As the MLS world check their passports and descend upon Toronto, the league’s premier and winningest team is searching for its next manager, its third in the past three season (if you include interim Ben Olsen).  The team let go of Curt Onalfo toward the end of the season and turned the reigns over to team legend Olsen.  But even a resurrected Brian Clough could not help this team – DC United has fallen to the point where its offense can politely be described as woeful and its management described as inept.  So the next manager will have quite a task ahead of him, not only dealing with the problems on the pitch but with dysfunction off it as well.

DC over the past decade has gone with rehired coaches (Onalfo, Hudson), former players (Olsen, Nowak), and MLS assistants (Soehn), and it is interviewing people in these categories again.  The Washington Post‘s excellent soccer writer Steve Goff reported last week that DC has interviewed seven candidates, and the next head coach will come from that group.  Most of the interviewees are American, team president Kevin Payne confirmed, but refused to name names.  One interesting name leaked, however, is Swiss pro coach Lucien Favre.  Favre coached FC Zurich and Hertha BSC, the latter to a fourth place finish in the Bundesliga before he was fired in 2009.  He also led Zurich to two Swiss titles.  The international option is a new one for DC United, but a Favre hiring would look like DC is emulating New York’s hiring of Hans Backe.

The other options seem to be a a mixture of assistant coaches and current managers.  The assistants alleged to have been interviewed are RSL’s Robin Fraser, Los Angeles Dave Sarachan, and New York’s Richie Williams, but I suspect Williams will be hard to pry away from New York.  The mentioned manager is Colin Clarke, who’s claim to fame is leading the Islanders in an upset of the Galaxy in the CCL.  The club could also be looking at the collegiate level, maybe interviewing Akron coach Caleb Porter (who turned them down last year) or University of Maryland’s Sasho Cirovski, who is a longtime successful coach in College Park.

In my opinion, with DC United turning to youth to begin rebuilding the club, I think the club should hire someone with experience coaching younger players, so luring Cirovski or Porter would be a good hire for the team.  It’s also a clean break from the recent past; the last coach hired from the university level was a guy named Bruce Arena.  Assuming those two aren’t interested, and there’s a good chance they aren’t, hiring a Sarachan would be the safe move for this club.

But does DC United’s hire matter?  After this disastrous season, the team fired its manager but retained the team president and general manager.  And that’s the root of the problem – the inability to think outside the box.  The club is fortunate that Andy Najar has developed so quickly because little else has.  Players like Bill Hamid were held back by injuries, but others like Danny Allsopp and the two designated players signings have been busts.  For the club to ascend again to the league’s upper echelon, ownership needs to take a serious look at the entire franchise and come up with a good long-term plan that combines strategic thinking on and off the pitch.  A good managerial hire is a good first step.

The question “What’s going on in DC?” has become a recurring one among the fan circles of Major League Soccer. It’s a question that seems to be important to any fan of the game in this country. Whether it be rabidly passionate supporters from the DC, Maryland and Virginia area or just general MLS enthusiasts … in fact even rivals (aka Daniel Feuerstein) are showing their concern.

The bottom line is that DC United is a team that means something in MLS. This has been a cornerstone franchise, the most decorated club and one of the most recognizable. People are used to seeing this team succeed and they have often been a measuring stick that other clubs lined themselves up against. These days are clearly behind United.

There is something disconcerting about seeing a traditional power in any league fall off. It almost seems to somehow take away from the richness of a league. For instance, the Major League Baseball playoffs certainly seem to miss something when there are no Yankees or Red Sox to talk about.

Clearly the thought of a league without DC United is unthinkable to most MLS supporters. Having United basically stink, while not as bad, is also something that has been met with trepidation.

Besides the fact that United is in the worst position of all MLS teams on the stadium front, they are also not helping matters by essentially laying egss in their first four contests this season. The supporters are still showing up, but attendance has been slowly dropping the last several years. Despite this, the club still owns one of the better and more consistent attendance figures in the league.

United’s difficulties with getting a stadium are hardly related to the product on the pitch, but still it certainly isn’t helping. With that being said, let’s focus on the club’s play and not on their gamut of problems regarding where to play.

We’ll start with the back, then work our way up to the front.  DC United’s goalkeeping situation is one that has been in flux since the man currently minding the net left after the 2007 MLS season.

Troy Perkins was far from perfect when he first stepped in between the posts for United. However, he slowly began to develop into one of the elite keepers in the league and in the country. Perkins grew with United and eventually found himself awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year honor in 2006.

His subsequent departure following the 2007 campaign, left a void that was filled by various, ultimately unsuccessful experiments for the following two seasons. First was the complete failure with Zach Wells. United traded for Houston Dynamo’s backup to Pat Onstad in a deal that handed over former MLS Defender of the Year Bobby Boswell. It’s clear now who got the better end of that deal.

Wells just flat out never seemed comfortable in goal. In fact, it was very uncomfortable and always nerve wrenching for any DCU supporter to watch him. Needless to say, soon after, the club was on the lookout for a new keeper.

Louis Crayton was brought in from the Swiss First Division and the Liberian international keeper went through his fair share of growing pains early on, but eventually settled in for a relatively solid finish to the year. One thing about Crayton that was apparent from the get go was that he was a bit wild and quick to come off his line, a trait that hurt both him and the team on more than one occasion.

Still, he also offered some magnificent performances for the club, flinging his body to make acrobatic saves on several occasions. However, any momentum that he might have gathered at the end of the 2008 campaign quickly faded away in the 2009 season, which he began on the injury list. Once healthy, Crayton’s starts were horribly inconsistent and this led to some playing time for journeyman Josh Wicks and rookie Milos Kocic.

Wicks ended up stringing together several solid efforts and the club allowed Crayton’s contract to expire midseason. While Wicks was far from a pillar of consistency, he still faired much better than his two predecessors. One problem that really came back to bite him though, was his temper.

Wicks had several altercations as a result of an inability to control his anger. Included in this were not only incidents with the opposing team, but also his own teammates. Wicks famously, or should I say infamously, stepped on Freddy Montero’s groin region during last year’s US Open Cup Final at RFK Stadium. This resulted of course in a red card and an essential gutting of United’s chances at a rally.

Also, during a home match with Chicago Fire, Wicks engaged in a shouting match with left back, Marc Burch. If not for Ben Olsen and others gettting between the two, fisticuffs might have been exchanged. In fact, there was some shoving before the two were seperated.

Occurrences such as this and a nagging shoulder injury led to Wicks being released early this year. Perkins’ return was supposed to stabilize this chaotic situation. While we can’t pin all the blame for 11 goals in four games conceded on the keeper, even Perkins has acknowledged displeasure with his play.

It seems that he is definitely readjusting to life in Major League Soccer and it also may be a sign of the growing quality of the league. Let’s not forget that Perkins was playing in Norway, which while a respectable league, it’s certainly not in the upper echelon of Europe.  MLS isn’t inferior to any league that happens to be situated on the European continent.

It might not be long before Perkins is reacclimated to MLS play.  In the end, I think he will be more part of the solution than part of continuing problems.  Now the backline is a very different story.

For starters, the backline has also shown no sign of stability in the past couple of years. Besides the fact that there is a formation shift, going from three defenders at the back to four, injuries and disciplinary suspensions have kept the line in constant flux. Not only are we seeing a group of different players, we are also seeing said players in different spots along the backline. Almost like a Mr. Potato head of interchangeable pieces.

For instance, we’ve seen Carey Talley, Devon McTavish and even Clyde Simms at right back. Talley has also appeared in the center, next to a variety of partners, including Dejan Jakovic, Juan Manuel Pena and Julius James. Rodney Wallace has been the one constant at left back. While versatility is always a nice trait to have in your players, you’d still like to see a bit more stability in the lineup from week to week.

Injuries were mentioned as a key part in DCU’s current dilemma. Perhaps the one that hurts the most is the loss of right back, Bryan Namoff. Namoff was playing the soccer of his career last season before missing the end because of concussion problems. It’s a new season and he still hasn’t returned to the pitch for United and who knows, he may not this year.

Dejan Jakovic hasn’t helped matters by accumulating cards and being suspended for a match. Carey Talley and Juan Manuel Pena have been brought in, but it appears that their best days have passed them.

In Pena’s case, the La Liga veteran has shown solid knowledge and positioning, however his speed is definitely lacking a bit. We’ve seen him struggle to get back to defend opponents’ counterattacks. He is also injured.

Rodney Wallace may have played left back and done it well at the University of Maryland, but MLS is at a different level and pace of play. It seems as though the second year left – footer is going through an adjustsment period. He’s reacquainting himself with the position after playing as a left winger and holding mdfielder during his rookie campaign. I think eventually Wallace will come into his own at this spot.

While players are dealing with health issues and returning from suspension, it’s important to remember that previous coach Tom Soehn had the club start off the season in a 3-5-2. Then the club switched to a 4-4-2 later in the year. The club did this after acquiring Julius James from Houston Dynamo. James had some solid moments, especially in the CONCACAF Champions League.

It should be stated that DCU knew what they were getting when they made the move for the defender from Trinidad & Tobago. Houston fans had already witnessed it. James is one who has tremendous raw talent and skill. Yet, he is clearly an unpolished product. If James can ever reach his potential, then DC will have a formidable central defender.

One big key to the formation switch is noting how Ben Olsen (retirement) and Clyde Simms (injury) are severely missed. I’m sorry, but asking journeyman Kurt Morsink to cover the same ground as those two is not gonna happen. Morsink is someone who I would consider to be a serviceable reserve option. Granted also, Morsink isn’t technically being asked to cover the same ground as Olsen and Simms, as there is an extra center back now. However, I’d take Olsen and Simms any day over the combination of Morsink and whichever interchangeable part is available to line up next to Jakovic.

Clyde Simms is in my mind, one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in MLS. Until his recent injury problems, he was something of an iron man for DC United, appearing in nearly every fixture. He covers a lot of ground and is a workhorse in the midfield. He was also a key distribution point, building up from the back. Simms has a pretty good long range shot as well.

Ben Olsen is missed is so many ways. First and foremost, he was an inspirational leader on and off the pitch. Olsen for a long time had been an integral part of the club’s locker room chemistry.

On the pitch, age and severe ankle problems took away some of his pace and cutting ability, Olsen still had a lot offer. As mentioned, he no longer had the same speed. This forced a move from his spot on the wing to a role as a holding midfielder.

Olsen excelled at this new position. Playing inside now and alongside the roaming Clyde Simms, Olsen was able to use his intellgence and soccer IQ to help the team. The US National Team veteran played gritty and was key in breaking down opponent’s enterprising moves forward. He was also still very good in link up play.

Having these two in front of the backline helped clog up the midfield, limiting the space opposing teams had to work with. They also contributed to what was a very solid passing midfield.

Moving on to the attack minded players, United lost two of their more creative players this offseason, Fred and Christian Gomez.

Fred was an interesting talent. Personally, I think he had perhaps the best ball control on the team. He’s clearly skilled with the ball at his feet. However, he was plagued by poor finishing.

I can recall countless times when the Brazilian winger / playmaker completely missed a wide open net after being fed in nicely by teammates. With that being said, Fred did provide some of the better service on the team and he always had to be accounted for by the opposing team.

United were at their best the last several years when Gomez (or briefly Marcelo Gallardo) was at the top of his game. United had guys who could put the ball in the back of the net, but Gomez gave them someone who could find his teammate’s through a narrow window and unlock the defense.

One of the things that made Gomez so good at setting up teammates, was that he was not afraid to push forward and create his own shot. At times, it actually seemed as though he looked shot first. Needless to say, I feel he is a player who made others around him better by putting them on in the right positions.

This current United team lacks that. Yes, they have tried to play with a pair of two way players in the center of midfield, as opposed to using a more tradional playmaker. In either formation, you still want a key creative talent in the middle.

While Santino Quaranta is very capable at doing a decent job and perhaps eventually excelling there, I still think that the right wing is his best spot. It’s also clear that United misses something by his abscence there.  In fact, while the club has yet to find a solution to their problem, they have played more inspired since sliding Quaranta back out wide and inserting Jaime Moreno in the middle.

Moreno plays well in that creative role, essentially guiding the flow of the attack. The Bolivian MLS legend also seems to partner well with Aussiee striker, Danny Allsopp.  Having Moreno on the pitch instantly raises United’s soccer IQ on the pitch.  However, because of his age, it’s a delicate balancing act managing his minutes.   

Looking at the rest of the midfield and striking corps, I feel that last year’s rookie if the year contender, Chris Pontius, is better suited to playing on the wing as well. Last season, Pontius was sort of a jack of all trades, playing all over the midfield and as a striker.  This year, Curt Onalfo initially elected to start Pontius as the lead striker. The early returns seem to show it’s not the best place to deploy him.

It’s still open for debate whether it’s better to have him move around the pitch or stay at one position, both for the club and Pontius’s development as a player.  Does United and Pontius benefit more by having him polish the versatility he’s capable of or by having him really sharpen his skills at one spot.   Perhaps he will find some time on the wing with Salvadoran playmaker Cristian Castillo struggling with his form.

Castillo has incredible skill on the ball, yet has struggled to make an impact with United. His ball control even overshadows the ability of the aforementioned Fred.  Something that also might be a benefit to both him andhe club is his passing ability. Castillo has a tendency to rely on flashy moves and tries to make the razzle dazzle play, instead of making the simple passes that may be more needed.  When he’s focused on linking up fluidly with teammates rather than making the highlight reel, Castillo can be a deadly component to the attack.   

Castillo, who has brought large throngs of Salvadoran fans to RFK Stadium is simply too talented stay playing at this current level. He is also going through a period of adjustment.

All this midfield attacking talk leads us to the point of the spear, the players called upon to put on the (literally) finishing touches. DC United parted ways with their leading goal scorer over the past three seasons, Luciano Emilio.

Emilio had seen his productivity drop over each year and the club felt he was being overpaid for what he was producing. While that may be the case, they clearly have a void to fill. Emilio wasn’t a perfect finisher, but he wasn’t afraid to shoot when he had an opening.

That seems to be one of the key problems facing United so far this season. The offense has displayed an ability to get into the attacking third, (even in the 4 – 0 smashing by KC) but has not been able to get off quality shots on goal.

If you think about it, DC United has let go two recent MLS MVP’s, players who were crucial to the club’s ability to score goals. They lost a creative talent who had been with the team for several seasons in Fred and lost franchise staple Ben Olsen to retirement.

You throw in key injuries and you see a team that has a gutted core. A core that perhaps has needed some youthful change for a while.

All this while going through a coaching switch and a change in philosophy on the pitch. MLS does prescribe to a recipe for parity. However, even in this environment, such a vast amount of change doesn’t come without it’s rebuilding and adjustment time. The evidence is on the pitch.

DCU does have some good young talent developing, including 17 year old midfielder Andy Najar. The growth of players such as him, Pontius and Wallace is crucial to the club returning to their former glories.

Former DC United Coach Tom Soehn

Earlier this morning came the news that DC United coach Tom Soehn would not seek to extend his current contract with the team. Set to expire at the end of this year, Soehn will instead leave the club he has been a part of for the past six seasons – three years as an assistant and three as the head coach. In all competitions in his three years in charge, Soehn compiled a W-L-T record of 55-48-31. Major accomplishments include the Supporters Shield in 2007 and the US Open Cup in 2008.

Contrary to what some are writing, Tom Soehn was not fired by the club. Instead, he will not seek to stay beyond his current contact. After the final game of the season, DC United President and CEO Kevin Payne indicated that any offer to Soehn to return in 2010 as coach would be evaluated over the following month. Without the assurances from management that he would get a contract extension, Soehn appears to have taken the first step toward other opportunities. With the announcement of his leaving, Payne wished Soehn all the best in his future endeavors.

Tom Soehn took a great deal of criticism from the media and supporters of DC United over the past year. The Red and Black’s failure to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs was the latest example of the club underachieving in 2009. Soccer expectations are always high in our nation’s capital, where reaching the finals of the US Open Cup and coming a goal away from qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League knockout round were not considered enough. Soehn was roundly condemned for his line-up and substitution decisions over the course of 2009, despite dealing with an aging roster, numerous injuries, and a brutal schedule (by MLS standards) of 42 games. His tactics were rightfully criticized, but his dedication to the club cannot be ignored.

As announced by DC United, General Manager Dave Kasper begins the search for a new head coach today – maybe Richie Williams should keep his phone handy – in preparation for the 2010 season. As for Kasper’s thoughts on Tom Soehn, “He is a bright young coach who has a big career ahead of him. I wish him continued success with his next coaching position and his family the best of luck always.” Good luck, indeed.

Former Toronto FC coach, Chris Cummins

With the not too surprising news this morning that Chris Cummins is out as coach of Toronto FC, let’s look at the rest of the coaching candidates for dismissal in MLS. Starting from the team with the worst record in the league, the New York Red Bulls, and working our way up the table, these men should be feeling the pressure from team owners for failing to qualify for the postseason.

Richie Williams – Red Bull New York: When Juan Carlos Osario announced he was resigning as manager of New York on August 21^st, his assistant coach Richie Williams stepped in as the interim coach for the remainder of the season. Williams also held this post for six weeks in 2006, when he took over for the fired Mo Johnston, before Bruce Arena was hired later that summer. Bottom line: Williams has served admirably guiding a club that had little chance of affecting the playoff picture just one year after reaching the MLS Cup finals. With NYRB moving into a new stadium next year, and looking to make a splash in the media by hiring a “big-name” coach, everyone expects Williams to resume his career as an assistant in 2010. Also, don’t be surprised if Jeff Agoos is jettisoned from his post as Sporting Director – news has already leaked that the team was talking with ex-Chelsea boss Avram Grant about taking over both duties, before he accepted a similar offer from Portsmouth FC in the EPL.

Frank Yallop – San Jose Earthquakes: This one is tricky. While the first year expansion club Seattle Sounders FC enjoys their trip to the playoffs, the Earthquakes 2.0 version finished bottom of the Western Conference for the second straight year. On the surface, it would seem that Yallop, and General Manager John Doyle, should be facing all sorts of pressure from ownership and supporters. However, in late August, owner Lew Wolff publicly supported his management duo in comments to the media. The dreaded “vote of confidence” usually means it is time to pack your bags – but Yallop is not under any pressure at all, and continues to be revered by large numbers of the local community for his past accomplishments. Excuses about player injuries contributing to the team’s poor results might be valid, but not getting the most out of the roster through curious position assignments? Clearly those are coaching decisions that should have him held accountable. Instead, a strange optimism permeates the club as they go into the off season expecting virtually the same roster back for 2010. Yallop might be safe for now, but expect him to be fired if San Jose gets off to a third successive poor start in league play.

Peter Vermes – Kansas City Wizards: The Wizards are the second team on our list that ended the 2009 regular season with a different coach then the beginning. When Curt Onalfo was dismissed in early August, Peter Vermes stepped in to try to rescue what was quickly becoming a lost season. After making the playoffs in 2008, ownership expected much of the same (see: NYRB) in 2009. With expectations for Vermes minimal, KC finished the year with only 12 points over their last 12 games. The fact that he is still carrying the label of interim head coach suggests that management will look to fill the coaching vacancy with a more proven commodity. Knowing how well he was received by his players, perhaps the Wizards should remove the interim from his title and let Vermes guide this team from the start of 2010.

Schellas Hyndman – FC Dallas: After riding the second half scoring explosion of MLS Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham, as well as his much improved defensive back four, Schellas Hyndman appears to have done enough to earn the privilege of returning for the 2010 season. The sting of missing out on the postseason after the 2-1 come-from-ahead loss to Seattle last Saturday was the first negative result for the club in over a month. After their recent visit to San Jose, a 2-1 victory, Hyndman was visibly pleased with the late season success that put his team in contention for the playoffs. The players said all the right things about their coach as well. Don’t expect ownership to disrupt the team now. Instead, FC Dallas will look for coaching consistency through the winter, and a momentum carrying winning start to 2010.

Chris Cummins – Toronto FC: The first casualty in MLS coaching ranks occurred this morning with the dismissal of interim head coach Chris Cummins. This came as know surprise given how ingloriously Toronto exited the playoff chase with their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of New York. Already having fired John Carver earlier in the season, TFC management has made it clear that qualifying for the postseason was expected this season. Enjoying a passionate fan base that clearly desires success, the third year MLS club anticipated being among the league’s best teams. Even with marquee signings like Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman, Toronto could not play up to their expectations, and the club was forced to make Cummins the scapegoat heading into another disappointing off-season.

Tom Soehn – DC United: Probably the coach with the next best chance of being fired, Tom Soehn endured a difficult season at the flagship club of MLS. Often criticized in the media for his questionable player formations and tactics, Soehn oversaw an ambitious 2009 schedule that saw DCU contest the US Open Cup final (a loss to Seattle), the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League (elimination before the quarterfinals), and a near miss of the MLS Cup playoffs (a late KC Wizards penalty kick away from qualifying in the last game of the season.) As he completes the last year on a three year contract, management has stated that they will take their time evaluating their head coach over the next month. Reading between the lines, it looks like DC United will quietly approach possible replacements for Soehn, and then make a coaching change later this year. Missing out on the playoffs for two seasons running, after consecutive seasons of winning the Supporters Shield, does not endear Tom Soehn to the supporters of this fine organization.

Gary Smith – Colorado Rapids: The interim coach in 2008, Gary Smith assumed full responsibility for the Rapids this season. For most of the summer, Colorado seemed poised to make the postseason, but a string of draws against lesser opponents (twice against the San Jose Earthquakes in the space of a week), and a crushing 3-0 loss to Rocky Mountain rivals Real Salt Lake, leaves Smith’s squad as the last team out of qualification. Featuring a potent scoring duo of Conor Casey and Omar Cummings, the prognosis for this club going into 2009 was a low playoff seed. Smith had remarked in early September that the club targeted 40 points for a playoff position. Well, mission accomplished on that front – too bad RSL also reached 40 points, and then held the head-to-head tiebreaker courtesy of their last game victory. Colorado will rue their late season fade, but don’t expect Smith to be fired this off-season. However, like Frank Yallop in San Jose, look ahead to Gary Smith needing to start the 2010 season strong in order to keep his job.

What about the coaches currently involved in the MLS Cup chase? Barring an embarrassing performance in the quarterfinals, none of the eight playoff bound coaches need worry about their job security at this time. They have earned their place by measuring up to the standard of success in MLS.