Each of the past two years, D.C. United has headed into the playoffs as the number one seed, with a shiny new MLS Supporters Shield in hand for holding the league’s best regular season record. Each of those seasons, they’ve had their top player crowned league MVP. But each of those also ended with a disappointing playoff exit.

You’d think a team with that kind of success might want to tweak the lineup a little to strengthen the squad for their playoff push — but not necessarily overhaul the roster with loads of new, imported talent, or let go of a few fan favorites and a former MVP. But that’s just what United did in dropping Christian Gomez, Brian Carroll, and Bobby Boswell to bring in whole host of new, mostly Latin American talent.

Among those, Argentines Gonzalo Peralta, Marcelo Gallardo, and Franco Niell joined Colombian defender Gonzalo Martinez in making their D.C. debuts last night. Gallardo — the highest profile of the new signings — was charged with running the offense from central midfield and with picking up where Gomez left off. But where Gomez would find space just behind the two strikers, Gallardo prefers to drop deep to pick up the ball, lay it off, get it back, lay it off, get it back. He’ll occasionally wander out to a flank, or fall back parallel with defensive midfielder Clyde Simms — neither necessarily bad things, but certainly traits that may take some getting used to.