Having had some time to stew over that regrettable 4-1 loss to D.C. United by the hand of De Rosario, it doesn’t seem quite so bad. That is, the loss was bad, but it was hardly world-ending, and it doesn’t necessitate that the entirety of the bench is thrown away.
You see, we’ve been close to playing that same side this season because of injuries. In some ways, it was actually a bit stronger than some of the sides we put out this season, such has been the extent of our injury crisis. But as that abates, playing younger, less experienced guys seems like more of a risk, particularly when it seemed we were chasing the Supporters’ Shield.
Now, hearing from some of the players that they never particularly thought we were chasing the Shield is a little discouraging, but I suppose it was always a realistic opinion. I don’t think it particularly played into the loss, but it certainly should play into the response: The loss shouldn’t be all-damaging to our season hopes, and that, I suppose, is always a good thing.
As I intimated yesterday, I think one, two, or three players who have struggled all season may have sealed their fate against D.C. United, so I’ll address those one-by-one.
Arturo Alvarez
This one has talent, doesn’t he? He’s got such raw ability and trickery packed in him that he looked like he might be one to help our side push forward and become the best side in the league. Every great side has their trickster, and perhaps he could have been it.
But it was first worrying that he did not fit neatly into our system, and he was neither capable nor willing of taking on the playmaker spot. Further, his forays with El Salvador disrupted his time with the team, and slotting in never seemed easy. Has he simply taken the easy route? I hate that it could be so simple, but a great player is able to adapt his skills to other positions, whether that’s a playmaking position, or whether that’s our central slots in the diamond.
He still could make a difference. I could be writing him off too early. It’s discouraging, though, when a player so clearly talented but unable to make a difference. I won’t call for his head now, but it will be interesting to see if Jason gives him much time in the playoffs or the run-up.
Verdict: He still could fit in, but it’s looking less and less likely.
Collen Warner
I have a lot of time for Collen Warner. He’s a talented young American midfielder and has some good vision. He’s displayed that a few times this season, though perhaps not as much as anybody hoped. Like Arturo, he doesn’t fit particularly well into our system, but he’s been working at it. I’m not a fan of him in the tip of diamond position, as he doesn’t always have that absolutely essential vision, but in a match when we’re trying to break down a defense, he could do well in the midfield.
I’d like to see him stay another season, but at his age, if he’s not breaking into our team, it might be better for him to leave. I think he could do well here, but his development will probably be the first thing on his mind. We can’t guarantee him a spot on the back of his performances this season, and that may play into his thinking.
Verdict: I’d like to see him stay another season at least, but he must remain patient.
Jean Alexandre
When the season started, nobody expected Jean Alexandre to be playing in the forward role, such was the state of our injury report. He didn’t tear things apart, but he did fill in and scored a few important goals — importantly, he was a presence for opposition defenses to worry about.
I wouldn’t make any decision based on his performance as a striker. He’s more of a defensive midfielder, and he could still find himself in that position — but that’s been hard with the season that Kyle Beckerman’s had.
There has, however, been one particularly worrying thing: Jean’s prone to making some dangerous tackles. We’ve seen him banned for it, and we’ve seen him given yellow cards, and we’ve seen him just get away with it. But every time I see Jean on the pitch, I worry that he’ll get himself sent off. If he can’t fix that problem, I don’t see how we can keep him.
Verdict: Get your tackling together first, then we’ll talk.
‘Til tomorrow, when I’ll be back with perhaps somewhat of a match preview.
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