Pitch Pass

Life is good if you are a D.C. United supporter. The team is coming off back to back road wins and finds itself in a playoff spot heading into the fall. 

But, bigger than that, the club welcomed Russell Canouse back after missing six months due to Ulcerative colitis. 

Russ joins the show to discuss his reintegration into the first team, the important role his wife and Troy Lesesne played in his recovery, and who he recruited to help him lock in his fantasy football draft pick. 

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As the European transfer window closed, there was a number of D.C. United players rumored to be leaving the club. Charles Boehm of MLSsoccer.com joins the show to updates on those players, as well as Ted Ku-DiPietro's extension, if supporter's should be surprised at the international interest for DCU young players, and how much trust should a fan have in the Troy/Ally project.


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With the summer additions of David Schnegg and Boris Enow, it feels like D.C. United head coach Troy Lesesne has enough of "his guys" to trot out a preferred formation.

What is the formation? How does it work in attack? How problematic is it in transition defending? How married to this formation is he? Are their missing pieces that DC can add during the offseason to make this formation really click?

These are the questions Roche has for Jason Anderson of Pro Soccer Wire to address on this episode of Pitch Pass.

If you love talking tactics, this episode is your catnip.

Follow Jason on Twitter and read is work on Pro Soccer Wire. 

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Jacob Murrell has taken the traditional American route to becoming a professional...which means he's very unique in the current soccer landscape. The D.C. United rookie joins Roche to talk about his journey from high school to Georgetown to the SuperDraft to DCU professional and how his path help shape the player and person he is today. He also discusses how the club convinced him to give up college for the pros, he relationship with the other young players on the team, and why his name is so hard to pronounce correctly...even for his coach.

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Has the D.C. United season been a positive or a negative?

Has the team been a pleasant surprise or the same old same old?

Have supporters been given a reason for hope or is this another false dawn?

The answers depend on your level of fandom and your general way of looking at things. Charles Boehm makes his monthly visit to Pitch Pass to help Roche sort through his yin and yang thoughts on the team after two months of matches.

Then, they speculate on the DCU summer transfer window and the expectations around it. (31:18)

Finally, Charlie and Roche try (and fail) to unravel the twisted trail of the Academy to the First Team, including thoughts on Loudoun United and the future MLSNextPro team. (47:19)

Click here to follow Charles on X (formerly Twitter). 

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It's the first ever solo show in Pitch Pass history!

Roche has some thoughts on D.C. United after two matches (and four points) in the MLS season, the new players, the DPs, the kids and their minutes, Troy and Ally, and more!

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D.C. United is back and so is Pitch Pass. Roche is joined by journalist Charles Boehm to discuss the offseason of change around the club.
 
But first, the bad as DCU's preseason trip to Saudi Arabia has caused unease amongst the fanbase (3:06). Then, Charlie gives some additional insight on new coach, Troy Lesesne and new CSO Ally MacKay (15:28) before breaking down the roster, possible formations, key questions about the season, and the integration of the exciting young talent on the team (29:33).


You can follow Charlie on Twitter @cboehm.

Click here to read his article on the DCU supporters group situation. 

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It's not "official" but D.C. United's season has unofficially come to an end without tangible success.

The Athletic's Pablo Maurer joins Roche to look back on another lost season for the club, what Wayne Rooney did (and didn't do) for the organization, and where the team goes from here.

They also discuss the Kasper situation, the ownership thought process, the DCU reputation in the global market, the tradition of United half measures, and the success of former DCU staff/players. 

Finally, the boys get surprisingly introspective on the changes in their personal lives in 2023.

Read Pablo's work on The Athletic. 

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D.C. United Defender Brendan Hines-Ike has returned to full fitness after suffering two freak, long term injuries over the last three years. He joins Roche on this episode of Pitch Pass to discuss how his "foot exploded in his boot" and how he got back. He then addresses the team's response to the supporters' dissatisfaction with the disappointing match against Philadelphia before setting the stage for the last matches of the MLS season and why "playoff pressure" is not the same as "relegation pressure." Brendan also discusses his Swedish, his "memorable" time playing at America's Family Resort, and the inevitable double hyphen last name.

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As MLS season winds down, MLSNext season starts up so it's a good time to check in with the D.C. United Academy with TopDrawerSoccer.com 's Travis Clark. The club's investment in the Academy has been uneven over the years but that seems to be changing with DCU making a real commitment to the youth of the club and the DMV at large. Travis and Roche try to make sense of the US youth soccer scene (no easy task) and DCU's place in it. They also break down the current Academy set up, some players and age groups to monitor, and when/if the first team can expect reinforcements from the Academy. 

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