D.C. United’s year opened up with the first knockout-round match in CONCACF Champions League action. Unfortunately, Queretaro was able to capitalize twice against the run of play. A club that has struggled to create chances in recent years, offseason roster additions seem to have targeted that concern for United. With a little bit more time to develop chemistry, D.C. United could certainly prove formidable in the 2016 Major League Soccer season.
CCL: D.C. United’s 2-Goal Hole after Queretaro
Despite falling into a 2-0 hole at Queretaro FC in the first leg of CCL, there were many positives for D.C. United in their first competitive match of 2016. For nearly 75 minutes, they battled to a standstill with the LigaMX club. At times, D.C. United looked bright and could’ve easily taken the lead on several occasions. What is so different for D.C. United this season? What do they have to do to come out on top March 1 in the return leg?
Andrew Dykstra
With first string goalkeeper Bill Hamid out with a knee injury for the next several months, there were concerns about handing the starting job over to Andrew Dykstra for the beginning of the 2016 season. After returning from an injury that kept him off the field until the 2015 CCL knockout round against Alajuelense, United fell 5-2 in Costa Rica after several Dykstra errors. Many felt this was proof Dykstra shouldn’t be the starting goalkeeper, but silenced his critics as D.C. United shot to the top of MLS after falling out of CCL before Hamid once again took over the starting job last May.
Many fans seem to forget that Dykstra had just come off an injury last season before that poor showing in his first competitive match, but the 2014 USL Goalkeeper of the Year is most certainly a capable replacement for Hamid as he recovers. The first leg against Queretaro is proof that Dykstra deserves more credit that he’s gotten in the past from pundits and fans alike. There was not much he could’ve done about the first goal, which deflected off midfielder Rob Vincent and took a nasty curve into the upper near corner of the net. As for the second goal, the offside trap failed him and while he could’ve done better to block the shot, this goal was the product of a fatigued and out-of-form defense. D.C. United is in good hands with Dykstra in the net—look for him to have another string of positive performances as the MLS season gets underway.
Acosta-Espindola
The nascent partnership between Fabian Espindola and Luciano Acosta showed promising signs, with the two tugging at and pressuring the Queretaro defense. The presence of a true creative attacking midfielder marked an obvious change in the D.C. United offense, but the forwards’ lack of familiarity was obvious.
Acosta, at times, seemed to be thinking more quickly than Espindola could anticipate. This confusion cost D.C. multiple final passes that would’ve likely ended with dangerous chances for the pair. Clear this miscommunication up and Acosta-Espindola could be one of the most dangerous strike duos the District has seen in almost a decade.
The Midfield
Marcelo Sarvas was brilliant for a D.C. United side that needed a veteran replacement for Davy Arnaud, who is unlikely to return from a concussion sustained at the end of the 2015 MLS season. He covered a lot of ground as he led the team in recoveries, while also doing well to keep the ball moving in midfield as D.C. probed for opportunities going forward. If Sarvas can continue to be a solid and consistent presence in central midfield, D.C. United could prove to be one of the stingiest defenses in MLS. If he can simultaneously integrate himself into counter attacks more often, D.C. United is dangerous.
Patrick Nyarko looked a little bit rusty and could have done much more to run at the Queretaro defense from the flanks—his first touch was most definitely off. Chris Rolfe had his usual moments of brilliance, but had to come off before the wheels came off the bus for D.C. Many fans complained on Twitter that he should never have come off, but in a two-leg series where D.C. looked the better side to that point, it was a choice Ben Olsen should not have been faulted for—D.C. needs him to go a full 90 in the second leg at home, where they will need to score three without conceding.
One of the standout substitutions in this match was Rob Vincent, a recent acquisition from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL. He has been dominant in U.S. Soccer’s third division and D.C. United has kept their eye on him for some time now. Despite being responsible for the deflection on the first goal, the Liverpool native showed he could potentially complete the transition in central midfield from Kitchen-Arnaud to Vincent-Sarvas. In many ways, he actually looked Perry Kitchen-esque.
It's taken exactly 2 passes for me to decide I really like Vincent. Pings the ball at feet with venom – I love it. #NoHospitalBallsPlease
— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) February 24, 2016
Julian Büscher
Ben Olsen has often used the CCL group stage to provide opportunities for players who don’t normally make the MLS match day 18. It is for this reason I was extremely pleased and surprised to see Julian Büscher, D.C. United’s first round SuperDraft pick, make an appearance in Queretaro. Büscher hails from Germany where he worked his way into the lineups of VfL Bochum and Prussia Münster, of the second and third German divisions, before coming to the United States in search of more playing time and a college education at Syracuse.
Büscher is a versatile player, but was utilized as an alternative to Acosta in the number 10 role in the first leg against Queretaro. Despite only being on the field for ten minutes, he proved he is capable of going toe-to-toe with the competition D.C. United will face this season. I don’t see him on the match day 18 yet, but a couple of months loaned down to the Richmond Kickers could very well help him develop further. It would not be a surprise if he found his way onto the field for D.C. United sometime this summer, as D.C. has had a penchant for finding and utilizing talent from the draft in recent years. If D.C. United are to make a run for the U.S. Open Cup, he may also be a critical component of that squad.
Main Photo via Hugh Clarke, LWOS Photographer, All rights reserved.
