Pre-game press panoply

Welcome to alliterative headline day here at the solar-powered soccer blog, because sometimes similar-sounding syllables synthesize sublime sensations.

A quick glance at the pre-game press reports shows that DC United is in even worse shape than we thought. In addition to Jaime Moreno’s absence due to a Bolivia call-up and Bryan Namoff’s yellow-card suspension, we can now add Fred to the injured list, where he joins Luciano Emilio, Joe Vide, and a cast of thousands. The Washington Post’s prospective starting lineup includes rookie midfielder Ryan Cordeiro penciled in at forward and developmental squad defender Mike Zaher at left back. (Amazingly, they are in better shape than Toronto FC, who have had half their senior roster called up for international duty. They’ve even signed their chief scout to a one-day contract so he can suit up. Who knew that when Frank Yallop played Ian Russell and Ronnie Ekelund against Seattle that he would be starting a league-wide trend?)

On paper, it looks like the Quakes have an excellent opportunity to take all three points today. Let’s hope it plays out the same way on grass.

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On to today’s press:

- Elliott Almond, who has returned from Olympics duty in China, has a nice piece in the Mercury News about Ronnie O’Brien, whose game has benefited greatly from the presence of Darren Huckerby on the opposite wing.

- The Washington papers, the Post and the Times, both have pre-game features.  The Times notes that DC “hasn’t beaten a team from the West away from home this season.”

- Our own Jeff Carlisle, writing for MLSnet.com, provides a pre-game piece, and the league’s site also offers a pre-game story from the DC United perspective.  Steve Davis also mentions the Quakes in his weekly Five-a-side column.

- Goal.com’s Pat Walsh analyzes the game and predicts a 2-0 San Jose victory.  That works for us.