Looking at the performance of D.C. United’s forwards is an exercise of examining extremes. On one hand, the one that United fans would rather focus on right now, there’s Fabian Espindola, the offseason acquisition who has four goals and three assists in nine matches. On the other, of course, is Eddie Johnson, the much more notable and expensive offseason acquisition, who has yet to score at all.
The overall performance of the position so far during United’s 4-3-2 start to the 2014 Major League Soccer season is somewhere in the middle. But it should be noted that Espindola already has more league goals this year than any United player had for all of the 2013 season. Espindola’s production (his three assists are tied with Nick DeLeon for the team lead), being involved somehow in seven of the 13 goals United has scored this season (not to mention involvement in scoring plays later counted as own goals), hasn’t necessarily masked Johnson’s struggles, but it has allowed United to succeed somewhat so far despite them. [Read more…]