March 2008 Archives
Arrival in Mexico
03/31/2008 7:38 PM by Kyle Sheldon
¡Hola mis amigos!
We made it. After more than eight hours of travel time, we're in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Despite the long travel today, it could have been longer - the team had a bit of a treat, as El Presidente, Kevin Payne and the owners approved a charter flight from Kansas City to Mexico. The move saved several hours of travel and allowed us to skip two layovers. Muy bueno.
It's very warm here.
The team will train this evening before getting a full night's rest in preparation for tomorrow night's game. Of note, no changes were made to the 19-man roster that departed for Kansas City on Friday. If you're not keeping track that includes the following: Zach Wells, Jose Carvallo, Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta, Pat Carroll, Marc Burch, Quavas Kirk, Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms, Daniel Stratford, Marcelo Gallardo, Rodion Dyachenko, Fred, Domenic Mediate, Jaime Moreno, Franco Niell, Luciano Emilio, Santino Quaranta.
I've added some photos from the travel day, so check out the Video & Pics section.
Also, a bunch of the guys took in the movie "21" last night. In the Sheldon household, after every movie a 1-10 rating is given. I asked a few of the guys for their marks following the flick. Here they are - Marc Burch: 7; Quavas Kirk: 7; Zach Wells: 6.5 (he also said, "you have to understand what kind of movie it is and what to expect." Clyde Simms: 7.5; Daniel Stratford: 8; Domenic Mediate: 7; Rod Dyachenko: 7.
For the record, I gave it a 2. On the other hand, I watched Gone Baby Gone on the plane today - strong 9 out of 10 (Mr. Simms loved it, too). If you've seen either movie, share your rating below.
I'll check back in later with some photos from training. Big day tomorrow.
On to Mexico
03/31/2008 9:30 AM by Kyle Sheldon
We're off to Mexico this morning. The day will consist of several hours of flying and at least an hour and a half bus ride into Pachuca. The team will train this evening before turning in for the night. We'll try to check-in with more once we're settled in Mexico.
As a reminder, the game tomorrow will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español at 10 p.m. EST.
Midfielder, painter, actor...
03/30/2008 12:37 AM by Kyle Sheldon
Ben Olsen can do it all, can't he? What a guy. FC Dallas' "FCD TV" has a great piece with an inside look at the Dick's Sporting Goods commercial shoot Benny took part in a while back. He's also got a great handle on the lingo of actors. He gets it. He really does.
Special thanks to the guys over at FC DALLAS UPDATES for putting this together (I do wonder, though, if it's necessary to have a blog name that's all in caps. I feel like they're yelling at me).
Unlucky
03/30/2008 12:11 AM by Will Chang
Thanks very much to all of the fans who made their way to Kansas City for tonight's game. It was great to see those of you who were there. Thank you for your constant support of our team. We're sorry we couldn't deliver a better result. We felt that we played pretty well, but were a bit unlucky - unlucky not to score and unlucky that a few calls didn't go our way. The guys now will start thinking about Mexico. We want a good result there, so that when we play Pachuca at home on April 9 we're in a good position to advance to the finals. I can promise you the team will do their best to represent the club well in Mexico.
Thanks again to the traveling fans - I'll see the rest of you at our home opener against Toronto next Saturday.
(ed. note: Will Chang is part of United's ownership group, and serves as the team's Co-Managing Partner along with Victor MacFarlane. They are both awesome.)
MLS Game #1: DCU 0 - KC 2
03/29/2008 11:50 PM by Kyle Sheldon
Well, that didn’t go exactly as everyone had hoped, did it? United falls 2-0 to the Kansas City Wizards. The good news is that every single season the Black-and-Red has opened with a two-goal loss to the Wizards, they’ve rebounded to win the Supporters’ Shield. Get up on your history, folks.
I am, by no means, the appropriate person to offer any sort of review of the game. I can tell you that the guys were disappointed not to start the season off on the right foot. Everyone was up for this game and excited to get out there. The focus now turns to getting a positive result in Pachuca on Tuesday. Do I need to stress how huge that game is? I think not. You probably get it.
The team spends Sunday in Kansas City, before departing for Mexico early Monday morning. With only a mid-afternoon pool workout to worry about, it’s likely folks will explore the city a bit. Any tips on things to check out while we’re here?
(A few behind the scenes photos here.)
MLS Game #1: DCU vs. KC
03/29/2008 4:57 PM by Kyle Sheldon
D.C. United kicks off the 2008 Major League Soccer season this evening against the Wizards of Kansas City. Today begins the campaign towards adding a fifth star above the badge. With the possibility of playing in four (or more!) other competitions Head Coach Tom Soehn has his work cut out for him, as managing the busy schedule will present challenges not seen by other MLS teams. Today is the first test, as the team attempts to get the MLS season started on the right foot and also stay fresh for Tuesday's semifinal game with Pachuca in CONCACAF Champions' Cup play.
With that in mind, here is tonight's starting lineup: Zach Wells; Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Gonzalo Peralta, March Burch; Devon McTavish, Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo, Domenic Mediate; Franco Niell, Luciano Emilio.
Feel free to post thoughts here about the game. We'll check back in later with some post-game quotes and additional thoughts.
Community America Futbol Park
03/28/2008 8:52 PM by Kyle Sheldon
The team got their first-ever peek at the Wizards new home tonight - Community America Ballpark. The field did not seem all too unfamiliar to the players who have played the last couple of years at RFK, as a bit of the pitch has sod laid over a baseball infield. The majority of the pitch seems to be in solid condition. And, all things considered, the new digs look pretty good. The atmosphere should be much better than the cavernous Arrowhead - it certainly has a little personality.
The team spent nearly 90 minutes training, running through a long warm-up, some possession work and finally some finishing. Spirits seem to be strong and all are ready to get the MLS season underway.
Time to watch some basketball.
UPDATE: We've added a few photos from training today. Click on the "Videos & Pics" link above.
Kansas City arrival
03/28/2008 5:20 PM by Kyle Sheldon
We've arrived in Kansas City. 19 players, three coaches, one general manager, one trainer, one team administrator, one equipment manager and one communications guy. Fred loves flying.
Upon arriving at the hotel, most players went to grab a late lunch. While heading for food, Marcelo Gallardo randomly ran into fellow countrymen (and fellow designated player) Claudio Lopez and family. The two seemed genuinely happy to see each other and exchanged a few words (of which I could understand very little). Of course, Marcelo and Claudio spent a number of years competing together on the Argentine National Team, including a couple of World Cups. The two may very well meet for the first time as members of MLS at tomorrow's game.
More later.
The best blog in the history of the world
03/28/2008 10:15 AM by Kyle Sheldon
Welcome to Behind the Badge, the official blog of D.C. United. If you found us, you probably like one of two things: 1) D.C. United or 2) blogs. If you like both, you’re in for a treat.
If you’re an expert of the world wide interwebs like I am, you probably know how this works. So, we likely don’t need to tell you that we’ll be providing ridiculous access to the players, coaches and front office of the most successful soccer team this country has ever seen. Allow us to share, however, that what you see here is only the beginning – we’ve got a ton of great features launching over the next few weeks, so keep checking back. You’ll hear primarily from members of the four-time reigning PR department of the year, but from time-to-time, our players, coaches and higher-ups will check in with their thoughts.
By the way, we’re proving said ridiculous access in both English and Spanish, so be sure to tell your amigos y amigas. Click here for the Spanish Version.
Do you have comments, questions, thoughts or lineup suggestions? Send me a note anytime: ksheldon@behindthebadge.com. We’ll be sure to pass along your idea to the coaches that the team should run out a 5-2-3 formation in its next game, with Luciano Emilio as a third center back and Jose Carvallo as target forward.
Closer than ever before
03/28/2008 9:00 AM by Doug Hicks
Welcome to BehindTheBadge.com. When Washington, DC was awarded a Major League Soccer franchise, Kevin Payne led a group with a clear vision as to how this organization would brand itself. The end product would be true to the greatest game in the world and would serve as a home team for people living in the District, Maryland and Virginia, and those with different socio-economic or ethnic backgrounds. D.C. United was the perfect name for this franchise.
Since that time, the club has continued to reach out to all who wanted to be a part of the family. The team, the staff and the fans form a special union indeed. There is no team in this city or in MLS that has a closer, more familial relationship. We hope this blog will allow us to aptly avail all who are such an important part of this club.
Over the past several seasons, many have enjoyed a look behind the scenes at United through on-line initiatives such as Behind the Badge posts on dcunited.com and our more recent internet endeavor, bobbyboswell.com. We now bring you behindthebadge.com, through which we hope to bring you closer to the Black-and-Red than ever before. Whether you are a hard-core supporter, a casual fan or someone simply interested in knowing more about the club, welcome. You are all invited to be a part of D.C. United. Enjoy!
BTB merchandise offer
03/27/2008 11:54 PM by Kyle Sheldon
One of the things we’ll be bringing you here at Behind the Badge is periodic deals from our vast array of team merchandise. You’ll see pretty significant savings from various items on a fairly regular basis (maybe it will be weekly, maybe it will be monthly – either way, you better get it while you can!).
The current offer is 25% off the D.C. United Distressed Cap. Regular price is $20, so you get it for $15!
To take advantage of this offer, call the D.C. United Team Store at 202-546-7023 or stop by the official Team Store (located right by Main Gate at RFK Stadium) and mention the Behind the Badge offer (By the way, the new team store is awesome. You should check it out, even if you aren't going to by this hat). The offer is valid as long as we say it is (probably a few weeks).
The Official Hat Description: D.C. United Distressed Cap - The Distressed Cap honors D.C. United'd first season, 1996. Designed by adidas, it features a worn in look with an embroidered team mark on center front and adidas logo on left side. Adjustable/one size fits most.
UPDATE: This offer is no longer valid. Thanks for playing.
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