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Namoff: Here's to you, #26

It’s no surprise that Bryan Namoff suspending his playing career received no mention on the ESPN2 telecast of Thursday night’s DC United match against Seattle. The fans, however, remembered.

They held up “26” signs, representing his number, and there were other signs giving thanks to someone who wasn’t a star, but was certainly appreciated greatly, especially by fans and those who understand soccer.

Namoff wasn’t a flashy on-field player, but he was someone who had a good command of what was happening on the field, and had grown confident in his leadership abilities.

When Namoff was at the beginning of his professional career, I can remember interviewing him and barely getting a few words out of him, but he was never above his station. When many players would have – and did – refuse a trip to the lower levels of the USL to improve their game, Namoff embraced it, learning how to be a professional. Actually, by the act alone, he showed his professionalism.

In the last few years, Namoff grew comfortable in the spotlight, even as he didn’t seek it. He was a durable, dependable player who knew his role, and, for the most part, executed it with aplomb.

There won’t be a lot of stats on Namoff that will mean much in the grand scheme of things. 16,000 minutes. 195 games. Hardly ones that would stand out to most people in any sport. But those stats point out that he was dependable, if not flashy, and had earned the trust of his coaches and teammates, and the appreciation of fans, by his effort and heart. He did his job day-in and day-out and did it without complaint.  

United fans can only hope that he’ll be able to resume his playing career at some point. He’s still just 31. No doubt he’ll execute his new role with the team successfully, even as he’ll no doubt wish he was back on the field.

It’s the third United player in recent years who has had to suspend their career or retire – Josh Gros and Alecko Eskandarian (though he played with other teams, he’s still United to me) are the others. Like in other sports, concussions are nothing to play around with. They need to be taken as among the most serious injury one can suffer in sport. Unlike other injuries, concussions are the big unknown.

We can only hope that he’s not dealing with too many adverse symptoms as a result of the previous concussions, and we can only hope that they fully subside and he can resume a career, and more importantly, live a normal, pain-free life.

Here’s to you, #26. Best wishes. 

Distribution, defending lacking in disappointing opener for United

If DC United’s 4-0 loss at Kansas City to start the 2010 season is any indication, it’s going to be a long, long season.

Yes, United was without Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Marc Burch and Juan Pena – and later Clyde Simms to injury – but still, to give up four goals to a less-than-stellar Kansas City showed some glaring weaknesses in defense and midfield. The jury’s still out on the goalkeeping - as Troy Perkins was hung out to dry - and on the forwards, because they didn’t see the ball enough to be properly adjudicated.

DC United marked poorly, made careless fouls that led to bookings, and turned the ball over in midfield. Santino Quaranta, in game one as an attacking midfielder, was invisible. Jaime Moreno touched the ball little, Chris Pontius and, later, Danny Allsopp, touched the ball less.  Distribution and defending were not there. I have to say I didn’t notice a lot of Cristian Castillo either and teen starter Andy Najar had mixed results - a nice strike on goal but some defensive lapses. 

If United is counting on set pieces, it should look for something else. You have to have a semblance of an attack to create set piece opportunities in the first place.

It didn’t help that Clyde Simms, already coming off an injury, injured himself again in the first half. A porous defense got weaker with his absence.

Kansas City didn’t do anything overwhelming. The Wizards just executed, though again, they didn’t have to strain hard – especially defensively – to do it.

Perkins held up his end of things as best he could, but he can’t be counted on to be a defensive bailout policy. A good goalkeeper with a bad defense is still going to give up goals - maybe not as many goals, but enough to lose.  I had a great game once where I had about 20 legit saves – full stretch saves, one-on-one saves, etc. I still gave up 12 goals in a 12-2 loss. What I’m saying is that Perkins at his best is still going to give up goals in the situation United is in now.

As for the coaching, I’m not sure what Curt Onalfo could have done here. I’m not sure I start Najar and leave Allsopp on the bench, though Najar did nearly score. And there was little he could do but sub for Simms when he got hurt.

Thinking about the midfield, I’m not sure that Onalfo has another option on the roster now but to have Quaranta as the playmaking midfielder. I think he’s talented enough to grow into the role, but it doesn’t appear to be a natural role for him.

It’s one game, and I’ll reserve overall judgment on the team, but United gets low marks on its first exam, and even without its full complement, it shouldn’t have been a hard one to pass, or at least break even on. It’s going to have tougher tests soon enough. 

Tough to see Fred go, but bringing back Perkins the right one for United

Before I get into DC United's pre-draft trade to bring back goalkeeper Troy Perkins, I just want to say that this move, and anything else in sports is trivial compared to the devastation going on in Haiti as a result of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake there yesterday, and the subsequent, and far too frequent, aftershocks. I hope you'll consider giving something to the organization of your choice to help the people there, and I hope we as a soccer community rise up and do something to help. I've seen that Jozy Altidore has been, and many in other sports have stepped up too. 

With that, I'll now talk a little about United's move to bring back Perkins. 

As we have posted here, and has already been posted elsewhere, United has acquired the rights to Perkins from the expansion Philadelphia Union in exchange for DC United's first round draft pick (#7 overall), Fred and allocation money. It sounds like a high price in the MLS world, and it is. 

I think it's a good move, though it's going to be tough seeing Fred go. Class acts aren't exactly a dime-a-dozen these days in sports, and we all could probably name a few, but with what I mentioned already, we have better things to focus our time on. 

In my mind, it signals the end for Josh Wicks. And I'd be fine with that, given his behavior issues late in the season, for which I thought his "punishment" was sadly insufficient. Perkins, now with overseas and national team experience, will put United's goalkeeping back among the top tier in MLS. Getting United back on track starts there. Even with Wicks' injury, there is no question who is number one in goal. Milos Kocic should back him up, and should have enough experience should Perkins be tapped as the number three USA goalkeeper in this year's World Cup in South Africa. 

As for midfield, Fred scored seven goals and seven assists in his first season, but in his third, and last, had just two goals and four assists, and over the last two seasons, has not been a consistent-enough performer. That said, other than Santino Quaranta, I'm not confident in the outside midfielders for United at this point. Chris Pontius looks to be best up front, and Rodney Wallace, while he has great pace and gained valuable experience last season, still has growing to do. The rest of the players on the roster either play in the middle or have little first-team experience. 

But, with a first-team, first-class goalkeeper such as Perkins, steady players such as Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, the wily Jaime Moreno, and a reformed Quaranta, United and new coach Curt Onalfo will have players with experience, character and leadership that can lead it back to the playoffs. And the roster will no doubt be helped with new signing Cristian Castillo. It still needs more team speed and for someone to become a consistent goal-scorer. But don't all teams need the latter? 

Now if only it could get a stadium. Sigh. 

A loss for soccer - RIP Washington Times sports section

It's a sad day for many at the Washington Times who are losing their jobs as part of that paper's massive restructuring. While I wish the paper's ownership would, as my dad likes to say, "take a long walk on a short pier," we should all lament the loss of its sports section. 

In particular, we're losing soccer coverage from the classy John Haydon. 

I got my start covering soccer back in 2001 when I started the OnTheSidelines blog. When I started it, I meant for it to aggregate the soccer coverage in the D.C. and Richmond areas from the likes of the Post, Times, Times-Dispatch and others as a way to keep track of the professional, minor league and college teams in the Mid-Atlantic. 

Shortly after starting the blog, I got an e-mail from Mark Bushman, who had his own soccer TV show and was writing about soccer too, asking if I would want a credential to cover the Richmond Kickers, and shortly thereafter, the then-WUSA's Washington Freedom and DC United. 

Having fancied myself a sportswriter my entire life, I jumped at the opportunity. In all my dealings with everyone, from front office personnel and team staff, to the many journalists I crossed paths with, I was treated with nothing but respect, kindness and professionalism. And one of the first to welcome me was Ken Wright, who at the time was covering both the Freedom and United for the Times. 

Mostly I sat back and listened to him - and other reporters - as they shared stories about soccer, and journalism. 

Ken made sure I got a front row seat in many press boxes - at Freedom matches everyone did. 

I met up with him in Philadelphia for the Freedom's playoff game, and then, after making the trek from the D.C. suburbs to Atlanta for the WUSA final, Ken squeezed me in with the other mainstream reporters and even got me an interview with the league commissioner. 

We shared a few rides after that to Freedom and United games. Later, after he left the beat, I got to know John more, and while with differing personalities, found him to be a knowledgeable person about soccer, and an all-around classy person. 

Through others, I've known other Times' sportswriters to be similar, and reading their sports section on a regular basis alongside that of the Post - several of its writers I've met and appreciate greatly also - it was a lively read and I learned a lot (I should note, too, that there have been many journalists I've met in many press boxes who have been nothing but gracious with their time and feedback.).

I think it's a good thing to have a diversity in coverage and a diversity of opinions. I think that's what made for that lively Times sports section. I thought their soccer coverage was fair and knowledgeable, even as I wished they could have gotten more space for their work. 

Even though more voices have cropped up over the years from team sites, blogs and other news outlets, the loss of the Times will leave a sizable void in the D.C. sports landscape, not just for soccer, but for the other teams the paper covered. 

The writers there did it with verve, and I hope they land on their feet. In particular, I hope John stays involved in covering soccer in one way or another. His is a valuable voice in the D.C.-area soccer community. 

USL, NASL Part Deux need to settle - now

US Soccer has decided not to sanction the United Soccer Leagues or the North American Soccer League (Part Deux) for Division II status, giving the two leagues seven days to come up with an arrangement to establish one Division II.

Per US Soccer's press release:

CHICAGO (Dec. 30, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday to not sanction either the USL or the NASL to operate a Division II professional league in 2010.

The decision was made on the recommendation of the Professional League Task Force, which determined that neither organization on its own was able to provide a viable and sustainable operation during the upcoming season. Both organizations were unable to meet U.S. Soccer’s requirement of a minimum of eight viable teams for 2010.

Despite the ruling, the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors has given both organizations seven days to try to work out an interim solution for the 2010 season.

“After carefully reviewing the findings from the Task Force it was clear there are still too many uncertainties for both organizations, which would be extremely difficult to resolve in a timely fashion that would allow them to prepare for the 2010 season,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati. “In the best interest of soccer in the United States, we decided to not sanction either league at this point. However, we did encourage both leagues to come together in the next week and attempt to develop another plan which would allow a single league to be approved on a provisional basis. We are committed to finding ways to improve the long-term viability of all leagues and teams and continue the growth of soccer in the United States.”

Regardless of which side is right, they need to come up with a compromise to ensure soccer's stability in 2010, particularly in a World Cup year.

Neither side wants to compromise, given that we're at this stage, with less than three months before preseason training begins. And Rhinos owner Rob Clark (on the NASL side of things), doesn't see the need for compromise.

It can't help the chances for the United States to host a World Cup if its soccer community has this kind of turmoil.

Also, for MLS teams that have used USL - particularly since MLS eliminated reserve teams - to give fringe players extra seasoning, it's not going to help if neither the USL nor the NASL is sanctioned by US Soccer.

Then there are still questions that players on one of these USL or NASL teams no doubt have to be asking themselves about their contracts, the quality of play in their "new" leagues, and more.

I want to know more about this Task Force that US Soccer CEO/Secretary General Dan Flynn chairs - formed to look into the USL/NASL dispute. I see, too, that board members include Carlos Cordeiro and Mike Edwards.

I plan to delve in this on all sides and form my own opinion on the mess. All I know is what I've already stated: I don't believe it's good to have two, Division II leagues.