United 1, Columbus 0

That guy, who doesn't like me (he doesn't like anybody, but he really doesn't like me), was the only regular in 232 until the fifteenth minute, when three others of his circle finally showed up. I watched the second half two sections over with the Oklahoma Kid and his sidekick Poncho.

Here's the last sentence from Goff's game report in the Post:

The club's regular season attendance average was 16,087, a significant decline from the 19,835 mark last year.

I'm talking out my ass - I have no idea what contractual agreements exist between DCU/MLS and the DC Stadium Authority - and maybe United wins in Kansas City next weekend and gets a playoff game at home in two weeks, but what if - what if - that was the last United home game?

No doubt I'll be at RFK all next summer - my deposits are in, United's sending out renewals and soliciting new season ticket holders - but remind yourself how tenuous this league is, how much money United loses for playing at RFK when the team is good and the crowds are big, how much more money United loses for playing at RFK when the team is bad and the crowds are small, how bad a product United will put on the field next season, how the owner of the team doesn't own the team to lose money and his patience isn't infinite, how the owner must know he's not getting a stadium in the DC area.

Philadelphia hasn't played a game yet, and their future is brighter than DCU's. The fracking New Jersey Metros have a brighter future than DCU. If and when United's future is brighter, it won't be in DC.

United won, but Columbus is the better team with the better future. They were the better team last night, playing their B-Squad. If United does make the playoffs, it's likely they'll draw Columbus, and I'll be there to watch that full-strength Columbus squad dismantle United.

Here's Goff's player ratings:

Cronin 8; Jakovic 7.5, James 7, Burch 6.5; McTavish 5, Jacobson 5, Simms 5, Gomez 5, Wallace 7; Khumalo 7, Emilio 7. Subs: Moreno 5, Vaughn 6, Szetela 6.

O, the game. Soehn's an idiot, but look at what he's given to work with. Of the above fourteen, only Jakovic, Khumalo, and Wallace need be back (though James looks like a decent first defender off the bench).

Ba'al bless Jaime. He should be back if he wants to be back, but if he's one of United's best eleven next season, it'll be even more dismal than this one.

SWEET! Fullback does the blegaggregating, plus his own game reaction. Of interest in the agg are comment trends from Big Soccer, one of which is "Boyzzz can't defend for crap," which does explain why he's swapped out so early when he's the best offensive player on the field (if you're willing to give Soehn credit for the substitution strategy).