First Eleven Podcast

Here we go, Here we go. It's another edition of first eleven Your Connection with DC, And I had Dave Johnson, along with Bruce Murray a lot to talk about DC. And I did it with those two stoppage time goals and the winner the Colorado Rapids and just days after that the two nothing, hard fought win over the Charleston Battery. And we'll start with that, Bruce. As we get going,

Oh my gosh, nobody on the field was running as much as Jacob Murle and the dirty work he did reminds me of you know, Bogy when he puts his shifts in and he holds it up for the team. Uh. And Jacob, Jacob did that. And right before that gold Dave, he had a toe hope that he just couldn't quite get to and you like, it just wasn't going to be his day. But The goal itself was just pure brilliance.

DC it wins possession. Leal left the center circle mad for Jacob Merle and it came off the back of Merle. But Merle, now just outside the box, cuts to his left.

It's a shot and said that, And he said to that, Jacob Marle on what their goal right at the top of the day with the left foot. Fireworks go off and out the build and finally finally DC and on and has broken through.

It hit the back of him and then he had to stop, and then he had to take on two players. But what he did was he he did a chop krouch about twenty five yards out, took a look and said, why don't I just hit it left footed? He's not left footed, and he smokes it into the upper corner. It was exactly the same goal as our US national team player Jack McGlenn scored against Paraguay. It was a bomb.

And again that's a good point. He's not left footed. But boy, it was all right, that's for sure. Now we talk about of course, Jacob Merlin and fans are saying this, and all of your supporters and as you connect with us on iHeartRadio, He's an example because of his hard work. If he give him the time, he will produce.

Yeah, he will produce Dave. And not only that. If our listeners can remember back to the Chicago game, he bailed us out with a bicycle kick. He's scoring spectacular goals. What if he gets just more time, more time, and is he going to become and develop that off striker off ben Techy, that one guy who can score ten to twelve goals and your golden boot guy scores twenty two goals. If we can develop that striker, anything's possible.

And Benechi certainly seems to have relationship with him. Also significant when you think about this period of time for DC and they got down against of Colorado Rapids, but again their heads did not get down and the way they forgot the Sakes responded in stoppage time in the first half with two goals. The goals say a lot about the character actually of this team.

It does. I mean, look even me in the booth, I'm like, oh my gosh, what are we doing? What you know, how did that happen? And then they didn't give up and they kept going. And that's what I said after the second goal.

Of mal Herrera. Horrera goes central with the left foot, His cross ricochets, bounces on the shot.

Jose Jiva, Jose ko Jiva, just saizard at home these he not at leads two to one.

Hey, Kajima scored off that deflection that you called so brilliantly. I thought it was all side, but it wasn't. Uh. You cannot give up in this game. You have to keep fighting. There is a way through and DC United has proven that two games in a row. Now, So do they have that, you know, in the toolbox going forward? I think they do. Got a great opportunity going up to struggling struggling f C Toronto. You know, anything's possible.

Ozake Kajima, as he described that goal, he talked about thinking about a goal two weeks prior by Dennis Bolonga. Uh, he's as we've talked to him, he's always thinking, always visualizing the game. How much of that did you do as a player, and just talk about the way he studies the game while he's playing the game.

Well, I I didn't study the game as much, kind of played by the seat of my pants. But I also understand and that he is writing letters to famous players and almost a pen pal type situation, and they're writing him back, and so he is trying to assemble this this this Trevor you know, treasure trove of information both both on cards and up in his head, so that he knows he's a true student of the game. I wasn't that I was. I was, man, you know, let me figure out what to do when I get

And as we look ahead with Toronto FC and look ahead now into the round of sixteen, this is the busiest month of the season for d C. And I a takeaway I had from the Open Cup game the other night, Fidel Brahas and some guys getting some playing time. I thought he was a difference maker of the game. That depth is going to be important if DC not is to not only survive but thrive in this month.

Uh yeah, it is. Depth is going to be huge. Look how many center backs have been out already this year, and we have a rotation of guys that we can trust. You know, you know, Lucas Bartlett's out, you know, incomes McNaughton. McNaughton's out, Tubbs. I mean we can continue to Maddy Petla jumps in. I mean we can we can kind of convey or belt our center backs because they all understand what we're doing. There's a philosophy and it's three at the back, one comes over weak side, and one

All right, d C and I Torontoc. That's the next assignment. It is coming up on Saturday. We will have it for you on iHeartRadio beginning at four fifteen. That's first eleven elevenut or less. Your connection with DC and I did for Bruce Forrey. I'm Dave Johnson. Thanks for the time.