Bittersweet Week For United
For D.C. United, the events that transpired in the last week confirmed two unalienable truths. Contrary to United's play during their prolonged slump, they are, in fact, a very good team. And despite a run of good form in U.S. Open Cup play, there's something about the 92-year-old competition that gives D.C. fits.
Last Sunday, United snapped its miserable 5 game winless streak with a 2-1 win over Chivas USA. The win gave United 50 points on the season and secured them a spot in the playoffs. They were led by a dominating Christian Gomez, who scored a pair of goals and barely missed on another 2 attempts. The midfielder reasserted himself as one of the most prolific offensive players in the MLS, and is making a strong case for the league's Most Valuable Player award.
However, the momentum that Gomez and United built on Sunday was negated last night with a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Chicago Fire. The DCenters blame United's poor attention to detail for the loss. Coach Peter Nowak blames the officiating crew that disallowed a Matias Donnet putback. For whatever reason, United's U.S. Open Cup run ended in the semifinals. The black-and-red haven't made the Cup final since 1997.
Looking ahead, United square off against Real Salt Lake this Saturday at RFK (7:30 p.m.). Coach Nowak will have to get creative in choosing his starting 11. Gomez, Bobby Boswell, and Alecko Eskandarian will all be suspended due to yellow card accumulation. Josh Gros received a Red Card on Sunday for the "Abusive Language" he exchanged with Chivas forward Juan Francisco Palencia, and will carry out his automatic 1-game suspension Saturday night. John Wilson will also be unavailable, as he underwent season-ending surgery yesterday.
In Gomez' absence, Freddy Adu, Jaime Moreno, and newcomer Donnet will have to step up offensively. On the defensive end, Facundo Erpen will be asked to move into Boswell's central position; Erpen's increased responsibility should help him tone down his recent adventurous play. With the MLS season is slowly winding down (8 games remain), D.C. will be looking to put their recent slump behind them and resume its rule over the league.
Photo taken by Kyle Gustafson