First Eleven Podcast

H Here we go, Here we go. It's another episode of First eleven eleven minutes or less, your DC and IED podcast, Your Soccer podcast along with US Soccer Hall of Fame with Bruce Murray. I'm Dave Johnson d C andited at the weekend a zero zero drawl with Club Dave Foot Montreal H. Bruce, just just quick overall impressions of the game. We'll get some comments from Troy La say and talk about what they need to do offensively, but just overall impressions because they did get the clean sheet.

Yeah, the game. The game was flat day. We didn't we didn't come out and boss the game. Part of the problem was Montreal had a five man midfield and we just couldn't figure it out. We had to get up the field a lot quicker. Uh, and we didn't and we It just was flat and the players will be disappointed. But again, we're undefeated and I'll look at it Troy's way. You know, we're undefeated four games in.

That's that's you get points from every match so far for d C. And I let's hear from Troy lassaying about what they did do attacking.

The attacks were successful, you know they were really quick interchanges. The one that Gabby in the first half, if you can remember that, it's a really good ball inside the eighteen into Peglo and it's a very quick action from Peglo for a close finish from Gabby.

Right Aaron Herrera, where do you are some gold on the right side, Hey, through ball back, you'll comeing.

Through Parani coming out siwah.

Wow.

And Sarah was able to deny Parani. But Sarah had to come out and get down on the turf, put it off frame, out of play, harassed by the charging suwap.

That's a good example.

We didn't have enough of that type of combination play that was at that speed. It usually got into positions and we took an extra touch or we played it wide again, and we just never really threatened Montreal. Credit to Montreal, though, I thought that they did an excellent job defending.

All right.

We just heard the comments Bruce of Troy was saying that great chance where Pirani he was in and Suwac came up big. But that was one of the themes of the day. Jonathan Sierwa the goalkeeper. But when you heard the comments of Troy Lasain and you've been in an attacking position. What was missing Saturday from DC United's attack and what should they apply this Saturday against Orlando or is you hear and make those comments.

Well, in the.

Final third, we had possession twenty twenty two passes and we just could not you know, pick the lock.

We couldn't we couldn't figure our way through.

And so in that situation, when that happens, you got to fire one in. And that's what happened when Herrera fired it in to Peglo with the cheeky bacule. That's the kind of movements and motions he needed to make. Again, when you're in that situation and you're you know, you're probing and you're trying to make a pass and this and you're you know, I think there was a there was many times in the game where we were at their box and we just could not get it through.

You know, Troy's thinking right now. Is we got to start being more direct.

So it starts with you be ambitious, and that's that's again you mentioned her era. The fullbacks have to be so critical in that. Now ben techie badly with Saliba Ford. Saliba heads it away, but now Schneg has it left side of the box.

Schneg to the sixth and guarding through Stroud.

Zierua comes up with the same potter kick DC and ided but Stroud hoping the knife at home and Siuah put his body on the line.

Oh ah, you talk about a save Siuah point blank range, a.

Quarter kicked for DC and I did right poner working right to the left. Okay, Christian Mette no surprise number one in aerial duels. So right away DC and ied on.

Corners start from a position of strength, position of strength.

Where sending it in Pentechy heads it down and then it's headed again right the Seir law and Kyle Rowles almost opened his Make League Soccer account a little flick header from the six yard box but Sir able to control it.

Wow, And just watching that header back by Benechy, Campbell couldn't do anything about it.

Nobody, nobody. It seems like Potecki wins every single header on a.

Cornerkick, and you can make the argument Kim June Hung involved again, securing at least at one point.

Right into the Chico stand.

This freekick is being taken, the take and Kim the saved.

Now the follower and Kevin another saying a corner kick coming.

Wow.

Grace Duke tried to score from the free kick. Kim made the same and he was there for the follower porter kick.

Montreal, your thoughts as he's growing into the role with a banged up shoulder as the starting keeper.

I love him.

I think he's still kind of unsettled in terms of you know the league and where, you know how the league works and this and that. But but you can tell he's got high quality and his quickness, especially his lateral quickness, being able to get across the goal really quick. And and also his distribution is fantastic. He can he can hit a ball Dave that cuts right through the ball.

I mean he can hit. He can go box the box if he wants to do all.

Right, International break coming up, so Matti Peltela will not be involved in DC and I but bring this up because it shows the depth of DC, and I thought on Saturday that Jose Kajima Borisen now go out and you're able to bring in Brendan Servenia and also Mattie Peltala uh like for like substitutions. And again Troy Lasain's perspective, it was not anything that Kajima or borzenaw did wrong. It was just his thought to try to change up the energy to have that kind of depth.

That's I mean, you you hit it right on the head. I mean, it's not they didn't do anything wrong.

But but the coach now he's saying to himself, I can have two guys on my bench. They can come in and improve the game. And so that's pretty rare. We've got a bench, Dame, not just a bench full of players. We've got a bench full of players that can come in and improve the game, which I always think of substitute.

That's the definition, come in and make the game better.

Speaking of which, your thoughts of the growth of Jacob Burle.

Oh my gosh, Well, Jacob came in and he just I'd pretty much chase everything in and just a wonderful player.

He brings so much energy to the game, and you know.

He constantly has positive things happen when he comes in the game.

So the bottom line is that that Troy is saying this is what he wants. And you've been in this kind of situation. You want competition all over the field.

Oh my gosh.

I mean I spoke to a college coach once to be anonymous, and he's like, I'll bring in six midfielders this year, justifying one player.

In other words, you know, it's.

A cutthroat business, this game at higher levels college and professional soccer, and you want guys that are pushing the guy who is starting, and if he falls off in form, then the next guy's up. And you know, like I said, our bench is really strong this year. And you know one thing that we need to do. We've proven to the league now that we're a tough out man. We're four games in, nobody's beating us, right, but can we get over the hump?

Right?

How do we put games away? And we're still working on that. It's a work in progress.

And that college coach, Anonymous, by the way, was undefeated. He was an amazing coach. Coach Anonymous, Hey, with Bruce Murray, that's your edition of First eleven. The first this week. There'll be another edition as we get closer to the game on Saturday on the road now against Orlando. As always, you can check in at Dave J Sports at Bruce Murray h UF if you want to on X and remember to follow our social channels for the latest on first eleven or tell your friends you can download first