeed, there seems to be a singular lack of effort being put forward by the organization. I'm not saying the players are not trying, they very obviously are. You could see it tonight as United came out in the second half and dominated play for 20+ minutes, racking up shots and corner kicks but not goals. As always happens when teams are going bad, Houston got their first chance of the half and buried it. No, the problem comes from an organization that seems a little disinterested in the quality of the on-field product. It seems most of their effort is going into getting a new stadium for the team, which is all well and good as far as that goes. However, the team has been left to wither on the vine. It has also becom...

This just may be the worst DC United team in the history of the franchise. I take that back. This IS the worst team in the history of the franchise. In fact, it may be one of the worst non-expansion teams in league history. The worst thing? Its still only freakin' April. We have months more of this crap to watch.

Congrats to DC United! They didn't make it easy on themselves at times, but they got the job done in front of a sell-out crowd in RFK. (And looking at the loud throng there I must say I miss being part of that scene.) I often do not agree with the assessments of John Harkes but tonight he was right on; Andy Najar played a fantastic game. He really did look as good as any back in the league. The Crew threw everything they had at United and it was nearly enough.  For a change, DC took an opponents best shot and gave better. I've no idea what this team could accomplish in the playoffs, especially without DeRosario, but I'll take getting there any day.

We (and, yes, I'm one of those people who says "we" when they discuss the teams they root for) only need a point at home tonight against the Crew in order to secure our first playoff berth since the 19th Century (or so it seems.) We haven't lost a game at home since March, so, of course, we've gone down a goal in the first 7 minutes. United doesn't look too bad, except for Korb who needs to settle his shit down. He's a little too amped and, as a result, is making poor panicky decisions. Breathe Korb, breathe.

D.C. United and the rest of MLS have announced their unprotected players for Wednesday's expansion draft. DC left available: •Barklage, Brandon •Boskovic, Branko •Brettschneider, Blake •Burch, Marc •Cronin, Steve (GK) •Da Luz, Austin •King, Stephen •McTavish, Devon •Morsink, Kurt •Ngwenya, Joseph •Quaranta, Santino •Zayner, Jed Of these I would think Brettschneider and King would be the most attractive, though I wouldn't be surprised if Montreal selected Burch.

This crap keeps getting worse: DC United may have to consider move Winner of MLS titles in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004, D.C. United has explored building a venue in Baltimore near Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. For now, Garber said the team must have a lower rent next season. “If that means that they can’t get a new improved lease in D.C., they’ve got to move to another facility in the region. I will be supportive of that, and in fact will help them do that,” he said. “And if it means they can’t find a solution in Baltimore, then we’ll have to go through a process as we did with San Jose to think about potentially moving the team. I believe that we’ll have to go through that process, as well.” Unless someone wants to move them to the Twin Cities this will just suck. I will not support "Baltimore" United. Ever. Not that I'll even have reason to care as Garber seems intent in NBA-ing the hell out of MLS. Garber also said MLS will go to an unbalanced 34-game schedule ...

You'd think, based upon how quiet I have been (excepting all the bitching of course), that I had no sports to follow of late. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take tonight for instance. I've got three games going: the Blues are on the road against the Flyers; DC United is home for their season finale against KC; oh, and the Cards are playing game three of the World Series. Ho hum. I feel really weird. In a lot of ways I'm more annoyed at United missing the playoffs yet again then I am happy about the success of the Cardinals. Maybe that is because the Cards making the Series was less unexpected to me than DC sucking so bad. Then again maybe I'm just happier with something to bitch about. (I'd hate for that to be true... it would seem too Cub-like for comfort.) However, I *AM* pleased with the play of the Cards. The late season push was thrilling, and the playoff baseball they have been putting on the field has been of a very high caliber. It's been fun....

Bill Hamid just got red carded on the worst call I've seen in years on a soccer field. A Toronto FC player lunged for a ball that as ultimately kicked into touch by a DC defender. The Toronto player, who never touched the ball, was subsequently run into by Hamid outside the area. This isn't a red card. Period. If you think it IS a red card you a retarded dumbfuck who ought to be raped by wild dogs. Why does MLS allow its product to be continually ruined in this manner? I waqs going to watch this game, but now? The hell with it. MLS has shown repeatedly they don't give a flying fuck for its fans. So why should I give a shit about any of it?

Things are looking dire in my MLS world : The 2011 season is beginning to look, feel and sound like 2010. The crestfallen expressions in the locker room. The coach questioning the commitment of the players. The shambolic state of the defense. The goals conceded on set pieces (and throw-ins!). The overreliance on inexperienced players. The misguided international signings. The long-term injuries. To this litany of woe should be added the glaringly obvious fact that as a head coach Ben Olsen is hopelessly out of his depth. No one wants to admit this fact as Bennie has been such a huge part of United's history and everyone wants him to succeed. But there is little doubt this team is poorly organized, and that reflects more on the coaching than anything else.

Steve Goff has been going over the roster possibilities for DC United: Goalkeepers In camp: Steve Cronin, Bill Hamid, Chase Harrison, Pat Onstad, Joe Willis.... If the season began today, the starter would be: Onstad. He's fit and carries decades of experience. He didn't have a great 2010 in Houston, but until Hamid is cleared and regains match rhythm, Onstad is the most realistic option. My take: This is worrying. Onstad should be a steadying influence, but you cannot like to see DC's Plan A discarded so early. Cronin's injury could be a killer in the early season, particularly if Hamid isn't 100%. Defenders In camp: Rodrigo Brasesco, Marc Burch, Dejan Jakovic, Perry Kitchen, Chris Korb, Devon McTavish, Ethan White, Daniel Woolard, Jed Zayner.... If the season began today, the starters would be: Zayner on the right, Jakovic and the Kitchen -- whom the club has fallen head over heels in love with -- and Burch on the left. My take: It's good to hear they like Ki...

The brain trust in D.C. is keeping busy. Julius James has been waived. Pat Onstad has un-retired to take a place in the United net. Fred has been reacquired for a draft pick. Of these moves only the James release makes me slightly uneasy. I'll be the first to admit James is not the first name that leaps to mind when you think of stalwart central defenders. That being said, he did play the best in that position of the players we had around last season. It's good that D.C. is confident in their new signings, but we have all seen players new to MLS struggle. Fingers crossed.

Things continue to look up on my soccer front : After several days of negotiations, the MLS club announced Wednesday that it has acquired the former U.S. national team starter from French club Sochaux on a one-year loan. United will also have the option to purchase his contract at the end of the season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but sources close to the situation said United agreed to pay Davies about $300,000 [UPDATE: I'm now told it's around $180,000] and include several incentives. To claim him, United exercised its position at the top of the MLS allocation order, which is utilized when prominent U.S. players decide to play in the league. United will formally introduce the 24-year-old forward at a 2 p.m. news conference at RFK Stadium (live video on the team's Web site). Davies, who has been practicing with the club for the past two weeks, will then fly to Oxnard, Calif., for the third stage of training camp. He will wear uniform No. 9, his national team desi...

DC United keeps making the moves: Timbers and DC United trade goalies The Portland Timbers have acquired goaltender Troy Perkins from D.C. United for goaltender Steve Cronin. The Timbers, who join Major League Soccer as an expansion team next year, will also send D.C. United allocation money as part of the trade announced Friday. United will retain a portion of Perkins’ salary budget for next season.... Cronin has appeared in 56 regular-season matches over two seasons for Portland’s second-division side with a 26-11-19 record. He has played previously for the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Cronin has "backup" written all over him, but at least he is an experienced backup. This means, however, that DC is convinced that 20 year old Bill Hamid has what it takes to be a number one in MLS. Hamid looked pretty good in his action last year, but it was a perfect situation for a young player. The team was terrible and there was not a ton of pressure to be found. The...

This simply isn't good enough: D.C. United selects veteran forward Josh Wolff with first pick in MLS re-entry draft D.C. United claimed former U.S. national team forward Josh Wolff with the first overall pick in the second stage of the MLS re-entry draft Wednesday. He signed a one-year contract with a club-held option in 2012, United General Manager Dave Kasper said. Although terms were not disclosed, Wolff, who will be 34 in February, had to accept a salary cut after earning $220,000 with Kansas City this year. He was with the Chicago Fire from 1998 to 2002, spent four years with Kansas City and played for 1860 Munich in Germany for 1 1/2 seasons before returning to the Wizards in 2008. This year, he had two goals and three assists in 25 league appearances (16 starts). In 2009, he scored a career-high 11 goals. "He fits our style, he's intelligent and he has the leadership qualities that will benefit our younger players," Kasper said. "It's a solid fit....

Well, come Wednesday , if DC wants Juan Pablo Angel they can have him. If they don't select Angel I will riot.

Well, at least a DC United player won something this season: D.C. rookie Najar wins MLS award D.C. United's 17-year-old star midfielder Andy Najar has been named the 2010 Major League Soccer Rookie of the Year. Najar is the second player in D.C. United history to capture Rookie of the Year honors. The young Honduran joins 1998 winner Ben Olsen in the United honors list. Olsen became United's interim coach midseason and guided the young Najar who scored five goals and an assist in 26 League matches (22 starts). In all competitions, Najar netted seven goals and registered two assists. Najar is the first rookie to win the MLS award after coming directly from a club's youth academy. The play of Najar was far and away the brightest part of a United season which had to be the most frustrating in their history. This is not a situation where Najar just stood out because the rest of the team struggled so badly - well, OK, that is a part of it, but anyone who saw Najar's game de...

From Steve Goff : Club president Kevin Payne says that the process of identifying a location for a new stadium continues in Washington, Northern Virginia and Baltimore. The Maryland Stadium Authority's feasibility study, the first of many steps if a Charm City project goes forward, is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks. The day DC United moves to Baltimore is the day I cease to be a fan. Good luck to them, but Baltimore doesn't mean shit to me. I didn't live in Baltimore for eight years, I lived in DC. I didn't have season tickets to a team playing in Baltimore, I had tickets to a team playing in DC. I'm not rooting for the fucking uniforms, I'm (mostly) rooting for a team tied to a specific place. This sucks.

I'm guessing he is betting on the games he refs in. He looked right at the Schelotto handball and said it was a good goal. (Vaughn was maybe 15 feet away and had a clear unobstructed view.) THAT is not a "mistake." THAT is a crime. Fucking cheating moron.

I was out of town last week and didn't get to see the destruction of DC United last week in KC, so tonight's game was my first look at the club. All I can say is...fuck me. This was not a case of a team that just looked bad on a given evening. This. Team. Sucks. Where to start? OK, it is time to face facts. Jamie Moreno's days a an MLS caliber player are over. He's been slow as molasses for a few years now but he had made up for that by being damn near impossible to push off the ball. Tonight Kate Moss could have muscled him off the ball. Its time for us to enter the second decade of the 21st century already, and Jaime needs to ride off into the sunset. I'll miss him, but somebody buy the man a gold watch. I know its early days, but Christian Castillo looks like a bust. He lacks the pace to play wide, he lacks the touch to play inside, and he lacks the vision to play as a withdrawn striker. He's a triple threat. Based on what I saw tonight I have serious reserva...