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MLS 3.0 is in full force and the sports media have focused like a laser on the growth of the league. Soccer-specific stadiums have sprung up across the country, academies are churning out young talent, big names are coming across the Atlantic to play in North America, and suddenly U.S. men’s national team players are booking tickets to places like Houston and Philadelphia to remain relevant for Jurgen Klinsmann. Yet despite this glut of self-congratulations and celebration of an arriving league, the vestiges of the old MLS 2.0 remain and threaten to spoil the party.
DC United was the toast of the league in the beginning. The team won three MLS Cups in the first four years and boasted stars like Jeff Agoos, Eddie Pope, Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno. The successful coaches, Bruce Arena, and even some less successful ones, Ray Hudson, became names among the American soccer community.&nbsp; However, as the league grew their flagship team stagnated. Still playing at the RFK Stadium and setting records for futility seemingly every other year, the Black And Red have been surpassed in almost every way, with Sporting Kansas City, Houston, Los Angeles, and yes even the publicly hated New York Red Bulls tasting success.
This year, however, the team has changed. They still play at the RFK and only receive partial revenues from the venue, and they still are not signing big name international stars to major contracts. But DC United currently sits two points off the Supporters Shield lead this week, after a 4-2 drubbing of Colorado on Sunday. Unlike Portland they are not doing it with a more modern beautiful brand of football, and unlike Seattle they are not doing it with major stars. Instead, the team is relying on the style that has always worked in MLS, and this is a big problem for the league.
The team’s play starts at the top with coach Ben Olsen, a man who defined the U.S. style in the late 1990s and early 2000s.&nbsp; Aggressive and physical, but smart. Olsen has his team playing a conservative style that harkens back to when he played for the Black And Red.&nbsp; Especially on the road, his team will absorb pressure from their opponents and then use their speed on the wings to spring a counter attack. While not exactly a dogged Stoke City approach under former manager Tony Pulis, it does contrasts with the beautiful game shown on national television in the Cascadia Cup, for example.
DC is also not the only team that plays with this style, but some of their players are absolute magnets for the physical side of the game. Fabian Espindola and Eddie Johnson, fairly or unfairly, both have been suspended for on-the-field antics. Perry Kitchen, while still a rising star, has been a league leader in yellow cards. And Bobby Boswell, the self described ‘snot-nosed kid’, is as old school as it gets. This does not suggest that the team is not talented – quite the opposite. This style works because of the skill they have in key positions. Bill Hamid has truly blossomed in goal and could finally be living up to the enormous potential we’ve long anticipated. Couple that with the duo of Chris Rolfe and Espindola you have yourself a dangerous attack.
DC will have to survive a brutal stretch which sees them play at Kansas City and LA before hosting the Red Bulls. If they weather the storm, then are still in the title race and MLS executives will again be faced with a familiar predicament – physical side thwarting the opposition through defensive means and triumphing over highly-fancied teams in the playoff race and into the playoffs itself. For a league trying to distance itself from the days of ugly play in MLS 2.0, this could be a problem.
If DC United continues to win, can the new era of MLS truly be here?

DC United is the Antithesis of MLS 3.0 - World Soccer Talk

DC United is the Antithesis of MLS 3.0

In retrospect, it was obvious. &nbsp;Houston is so good playing with an aggregate lead in the playoffs and with DC missing Chris Pontius and a fully healthy Dwayne De Rosario, the task really was impossible. &nbsp;But it didn’t feel that way at RFK Stadium Sunday afternoon, as a crowd of over 20,000 (including 350 standing room attendees) rocked the stands at kickoff, trying to inspire the home team to victory. &nbsp;Despite the crowd and emotional return of the home team’s captain, the end result was a 1-1 draw and a 4-2 Dynamo win on aggregate.
DC adjusted its lineup without Pontius by starting Maicon Santos up top in a 4-4-2. &nbsp;Dominic Kinnear countered with his <del>4-4-3</del>&nbsp;4-3-3 with Jermaine Taylor returning in place of Andrew Hainault. &nbsp;Even in the early going, with the crowd spurring them on, DC struggled against a poised Dynamo defense that tried to create chances on the counter. &nbsp;DC’s best chance in the first half was a shot in the tenth minute by Chris Korb from 30 yards out that a diving Tally Hall was able to knock down and was cleared by his defense. &nbsp;DC had the most success on the left side with Nick DeLeon’s speed causing some issues, but for the most part DC had to settle for the occasional chance, but had issues sustaining constant pressure.
The Dyanmo sealed the game in the 34th minute, when Brad Davis’s run down the right side into the box scrambled the DC defense. &nbsp;The midfielder then found Oscar Boniek Garcia who planted the shot into the top of the net. &nbsp;The crowd was deflated, DC United was stunned, and the Dynamo had punched their ticket to MLS Cup.
A couple of moments in the second half gave the crowd some life (keeping in mind that even a deflated crowd was making noise throughout). &nbsp;In the 62nd minute, Dwayne DeRosario took the pitch in place of Emiliano Dudar, his first game action since he was injured September 11 on international duty. &nbsp;He looked rusty, as to be expected, but still made a few good plays to help spur DC. &nbsp;The second moment was Branko Boskovic’s goal in the 83rd minute, where the midfielder took it upon himself to make a run into the box, avoid a number of defenders, and slot a shot past Tally Hall. &nbsp;In the second half, DC had a number of quality chances and could have grabbed another goal early in the second half, but overall Houston’s defense was solid and smart.
After the game, Brad Davis commented on the Dynamo’s defensive structure: “It’s very important to keep your lines tight, make it difficult to play through the middle, and try to force things out wide… we talked about hard work, dedication, and commitment to the system that we play. &nbsp;It’s been successful over the years, so if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”
Fans fearing a repeat of last year’s MLS Cup are selling the Dynamo short. &nbsp;Despite the same two teams facing off in the same venue, this is a much different Dynamo club. &nbsp;First, Brad Davis will be playing after missing the team’s two previous trips, and this team goes to another level when their distributor is on the pitch. &nbsp;The additions of Boniek Garcia (offense) and Ricardo Clark (defense) will help even out the midfield&nbsp;discrepancy&nbsp;that helped the Galaxy essentially dominate the game last year. &nbsp;Finally, an in-form Will Bruin – who was a little quiet on a night he was not essential – gives the Dynamo a scoring threat they certainly did not have last season.
The East will be well represented by a fifth seed that has consistently found the right combination for winning this postseason.

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take Eastern Conference - World Soccer Talk

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take Eastern Conference

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DC United

DC United is the Antithesis of MLS 3.0

Leagues: MLS

Houston Machine Steamrolls DC to Take Eastern Conference