Houston 1, United 0

I took some friendly grief for my exclamations of happiness after last weeks win, but tonight's predictable result was one of the primary reasons I thought last week so important. Three points out of two road games against two tough teams in mid-summer in two of the shittiest summer towns in America is as good as reason could have allowed, and Houston was going to be the more difficult game all along.

And if Gomez' freaky free shot had bounced one inch lower, if Emilio had shot left instead of right, if United sneaks the first goal in, then who knows, maybe a point, maybe three. The odds were always against United stealing both games. They stole one. Good.

United is always going to struggle on narrow fields. Regardless of their own issues with getting width, when the sidelines serve as 12th and 13th players for opposing teams trying to jam United in the middle, United's offense sputters. Add in fatigue, add in Olsen's and Boswell's reintroduction into the mix, add in United is missing Moreno far more than I stupidly thought they would, add in Houston's a very good team (even without Brad Davis), and I'm not spending too many minutes anguishing over this game.

Concerns? Sure, but no grand conclusions from last night other than Carroll is becoming dangerously useless, Addlery can plan his bus trip back to Richmond, McTavish is more and more looking like a revelation, and Emilio and Olsen and Fred have got to suck it up one more time this Saturday against Dallas before getting some rest, cause they look cooked.

Here's Goffblog's player ratings:

Perkins 6; McTavish 6, Vanney 6, Boswell 6, Gros 5; Olsen 4, Carroll 4, Gomez 5, Fred 5; Addlery 3, Emilio 4. Subs: Dyachenko 5, Burch 5, Simms 5.

Gros is improving every game at left back, again begging the question, if McTavish is a starter, what happens when Namoff is healthy?

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DCU-Related Update!

Quarter Volley caught this on DCU website about new stadium design, with architectural renderings.

Nagahappen. I say this only half-notgodtauntingly

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Non DCU Related Update! Warning: Kit Talk!

New Premiership shirts for 07-08 can be seen here. More proof our long nightmare of Adidas three-striped tyranny needs toppling. UMBRO! dammit.

Comments

[QJA]

I wholeheartedly disagree with you about Carroll. I think he was pretty baked from the heat out there, but he had some damned intelligent plays and has good chemistry with the back line and even Perkins. Admittedly, he does look bad when he's not always around to provide cover, but I guarantee that he isn't totally to blame for being wide open. I'd like to see Makelele try to cover every leak in our defense. (No, really, I would.)

But I do share your concerns about McTavish once Namoff is healthy. My thinking goes like this: Namoff was more solid than Boswell before the Copa, McTavish was fairly spectacular in Boswell's absence, and Boswell doesn't look any different now that he's back. Honestly, at this point, I'm inclined to slot McTavish in for Boswell. Crazy talk?

[bdr]

I think DCU is determined to give Boswell/Vanney every opportunity in the middle - perhaps one of many factors in Erpen trade was to get Boswell a mentor.

I'm beginning to think they'll move Benny back for Carroll and put Gros back on a wing, playing McTavish and Namoff at wing backs.

My issue w/Carroll isn't his positioning, it's w/his passing: it usually either stymies momentum laterally (or backwards) or, worse, he gives it away on a telegraphed soft pass. He just can't get the ball from back to Gomez (or a wing) quickly and accurately enough.

[QJA]

I have the same problem with Gomez nowadays. He's lost synchronicity with the rest of the offense. And maybe it's because Gomez has lost his vision for a good pass that Carroll is looking elsewhere besides the playmaker, giving it to Gros on the wing (ineffective; give it to Fred) or trying a soft chip that results in a turnover.