May 7, 2025 • 6 mins
In this edition of First 11 Dave Johnson and Bruce Murray discuss Midfield adjustments bringing success to D.C. United. Plus, the player writing his own script with the help of pen pals.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
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,
people buzzing about Jacob Murle's goal. Not only did it
(00:22):
break the zero zero tie and extra time by the way,
but also just just it was just a beautiful goal.
But having said that, when we talk about a beautiful goal, yes,
but he deserved that based on all the hard hat
work he put in through ninety plus minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
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
(01:01):
be his day. But The goal itself was just pure brilliance.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
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.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
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
(01:57):
team player Jack McGlenn scored against Paraguay. It was a bomb.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
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.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
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
(02:41):
to twelve goals and your golden boot guy scores twenty
two goals. If we can develop that striker, anything's possible.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
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
(03:11):
about the character actually of this team.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
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.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Of mal Herrera. Horrera goes central with the left foot,
His cross ricochets, bounces on the shot.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Jose Jiva, Jose ko Jiva, just saizard at home these
he not at leads two to one.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
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
(04:12):
to struggling struggling f C Toronto. You know, anything's possible.
But Dave, looking at the stands, the stats, I don't
know if our fans are following it really closely, but man,
we're in a playoff position if we get three points
this weekend.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
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.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
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
(05:14):
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
into the situation. Kajima seems to think his way through.
A very cerebral player.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
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
(05:53):
is to not only survive but thrive in this month.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
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
(06:17):
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
comes back the off forward. So we're always playing with
five now in the middle. And that's what we figured
out after we got hammered by San Jose, that poor
result out in San Jose.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
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.
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,
people buzzing about Jacob Murle's goal. Not only did it
(00:22):
break the zero zero tie and extra time by the way,
but also just just it was just a beautiful goal.
But having said that, when we talk about a beautiful goal, yes,
but he deserved that based on all the hard hat
work he put in through ninety plus minutes.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
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
(01:01):
be his day. But The goal itself was just pure brilliance.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
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.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
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.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
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
(01:57):
team player Jack McGlenn scored against Paraguay. It was a bomb.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
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.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
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
(02:41):
to twelve goals and your golden boot guy scores twenty
two goals. If we can develop that striker, anything's possible.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
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
(03:11):
about the character actually of this team.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
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.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Of mal Herrera. Horrera goes central with the left foot,
His cross ricochets, bounces on the shot.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
Jose Jiva, Jose ko Jiva, just saizard at home these
he not at leads two to one.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
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
(04:12):
to struggling struggling f C Toronto. You know, anything's possible.
But Dave, looking at the stands, the stats, I don't
know if our fans are following it really closely, but man,
we're in a playoff position if we get three points
this weekend.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
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.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
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
(05:14):
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
into the situation. Kajima seems to think his way through.
A very cerebral player.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
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
(05:53):
is to not only survive but thrive in this month.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
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
(06:17):
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
comes back the off forward. So we're always playing with
five now in the middle. And that's what we figured
out after we got hammered by San Jose, that poor
result out in San Jose.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
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.
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