<a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc.jpg"><img loading="lazy" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20110710_WST_13269_new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc-600x454.webp&amp;width=600&amp;height=454" alt="new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc" width="600" height="454" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-118746" srcset="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc-600x454.jpg 600w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc-300x227.jpg 300w, https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/10/new-york-red-bulls-toronto-fc.jpg 1755w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></figure></div>
It was over 22,000 strong at Red Bull Arena and a good amount of visiting supporters for DC United as both sides were ready to contest the second leg of this derby and you can tell it had some added flavor with Dax McCarty &amp; Dwayne DeRosario on opposite sides. 
For DeRosario you can tell he was looking for some revenge against his former side for only a few months, and he got it in the second half with some good play with Josh Wolff in the 61st minute. A quick give and go as well as breaking away from the Red Bulls defenders, DeRosario got into the area and ripped a hard shot that nailed the inside of the near post and cradled inside the net.
“Anytime any one gets traded from your last team, of course you want to prove them wrong” said DeRosario, “A little more fire in your belly but all we wanted was the three points and we did so tonight. I quieted down my celebration because I still have respect for those players and I still have respect for the fans.”
For DC head coach Ben Olsen he knew what type of a player he was getting when the club sent Dax McCarty to the Red Bulls, and in the last two games DeRosario has made an impact. “He takes us to another level.” Said Olsen, “He takes any team to another level, that’s what he does and that’s what he’s done in this league for a very long time.”
From the Red Bull side of things it was a sloppy first half after the first fifthteen minutes. The backline would give up unforced errors and allowing DC United to get chances on frame, but nothing was converted. “In the first half, we looked a little bit fatigued.” Said Head Coach Hans Backe, “Too many, absolutely too many unforced errors in the first half. No rhythm in the passing game, giveaways, way too easy. We were too sloppy in defending; it was absolutely not good enough.”
The only thing that looked good for the defense in the first was the hustle of Tim Ream saving his keepers again. Just like the goal line clear at the Galaxy saving Bouna Coundoul, he saved Greg Sutton in the 43rd minute as Charlie Davies avoided the keeper and tried to slide it into the open net. Ream would time it right and sent the ball over the end line for a corner.
Sadly in this match that would be the only good thing the Red Bulls did as they allowed their momentum of a five goal victory on Wednesday night go to waste against one of their oldest rivals in Major League Soccer. Right now the clubs next match is the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup at the Chicago Fire.
“I think we just travel with thirteen outfield players and two goalies; and it has to be two of these guys who played today probably as a starter has to be involved in the Cup game on Tuesday.” If there is a victory for the Red Bulls on Tuesday night, then a trip to the Semi-Finals with a road trip to Sporting Kansas City or hosting the USL Pro’s Richmond Kickers.

New York 0-1 DC United: DeRosario Gets His Revenge - World Soccer Talk

New York 0-1 DC United: DeRosario Gets His Revenge

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
Editor’s note: MLS Talk blogger Kristan Heneage had the fortunate opportunity of speaking to rising star Dax McCarty last week before the season began.
Here is the transcript of the interview:
Kristan Heneage (KH): You were drafted around November, albeit briefly to Portland Timbers. What was your gut instinct regarding that deal? Were you pleased or disappointed?
Dax McCarty (DM): Yeah I was pleased. You know, I had five great years in Dallas. And while I certainly would have been happy going back to Dallas, I certainly didn’t mind a change. It would have been nice and I’d heard nothing but great things about Portland as a City and as an organization.
KH: One of the first things I noticed when watching you for Dallas was your combative style and how aggressive you seemed. Is that will-to-win a self taught discipline or do you attribute it to a certain coach/mentor during your development?
DM: I think it’s a mixture of both. I sort of attribute that to my Dad you know. He always taught me to have that ‘never say die’ kind of fighter attitude. He always taught me if you’re going to do something, you might as well do it to 100% of your effort or not bother doing it at all. He’s a big reason why I play the way that I do. And just one of those things that you know my desire to win is so great, if I’m ever out on the field I’m going to show my team-mates and my coaches that I’m going to do whatever it takes to win.
KH: I know you said you’re a fighter but I just saw a goal about 10 minutes ago that any Brazilian would be proud of. The bicycle kick for the USMNT. Can DC fans expect that on a week to week basis?

DM: [Laughs] I’d say not on a week to week basis but a year to year basis I’ll attempt one of those in a game. But that was actually an inter-squad scrimmage in our US National team camp. I’m not a big bicycle man. I don’t practice them often. It’s just one of those things. It was a perfect cross. It kind of hung up there for a while and I kind of said why not and we’ll see what happens. And I hit it perfectly. It turned out to be one of the best goals I’ve ever scored. Hopefully if I get a chance in an actual game with DC, if I have the courage enough to try it, I’ll try it and see if it will win a game.
KH: And it’s on video as well, so one for the grandkids.
DM: Oh definitely got to be excited about that!
KH: You’ve joined DC who, by their own admission, didn’t have the best season last year. Does that make it harder for you coming in as a new guy or easier because there is less expectation?
DM: No, I think it makes it harder. You’re a new guy who’s brought in to turn things around. Obviously DC United as a club has a tremendous amount of tradition and they’re not used to having seasons like they’ve had in the past season or two. So you know for me, myself, and all the other the new guys, and as well as the guys coming back who’ve been on DC for a while, I think the onus is on all of us to say ‘Ok last season wasn’t good enough, we can’t accept that we were last in the league.’ We have to kind of take it upon ourselves to turn it around. I think the playoffs are certainly within reach for this team and a realistic goal that we should have. So there is certainly pressure on everyone, not just the new guys and myself.
KH: A lot of media-people, pundits even fans are tipping you for the play offs. Is that something you think this team can achieve? Can you go further and compete with teams like LA Galaxy and NYRB?
DM: Yeah, you never know. You never know this early in the season who’s going to be competitive and who’s not. But I think every single team in MLS has the mindset that they should aim for the playoffs. I think for our team, for DC, we certainly have enough talent to be able to make the playoffs. There is no question about that. Once you make the playoffs, it’s a whole new season we’ve seen the past couple of years, especially last year with my old team Dallas, and the team that ended up winning it, Colorado. The best teams at the start of the season aren’t necessarily the teams that win MLS Cup. So I think if DC, if we have a good enough year to make the playoffs, which is certainly a realistic expectation for us, once we get to the playoffs it’s a crab-shoot from there. And we’re definitely going to go for MLS Cup.
KH: Your new coach Ben Olsen, he’s only 33. Does his young age make it easier for him to relate to the squad as players?
DM: Yeah definitely. He’s been a top professional for a number of years now and he knows what it takes to win and to compete at the highest level. He’s obviously got that fire in his belly that makes him want to win just as bad as all of us players want to. When you’re playing for a coach like that, I think it not only makes things more competitive but it makes things easier because you know exactly what he expects out of you day in day out. I think our team is good enough and deep enough that if a certain player isn’t giving him what he wants, or playing up to their standard, you know he’s going to bring in someone else who will get the job done. You can feel the mood around the team is that everyone is very excited to play for a coach like that. And he’s definitely the right man to lead us to where we ant to go which his the playoffs and the MLS Cup.
KH: A few questions about the squad. Who is the dressing room DJ? And who grabs the iPod as you get ready for practice?
DM: [Laughs] Oh let’s see, I would say Chris Pontius thinks he has good taste in music. He’s the one who always has the iPod out, playing new songs and stuff. Him or Bill Hamid. He’s a good guy to go to learn about new songs that are out there. Those two are definitely the front-runners in that.
KH: Other than&nbsp;yourself, who’s the hardest worker in training?
DM: Hardest worker in training? Let’s see. It’s hard to single out one guy because we all are dead set on improving our finish from last year, so everyone works hard. One guy who sticks out for me though is Perry Kitchen, the rookie. He brings not only that hard work that everyone brings but also a different kind of intensity that you just don’t see in young kids so he’s definitely up there.
KH: Have you been impressed with DC’s rookie acquisitions so far?
DM: Yeah absolutely. Everyone of them is first and foremost a good soccer player, which is what you want. And secondly they all have good character, which in order to build a team, is what you want. These acqusitions are going to be good not only because of depth, but to help us improve and hopefully they’ll be able to contribute throughout the year.
KH: Who’s the most intelligent in the squad?
DM: I would say Stephen King is a pretty intelligent guy, a pretty good head on his shoulders. A great degree from Maryland for 4 years. The thing I keep hearing about Stephen is he never lies. He’s never told a lie in his life. He’s a pretty nice and intelligent guy.
KH: Any squad jokesters or pranksters?
DM: Yeah yeah, this team is fantastic with keeping the mood light and keeping the jokes a flowing. I would say the guys that take the brunt of the jokes are Chris Pontius and Kurt Morsink. Those two are really popular amongst the team and get along well with most guys. They’re good. They’re fun. They’re light hearted. You can have a good laugh with them.
KH: You have youngster Andy Najar in the squad. With him being so young, do you have to be careful in terms of rushing him? Not to compare him, but in a similar situation to the one Freddy Adu found himself in?
DM: Yeah absolutely. With all young players you have to be careful of that but, Andy’s a tremendous talent. I can see that last year, and I can see it in training when I play with him and against him. He’s got all the talent to be a very good player and have a very good career. With Andy, it’s all about patience. We can’t put too much pressure on him to surpass what he did last year. If Andy has a year that’s just as good as last year it would be a great season for him. He’s a young kid but he’s got a very big opportunity in front of him and we just have to make sure we bring him along in the right direction and I think Ben also knows that. Ben’s the perfect guy to do that for him.
KH: Looking at you in the longer term. I mentioned Ben Olsen. He spent time with Nottingham Forest in England. You started at an Ajax affiliate. Is Europe the eventual goal for you? Have you earmarked a league and thought “I want to go there”?
DM: Absolutely. Especially these days. MLS is a fantastic league. I think you have to say it’s one of the top league’s in the world now just in terms of recognition and quality of play, but as a player you’re always wanting to test yourself against the best competition and over in Europe. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have dreams and aspirations of one day playing in Europe and trying something different. That’s certainly a goal of mine one that I can hopefully fulfill before my playing days are over.
KH: I spoke to Alejandro Bedoya recently. As you know, he’s in Sweden right now. He’s looking to establish himself in the USMNT same with yourself. Central midfield is a deep position for the US. Are you almost willing to play anywhere for the US, or do you want to be known as a central midfielder?
DM: Playing for the national team is an absolute privilege. Whenever I get to suit up and represent my country, it is something I definitely don’t take for granted. Obviously, as you said, the deepest position for us is central midfield which is where I like to play. Wherever the coaching staff needs me to play, I’ll play. If that’s goalkeeper, then I’ll play goalkeeper. But really that’s never going to happen with the incredible goalkeepers that we have. But to get my point across, I’m willing to play lots of different positions but obviously my preference is to play in the middle. Like you said we have tons of players tons of competition but that’s good it makes for lots of competition and when you have lots of great players that can only make you a better team.&nbsp;I definitely think the US are getting one step closer to having more players playing at the top level.
KH: Alot of the US team is very young. The likes of Michael Bradley, Bedoya, and yourself who are around 23-24. By the time Brazil 2014 hits, you should all theoretically be at your peak. Is it sometimes difficult to focus on the longer term when you’re wanting to play now and establish yourself?
DM: Yeah it’s definitely difficult to be patient, but I think that’s one thing that us younger players are learning these days. Things don’t happen overnight for you. It takes a lot of handwork a lot of dedication that goes into the process of establishing yourself on the national team. For myself, I just have to continue to be patient, hopefully play well for DC United in the upcoming season. And if the opportunities comes up for the national team, then fantastic. I’ll obviously look to take those opportunities and do well, but yeah, first and foremost, it’s about being patient and making sure I’m performing for DC United.
KH: Now the killer question is, we will fast forward a couple of months and it’s FC Dallas versus DC United in the MLS Cup final. A textbook McCarty overhead kick in the 90th minute wins it for DC, do you celebrate and why?
DM: I think I would celebrate just because of the magnitude and importance of the game. In that moment in time I wouldn’t be thinking “This is my old club.” I’d be thinking, “Holy crap, what did I just do?” in the biggest game of my career. I have a lot of respect for Dallas as an organization. Those are some of my best friends in the league still on that team. Those guys are like my brothers. I think my mind would just be blank and I don’t know if I’d kind of black out for a while there. But yeah, I have a lot of respect for those guys. But you know it would be a pretty fun story line.
KH: How are you settling in to life in DC?
DM: Yeah it’s going great. I haven’t found a place to live just yet it’s been tough to get around the city too much because we’ve been away so much. So I haven’t really immersed myself in the different things that DC has going on. It’s a little different to where I used to live in Dallas. It’s a very cool city with lots of fun things to do. Once I get settled and find a place to live, I think I’m really going to enjoy it.
KH: You speak as if you see a long term future here. Do you see a three, maybe four, year stint here with DC?
DM: Absolutely. It’s a tremendous organization, one of the best in MLS. A very rich history and a fantastic fanbase. I’ve settled here and my first few months here have gone really smooth and they’ve gone very well. So there’s certainly no reason.
KH: Finally the two new teams… Portland and Vancouver. How do you see them fairing this season?
DM: I actually see them doing well. Traditionally expansion teams haven’t been that successful. But you have to think with the support those teams are getting, not only from their front offices, but from their fans, it’s going to be very difficult to get good results when those teams play at home. I can definitely see at least one of those teams challenging for a playoff spot.

Dax McCarty interview: MLS club legend - World Soccer Talk

Dax McCarty interview: MLS club legend

<a href="http:\/\/csrnusa.com/ussoccerspot/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/freddy_adu_the_associated_press.jpg" title="freddy_adu_the_associated_press.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/csrnusa.com/ussoccerspot/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/freddy_adu_the_associated_press.jpg" title="freddy_adu_the_associated_press.jpg"></a></figure></div>
Work commitments precluded me making the short drive to Tampa last night for the first Olympic qualifier. My intent was to provide a press box report of a triumphant US win. However, in this case sitting in front of the TV set gave me all the perspective I needed to make a determination on the state of this team and its coaching staff. Let me first exempt Freddy Adu and Dax McCarty from any and all criticism. It also helped that both of these midfielders were actually playing in the position they are most comfortable with. That was not the case for the remainder of the players on the field last night who were playing out of position or depending heavily on players playing out of position.
The decision by Peter Nowak to cut Arturo Alvarez and Robbie Rogers from the squad has had a malign influence on the teams ability to play an active game using the flanks. Placing two natural strikers, Robbie Findley and Charlie Davies out wide was a foolish experiment gone bad. Kamani Hill looked totally out of sorts on the back line wandering forward too often for a right back but as often as you’d expect a natural attacking player to. Marvell Wynne would be logical right back choice on this roster, but for whatever reason he hasn’t impressed enough in training.
Getting your best XI on the field at a given time is always a dilemma for coaches in this sport. Peter Nowak has obviously opted to play his best XI many of whom are natural attacking players in positions that require defensive responsibility. Blaming players for executing in a situation which doesn’t best utilize their talent and skill level is foolish. Blaming coaches for putting players in a position to fail is at this point becoming counter productive because quite frankly the lack of tactical savvy among coaches in the US is shocking, and a product of a poor system more than the individual coaches like Peter Nowak themselves.. The US is in serious jeopardy of not qualifying for the Olympics yet again. In the last Olympic qualifying the US never performed half as badly as they did last night and yet still failed to qualify. That semifinal run at Sydney 2000 seems like a distant memory right now, as do the 1999 World Youth Championships and the 2002 World Cup. The US Soccer program seems to be treading water and that’s where the blame should lie: at the very top.
A word on Cuba. The entire Cuban national program is improving and last night they played very well after a rough start. In fact until the unfortunate red card, they badly outplayed the Americans, whose dominance of possession and shots on goal like Chelsea at the weekend amounted to little more than playing into the hands of a lesser talented team that had a clear counter attacking strategy. Cuba should have won last night: They deserved to win last night, but couldn’t finish the chance they had to win on the counter and had another chance controversially reversed and result in a sending off.
The US better beware because for all the tough scheduling for the full national team, playing Poland, whose team is vastly under appreciated, England, one of the most talented teams on the planet with a tactical genius now coaching them (maybe he’ll finally teach the English how to play in something other than a flat 4-4-2!), Spain, a classically over hyped team whose Euro qualification quite frankly surprised me, and the mighty Argentina, many CONCACAF nations have figured out how to bottle up the United States while absorbing lots of pressure but taking advantage of the U.S.’ consistent failure to keep its shape. We saw this in the Gold Cup, where despite a US title, the second half of the match against Mexico represented the only good half of football for the United States in the knockout stages. The US beat Panama because of a somewhat dubious PK, and a sending off. Panama still scored a goal down a man. Canada? They beat the US as far as many are concerned. I don’t want to rehash that match but it was a tremendous embarrassment for the national team. So while the US has figured out over the past ten years how to beat a more talented Mexico side, other CONCACAF nations have figured out how to frustrate and potentially beat a more talented US side.
Going forward in Olympic qualifying I’d like to Stuart Holden on the left side of midfield, Sal Zizzo (when he arrives in Tampa; my understanding is he is available on the weekend, but given the reluctance of Hanover to release him, Nowak should have kept at least one additional winger) on the right side of midfield. Dispense with Charlie Davies and Robbie Findley in the midfield and Chad Barrett altogether. Place Marvell Wynne on the right side of the back line and give Maurice Edu the freedom to go forward and allow Dax McCarty to drift back to temporarily cover for him. (McCarty’s size always worries me, but he is a pit bull when fighting for possession) Keep Freddy Adu at the top of the midfield and attack early in games so that possession play in the 2nd half can be oriented towards killing off an opponent rather than desperately seeking a winner like last night. The US can still advance to Nashville but no margin for error exists any longer.

Thoughts on the US Debacle Versus Cuba - World Soccer Talk

Thoughts on the US Debacle Versus Cuba

<a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/uploaded_images/t1_altidore_0629-721451.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/uploaded_images/t1_altidore_0629-721451.jpg"></a></figure></div>
<div>Football is a funny game. The US Copa America Team played Argentina toe to toe for 65 minutes on Thursday night, yet lost by the lopsided score of 4 to 1. Yesterday the highly touted US Under 20 National Team was thoroughly dominated by South Korea in the U-20 World Cup Opener but managed a 1-1 draw. US Coach Thomas Rongen has a lot of work to do before the US faces Poland who shocked Brazil yesterday on Tuesday.
The injury to Bolton’s Johann Smith (who the Gaffer interviewed on a previous EPL Talk Podcast) has devastated this team, forcing Jozy Altidore to play alone up top, while receiving supporting runs from Freddy Adu, and Sal Zizzo. Michael Bradley played well for the US but seemed to lack the energy he brought to the full national team in the Gold Cup. Every 50-50 ball seemed to go the way of the Koreans, who also had plenty of opportunity to build up and sustain their attack.
From my perspective the best US players last night were Dax McCarty of FC Dallas who entered the game for goal scorer Danny Szetela in minute fifty three, and Goalkeeper of Chris Seitz of Real Salt Lake. McCarty was strong on the ball and broke up many promising Korean attacks. Seitz had a rocky start to the season with RSL eventually giving way to Nick Rimando between the Salt Lake posts, but he was outstanding and focused yesterday and he single handedly won the US a valuable point.</div>

Young Yanks Must Improve - World Soccer Talk

Young Yanks Must Improve

Football is a funny game. The US Copa America Team played Argentina toe to toe for 65 minutes on Thursday night, yet lost by the lopsided score of 4 to 1. Yesterday the highly touted US Under 20 National Team was thoroughly dominated by South Korea in the U-20 World Cup Opener but managed a 1-1 draw. US Coach Thomas Rongen has a lot of work to do before the US faces Poland who shocked Brazil yesterday on Tuesday.
The injury to Bolton’s Johann Smith has devastated this team, forcing Jozy Altidore to play alone up top, while receiving supporting runs from Freddy Adu, and Sal Zizzo. Michael Bradley played well for the US but seemed to lack the energy he brought to the full national team in the Gold Cup. Every 50-50 ball seemed to go the way of the Koreans, who also had plenty of opportunity to build up and sustain their attack.
From my perspective the best US players last night were Dax McCarty of FC Dallas who entered the game for goal scorer Danny Szetela in minute fifty three, and Goalkeeper of Chris Seitz of Real Salt Lake. McCarty was strong on the ball and broke up many promising Korean attacks. Seitz had a rocky start to the season with RSL eventually giving way to Nick Rimando between the Salt Lake posts, but he was outstanding and focused yesterday and he single handedly won the US a valuable point.

New York 0-1 DC United: DeRosario Gets His Revenge

Dax McCarty

New York 0-1 DC United: DeRosario Gets His Revenge

Dax McCarty

Dax McCarty interview: MLS club legend

Dax McCarty

Thoughts on the US Debacle Versus Cuba

Chris Zeitz

Young Yanks Must Improve

Chris Zeitz

Awful Performance For US U-20 Team