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Behind the Badge: The Official Blog of D.C. United

May 2008 Archives

Reserves draw in NE

05/30/2008 1:20 PM by Doug Hicks

Franco Niell converted a pass from Quavas Kirk an United Reserves drew 1-1 in New England this morning.  Here are the details:

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - A 77th-minute goal by Spencer Wadsworth helped the New England Revolution reserves overcome a one-goal deficit to earn a 1-1 draw with the D.C. United reserves on Friday morning on the Lower Practice Field at Gillette Stadium.
 
Forward Franco Niell gave D.C. (1-2-1, 4 pts.) an early 1-0 lead in the eighth minute, converting a cross pass from teammate Quavas Kirk with a three-quarter volley past New England goalkeeper Doug Warren in the upper right corner.
 
Revolution defender Rob Valentino returned to the field for the Revs after a stint with the U.S. U-23 National Team at the Toulon International Tournament, but was replaced by guest player Chris Tierney in the 11th minute after a right hamstring injury on a tackle.
 
New England midfielder Joe Germanese challenged United's lead shortly after Niell's goal, snapping a header toward the near post off a Khano Smith drive, but saw his attempt blocked by D.C. goalkeeper Jose Carvallo.
 
The two teams battled back and forth through the second half until Wadsworth tallied the equalizer for New England (0-3-2, 2 pts.) in the 77th minute, picking up the rebound off a poor touch by a United defender and fired it home past Carvallo.
 
Tierney looked to give the Revs a victory in the 83rd minute, hammering a hard shot toward the near post, but saw his attempt blocked by Carvallo. At the opposite end, Warren capped off his seven-save effort with a stop on a Ryan Cordeiro breakaway in the 84th minute to preserve the 1-1 draw for New England.
 
Carvallo recorded five saves for D.C. during the match.
 
The Revolution reserves return to action on Wednesday, June 18, when they host the New York Red Bulls Reserves at 9:30 p.m. ET following the teams' first-team clash at Gillette Stadium. D.C.'s reserves return to action on Sunday, June 8, when they visit the Chicago Fire reserves at 10 a.m. CT.  

D.C. United Reserves at New England Revolution Reserves
May 30, 2008 - Lower Practice Field at Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
 
Scoring Summary:
D.C. - Franco Niell (Kirk Quavas) 8
NE - Spencer Wadsworth (unassisted) 77
 
New England Reserves (0-3-2, 2 pts.): Doug Warren, Sam Brill, Rob Valentino (Chris Tierney* 11), Ameachi Igwe, Chase Hilgenbrinck, Joe Germanese, Brandon Tyler, Gary Flood, Khano Smith ©, Argenis Fernandez (Brad Knighton 67), Brandon Manzonelli (Spencer Wadsworth 53)
 
D.C. Reserves (1-2-1, 4 pts.): Jose Carvallo (James Thorpe 84), Marc Burch ©, Pat Carroll, Dane Murphy, Mike Zaher (Matthew Britner* 67), Ryan Cordeiro, Rod Dyanchenko (Laurent Manuel* 68), Quavas Kirk, Dan Stratford, Kenny Anaba* (Jeremy Barlow 60), Franco Niell (Grady Renfrow* 71)
 
Misconduct Summary:
NE- Chase Hilgenbrinck (caution) 44
D.C. - Dan Stratford (caution) 77
 
* - Guest Player
 
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MLS Game #11: DCU 2 - NE 2

05/30/2008 12:11 AM by Doug Hicks

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As you’ll be able to tell by their quotes below, United players and staff aren’t satisfied with their 2-2 draw in New England tonight. The Black-and-Red sparkled early and dominated long stretches of play, but couldn’t hold off the Revolution all night. Here’s a complete recap of the night and here are some photos from the game.

The reserve team will be back in action tomorrow morning at the Revolution training facility. The first team, returns home early tomorrow and will turn their attention to extending their modest two-game unbeaten streak next Wednesday. The Houston Dynamo will be visiting the Nation’s Capital for the first time since winning last season’s MLS Cup. 
 
Here’s what the participants had to say after the game tonight:
 
D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
On the game
We still created so many opportunities that we didn’t bury. We kept them around. If you finish those chances, now you’ve made that separation and it doesn’t get as hairy – especially on the road … We were up 2-0 and obviously we all wanted to win, so we’re all disappointed we didn’t get three points. We have to settle for one, but we’re still taking it one step at a time. Overall, I thought we deserved more, but we didn’t take our chances to put the game away.
 
On the Revolution comeback
Obviously, we’re protecting a two-goal lead and they’re pushing everything they can to get it back. It’s more of a situation where no matter what you get when you’re up two goals, you’re having a defensive mentality and they’re throwing everything they can to get a goal.
 
On United’s improved play
I think we got away from playing, knocking the ball around. That was so effective early. We spread them out, knocked them around. And then we then we kind of fell into a shell thinking we had to shore up the game and it was too early to do that.
 
I thought we out-played them (in the first half). We created so many quality opportunities. But like I said, you have to finish even more of those. We could have been up two, three at the half – you have to put those chances away. The good part is that we’re creating those quality chances right now and every game I’m seeing it get better and better.
 
On Luciano Emilio
He was a handful today. He’s causing a lot of havoc. He’s very opportunist on the goal he scored. It’s unfortunately he didn’t get more today.
 
D.C. United defender Bryan Namoff
On the game
You have to give credit to (Matt) Reis. He kept them in the game. Had we finished those early on, they probably would have been defeated. But they were able to stay in it, and I thought they used our game plan in the second half against us. They started to dump balls in and we had a tough time clearing, which caused them to win the balls in good areas, which made it difficult for us. A couple of fluke plays and they were able to get some scoring chances.
 
D.C. United midfielder Fred
On the game
With that lead of 2-0, we just have to know how to finish the game better. We’re in a situation where we need points and to come away with a 2-2 tie after being up two goals is very disappointing. So now we have to go back to work and keep at it.
 
On United’s improved play 
You can see our progress by the number of opportunities we’re creating, but we have to put them away or else what happened today is going to keep happening – where we go up and end up tied. We have to make sure we put away a lot of those opportunities.
 
New England Revolution Head Coach Steve Nicol
On the game
As a football match, we got out-played from start to finish. Sometimes the good ‘ol heart gets you something you didn’t deserve. The second half, anyway, I have no complains. The effort and the commitment – every single thing – they couldn’t have given anymore, which got us a point. (Matt Reis) made, what, five one-on-one saves to keep us in the game? So, it was a football game and we got out-played, but when it comes down to other elements of the game, we showed that, when we need it, we can bring it.
 
On moving Sainey Nyassi from forward to right wing at the end of the first half
 
To be fair, we couldn’t get the ball forward anyway (in the first half). The change helped us, that’s without a shadow of a doubt. First half, they were bringing the ball to us, and we couldn’t get out. So we decided to switch it around and get in behind them.
 
On Marcelo Gallardo's play in the second half
We took him out of the game as much as we could. The midfield was second. We were outplayed completely in the first half. Second half, like I said, we played with heart. That’s all we did – nothing complicated.
 
On the forwards scoring tonight
As long as they continue to score goals, but we need to get them more of the ball. When you have guys getting the ball in the net, you have to keep feeding them. We need to do a better job of that.
 
New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis
On D.C. United
They have a lot of players with a lot of experience and are calm under pressure. In the first 55, 60 minutes we didn’t put them under enough pressure and we gave them a lot of heads up and played little ball. They had a ton of chances.
 
On the game
Unfortunately, it took us two goals to get going and get on our game. But saying that we also did score two goals ourselves and came back from a 2-0 deficit and got some points out of this. So we definitely showed a lot of heart and showed a lot to our fans. We were committed to get something out of this game instead of collapsing and folding.”
 
We did a little bit better of getting closer to them. The time that they dominated, we couldn’t get close enough to them to cause any problems. The times we got a little hold of the game, we were on them. We were fortunate that there was someone back there to challenge them and allow them to control the game.
 
 
On the comeback
We have to stick to doing what we do best which is get the ball balls wide and get service into the box. Whether we have our first-choice forward in there or our second-choice forwards, we still have to do the same things. We did it a little ebit. We got some scrappy goals – we got that free kick, which is a great goal to equalize it. We just have to be better at home. We came out a little flat and we got thumped, but we showed a lot of heart coming back.
 
New England Revolution defender Chris Albright
On D.C. United
They have a few guys who can place-change. When you have guys who are talented and can keep the ball and change places, it makes it difficult to get a hold of them because you end up chasing them and opening up gaps in behind you. They’re difficult in that sense.
 
On the rivalry between the teams
I haven’t been a part of this rivalry for that long, but these teams have been going against each other for a lot of years. We knew all week they were going to come in here and it was going be the same D.C. United team that we’ve seen for the last few years. We didn’t think they were going to be any different. We just didn’t step up early for a game where we weren’t very good, to get a point in the end at home, it’s not very great, but we prevented them from getting three. There is some good to take away from it. We played better as the game went on. It’s a tough league to win five, six, seven games in a row. There’s a lot of parity all over. Everybody can play. They brought it better than we did.
 
On Matt Reis
Matt (Reis) kept us in it. It could have been a lot worse. Hats off to him. We’d all have our heads down and they’d have three points. It could be a lot uglier, but he kept us in it and that’s why he’s the best.
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U-17s get historic win over Sevilla FC

05/29/2008 8:36 PM by Kyle Sheldon

We just received an email from our Director of Youth Development John Maessner, who is currently in Spain with D.C. United's U-17 squad. The team is competing in the 'Quixote Trofeo' U-17 Clubs Youth World Cup. Maessner writes:

"D.C. United 1 - 0 Sevilla F.C.! What a result for the 2007 MLS U-17 Cup Champions, D.C. United. Now we need a result against a very good F.K. Partizan side who were finalists in last years competition.

Chris Hegngi finished a world class goal from six yards out in the 72nd minute off a brilliant cross from Matt Oduaran.  We held on and finished the match with a 1-0 win, the first American team to win a game in the competition’s history. 

It was wonderful to see how far we have come as a country with the performance on the field and with the fans that D.C. United had at the game - magical stuff! Chants of "United! United!" rang throughout the game."

United's youth lost its first game of the tournament to RCD Espanyol 3-2 on Tuesday. More info on that result here. The 17's will face FK Partizan of Serbia on Saturday in its last group game and will have a chance to advance to the next round of the tournament with a positive result.

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MLS Game #11: DCU @ NE

05/29/2008 6:26 PM by Doug Hicks

United has arrived at Gillette Stadium and is set for the game, just one hour away.  Head Coach Tom Soehn has announced the line-up and the following are set to take the field:

Zach Wells; Bryan Namoff, Domenic Mediate, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez; Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo, Fred; Jaime Moreno, Luciano Emilio.

Of note, Gonzalo Peralta did not travel to New England this morning with the reserve team.  He and his wife are currently at the hospital preparing for the birth of their second child.  Franco Niell will join the 18-man roster for tonight's contest in his place.

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Access United: New England preview

05/29/2008 5:10 PM by Kyle Sheldon

We're just a couple hours from kickoff. Access United sat down with a few players and Coach Soehn yesterday to get their thoughts on tonight's game.. 

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MLS Game #11: DCU @ NE

05/29/2008 8:18 AM by Doug Hicks

The boys are in Boston and a national television audience awaits.  The Revolution (6-3-1, 19 points) sit atop the League table and will be a tall order for United tonight.  That said, the Black-and-Red are all smiles after a stirring come-from-behind victory over TFC on Saturday. 

Let's get to the details...watch espn2, listen to WFED (1050 AM) or Radio America (1540 AM) at 7:30 tonight.  In any case, be ready.

If you'd like to be fully prepared, the next several links are for you:

The Washington Post points out that United is set to begin a tough portion of the season.

The Washington Times says that Santino Quaranta provides a spark.

The Washington Examiner states that the pressure is still on.

Finally, dcunited.com previews the game.

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Marcelo Gallardo on ESPNdeportes.com

05/28/2008 2:35 PM by Kyle Sheldon

Yesterday, Marcelo Gallardo participated in an online chat on ESPNdeportes.com. We've translated his answers from Spanish to English.. lots of good stuff here. Enjoy. 

ESPNdeportes.com: (3:43 PM ET ) Welcome to the chatroom and thanks for joining us. In a few minutes we’ll be talking to Marcelo Gallardo of D.C. United on various subjects, including D.C. United, MLS, Argentina and his stint in European soccer. Send in your questions now!

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:04 PM ET ) I want to say hi to all joining this chat. 

Tomas Deza, Silver Spring, Maryland: Muñecooo, my name is Tomás, I’m 15 years old and I’m from Tucuman. I’ve always been a fan of yours and now that you’re playing and living less than an hour from my home I couldn’t be happier. Good luck with everything!! Ohhh and I almost forgot the question. Honestly, do you find MLS soccer easier than the other leagues you’ve played in? 

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:05 PM ET ) No, the level of play in the MLS surprised me. It’s underestimated in other countries, especially in South American and Europe, but so far I haven’t found it easy. 

Alberto, Santiago, Chile: Hey Marcelo, it’s a pleasure to speak to one of the ultimate River icons. How have you felt playing in the MLS? What was the biggest happiness you’ve experienced as a River player? Thanks for all the great memories you’ve given River fans. 

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:06 PM ET ) As a River player, I lived many happy moments, as well as sad moments, but the chance to play and win the championship which I was lucky to do with the club I love, the club I grew up with, is one of the best momentos the River jersey gave me. In the MLS I feel better, I’m getting to know the league better and getting used to it very well. 

Román, Merlo: Marcelo, we miss you over here. We want to see you in River and we hope you can be back soon. Do you think you’ll come back? How do you see River lately?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:08 PM ET ) Honestly, I always get asked that question and I say I never left River. Even though I’m not physically there, I think I’m always there, for the good times and the bad. I always follow it, I have friends there and I know how they’re doing. It’s hard to let go and I hope that in the last three matches we can get the opportunity to be the champion.

Cristian Miami, Florida: How are you doing Marcelo? After a seemigly radical change, have you been able to get used to the way of life in Washington? Do you like the city and what don’t you like? Good luck.

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:10 PM ET ) Yes, I like the city. So far I’ve been adjusting and I feel good. It was a change, a good experiencia and I’m living it. In the future I’ll see if it was a positive one or not.

Hugo Madrid, Tegucigalpa: Hey Marcelo, how are you? Tell me, would you like to play for Boca Juniors?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:11 PM ET ) No. I have a lot of respect for so I’m not going to say no flat out. I say no but with respect.

Oscar, San José, Costa Rica: Why do you think there are so many great Argentine soccer players in the MLS yet they’re not called up to the national team?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:14 PM ET ) Really, the Argentinian soccer players are doing very well, but for many of us this is a new market. Not only for us Argentines but for the foreigners, this is a young league, very new. It may be that in a few years it will grow to a level where it will be considered. It’s underestimated because they don’t see it. It’s hard if they don’t see it.

Tito Mora, New York: I’m from Ecuador, but I like Argentina’s national team. How do you see the team for the Olympics? Can you take the title? What do you think of the match with Brazil for the qualifiers?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:16 PM ET ) Mainly I think Argentina has a very good Olympic team, with good players and many chances with a good team, but we have to take into consideration that they haven’t played many matches, even though they have great chances because they have some great players. Brazil vs. Argentina is always a match that is very hard fought, for what it means. It will be very competitive as they always are.

Sergio, Santa Cruz, Bolivia: Marcelo, what do you think about your D.C. United teammate Jaime Moreno?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:18 PM ET ) Jaime, I met him when I first got here, he’s the all-time goalscoring leader in the league and deserves a lot of respect and he’s a very good person. He has welcomed me into the team. I hope we can put together our experience to help the team move forward

Oscar Espinosa, Tampico, Mexico: How’s it going Muñeco? If you had the chance to bring in to D.C. any player to help you with the attack, who would that be? Maybe a good friend of yours from River or from the national team?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:19 PM ET ) There would be several but that wouldn’t be my decision. Obviously if they want to give me a say, I’d have an opinion because there are a lot of good Argentinian players that would love to have this experience. (D.C. United’s Hispanic Relations Director Boris Flores says on the phone he’d want Batistuta) 

Jorge Raul, Caracas, Venezuela: Hey Marcelo, how did you feel living in Monaco? I was there two years ago and it seemed amazing, although quite expensive.

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:21 PM ET) I think the same haha. It’s a very nice place, a paradise. I was lucky enough to play and live there. I have friends there and good memories. The first day there I was in awe, it’s very impressive, but then I got used to living there in the city because it’s very small, and you get used to it, but it’s very expensive.

Mario Ferrero Cd de México: Hey Marcelo. How do you see the qualifiers for South Africa in North and South America? Who’s your favorite for the Olympics?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:23 PM ET ) I don’t think it will be very different in Concacaf, the strongest teams are Mexico, the US and maybe some other. I don’t know how Costa Rica and Honduras are doing, two countries that are always fighting. In South America, Argentina and Brasil are always candidates, Perú, Colombia and Uruguay, are others but it’s very competitive. There are few countries but they’re all good. There will be many interesting matches. Chile with Bielsa is dangerous so we’ll see what happens. 

Jesus , Mexico: Would you like to play in Mexico?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:24 PM ET ) At some point I would have liked to, it’s a country I would have liked to play in. I had a chance but for some reason it didn’t pan out. I’ve always thought it’s a championship that has evolved greatly. It’s very competitive and one of the countries I love to visit and vacation in.

Mariano, Buenos Aires, Argentina: Why did you leave River? Would you like to come back and play with Ortega  and el Enano? What do you think about el Cholo?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:28 PM ET ) Like I said before, I never left. I never felt like I left. I’ve never closed any door. I think you should live for the moment and enjoy it fully. When I decide to make a change, I do it quickly and completely. Now I’m here and I’m doing well but tomorrow who knows. I still have several years of play left but you never know. El Cholo is in his first years as coach, and once we were teammates and I can say he’s very passionate. You knew he’d end up being the coach. He’s just starting out, he’s in River, a big team, a big ship hard to maneuver, fighting for the championship, he got eliminated from the cup so we’ll see if he can recover and I really hope they can.

Oscar Espinosa (Tampico Mexico): Tell me, how did it go at PSG? Which players do you get along with the best in D.C.?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:30 PM ET ) In Paris it was a so-so experience, good and bad. When I was leaving River I thought it was time to have a European experience again. To a country I already knew, a big team and a coach that liked me. But 15 or 20 days into it, they fired the coach and brought in a new one who had his players. I played the first three months but I didn’t factor into his system and decided to leave, even though I had a year and a half left on my contract. I came to the US, even though I had other offers because it seemed like a great experience. 

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:31 PM ET ) I get along well with all my teammates. I try to adapt to the different mentalities, ways of living, eating, I don’t have a problem with that. Because of the language barrier I get along better with the Latin players than the Americans but I’d like to learn English because I’d like to be able to relate to them better.

Jorge, Pto la Cruz, Venezuela: Marcelo, first of all thank you for taking your time to answer our questions. My question for you is the following, after having played in a team with international renown like River Plate in Argentina and having European experience, how do you balance personal adaptation to the MLS? Did you think it was going to be easy, difficult?

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:33 PM ET ) Until now, from what I’ve seen and heard and from talking to people, the MLS is a league that is developing and growing, and it has a lot of potential but it can develop a lot more as a championship. People are staring to get into it. It has to reach out to the international market a bit more and no close itself off with it’s own rules if it wants to have a positive evolution, but they’re heading in the right direction. I see potential so that in 5 or 6 years it will be a competitive league in world soccer.

Marcelo Gallardo: (4:34 PM ET ) I’d like to say hello to everyone and thank you for coming and participating in this chat. Warm wishes to all of you. 

ESPNdeportes.com: (4:35 PM ET ) Thank you for joining us in this chat with Marcelo Gallardo. Don’t forget to watch him on ESPN TV on Thursday for the match between D.C. United and the New England Revolution. For more information on the MLS, keep tuned to ESPNdeportes.com. 

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Ryan Cordeiro upgraded

05/28/2008 10:20 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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United General Manager Dave Kasper just informed us that Ryan Cordeiro has been upgraded from the developmental roster to a senior developmental spot.

The rookie midfielder was selected by the Black-and-Red in the third round (33rd overall) of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. He made his MLS first team debut in United's 3-1 loss to Chivas USA on May 17, starting and playing the full 90 minutes at left mid. He has also played every minute of the team's three reserve games, notching a goal and an assist. 

Cordeiro came to United after four years at the University of Connecticut, serving as co-captain during his senior season and helping the team to a 20-3-1 record. 

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MLS Classic: 2004 Eastern Conference Final

05/27/2008 8:15 PM by Kyle Sheldon

If you've never seen this game, you should find it and watch it immediately. Largely considered to be one of the best games in Major League Soccer history is the 2004 Eastern Conference Final between United and the Revolution, a game that included six goals in regulation and a ridiculous penalty shootout. ESPN has put highlights from the game up in advance of Thursday's contest on ESPN2 (7:30 p.m. ET) and we present them to you here... 

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Video: Dane Murphy discusses reserve season

05/27/2008 3:54 PM by Kyle Sheldon

The D.C. United reserves will play their fourth game on Friday morning versus the Revolution, following the first team game Thursday night at Gillette Stadium. United's reserves are currently 1-2 in the Reserve Division. 

Dane Murphy discusses Friday's game and also talks about having to play two different positions... 

 

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Photo of the Day: Handball!

05/27/2008 3:21 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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In addition to playing a little full field 11v11 in today's training session, the guys also participated in a competitive (very competitive) game of team handball. The photo above fully captures the joy, passion and passing ability that were on display at the RFK Training Fields this morning. Team Red went up early, but Team Yellow came from behind to win 3-2 on a goal by Marc Burch (goals are scored by heading the ball out of the air and into the back of the net).

The South Americans clearly did not play as many games with their hands growing up as some of the young americans... Ben Olsen took to calling Marcelo Gallardo 'Ginobli,' during the game - a reference to the stud Argentine currently in the Western Conference Finals with the Spurs. 

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Access United: Toronto FC recap

05/25/2008 11:21 PM by Kyle Sheldon

Here's the latest edition of Access United with post-game reaction from Toronto's John Carver and United's Tom Soehn, Santino Quaranta, Zach Wells, Kevin Payne, Clyde Simms and Jaime Moreno. You can see previous episodes on our YouTube page. 

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DCU 3 - TFC 2: The goals

05/25/2008 8:51 AM by Kyle Sheldon

Here are the goals from last night's win - Peralta in the 41st, Moreno's PK in the 70th and Emilio in the 72nd. 

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MLS Game #10: DCU 3 - TFC 2

05/24/2008 10:33 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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Yes. Yes. Yes. 

It wasn't necessarily the prettiest game for the entire 90 minutes, but the boys fought hard and twice came from behind to beat Toronto 3-2. Two goals in two minutes - a penalty from Jaime Moreno and a nice follow-up from Luciano Emilio - were the difference as the team got its third win of the season. Gonzalo Peralta also scored his first career goal in the 41st minute (see it here). 

Everyone in the locker room was talking about the lift the fans gave the team - a great performance form La Barra Brava, La Norte, the Screaming Eagles and everyone else at RFK tonight. You guys brought it and everyone took notice. 

The team has Sunday off and will train Monday as it now looks ahead to a trip to New England to face the Revolution on Thursday, May 29.

On another note, we announced tonight that Francis Doe has been called up to the Liberian National Team to potentially compete in four World Cup qualifiers. Francis will depart D.C. tomorrow and be gone until June 21. More info at dcunited.com. 

I'll be back with some post-game quotes and photos in a bit. 

UPDATE: I've added a couple photos to Video & Pics and.. post-game quotes galore below...  

D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
On the win:
We are looking for something to go our way and nothing has been easy this year, not even today.  But the guys were resilient.  I credit them for their fight and their belief.  I also want to say, watching our fans, they could have a lot of doubts, but coming here and playing at home, not matter what, they back their guys right to the end.  Even when we were down, and that is such a big advantage.  They have come in at a time when we really needed it. 
 
On the recent struggles:
This group with all the turmoil we have we keep sticking together and we are going to pull through this.  During traumatic times like this you can see it go the other way very easily.  But we had a lot of the ball [tonight]. It’s just a matter of getting that one opportunity. One step in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do. This is a good starting point.  Coming from behind, winning a game, it’s a real positive and something to grow off. 
 
On Santino Quaranta:
We are looking to win a game when we are at home.  I have called on everybody to step up and play their role.  He dug deep and he wanted that play, he wanted that for himself and he made something out of it.  And Luci [Emilio] did a great job of following it up.  He was more attentive and more alert, doing the things he did last year like following up plays.
 
On Jaime Moreno:
I thought I was going to have a heart attack, but that’s what I like about this game. Fortunately we won.  We broke the ice. 
 
On what the team needs to do moving forward:
Everyday, try to find out what’s the meaning in wearing this shirt.  Everyone is picking it up and we just have to keep improving.  We do have a good team, its just that its one of those seasons where everything went wrong.
 
D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells:
On the game:
I think its a better effort and better execution. 
 
On Toronto’s goals:
I think we were pressing so hard going forward, and they got one right before half.  We just weren’t getting back on defense as a unit.  It’s always going to be tough and it’s also tough when you have 95 percent possession.  They get two plays down the field and serve a pretty good ball.
 
D.C. United Forward Luciano Emilio
On the win:
It’s always important to get out of a difficult situation and win. It’s motivating so we hope we keep winning.
 
On the importance of winning:
This motivates any team, I think, with a win like tonight’s. I hope this is a new era for D.C. United and I think we are going to move forward because the team is going to look very different from now on.
 
D.C. United Defender Gonzalo Peralta
On his goal:
I hope that goal will be the beginning of a new stage for D.C. because we’re on the bottom of the standings and we were very ashamed. We felt very bad, weren’t enjoying trainings or anything so we hope this win will lift us up and get us going.
 
Toronto Head Coach John Carver
On the loss:
They have had a good result tonight and I can see them going on a run now.  Tom [Soehn] is a good coach, a good manger, and a good organization.  People have to be patient with him.  You see tonight, he has too many good players for him to be at the bottom of the league.  We knew we were in for a tough game.  There was a little bit of pressure on them before the game, I think there is a little bit of pressure off of them now.  I hope the people stay patient with them and give them a chance.  But we knew we were in for a tough game, and that’s what it was.  We had a goal one-nil up and [we] got a sucker punch just before half time.  But… they came back in the second half, regrouped – [we were] trying to get a little higher to stop the pressure on the ball.  And I thought it was working.  And then two goals come up – we get a penalty against us.  I can’t comment on that because I’m too far away from that.  I asked the fourth official and he said he couldn’t see it either.  I can’t really comment on that until I see it again.  The boys are disappointed with it.  And then they score within two minutes.  It’s disappointing. But we came at them and had a goal.  They brought on defensive players to try and stop us attacking them.  And I felt right towards the end that we were going to sneak something.
 
On Greg Sutton:
Greg has been outstanding for our football club.  He has been one of the reasons why we have so many points and have won so many games lately.  And everyone is allowed a mistake every now and again.  Take the mistake away from it, he still had a great night.  I said to him as soon as the final whistle blew, ‘don’t let that worry you, its about us picking ourselves up.  We have a great run.’  Again, we are disappointed we lost a game tonight… We have now got to go on another run and we have a huge game on Tuesday [in CONCACAF Champions League qualifying].
 
Toronto FC Midfielder Rohan Ricketts
On the loss:
Yeah we started off really well as a team.  We came here looking to get the three points and at times we looked like we could.  Me and the team, I don’t know about the boys but I feel we are invincible as a unit. Man, I hate losing.       
 
Difference between this game compared to Wednesday’s:
They were at home, makes a little bit of a difference.  We had our great fans behind us.  The pitch was bigger, a grass pitch, but everyone loves that. We still had a few chances and Danny [Dichio] had a great finish for us.  That was a big plus.
 
Toronto FC forward Danny Dichio
On the loss:
I thought we deserved something.  Let’s not beat around the bush, D.C. is a good team.  They are in the wrong position at this moment in time.  They are going to rise up on this win.  We knew that we were in for a game today.  We managed to score two goals.  When you score two goals away you expect to get some points taken, some points back home, either a tie or the win.  So we are disappointed in that aspect.  We have gone on a really good run and we have to brush ourselves off now and get ready for the next game.

 

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MLS Game #10: DCU vs. Toronto FC

05/24/2008 7:01 PM by Kyle Sheldon

The same 11 that started Wednesday's game in Toronto will take the field this evening. 

Zach Wells; Bryan Namoff, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Peralta, Gonzalo Martinez; Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo, Fred; Luciano Emilio, Jaime Moreno. 

Subs: Jose Carvallo, Ryan Cordeiro, Marc Burch, Dan Stratford, Quavas Kirk, Francis Doe.

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MLS Game #10: DCU vs. Toronto FC

05/24/2008 11:36 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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United and Toronto FC meet for the second time four days as the League's lone Canadian team visits RFK Stadium this evening. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. You can get your tickets right here. If you can't make it out to the stadium, you can catch the game on Comcast SportsNet and the radio in both english (1050 AM) and spanish (1540 AM, 1390 AM, 1600 AM, 1350 AM). 

As for the match, the usual suspects have written their preview pieces. Get informed before heading out to RFK tonight...

Back later with lineups.. 

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Jeff Curtin retires

05/23/2008 5:00 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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We had some sad news today, as defender Jeff Curtin has decided to hang up his boots and retire. The decision was made in large part because the 24-year has dealt with a number of injuries over his three-year MLS career. Curtin was signed by United after being selected in a waiver draft on March 4 and saw time in a single reserve game, playing 45 minutes in the team's 3-2 win over Columbus on April 18. 

Curtin was originally drafted by the Chicago Fire in the second round (14th overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft after four years at Georgetown University. For two years, he and his older brother Jim were teammates in Chicago. The elder Curtin now plays for Chivas USA. 

Jeff was nothing but nice during his brief stay here and we all wish him the best as he looks to the next step. 

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Reserve game canceled

05/23/2008 3:51 PM by Kyle Sheldon

Sunday's reserve game between Toronto and our boys has been postponed, per Toronto's request. The team from Canada will apparently begin qualifying games for the newly formed CONCACAF Champions League this week and wanted to lighten their schedule load. 

No word yet on when the game will be rescheduled, but we'll let you know as soon as we hear. 

So, you'll just have to satisfy your live footy cravings with tomorrows night's quick rematch between the two club's first teams. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at RFK Stadium and it's going to be a beautiful night for soccer. You can get a jump-start on your game preparations with a whole bunch of notes at dcunited.com. 

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,

Reserves fall

05/22/2008 11:59 AM by Kyle Sheldon

The reserves fell this morning to Toronto FC's reserves 2-1. I'm awaiting additional details, but know that United's goal was scored by Quavas Kirk via an assist from Ryan Cordeiro. D.C. falls to 1-2, while Toronto improves to 3-1. 

The two reserve teams will square off again on United's training field this Sunday morning at 10 a.m. The game is free and open to the public. Field location can be found on this here map. 

UPDATE: Scoring summary, lineups and misconduct summary... you'll note that James Thorpe was with the team. In case you missed it, he joined the club earlier this week in training after completing his semester of studies at Franklin Pierce University.  

Scoring Summary:
TFC – Andrea Lombardo (Jeff Cunningham) 37’
TFC – Gabe Gala 47’
D.C. – Quavas Kirk (Ryan Cordeiro) 76’
 
Toronto FC Reserves (3-1-0) – Brian Edwards, Todd Dunivant (Kilian Elkinson 46), Olivier Tebily, Julius James, Nana Attakora-Gyan, Tyler Rosenlund, Kevin Harmse, Gabe Gala, Pat Phelan, Andrea Lombardo, Jeff Cunningham (Joey Melo 60)
Subs Not Used: David Monsalve
 
D.C. United (1-2-0) – Jose Carvallo, Marc Burch (Trevor McEachron 46), Pat Carroll, Domenic Mediate (Grady Renfrow 46), Dane Murphy, Jeremy Barlow, Ryan Cordeiro, Quavas Kirk, Dan Stratford (Mike Zaher 27), Francis Doe (Damien Pottinger 60), Franco Niell
Subs Not Used: James Thorpe
 
Misconduct Summary:
TFC – Olivier Tebily 13’ (Yellow card)
D.C. – Dane Murphy 24’ (Yellow card)
TFC – Gabe Gala 25’ (Yellow card)
D.C. – Franco Niell 60’ (Yellow card)
TFC – Kevin Harmse 87’ (Yellow card) 
 
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MLS Game #9: DCU 0 - TFC 1

05/21/2008 11:37 PM by Doug Hicks

The tough sledding for United continued in Toronto tonight.  Here's how it all played out at BMO Field.  There's no time for the Black-and-Red to hang their heads now, as the two sides will face each other again Saturday night at RFK Stadium.
 
Here's what was said after the match tonight:
 
D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
Thoughts on game:
“When you’re going through rough stretches, one mistake, or two mistakes tend to cost you and that was a bad mistake you know 7 minutes in, I thought we came out with a lot of energy, I thought we executed what we came to do today, but a mistake is hard to recover from.”
 
“We had our chances to score we had plenty of set pieces, especially in the first half we weren’t quite sharp with that last pass but yet we still had our chances to do what we needed to do but we didn’t put them away.”
 
On how to keep team’s confidence up:
“Well, they’re all frustrated, they probably want to go out and play again tomorrow when you have a performance like that and the result doesn’t go your way. They’ll roll up their sleeves and go to working; we’ll do it at home.”
 
D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells
Thoughts on game:
“I think the ball was played just in behind him and he was obviously close to play it,  he was trying to play it back to me with his left foot and I think it just popped up on him and didn’t really get the distance – and then somehow Dichio got around him and got just enough on it and at that point I was out of position obviously because I was wide of the goal mouth for the back pass and he (Danny) just got around and got a poke on it and it was enough to get it in.”
 
If morale will be tough now with string of results:
“From my perspective I would say the opposite. I think that know that we’ve got everyone healthy we put in a pretty strong performance and you know it’s tough times but I think with everyone healthy we’re starting to gain a little more momentum, at least we’re putting pressure on teams and playing a little better. The goals and the wins will come.”
 
D.C. United forward Jamie Moreno
Thoughts on game
 “It seems as if it’s going to be one of those years we’re going to have to fight against everything. You know…we just got to keep digging and it’s only us right now and nobody else’s fault so we’ve got to turn this thing around.”
 
D.C United midfielder Fred
On his missed header in the second half: 
“Yes, of course I meant to put it in and the keeper had a very quick reaction and you know I’m sad like everyone else for the outcome because it could have changed the game.”
 
On how tough the losses are: 
“It’s definitely a tough situation it’s embarrassing to me but we’ve got to go back to work and right the ship. I’ve been through this before but you never want to go through it, you never want to go through something like this.”
 
Toronto Head Coach John Carver
On the lone goal
“To be honest it was an old fashioned centre forward’s goal for me. The ball’s been played over the top, he’s chased onto it, he’s put the guy under pressure and then he’s got goal side of him and it’s in. And I actually thought he was going to get a penalty, so I was screaming for a penalty as the ball trickles over the line, but when it ended up in the back of the net I was delighted with it.
 
On the play of Dichio
“He’s worked ever so hard recently and he got the goal tonight which he deserved, I thought he was outstanding if I’m being quite honest. And it shows you that even if you are getting on in the game that you can still work hard and get your just reward and I thought he got that tonight.”
 
On if he needs to start rotating the team…
“I’m not a guy who rotates the squad to be honest. And I’ve said this from day one, I’ll play my strongest side in the next game I’ll see what we’ve got from tonight, we’ll look at it tomorrow we’ve got a reserve game tomorrow the guys who didn’t play will take part in that so they’re ready to come in. But I’m not this type of guy who will rotate the squad, I’ll have a chat with the staff and if I feel as if somebody needs to come out of it, then I’ll do that, but I’ll not do it for the sake of rotating the team.”
 
Toronto defender Jim Brennan
On the game
“It’s a good sign when you can win like we did. Not all the time you’re going to play 90 minutes of attractive football, there’s going to be times when you’ve got to grind it out, you’ve got to win your tackles and your battles all over the field and try to get something out of the game - and we showed that we can play that way. We can play football, and at the same time we can battle, we all worked hard for each other today, we got the 3 points and we’re delighted with it.”
 
Toronto keeper Greg Sutton
On how important the result was
“Sure, you know I think that we really wanted to give these guys one back from taking those four goals in DC earlier in the season, it was important that we can get a “W” under these circumstances and it gives us confidence going in to DC now. You know I think that we’re real confident bunch that we can get 3 points going down there.”
 
“Credit to our defense it played well all night, and you know that’s going to happen there’s going to be times where I’ve got to make a save and that’s why you have to stay confident for 90 minutes and you never know when you may have to come up – but we were able to come back up with that tonight. Dichio was able to help me out, getting the rebound there – all credit to him as well.”
 
Toronto forward Danny Dichio
On the goal 
“I think half the stadium blew it in as well it went in so slow, but it was just kind of a 50-50 ball that chased down the line and the defender managed to get a back pass on it which I think he wanted to do but I just managed to capitalize on it and kind of get my toe to it and beat the keeper with it. But it took an eternity to go in – but when it went in I was really pleased with it.”
 
On the chances he’s had this season
“Listen, I’ve been in this game since I was 9 years old so and I know that there’s games where I’ll play fantastically well and get as many chances but not finish them, and there’ll be games like tonight where I’ll get one or two chances and they go in and that’s football. We kept another clean sheet at home, our defense is playing fantastic and so it’s a credit to the whole team that we got a win tonight I think.”
 
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MLS Game #9: DCU @ Toronto FC

05/21/2008 5:16 PM by Doug Hicks

The game is just an hour away and United Head Coach Tom Soehn has announced his line-up.  The following are set to begin the game tonight for the Black-and-Red:

Zach Wells; Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Peralta, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez; Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo, Fred; Jaime Moreno, Luciano Emilio.

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MLS Game #9: DCU @ Toronto FC

05/21/2008 7:58 AM by Doug Hicks

A healthier and more determined United side has made its way north of the border and is preparing for tonight's match with Toronto FC.  The Black-and-Red know that a passionate sold-out crowd awaits and is keenly focused on what will be needed to get a result here, having seen success twice here last season.

Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and fans back home can catch all of the action on Comcast SportsNet, not to mention WFED and the Spanish Radio Network. 

Here's what some of the major media outlets are printing ahead of the game tonight:

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First Tee appearance

05/20/2008 1:57 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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The following was written by our Executive Director of United for D.C., Sara Peterson:

On Monday, May 19 Marc Burch, Devon McTavish and Domenic Mediate made a community appearance at The First Tee of Washington, D.C. at Langston Golf Course.  You might wonder what three soccer players were doing at a golf program, but it turns out that these members of D.C. United enjoy a round of golf in their spare time, and the fact that they were able to interact with the kids participating in The First Tee program and share some of their experience was also a plus.

The First Tee of Washington D.C. provides six-week sessions of golf instruction and life skills training to young people from 8 to 18 years old.   Burch, McTavish and Mediate spent an hour at the driving range with The First Tee participants as they learned a lesson on shot accuracy.  The First Tee coaches arranged a competition, which paired a member of D.C. United with a First Tee participant to see who had the most accurate shot.  After a few rounds of alternating shots it appeared that all the teams ended in a tie.  In addition to meeting The First Tee participants and helping with the day's lesson, the guys were able to get some shots in at the range to help them gear up for the Seventh Annual United Celebrity Golf Tournament on June 23.

If you're like Jaime Moreno, you're really good at golf. If you're like Fred, you're terrible. Regardless of your golf ability, the Celebrity Golf Tournament is an awesome event for United fans. Nearly all of the players and coaches play - in addition to a few other local celebrities - and everyone has a great time. It's one of the best opportunities of the year to really spend time with members of the club... and all the proceeds go to the non-profit arm of the club, United for D.C. If you're thinking about signing up and haven't, get it done soon - spots fill up quickly!

PS - I've added a few photos from the First Tee event to the Video & Pics page. 

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Tony's Take: Puzzle, Pieces

05/19/2008 6:21 PM by Tony Limarzi

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Tony Limarzi, the Radio Voice of D.C. United, provides live match commentary for all D.C. United games on WFED 1050 AM. He recently published his first book, Forza Italia, which is the story of the summer of 2006 – both Italy’s World Cup win in Germany and United’s MLS season. Tony and his brothers also maintain hoyahoops.com. 

Things are bad right now.  Just when you thought D.C. United might be coming out of their difficult period of losing, they conceded three goals in nine minutes to lose another road game.  Ouch.  Everybody on the team is rightly frustrated, and the best fans in the league are contemplating mutiny, and not the Tampa Bay kind.

D.C.'s front office made a lot of moves in the off-season to prepare for the many competitions in which United will be playing this summer, and for the time being none of them have produced the anticipated results.  When you look at the roster of D.C., the players are as good as any team in the league. The injury situation for United is bad, but it's no worse than a bunch of teams around MLS.  Things just aren't working right now, and even though Coach Soehn talks about the reasons for the lack of wins, the reasons behind those reasons are not as clear.  Coach says that the team isn't doing the right things for 90 minutes.  Agreed.  But why not?  It's a puzzle.

Like any puzzle, the key to solving it is getting the right pieces in the right places.  Easy enough to do in theory, but not quite so easy what it comes down to the nuts and bolts.  But if you take a hard look at D.C.'s players, they have the right pieces to put it all together.  Jaime Moreno will continue to do everything he can in the final third, Luciano Emilio will soon regain his scoring touch, and Fred will be back on the field soon.  Plus, Marcelo Gallardo is a superstar.  His skills when surrounded by opponents are incredible, and he's starting to feel more comfortable in MLS.  His goal vs. Chivas USA was superb – an excellent first touch, an even better second touch to exploit a defender, and a cool curling left-footed finish into the top shelf – Magnifico!

There is a lot more to play for this season for D.C., and the team needs to get things going soon – very soon.  They are desperate for a few results in a row to at least stay within shouting distance of the final playoff position.  But besides the MLS regular season and MLS Cup playoffs, there is a lot on the table for United: Superliga, CONCACAF Champions League, and U.S. Open Cup.  Remember, the U.S. Open Cup is more important than ever since the winner of that tournament earns a spot in next year's Champions League.

Finally, try to remember that acquiring new players in MLS is not like doing so in the NBA or NFL.  In those leagues the players already basically know each other, and at least know the league.  The new players for United for the most part knew very little about MLS before coming in.  The adjustment period is much longer with an international change, and there is still over two-thirds of the regular season left to be played.  The bottom line is that the results have been unacceptable lately, everybody can agree on that.  The next to bottom line is that the team is always getting closer to where they want to be.  The third from bottom line is that there is still enough time to reach the lofty expectations for which the club always strives.

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In support of a good friend

05/19/2008 4:43 PM by Doug Hicks

I’d be hard pressed to find a more loyal and passionate supporter of D.C. United than long-time television play-by-play announcer Dave Johnson. Whether he is working for WTOP (his day job) or Comcast SportsNet (his night job), Dave always puts his heart into sharing information on the Black-and-Red in the best interest of the game, the club and supporters of both.

Today, we stand with our good friend in his time of need. Dave Johnson lost his father over the weekend. David E. Johnson, Sr. was 72 and died of heart failure. He was an old school baseball/football guy who encouraged his son's love of soccer. He even bought season tickets to the Washington Diplomats in 1979 and 1980. 
 
Dave has asked that contributions in his father’s memory be made to United for DC or the Gordon Bradley Endowment Fund at George Mason University by calling 703-993-3215.
 
Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to Dave, his wife Diane, their son Pierce and their family. 
 
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BTB merchandise offer: training top

05/19/2008 11:38 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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We've got a brand new Behind The Badge merchandise offer for you - this time it's the long sleeve training top and, boy oh boy, is it good lookin'.

Offer: 25% off the Long sleeve D.C. United Training Top when you call the D.C. United Team Store and mention the Behind the Badge offer. Regular price is $70. Offer valid through 5/30/08, or while supplies last.

Official Description: ClimaCool training top, applied 3-stripes down sleeves, 100% polyester.

To take advantage of this offer, call the D.C. United Team Store at 202-546-7023. This offer is only valid via phone orders, so save that number in your cell phone. Please note, as well, that the offer is valid only on non-game days.

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Rookie Report: Dane Murphy

05/19/2008 10:16 AM by Dane Murphy

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Dane Murphy is currently in the midst of his first year with D.C. United. Signed to a developmental contract on March 28, The midfielder/defender writes periodically for Behind The Badge, offering insight into being a rookie in MLS.   

Hello to all the D.C. United faithful, both young and old, and welcome to the Rookie Report. I am Dane Murphy, a recently signed first year midfielder/defender from the University of Virginia. Periodically, I will give the readers of Behind the Badge an insider’s perspective as to the goings-on at D.C. United both on and off the field. Portions will include lighthearted commentary on my interaction with teammates, fans, and others within the United family. Other segments will discuss my take on the state of the team in practice, approach to the game, and first team/reserve matches.

To begin with, I am honored and feel privileged to be a D.C. United player. The name speaks for itself and, as Kevin Payne reminds us frequently, we have more championships than the rest of the league combined. My most exceptional experience, so far, is the rise in the level of soccer I am participating in. Training everyday with the likes of Marcelo, Jamie, and Martinez (and even Tino) has enhanced my knowledge and appreciation for the game tremendously. Just looking at their resumes and hearing about the experiences they have had warrants an unquestionable respect. I have tried to soak up everything I can from them (except for Martinez’s wardrobe) because I know it will only make me a better player. Playing with them creates a different kind of motivation in that you want to be able to play at their level and avoid any extra rookie ridicule that may come your way. Off the field they are great friends and always try to offer a laugh for the younger players. But their on the field demeanor is completely different, and that is what makes them great.  They are ultra competitors and if you are not helping them improve or win then you will hear about it.  Although it takes getting used to it is more than worth it in the end.

In practice I love playing heads up against Marcelo when I am in my natural defensive mid position. It is like a chess match trying to figure out what he is going to do next and where he is going to do it. He brings the best out of me in every practice and is helping my game grow. When I am playing central defender against Jamie it offers a different challenge. He literally tries to meg me every other time he gets the ball in practice. Sometimes he even calls it before he tries. And for those who will say “Just keep you legs closed” I’d like to see you defend him when his eyes look one way, his hips are faced another, and the ball ends up in a third direction. Gonzalo Martinez is undoubtedly the wisest defender on the team and as I am learning a new position at center back I try to emulate everything he does on the field.  Although we don’t play against each other a lot he makes me laugh with his outlandish Spanish phrases in full voice and his villain-like laugh (he also messes with Fred a lot). I firmly believe there is not a better group of veterans in the league for a young player to learn from and play with.

In closing I will leave you with a couple predictions. The first team has had a rough go of it so far this season but look for us to get things rolling in the right direction against Toronto on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory. As for the reserves, we are currently 1-1 and have two games (victories) against Toronto this week. That’s all for now and I hope you enjoyed the first edition of the Rookie Report. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated – feel free to drop a note in the comments below. Stay classy District of Columbia and Go United.

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Gallardo's goal

05/18/2008 11:06 AM by Kyle Sheldon

UPDATE: Gallardo's goal is now up for Sierra Mist Goal of the Week. It is far superior to the other choices, so vote now.

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MLS Game #8: DCU 1 - Chivas USA 3

05/18/2008 3:23 AM by Kyle Sheldon

We're back to D.C. first thing in the morning. Here's the dcunited.com recap. 

Post-game quotes below. 

D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH TOM SOEHN
On the change in the game in the second half:
“I think we came out in the second half and we weren’t good enough with the ball, so that was disappointing. We gave away the ball too much and then we gave them a lot of  confidence to put pressure on us. But the first half I thought we had a game plan and we stuck to it, we were hard to play against, we got our goal. In the second half they came out with a bit more intensity and I don’t think we handled it well.”
 
On how difficult this loss is:
“It’s very emotionally draining. We put a lot of work into making sure we were doing the things we talked about all week; being harder to play against. And then we threw caution to the wind after they scored and started taking chances and taking risks, and they punished us.”
 
On if there are specific solutions:
“Well, we’re going to go back and hopefully we get a couple guys back but everybody’s still got to dig deeper. Games aren’t won over 60 minutes, it’s 90 minutes, and I thought we had about 60 minutes in us and that’s not good enough in this league.”
 
D.C. UNITED FORWARD JAIME MORENO
On the loss:
“It’s another disappointment. It’s sad that we worked so hard for 65 minutes and then we gave everything away. It’s only us; we’ve got to fix it.”
On if the confidence is dropping in the team:
Not really. It’s just we make mistakes, it’s very simple. You can’t make mistakes and that’s what we’ve got to eliminate.”
 
On the team's effort:
I liked our effort for 65 minutes and after the that, the game changed and really we gave the game away. Nothing can have a positive when you lose. We've got to play for 90 minutes, it's very simple.
 
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MLS Game #8: DCU @ Chivas USA

05/17/2008 9:30 PM by Kyle Sheldon

We're about an hour from kickoff and tonight's starting lineup will see a few changes. The most signifcant moves see Francis Doe get his first start at forward, Domenic Mediate return from injury to start in central defense and Ryan Cordeiro making his MLS debut as a starter at left mid. 

Here's the full starting lineup: Zach Wells; Bryan Namoff, Gonzalo Martinez, Domenic Mediate, Marc Burch; Santino Quaranta, Clyde Simms, Marcelo Gallardo, Ryan Cordeiro; Jaime Moreno Francis Doe. 

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MLS Game #8: DCU @ Chivas USA

05/17/2008 2:29 PM by Kyle Sheldon

United readies itself for MLS game number eight this evening. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. local time (10:30 p.m. ET) and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español. The temperature is supposed to get up into the high 90's (and low 100's in some areas), so we're all hoping it cools down by game time. I'll be back with the lineup about an hour from kickoff, but for now here is a rundown of today's United-related news:

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LA update

05/16/2008 8:15 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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Quick update before we head out for a team dinner this evening... the guys trained behind closed doors this afternoon on a practice field at the Home Depot Center. The team played some possession, worked on defensive posture and finished with some set pieces. 

Prior to today's session, Zach Wells and Jaime Moreno took part in a short press conference along with Chivas USA's Paulo Nagamura and Brad Guzan. A few excerpts from Señor Moreno when he was asked about the team's early season struggles:

"The reason is simple - we're not playing well. We worked so hard from pre-season and now we find ourselves at this point. At the end of the day, it's the players who play the game. The coaches can only do so much... soccer is about not making mistakes and we've allowed too many. We know we're going to score goals, but we need to defend better, starting from the forwards all the way to the back." 

A few other notes: Ben Olsen is with the team offering any help and guidance he can. He also really likes crossword puzzles... Saw former United forward (and MLS Cup MVP) Alecko Eskandarian in the hotel lobby. He's still hurt, but as friendly as ever... It's going to be hot tomorrow.

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Kevin Payne on Washington Post Live

05/16/2008 11:55 AM by Kyle Sheldon

Here are two clips from Kevin Payne's appearance yesterday on Comcast SportsNet's Washington Post Live. KP speaks mainly on the team's early season struggles...

Part 1:

Part 2:

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Off to the city of angels

05/15/2008 8:58 AM by Kyle Sheldon

After a short training session this morning, the team will depart for Los Angeles today in preparation for Saturday's match with Chivas USA. The team has a League meeting Friday morning (let's learn about your 401k!) and will train that afternoon at the Home Depot Center.

Saturday's match is set for 10:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel & Fox Sports en Español. The game can also be heard live on the radio - in english on WFED 1050 AM and on the Spanish Radio Network (1540 AM, 1390 AM, 1600 AM and 1350 AM).  

I'll be back with updates and photos throughout the weekend, so keep checking back. Also, in case you missed it, you can now vote for your MLS All-Stars. Without naming names, we think there are several United players worthy of your vote. 

UPDATE: We just confirmed that Kevin Payne, our President & CEO, will be on Comcast SportsNet's Washington Post Live this evening at 5:15 p.m. (the show is replayed at 11 p.m., too). He'll discuss the new Volkswagen deal and what it means for the club, as well as his views on the current state of the team. Washington Post Live is hosted by one of our favorites, Russ Thaler, and today will also featuring two well-versed soccer guys, both from the Washington Post - Jason La Canfora and Paul Tenorio. 

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Reason number 714 to love Benny Olsen

05/14/2008 1:53 PM by Doug Hicks

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Ben Olsen is a fan favorite among United supporters for an array of reasons.  He has given everything he has to this club since before he could grow facial hair (ok, that may be stretching it a bit, but you get the point).  Regardless, much has been made of Benny's recent battle to overcome ankle injuries and when he'll again contribute on the field.  What people may not be aware of is how Benny continues to give to the team despite not being able to score goals, get into a tackle or provide on-field leadership during games.

Following United's loss against Chicago, Ben was in the locker room to greet players exiting the field.  His message honest and simple:  keep your heads up, we'll get through this.  When the Black-and-Red returned to training this week, a hobbling Olsen was there, boots on and ready to go.  While he can't run and play, he still knows that he can provide some intangibles while participating in training as best he can.

Yesterday, Benny saddled up with a group of reserve players, hitting crosses and explaining how to beat defenders with a driven, bending ball that also strands goalkeepers in their tracks.  Today, he joined in training as a neutral player, knocking the ball around as he could all the while assisting and encouraging the efforts of others.

The rehab appointments continues and no, Benny is not at risk for further damage to his ailing ankle.  While he's not close to making a return to action, it may never be more obvious the lengths he will go to to help his club.  Yet another reason for United supporters to love Benny Olsen.

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Access United: DCU vs. Chicago post-game

05/13/2008 1:02 PM by Kyle Sheldon

I'm sure none of us really want to re-live the 2-0 loss last week, but if you want to hear what the players and Coach Soehn had to say afterwards you can below with the most recent edition of Access United... more behind-the-scenes video on our YouTube page. 

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What's the deal with... ceremonial kicks?

05/13/2008 9:28 AM by Doug Hicks

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Before each United home game, a ceremonial kick takes place in which a person kicks a ball to United’s team captain as a way to start the match. Before United’s recent home game against Real Salt Lake, something much more special occurred. BehindTheBadge.com caught wind of this great story and went to United sponsorship maven Danielle Osborne for the details.

btb.com: So Danielle, what’s the deal with the ceremonial free kicks?
DO: I always call each game’s presenting sponsor ahead of time to see who they might want to designate to take the ceremonial kick. I mean, no game can start without one of these, right?!
 
btb.com: Of course not. So what happened before the Real Salt Lake game that made this event unusual?
DO: It was getting close to game time and the person designated by Sierra Mist to take the kick hadn’t yet shown up at the stadium. We had to go to a back-up plan…find someone from the crowd.
 
btb.com: And you found…?
DO: Kelyn Bosley. I spotted a young girl in the stands wearing a D.C. United t-shirt. She was so cute and I thought she’d be perfect for the task. After asking if she’d like to take the kick, her dad said, ‘Does it matter what foot she uses?’ It wasn’t long before she was in the center circle delivering a perfect pass to Jaime Moreno.
 
The story doesn’t end there, you see. After following up with Kelyn’s dad to provide some pictures from Kelyn’s moment of glory, some great details came to light. Below is an excerpt from an e-mail sent to Danielle by David Bosley. It made Danielle’s snap decision all the more special.
 
Danielle,
 
Thanks for the pictures, we really appreciate the chance to have Kelyn out there…
 
There is a 'feel good' back-story to your particular choice of my daughter Kelyn as D.C. United's Ceremonial Kicker.  As you might be able to tell from our mailing address, she lives (and has for all her nine years) in the city of Waveland, Mississippi that was Ground Zero for Hurricane Katrina.  Our house received the least damage of any in our town, (only three feet of floodwater), whereas 70-80% of the homes in Waveland where destroyed.  Her school was destroyed, and obviously it affected her life greatly.  She has toughed it out and been great about it and the volunteers from around the nation have been great help to the community, but it still I felt like she might need a change of scenery for a little while.  She and I flew up to the DC area (using frequent flier miles that were soon to expire, I'm frugal, NOT cheap!), and in the midst of our extended weekend visit to the Capitol area saw that D.C. United were in town, and walked up to the ticket stand and bought our tickets fifteen minutes before you first saw us. It was a nice honor for a little girl who might have deserved it (OK I'm partial).   
 
Long story short, in my opinion, you couldn't have picked a better Ceremonial Kicker.
 
Thanks again-
 
David Bosley     
 
Danielle will be back at it next Saturday night, making arrangements for a ceremonial kicker to get the game started. Though a sponsor designee is likely to have the honors, Danielle will be hard pressed to find a better replacement, if needed.
 
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Photo(s) of the Day: El Diablo should be happier

05/12/2008 11:33 AM by Kyle Sheldon

 ... because there are a lot of men who would trade places with him in the photo below. The young ladies sporting the new VW kit are none other than those from Republic Deportiva, one of the highest rated shows across the country (that includes both English and Spanish, folks). The lovely ladies are - from L-R in the El Diablo photo - Natalia, Alba and Cori. There are a couple additional photos below from their visit to RFK Stadium for last Thursday's game against the Chicago Fire... and there are even more photos on the Video & Pics page.  

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Mike Wise on Ben Olsen

05/11/2008 8:16 PM by Kyle Sheldon

Washington Post columnist Mike Wise is obviously a big fan of Behind the Badge - he liked our name so much that he took it and created a video segment on washingtonpost.com, titled Behind the Column. Pretty clever, Mike (we cannot, in fact, confirm that Mike Wise's video segment was created after the launch of Behind The Badge, but... it probably was). 

Last week, he spent the day with Ben Olsen covering a number of topics including his time in D.C., playing on the 2006 World Cup, dealing with injuries and his future in the game, among other things. You can read the piece that ran in Sunday's paper right here and see the Behind the Column video below.. 

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Reserve Game #2: DCU 0 - Chicago 2

05/09/2008 3:30 PM by Kyle Sheldon

D.C. United Reserves fell this morning to the Chicago Fire Reserves.  United players were given the weekend off and will report Monday morning to begin work leading to next weekend's match at Chivas USA.

Here are the details:

Washington, DC (May 9, 2008) – D.C. United reserves mirrored the first team loss the night before, falling 0-2 on Friday morning to the Chicago Fire reserves. United failed to get many shots and Chicago was able to capitalize, with midfielder Peter Lowry scoring twice.

With pouring rain weather conditions, neither team was able to create many scoring opportunities in the first half. One of the Fire’s best chances came in the 28th minute, when a foul just outside the box gave the Fire a free kick.  In an attempt to catch United off guard, Lowry took a quick shot that sailed just over the cross bar.

Only a couple of minutes later, Chicago had another good look at the goal, when midfielder Stephen King collected a pass from forward Patrick Nyarko and took a shot on goal. United’s keeper Jose Carvallo was up to the task and made an easy save.

Momentum then shifted in United’s favor when Jeremy Barlow connected with a header off a pass from guest player Laurent Manuel in the 32nd minute. The midfielder could not get it on target however and it went high over the goal. Eight minutes before the end of the first half, D.C. earned a corner kick. Barlow’s cross was right on target but guest player Kenny Anaba’s header went wide right. The first half ended scoreless with both teams frustrated.

Nine minutes into the second half, Chicago scored their first goal. Nyarko sent a pass inside the 18-yard box to Lowry. The midfielder sent in a low ball that Carvallo could not get a hand on and found the back of the net.

Play started to get intense as Chicago’s midfielder Mike Banner got a yellow card for a dangerous foul in the eleventh minute. In the 21st, defender Dasan Robinson earned Chicago’s second yellow card. Only a minute later, D.C.’s guest player Manuel followed with a caution.

Chicago took advantage of United’s inability to create scoring chances. In the 41st, it was Lowry again who scored, when he kicked a high ball that went over Carvallo’s head and bounced into the back of the net.

United’s last scoring opportunity came right at the end of the second half, when Ryan Cordeiro left behind a defender and got a clear look at the goal. The midfielder took a shot but it went just over the crossbar. That would be the last look at the goal for either team as the head referee blew the final whistle two minutes later. Due to United’s injury woes, guest players Manuel, Anaba and Brandon Owens suited up for the Black-and-Red this morning. United’s Reserve Division record fell to 1-1 while Chicago improved to 2-1-0.

Game summary.

Scoring summary.
CHI – Peter Lowry 54 (assisted by Nyarko)
CHI – Peter Lowry 86

Lineups.
D.C. United: Jose Carvallo; Laurent Manuel, Brandon Owens, Pat Carroll, Mike Zaher; Quavas Kirk, Dane Murphy, Dan Stratford, Ryan Cordeiro; Jeremy Barlow, Kenny Anaba (Francis Doe 73).

Chicago Fire: Nick Noble; Wilman Conde, Dasan Robinson, Austin Washington (Stephen Bode 45), Daniel Woolard; Stephen King, Kai Kasiguran (Andy Herron 45), Peter Lowry, Mike Banner; Calen Carr, Patrick Nyarko.

Stats.
DC – Shots: 5, Saves: 1, Fouls: 9; Corner kicks: 4, Offsides: 1
CHI – Shots: 5, Saves: 1, Fouls: 4, Corner kicks: 8, Offsides: 2

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MLS Game #7: DCU 0 - Chicago 2

05/09/2008 12:11 AM by Doug Hicks

It was setting up to be such a special night for the Black-and-Red.  A new presenting sponsor, a national television audience, a big crowd and the chance to knock off a hot opponent.  It was not to be, though.
 
Here's dcunited.com's take on the match.
 
And some quotes from those involved:
 
D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
On the current situation
“It’s very concerning. I asked the guys to come out with the effort and I thought that improved a bit, but still, over 90 minutes it still wasn’t good enough. We broke down and good teams are going to punish you. So it’s very concerning. We’ve got to really evaluate and make sure now that we turn this around. It’s getting to a crucial time.”
 
On moving forward
“I think first off we need to get a couple guys healthy, so that we can select from everybody. But in the final third we lack creativity and that final punch, and we’re going to have to work real hard to make sure now that killer instinct comes back.”
 
On similarities to last season
“I think it sits in our head, but the Colorado game still sits in my head, that we came out without any passion and any energy. That improved today, but it still wasn’t good enough, so we have to continue to do that consistently. But yeah – it’s similar to last year, but it’s not last year. It’s this year and we have to fix it now.”
 
On sensing pressure
“There’s always pressure. We’re not winning, so I have to fix it.”
  
D.C. United Midfielder Rod Dyachenko
On the game
“I thought we were moving the ball around. I thought we were breaking them down little by little, getting some shots off. After the goal, we closed down a little bit.”
 
D.C. United Midfielder Santino Quaranta
On frustration
“You work so hard and you come in with a mindset…We worked very hard and we had a let down, and they get a goal. It’s just not good enough.”
 
On Chicago’s first goal (and getting caught out of position)
“I’m in a position now, obviously I like to attack as a player. It just naturally when the ball was in the air I wanted to go help Bryan [Namoff]. I didn’t know that nobody else was going to be behind me. As an attacking player, I was just trying to help defensively. I ran so much and worked so hard. I want to go forward, that’s my first instinct. I’m in a situation where I have to be honest, and I was honest about it.”
 
On the loss
“It happens, you learn. Getting caught, our shape was bad. They are a good team. You have to give these guys credit. They went on the road, and they are so honest, and they work so hard as a team. They defend and are very athletic. They were a better team.”
 
On Chicago
“They are organized. They are doing the things right to win right now. You have to give them credit.”
 
D.C. United Forward Jaime Moreno
On the loss
“I don’t know what to think anymore, because we work so hard each week. I don’t think we were playing so bad, you know, we created chances but we couldn’t put it away. It one of those things where you have to make your luck change and the only way to do it is to keep working. We got nothing else to do…We have to turn it around, that’s the only way.”
 
On playing in the center (play making role)
“I always like to be involved with the ball. Unfortunately, we didn’t create enough chances to score. That is something that we are struggling with right now.” 
 
D.C. United Forward Luciano Emilio
On the loss
“It’s very sad for us not to be able to win, not to be able to play a soccer that looks good, so it’s a very disappointing situation.”
 
On what to do to avoid home losses
“We have to maintain the order of the game from beginning to end. For a moment we lost the order. When someone scores on us, we get lost. We haven’t come in with enough clarity to be able to score.”
 
On the absence of Fred and Gallardo
“Of course, they’re players that help out a lot, especially in my case, a forward depends on them.”
 
 
Chicago Fire Head Coach Denis Hamlett
On getting ready for D.C.
“We respect them cause they’re a good team and we know coming in here it’s always going to be good soccer. Our guys know that and these guys are professionals, they know the importance of every game.”
 
Chicago Fire Defender Diego Gutierrez
On beating D.C. United
“It’s about winning every week, not necessarily just against D.C. because it’s a long season. This is a team that it trying to establish a tradition, an identity, a character and I think we’re on the right track.” 
 
On the defensive performance
“I feel very good right now, collectively and personally, things are going right for us. We have to keep working with humility, with honesty and with a strong will. This group keeps advancing, keeps getting better and I hope that continues.”
 
Chicago Fire Midfielder Justin Mapp
On his goal
“Chad [Barrett] did a good job of getting on the end of it and knocking it back down. It was just me there. I tried to put it on target and thankfully I was able to.”
 
Chicago Fire Midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco
On going forward
“We are only just beginning the season. We have to keep working and getting better each day.”
 
So there you have it.  The reserves suit up in the morning.  Kick-off is set for 10:00 a.m. on the training field.   
 
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The VW Garage...

05/08/2008 5:44 PM by Kyle Sheldon

 ... makes its debut tonight - along with the new kits - and it is really, really cool. I just stopped by to check it out and they're putting the finishing touches on what is going to be a very popular pre-game spot. Below are a few select photos, but you can find a whole bunch on the Video & Pics page. 

A few highlights: two Xboxes with FIFA '08 ready to roll, two fooseball tables (I'll beat you), a t-shirt printer that provides several VW choices (see them here) and all kinds of old DCU gear and paraphernalia - my favorite of which might be an old Steve Guppy jersey on the wall (see below). 

Be sure to check out prior to kickoff each game. To access the V-dub garage head towards section 337 and take the stairs all the way down to field side.  

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What's the deal with... concessions?

05/08/2008 5:06 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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Last week, we brought you the first installment of our new feature “What’s the deal with…” where we address the most pressing topics and questions on the minds of our fans. The first interview our former head coach and current color analyst on Comcast SportsNet, Thomas Rongen. You can read our interview about his sharp bowtie here.

This week, we’ve heard some rumbling that concessions at RFK Stadium have not been up to par, so we sat down with our Executive Vice President Stephen Zack and asked him about it:

btb.com: “So... what’s the deal with concessions?”
Zack: “It’s necessary to provide a little background info here. During the last three years, RFK had a relationship with a concessionaire company called Aramark. When the Nationals left for their new stadium, the agreement with Aramark concluded as well.  Unfortunately, a new vendor was brought on board only a few weeks before our first game. After coming to an agreement with our new concessionaire, Ovations, they had only a few weeks to move in to RFK, hire and train new staff and review and replace old equipment. We immediately became one of their biggest clients and we’ve experienced some growing pains during our first few home games. We saw the most issues for our April 26 game when we had 23,000-plus people in the building. Because it was the first game of the year of that size, our fans experienced some long lines and slower service.”
 
Btb.com: “What steps have you taken since the beginning of the season to improve the quality of service?”
Zack: “Well, from the very first game, we’ve been in continuous discussions with Ovations on how to improve service. We met with their top people again this week, along with the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission and I can assure you we’re all on the same page about wanting to improve the experience at RFK. We believe they clearly understand our expectations and are taking steps to provide improved service for all future games. That being said, they’re still learning and as much as we try to plan for everything, there’s always something that pops up. We’ll do our best to meet these challenges head-on and provide improvements in the coming weeks.”
 
Btb.com: “Outside of those issues, what other differences or improvements have you seen with Ovations from previous years?”
Zack: To their credit, Ovations has listened to some of our suggestions and have been providing fans with expanded – and unique – menu options. Along with enhanced food selections, they immediately responded to beer and beverage location issues. Additionally, after our concerns following the April 26 match, they quickly identified additional locations that can be opened when we have larger crowds that require us to use the 400 level. Having said all of that, we believe we’re on the right track to provide top quality service to our fans and look forward to improvements in the upcoming weeks and months. 
 
Do you have something on your mind - a question perhaps - that you'd like us to address? Feel free to put it in the comments below and we'll think about taking on your topic in the next editions of "What's the deal with..."
 
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MLS Game #7: DCU vs. Chicago

05/08/2008 10:09 AM by Kyle Sheldon

Big game tonight for a lot of reasons - disappointing loss in Colorado on Sunday, national TV game (ESPN2!), debut of the new uniforms and the big rivalry with Chicago! There are a ton of things happening both before and during the game tonight. Get all of those details here. 

To get you prepared for the game here's some of what's being written about United... 

Don't forget, free parking tonight for everyone (!), courtesy of Volkswagen!

Back with more later... 

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Photo of the Day: Changes at RFK

05/08/2008 9:10 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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This was put up yesterday and you'll see more all around the stadium tonight... 

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A whole buncha updates [now updated!]

05/07/2008 4:19 PM by Kyle Sheldon

Lots to tell you about in advance of tomorrow's game:

  • Don't forget that all parking tomorrow (D.C. United vs. the Chicago Fire!) is complimentary (that means free), courtesy of our new partner, Volkswagen. They're awesome. 
  • Before the first team game, the United Academy U-18 team will play Potomac in a game that is open to fans who have tickets for the first team match. Kickoff is set for 4:45 p.m. (ET!). 
  • Tomorrow's kickoff time is set for 8:02 p.m. ET due to ESPN2 hosting a half-hour pre-game show beginning at 7:30 p.m. That just means more time for tailgating! 
  • Prior to kickoff, a moment of silence will be held for Gordon Bradley and Bill Goazio - who worked for many years with the U.S. Soccer Federation - both of whom recently passed away. 
  • At halftime, United President and CEO Kevin Payne and legend Marco 'El Diablo' Etcheverry will be inducted (among others) into the Virginia-DC Soccer Hall of Fame. A number of past inductees will be on hand to welcome the newest members. More info here. 

If you don't yet have tickets for tomorrow night's match click here or pick them up tomorrow at RFK Stadium. 

UPDATE: Per a request by Bill Goazio's family - in lieu of flowers, friends and family can make a donation to the U.S. Soccer Founddation in Bill's honor.  Checks should be made payable to the U.S. Soccer Foundation (or you can make a secure donation here). 

U.S. Soccer Foundation
Attn: William Goaziou Memorial
1211 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 500
Washington, DC  20036
 
UPDATE #2: The U-18 game has been moved from the stadium to United's Training Fields. If you still want to attend, you can see the location of the fields on the parking map found here. 
 
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Video: Volkswagen photo shoot

05/07/2008 3:48 PM by Kyle Sheldon

We took a bunch of photos last week of the guys in the new kits. You've seen them. Below is some video excerpts from the shoot. Know what I learned from this video? That reenacting goal celebrations is not easy to do. You'll see what I mean...  

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The new Volkswagen Lounge

05/07/2008 12:35 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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More photos on the Video & Pics page. As impressive as the new room looks - and it is awesome - what's really impressive is that VW's crew turned this thing around in just a few days. Like I've said before, they don't mess around! One of the photos on the Video & Pics page is of some sort of VW GTI racing game, which looks like it's going to be a lot of fun! 

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Goff on Gallardo

05/06/2008 11:37 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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washingtonpost.com has put up Steve Goff's comprehensive profile on Marcelo Gallardo. The piece touches on every part of the midfielder's career, including an unexpected call from Argentina's biggest star, Diego Maradona. 

Also from the article: "I wanted a new challenge," said Gallardo, who also weighed offers from clubs in Germany, Argentina and Greece. "People around the world don't understand how well the game is played here. They underestimate it. It is very demanding physically. MLS will continue to evolve."

Read the full article right here and look for it on the cover of of the Washington Post sports section on Wednesday. 

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Access United: DCU & VW press conference

05/06/2008 10:20 PM by Kyle Sheldon

As promised, here is the newest edition of Access United, with a bunch of great clips from today's press conference and some thoughts from Marc Burch, Zach Wells, Devon McTavish and Coach Soehn. If you didn't know that VW was a German brand (and, really, how could you not?), there won't be any question about it when you hear Stefan Jacoby - VW's President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America - talk about the new partnership... he's got a killer accent. 

You can see past editions of Access United on our YouTube page. 

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ESPN Classics: DCU vs. Chicago 2005

05/06/2008 7:32 PM by Kyle Sheldon

In advance of Thursday's game, ESPN has put up another edition of their MLS Classics - this time, it's United vs. the Fire. This particular 2005 game saw a bunch of goals and a late winner from former D.C. defender Bobby Boswell (.com). The D.C.-Chicago rivalry has turned into a very strong one in recent years, due mostly to the Fire's ability to oust United from the playoffs (something only one other MLS team has ever done). That leaves a bitter taste. 

 

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Volkswagen round-up

05/06/2008 4:26 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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V-dub is most definitely "in da haus," in a big way. We'll provide you with more info over the next couple of days of all of the changes going on around the stadium. You've read about the VW Garage behind the north goal and the new VW Lounge.. tomorrow, we'll bring some photos your way. 

There's a ton of DCU-VW stuff floating around out there, so here are a few quick links from around the world wide webs.. 

Our favorite, Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog, was out in full force today. He is able to churn out a ton of great writing in a very short amount of time - and it's all hilarious. From today:

Yes, that's a bit overwhelming, but it will be worth your time. Additionally...

Also, check back later tonight, as we'll have some video of the presser for you which will include comments from a few players. 

Finally, finally, finally.. last item. Did you hear that Volkswagen is picking up the parking tab for all fans this Thursday night? That's right, complimentary parking for all at the United-Fire game, which is set to kick-off at 7:30 p.m. Along those same lines, look for the full page ad in the Washington Post tomorrow... V-dub is in da haus. 

UPDATE: Shoot. We forgot to tell you earlier today that Santino Quaranta will be on Comcast SportsNet's program Washington Post Live today at 5:15. If you miss that one, check out the replay at 11 p.m. tonight. We'll try to get video of it for you tomorrow in case you miss it  (I guess I lied about the complimentary parking being the last item. I'm very sorry). 

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BTB merchandise offer: VW!

05/06/2008 11:01 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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Hey! Did you hear? We got a sick jersey sponsor! Want to be one of the first to sport United's new kit? The D.C. United Team store (located right by Main Gate at RFK Stadium) is fully loaded and ready for you, with the new VW logo on tons of gear. 

Behind The Badge is also here to help.

To kick off the new VW partnership, we're offering long sleeve authentic jerseys - with the hot-off-the-press VW logo - at 25% off. The cost is normally $100, so you're getting the kit for $75. You can get either the home (black) or away (white) kit with this offer. Offer valid through 5/18/08, or while supplies last.

Here is the official description: ClimaCool Authentic jersey worn on field. 100% Polyester. Slim Fit. Available sizes: adult small, medium, large, & extra-large.

To take advantage of this offer, call the D.C. United Team Store at 202-546-7023. This offer is only valid via phone orders, so save that number in your cell phone. Please note, as well, that the offer is valid only on non-game days. 

UPDATE: This offer is no longer available. 

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DCU and Volkswagen: It's what the people want

05/06/2008 9:27 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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I've always wanted to buy a Volkswagen. Seriously. I loved the Passat when it first came out. And now, I love the GTI. And as much as I've loved Volkswagens since I was of driving age, now I really, really love them. 

Today, we announced a five-year agreement with the German automakers that includes sponsorship of the front of our jerseys. Of all the possible companies that could have graced the front of our black and white kits, I think you'll agree that the round VW logo looks great. If you need more proof, I've uploaded a bunch of photos from a recent photo shoot on the Video & Pics page. 

Additionally, VW is a very strong international brand with a history of involvement in football as a long-time partner with VFL Wolfsburg in Germany. Our President and CEO,  Kevin Payne, really says it best:

"We wanted to be sure we found the right partner, and on the right terms. We're thrilled to have this relationship now with Volkswagen, which is  ideal from our point of view - a multi-national company with a strong brand, a cultural understanding of our game, a commitment to our community and a reputation for thinking outside the box. For us, VW is a perfect partner."

There are a ton of exciting things happening, which will be announced in the near future.. I will say this: VW doesn't mess around. We'll have lots more on this in the coming days, so stay tuned.  

In the meantime, enjoy one of VW's newest commercials featuring one Heidi Klum and Max (the talking VW beetle!)...

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Photo of the Day: Das Auto.

05/06/2008 9:24 AM by Kyle Sheldon

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Remembering Gordon Bradley: Service set

05/05/2008 11:16 AM by Doug Hicks

Last Tuesday, we received word that Gordon Bradley had passed.  Since that time, United fans worldwide have joined in support of the Bradley family.  Gordon's son, Paul, sent the following e-mail thanking all for their words of comfort.

Once again, my apologies for having to resort to doing a bulk email to everyone.  I am endeavoring to contact everyone as the emails come in and the phone rings but, as you know, Gordon Bradley was a truly special man and the outpouring of love, thoughts and prayers that are coming in to the family makes doing this in a timely manner next to impossible right now. Until that time, let me begin with this short note…

We have been completely overwhelmed by the out pouring of love and support since Gordon’s passing.  To say that we are eternally grateful to everyone that has phoned, emailed and visited during these difficult times would be an understatement!  As with Gordon, your love, thoughts and prayers will never be forgotten.  Your continued thoughts and prayers for Vera and the family at this time and into the future, are truly appreciated
 
We would be honored if you joined us in celebrating Gordon’s life. 
 
The memorial will be held at 1:00PM, Friday, May 9th, 2008 at George Mason Stadium in Fairfax Virginia.
 
Thank you,
Best Wishes,
Love,
Paul
 

In association with George Mason, the family has created the Gordon Bradley Scholarship Endowment. To contribute, call 703-993-3215.

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MLS Game #6: DCU 0 - Colorado 2

05/04/2008 8:17 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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With a 2-0 loss today in Colorado, United falls to 2-4 on the young MLS season. The locker room was understandably quiet. We're currently at the airport and will fly back to D.C. this evening arriving after midnight. With a short week ahead of us - Chicago comes to town on Thursday - the team will reconvene for training Monday morning to begin preparations. 

You can read the dcunited.com post-game story right here. 

A few post-game quotes from both sides...

D.C. United Head Coach Tom Soehn
“The loss is very troubling, we have addressed a lot, especially having a better road mentality. When looking at individual performances in this game we were just bad all over the field, I can’t even think of a player that did well. We can talk about tactics and formations all you want but if you don’t show up you’re not going to do well. Moving forward we are going to be hard on everyone, not just the players but the staff as well. We gave away the ball continuously, setting up counters. We had backwards possession in this game, and that’s not going to win games. We have to have a better mentality. We need to find a combination of guys who will go out there and give it all that they have. We have a lot of work to do.”
 
D.C. United midfielder Santino Quaranta
“We worked really hard during the week, but it was a bad game. We had the right mentality going into the game, but I don’t know what it is, we are not clicking this year. Everything has been put into place, we keep getting let down by each other. There is no fighting, it’s a good group here we just can’t figure it out. We came into the game and they outworked us, our performance wasn’t good enough. They won the individual battles and that’s what gave them the game”
 
D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno
“We have to bring our best game to these kinds of matches. Sometimes the soccer isn’t going to be pretty, but we need to win the battles and the loose balls. Our performances are going up and down right now which is not good and we need to fix it.”
 
Colorado Rapids Head Coach Fernando Clavijo
“We brought [Christian Gomez] here with the expectations that he would be the player that we saw out there today. When he plays with two strikers he can move around the field. He will start the play and that is what he were looking for. But it is a shame to talk about him today because of the total team effort. We thought that when you look at DC United, they have good players and are the type that can get a result here in Denver. We started the players we did because we needed energy players to put pressure on them in every single position. They have a solid tradition, but we want to start our own tradition and hopefully that can start him today. I thought Omar played very unselfish today. Sometimes we didn’t expect those passes. I think Omar has done a good job and that is why he is playing.”
 
Colorado Rapids defender Jordan Harvey
“We have been playing well but haven’t really been getting results the last couple of games. The coach changed the line-up and it worked out. We wanted to focus on defense first and then play our game. I was really excited to finally get my chance to prove myself on this team and I worked hard to get here; and today while I was playing. Once we had that first goal our focus was to defend well, and I think we defended well as a team. I think we all did great.”
 
Colorado Rapids defender Facundo Erpen
“We created a lot of chances to score. Once we scored the first goal we dropped back and played like we did in the first half. When you’re on the pitch you don’t think about who was your friend, you think about who’s your opponent, you only worry about what’s going on in the game. I was really happy to score my goal, I joked with my wife earlier that maybe today I will score a goal, and it happened. We now have to look towards next week, and continue to work and get better.

 

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MLS Game #6: DCU @ Colorado

05/04/2008 1:55 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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We're just about an hour from kickoff of today's match, being broadcast nationally on Telefutura and in the D.C. region on Comcast SportsNet. Both broadcasts are live. 

Here's today's starting lineup: Wells; Namoff, Peralta, Martinez; Quaranta, Simms, Dyacehnko, Gallardo, Burch; Niell, Emilio

Subs: Carvallo, Kirk, Stratford, Cordeiro, P. Carroll, Doe, Moreno. 

Enjoy the game. I'll be back after with photos, post-game quotes and more. 

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MLS Game #6: DCU @ Colorado

05/04/2008 9:54 AM by Kyle Sheldon

The team gears up for its sixth MLS contest today in a city that has not been very friendly in recent years. United has not defeated the Rapids in Denver since 2000 - a 5-2 win on May 6 highlighted by a Jaime Moreno hat trick - going 0-6-2 since. The team will play its second-ever game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, after opening the park last year with a 2-1 loss. 

Today's match will also be the first meeting between the two teams since Colorado acquired Christian Gomez from United earlier this year. Gomez spent three-plus seasons as a member of the Black-and-Red, helping the team to its most recent MLS Cup (2004), earning League MVP honors (2006) and being named to the MLS All-Star team and MLS Best XI three times each, respectively (2005-2007). Gomez has one goal (a penalty) and one assist so far this season. Two other former United players also play for the Rapids - Facundo Erpen and Mike Petke. 

Here's the rundown to get you ready for today's game:

  • Steve Goff writes about the team's road struggles in his article for the Washington Post. 
  • John Haydon looks at the first meeting with Gomez in his piece over at the Washington Times. 
  • Charlie Boehm writes about the team's depth in his article at dcunited.com. 
  • The mlsnet.com staff also provides a bunch of notes and stats right here. 
  • Brian Forbes of the Denver Post says Gomez hasn't made the contribution expected thus far. 

Back with more from the park later today. 

UPDATE: By the way, the game can be seen live nationally on Telefutura and regionally on Comcast SportsNet. If you're not near a TV, you can listen on WFED (1050 AM) or on the Spanish Radio Network (1540 AM, 1390 AM, 1600 AM and 1350 AM). Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET. 

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Denver arrival

05/03/2008 7:30 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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We've arrived in Denver following an hour-long training session this morning and three hour flight from D.C. This majority of this morning's session on the RFK Training Field was spent playing possession and ended with some crosses and finishing. The 18-man roster, coaches and team staff went straight to the airport from the stadium for the flight. We've settled into the hotel and have the evening off.. 

Of note, Ryan Cordeiro and Francis Doe are making their first trips as part of the traveling roster.

I'll be back tomorrow with some pre-game info... 

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Remembering Gordon Bradley: Dave Johnson

05/01/2008 6:59 PM by Kyle Sheldon

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On Tuesday, we received the sad news that Gordon Bradley had passed away at the age of 74 years. The Englishman had been involved in soccer in the U.S. in some fashion for the last 35 years and was unquestionably one of the most influential soccer figures in both the U.S. and D.C. area. In the 70's, he served as the head coach for the New York Cosmos during the Pele years and then the Washington Dips when Johan Cruyff was on the team. Following, he served as George Mason Men's Head Soccer coach from 1985-2000 and was also a color commentator for United. He was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996.  

His impact on U.S. soccer was profound and many have mentioned to us their memories and impressions of a man who was often described as a gentlemen. A few members of the United family have expressed their desire to honor Gordon Bradley. We'll be using Behind the Badge as a forum for those memories. 

The television voice of D.C. United, Dave Johnson, shares his memories of Bradley:

Gordon Bradley literally kicked his way out of the coal mines of northeast England and into a better life. Football was Gordon’s ticket out of the mines but as much as the game gave him, he gave back even more.

It’s hard to explain how special it was to be Gordon’s friend. But as everyone who has dealt with him knows, Gordon made everyone feel special.  For me, someone who grew up a Washington Diplomats fan and season ticket holder, it was almost unbelievable that I would be his broadcast partner.

I still remember the day Gordon called me to see if I was interested in broadcasting Washington Stars games in the old APSL back in 1990. I was broadcasting Naval Academy football and basketball games but also had worked a couple of years for the Maryland Bays while helping to publish a soccer magazine. That telephone call sent me into orbit.

The next year we were paired together doing cable-access TV games for the Maryland Bays. The Bays played at Cedar Lane Park in Columbia, Maryland which had a tree fort  for a press box. Before a game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies I can still picture Rowdies' owner Cornelia Corbett in that make shift press box looking down on the field and seeing Gordon. She got a big smile on her face and asked me what Gordon was doing with the Bays. I proudly said television with me. But I always remember her smile.  

Gordon had that power. He could make people smile and he was always smiling. Bradley’s attitude was always positive even when things were less than perfect. Let’s just say Cedar Lane Park was a far cry from Pele and the Cosmos in Giants Stadium.

It didn’t matter to Gordon where the game was being played or at what level. Gordon gave it his  all to make a difference. He was there at the beginning of the North American Soccer League and he stayed with it through some incredible highs and lows.

I remember flying back from an APSL game in 1990. Sure the US had made the World Cup but there was no top flight outdoor league and the Major Indoor Soccer League was in its final years. Gordon commented, “We must have dome something right” as he saw soccer field after soccer field below as the plane came in for a landing.

The “we” Gordon was talking about was people like himself and others who were involved in the NASL who worked hard to promote the game of soccer. They brought the game to a generation of people who are now grown up and coaching, maybe still playing, buying season tickets and even broadcasting the game.

Soccer’s momentum finally did swing back in the right direction in the early 90’s and in 1996 we celebrated the launch of Major League Soccer. It was only fitting that someone who was involved with the NASL’s premier franchise, the Cosmos, would be involved with a club with the class and conviction of D.C. United.

For five years I worked with Gordon on D.C. United television broadcasts on Home Team Sports. It was a pretty good time for the club. There were three titles and four MLS Cup appearances. It was a wonderful time for me personally.

It could be the beginning of the season or a critical playoff game. It didn’t matter to Gordon. I can clearly remember his enthusiasm for each and every game. He loved walking the field before games. Once the whistle started he was into every kick as if he was still playing.

Countless times we misplaced the rental car because we were too busy talking to take notice of its make and color. Countless times we got lost going to the hotel because we were too busy talking or reliving the game.

And we did crazy things. In 2000 we worked on internet broadcasts for the Olympic qualifying games in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We went to Hershey on a Friday and then drove back to my house in Annapolis so we could catch a flight to San Jose the next morning to do a D.C. United game on Saturday night. We caught a red-eye after the game and made it back to Hershey for more Olympic qualifiers on Sunday.

That was Gordon. He lived for the game at all levels, but he had his priorities straight. I remember all the soccer talk but I remember even more his philosophies on life and family. Gordon Bradley was as morally strong as he was physically strong. 

He was a friend to soccer and even better friend to those who had the pleasure of knowing him.

In association with George Mason, the family has created the Gordon Bradley Scholarship Endowment. To contribute, call 703-993-3215. Feel free to share your memories or thoughts about Gordon Bradley in the comments. 

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Photo of the Day: Ben Olsen Day 2005

05/01/2008 9:35 AM by Kyle Sheldon

An introduction, Part I: Ben Olsen is known as a very stylish guy. Some might say too stylish. He has a very unique look - one all his own. On a given day he might wear jean shorts, a sleeveless tee and chucks. Another day might bring an old, ratty t-shirt and a pair of designer jeans complemented with a winter hat. You just never know what Benny might be wearing... 

An introduction, Part II: Remember 2005? I do. It was my first year with United. That particular team had one of the most interesting - and entertaining - group of young players. Trips to the locker room brought something different and unexpected each day. On one particular day, a group of players decided to deem a day "Ben Olsen Day." The challenge to teammates was simple: come to practice wearing your most Ben Olsen-esque attire. As you see in the photo above, the guy did not disappoint.  

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From the left: Matt Nickell, Bobby Boswell, Jaime Moreno, Jason Thompson (JT), Shawn Kuykendall, Alecko Eskandarian, The Man of Honor, Nick Van Sicklen and Brian Carroll. 

Whose attire do you like best?  

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