It’s not often that a referee’s calls can ruin a game, but one did just that in a game between D.C. United and the Philadelphia that seemed less like soccer and more like a prison riot.

, Former D.C. United prodigy and lightning rod Freddy Adu is off to Benfica of the Portuguese League, reports Steven Goff at the Soccer Insider. When Adu came to United at the tender age 14, his arrival inspired fanfare within Major League Soccer that has only since been surpassed by some British geezer. After three up-and-down seasons with United, Adu was sent to Real Salt Lake for a major allocation (a powerful tool in MLS…

Two weeks ago, D.C. United traveled to Los Angeles to play a depleted Galaxy team and were lucky to come away with a disappointing 0-0 tie after Nate Jaqua missed two easy opportunities in front of the United goal. Determined not to fall into the trap of playing down to their competition again, United scored early in their 3-1 victory over the visiting Chicago Fire and never looked back. Fire goalie Matt Pickens bobbled…

United’s got a big one lined up tonight. Waiting at their doorstep is CD Guadalajara, better known as Chivas. One of the most storied clubs in the Mexican soccer, Chivas have 11 league titles under their belts, currently a record. They also have the distinction of only using Mexican players throughout their history. Tonight’s game is the first leg of a home-and-home series, the semifinal match in the CONCACAF Champion’s Cup. U.S. teams have…

Pending an official announcement (currently broadcast live at United’s web site), D.C. United coach Peter Nowak is leaving the team to become the U.S. men’s national team assistant coach. United is expected to name Tom Soehn as their new coach. The transition shouldn’t be too difficult for the team, as Soehn has been Nowak’s right hand man on the bench for the last three years. Nowak’s departure doesn’t come as a complete surprise. His name…

D.C. United sent shockwaves through the U.S. soccer landscape yesterday when they traded teen sensation Freddy Adu and 5-year veteran goalkeeper Nick Rimando to Real Salt Lake for backup goalie Jay Nolly, a major player allocation, and future considerations. When we learned of this decision, we were amazed. Any time the league’s most recognizable and marketable star is traded, it’s bound to turn a few heads. However, the more we think about this deal,…

Hey D.C., how ya doin’? We’ve got some good news and some bad news for mother nature this morning, but it’s all good news for you. Just nine days away from the official start of winter, Washington will enjoy another day of temperatures near 60. Remember these days when you’re stomping through January snow. Potomac to Get Slightly Less Gross: Looks like the Army Corps of Engineers is finally getting around to meeting a 2003…

We’re all breathing a huge sigh of relief this morning to find that the two white-tailed deer that were rescued from the Tidal Basin yesterday are doing just fine after having been tranquilized, lassoed, and pulled along the side of a boat to safety. And of course we assume that it wasn’t actually the name of U.S. Park Police spokesman Scott Fear that scared the two into jumping into the water. More likely it…

D.C. United came into Saturday night’s game both optimistically and urgently. An animated crowd of 21,022 cheered enthusiastically as United was presented with the Supporter’s Shield. The match at hand would provide them with a quality opponent, the New England Revolution, indicative of the competition they would confront in the rapidly-approaching MLS Cup playoffs. Such a stage would seem the perfect situation to right the ship and make a bold statement before entering the…

Good morning, D.C. How’re those new Metro express lanes treating you? We know it’s only five stations for now, but we’re pretty excited by the prospect of a nearly-50% speed-up through the turnstiles during rush hour. There’s nothing more infuriating than finding yourself stuck behind a perplexed tourist who’s fiddling with his farecard like a newly-tool-using ape at the beginning of 2001 — unless you count the encounter you just had with him on the…