DC reap what they Soehn

In the aftermath of DC United's sixth loss, DC coach Tom Soehn is clearly feeling the pressure. According to uber-blogger Steve Goff, United's locker room kept its doors closed an extra 15 minutes following the 3-1 road loss to Chivas USA, a club who have had its own share of troubles lately.

Goff writes:

Managing partner Will Chang exited with a grim look on his face. Team president Kevin Payne declined comment. Coach Tom Soehn, who usually steps out of the locker room promptly to give his postgame address, was nowhere to be seen. Players started trickling out of the locker room and headed toward the bus.

When I was covering MLS for a couple of different soccer web sites, I had the opportunity to interview United president Kevin Payne. I found him to be a very serious dude. He had no time for small talk or clever quips. You asked him questions and he either answered them or didn't. And if you hesitated or seemed ill-prepared his judgmental stare would burn a hole through you until you thought of something or quietly backed away. He was not a guy who tolerated incompetence.

Another thing I know about Mr. Payne is that he loves DC United. He doesn't care who you are or what your credentials are, if you mess with his team be prepared for retribution. A few years ago he was given a bit of a promotion by AEG, then owner-operators of DC United, and made Director of Soccer Operations, in charge of all the clubs in the Anschutz empire. When AEG sold DC United to Chang and his DC United Holdings group, Payne left what must have been a lucrative position to return to United as team president. Under Payne's leadership, the team has won four MLS Cups, four Supporters' Shields, a US Open Cup, a CONCACAF Champions Cup and an InterAmerican Cup.

What does all this mean? Well, it means Payne has no patience for losers. Just ask, Thomas Rongen and Ray Hudson. Rongen won an MLS Cup in 1999, but was quickly replaced by Hudson in 2001 after missing the playoffs in 2000. Hudson was then replaced after two seasons. In 2003, after getting ousted in the first round of the playoffs, Hudson famously said, "Someone get me a blindfold and a cigarette!"

Which brings me to the current DC coach, Tom Soehn, who should be firing up that cigarette himself soon. Despite last season's Supporters' Shield victory, an early exit from MLS Cup and an embarrassing ouster in the US Open Cup, left Soehn on the hot seat this season. Add to that, the high expectations that came with the addition of Marcelo Gallardo to a squad that scored 56 goals and managed 55 points last year, and you can't help but think that Payne is warming up the firing squad once again.

Some fans, holding out hope, point to DC's slow start in 2007. After all, they didn't win a match until May 6. The difference is that they were only 0-3-1 at that point and then they went undefeated until June 23rd. A run like that doesn't seem likely given the poor showing this April and May. United is 2-6-0 this season, managing wins over a pre-Guevara TFC and Real Salt Lake who also only have two wins to show for 2008.

So, what does Prez Payne think about this terrible start. Well, following DC's 2-0 loss to Chicago on May 8, Payne called the players out for poor effort.

"We have a personal accountability issue on the field," he said. "I hope that the players know; some of them probably don't, actually. There are certain players who play maybe 75 or 80 minutes out of 90, but they take off critical plays, and it happened tonight twice."

But after this loss, Payne had no comment. And I think it is this silence that says volumes. The death knell has sounded for Soehn. I'm just not sure he's heard it yet.