Man of the Match: Chris Pontius just keeps looking better and better, recovering ever more of the touch and confidence after returning from last year’s tibia break. Sunday’s hat trick for the United forward comes as a deserving reward. His first goal was a thing of beauty, a rocket past ‘keeper Ryan Meara while holding off a physical challenge from behind. Goal of the Week stuff? Probably. But that one surely will be challenged by Pontius’ slaloming third goal, another dandy. His second? Just more of the bustling industry that Pontius brings, finding the right spot near goal to hammer home from way in close.
Packaged for take-away:
- Things were mighty wet Sunday at RFK, as rain fell steadily throughout. And speaking of all wet …
- The Red Bulls’ defense could hardly have been any worse. Let’s try to run this down:
- Thierry Henry, for his scoring exploits, isn’t perfect. He was responsible for the midfield give-away that led to D.C.'s first goal.
- There was so much defensive wretchedness on D.C.'s second goal that it’s hard to assign individual blame. That said, heavy credit goes Maicon Santos’ way for lots of bull-headed determination in finally pulling free to produce the easiest of point blank blasts for Pontius.
- New midfield starter Victor Palsson (inserted in place of the suspended Rafa Marquez) managed to kick the ball off himself, somehow, and then watched it squirt right to Dwayne De Rosario. Young Red Bulls left back Conor Lade simply wasn’t strong enough to deal with De Rosario’s challenge, and when United’s talisman found skillful rookie Nick DeLeon with a smooth ball back into a great spot, that was that. The ball watching going on as “De Ro” found DeLeon was astonishing; all four members of New York’s back line were preoccupied with De Rosario, leaving the rookie with an unchallenged shot from about 15 yards. Oh, and the shot deflected off Markus Holgersson, whose body shape wasn’t right.
- Pontius’ made Holgersoon look bad on the third goal, which gave his team a 4-0 lead. Hogersson was rooted into the ground as Pontius sped past him and finished calmly.
- The RFK supporters’ 12th minute tribute to Chico Solares is a very cool thing.
- The hunt for De Rosario’s best spot just goes on and on. He was back in the midfield Sunday as two of United’s DPs took a place on the bench.
- The Red Bulls weren’t totally without chances early, mostly on moments produced by Henry. But this was a game where one side seized its chances with a brutal effectiveness.
- How Joel Lindpere has fallen in the staff’s eyes. Convincing arguments could be made that New York’s Estonian international has been the most important figure around Red Bull Arena over the last couple of seasons. Sunday, Medhi Ballouchy and Victor Palsson were both preferred over Lindpere in the starting lineup.
- You could say Ben Olsen got the tactics right, as his diamond midfield kept New York, with two center-mids lined up side by side, from generating much push through the middle third against. Or, maybe it was just the Ballouchy was highly ineffective on the left while Richards was only a little bit better on the right. Richards, with no goals and just one assist, eight matches has generally brought a big bag of nothing to the park in 2012.
- Everyone in United’s midfield can feel good about their night at RFK. DeLeon on the left and Danny Cruz on the right were busy and constructive all night.
