There was only one thing DC United fans knew for sure going into the 2011 season, and that was this season couldn’t be any worse than the previous one.  After setting the standard for futility, the team not only climbed its way back into respectability (through its play on the field and front office dealings) but even for a while was positioned for a potential top three finish in the Eastern Conference.  However, a cold dose of reality doused those plans, and for the fourth consecutive season DC was outside the playoffs looking in.

For a team with a good fanbase and decorated history, where do they go from here?  In a sense, the word “forward” will define this offseason in a few different ways.  DC United, you are up next in our Three Questions offseason series:

1. Who will play forward for DC United?

This may be the easiest and hardest question to answer this offseason.  Looking at the roster, the answer looks to be “some darn good options”.  The defending MVP returns and looks to build on his amazing performance for half the season last year, and Chris Pontius also returns from injury after a first half of the season that helped him catch the U.S. Soccer Federation’s eye.

But De Rosario is arguably more effective as an attacking midfielder, and Pontius is definitely more valuable on the wing opposite Andy Najar.  That leaves DC with two forwards under contract: an aging but useful Josh Wolff and young contributor Blake Brettschneider.  With Charlie Davies’ seeming departure back to Europe, the team lacks a pure-forward scoring threat.  The acquisition of one could potentially allow De Rosario to move back into a CAM role and make DC’s attack even more potent, or at least give them some options on offense.  Will the team pursue another forward, or be content with what they have at that position?

2. Will the youngsters take the next step forward?

The Black-and-Red’s youth academy has done an excellent job of churning out talent, including rising star Andy Najar and starting keeper (and USMNT prospect) Bill Hamid.  After the disastrous 2010 season, the team focused on adding more youth especially in the back and have been rewarded with one of the most promising, and up-and-coming, defenses in MLS.

Undoubtedly, players like Perry Kitchen and Hamid are the future of this team and the team has shed some of the veterans that these players had bypassed on the depth chart.  At some point that youth has to realize the potential.  Does Hamid continue to improve his quick thinking and cut down on the poor decisions?  Can Kitchen play as a holding midfielder at the MLS level (he played primarily as a fullback/centerback last season)?  Can the likes of Woolard, Korb, and White push for permanent starting roles?  The success of DC depends on it, and not just in the short term.

3. Will the stadium situation move forward or stay in neutral?

Unfortunately for DC area soccer fans the off-the-field situation is overshadowing the on-the-field progress.  Until the stadium situation is resolved in some way, and by resolved I mean there is at least a 5-10 year plan in place, it is harder to build this team.  And management does need to decide is what kind of team this is.  At the beginning of last year, it was a “youth revolution” both by choice and by necessity, but when the team saw there was a chance at the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference it acquired Dwayne De Rosario.  This offseason the team shed more of its older, more expensive salaries to free up roster and cap space.

So what does it do? Does it throw academy players like Conor Shanosky into the fire and give them significant minutes to see what they actually have in the academy and fast forward the youth movement? Or does management go “all in” and gamble by signing some expensive overseas designated players/high-salary players?  That strategy backfired in the past but with the Eastern Conference still not dominated by a group of teams like the West, there is an argument to be made that it is the correct strategy.  However, until the team knows what its revenue estimates and home location will be two years from now, these types of decisions are infinitely harder to make.

The question I wrestled with in my head last night was this: if there were no playoffs or a playoffs with just four teams instead of 10, would this weekend be as exciting?  Regardless of how you feel about the playoff format or the playoffs in general, the answer I came up with was YES.  Looking at the fixture list, there are some damn good matches this weekend.  Would, for example, the New York and Portland match be as exciting if they were not in a playoff race?  My answer is most definitely, for reasons listed below.

The fact is this weekend’s action is a mixture of generally good matches, critical playoff-push games, and injury drama all around.  Here is part one of a guide to this weekend’s matches (all times ET), with a key to each game and a prediction that undoubtedly will be horribly wrong.  Share your own predictions and keys to the games below.  Part 2 will come out tonight or tomorrow morning.

Sporting Kansas City v. Philadelphia Union (Friday, 8:30 PM, Fox Soccer)

The odd thing about this game is that after this weekend the winner could be in first place in the East while the loser could conceivably be outside the tenth playoff spot.  Philadelphia is one of a couple of MLS teams that broke a long winless streak last weekend, but as NY showed getting that second win in a row can be tough especially against a good opponent.  The Union are thin right now and missing Sheanon Williams is a HUGE loss for a defense that had been struggling recently.  The bench is thin, so the visitors need their offense to be ready to score, while Kansas City as usual needs to hold off late comebacks and play some defense.

Prediction: Sporting KC 3, Philadelphia Union 2.  I like there to be some goals in this game, with the magic of LIVESTRONG winning out

FC Dallas v. Houston Dynamo (Saturday, 4:00 PM, Telefutura)

Is Brek Shea tiring at the wrong time after a much increased work load?  This is the type of game where Dallas will need their A-game from their stars.  A key to this game is who wants it more, and the answer may be the visitors.  Fourth in the West may be an ideal playoff position, while Houston is in a battle just to qualify.  With a Champions League trip to Tauro FC on Wednesday, maybe Dallas pumps the breaks just a little.

Prediction: FC Dallas 1, Houston Dynamo 1.  A spirited game that drags at the end.

DC United v. Real Salt Lake (Saturday, 7:30 PM)

The Chivas draw on Wednesday makes this an almost must-win for DC, and they face the hottest team in MLS right now who will be getting local boy Kyle Beckerman back.  Ben Olsen called out his team in public on Wednesday, so who knows what was said in the locker room or the effect it will have.  The key to this match will be if RSL can shut down Andy Najar and Santino Quaranta on the wings; DC’s offense stagnates without being able to spread the field.

Prediction: DC United 1, Real Salt Lake 1.  DC takes an early lead and loses it in the second half.  I’ve seen this movie before

Columbus Crew v. Los Angeles Galaxy (Saturday, 7:30 PM)

This game seems like the lock of the weekend – the Galaxy can basically seal the Supporters Shield against an injured and struggling Columbus Crew squad.  But here are a few reasons Columbus could pull the surprise: Chad Marshall and Emilio Renteria could both be starting for this game, although Renteria is more likely to come off the bench.  The Galaxy, while not taking this game lightly, have a must-win CCL match on Wednesday.  And with their depth not being superb and some starters having nagging injuries, the starting XI for the Galaxy might not be their ideal XI.

Prediction: LA Galaxy 3, Columbus Crew 1.  Remember what happened last time the Galaxy lost a midweek CCL game?

New York Red Bulls v. Portland Timbers (Saturday, 7:30 PM)

Wouldn’t it be great if MLS could flex schedule games? Who wouldn’t want to watch this soap opera?  Let’s go out on a limb and assume Rafa Marquez doesn’t play.  Does that mean a return to the solid defense NY showed against FC Dallas last week?  Normally you would assume a team besieged by controversy and full of talent would rally at home against a team with a miserable away record.  But nothing has been normal about this season for New York.

Prediction: New York 2, Portland 1.  For one day, NY settles some controversy and slides into a wild card slot.

Photo by Structures:NY

It’s catch-up time.  In both games in hand and playoff positioning.

In the shadow of the CONCACAF Champions League matches six MLS clubs will take the pitch tonight in critical games for playoff positioning.  One of the matches is a match-up of heavyweights, while the other two look to be mismatches that could be surprises.  What do all three have in common?  All three results could go a long way to helping or even ending the playoff hopes of three teams, while boosting the playoff positioning of a fourth.  Below is a breakdown of each match; all three can only be seen on Match Day Live or Direct Kick.

DC United v. Chivas USA – 7:30 PM ET – RFK Stadium

Coming off their resounding loss at Seattle, DC faces a struggling Chivas side they dominated less than two weeks ago in Los Angeles.  However, there are two differences this time around – no Chris Pontius for the home side and DC’s miserable home record.  Bill Hamid should be back for tonight’s match which will help DCU in net; Joe Willis was solid but not great in net this weekend.  The key will be to secure the home field – DC is 1-1-2 in home matches since July, a record that will keep them out of the playoffs if they keep it up.  Chivas, meanwhile, is seeking its first win since August 6.  Chivas will have Marcos Mondaini back for this match, which could prove useful against a DC midfield that looked suspect against Seattle.

Bottom line: DC needs 3 points to remain in the playoff race.  A loss effectively puts their hopes on life support, a draw could do the same depending on other results.  I see DC squeaking out a close 2-1 win here.

New York Red Bulls v. Real Salt Lake – 8:00 PM ET – RB Arena

Their win versus Dallas this weekend has reinvigorated a New York team that had hit a major slump.  That win basically set up this week perfectly for New York: wins versus RSL and Portland mean they have an inside track to the playoffs.  Their defense shone this weekend after some shaky recent performances but maybe the benching of Rafa Marquez has given them a spark.  The key question is will the team’s depth allow them to play at the highest possible level in back-to-back-to-back must win games, to say nothing of the rest of the season.

Real Salt Lake will be looking to repeat its 3-0 beat down of the Red Bulls in early August.  The visitors are riding a four-match winning streak and could conceivably clinch a playoff spot by Sunday if the various playoff scenarios play out.  The visitors will critically be missing Kyle Beckerman due to yellow card accumulation, and Tony Beltran will also miss this match due to an abductor strain.

Bottom line: RSL will miss Beckerman against a possibly resurrected New York side, which needs a result more than the visitors.  Still, I’m not 100% sold that NY is back on track and I think the backline will struggle against the RSL attack.  I predict a 2-2 draw on this one.

Portland Timbers v. San Jose Earthquakes – 10:30 PM ET – JELD-WEN

The quotes are flying in this one, which Lovel Palmer saying, “(this) game makes or breaks our season,” a sentiment John Spencer only somewhat disagrees with.  The Timbers are riding a four game unbeaten streak and have won three of those matches, but have only two matches left at home while playing four of their final six on the road, where their record is not quite so good.  Much like DCU needs to begin racking up wins at home, Portland needs some road wins.  Darlington Nagbe will start again after a good performance against New England, and if Kenny Cooper is hitting a hot streak, this team can score with the best of them.

San Jose is likely battling for respectability in this one, as even their home town paper is saying their playoff chances are “slimmer than a pair of skinny jeans“.  The ‘Quakes actually had the lead against Houston at the half this weekend, but gave it away to continue their slide.

Bottom line: This is an absolutely must win for Portland, and at home they will get it. 2-0 victory for the Timbers.

DC United’s poor home form continued as New England snapped a nine match winless streak and shocked DC 1-0 in front of Sunil Gulati and 15,000 plus at RFK. Matt Reis made six saves and kept New England in the match long enough for a late go-ahead goal from Stephen McCarthy.

The first half saw a different DC United team than the one that lost to New England 2-1 in March. The Black-and-Red dominated in the midfield and created a fluid passing game that stretched the field and created some quality scoring chances in the first half. The problem for DC was that the forwards could do nothing with the passes; Charlies Davies struggled to create quality chances as New England doubled him every time he touched the ball.  A turning point in the game came in the 43′ when Davies missed a penalty kick. The penalty was called due to a cross that Pat Phelan elbowed in the box; Davies immediately stepped up to take the kick and skied it over the net.  The blown chance epitomized the half for DC; they had numerous chances but either a failed connection on a pass or Matt Reis’ gloves prevented a go-ahead goal.

The weather (90+ degrees and humid) and DC’s draw with Dallas on Saturday left the team looking slower and less aggressive in the second half. And again it was the usual problems for DC that came back to haunt them. New England started the match in a 4-3-3 but switched to a more attacking 3-5-2 in the second half. The 57′ substitution of Sammi Nyassi for Kevin Boggs also gave the Revs some pace they missed in the first, allowing more chances down the wing. One of those chances resulted in Perry Kitchen coolly knocking the ball out for a corner, a corner which Chris Tierney expertly placed where an unmarked McCarthy headed it into the corner of the net. The score was not unexpected, however, as New England two minutes prior had a golden opportunity on a corner that they had misheaded.

“It’s obviously a tough [loss] to take because of the opportunities we had early to put a game away,” said DC head coach Ben Olsen after the game.  ”If you don’t do that, we’ve all seen the script, right?”

The win was the first for the Revolution since May 14 when they beat Vancouver 1-0 at home.  What was particularly encouraging for the Revs was they won the game without Benny Feilhaber (red card suspension) and they bounced back from their weekend thrashing by Philadelphia.  The 3-5-2 formation did put some pressure on the wings and helped the visitors create some good opportunities late as well as pressure rookie fullback Perry Kitchen.  While Shalrie Joseph struggled as a attacking/central midfielder (understandably), Rajko Lekic played well up top for New England and created some chances.

All of this would have been a moot point if not for Matt Reis, who had an incredible game and made some critical saves, especially in the first half when DC was pressuring.  Late in the game he put an exclamation point on his match with a deflection off his leg of a point-blank De Rosario attempt.  Head coach Steve Nicol praised him after the match: “He made a couple of saves at real important times.  He gave us the strength to go on and win the game.”

DC falls to 2-3-5 at home, the kind of record that halts any talk of playoff contention.  The two newest acquisitions (De Rosario and Brandon McDonald) were the best players on the pitch, with DeRo creating numerous opportunities (as well has having great scoring chances) and McDonald not only organizing the defense but solidly stopping a few quality New England chances.  Another star for DC was young keeper Bill Hamid, who made a couple of great stops and was aggressive and confident in goal.  But again, it was set pieces and defensive lapses that hurt this team in the end, as well as an inability to convert early chances.  Whether it be tired legs or growing pains, DC let a great opportunity to climb the standings slip by yesterday.

After a midweek tease, the MLS slate is full this weekend with all but two teams playing on Saturday.  For those looking forward to a little Friday night soccer, there will be none so you’ll just have to wait for Saturday night’s glamorous TV lineup, which includes the renewal of the U.S. leg of the Cascadia Cup rivalry.

Now for the other stories catching our attention this week:

• Marcos Mondaini received a four game suspension and a $1,500 fine for his aggressive tackle on Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales.  The suspension is much less than Brian Mullan’s, but the league deemed the tackle as one to prevent a scoring chance, while Mullan’s “showed utter disregard for his opponent’s safety.”
• The Washington Post ran a front page story this morning on DC United’s situation at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.  There were no great surprises to MLS or DCU fans, but the prominent placement may help the team in its efforts to build a new home.
• Speaking of DCU, Steven Goff of the Post broke the news that Bob Bradley will be in attendance at the DC-Colorado match tomorrow night.  While there are other American nationals like Dax McCarty and Anthony Wallace there, this is likely Charlie Davies casting call for a Gold Cup spot.
• Speaking of Bob Bradley, over 50,000 tickets have already been sold for the USA v. Spain friendly at Gillette Stadium on June 4, and organizers expect a record crowd for the region.
• Our parent site announced the news a few days ago that possible FA Cup champion Manchester  City will extend their U.S. tour to play the LA Galaxy July 24 at Home Depot Center.
• The Colorado Rapids injury list grows, as the team announced that Omar Cummings will be out 2-4 weeks with “an ankle”.  Caleb Folan is also out this weekend, but Conor Casey is expected to return.
• MLS in Minnesota?  Don Garber’s considering it (sorry Miami/Cosmos/Las Vegas/San Antonio fans).
• If you like fan bases tweaking each other and stirring up regional rivalries like I do, this billboard in Dallas will make you laugh.

Photo by William Holtkamp

One would be tempted to overlook the two matches going on tonight in MLS and focus on an incredible slate of games this weekend, with LA/NY as the headliner.  To do so would be to miss some important storylines as the four teams taking the pitch tonight are all in a critical stretch of games that could define their place in the playoff race.

Each match is analyzed separately below, and feel free to offer your own pre- and post-game thoughts in the comments section.

DC United v. Seattle Sounders, 7:30 PM ET

Fun Fact: Seattle has never lost at RFK

Momentum: Momentum is all on Seattle’s side, as the team is winning despite high-profile injuries to their starters.  The Sounders have not lost since March and are coming off a 3-0 stomping of woeful Toronto this weekend.  Fredy Montero looks to finally be getting on track and the club is actually undefeated on the road this year, winning once and drawing twice.  They are also third in the Western Conference and can create some daylight between themselves and Colorado/Dallas with a good road trip.

The Black-and-Red, meanwhile, are struggling of late.  They were thumped by New York and Houston in MLS play and dumped from the Open Cup by New England last week.  The defense is in shambles and, as Steven Goff points out, the same buzz words used last year during DCU’s dreadful campaign are beginning to surface again.  They still sit sixth in the standings, two points behind New England and five behind Columbus, so if they can get it together they can make their own playoff run.

Key match-up – Brad Evans/Osvaldo Alonso v. Clyde Simms: There are rumors that Simms could sit this match as a result of his poor play the past few weeks, so we could see Kurt Morsink here or Dax McCarty drop back.  But the key match-up regardless of who starts is the midfield of DC stopping the midfield of Seattle.  For all the flack the DC backline has received, the midfield has done a poor job of controlling possession and playing a holding role, something they absolutely have to do against Seattle.  If Seattle is able to get on the run and create quick scoring chances, like they did against Colorado, this game could be over quickly.

Prediction: This is not the same DC team as last year and it has more talent, so I do not expect an implosion here.  Seattle also may be peeking ahead to Columbus on Saturday and may not start their entire best XI.  Regardless, I think Seattle controls possession and creates plenty of scoring chances, but the DC defense does just enough to hold on for a 2-2 draw.

Houston Dynamo v. Colorado Rapids, 8:30 PM ET

Fun Fact: Houston has never lost to Colorado in Robertson Stadium

Momentum: Colorado finally stopped their losing streak with their 1-1 draw with Chicago this weekend.  The fact is this team is banged up and their absences have hurt them.  Getting Pablo Mastroeni back helps the midfield but they are still thin up top without Conor Casey or Quncy Amarikwa.  Added to that is the fact that starters like Matt Pickens and Caleb Forlan are banged up, and Brian Mullan is out for a while, and you’ve got a team struggling to keep up in the West.  Colorado has fallen out of the top three and is being caught from behind by Dallas.  They need to right the ship and get a result against Houston.

Houston is playing the exact opposite right now.  The Dynamo are coming off a dominating performance at home against DC where Will Bruin and Brad Davis had their coming out parties.  They sit on 12 points which is third best in the East and if they can keep their momentum going can go a long way towards securing a playoff spot in the inconsistent East.

Key Match-up – Brad Davis/Pablo Mastroeni:  Davis recently took over the league lead in assists and played very well in the DC match.  He looks to be the kind of difference maker in the midfield that can help a team with inconsistent forwards find good chances to score.  If Mastroeni or the Rapids midfield can shield him from getting the ball to Bruin and Weaver, they have a chance to win.

Prediction: Houston’s tough at home and on a roll, but Colorado is too good to just roll over.  The Dynamo edge the Rapids 2-1.

Photo by Mafue

MLS could not have asked for a better opening weekend of soccer than this weekend.  After a somewhat pedestrian first match between the Galaxy and Sounders, there were a ton of story lines to follow in this weekend’s games.  While it may be a lot to ask for every weekend to be this exciting (although we can hope) there is no doubt that this season is looking like a great one.

Just like Don Garber planned it.

Vancouver 4, Toronto 2

What a tale of two cities.  Expansion Vancouver certainly kicked off their first first-division season in style.  The fans were decked out in white as part of the “White Out”, celebrity fan Steve Nash sat among the masses and led the cheering, and the action on the pitch could not have been better for the home team.  Eric Hassli started the scoring in the 15th minute and, after Dwayne De Rosario equalized, it was all Whitecaps.  The Toronto defense was exposed and the Reds looked pretty bad; it may be worst case scenario for them at least in the near future.

For more weekend reviews…..

Colorado 3, Portland 1

I was intrigued by this match because I wanted to see how Colorado looked in their first match that counted after their MLS Cup win, as well as see how our other newest club looked.  Kenny Cooper contributed a goal (and points for my MLS fantasy team) but otherwise it was all Colorado.  The Cummings/Casey duo again looked dangerous in front of the goal, a must for the Rapids, and it was last year’s key pickup Jeff Larentowicz who got the scoring started for Colorado.  A tough first match for Portland, but their next three matches are very winnable: at Toronto, at New England, versus Chicago.

Dallas 1, Chicago 1

If you stepped away to the fridge for a beer, you missed the scoring in this one.  Milton Rodriguez for Dallas and Diego Chaves for Chicago scored within two minutes of each other, and defense carried the game.  Hats off to Dallas for selling out their stadium, after receiving so much criticism for their poor draws last year.  Let’s hope that they are building a tradition of being a tough ticket to get.  Kevin Hartman picked up where he left off last season, facing 12 shots (5 on goal) and conceding one goal.

D.C. United 3, Columbus 1

I did a story for the site on this match, but I want to make a few follow-up points.  Can any Crew fan fill me in on Robbie Rogers absence for most of the match?  He had a discernible and positive impact when he was subbed on in the 65th minute, and he may have made a difference playing the full 90.  Charlie Davies is getting the attention from this one, but the DC backline (which was horrendous last year) played very well in this match.  But with Perry Kitchen called up to the U-20s and Jed Zayner picking up an injury, their depth may be tested (find more information here).

New York 1, Seattle 0

Daniel did an excellent job covering this match for MLS Talk, so I will refer you to his analysis.  But allow me to continue heaping praise on Juan Agudelo.  The guy will be something special if he is allowed to grow properly both in a playing sense and media sense.  I also hope the European clubs dismiss him as an overrated American so he plays in MLS for a while longer.  I’d like to hear from Sounders’ fans – what can your team do to generate some goals?  Goalless now in two matches.

Real Salt Lake 1, San Jose 0

RSL is a very efficient team.  They manage only two shots on goal and that’s all they need for Kyle Beckerman to find the winner.  It was a good win in bad weather and there was nothing in this match that doesn’t make you think RSL may be the best team already.  For San Jose, they are in a tough spot like we expected.  They need to win home games against the favorites in the West to be considered playoff contenders; this match will do nothing to make anyone think that they are one of the better Western Conference teams.

Sporting KC 3, Chivas 2

Newcomers shined for Kansas City in this quality away win.  James Madison University rookie C.J. Sapong scored the first goal in the second minute and newcomer Omar Bravo added two more in this match.  Both teams should be very concerned about their defense, however.  Sporting KC allowed two goals on only four shots on goal, while Chivas obviously had some defensive lapses.  Does this match assert the Eastern Conference’s dominance over the Western Conference?  Probably not, but it is a good win for a potential playoff contender.

Philadelphia 1, Houston 0

Another match where if you turned your head you missed the goal, as Danny Califf scores off a long throw-in.  Kudos to Houston for another good crowd of almost 20,000 to begin the season, but a disappointing offensive output.  They needed some points from this match, as their next two (at Sounders, at Red Bulls) could see them trailing early in the season, never a good place to be.  The Union also needed this one, as five of their next six matches are against 2010 playoff teams and the sixth is against Vancouver.

Los Angeles 1, New England 1

Paging Mr. Angel, please pick up the white courtesy phone.  The Galaxy need him healthy or need other players in their midfield to step up if they want to create more scoring chances.  Again it was Juninho who salvaged the point for LA, and the good news for their supporters is that they have taken the early lead in the Supporters Shield race.  It is good that New England salvaged a point from this match, but they showed some concerning tendencies in the match.  Joseph’s third minute goal was their only shot on goal.  Their home opener is DC United, so that will be a good test of where they stand.

Photo by Mafue

MLS could not have asked for a better opening weekend of soccer than this weekend.  After a somewhat pedestrian first match between the Galaxy and Sounders, there were a ton of story lines to follow in this weekend’s games.  While it may be a lot to ask for every weekend to be this exciting (although we can hope) there is no doubt that this season is looking like a great one.

Just like Don Garber planned it.

Vancouver 4, Toronto 2

What a tale of two cities.  Expansion Vancouver certainly kicked off their first first-division season in style.  The fans were decked out in white as part of the “White Out”, celebrity fan Steve Nash sat among the masses and led the cheering, and the action on the pitch could not have been better for the home team.  Eric Hassli started the scoring in the 15th minute and, after Dwayne De Rosario equalized, it was all Whitecaps.  The Toronto defense was exposed and the Reds looked pretty bad; it may be worst case scenario for them at least in the near future.

For more weekend reviews…..

Colorado 3, Portland 1

I was intrigued by this match because I wanted to see how Colorado looked in their first match that counted after their MLS Cup win, as well as see how our other newest club looked.  Kenny Cooper contributed a goal (and points for my MLS fantasy team) but otherwise it was all Colorado.  The Cummings/Casey duo again looked dangerous in front of the goal, a must for the Rapids, and it was last year’s key pickup Jeff Larentowicz who got the scoring started for Colorado.  A tough first match for Portland, but their next three matches are very winnable: at Toronto, at New England, versus Chicago.

Dallas 1, Chicago 1

If you stepped away to the fridge for a beer, you missed the scoring in this one.  Milton Rodriguez for Dallas and Diego Chaves for Chicago scored within two minutes of each other, and defense carried the game.  Hats off to Dallas for selling out their stadium, after receiving so much criticism for their poor draws last year.  Let’s hope that they are building a tradition of being a tough ticket to get.  Kevin Hartman picked up where he left off last season, facing 12 shots (5 on goal) and conceding one goal.

D.C. United 3, Columbus 1

I did a story for the site on this match, but I want to make a few follow-up points.  Can any Crew fan fill me in on Robbie Rogers absence for most of the match?  He had a discernible and positive impact when he was subbed on in the 65th minute, and he may have made a difference playing the full 90.  Charlie Davies is getting the attention from this one, but the DC backline (which was horrendous last year) played very well in this match.  But with Perry Kitchen called up to the U-20s and Jed Zayner picking up an injury, their depth may be tested (find more information here).

New York 1, Seattle 0

Daniel did an excellent job covering this match for MLS Talk, so I will refer you to his analysis.  But allow me to continue heaping praise on Juan Agudelo.  The guy will be something special if he is allowed to grow properly both in a playing sense and media sense.  I also hope the European clubs dismiss him as an overrated American so he plays in MLS for a while longer.  I’d like to hear from Sounders’ fans – what can your team do to generate some goals?  Goalless now in two matches.

Real Salt Lake 1, San Jose 0

RSL is a very efficient team.  They manage only two shots on goal and that’s all they need for Kyle Beckerman to find the winner.  It was a good win in bad weather and there was nothing in this match that doesn’t make you think RSL may be the best team already.  For San Jose, they are in a tough spot like we expected.  They need to win home games against the favorites in the West to be considered playoff contenders; this match will do nothing to make anyone think that they are one of the better Western Conference teams.

Sporting KC 3, Chivas 2

Newcomers shined for Kansas City in this quality away win.  James Madison University rookie C.J. Sapong scored the first goal in the second minute and newcomer Omar Bravo added two more in this match.  Both teams should be very concerned about their defense, however.  Sporting KC allowed two goals on only four shots on goal, while Chivas obviously had some defensive lapses.  Does this match assert the Eastern Conference’s dominance over the Western Conference?  Probably not, but it is a good win for a potential playoff contender.

Philadelphia 1, Houston 0

Another match where if you turned your head you missed the goal, as Danny Califf scores off a long throw-in.  Kudos to Houston for another good crowd of almost 20,000 to begin the season, but a disappointing offensive output.  They needed some points from this match, as their next two (at Sounders, at Red Bulls) could see them trailing early in the season, never a good place to be.  The Union also needed this one, as five of their next six matches are against 2010 playoff teams and the sixth is against Vancouver.

Los Angeles 1, New England 1

Paging Mr. Angel, please pick up the white courtesy phone.  The Galaxy need him healthy or need other players in their midfield to step up if they want to create more scoring chances.  Again it was Juninho who salvaged the point for LA, and the good news for their supporters is that they have taken the early lead in the Supporters Shield race.  It is good that New England salvaged a point from this match, but they showed some concerning tendencies in the match.  Joseph’s third minute goal was their only shot on goal.  Their home opener is DC United, so that will be a good test of where they stand.

DC United and the Columbus Crew are two of the MLS’s original franchises and two that are going through the reboot phase.  For DC United, the rock bottom came last year with a last place finish, a porous defense, and an offense that at times wouldn’t scare a high school team.  Management decided the team needed a facelift, leading to a starting XI tonight that featured five players suiting up for the first time in a DCU shirt. Columbus, conversely, is hoping to avoid DCU depths after an offseason where the club offloaded some of their biggest names to begin a necessary rebuilding process. Despite a tough loss to begin the season in the CCL, the team is looking to see how far it needs to rebuild and if it already has the talent to compete for a playoff spot.

These storylines alone would have made this an interesting match. But at the end of ninety minutes, the story of the evening was Charlie Davies. After a few years of painful rehab and hell on earth, Davies entered the match with DC United holding a 1-0 lead and soon had his first chance on goal. In the 62nd minute, Chris Pontius (who had a great return from injury himself tonight) was pulled down in the box and awarded a penalty.  Davies stepped up and cooly slotted it home.  After the match, head coach Ben Olsen told the media that he was surprised himself that the new #9 took the kick. “It wasn’t my call and if I had to be absolutely honest with you, I wouldn’t have given it to him,” said Olsen. Instead, he noted that it was DC captain Dax McCarty’s responsibility to give the ball to Davies to take the penalty, leading to a great moment for the 18,000 plus in attendance.

The second goal was a thing of beauty: taking a long pass from Marc Burch, Davies sprinted by a defender on the left, made keeper Will Hesmer commit and flail as he ran by and slotted the ball home to give DC a 3-0 lead.  Columbus would add a goal on a Robbie Rogers penalty kick, but they could get no closer as DC United begins the season 1-0.  Davies looked pretty healthy during his time on the pitch, showing little rust from his time away from the game.  In the 72nd minute, he made a great move on the attack to shake his defender and get in a good pass to Chris Pontius, who failed to convert the chance. Afterwards, Davies was understandably emotional about the game.  ”Once that final whistle blew and I looked over at the fans, I lost it,” he said to the media afterwards.  When pressed what he meant, he said, “I cried. It just came out of me. It was triggered by the support.”

The Davies story line overshadowed what may have been an even more impressive debut, that of 34 year-old Josh Wolff. Wolff started with his fellow new forward Joseph Ngwenya and was a constant threat in the match, mainly taking passes from Chris Pontius and the rest of the United midfield. He notched the first goal on a pass over the top from defender Jed Zayner. He then endeared himself to the fans by whipping off his shirt and jumping into the stands. Ben Olsen noted that Wolff was his MVP of the match, and one wonders if he can find the fountain of youth in the DCU 4-4-2.

While most of the storylines will be written about DC United, let’s take a moment to focus on the Columbus Crew. To be honest, the Crew were ineffective tonight, especially offensively. DC started their rookie centerback Perry Kitchen and for the first sixty minutes or so the Crew failed to challenge him or the rest of the United defense. Jeff Cunningham started and was invisible until he was subbed off in the 60th minute. His fellow starting forward was Andres Mendoza, and Mendoza didn’t offer much, looking a little slow. Columbus star Chad Marshall was stout in the back and was a threat on set pieces, and one of the few highlights of the match. Another was sub Robbie Rogers, who somehow didn’t start but who was effective once he came on in the 66th minute. While Columbus had the same number of shots as DC and even one more shot on goal, they had fewer quality scoring chances. Their defense had a hard time with Chris Pontius and, after a slow start, Andy Najar. Two factors for the poor play were injuries and new starters: rookie Rich Balchan got the start tonight because of an injury to Shaun Francis and Julius James was tabbed to start against his old team over Andy Iro. Balchan was Josh Wolff’s victim on the first goal.

In the grand scheme of things, this was just another match. By September, these teams may have forgotten this one and it may not have any discernible impact on either the playoff race or the race for the second draft pick. It may just be another game. But for one night, for one player, this match was the fulfillment of a long journey that will hopefully continue for years to come. Hats off to Charlie Davies and let’s hope this is the beginning of the next stage in his career.

Good morning MLS fans!  We are now mere weeks away from the season and, if you’re like me, the previews we have been running on the site have been getting you fired up for an exciting season.  Amidst all the preseason matches and television/playoff drama, here are some stories that flew under the radar last week and this weekend:

• Over the weekend, the U.S. U-17 team won the U-17 title with an overtime 3-0 win against Canada.  The match was scoreless during regulation but the Americans found their scoring touch in overtime.  This is the U.S.’s first title at this level since 1983 (when it was U-16), although this was also the first championship held since 1996.  The highlights are above.
• Welcome back Carlos Ruiz!  The one-time Golden Boot winner has come back from Europe (specifically Aris) and signed an MLS contract with Philadelphia.  A bit older at age 31, Ruiz can still give the Union some goals this season.
• For those who have missed the D.C. United drama over the past week, here is a recap: newly-acquired keeper Steve Cronin broke his wrist in training camp and, with Bill Hamid still recovering from shoulder surgery, goalkeeper coach Pat Onstad has come out of retirement to play for the club.  This allows DCU to at least have someone with MLS experience in net but Hamid is still considered the starter when healthy.
• This story was referenced in our MLS Talk podcast, but terrible news out of New England training camp as Shalrie Joseph was arrested in Orlando for trespassing.  He and Kevin Alston, who was also involved in the altercation at the party, have been dismissed from the team’s training camp and their status is still up in the air for the season.  A bad situation that muddles the Revolution’s season, to say nothing of the legal situation.
• And finally, who says ESPN doesn’t care about MLS.  The Worldwide Leader has released a fantasy MLS game called FC Manager, which can be found here.  Basically you have  to build a roster of 15 MLS players under the salary cap, and collect points every week.  If anyone is interested in an MLS Talk league, sound off in the comments section.