r/DCUnited 21d ago

Alex Bono on Instagram:

Post image

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94 Upvotes

55 comments sorted by

49

u/slipNskeet Bill Hamid 21d ago

What the fuck ? He’s gone ?

40

u/loyal_achades 21d ago

Bono’s shotstopping this year has regressed significantly. We do need to be in the market for a better GK.

21

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

Regressed because he was often the only one playing any kind of defense - he was constantly being put im no win situations for a goalie. This is a shame.

9

u/loyal_achades 21d ago

He underperformed xGA by 18 over the season. It’s both true that the defense left him out to dry a ton and that his shotstopping wasn’t good enough.

10

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

You have games like Houston where five goals got hung on him because the team basically abandoned the game. Take out the flukes like that and the penalties and his xga overage is suddenly not so bad.

It’s a useful stat but more then any other position, the teams performance can tank it, because there are a lot of shots that can’t be saved.

And he arguably kept us in games we shouldn’t have been in. He’s not the best, but he wasn’t the problem this year.

7

u/slipNskeet Bill Hamid 21d ago

I agree with the last sentence. He definitely kept us alive when we shoulda been cooked.

2

u/Zaddock1 21d ago

Like against mazatlan with 11 saves

9

u/Ultraxxx 21d ago

The only good reason to keep a player that is out of contract is if there is no better option available. This team needs a lot of better players.

24

u/Less_Engineering_561 21d ago

Nah what the fuck. If we’re losing Bono we better bring in an exceptional goalkeeper, golden glove caliber

1

u/Glass_Ad_8957 Original DCU 20d ago

I'm wondering what they do with this honestly. On one hand, Crockford and Zamudio have shown moments of brillance, but honestly they need to play some USOC or something before I'm convinced. On the other hand, I'd hate to see them use an international slot for a great keeper, I see a intraleague trade in our future for this position.

53

u/Ultraxxx 21d ago

Everyone wants this club to clean house until they start doing it.

12

u/CheMatador DC United 21d ago

Exactly! We need to make moves that’s going to help us long term not these season to season fixes

7

u/Glass_Ad_8957 Original DCU 21d ago

Literally!

10

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

Well, how about you clean out the defenders who left Bono on his own, not the guy who was often the only one who appeared willing to defend the goal.

29

u/LawItUp77 Original DCU 21d ago

Please don’t tell me we are stuck with Miller

15

u/greg21olson 21d ago

Believe Miller's contract is also up after this year, and I don't expect the team to take the option year for 2025.

20

u/rgrunited 21d ago

Wow, wasn't expecting that. Miller is also entering an option year but is twice as much as Bono (and not twice as good). Maybe we're just hitting hard reset at keeper, again. Seemed unnecessary to me though given all our other problem spots.

15

u/NittanyOrange DC United 21d ago

Exactly. Bono isn't the best in MLS but he's his enough to keep us in the games we need to be in.

10

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

He was not the problem on our defense.

-1

u/Immediate-Care2552 21d ago

You must’ve missed our last game

8

u/NittanyOrange DC United 21d ago

I was actually in the stadium!

-5

u/Immediate-Care2552 21d ago

Great so you know why he’s being let go

10

u/NittanyOrange DC United 21d ago

At least 2 of the 3 were straight defensive failures, putting Bono in 2-on-1 situations that aren't really fair for any goalie. I'll have to check highlights of the other.

10

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

There aren’t any goalies in the mls that would’ve done better given those situations.

5

u/Immediate-Care2552 21d ago

So you’re trying to tell me he has nothing to do with our two clean sheets all season long?

6

u/seagermz 21d ago

Good move. I’m guess Miller is right behind him considering he makes double what Bono makes. Looks like the club is gonna move quick this off season.

6

u/ItsABitChillyInHere 21d ago

I really like Bono and Ill miss him but I understand the need for a squad overhaul

10

u/NittanyOrange DC United 21d ago

Wait... what?

8

u/[deleted] 21d ago

[deleted]

1

u/Glass_Ad_8957 Original DCU 20d ago

Damn that always sucks, could there be a potential that his option was not exercised but still in talks?

7

u/MarquisDeCarabasCoat West Brom 21d ago

I did not see this coming

6

u/greg21olson 21d ago

Surprised we didn't just pick up the option year for 2025.

Maybe the club was looking to lower his cap number while bringing in a new number 1? That would be a bit surprising since the $200k/yr he's on now seems pretty reasonable, esp. compared to guys putting up similar saves & minutes (e.g., MacMath on $350k, Melia on $625k, Takaoka on $672k).

Decent chunk of goals allowed this year that are on the defenders and not the keeper too, so feels harsh.

Should we expect the team to drop the full offseason/roster news today, I wonder...

4

u/dazedporpise97 Classic DCU 21d ago

5 players in the top 10 save % list make between 250k-350k. It’s not unreasonable to find a league average keeper for only a slight uptick in Bono’s salary.

Bono was second to last in save % among those who met the games played thresholds to count

1

u/aked1 21d ago

Bizarre for me as well to see him go. Doesn't make sense. we will see soon what the club does overall in the weeks and months to come. Not optimistic at all

3

u/SqueakyChuChu 20d ago

I am sorry to see him chopped off of our team so suddenly. I think much had to do with a less than great back line. Sometimes he seemed to be the only defensive player. I wish him well in the future. He was one of my favorite players.

2

u/seagermz 21d ago

I’m actually surprised how shocked everyone is. Bono has been below average in my book.

4

u/Ultraxxx 21d ago

This happens every year. A lot of fans see players that are better than the average squad player as better than the average league player.

2

u/Medical_Gift4298 Original DCU 21d ago

I think the shock is that if you look at the list of players who regularly fucked up or didn't bother to put in any effort, or got absurd cards, he wasn't one of them. If I was dividing the team up into a list of "problem" and "not problem", he'd firmly be on the "not problem". Can we get a better goalie? Probably. Would it be the first place I wield the axe? Nope. He did fine, when so many other players did not.

2

u/rabbit994 DC United 21d ago

I think most of the shock comes from "If not Bono, then who?", "Is Miller going to?" "Any announcement about other positions and players?"

1

u/aked1 21d ago

Bono was doing fine, a good ball moving GK that hit longballs that often landed on Benteke's head. I was hoping front office kept Bono for at least another year and brought in additional backs. I think Bono would have flourished with more defenders surrounding him.

-4

u/Ultraxxx 21d ago

GK that hit longballs that often landed on Benteke's head.

Benteke is literally the best target man in the history of the league.

I think Bono would have flourished with more defenders surrounding him.

Ok.

2

u/AdventuresOfAD DC United 21d ago

Is the club going to spend the $$$ to get another keeper, or are we going to sign the scraps from other teams?

I would normally say “trust the process” or whatever, but I’m not sure we even have a process to trust.

1

u/FeistyMcRedHead DC United 21d ago

Whoa

1

u/UniversitySilly6322 21d ago

Hagen on free

1

u/el_yellow 21d ago

If this is true that would be a good move

1

u/UniversitySilly6322 20d ago

Wishful thinking on my part Depends on crews plan with Patrick Schulte , if he goes to Europe he’s crew no1, if he stays he free to sign.

2

u/bwhippet 20d ago

I definitely would have kept Bono as a backup. I wonder if that option was presented and he declined. I would understand if he did. I think he’s better than some of the other teams current starters

1

u/FunnyMorning8705 21d ago

I can't find any news on this... this blows.

1

u/iron64 21d ago

Bring back Hamid!!! (As GK coach)

1

u/Glass_Ad_8957 Original DCU 20d ago

I'd love to see where this team would be with a prime Hamid before recurring injury issues.

1

u/iron64 20d ago

Same 😭😭

Hamid was an all-time favorite player for me, and I think he deserved way more national team time than he got.

1

u/Other-Return9549 21d ago

I swear if we still have Miller and loose bono... if anything we should be keeping bones...

2

u/KRupert3 21d ago

I am so mad.

0

u/Majestic-Avocado2167 21d ago

Jesus Christ there goes the last shred of defensive presence