DC United drops fourth straight in 1-0 defeat to FC Cincinnati
DC United was back at Audi Field on Saturday night hoping to get back in the win column against FC Cincinnati. Despite several chances, Gerardo Valenzuela’s 28th minute goal was the difference in a 1-0 DC United defeat.
Head coach Troy Lesesne made several changes to the lineup, including giving Luis Barraza the start at goalkeeper in place of Joon-Hong Kim, who had started the first 7 matches for the Black-and-Red. It was a nervy first 15 minutes, with DC United almost costing themselves an own goal on a few occasions. However, Barraza made a couple of early saves to try and settle the team and gain some confidence. Barraza made 4 saves in his club debut.
Christian Benteke had a chance in the 23rd minute, the first of the night for DC United. His right footed shot was saved by Cincinnati’s Roman Celentano, who remained busy throughout the night. Five minutes later, FC Cincinnati would strike. After forcing a turnover and some nifty dribbling around DC’s defense, Gerardo Valenzuela scored with a low bending right footed shot in the 28th minute to give his team the lead.
DC United had a couple of chances to get level before the half, but they were denied by Cincinnati’s defense, and the Black-and-Red were down 1 at the half.
The second half was very much in favor of DC United in terms of action. They were able to create several scoring chances on the attack, continuing to press for the equalizer. Christian Benteke was able to get behind the defense on a couple of breakaways. However, one of the chances was called back for offside, while the other was successfully defended by Cincinnati. The team was the better team in the second half, but they were not able to finish the scoring chances they created, and the match ended 1-0 to Cincinnati.
“We’re in a tough spot,” Troy Lesesne said after the match, visibly frustrated at his team facing another tough loss. “I think with the last four results, when you analyze the performance itself, outside of maybe the first 15 minutes where we were a little nervy, I think we were trying to settle into the game. You can see this group is fighting and we have a lot of influence in the game, and I just think that where we are right now, [we’re] a little bit unlucky.”
Despite the frustration at the loss, there were some positive signs, particularly how the team was successful in creating the scoring chances that could have helped gain a result. “Obviously, the score line’s 1-0, so we have to have to respond. And the guys did that, you know? I think I would have liked to see a little bit more final product from some of the pressure that we had in their half,” Lesesne said. “But certainly from every single player out there, man, you can tell that they’re trying everything possible to find big moments in the game and and I’d like to see more of our performances replicate what the second half look like.”
“It’s unfortunate because I feel like this is what we we have to get better during those details,” Christian Benteke said after the match. “[If] they don’t score from that half chance, maybe we don’t score but we finish 0-0, one point against Cincinnati is not bad, and we move on.”
Still, the team is confident that they can turn the tide and get back on track. “[These] are difficult times, you know? They’re challenging. But it’s a long season too,” Lesesne said. “It’s a very, very long season. And everybody in this building right now, I feel what they feel. They want the club to be in a better spot. We’re not there right now. And they feel that the weight of that, myself included, but, man we’re going to keep pushing forward, no doubt about it.”
With the loss, DC United falls to 1W-4L-3D on the season, which leaves them in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings. They hit the road to archrivals New York Red Bulls next weekend to hopefully reignite their season in the latest edition of the Atlantic Cup.
Troy, WTF? I mean, seriously, WTF? Unlucky? Dude, go and replay Denkey’s absurd miss of a wide-open, 95% chance-to-score opportunity in the first half for yourself a few times, and then come back to me and try to call DC unlucky with a straight face.
Jason Anderson reports that Lesesne properly assessed the problem with the 2nd half performance in his postgame, noting that it was hard for the team to score with nobody arriving in the box behind Benteke, as you would expect from a 5-2-3 formation. And to a degree, I sympathize. The 5-2-3 accomplished two important things:
But, inevitably, it also meant that we were never going to generate much attacking threat up the middle. For most of the match, our attack resembled a throwback to the 1990s, with all the threat coming down the flanks, followed by low-percentage crosses into a packed box. And Troy, I’m sorry, but that’s an illusion of progress, not real progress. It’s an illusion because we don’t have anyone on the team who can be that scoring threat playing underneath Benteke. And that in turn means that we can’t win games by running an old school flank-and-cross offense. And that it turn means we’re back to questions like how do we win starting Pirani in the middle and is there a way for us to play remotely adequate defense without committing half the squad to defensive roles? Questions to which we already know the answer.
How Lesesne can be happy with any aspect of yet another home loss is mystifying. We are making progress over being beaten by a score 6-1. I suppose we should be very happy with this result.
McNaughton was a disaster. He should have played Peltola. The center backs were continually making passes that put their teammates in compromising positions (including almost an own goal). The first half almost portended to be a repeat of the previous game.
After scoring he first goal, in the second half Cincinnatti was content to surround Benteke and let the crosses come in and get deflected away.
This team desperately needs a playmaker to complement Benteke (and other quality players of course). This was just as clear in the offseason as it is now.
The worst part is that I agree with Landon Donovan’s take of DC United (management) and that definitely has never happened before.
I feel like a bad fan, but I’m tired of this team right now. The same issues have plagued Lesesne’s tenure: poor organization. I want him to succeed so bad but is there no self scouting going on?
I think it’s fair to be tired when the good faith is not there from the organization. Mackay and Lesesne are basically putting rouge on someone who’s dying.
If this club doesn’t get new owners soon who genuinely want us to thrive, it’s a corpse.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the league somehow contemplated moving the franchise at this point….too bad there’s no way to force a sale….
I don’t think DC is so bad a market that the league wants us to lose a franchise, and franchises don’t lose the owner with a move away, anyway. DC United as a sporting entity is an eyesore, though.
We can get a new franchise and call ourselves the Washington Generals. ‘Cause that’s how it feels at the moment.