Close Up: D.C. United Year In Review

D.C. United took a gamble coming into the 2008 season, sending key players out and bringing fresh faces into the mix. The hope was to improve teams that won back-to-back Supporters’ Shield titles, but were unable to match that success in knock out tournaments. 

Like making the Hunchback of Notre Dame stand upright, United altered their spine in the offseason. The overhaul included replacing their goalkeeper, a pair of central defenders, and their attacking midfielder. However, the resulting rehabilitation required crutches for the first third of the season and that time, in the end, cost them a playoff berth. 

Though a rough start gave way to an impressive run of a six-match winning streak between league and U.S. Open Cup play, signs of the eventual downfall were apparent. The mid-season change of gears into SuperLiga play stalled the team’s positive play with three straight one-goal losses, and failure to get out of the group stage, a fate they would be dealt again in Champions League action.  

The post-All-Star break was highlighted by winning the U.S. Open Cup, their second overall, but first since MLS’s inaugural campaign twelve years ago. That win over USL-1 side Charleston was the Black-and-Red’s lone win in September, a total matched in October thanks to their sole win over New England. A single point from three other league games left them two points outside of the playoffs, and a long winter to consider how to put the club back in contention for a fifth MLS Cup. 

January: The month started with a transfer away from the club as Troy Perkins was sent to Norway’s Valerenga where he could buy his own sporting goods store. Shortly after, United brought in the big names. Franco Niell was the first, but was a minnow swimming in the big pond. Also acquired were three draft picks, though Ryan Cordeiro was the only one to contribute to the campaign. Defender Gonzalo Martinez quickly followed, but it was Marcelo Gallardo as the club’s first DP that rounded out the month. Unfortunately, down the stretch, the latter pair appeared to be diesel engines running on standard gasoline. 

February: With Gallardo in the mix, it was only a matter of time until Christian Gomez, the league’s 2006 MVP and playmaker that led the team to the 2004 MLS Cup, was dealt away. A mid-month trade sent the Argentine to Colorado, officially paving the way for his compatriot to be the club’s new number ten, both in number and position. The acquisition also gave United a second Designated Player slot (see June) and Colorado’s first round draft pick in 2009. A pair of other players were brought into the mix with varying degrees of success as Quavas Kirk was acquired from Los Angeles, while Santino Quaranta signed as a free agent. 

March: After officially signing Quaranta, D.C. set their sights to international competition before the domestic campaign kicked off. Devon McTavish was the unlikely goal scorer in Kingston, Jamaica to give United a 1-1 draw on the road against Harbour View FC. However, a 5-0 thrashing on the return leg six days later, including a pair from McTavish, advanced D.C. to the quarterfinals of the last CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.

Record: 1 Win, 1 Tie, 1 Loss 

April: A busy month was highlighted by the Champions’ Cup quarterfinal against Pachuca. Despite a 2-0 defeat away on the first leg, United battled back ferociously in the second, but two goals in the final five minutes weren’t enough to advance thanks to conceding a goal to the Gophers. League play wasn’t much better as a pair of 4-1 wins over Toronto and Real Salt Lake at home bookended losses to Columbus and Real to give the team just six points after five games.

Record: 3-0-3 

May: As if things couldn’t get worse, a four game winless skid started this month, in which D.C. scored just a single goal. United rebounded with a 3-2 win over Toronto and finished with a 2-2 draw at Gillette Stadium. However, with just ten points from eleven games, head coach Tom Soehn was squarely on the hot seat. A lone positive, D.C. entered an agreement with Volkswagen to be their shirt sponsor. Because nothing says success like a single “W” on your shirt.

Record: 1-1-4 

June: Though Luciano Emilio was officially elevated to DP status in the fifth month of the year, United didn’t reap the benefits until June. While his scoring streak was hot, the team took all twelve points in the month, partially thanks to a postponement of a game against Houston. However, the defense couldn’t keep things together for 90 minutes at a time and failed to post a single clean sheet. To improve their average height, United also sent Franco Niell packing -- perhaps in his own suitcase.

Record: 4-0-0 

July: The hottest month of the year started a long stretch for United in which they would play 29 games over the final four months of their season. The U.S. Open Cup treated D.C. well as wins over Rochester and Chicago put them into the semifinals. However, three straight losses in SuperLiga play bounced them out of the second edition of the tournament. A loss to Houston -- the third time the game had been scheduled -- game the team their second four-game losing skid of the season. The day of that loss to the Dynamo also signaled a shift for United as newcomers Gallardo and Gonzalo Peralta underwent hernia surgery, severely limiting their contribution for the remainder of the year.

Record: 2-0-4 

August: Thanks to a congested league fixture schedule, United climbed back into playoff contention, taking ten points out of six games. Furthermore, the team posted their first shutout of the season to start the month, that coming in their seventeenth game. And then proceeded to add three more in the same month. One win that didn’t include a shutout eliminated New England from defending their U.S. Open Cup, advancing United to the finals in September. Yet a pair of additions bolstered Soehn’s lineup for the remainder of the season as Louis Crayton was signed from Switzerland to take over goaltending duties while Ivan Guerrero was brought in to add depth to the midfield.

Record: 4-1-2 

September: The ninth month started a long, slow slide towards 2009 for D.C. The month started out strong as a 2-1 win over Charleston gave United their only piece of silverware on the year, as well as entry into the 2009/10 CONCACAF Champions League. However, it was all downhill from there. Just a single draw was gained from the final six games, including a pair of losses in Champions League affairs.

Record: 1-1-5 

October: The busiest month of the year did D.C. no favors. A pair of loses to start the month extended their streak to six defeats in all competitions. A win over injury plagued New England gave them a chance going into the final day, but again they were unable to deliver as a loss in the final league game of the season put the kibosh on the chance of a fifth MLS Cup. Not only were things dismal in MLS action, but their poor play in Champions League continued as they finished with just a single point from group play. However, a win by the U.S. Men’s National Team over Cuba gave the footie fans in the nation’s capital something to be happy about.

Record: 1-2-5 

November: A surprisingly quiet November revolved mainly around the status of head coach Tom Soehn. The former Fire defender will remain on the bench at RFK, though, after United officials decided to bring the fiery coach back. However, that didn’t mean the powers that be dismissed this season as both Victor MacFarlane and Will Chang spoke out and seemingly put pressure on the team to win in the upcoming year, or else things would change. 

December: Following several other big names, Fred was loaned to Australian outfit Wellington Phoenix, but, alas, wasn’t given the welcome David Beckham received in Milan. Speaking of Golden Balls, United may or may not see Becks in their first game of the season as they travel to The Home Depot Center to open their 2009 campaign. Fortunately for United, the team’s Iron Man this season (playing all but 3 minutes of the year) Clyde Simms will be back thanks to signing a new contract. 

(Talk about D.C.'s future in the new Goal.com forums)

-- Pat Walsh, Goal.com