When Charlton Athletic took the pitch today at The Valley to open the season, only two of the squad's starting eleven were born before 1990. Their opponents, Queen's Park Rangers (just relegated from the Premier League), were the mirror image, with only starters Matthew Phillips and Massimo Luongo born in the roaring 90s. Indeed, QPR started Clint Hill, a man who began his professional career for Tranmere Rovers the same year (1997) that Charlton debutant Karlan Ahearne-Grant was born. Charlton's old men were Alou Diarra (born 1981) and Ahmed Kashi (born 1988).
By rights, QPR, featuring CAFC academy alum Paul Konchesky, should have used its superior experience and talent to bully the young SE7 men off the pitch and begin their march back to the posh stratosphere of the top tier.
But that's not what happened. The kids -- including four from the academy -- held a stalemate through the first half. And when Tony Watt (born 1993) replaced Ahearne-Grant to begin the second frame, it did not take him long to put Charlton on top before Morgan Fox (also born 1993) placed the match out of reach.
A win is a win. Except not really. This is a win on CAFC terms that sets a foundation for the hard slog ahead and expectations of genuine ambition. It is a win demonstrating that this version of Charlton is interesting. What are the ceilings on these kids? Are they going to wither under pressure or is the club producing diamonds to place in the storefront for the luxury set?
El-Hadji Ba (also born 1993) was replaced by Zarkaya Bergdich (born 1989). Johan Berg Gudmundsson (born 1990) was replaced by Cristian Ceballos (born 1992). Left on the bench at the end of the game with Johnnie Jackson were Harry Lennon (born 1994), Regan Charles-Cook (born 1997), and Dimitar Mitov (born 1997).
And they won.
I've been stewing about D.C. United all season. Yes, they are winning. But they're not terribly interesting. Nor endearing.
The club's website reports that 19 players have seen at least 350 minutes of field time this season. Of those, eight were born after 1990. Perry Kitchen (born 1992) had logged the second most minutes on the team, with Nick DeLeon, Bill Hamid, and Taylor Kemp (all born 1990) coming in at fifth, sixth, and seventh. The youngest of those 19 is Miguel Aguilar (born 1993) who has received 516 minutes of field time.
A win is a win. DCU has twelve of them this year. We remain season ticket holders, yet have not seen many of them. It's a sunk cost but the additional expenditures involved for a night out to see Davy Arnaud, Sean Franklin, Fabian Espindola, and Chris Rolfe aren't worth incurring. I've got nothing against most of them -- I could do without faithful Kurt Morsink-impression that Arnaud has perfected -- they just don't move the needle. D.C. United are who everyone thinks they are -- the wind-up toy of the MLS.
It's an entirely different calculus if the team is also giving a runout to Mikey Seaton (born 1996), Jalen Robinson (born 1994), and Collin Martin (born 1994). Instead, Seaton's been run-off, with a swift kick in the ass in the form of bizarre, cowardly attacks on his maturity to help him on his way out west.
An aside: Jamaican international Michael Seaton, the teenager who went to Sweden to get playing time, is immature? If the context is the MLS retirement resort that BRO has built, sure he's immature.
DCU is winning. But it's not. Not really. The club currently has the lowest average attendance in the MLS. I don't think it's because of the stadium; my kids love going to RFK, as do our friends. And I don't think it's because people in the region don't support soccer.
Charlton Athletic has won. Sure, it's one game. But it's more than just one game. It's a season. And I'm tuned in.
Showing posts with label DC United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DC United. Show all posts
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Monday, October 21, 2013
Done and Dusted
That D.C. United is terrible is no longer noteworthy.
When United closes out the season on Sunday against Houston with 3 wins in 34 matches, the more remarkable measure of futility will be that if they are shutout, both Mike Magee and Marco Di Vaio will have a chance to score as many goals (both have scored 20 this season with a game to go) as D.C. United has scored collectively as a team (21).
Even more remarkably, the management of the squad is so spectacularly inept that there isn't a plausible basis for expecting significant improvement in 2014.
Ben Olsen, despite coaching the team to a U.S. Open Cup championship, needs to be separated from the team. That he will not be -- based, ostensibly, on the U.S. Open Cup run -- is hysterical; this is a competition of so little meaning to the club that the games are not held at RFK but out at the SoccerPlex. While we love the games and look forward to the trips to Boyds every season, this is not a venue that is practically accessible to many United supporters. The feat is therefore largely a theoretical notion, abstracted because it happened entirely separate from the crap United supporters have had to endure for league games at RFK.
Still, we go. And still, the club has found ways to make the gameday experience so enjoyable that it doesn't matter to my kids that the team we're supposed to root for is abysmal. My girls have taken penalty kicks on the field, my eldest was able to "train" with United players on the pitch at RFK, my youngest asks to go just to get her face painted, we've seen a practice, and the Meet the Team Day 2013 was fantastic. When the Fire ripped apart United, while the VW Garage was closed and there was basically nothing for the kids to do, they cracked themselves up by making up goofy cheers and encouraging other kids to join in.
Nevertheless, it is fitting that the lasting memory I will have of this D.C. United season will be unpleasant and took place at, of all places, Ludwig on Saturday night.
We walked into the Wake Forest game a little late and, handing over our tickets, I looked up to see Josh Wolff standing next to us. Two of Josh's sons trailed behind him, alongside my girls, and Wolff hustled them forward. The reason Josh was asking his boys to move quickly became clear when we rounded the merchandise booth: Standing over by the courtesy ticket overhang was an agitated and animated Kurt Morsink ranting at a staff person.
Retelling the story at FedEx this afternoon, a friend called it the most pathetic "Do You Know Who I Am Story?" that he'd heard. The total cost for bringing in the partial Wolff clan to the game was $20 at the ticket booth. A dude who works for a professional sports club should appreciate, beyond most, the minimal discretion afforded to staff holding comps. But there was Morsink, who looked, from where I stood, to be berating staff.
Now maybe this is wrong or maybe there was some good reason for Morsink's behavior. I could have walked over to confirm what I think I saw, but by the time Wolff had pulled Morsink away, I was so viscerally angered by the sight that I was shouting epithets in front of my kids.
It is beyond comprehension that Morsink is a scouting coordinator for a first division professional soccer team. Perhaps he's objectively great at the job. But there is no way that I would ever treat someone working at DC United in a similar fashion. And I cannot imagine behaving like that at a place that has produced several of the members of your first team roster and where academy players are currently housed.
This is a different D.C. United in terms of the boy's club that now runs the player side of the club. Forget accountability. Instead it is kerosene.
When United closes out the season on Sunday against Houston with 3 wins in 34 matches, the more remarkable measure of futility will be that if they are shutout, both Mike Magee and Marco Di Vaio will have a chance to score as many goals (both have scored 20 this season with a game to go) as D.C. United has scored collectively as a team (21).
Even more remarkably, the management of the squad is so spectacularly inept that there isn't a plausible basis for expecting significant improvement in 2014.
Ben Olsen, despite coaching the team to a U.S. Open Cup championship, needs to be separated from the team. That he will not be -- based, ostensibly, on the U.S. Open Cup run -- is hysterical; this is a competition of so little meaning to the club that the games are not held at RFK but out at the SoccerPlex. While we love the games and look forward to the trips to Boyds every season, this is not a venue that is practically accessible to many United supporters. The feat is therefore largely a theoretical notion, abstracted because it happened entirely separate from the crap United supporters have had to endure for league games at RFK.
Still, we go. And still, the club has found ways to make the gameday experience so enjoyable that it doesn't matter to my kids that the team we're supposed to root for is abysmal. My girls have taken penalty kicks on the field, my eldest was able to "train" with United players on the pitch at RFK, my youngest asks to go just to get her face painted, we've seen a practice, and the Meet the Team Day 2013 was fantastic. When the Fire ripped apart United, while the VW Garage was closed and there was basically nothing for the kids to do, they cracked themselves up by making up goofy cheers and encouraging other kids to join in.
Nevertheless, it is fitting that the lasting memory I will have of this D.C. United season will be unpleasant and took place at, of all places, Ludwig on Saturday night.
We walked into the Wake Forest game a little late and, handing over our tickets, I looked up to see Josh Wolff standing next to us. Two of Josh's sons trailed behind him, alongside my girls, and Wolff hustled them forward. The reason Josh was asking his boys to move quickly became clear when we rounded the merchandise booth: Standing over by the courtesy ticket overhang was an agitated and animated Kurt Morsink ranting at a staff person.
Retelling the story at FedEx this afternoon, a friend called it the most pathetic "Do You Know Who I Am Story?" that he'd heard. The total cost for bringing in the partial Wolff clan to the game was $20 at the ticket booth. A dude who works for a professional sports club should appreciate, beyond most, the minimal discretion afforded to staff holding comps. But there was Morsink, who looked, from where I stood, to be berating staff.
Now maybe this is wrong or maybe there was some good reason for Morsink's behavior. I could have walked over to confirm what I think I saw, but by the time Wolff had pulled Morsink away, I was so viscerally angered by the sight that I was shouting epithets in front of my kids.
It is beyond comprehension that Morsink is a scouting coordinator for a first division professional soccer team. Perhaps he's objectively great at the job. But there is no way that I would ever treat someone working at DC United in a similar fashion. And I cannot imagine behaving like that at a place that has produced several of the members of your first team roster and where academy players are currently housed.
This is a different D.C. United in terms of the boy's club that now runs the player side of the club. Forget accountability. Instead it is kerosene.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Meeting the Team
This has been a tough season as a United supporter. There is no shortage of things about which to complain. Despite a league win last night and a decent run in the U.S. Open Cup that continues Wednesday, there is little hope for any meaningful turnaround. And the long term prospects for the franchise are weak.
Still, there is nothing better in the professional sports world than being a D.C. United supporter and season ticket holder. Today was the club's "Meet the Team Day." In the midst of a historically bad season, players mingled easily with fans and the club made nearly everyone involved with the operational management of the team available to the public. Coach Olsen didn't man an autograph table, but he did conduct a question and answer session with fans in the visitor's clubhouse.
The "Meet the Team Day" is a specially-calendered event with my daughter, the only absolute must-do of the season. Every year it seems to get better. More access, more activities, more opportunities for interactions. The club may not be able to sell a stadium experience or an on field product that merits significant investment of time and treasure, but it can sell its people.
For professional athletes, the bulk of United's roster are ridiculously nice people. Beyond their enthusiasm for making connections with supporters, the stories that staff tell about individual players paint a portrait of down-to-earth athletes who value camaraderie more highly than their own glorification.
This is the first year that my eldest has wanted to stay until the very end of the event. That is almost entirely due to the players (face painting and dipping dots also played a role) and their families.
Thank you, D.C. United, for another very nice afternoon.
Still, there is nothing better in the professional sports world than being a D.C. United supporter and season ticket holder. Today was the club's "Meet the Team Day." In the midst of a historically bad season, players mingled easily with fans and the club made nearly everyone involved with the operational management of the team available to the public. Coach Olsen didn't man an autograph table, but he did conduct a question and answer session with fans in the visitor's clubhouse.
The "Meet the Team Day" is a specially-calendered event with my daughter, the only absolute must-do of the season. Every year it seems to get better. More access, more activities, more opportunities for interactions. The club may not be able to sell a stadium experience or an on field product that merits significant investment of time and treasure, but it can sell its people.
For professional athletes, the bulk of United's roster are ridiculously nice people. Beyond their enthusiasm for making connections with supporters, the stories that staff tell about individual players paint a portrait of down-to-earth athletes who value camaraderie more highly than their own glorification.
This is the first year that my eldest has wanted to stay until the very end of the event. That is almost entirely due to the players (face painting and dipping dots also played a role) and their families.
Thank you, D.C. United, for another very nice afternoon.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Doing the Maths
The face paint and dipping dots on offer for the Sporting KC match meant no problems convincing the family to spend a Friday night welcoming Rodney Wallace back to RFK. More face paint and more dipping dots allowed me to see number 22's game winner and Darlington Nagbe's goal.
Neither kid asked to leave. Instead, after watching Pajoy sky a beautiful ball from DeRosario that had unlocked Portland's defense, I decided I was not having any fun. I left the stadium angry, along with hundreds of other supporters.
One story supporters appear to be trying to convince themselves of now is that a cheap and apathetic front office has handcuffed the coaching staff. As if it would matter if more high priced talent was sitting on the bench. This is a team headed up by someone who is incapable of figuring out how to play the highest-paid player on the roster with Carlos Ruiz. This is a team headed up by someone who would not play Branko Boskovic or Hamdi Salihi while perennially taking shots at the Rapid Vienna alums perceived fitness deficiencies.
But, sure, the front office sucks for not tossing more good money after bad.
With the Galaxy's 4-0 drubbing of the Sounders, the single table for the MLS looks like this:
And if you do the arithmetic for the MLS salaries published by the Major League Soccer Players Union through May 1st -- conceding that this listing doesn't reflect recent transactions -- it is true that at the highest levels, large team salaries correspond with the top of the table:
But it doesn't exactly dictate D.C. United's position in the league table. If for some reason you support Chivas, you can complain. But you'd still be rooting for a team that has twice as many points as D.C. United, for a third less in salary.
Olsen's Army.
Neither kid asked to leave. Instead, after watching Pajoy sky a beautiful ball from DeRosario that had unlocked Portland's defense, I decided I was not having any fun. I left the stadium angry, along with hundreds of other supporters.
One story supporters appear to be trying to convince themselves of now is that a cheap and apathetic front office has handcuffed the coaching staff. As if it would matter if more high priced talent was sitting on the bench. This is a team headed up by someone who is incapable of figuring out how to play the highest-paid player on the roster with Carlos Ruiz. This is a team headed up by someone who would not play Branko Boskovic or Hamdi Salihi while perennially taking shots at the Rapid Vienna alums perceived fitness deficiencies.
But, sure, the front office sucks for not tossing more good money after bad.
With the Galaxy's 4-0 drubbing of the Sounders, the single table for the MLS looks like this:
| Rankings | Team | Points |
| 1 | FC Dallas | 27 |
| 2 | Red Bulls | 25 |
| 3 | LA Galaxy | 23 |
| 4 | Montreal | 23 |
| 5 | Timbers | 22 |
| 6 | Sporting KC | 22 |
| 7 | Houston | 21 |
| 8 | Real Salt Lake | 21 |
| 9 | Colorado | 19 |
| 10 | Philadelphia | 18 |
| 11 | Columbus | 16 |
| 12 | New England | 16 |
| 13 | Seattle | 15 |
| 14 | San Jose | 15 |
| 15 | Vancouver | 13 |
| 16 | Chivas USA | 11 |
| 17 | Chicago | 8 |
| 18 | Toronto | 7 |
| 19 | DC United | 5 |
And if you do the arithmetic for the MLS salaries published by the Major League Soccer Players Union through May 1st -- conceding that this listing doesn't reflect recent transactions -- it is true that at the highest levels, large team salaries correspond with the top of the table:
| Rankings | Team | Salary |
| 1 | Red Bulls | $10,860,961 |
| 2 | LA Galaxy | $9,685,263 |
| 3 | Seattle | $5,958,812 |
| 4 | Montreal | $5,452,074 |
| 5 | Vancouver | $4,809,279 |
| 6 | Toronto | $4,710,844 |
| 7 | Chicago | $4,333,356 |
| 8 | FC Dallas | $4,244,861 |
| 9 | DC United | $3,906,064 |
| 10 | Philadelphia | $3,832,575 |
| 11 | Sporting KC | $3,783,882 |
| 12 | Houston | $3,648,642 |
| 13 | Real Salt Lake | $3,646,401 |
| 14 | Columbus | $3,615,002 |
| 15 | Timbers | $3,564,502 |
| 16 | New England | $3,482,085 |
| 17 | San Jose | $3,371,908 |
| 18 | Colorado | $3,371,325 |
| 19 | Chivas USA | $2,607,147 |
But it doesn't exactly dictate D.C. United's position in the league table. If for some reason you support Chivas, you can complain. But you'd still be rooting for a team that has twice as many points as D.C. United, for a third less in salary.
Olsen's Army.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Good Time
Supporting D.C. United has descended into torpor. With Ben Olsen as coach and three former Terrapins on the roster, I cannot bring myself to get that angry about the team. And complaining more that I have already done ain't exactly cathartic. But, this is depressing and going to matches isn't a priority, even if we've paid for a season of tickets.
Still, we went yesterday to watch the match with Sporting KC, driven largely by the opportunity to see Graham Zusi in person again. Come for the Zusi, stay for a D.C. United starting lineup of Taylor Kemp, Casey Townsend, and Ethan White (18% Maryland!).
Sure, Kemp was bizarrely substituted out at halftime rather than placed at left back with Daniel Woolard making way for Chris Pontius. And, sure, just as space started to open in Sporting's defense in the final third, Casey was replaced by Lionard Pajoy -- a substitution at the hour mark that preceded a Kansas City corner kick that inevitably led to a goal. Whatever. At least I got to see Taylor and Casey play in a real game.
More to the point, whatever. Because what happens on the pitch is, at this point, secondary. While the club continues to be killed for supposed failings in building a competitive roster (really?), the team's management builds an even better gameday experience in a ridiculous environment.
We watched the first half at the VW Club. Waiting in the club? An excellent face-painter for children, wonderful staff, and a neat little contraption composed of an elevated treadmill with dribbling cones. If I had problems getting the kids up for going to a United match before, that obstacle has been removed.
After Townsend was withdrawn from the field of play, we walked up to the Champions Club for the rest of the second half. It was our first time up in the newly christened space and delivers exactly what was promised -- no lines for good food and alcohol, lots of kids running around, and nice perspective from behind the goal opposite the VW Club.
It is RFK. The stadium is dire. D.C. United could get away with just letting everything crumble around them. They don't. Instead, the club does what it can with the space. The club hasn't given up and is not asking supporters to suck it up until the pipedream of a new stadium comes to fruition. No one is going to give the club's administration kudos for putting lipstick on a pig. That's wrong. Ben Olsen's United may be unimaginative and plodding, but D.C. United itself has built a little wonderland that is remarkably kid-friendly.
Still, we went yesterday to watch the match with Sporting KC, driven largely by the opportunity to see Graham Zusi in person again. Come for the Zusi, stay for a D.C. United starting lineup of Taylor Kemp, Casey Townsend, and Ethan White (18% Maryland!).
Sure, Kemp was bizarrely substituted out at halftime rather than placed at left back with Daniel Woolard making way for Chris Pontius. And, sure, just as space started to open in Sporting's defense in the final third, Casey was replaced by Lionard Pajoy -- a substitution at the hour mark that preceded a Kansas City corner kick that inevitably led to a goal. Whatever. At least I got to see Taylor and Casey play in a real game.
More to the point, whatever. Because what happens on the pitch is, at this point, secondary. While the club continues to be killed for supposed failings in building a competitive roster (really?), the team's management builds an even better gameday experience in a ridiculous environment.
We watched the first half at the VW Club. Waiting in the club? An excellent face-painter for children, wonderful staff, and a neat little contraption composed of an elevated treadmill with dribbling cones. If I had problems getting the kids up for going to a United match before, that obstacle has been removed.
After Townsend was withdrawn from the field of play, we walked up to the Champions Club for the rest of the second half. It was our first time up in the newly christened space and delivers exactly what was promised -- no lines for good food and alcohol, lots of kids running around, and nice perspective from behind the goal opposite the VW Club.
It is RFK. The stadium is dire. D.C. United could get away with just letting everything crumble around them. They don't. Instead, the club does what it can with the space. The club hasn't given up and is not asking supporters to suck it up until the pipedream of a new stadium comes to fruition. No one is going to give the club's administration kudos for putting lipstick on a pig. That's wrong. Ben Olsen's United may be unimaginative and plodding, but D.C. United itself has built a little wonderland that is remarkably kid-friendly.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Inside Look
Another miserable couple of hours at RFK and it is now fashionable to malign D.C. United's management as not caring enough.
Don't believe it.
The club has done more to connect with fans this season than at any other time during our tenure as season ticket holders. From the owners down through administrative staff, the message that is being conveyed is that the organization values its customer base.
On Saturday, we attended a training session opened up for STHolders. For my daughter and I, it was a unique and awkward opportunity to see professional athletes prepare for a match. So unique, in fact, that some of the staff noted that it was their first chance to see a practice as well. And awkward because of the insight afforded into the inner workings of United's coaching and player personnel. Stuff maybe you wish you didn't know or could forget... like, wow, this is exactly what I thought the coaches screamed at players... holy schikes, this season is going to be awful.
The timing couldn't be worse. United's efforts to enhance fans' experience is simultaneous to an on-field product that insults the fans' (limited) knowledge of the sport.
It won't get better. The talent level on the roster is fine. It is good enough to win games in the MLS. Injuries aren't a substantial limiting factor. The answer is not better execution. Better execution of a crappy gameplan is a well-executed crappy gameplan.
7 games, 4 points.
Don't believe it.
The club has done more to connect with fans this season than at any other time during our tenure as season ticket holders. From the owners down through administrative staff, the message that is being conveyed is that the organization values its customer base.
On Saturday, we attended a training session opened up for STHolders. For my daughter and I, it was a unique and awkward opportunity to see professional athletes prepare for a match. So unique, in fact, that some of the staff noted that it was their first chance to see a practice as well. And awkward because of the insight afforded into the inner workings of United's coaching and player personnel. Stuff maybe you wish you didn't know or could forget... like, wow, this is exactly what I thought the coaches screamed at players... holy schikes, this season is going to be awful.
The timing couldn't be worse. United's efforts to enhance fans' experience is simultaneous to an on-field product that insults the fans' (limited) knowledge of the sport.
It won't get better. The talent level on the roster is fine. It is good enough to win games in the MLS. Injuries aren't a substantial limiting factor. The answer is not better execution. Better execution of a crappy gameplan is a well-executed crappy gameplan.
7 games, 4 points.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Give Em Something to Talk About
I loved Brian Straus's terrific story for Sporting News on dissension within the U.S. men's national team regarding Jurgen Klinsmann's leadership. I loved it even as a huge fan of Klinsmann's philosophy and approach and a totally over-the-top, unfair, irrational critic of Bob Bradley's regime.
In substance, Straus's reporting communicated exactly what I want to hear: the U.S. players are being challenged to be more than automatons meant to execute strategic orders. They are, instead, professional footballers responsible for forming a cohesive whole based on a loose structure, their own aptitude, and creative chaos.
That this challenge is being made in the wake of former conservative management of tight control and preparation is all the more perfect. Straus's narrative walks off the silver screen of the fictionalized account of Brian Clough's doomed attempt to replace Don Revie at Leeds. After The Damn United establishes Revie's obsessive scouting and game preparation, the film portrays his former wards directly challenging Clough at Elland Road for his failure to brief them in advance of a match against Rangers. Clough's response?
Straus's story ignited a national conversation. Much of it is unhelpful -- it doesn't matter who talked or why they talked and, as Greg Seltzer notes, attacking Mr. Straus's journalistic integrity is completely inappropriate. But all American soccer fans should be talking about the culture of domestic soccer. Klinsmann, by both word and deed, is mounting a powerful challenge to conventional wisdom. Let the kids play. Let them have fun. They'll figure it out. It's ludicrously naive and impractical. It's also thrilling.
You can get results by industry. The athletic gifts and talent of the elite American footballer are enough to stay on the field with the globe's powers. But discipline and execution do not create a platform for evolution. Creation is reined in for the sake of cohesion. It is also miserable to watch.
D.C. United drew over 17,000 for its opening home match against Real Salt Lake. After managing a single goal in three matches played with a mind-numbingly tedious game plan of useless possession, only 11,000 showed up for home game number two against the Columbus Crew. That's twenty percent below last year's average attendance during the regular season (13,846). In fact, only three out of the seventeen home matches last season had less fans in the seats -- and everyone of those games was a midweek (Wednesday night) fixture. I was out of town and could not attend, but found three takers in my absence. The other four season tickets in our group went unused despite being offered to any taker gratis.
United supporters and the club can keep pretending that it is the decaying stadium, the weather, or a college basketball tournament that's keeping seats freely available, but the games have made for miserable viewing (whether live or on the television). We can also continue to endure excuses about purported failures to execute, but that's not going to convince anyone that there is an interesting product at RFK. It is particularly hard to argue against unleashing the talent on the roster when there is little functional difference between losing matches 2-1 or 2-0 and losing them 5-4 or 6-3.
We are, nevertheless, where we are. U.S. soccer is rigid and mechanical. Klinsmann's critique has not been met by supportive voices amongst the coaches of the MLS.
One of the other things that makes the story great is the identity of the person who penned it. Because the story was authored by Brian Straus and not, say, Grant Wahl, the focus is more on football than on personalities. It is not a gossip piece. It is reporting. And that bodes well for the future of the sport in this country as too much of what is written about the game is short on giving fans greater insight into what they are seeing or why things unfolded in a particular way on the pitch.
Well done Brian. Good job out of you.
In substance, Straus's reporting communicated exactly what I want to hear: the U.S. players are being challenged to be more than automatons meant to execute strategic orders. They are, instead, professional footballers responsible for forming a cohesive whole based on a loose structure, their own aptitude, and creative chaos.
That this challenge is being made in the wake of former conservative management of tight control and preparation is all the more perfect. Straus's narrative walks off the silver screen of the fictionalized account of Brian Clough's doomed attempt to replace Don Revie at Leeds. After The Damn United establishes Revie's obsessive scouting and game preparation, the film portrays his former wards directly challenging Clough at Elland Road for his failure to brief them in advance of a match against Rangers. Clough's response?
You're professional footballers.Of course, things didn't exactly go swimmingly for Clough in West Yorkshire. And there is a substantial risk that Klinsmann's revolution will leave the U.S. without an invitation to the party in Brazil.
Stop Stan Bowles.
That's all you need to know about QPR.
And I don't have justify myself to you . . . not how or when I conduct training . . .
Straus's story ignited a national conversation. Much of it is unhelpful -- it doesn't matter who talked or why they talked and, as Greg Seltzer notes, attacking Mr. Straus's journalistic integrity is completely inappropriate. But all American soccer fans should be talking about the culture of domestic soccer. Klinsmann, by both word and deed, is mounting a powerful challenge to conventional wisdom. Let the kids play. Let them have fun. They'll figure it out. It's ludicrously naive and impractical. It's also thrilling.
You can get results by industry. The athletic gifts and talent of the elite American footballer are enough to stay on the field with the globe's powers. But discipline and execution do not create a platform for evolution. Creation is reined in for the sake of cohesion. It is also miserable to watch.
D.C. United drew over 17,000 for its opening home match against Real Salt Lake. After managing a single goal in three matches played with a mind-numbingly tedious game plan of useless possession, only 11,000 showed up for home game number two against the Columbus Crew. That's twenty percent below last year's average attendance during the regular season (13,846). In fact, only three out of the seventeen home matches last season had less fans in the seats -- and everyone of those games was a midweek (Wednesday night) fixture. I was out of town and could not attend, but found three takers in my absence. The other four season tickets in our group went unused despite being offered to any taker gratis.
United supporters and the club can keep pretending that it is the decaying stadium, the weather, or a college basketball tournament that's keeping seats freely available, but the games have made for miserable viewing (whether live or on the television). We can also continue to endure excuses about purported failures to execute, but that's not going to convince anyone that there is an interesting product at RFK. It is particularly hard to argue against unleashing the talent on the roster when there is little functional difference between losing matches 2-1 or 2-0 and losing them 5-4 or 6-3.
We are, nevertheless, where we are. U.S. soccer is rigid and mechanical. Klinsmann's critique has not been met by supportive voices amongst the coaches of the MLS.
One of the other things that makes the story great is the identity of the person who penned it. Because the story was authored by Brian Straus and not, say, Grant Wahl, the focus is more on football than on personalities. It is not a gossip piece. It is reporting. And that bodes well for the future of the sport in this country as too much of what is written about the game is short on giving fans greater insight into what they are seeing or why things unfolded in a particular way on the pitch.
Well done Brian. Good job out of you.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Meh
On the way out of RFK last night, a father says to his son: "D.C. United won! Did you have a good time?" The kid replies: "I guess. Nothing really happened. It was boring."
Olsen's Army!
The club is going to ridiculous lengths to enhance fan experience -- including having representatives stand by the exits to thank supporters personally for coming out -- without having an on-field product that will build the next generation of season ticket holders.
United won. They controlled large portions of the match and bottled up Real Salt Lake. When needed, Bill Hamid was clutch, making at least one unreal reaction save to preserve the shutout. Dejan Jakovic was terrific, putting in one of the most solid shifts I've seen him play in a United uniform. The young Panamanian, Marcos Sanchez, was fun to watch with some creative flourish and quick turns. And Nick DeLeon was run into the ground but still managed to play a great ball forward very late in the match.
I should focus on the positives. It was a fun night out. 17,000 plus saw United earn three points. United's staff is great. I'm glad I went.
But a moment on the scorer of the game-winning goal: Lionard Pajoy is being described as the polarizing figure on United's roster. I can't imagine that he will be more polarizing than Carlos Ruiz, but Pajoy is unlikely to become a fan favorite even if he scores a dozen or so goals this season. Pajoy's yellow card in the 28th minute was fully deserved for a dirty, entirely unnecessary kick at Kwame Watson-Siriboe. And the caution failed to prevent Pajoy from chirping endlessly at Sorin Stoica for the rest of the half every time a call didn't go his way. It is not exactly a privilege to have to cheer for a player that underscores the worst of Bennie bite ball.
The best sequence of the match came late in the second half when Marcelo Saragosa, subbed on for an injured John Thorrington, received the ball fifteen or so yards from midfield, watched his teammates launch forward, and dribbled backwards toward four RSL players so as to make a bizarre back pass to Hamid that left little room for error. That one pass would have erased roughly eighty minutes of conservative, sleep inducing soccer.
Still, maybe everything changes when Dwayne DeRosario is back in the lineup. I watched DeRo for a bit this afternoon at Ludwig and he's ready to step right back in.
In terms of soccer, the scrimmage today with Maryland was more compelling than the home opener last night.
Patrick Mullins can more than hold his own against professionals, showing once again that he's ready whenever he wants to make the jump.
Mullins saw several familiar faces in the DC United side, with Casey Townsend getting time up top and Ethan White anchoring the back line (along with Daniel Woolard, Henry Kalungi, and Robbie Russell). After Russell pulled himself out of the game with a leg injury, he was spelled by another Maryland alum, Alex Lee.
I had hoped to have seen the last of Kurt Morsink chewing out teammates for perceived failings after Kurt retired but, alas, Morsink played alongside Conor Shanosky in the midfield. True to form, late in the scrimmage, Morsink lit into Ethan for something that neither I nor Mr. White appeared to think had been a mistake. Kurt continued to press the point, whatever it was, after the final whistle. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Olsen's Army!
The club is going to ridiculous lengths to enhance fan experience -- including having representatives stand by the exits to thank supporters personally for coming out -- without having an on-field product that will build the next generation of season ticket holders.
United won. They controlled large portions of the match and bottled up Real Salt Lake. When needed, Bill Hamid was clutch, making at least one unreal reaction save to preserve the shutout. Dejan Jakovic was terrific, putting in one of the most solid shifts I've seen him play in a United uniform. The young Panamanian, Marcos Sanchez, was fun to watch with some creative flourish and quick turns. And Nick DeLeon was run into the ground but still managed to play a great ball forward very late in the match.
I should focus on the positives. It was a fun night out. 17,000 plus saw United earn three points. United's staff is great. I'm glad I went.
But a moment on the scorer of the game-winning goal: Lionard Pajoy is being described as the polarizing figure on United's roster. I can't imagine that he will be more polarizing than Carlos Ruiz, but Pajoy is unlikely to become a fan favorite even if he scores a dozen or so goals this season. Pajoy's yellow card in the 28th minute was fully deserved for a dirty, entirely unnecessary kick at Kwame Watson-Siriboe. And the caution failed to prevent Pajoy from chirping endlessly at Sorin Stoica for the rest of the half every time a call didn't go his way. It is not exactly a privilege to have to cheer for a player that underscores the worst of Bennie bite ball.
The best sequence of the match came late in the second half when Marcelo Saragosa, subbed on for an injured John Thorrington, received the ball fifteen or so yards from midfield, watched his teammates launch forward, and dribbled backwards toward four RSL players so as to make a bizarre back pass to Hamid that left little room for error. That one pass would have erased roughly eighty minutes of conservative, sleep inducing soccer.
Still, maybe everything changes when Dwayne DeRosario is back in the lineup. I watched DeRo for a bit this afternoon at Ludwig and he's ready to step right back in.
In terms of soccer, the scrimmage today with Maryland was more compelling than the home opener last night.
Patrick Mullins can more than hold his own against professionals, showing once again that he's ready whenever he wants to make the jump.
Mullins saw several familiar faces in the DC United side, with Casey Townsend getting time up top and Ethan White anchoring the back line (along with Daniel Woolard, Henry Kalungi, and Robbie Russell). After Russell pulled himself out of the game with a leg injury, he was spelled by another Maryland alum, Alex Lee.
I had hoped to have seen the last of Kurt Morsink chewing out teammates for perceived failings after Kurt retired but, alas, Morsink played alongside Conor Shanosky in the midfield. True to form, late in the scrimmage, Morsink lit into Ethan for something that neither I nor Mr. White appeared to think had been a mistake. Kurt continued to press the point, whatever it was, after the final whistle. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Maybe You Might Try Coaching
In nearly twenty years of living in the Washington DC area, I've managed to develop an affinity for all of two local professional franchises: the Washington Mystics and D.C. United.
Like many Mystics supporters, we dropped our season tickets many years ago and only rarely make it to games.
D.C. United has been an automatic call. Even with two young kids, there's never been a question as to whether we would renew our seats each season.
Not anymore.
The season begins next Saturday with the first home game a week after and we've let friends know that our seats are available, gratis, for anyone wants to use them. Thus far, there is even less interest from our small circle of soccer supporters.
There were many great things about United's off-season: acquiring Casey Townsend through trade, drafting Taylor Kemp and Evan Raynr, and signing Michael Seaton to a professional contract. Add the return of Lance Rozeboom to full health, plus the two Brazilian Rafaels, and United was rolling into a new season stocked with quality young talent.
But from the very beginning, storm clouds loomed overheard. United acquired a 33-year old John Thorrington as their only addition from the MLS re-entry draft in December. Raynr, a talented passer with a good feel for the game, was set adrift after a brief look. More recently, the team has added a 30-year old James Riley and 33-year old Carlos Ruiz to the roster.
The move for Ruiz has drawn the most ire from supporters, but the Riley acquisition was in the same vein. The D.C. United that will take the field in 2013 is a cynical side led by a cynical coach that will play cynical soccer, measuring its value through "bite."
Ben Olsen is very charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the coach discuss his take on last season and his philosophy at a season ticket holder event this month. I think that Andy Najar became a better player under his regime, and that the same is true for Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen, and Nick DeLeon.
But, like with Najar, I'd prefer to see Pontius and DeLeon move on and play somewhere else.
The attacking options available to complement Dwayne DeRosario, Pontius, and DeLeon are incredible: both Rafaels are insanely skilled, Casey Townsend is an accomplished striker and a tireless worker, and Michael Seaton's shown that he's not intimidated by being in the first team side. We've got as much a chance of seeing these guys as we did watching Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi last year.
What we will "enjoy" instead is more Lionard Pajoy spelled by Carlos Ruiz, all the while being lectured on the unseen, unrecognized importance of these two veteran strikers and the purportedly unassailable truth of the physical demands of the M-L-S.
No matter how well Lance Rozeboom has played thus far, Marcelo Saragosa is going to get more time in the center of the midfield.
And it will all be in the service of wins; of returning D.C. United to the glory long left behind. Maybe they make the playoffs again by being the hard team. And maybe the club can build up its attendance with the new-found buzz borne from victories. If so, my complaints and concerns are parochial and of no moment to D.C. United's management.
But if it doesn't work... if you lose while putting crap on the field while simultaneously pissing away young talent?
This year should mark the resurgence of a franchise that has cemented itself as part of the District of Columbia. Absent the addition of a big-name designated player, the way United will build long-term excitement in the community is through its young stars supported by DeRo.
But why waste time coaching the kids if you can just wind up the old warhorses and claim one-nil glories?
I hope I'm made to eat these words as the season progresses. But I doubt it. And in the interim, if I want to see D.C. United's good young talent in action, we'll have to venture down to Richmond.
Like many Mystics supporters, we dropped our season tickets many years ago and only rarely make it to games.
D.C. United has been an automatic call. Even with two young kids, there's never been a question as to whether we would renew our seats each season.
Not anymore.
The season begins next Saturday with the first home game a week after and we've let friends know that our seats are available, gratis, for anyone wants to use them. Thus far, there is even less interest from our small circle of soccer supporters.
There were many great things about United's off-season: acquiring Casey Townsend through trade, drafting Taylor Kemp and Evan Raynr, and signing Michael Seaton to a professional contract. Add the return of Lance Rozeboom to full health, plus the two Brazilian Rafaels, and United was rolling into a new season stocked with quality young talent.
But from the very beginning, storm clouds loomed overheard. United acquired a 33-year old John Thorrington as their only addition from the MLS re-entry draft in December. Raynr, a talented passer with a good feel for the game, was set adrift after a brief look. More recently, the team has added a 30-year old James Riley and 33-year old Carlos Ruiz to the roster.
The move for Ruiz has drawn the most ire from supporters, but the Riley acquisition was in the same vein. The D.C. United that will take the field in 2013 is a cynical side led by a cynical coach that will play cynical soccer, measuring its value through "bite."
Ben Olsen is very charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the coach discuss his take on last season and his philosophy at a season ticket holder event this month. I think that Andy Najar became a better player under his regime, and that the same is true for Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen, and Nick DeLeon.
But, like with Najar, I'd prefer to see Pontius and DeLeon move on and play somewhere else.
The attacking options available to complement Dwayne DeRosario, Pontius, and DeLeon are incredible: both Rafaels are insanely skilled, Casey Townsend is an accomplished striker and a tireless worker, and Michael Seaton's shown that he's not intimidated by being in the first team side. We've got as much a chance of seeing these guys as we did watching Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi last year.
What we will "enjoy" instead is more Lionard Pajoy spelled by Carlos Ruiz, all the while being lectured on the unseen, unrecognized importance of these two veteran strikers and the purportedly unassailable truth of the physical demands of the M-L-S.
No matter how well Lance Rozeboom has played thus far, Marcelo Saragosa is going to get more time in the center of the midfield.
And it will all be in the service of wins; of returning D.C. United to the glory long left behind. Maybe they make the playoffs again by being the hard team. And maybe the club can build up its attendance with the new-found buzz borne from victories. If so, my complaints and concerns are parochial and of no moment to D.C. United's management.
But if it doesn't work... if you lose while putting crap on the field while simultaneously pissing away young talent?
This year should mark the resurgence of a franchise that has cemented itself as part of the District of Columbia. Absent the addition of a big-name designated player, the way United will build long-term excitement in the community is through its young stars supported by DeRo.
But why waste time coaching the kids if you can just wind up the old warhorses and claim one-nil glories?
I hope I'm made to eat these words as the season progresses. But I doubt it. And in the interim, if I want to see D.C. United's good young talent in action, we'll have to venture down to Richmond.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Proximity
As a kid, the name of nearly every
player on the sports teams I followed was imprinted in my brain. Yet the
relationship with those players was, with few blessed exceptions, entirely
remote. Meeting a Chicago Bear at a promotional meet and greet at a Sears
in the western suburbs was worth every minute of the interminable wait.
My cousins and I would spend hours standing outside a chain link fence in a
parking lot at Jack Murphy just for the chance to get Mark Parent’s signature
on a baseball.
As I’ve grown older, the distance
between fan and athlete has narrowed. But I still feel an intense sense
of privilege at being able to meet, however briefly, an athlete I root for as a
spectator.
I doubt it will be the same for my
daughters.
In the last week, our eldest
was at Maryland women’s basketball game on Sunday, a D.C. United season ticket
holder event on Tuesday, and a college gymnastics meet last night. At
each, the highlight for her was the chance to interact with players or coaches.
At RFK Tuesday night, our
four-year old found Coach Olsen mingling with fans before the questions and
answers session, peppering him with non sequiturs that Bennie looked eager to
escape. But before he did, she learned that the coach had a four-year old
kid and pondered when, exactly, it would be appropriate to share with him what
happened when the frog’s car broke down. A couple of days earlier at
Comcast, she shared her plans to celebrate her fifth birthday at Chuck E.
Cheese’s with Maryland’s Katie Rutan and Chloe Pavlech after the women’s impressive win over Boston College.
Last night was the best of the
week. Maryland’s gymnastics team has adopted the practice of granting
kids autographs from everyone on the roster after every home meet/match.
It is not a minor commitment. There are scores of children –
overwhelmingly girls – at Comcast for these events.
Attendance last night was announced at over a thousand.
And the gymnasts don’t just
sign autographs. They really seem to love interacting with the
kids. After walking through the line, our daughter has decided that maybe
gymnastics is something that she can do and she’s been practicing her tumbling
throughout the day. It was and is amazing.
Almost
as impressive for me were the number of football and basketball players at the
meet last night that came out to support the team. Watching Dez Wells
earnestly hand out flowers as the final scores were announced it seemed, to me,
as a genuine gesture of respect for fellow athletes. For our daughters,
we make a big deal out of going to see the men’s basketball team and the
football team play. Seeing Seth Allen and Dexter McDougle (among several
others) in the stands supporting the team signaled how big a deal the meet was
as well.
Not
that it was necessary. The event spoke
for itself. The perfect ten that Katy
Dodds netted from one judge followed an electrifying floor exercise. Stephanie Giameo's beam routine drew audible
gasps.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Thanksgiving
One of the lingering irritations of living in the Washington D.C. area is the poor quality of sports writing at the major dailies. Over the last several years, other than Michael Wilbon, there have been exactly no sports journalists or columnists that I have taken any particular interest in or note of.
Happily, this is changing.
While at Comcast on Tuesday night watching Maryland dispatch Lafayette, I was struck once again by how well Pe'Shon Howard plays the point. He committed a terrible turnover late in the game, looked very uncomfortable attempting open jumpshots, and occasionally failed to flash out fully at a Leopard looking to pop a three. But when he was on the floor, he ran the Terps offense with poise and dropped some sizzling dimes.
I figured that I would come home and tap out another homage to Howard, one of the most underrated players on the squad. But, as it turns out, this ground has already been covered much more competently by the Washington Post's excellent Alex Prewitt in a short post on Terrapins Insider on Sunday. Prewitt really is terrific and does an incredible job providing context for what we're seeing on the court or on the field. He seems to have little interest in mindlessly promoting Maryland's athletic program, nor does he appear to have any particular agenda in attacking coaches or administrators. Instead, Prewitt provides insightful analysis and background. He's a must-read for every Terrapin supporter.
But as grateful as I am for Mr. Prewitt's contributions, I am even more grateful for the work of the Washington Examiner's Craig Stouffer.
This has been a bittersweet season following D.C. United. The dominant storyline is the team's return to competitiveness and falling just short of the MLS Cup game. Despite limited interest for the bulk of the year, fans turned out for the playoff matches and the last regular season game (against Columbus).
We bucked that trend -- after going to home fixtures throughout the year, we gave away our tickets for the last three matches. Although we fell in love with many of the players on this season's squad -- particularly Nick DeLeon -- by the end of the season, I was disenchanted and found myself rooting against Ben Olsen's favored sons.
My negativity has been further fueled by the lack of any meaningful analysis of the Olsen regime, as we are instead treated to inane hagiography. I am, at this point, almost constitutionally incapable of giving credit to Coach Olsen for any one of the many undeniable things he has done to improve the side and develop certain individuals.
Craig Stouffer's summation of the season, published Monday, provided a balanced review that has been utterly lacking in the work of others covering the team. As Stouffer observes, "Olsen’s coaching job will be universally lauded, but that doesn’t mean it was perfect." Stouffer specifically questions Olsen's utilization of Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi, something that has driven us nuts as we watched some really horrible performances in the midfield and at forward by players possessing nothing remotely close to the talent that Boskovic and Salihi offer.
Since United has bowed out of the playoffs, DC has parted company with Boskovic, a player who, along with DeRosario, offered the most innovation in attack we've seen in five years. United has also locked up Dejan Jakovic with a new contract after Jakovic managed to play twenty games for the first time since 2009. All signs point to Ethan White, again, being persona non grata in 2013.
But I take solace in the prospect of somebody actually holding management responsible. Absent constructive critiques coming from those covering the team, there is little prospect that man management or personnel decisions will improve. Stouffer can fill that vital role.
Happily, this is changing.
While at Comcast on Tuesday night watching Maryland dispatch Lafayette, I was struck once again by how well Pe'Shon Howard plays the point. He committed a terrible turnover late in the game, looked very uncomfortable attempting open jumpshots, and occasionally failed to flash out fully at a Leopard looking to pop a three. But when he was on the floor, he ran the Terps offense with poise and dropped some sizzling dimes.
I figured that I would come home and tap out another homage to Howard, one of the most underrated players on the squad. But, as it turns out, this ground has already been covered much more competently by the Washington Post's excellent Alex Prewitt in a short post on Terrapins Insider on Sunday. Prewitt really is terrific and does an incredible job providing context for what we're seeing on the court or on the field. He seems to have little interest in mindlessly promoting Maryland's athletic program, nor does he appear to have any particular agenda in attacking coaches or administrators. Instead, Prewitt provides insightful analysis and background. He's a must-read for every Terrapin supporter.
But as grateful as I am for Mr. Prewitt's contributions, I am even more grateful for the work of the Washington Examiner's Craig Stouffer.
This has been a bittersweet season following D.C. United. The dominant storyline is the team's return to competitiveness and falling just short of the MLS Cup game. Despite limited interest for the bulk of the year, fans turned out for the playoff matches and the last regular season game (against Columbus).
We bucked that trend -- after going to home fixtures throughout the year, we gave away our tickets for the last three matches. Although we fell in love with many of the players on this season's squad -- particularly Nick DeLeon -- by the end of the season, I was disenchanted and found myself rooting against Ben Olsen's favored sons.
My negativity has been further fueled by the lack of any meaningful analysis of the Olsen regime, as we are instead treated to inane hagiography. I am, at this point, almost constitutionally incapable of giving credit to Coach Olsen for any one of the many undeniable things he has done to improve the side and develop certain individuals.
Craig Stouffer's summation of the season, published Monday, provided a balanced review that has been utterly lacking in the work of others covering the team. As Stouffer observes, "Olsen’s coaching job will be universally lauded, but that doesn’t mean it was perfect." Stouffer specifically questions Olsen's utilization of Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi, something that has driven us nuts as we watched some really horrible performances in the midfield and at forward by players possessing nothing remotely close to the talent that Boskovic and Salihi offer.
Since United has bowed out of the playoffs, DC has parted company with Boskovic, a player who, along with DeRosario, offered the most innovation in attack we've seen in five years. United has also locked up Dejan Jakovic with a new contract after Jakovic managed to play twenty games for the first time since 2009. All signs point to Ethan White, again, being persona non grata in 2013.
But I take solace in the prospect of somebody actually holding management responsible. Absent constructive critiques coming from those covering the team, there is little prospect that man management or personnel decisions will improve. Stouffer can fill that vital role.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Rewrite
A Goff post on DCU attendance offers the opportunity to check out other opinions regarding why numbers have been so far down this season.
The sampling of supporter views reflected in the comments does not lend much credence to my efforts to hang this on the gaffer. The best I can do is stretch the "boring" complaints as popping out of the game plan.
Instead, the consensus view is the rotting corpse of a football stadium is keeping customers away.
Goff offers a series of other factors:
(1) no international stars;
(2) no need to buy tickets in advance because of large, unused capacity;
(3) high ticket prices;
(4) the deterioration of the season ticket base;
(5) unfavorable scheduling (including four games in August and no visit by the Galaxy); and
(6) budget.
Maybe.
But the decline in attendance in 2012 comes on the heels of an overall 4.5% increase in attendance between 2010 and 2011. The quality of RFK didn't decline substantially since 2011.
The average attendance for the two New York Red Bulls games was 11,783... 13% below average attendance for the year. Goff explains the low numbers for Thierry Henry's team on the Sunday and Wednesday dates, but the Wednesday game was below average for the four Wednesday games played during the season (10,581 for the season, 10,303 for the New York game). The Red Bulls home numbers this year don't bear out the value of an international star ... their attendance in Harrison is down 13% from 2011. Even the Galaxy's home attendance is down 3% from 2011.
Who has seen a pronounced uptick in attendance this season? The star-studded Columbus Crew, up 18% from last year.
What team was the biggest draw for United this season? Montreal, with 18,000+ attending for the game in June (after pulling in 10,000+ for a midweek game back in April). Second biggest? Kansas City (16,314 for the season opener). Then Seattle (15,651), then New England (15,104 and 14,627).
Mid-week games pulled down season numbers. One-quarter of the league home fixtures were played on Wednesdays -- 21.5% below the season average and 31% below the eight home games played on Saturday (averaging 15,363). Take these games out and the season average climbs by nearly a thousand fans. But even if you exclude midweek games, the average this year would still have been down 5% from last year.
How about marketing? The city happened to be plastered in D.C. United advertisements at the same time as television coverage of the MLS improved tremendously. The club deployed people to stand at metro stations and hand out flyers heralding the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain and still only drew a little over 13,000 to the friendly.
Tickets are priced high, yes. Personally, we couldn't find people to take our unused season tickets for free and, more broadly, tickets in the various secondary markets sold well below walk-up prices.
People aren't staying away because of a lack of goals... United's averaging 2.13 goals per game at home and their 1.57 goals per game season average is the best the team's posted since 2007.
Maybe its just that the Nats (and O's) have sucked up the limelight and the spectator enthusiasm this season. Or maybe it is everything, or nothing, or something.
Weird team. Weird season.
The sampling of supporter views reflected in the comments does not lend much credence to my efforts to hang this on the gaffer. The best I can do is stretch the "boring" complaints as popping out of the game plan.
Instead, the consensus view is the rotting corpse of a football stadium is keeping customers away.
Goff offers a series of other factors:
(1) no international stars;
(2) no need to buy tickets in advance because of large, unused capacity;
(3) high ticket prices;
(4) the deterioration of the season ticket base;
(5) unfavorable scheduling (including four games in August and no visit by the Galaxy); and
(6) budget.
Maybe.
But the decline in attendance in 2012 comes on the heels of an overall 4.5% increase in attendance between 2010 and 2011. The quality of RFK didn't decline substantially since 2011.
The average attendance for the two New York Red Bulls games was 11,783... 13% below average attendance for the year. Goff explains the low numbers for Thierry Henry's team on the Sunday and Wednesday dates, but the Wednesday game was below average for the four Wednesday games played during the season (10,581 for the season, 10,303 for the New York game). The Red Bulls home numbers this year don't bear out the value of an international star ... their attendance in Harrison is down 13% from 2011. Even the Galaxy's home attendance is down 3% from 2011.
Who has seen a pronounced uptick in attendance this season? The star-studded Columbus Crew, up 18% from last year.
What team was the biggest draw for United this season? Montreal, with 18,000+ attending for the game in June (after pulling in 10,000+ for a midweek game back in April). Second biggest? Kansas City (16,314 for the season opener). Then Seattle (15,651), then New England (15,104 and 14,627).
Mid-week games pulled down season numbers. One-quarter of the league home fixtures were played on Wednesdays -- 21.5% below the season average and 31% below the eight home games played on Saturday (averaging 15,363). Take these games out and the season average climbs by nearly a thousand fans. But even if you exclude midweek games, the average this year would still have been down 5% from last year.
How about marketing? The city happened to be plastered in D.C. United advertisements at the same time as television coverage of the MLS improved tremendously. The club deployed people to stand at metro stations and hand out flyers heralding the arrival of Paris Saint-Germain and still only drew a little over 13,000 to the friendly.
Tickets are priced high, yes. Personally, we couldn't find people to take our unused season tickets for free and, more broadly, tickets in the various secondary markets sold well below walk-up prices.
People aren't staying away because of a lack of goals... United's averaging 2.13 goals per game at home and their 1.57 goals per game season average is the best the team's posted since 2007.
Maybe its just that the Nats (and O's) have sucked up the limelight and the spectator enthusiasm this season. Or maybe it is everything, or nothing, or something.
Weird team. Weird season.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sparse
11,770
Even with a Living Social deal in full swing, average attendance for the last six home games -- where D.C. United has won four games and tied two -- is down to 12,403, now an 18.5% drop from average attendance last season (15,211).
Results aren't keeping people away. With four games left in the season, United hit the fifty point mark this evening -- the most the club has had in a season since 2007.
And it certainly is not the weather, as it was another beautiful night in D.C.
Nor do I think that the club's promotional efforts can be blamed. We contributed three to the total this evening and spent the first half in the VW garage. Tonight's match is the first game we've attended where both my girls unequivocally enjoyed the night out. Both found children of equivalent age to cavort with and when they weren't playing, we got close up views of Maryland alums Danny Califf and Casey Townsend as well as phenomenal combination play between Andy Najar and Nick DeLeon on the right flank. The garage is a terrific setup for young kids and a godsend for parents that want to see a live sporting event.
We only were able to check out the garage tonight because the four other people we have season tickets with found other things to do and could not find anyone that had an interest in going to a soccer match gratis.
This is a weird team in a weird situation.
The talent is the best we've seen as season ticket holders. The home grown and drafted players -- Chris Pontius, Bill Hamid, Andy Najar, Nick DeLeon, Chris Korb, and Perry Kitchen -- are charismatic and each has improved as the year has worn on. The foundation for a quality team is there. In DeRosario, Boskovic, and Salihi, there is some real veteran class and skill in the roster.
None of this is resonating with the fan base, who are largely staying away. The lack of enthusiasm also likely has little to do with the continuing decline of RFK -- friends and family that we've previously enticed to games in past seasons showed no interest this year, but will head well out of their way to the spartan setting of Ludwig Field to catch Maryland.
When Curt Onalfo was first introduced to the fanbase, he made a point trying to connect with fans. He did so through the false promise of attacking, attractive soccer (he did not come close to delivering). Olsen replaced Onalfo with the underlying promise that a connection with the fans is already there based on his tenure as a player. Olsen's record this season and the considerable development of his younger wards are testaments to his natural abilities as a coach. But my four year old has never felt comfortable walking over and saying hello to Bennie when she's seen him at Ludwig or at the stadium. That, in and of itself, means nothing but is a small and insignificant reflection of what happens when the "bite" you advocate from your side is turned on supporters.
Even with a Living Social deal in full swing, average attendance for the last six home games -- where D.C. United has won four games and tied two -- is down to 12,403, now an 18.5% drop from average attendance last season (15,211).
Results aren't keeping people away. With four games left in the season, United hit the fifty point mark this evening -- the most the club has had in a season since 2007.
And it certainly is not the weather, as it was another beautiful night in D.C.
Nor do I think that the club's promotional efforts can be blamed. We contributed three to the total this evening and spent the first half in the VW garage. Tonight's match is the first game we've attended where both my girls unequivocally enjoyed the night out. Both found children of equivalent age to cavort with and when they weren't playing, we got close up views of Maryland alums Danny Califf and Casey Townsend as well as phenomenal combination play between Andy Najar and Nick DeLeon on the right flank. The garage is a terrific setup for young kids and a godsend for parents that want to see a live sporting event.
We only were able to check out the garage tonight because the four other people we have season tickets with found other things to do and could not find anyone that had an interest in going to a soccer match gratis.
This is a weird team in a weird situation.
The talent is the best we've seen as season ticket holders. The home grown and drafted players -- Chris Pontius, Bill Hamid, Andy Najar, Nick DeLeon, Chris Korb, and Perry Kitchen -- are charismatic and each has improved as the year has worn on. The foundation for a quality team is there. In DeRosario, Boskovic, and Salihi, there is some real veteran class and skill in the roster.
None of this is resonating with the fan base, who are largely staying away. The lack of enthusiasm also likely has little to do with the continuing decline of RFK -- friends and family that we've previously enticed to games in past seasons showed no interest this year, but will head well out of their way to the spartan setting of Ludwig Field to catch Maryland.
When Curt Onalfo was first introduced to the fanbase, he made a point trying to connect with fans. He did so through the false promise of attacking, attractive soccer (he did not come close to delivering). Olsen replaced Onalfo with the underlying promise that a connection with the fans is already there based on his tenure as a player. Olsen's record this season and the considerable development of his younger wards are testaments to his natural abilities as a coach. But my four year old has never felt comfortable walking over and saying hello to Bennie when she's seen him at Ludwig or at the stadium. That, in and of itself, means nothing but is a small and insignificant reflection of what happens when the "bite" you advocate from your side is turned on supporters.
Pique
Ethan White and Stephen King were on hand Friday night at Ludwig. They signed autographs for fans in attendance (and briefly entertained my four-year old). White & King also walked out at halftime while the p.a. promoted Sunday's D.C. United match against Chivas. Not even polite applause from the stands.
D.C. United's formal presence at Maryland games is appreciated, although I am not sure how much it adds beyond the regular informal attendance of players and management. Choosing White and King as the teams representatives was also a bit strange. On the surface, two Maryland alums on the club's roster are the only rational choice -- but both White and King have been hard done under Olsen's regime. After starting 21 games last year (and playing in three more), Ethan White has not played a minute of first team football for D.C. United this season. Stephen King started 11 games (and played in 20) in 2011. Numbers in 2012? 1 and 7. King's hurt, but even if he was healthy, there is little chance he would play under Olsen. So why send these two out as the face of the team?
Probably the same reason why Branko Boskovic got substituted out of the game in the 58th minute of Thursday's match against the Union. All the better that his removal came shortly after a gorgeous cross clubbed fifty yards over the crossbar by Lionard Pajoy.
Want to watch entertaining football? Screw you. Chew on this "bite."
Think you know something about the game? Screw you. My skin is gossamer thin.
Believe that you bear witness to the rebirth of United? Screw you. I can cut off my nose with the best of them.
15,104
10,303
10,291
12,312
14,640
Over the last five home MLS fixtures, an average of 12,530 fans have come out to RFK. That is 11.3% below the average for the prior ten home matches (14,132) and, compared to the season averages for every other MLS team, is the lowest in the league. The Revolution have managed to draw an average of 12,542 fans this season -- meaning that we are now packing in even fewer fans than New England. A playoff team in a city stadium drawing less than 13,000 in the MLS is ridiculous.
There will be all kinds of vapid opinions bandied about as to why attendance has been awful; e.g., a terrible stadium, years of past performance finally catching up, and a captivating Washington Nationals run. Maybe. But the debate we are having about whether to head down to RFK and use our season tickets on Sunday has nothing to do with these variables. Instead, that 58th minute substitution looms large (as does the ridiculous take that the substitution was somehow seminal in the win -- yes, Maicon Santos played a terrifically weighted through ball up to Pontius, but isn't applauding Santos for the goal more random than not crediting Boskovic for his pitch perfect cross simply because Pajoy's screwed up one and not the other?).
Sure, fans are superficial and lack true knowledge about football strategy and tactics. And, sure, we don't get to see what the gaffer views on the training ground. So, by all means, treat us as idiots while you stamp your authority on our foreheads. We'll take it.
12,530.
Project 11,000 is now in full effect.
D.C. United's formal presence at Maryland games is appreciated, although I am not sure how much it adds beyond the regular informal attendance of players and management. Choosing White and King as the teams representatives was also a bit strange. On the surface, two Maryland alums on the club's roster are the only rational choice -- but both White and King have been hard done under Olsen's regime. After starting 21 games last year (and playing in three more), Ethan White has not played a minute of first team football for D.C. United this season. Stephen King started 11 games (and played in 20) in 2011. Numbers in 2012? 1 and 7. King's hurt, but even if he was healthy, there is little chance he would play under Olsen. So why send these two out as the face of the team?
Probably the same reason why Branko Boskovic got substituted out of the game in the 58th minute of Thursday's match against the Union. All the better that his removal came shortly after a gorgeous cross clubbed fifty yards over the crossbar by Lionard Pajoy.
Want to watch entertaining football? Screw you. Chew on this "bite."
Think you know something about the game? Screw you. My skin is gossamer thin.
Believe that you bear witness to the rebirth of United? Screw you. I can cut off my nose with the best of them.
15,104
10,303
10,291
12,312
14,640
Over the last five home MLS fixtures, an average of 12,530 fans have come out to RFK. That is 11.3% below the average for the prior ten home matches (14,132) and, compared to the season averages for every other MLS team, is the lowest in the league. The Revolution have managed to draw an average of 12,542 fans this season -- meaning that we are now packing in even fewer fans than New England. A playoff team in a city stadium drawing less than 13,000 in the MLS is ridiculous.
There will be all kinds of vapid opinions bandied about as to why attendance has been awful; e.g., a terrible stadium, years of past performance finally catching up, and a captivating Washington Nationals run. Maybe. But the debate we are having about whether to head down to RFK and use our season tickets on Sunday has nothing to do with these variables. Instead, that 58th minute substitution looms large (as does the ridiculous take that the substitution was somehow seminal in the win -- yes, Maicon Santos played a terrifically weighted through ball up to Pontius, but isn't applauding Santos for the goal more random than not crediting Boskovic for his pitch perfect cross simply because Pajoy's screwed up one and not the other?).
Sure, fans are superficial and lack true knowledge about football strategy and tactics. And, sure, we don't get to see what the gaffer views on the training ground. So, by all means, treat us as idiots while you stamp your authority on our foreheads. We'll take it.
12,530.
Project 11,000 is now in full effect.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Homegrown
Tomorrow night, the Maryland men's soccer team's 2012 campaign will officially begin against the school -- Louisville -- that closed the book on the 2011 season.
This season I will not head to Ludwig hoping to see budding D.C. United contributors; not because I believe that this year's team isn't replete with talent (it is), but because I would prefer not to see Terps cut their professional teeth in a team led by Ben Olsen.
While Marcelo Saragosa, Mike Chabala, and Emiliano Dudar put in questionable shifts for United this afternoon in Montreal, Maryland alums Ethan White and Stephen King weren't even included in the 18.
Young players are not excluded from Ben Olsen's side. Perry Kitchen (20) started again, along with Andy Najar (19), Bill Hamid (21), Chris Korb (24), and Long Tan (24). Nick DeLeon (22) was ill, but otherwise would likely have been involved, while Chris Pontius (25) and Joe Willis (24) were available off the bench.
The issue isn't a lack of opportunity for young players generally. Olsen has no problem going with youth. The issue is, instead, player development. Najar, Hamid, Pontius, and Korb have shown improvements in their game this season -- Najar is more aggressive defensively and has ideas in mind after exhilarating runs; Hamid's confidence is exceptional; Pontius has become a legitimate scoring threat; and Korb's exhibited some surprising offensive skills. But from the perspective of sitting outside the club, the margin for error for younger players not named Perry Kitchen is substantially smaller than for veterans, even where (particularly in the case of players like Jakovic, Dudar, Russell, Saragosa, and Morsink) the deference isn't warranted by on-field performance.
I've enjoyed D.C. United this year. Even fleeting glances of lineups featuring Boskovic-DeRosario-Pontius-DeLeon-Najar justify the costs (both temporal and monetary) of season tickets. Ethan White's total freeze-out has grated. So has watching Saragosa ascend to the current throne of guileless midfielder fueled by piss and vinegar. Even with all the problems at fullback, I harbored no desire for United's front office to find ways to return Rodney Wallace or Jeremy Hall to the region.
Jimmy Burns' fantastic "La Roja" highlights a quote from Johan Cruyff that unmasked the parochial origins of my frustration:
Superficially, this whinge makes no sense because it is aimed at someone who spent over a decade in the black and red. Olsen is hard-woven into the fabric of the club. But while he is indelibly part of the franchise, Ben Olsen, on his own, is not D.C. United. The qualities that Olsen embodied are inconsistent, as a governing philosophy, with United's image of itself. A cagey, veteran team with "bite" that gets stuck in every match might compete well in the league and, possibly, be in frame for an MLS Cup, but it is certainly not what D.C. United has been selling to supporters.
But more important than the marketing sleight of hand is what it means for the talent trapped on the roster. When supporters of the Houston Dynamo weighed in with "Free Geoff Cameron" signs, I half-hoped that offers would come in for Pontius, Najar, and Hamid before the close of the August transfer window. All three are a joy to watch, but all three would be better served somewhere else.
This season I will not head to Ludwig hoping to see budding D.C. United contributors; not because I believe that this year's team isn't replete with talent (it is), but because I would prefer not to see Terps cut their professional teeth in a team led by Ben Olsen.
While Marcelo Saragosa, Mike Chabala, and Emiliano Dudar put in questionable shifts for United this afternoon in Montreal, Maryland alums Ethan White and Stephen King weren't even included in the 18.
Young players are not excluded from Ben Olsen's side. Perry Kitchen (20) started again, along with Andy Najar (19), Bill Hamid (21), Chris Korb (24), and Long Tan (24). Nick DeLeon (22) was ill, but otherwise would likely have been involved, while Chris Pontius (25) and Joe Willis (24) were available off the bench.
The issue isn't a lack of opportunity for young players generally. Olsen has no problem going with youth. The issue is, instead, player development. Najar, Hamid, Pontius, and Korb have shown improvements in their game this season -- Najar is more aggressive defensively and has ideas in mind after exhilarating runs; Hamid's confidence is exceptional; Pontius has become a legitimate scoring threat; and Korb's exhibited some surprising offensive skills. But from the perspective of sitting outside the club, the margin for error for younger players not named Perry Kitchen is substantially smaller than for veterans, even where (particularly in the case of players like Jakovic, Dudar, Russell, Saragosa, and Morsink) the deference isn't warranted by on-field performance.
I've enjoyed D.C. United this year. Even fleeting glances of lineups featuring Boskovic-DeRosario-Pontius-DeLeon-Najar justify the costs (both temporal and monetary) of season tickets. Ethan White's total freeze-out has grated. So has watching Saragosa ascend to the current throne of guileless midfielder fueled by piss and vinegar. Even with all the problems at fullback, I harbored no desire for United's front office to find ways to return Rodney Wallace or Jeremy Hall to the region.
Jimmy Burns' fantastic "La Roja" highlights a quote from Johan Cruyff that unmasked the parochial origins of my frustration:
"Fans the world over like to see good players who share their mentality, and preferably come from their country, and if a coach has to choose between a foreign and a local with equal qualities, he should go for the local. That way the fans are less likely to whistle him if things go wrong. In Barca, people like seeing players from the cantera in the first team; it makes them feel that the coach somehow is more a part of Barcelona that way."For me, this is undoubtedly true. I would be willing to sit through five horrid performances by Conor Shanosky well before sitting through the ninety minutes of mediocre meaninglessness embodied by Marcelo Saragosa today. No matter how many times commentators try and paint a different picture, Perry Kitchen is having a very disappointing season in United's midfield -- yet, in the stands, we shrug off the unforced giveaways and poor passes.
Superficially, this whinge makes no sense because it is aimed at someone who spent over a decade in the black and red. Olsen is hard-woven into the fabric of the club. But while he is indelibly part of the franchise, Ben Olsen, on his own, is not D.C. United. The qualities that Olsen embodied are inconsistent, as a governing philosophy, with United's image of itself. A cagey, veteran team with "bite" that gets stuck in every match might compete well in the league and, possibly, be in frame for an MLS Cup, but it is certainly not what D.C. United has been selling to supporters.
But more important than the marketing sleight of hand is what it means for the talent trapped on the roster. When supporters of the Houston Dynamo weighed in with "Free Geoff Cameron" signs, I half-hoped that offers would come in for Pontius, Najar, and Hamid before the close of the August transfer window. All three are a joy to watch, but all three would be better served somewhere else.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Brutal
The first Maryland football game we attended was a non-conference match-up against Akron back in 2002. The gross imbalance in the size of the players on the two squads commanded all of our attention; the violence was asymmetrical, not an athletic contest so much as an exercise in brutality. That game dulled our enjoyment of college football for some time.
Last year, the DeMatha-Gonzaga football game matched two high school teams of similar size and skill. One team did not bludgeon a helpless opponent. But our belief that the disquieting violence of the Maryland-Akron match was due to one team being substantially weaker than the other disappeared. Standing on the sidelines close to the action, we could feel the concussive blows delivered by teenage wrecking balls.
American football loses its luster; when Devin Thomas walks away from $700,000 in salary from the Chicago Bears citing, in part, concerns about long-term health, the "we don't want anyone not fully committed" line from Lovie falls flat while the absence of any reference to Thomas's welfare concerns on the official web-site is a damning indictment of the NFL's ability to grapple with this new reality.
American football won't be the only sport under strict public scrutiny for very long.
Last night, a ball pops loose in the goal box in front of Bill Hamid. All 6'4" of Emiliano Dudar jumped back towards goal authoritatively to clear the ball back over the bar, willing to concede the corner kick to bring order to chaos. Innocuous enough play, except all 5'10" of Daniel Woolard went to clear the free ball the opposite direction and met Dudar's head instead.
We love Woolard. We love everything that Woolard stands for in terms of perseverance and commitment. Didn't get a single DI scholarship offer to play soccer. Played in Division II for Midwestern State University. Worked hard enough, played well enough to be a MLS supplemental draft pick in 2007. Four years ago, Daniel (and Stephen King) earned $17,700 as professional soccer players for the Chicago Fire -- on a team where Cuauhtemoc Blanco pocketed $2.5 million to play the same game for the same team.
Woolard's not exactly swimming in cash now with D.C. United -- he's one of the lowest paid players on the squad, with a lower salary than King's ($56,250). And to get to this point, Woolard had to overcome being cut loose by the Fire and going back to play in the PDL where he suffered a concussion with debilitating after-effects.
We know Woolard's story. It is a huge part of why we enjoy watching the man play soccer in a DCU shirt.
So that is in our heads when Bill Hamid is trying to organize the defense in advance of the corner kick. And then Hamid is frantically screaming at Woolard -- standing fifteen yards out near the noisy side -- to get into the box and Daniel's not responding. One of his teammates runs out to see what's going on; a moment later the players on the pitch are even more frantically signalling to the sideline that help is needed and a sub must be prepped.
The image that will stick with me is of Woolard's eyes as he was escorted into the locker room -- although somewhat vacant, they evinced both fear and anger.
Maybe there will be good news in the coming days and that would put our minds somewhat at ease. What we saw (from the stands) was horror.
There are worse things. One of the things we look forward to at MLS games is catching up with college players that we got to see at Ludwig. Last night, it meant seeing Justin Meram (Michigan) and Ethan Finlay (Creighton) again. We didn't get to see Maryland's ACC-rivals on the Crwe, Cole Grossman (Duke) or Kirk Urso (UNC). We won't be able to see Urso play ever again.
Rest in peace.
Last year, the DeMatha-Gonzaga football game matched two high school teams of similar size and skill. One team did not bludgeon a helpless opponent. But our belief that the disquieting violence of the Maryland-Akron match was due to one team being substantially weaker than the other disappeared. Standing on the sidelines close to the action, we could feel the concussive blows delivered by teenage wrecking balls.
American football loses its luster; when Devin Thomas walks away from $700,000 in salary from the Chicago Bears citing, in part, concerns about long-term health, the "we don't want anyone not fully committed" line from Lovie falls flat while the absence of any reference to Thomas's welfare concerns on the official web-site is a damning indictment of the NFL's ability to grapple with this new reality.
American football won't be the only sport under strict public scrutiny for very long.
Last night, a ball pops loose in the goal box in front of Bill Hamid. All 6'4" of Emiliano Dudar jumped back towards goal authoritatively to clear the ball back over the bar, willing to concede the corner kick to bring order to chaos. Innocuous enough play, except all 5'10" of Daniel Woolard went to clear the free ball the opposite direction and met Dudar's head instead.
We love Woolard. We love everything that Woolard stands for in terms of perseverance and commitment. Didn't get a single DI scholarship offer to play soccer. Played in Division II for Midwestern State University. Worked hard enough, played well enough to be a MLS supplemental draft pick in 2007. Four years ago, Daniel (and Stephen King) earned $17,700 as professional soccer players for the Chicago Fire -- on a team where Cuauhtemoc Blanco pocketed $2.5 million to play the same game for the same team.
Woolard's not exactly swimming in cash now with D.C. United -- he's one of the lowest paid players on the squad, with a lower salary than King's ($56,250). And to get to this point, Woolard had to overcome being cut loose by the Fire and going back to play in the PDL where he suffered a concussion with debilitating after-effects.
We know Woolard's story. It is a huge part of why we enjoy watching the man play soccer in a DCU shirt.
So that is in our heads when Bill Hamid is trying to organize the defense in advance of the corner kick. And then Hamid is frantically screaming at Woolard -- standing fifteen yards out near the noisy side -- to get into the box and Daniel's not responding. One of his teammates runs out to see what's going on; a moment later the players on the pitch are even more frantically signalling to the sideline that help is needed and a sub must be prepped.
The image that will stick with me is of Woolard's eyes as he was escorted into the locker room -- although somewhat vacant, they evinced both fear and anger.
Maybe there will be good news in the coming days and that would put our minds somewhat at ease. What we saw (from the stands) was horror.
There are worse things. One of the things we look forward to at MLS games is catching up with college players that we got to see at Ludwig. Last night, it meant seeing Justin Meram (Michigan) and Ethan Finlay (Creighton) again. We didn't get to see Maryland's ACC-rivals on the Crwe, Cole Grossman (Duke) or Kirk Urso (UNC). We won't be able to see Urso play ever again.
Rest in peace.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)