Sports
By: Craig Stouffer
I know, I haven't been around these parts recently. But I haven't left completely, and there's tons to check out on this Wednesday morning. The soccer page. My U.S./Honduras preview. My recap of D.C. United's win over Harrisburg in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Lastly, but not to miss, my Cheers & Jeers column on Santino Quaranta....By: Craig Stouffer
Brief highlights from the day-before-game visit to RFK Stadium. 1. Christian Gómez (bruised toe) joined Ben Olsen (hamstring) on the OUT list for this weekend. That should pave the way for Santino Quaranta or Chris Pontius to claim the playmaking spot against New England. 2. We appear to be one step closer to the end of Louis Crayton's time with DCU, as observations indicated that the two United keepers traveling to Gillette Stadium this weekend are Milos Kocic and Josh Wicks. 3. Avery John has been called up to the Trinidad & Tobago national team for World Cup qualifiers next week. Speaking of which, there's much to mull over from U.S. national team head coach Bob Bradley's conference call with reporters. From way deep in the queue, I still got my question in: Is playing in front of a potentially pro-Honduran crowd at Soldier Field a mistake? Bradley: "Soldier Field has always been a great venue. Speaking for the players, I know how much they enjoy playing in stadiums where there’s atmosphere, where there’s a lot of passion for the game. Even in the game in Columbus, as a good example, we don’t really know at the end of the day exactly how the crowd was split in terms of the support for our team and support for the Mexican team. What we did know was that there were a lot of people there for us, and we hear them. We appreciate what...By: Craig Stouffer
And we're not talking ties, that's for sure. Instead, how about the report from Soccer by Ives that former D.C. United head coach Peter Nowak is taking the same job in Philadelphia, where he'll be the Union's first-ever head coach. Current DCU head coach Tom Soehn: "I’m happy for him, if that’s the case. He’s had a lot of success in our league, and he knows the game. He’ll try to play, which I think it’s all our responsibilities to show that this league is attractive. I’m real disappointed in the way it happened with Salt Lake, the mentality. It’s not a good brand of soccer to watch when teams come and pack it in. Peter’s always tried to play so I think it’s adding one more guy who’s going to make the league attractive." Meanwhile, apparently some team called Real Madrid will face DCU at FedEx Field on Aug. 9. Here's Soehn on the last match between the two clubs three years ago in Seattle: "It was a great game. They came out and scored, and we got one back and had some opportunities. It turned out to be a real entertaining game. Hopefully, it’ll be the same, and I’m hoping that some of the rumors of who they’re going to sign come true because I think it would be a great chance for our city to see some real stars." Now, back to more pressing matters, such as New England this...By: Craig Stouffer
We'll start with D.C. United, who got a shutout at home against one of two teams in Major League Soccer that hasn't scored a single goal on the road. That said, Josh Wicks earned it with a couple great saves. Here's my report. Here are some quotes. Tom Soehn: "We talked about them bunkering, and they did just that. They bunkered, and very deep. The way you open that up is you score, early. We had a good chance to score, and we didn’t do it, and we kind of lulled ourselves to sleep, and we quit moving. It’s not the first team that’s come and bunkered against us, but the way we addressed it, we didn’t move off each other at all. We just stood there and waited for the next guy to do it." More Soehn: "I thought we were flat. The one thing we’ve done against other teams that bunkered, we’ve been able to open up because our movement off each other’s been so good. We addressed that, and we started to move off each other. And then at the end of the game, we started playing kickball, and that’s something that we haven’t done in a while." On pulling Jaime Moreno at halftime: "He wasn’t feeling well today. He wanted to go, and we felt like he just wasn’t getting enough of the game and didn’t have the energy. When you have a deep bench, you want to make sure you’re putting someone...By: Craig Stouffer
We'll start with the Washington Freedom vs. Sky Blue FC first, since that game is first. It isn't the Freedom's first game in RFK since 2003. They've played there a couple times in different iterations. This weekend they will be without Abby Wambach, who is with the U.S. national team for Monday's friendly against Canada in Toronto. Freedom goalkeeper Erin McLeod will be in Washington however. She trained this week with the Canadians, but because Karina LeBlanc is expected to play for Canada against the U.S., McLeod got released. Sky Blue will be without Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone and Canadian Kelly Parker. Freedom head coach Jim Gabarra, who signed Arlington native Sarah Senty this week, said he's still cautiously optimistic about obtaining Ali Krieger on loan this summer. Krieger's season in Germany ends June 7. The transfer window in the U.S. closes June 15. Not much time to get a deal done... As for D.C. United, I caught up with Greg Janicki after training today.... On starting after an ankle knock kept him from traveling to Chivas last weekend: "It’s been kind of tough. I only had one practice before playing 90, and I was out four or five days with the ankle before that. My fitness wasn’t where I wanted it to be, and that kind of led to a few mistakes here and there. The first half was alright. The second half was a little spotty. The...By: Craig Stouffer
This is overdue for today, but the link to my story today on Victor MacFarlane selling his share of D.C. United's operating rights to Will Chang is here. Chang spoke with me yesterday afternoon. Here are some of his comments that didn't quite make it into the print edition or were cut down for space reasons. First, on becoming the first Asian-American owner in Major League Soccer: "We live in a country where people come from many different areas of the world, and I think the distinction of being Asian American or Chinese American or being African American are beginning to blend. I really don’t consider myself as much Asian American but more as somebody who enjoys sports, enjoys soccer, in it because you have a passion for the sport." On how the change in D.C. United management will affect the stadium pursuit: "In terms of our stadium pursuit, I have to get up the learning curve. But having said that, I think my approach is going to be a little bit different than Victor’s in that Victor was such a dominant person in the real estate industry, very well regarded both in the African American community and jurisdicitions that we were talking to , which were led predominantly by African American politicians. Victor was a very prominent person in the African-American community, and he has been the point in those negotiations. Because I don’t...By: Craig Stouffer
D.C. United co-managing partner Victor MacFarlane has sold his stake in D.C. United to Will Chang. More details to come. Change reflected here on United's...By: Craig Stouffer
D.C. United was good -- very good -- in the first half-hour of tonight's 5-3 whipping of New York. But with 20 of the 22 starters being different than who these two teams put out last weekend in league play, let's look at who started tonight on the benches. First, the Red Bulls: Kevin Goldthwaite, Mac Kandji, Jorge Rojas and Sinisa Ubiparipovic. Next, D.C. United: Marc Burch, Andrew Jacobson, Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta, Rodney Wallace. New York got better when it used its four subs, but it was already too late. DCU didn't even have to use Quaranta or Moreno and got out of the night with just a half for Christian Gómez. Now, we know I'm no expert on New York, but that's the difference between depth and no depth....By: Craig Stouffer
Check out an announcement that was passed my way first, and then we can move on to the MLS page stuff from today's print edition. The Nicole Megaloudis Foundation presents: 18 Holes for Nicole (For those who don't know, here's Nicole's story) What: 1 day golf outing to raise money for the Nicole Megaloudis Scholarship Foundation When: Sunday , September 13th 2009, 1 pm Where: Penderbrook Golf Course, 3700 Golf Trail Lane, Fairfax, Va., 22033 Why: To continue to support a foundation that helps young students pursue their dreams of attending and competing athletically at colleges across the nation. Through donor support the foundation will continue to try and bring Nicole’s dreams to reality. Who: Tournament is open to anyone who would like to play. We encourage foursomes but would be glad to set you up with other singles or pairs to allow for an enjoyable afternoon! Contact: If you are interested in participating in the tournament please contact Chris Megaloudis at either golfingfornicole@gmail.com or 202.538.1650. thanks... Since you're here, check out the content from the MLS page and my Ben Olsen/Rodney Wallace updates here. Third, the rankings: 1. Chivas (7-1-2, 23 points) (1) Linesman Emiliano Monje deserves an assist on first goal in 2-2 draw with D.C. United. 2. Fire (3-0-6, 15 pts) (3) Nearly 37-year-old Brian McBride tied for MLS scoring lead...By: Craig Stouffer
So, I'm still in the early stages of figuring out how to balance my D.C. United beat with new responsibilities covering the Washington Wizards. It's a work in progress, to say the least. Please bear with me. I'll get to Rodney Wallace in a moment. But first, I did make it down to RFK earlier today to visit with DCU ahead of tomorrow night's match against New York with a spot in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on the line. The Red Bulls' focus on a rematch and revenge for the 3-2 result at Giants Stadium probably differs from that of D.C. United', which has more concerns about putting together a first eleven that can grind out a result without inflicting too much damage on this weekend's prospects against visiting Real Salt Lake. Plus, DCU head coach Tom Soehn never reveals his lineup. With that in mind, the most pressing item was Ben Olsen's hamstring, which will sideline him for 3-4 weeks. One wonders if he'll be ready enough for the two-game road trip to Seattle and Colorado from June 17-20. Olsen said last week that he was in denial about the initial tweak, which kept him out of the Toronto match on May 9. He clearly thought he was ready last weekend but that didn't prove to be true. It's important to understand that because he's a veteran, because he's so important to the team, because he has unique injury challenges, he doesn't get the same treatment...By: Craig Stouffer
A brief mishmash before I roll out for an extended weekend (see you back here Sunday night). D.C. United: My goalkeeper story ahead of this weekend's visit to Chivas USA... WPS: The Freedom (1-2-2) head to Harvard Stadium to face Boston (3-2-1) on Sunday -- without suspended Abby Wambach, of course. USL-2: The not-so-good Western Mass. Pioneers (0-2) visit Crystal Palace (2-2-1) on Friday night and undefeated-at-home Real Maryland (2-1) on Saturday. Crystal Palace also hosts Charlotte (0-2-1) on Saturday night. PDL: The Northern Virginia Royals (1-1), with PDL team of the week member Sean Kelley (George Mason) in the net, will try to avenge last week's 3-2 home loss to Cary (1-1) on the road in North Carolina. W-League: The Northern Virginia Majestics open their season at Hampton Roads on Saturday. The Washington Freedom W-League team won its first game, 1-0, last weekend, thanks to a penalty kick from Sandra Matute (VCU) and seven saves by Alyssa Pont (Princeton/O'Connell)....By: Craig Stouffer
First things first, let's project a travel roster for Chivas -- they've entered a debacle with the flight today, which got cancelled. The team is being split over an 8pm and a 10pm flight tonight, but everybody has to be there for the early one. Yuck. Anyway, I'm sure to get one or two wrong, but in piecing together who I saw in travel gear and what I was told, here goes: Goalkeepers (2): Crayton, Wicks Defenders (5): Jakovic, Namoff, Burch, Janicki, John Midfielders (7): Fred, Jacobson, Gomez, Olsen, McTavish, Simms, Wallace Forwards (4): Moreno, Pontius, Quaranta, Emilio I'm working on a piece about D.C. United's goalkeeper rotation. Some elements to consider: What does United ultimately want when it comes to the playoffs? A rookie, an up-and-comer, or a occasionally shaky veteran? Josh Wicks said he's as fit now as he's been in the past few seasons, and that every keeper's goal is to separate themselves from the pack. Does it hurt a goalkeeper more if he's not in the net every game? The situation with Louis Crayton is that United has an option on his contract that it can exercise this summer, or not. Currently, they haven't. At the other end of the roster, my understanding is that John DiRaimondo and Anthony Peters have now maxed out the number of teams -- two, Richmond and Harrisburg -- that they can be loaned to in USL-2. The same rule will apply to New York...By: Craig Stouffer
Before D.C. United heads across the country for Saturday night's showdown with league-leading Chivas, I'm headed out to RFK for a visit. In the meantime, here's the link to my story on Devon McTavish, which may have made it into some print editions but for the most part was swept aside in favor of stories on the Capitals' Game 7 debacle and the end of Ryan Zimmerman's hitting streak.......By: Craig Stouffer
The abridged version of the MLS page can be found here (the Devon McTavish story will appear tomorrow). The intent was to have the new Philadelphia Union logo as the artwork anchor. Oh well. You can find that here. Am I off base on the bridge idea? The Philadelphia Inquirer put me onto it. Here are my rankings: 1. Chivas (7-1-1, 22 points) (1) Tied for second-best start in league history since MLS began recording ties in 2000. 2. Seattle Sounders (4-2-2, 14 pts) (2) James Riley’s ejection – Seattle’s third this season – smears otherwise stellar campaign. 3. Fire (2-0-6, 12 pts) (3) Five ties in a row, a streak that will end during next three games away from Toyota Park. 4. D.C. United (3-1-5, 14 pts) (4) Five games without a loss is one short of best streak in 2008. 5. Dynamo (3-2-2, 11 pts) (5) Houston has gone a 2009 league-best 403 minutes without surrendering a goal. 6. Toronto FC (3-2-4, 13 pts) (7) Interim head coach Chris Cummins the first in TFC history to get at least a point at RFK. 7. Rapids (3-2-2, 11 pts) (8) Bye week highlight: sending former Virginia standout Nico Colaluca to New England for Rob Valentino. 8. Crew (1-2-5, 8 pts) (12) No one’s ever thought Frankie Hejduk would be missed, but he’s proving doubters wrong. 9. Wizards (3-4-2, 11 pts) (6) Josh Wolff (4 goals) is finding his form but...By: Craig Stouffer
A busy Tuesday. I'm working on a story about Devon McTavish working himself back into the D.C. United lineup. If you saw my post from late Saturday night, McTavish was hard on himself for getting beaten by Adrian Serioux for Toronto's second goal. It hasn't been easy for McTavish to get himself back in the lineup following the head-to-head collision with Greg Janicki that knocked him out in the season opener at Los Angeles. In other DCU news, Ben Olsen didn't train today -- "I was in a little denial that I had a hamstring pull but I definitely tweaked it a little bit," -- which has to put him in the doubtful range for Saturday at Chivas. But stranger things have happened. DCU head coach Tom Soehn said that Andrew Jacobson (ankle) did train today and looked good. Sounds like he's back in the mix. Also in attendance, former draft pick Dan Stratford, who's getting himself into shape by working with DCU and apparently has a girlfriend in D.C. I'd be surprised to see him in the mix for the team this season. Santino Quaranta, fresh off the birth of his second child last week, talked about staying awake in film sessions but more importantly, his continued progress staying sober: "It's amazing. I'm so grateful. Eighteen, nineteen months ago, it was a whole different world for me, and to be able to bring a child into the world and be responsible and to be there for...By: Craig Stouffer
In case you might have missed it, on Friday night Women's Pro Soccer updated the status of the one-game suspensions handed down to the Freedom's Abby Wambach and St. Louis Athletica's Kia MacNeill by WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci, essentially suspending MacNeill's suspension since she was given only one day's notice to appeal the ruling. Wambach wasn't affected as Washington didn't play last weekend. Neither player has appealed just yet - the St. Louis Post Dispatch said MacNeil will - but it struck me because the the announcement was buried late on a Friday, and it seemed to be just another unsure step in a process last week that wasn't exactly efficient and clean, but maybe that's expected from a first-year league. The league is confident that despite the fits and starts of the process, the rulings themselves are proactive and good for the sport, with Antonucci trying to get out in front of dangerous plays and putting players on notice that even when a referee misses some calls, players are still going to be held accountable. I still wonder, even after noting that the punishment spoke more about the referee's performance than anything else, is the league overstepping -- can anyone recall if MLS has ever handed down an after-the-fact suspension for persistent...By: Craig Stouffer
I'm actually talking about the refreshing breeze finally circulating through the RFK press box -- it's blowing some papers around, but I don't mind -- but the game was a sweaty one, as well. Here's my game story. Here are a few more thoughts and quotes: The mood was sour in the D.C. United locker room. The crowd loved the 3-3 draw, but the players? Not so much. Jaime Moreno, on his penalty: "[Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei] did a good job waiting for me, and in the last minute I was lucky too – actually, it was on my mind to hit it a little hard and with pace and a little high. It went where I picked the spot, and I was lucky to convert." Chris Pontius, on his short-lived game-tying goal [In contrast to the multiple missed chances against New England]: "I’m just trying to keep my shots on frame now, and Jaime did a great dummy to clear it out for me, and I don’t think the goalie could see so my shot, I was just trying to put it on frame and get a little power to keep it right underneath the crossbar." Pontius, on going grill-to-grill with Dwayne De Rosario after Pontius got spun around in a 50-50 collision just before the final whistle: "It was just a hard play, and I didn’t like him standing over me like that so I let him know that." DCU goalkeeper Milos Kocic, on his overall game. [Prior to the first TFC goal, I...By: Craig Stouffer
Yeah, it's a little late to promote Real Maryland/Crystal Palace USA, but I will be anxious to hear about the result. Anyway, the local PDL team, the Northern Virginia Royals, also opens tonight at the Reading (Pa.) Rage before returning home tomorrow to face the Cary (N.C.) Clarets at Fairfax High at 6. There are more than a few familiar faces on the Royals roster (especially for me, considering my history covering high school soccer around here...). Among the locals: Ernesto Marquez - George Mason/Woodbridge High AJ Sheta - Westfield High Eber Martinez - George Mason/Gar-Field High Irvin Martinez - George Mason/Gar-Field High Joe Barnd - W.T. Woodson High Jon Smithgall - James Madison/Lake Braddock High Erick Perez-Segnini - George Washington/Watkins Mill High Alex Procter - George Mason/Hayfield High Steven Wagoner - George Mason/South County High Pat Stevens - James Madison/Centreville High Joel Helmick - Longwood/W. T. Woodson High Andrew Harvey - James Madison/Herndon High Grady Renfrow - Penn State/Gonzaga (even made a reserve appearance for D.C. United) Others: Mike Green - Virginia - MLS Irad Young - George Mason - MISL Hoshi Yu - J-league Mo Hughes - USL1...By: Craig Stouffer
We'll go with the benefit of the doubt and call it 500 or so that showed up at Lincoln Park and then marched down East Capitol Street to RFK Stadium this afternoon ahead of tonight's match between DC and Toronto. At the very least, they ensured a packed "loud side" for the match tonight. D.C. United's fan groups did themselves proud, even though I think they were realistic in understanding that the mere show of support might mean little when it comes to the whims of the politicians that will ultimately determined where and when United gets a stadium. "I think the idea is that we show the economic activity that we're going to bring to wherever the stadium is," said Screaming Eagles president Paul Sotoudeh. "All of us, I think there's a mentality in the American community that people don't know soccer. They think it's all a bunch of twenty-something jerks that are going to run around, drink and break stuff. That's not us. We run the gamut -- ages 8 to 80, parents, single people, young, old -- and we have disposable income. We need a place to go before and after the game, and we're very loyal to the community that supports us. It's something that we've learned over the years as soccer fans. I think what we need to show is that you may put money in, but you're going to get a lot more money back because of the economic activity that we're going to drive...By: Craig Stouffer
Here's what we got from D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn following today's training session: On the short break between Wednesday's match in Kansas City and Saturday's visit by Toronto: "It’s turned around quick. These days are tough, not only for them but for us, as far as you like to go over things you’d like to correct from the last game, and we’re actually today having to focus on who we’re playing. You run short of days." On Toronto, what he's seen since coach Chris Cummins took over for departed John Carver: "They’re playing a 4-3-3, pretty offensive. Obviously, the benefit of that is putting their offensive-minded guys in good spots. The other side of it is, it puts them in offensive spots, and we now can counter on them. He might change his formation on the road. He’s only played that formation in home games... I think it’s important that we do a good job in possession and turn them into defenders." On Ben Olsen's status (questionable with a hamstring is the legal status): "You never really know until game day." On the lineup adjustments, player rotation: "We’re not at that point of the season where you’re looking for consistency for lineups. This is an important time to get through hard stretches and make sure that everybody has a piece in it so that one, your energy stays...By: Craig Stouffer
Well, it's The Examiner, of course, so you know it's going to be short. Here it is, essentially a follow from my post yesterday about tomorrow's D.C. United fan rally, which is certainly getting a fair share of attention, at least in the soccer media. In putting together the story, I asked around a little bit to try and get some perspective on what went wrong for United, both in D.C. last year and Prince George's County this year. Who's really to blame? The economy? Baseball? Politicians? The team itself? The structure of the deals? The methods by which they were conceived and unveiled? There's probably a little bit to each. But there is one constant, of course, that keeps creeping up. It brings to mind something that happened when my son was about 2 1/2. I was just putting him down at bedtime, and we were having one of our usual conversations -- him in his bed chatting away, me in the other room trying to convince him to actually go to sleep -- and all of a sudden, he says, "Hey Daddy? I want some money." Now, he has a piggy bank - two, in fact - but the concept was well beyond his age and literally, we had never talked about the subject. So I was stunned. Me: "Money?" My son: "Yeah, money." That's where it ended, and we both ended up in hysterics. I found it funny, and he found it funny that I found it funny, and that was all she...By: Craig Stouffer
The following rulings from WPS commissioner Tonya Antonucci just landed in my inbox (verbatim from the release): 1. Washington Freedom player #20 (Abby Wambach) is hereby suspended from the next Freedom game for which she is available to play (e.g. not injured or called to national team duty) based upon a tackle in the 80th minute that was reckless and resulted in a potentially season-ending injury of an opposing player. 2. Saint Louis Athletica player #6 (Kia McNeill) is hereby suspended from the next Athletica game for which she is available to play (e.g. not injured or called to national team duty) based upon persistent egregious conduct toward an opposing player. It also included a quote, so as to explain why Antonucci made the unilateral move even though earlier this week the league's disciplinary committee elected not to hand out any further punishment: "I elected to review the circumstances of the Freedom-Athletica match out of concern that the nature of play, if left unchecked, could lead to circumstances in future games that might pose a threat to the safety of the players and to the integrity of the league. In addition to the issuance of the discipline in the Decision above, I have directed that the circumstances of this match be brought to the attention of the US Soccer Federation, which provides referee assignments for WPS matches, and that serious...By: Craig Stouffer
For the most diehard of D.C. United fans, it would be difficult to understate the importance of Saturday's rally in support of a stadium. The details, in the unlikely event that you haven't seen the release on United's website or heard Dave Johnson talking it up during last night's broadcast of the 1-1 draw between D.C. and Kansas City: "D.C. United fans are organizing a rally in support of a stadium plan for the club prior to D.C. United’s home game May 9 against Toronto FC. Planned events include a demonstration in Lincoln Park at 3:30 p.m. ET, followed by a march to RFK Stadium and a massive dual tailgate party, hosted by La Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles, lasting until the scheduled 7:30 p.m. kick-off. Though fans are encouraged to use Metro to arrive at the park, shuttle busses are being hired to transport fans from Lot 8 at RFK Stadium to the demonstration gathering point from 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m." (Speaking of last night's match, here are my brief thoughts: DCU emerges unscathed - neither physically depleted or injured - moves into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference; it didn't take long for Avery John to get his first yellow; Josh Wolff took the Lambeau Leap to a new level, i thought he might be swallowed whole by the Cauldron; I also wonder if Greg Janicki might've gotten away with what should've been a penalty kick for...By: Craig Stouffer
So, we saw what Hope Solo said about Abby Wambach's tackle of Daniela. What will the two say to one another when they're next face to face? It won't be long until we find out because they were both named to the U.S. national team camp for two matches against Japan on May 20 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas (8:30 p.m. ET) and on May 23 at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah (6 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español). No pick of Cat Whitehill among the full roster: GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Kelsey Davis (Portland), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica) DEFENDERS (7): Brittany Bock (Los Angeles Sol), Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Marian Dalmy (Chicago Red Stars), Amy LePeilbet (Boston Breakers), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC) MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Christine Nairn (Penn State), Heather O’Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars) FORWARDS (4): Lauren Cheney (UCLA), Casey Nogueira (North Carolina), Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom)...By: Craig Stouffer
With all the gushing over Anton Peterlin, it's important to know that trials and scouting are an ongoing process. Who knows who the next signing will be? I'm hearing that two members of the U.S. under-20 pool have been on trial at Blackburn: Tony Taylor (Jacksonville U.) and Sean Johnson (Central Florida). For Johnson, I understand it's his second stint with the Rovers....By: Craig Stouffer
But, of course, you know I don't travel and won't be in Kansas City for D.C. United's match today. Alas... Speaking of Kansas City, did you see this story about Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo's brush with death? Terrifying. Thanks to those of you who've made the transition from The Pitch. What a debacle! Please pass on the word to any other readers that you know, and I'm working to get a redirect URL up that will send folks here when they look for the old blog. Here's what I got this morning: The MLS page is here - of course, Jaime Moreno is the actual player of the week - I voted for him, too - but I need to use the items on the page to spread it around the league, especially when I've got a D.C. United notebook here. The rankings are in the print edition, but not online (anyone surprised? Not me.), so here you go: 1. Chivas (6-1-1, 19 points) (1) Resurgent GK Zach Thornton pacing MLS with five shutouts. 2. Seattle Sounders (4-2-1, 13 pts) (2) Tyrone Marshall scores with the bottom of his foot to salvage 1-1 tie at Chicago. 3. Fire (2-0-5, 11 pts) (3) Now the only undefeated team left in MLS, but it doesn’t feel that way. 4. D.C. United (3-1-3, 12 pts) (5) Goalkeeper battle good for D.C.’s coaches, might be bad for high-priced Louis Crayton. 5. Dynamo (2-2-2, 8 pts) (8) Two wins in a row have Houston on the road back to usual spot –...By: Craig Stouffer
Washington Freedom midfielder/forward Sonia Bompastor was named WPS player of the week this afternoon. Guess who she got the nod over? St. Louis Athletica's Daniela, who it was revealed has a crack in her tibia and two damaged knee ligaments as a result of a tackle by Abby Wambach in the two teams' 3-3 draw on Sunday. The injury update prompted a statement from Wambach: “In regards to the injury Daniela sustained during our game, the thing I need to convey most is how hard it is for a player who has sustained a significant injury in the past year to now be on the other side of it,” Wambach said. “It’s been crucial for me to find out exactly what injuries Daniela has sustained because of how important I know she is to the Saint Louis franchise. I’ve been in contact with a close friend on the team to stay updated. Unfortunately soccer is a physical game and players do get injured. There was no intent on my side to cause any harm. I wish Daniela nothing but the speediest of recoveries. My thoughts and prayers are with...By: Craig Stouffer
...Including, but not limited to, a new URL and name for the blog. I apologize for having no redirect from the old blog/URL. I was given no timetable for the transition. A bummer, most definitely, given the improved traffic of recent. Hopefully, you've ended up here by checking me out on Twitter (twitter.com/craigstouffer) or been passed the word. In case you're looking for an RSS feed, it's here: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/penalty-kicks/index.rss2 Back to my actual work, which has me planted in the belly of RFK early this Tuesday as DCU's training sked was moved up to accommodate it's trip later today to Kansas City. Speaking of which, did you see the story about Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo's brush with death prior to last week's Thursday night game on ESPN2? Harrowing. What else is up with DCU? Well, By now, you may have seen that Jaime Moreno was named MLS player of the week. No surprise there. The big question this morning is who will be in the traveling party to Missouri/Kansas. Brandon Barklage, who was not in the 18 last weekend, told me he's in, and Avery John also seems likely to see his first minutes with the team tomorrow or this weekend. Meanwhile, I expect to hear from St. Louis Athletica today on the status of Daniela's knee, and I voted for the Freedom's Sonia Bompastor as player of the week -- we'll see if she gets it. Also, some...By: Craig Stouffer
Mia Hamm said she couldn't remember the last time she did a press conference after sitting down with Siri Mullinix and a few reporters yesterday, prior to the Washington Freedom/St. Louis Athletica match at Maryland SoccerPlex. Here are a few highlights from the presser: First, Hamm was wearing a Nike-emblazoned Washington Freedom jacket, had to be the WUSA version, since WPS' apparel sponsor is Puma... As for the presser itself, the first question for Hamm was straight out of U2 Rattle & Hum. You remember it, right before "Desire." "What has happened between the writing of the Joshua Tree album and the recording of the Joshua Tree album, and now the tour and the new songs?" Very specific. Hamm was gracious: "I never expected it to be this long, filled with the experiences that I had. When I first started, I mean, for me in college, I thought I will get through school, and then I will have to go and get a real job. Next thing you know, in '92 they talked about getting a league to keep playing after that. Then they talked about keeping the women and making a World Cup. That was exciting for all of us, but we kind of just took it year to year, day to day. I don’t know, it’s nothing that I expected, and it was definitely more organic than a lot of people thought. It just grew into these great opportunities, and I think a lot of that...By: Craig Stouffer
I'll round up where things stand for D.C. United with five days remaining until its 2009 opener a little later. But for now, here's the MLS preview that we squeezed into the paper today -- I highly recommend the George & Dragon if you're in Seattle -- along with my audaciously predicted finishes in the Eastern and Western conferences, the latter being listed below thanks to The Examiner's usual stellar web presence. WESTERN CONFERENCE 1. REAL SALT LAKE 2008>> 10-10-10 (3rd) Head coach>> Jason Kreis (2nd season) Key arrivals>> M Jean Alexandre, M Ned Grabavoy Key departures>> D Nathan Sturgis, M Dema Kovalenko, F Fabian Espindola, F Kenny Deuchar Outlook>> They’ve got a sweet new stadium (opened in October), a roster with little turnover plus a mix of youth and experience, and M Javier Morales, one of the best set-up men in MLS. This team is going places. 2. HOUSTON DYNAMO 2008>> 13-5-12 (1st) Head coach>> Dominic Kinnear (6th season) Key arrivals>> Tally Hall (G), Julius James (D), M Danny Cruz Key departures>> D Patrick Ianni, M/F Dwayne De Rosario, F Nate Jaqua Outlook>> If Kinnear weren’t such a great coach, there would be more concern about 23-year-old M Stuart Holden being handed the reins. The steadiest team in the league finally looks slightly more fallible. 3. SEATTLE SOUNDERS...By: Craig Stouffer
Rosters, signees, and even an injury. We'll start in reverse order: D.C. area local Michael Lahoud got injured in his first game. Preki must be banging his head against a wall. Most of the colleges around town have released their official signee lists. Defending national champ Maryland added one more today, Haitian-born Widner Saint Cyr, to go with the rest of its group, listed here and following: Jordan Cyrus (Virginia Beach, Va./Norfolk Academy), Taylor Kemp (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista HS), Jake Pace (Columbia, Md./River Hill HS), John Stertzer (Oakton, Va./Flint HS), Paul Torres (Bethesda, Md./Walt Whitman HS), London Woodberry (McKinney, Texas/McKinney HS), Norris Ethan White (Kensington, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School). Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis (Montreal Quebec, Canada/College de Montreal) enrolled with the Terps this spring. George Mason's is here and here: Alex Herrera (Yorktown High/D.C. United), Michael D'Arrigo (Catalina Foot Hills High (Ariz./Arizona Rush, Real Salt Lake), Ryan Reichmann (Hicksville High (N.Y.)/Albertson SC), Cooper Barham (Permian High (Tex.)/Dallas Texans), Victor Freeman (Bowie High/Louisburg College). Georgetown's is here and here: Andy Reimer (Georgetown Prep/Potomac Academy), Ian Christianson (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Chicago Fire Development Academy), Matt Hammett (Smoky Hill High (Colo.)/Real Colorado), Mark Luxama (Brooklyn,...By: Craig Stouffer
Now, I wasn't in Los Angeles -- shocker, I know -- but after mulling over yesterday's game for about 12 hours, there are a few ideas I need to put out there to digest. First, awful penalty. What else do you say? I'm checking in with the league about any fallout -- will be interesting to see. Now, Galaxy fans can say Landon Donovan was robbed of a PK himself earlier after getting taken down by Christian Gomez. The replay, to me, showed that the foul was incurred outside the box, but I've been told it could be ruled that where it finished could've merited a PK call, but I'm not so sure -- seems like that would defeat the purpose of having the box in the first place and lead to lots of diving over the line into the box, which we've all seen and most of us dislike. Anyway, the goal meant that momentum was out of D.C. United's control, regardless of DCU head coach Tom Soehn's choosing to substitute immediately or not, I would argue. Do you think he blew it by not replacing bloody Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki right away? Donovan's second goal was indeed, from my TV view, a result of bad marking. Haven't seen any replays of potential offside. DCU still got a point on the road -- where it stunk last year -- against a team it lost to last year, 5-2. That's an improvement, and I think for this team, that can't be understated. With all the new, young faces and formations, to...By: Craig Stouffer
What have I been doing since my last blog post? I shall explain. Mainly, I took advantage of Georgetown hoops falling into Tuesday’s 2 p.m. game at the Big East Tournament, making a little pilgrimage up to NYC for a first-ever visit to Madison Square Garden. It was also my first time covering a road game for the Hoyas, who lost for the second time in a week to St. John's and should now be headed to the NIT. Don’t think for a second that I was The Cooler. It just ain’t so. My 30 hours in the city were ridiculously entertaining, starting with the loudest silence I’ve ever encountered in the Georgetown locker room after the loss to the Red Storm. Actually, that was just awkward. At RFK, the D.C. United players can avoid the press by staying in the nether regions of their clubhouse. In the tiny dressing rooms at MSG, no such luck. Other highlights of my trek: witnessed a homeless guy physically assault a security guard who had confronted him about loitering outside his building; raised hell to convince the security desk at the Hearst Corp. building that they’d accidentally taken my driver’s license as collateral in exchange for a visitors’ pass -- they eventually found it in the garbage; saw an only-in-NYC-loud lovers’ quarrel on the street; bought a latte at the Starbucks were Paul Giamatti often hangs out; was served dinner by...By: Craig Stouffer
The MLS Players Union salary list has been updated. I haven't gone through the whole thing yet, but for D.C. United, there are three notable non-minimum salary additions: Dejan Jakovic ($90,000 base/$108,812.50 guaranteed), Ange N'Silu ($65,004/$76,254), and Josh Wicks ($42,000/$42,000). Anthony Peters is listed at a hair above the minimum -- $34,008 -- what's the eight for?...By: Craig Stouffer
Two nice quotes from D.C. United's Devon McTavish from his visit to the RFK media room today, and a leftover from Ben Olsen's comments prior to Tuesday's kickoff luncheon: First, McTavish, who along with Greg Janicki didn't do any running today, on concussions at D.C. United: "I don’t know what the deal is. I don’t know if we’re cursed here or something. Maybe if we get a new stadium it will help that situation." Hee hee. He also gave some thoughts about Olsen's return (my story will be in tomorrow's print edition). I asked him about the balance between Olsen's leadership and his high quality of play: "You always expect him to perform at his best. He has that quality when he’s on the field, he’s going to do well. There’s something about his leadership, his style of play, throwing his body in front of the ball and his passion that no one else really seems to. All the players around him can feed off that. I think that’s a big reason for our downfall last year was we never had that player.” Olsen was asked on Tuesday about his role, and responded with this really interesting anecdote: "I remember when I was young. After every game, I’d be [cursing] Richie Williams left and right. 'He won’t leave me alone out there.' But the more I look back on my early days, he made me such a better player...By: Craig Stouffer
By the way, here's my Washington Freedom story, which is also in today's print edition, and my D.C. United game story, which is not. Going back through my in-game notes from last night, let me see if I can hit both D.C. United and Chicago. United's first half was quite strong indeed. Bryan Namoff was superb -- two strong showings from him in a row, one on each side of the back line, too -- as were the two rookie wings, Chris Pontius and Rodney Wallace. Pontius is an early front runner for rookie of the year (did I say it first?). Christian Gomez was active, too. He nearly picked out Ben Olsen's head for a goal, and just before halftime he burst down the middle on a counter, but chose a through-ball to Luciano Emilio when he should've hit Pontius, who had a better chance to out run the Fire back line. Emilio, by the way, used the word 'panic' to perfectly describe United's early second half. Dejan Jakovic lost his poise, Josh Wicks got anxious, and Chicago's second-year forward, Patrick Nyarko, was too good not to make them pay. Nyarko -- break-out season on its way, don't you think? That said, it's hard to figure out how Chris Rolfe wasn't in Chicago's first eleven. Marco Pappa, though he assisted on the Fire goal, was far too predictable burying himself in the right corner and trying to cut the ball back to his left foot. Justin Mapp was dangerous, too, but there...By: Craig Stouffer
Who was the one guy I didn't see training fully with D.C. United today? That would be goalkeeper Josh Wicks, who was riding the bike and trying to get over his hip flexor strain sustained late in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Chicago. As for the rest of the injury report: Devon McTavish (head wound), Fred (hamstring), Santino Quaranta (hamstring) and Greg Janicki (head wound) were all out there. In order, here's their listing on the official injury report: doubtful, probable, questionable and probable. Okay, then. Jaime Moreno said he took it easy on Christian Gomez despite Bolivia's 6-1 thrashing of Argentina yesterday. He gave a couple thoughts on Houston -- "We have to be cautious about it because they have a good team, and they’ve been playing together for quite a while" -- and his fitness -- "I feel like I can go whatever the coach wants me to go. He’s the one who decides, the one who sees, and if he sees that I’m not right for 90, then I just got to keep working." If I recall in the past, coming on a substitute hasn't really suited Moreno in the past. I'm not saying that it will happen this weekend, just that managing his expectations is not an easy one. Goalkeeper Louis Crayton said he's one hundred percent -- that he's lost three pounds each of the last two weeks. Quaranta joked that his wife doesn't like coming to games when...By: Craig Stouffer
Before I mull the Washington Freedom's inaugural WPS match, I need put my college hoops hat on -- you may or may not know that I where it during the winter -- and direct you briefly to Cheers & Jeers, where we have an intimate look at Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, a guy our staff followed closely in his high school days. Nothing like Reynolds vs. North Carolina's Ty Lawson, another Washington-area guy, this weekend in the Final Four. Just imagine if UNC's Marcus Ginyard and UConn's Jerome Dyson were healthy -- plenty of Beltway appeal at Ford Field, though not any local teams. As my one colleague noted, the discussion always seems to come back to Gary Williams' recruiting. But I'll try to avoid stepping into that maelstrom. As for the Freedom, I enjoyed this game story about the Freedom's 2-0 defeat. Briana Scurry should definitely be bitter about the first goal. The same sentiments for Abby Wambach when it comes to her two first-half chances, even though Karina LeBlanc's save on the first one was stellar. Lori Lindsey's volley off the post in the second half would've changed things had it gone in, but Los Angeles always looked more dangerous on the ball while Washington couldn't seem to vary things beyond trying to find Wambach over the top. Defensively, Washington improved as the game progressed and held Marta in check for the most part. Sonia Bompastor was active,...By: Craig Stouffer
You mean, there's a U.S. match tonight? Oh, right -- yeah, I'll be at Babylon Futbol Cafe in Bailey's Crossroads to catch the action... Meanwhile, Real Maryland and Crystal Palace USA have announced a preseason match on April 10 at UMBC. The winner will be awarded the DeOrsey Maryland Cup, which was founded last year in honor of the late Matt DeOrsey. Crystal Palace president and Co-Manager Pete Medd was a teammate and close friend of DeOrsey’s at Middletown High School and at Towson. This is DoOrsey's bio, courtesy of CPUSA: Matt grew up playing soccer in Montgomery County, winning five state cups with his youth club team, the Potomac Alliance. He also led Potomac to the USYSA National Final Four in 1992. At Middletown High School, where he was a two time All-State selection, he set team career records for goals scored (65) and points (100). In 50 regular season games during his four years on varsity, the Middletown Knights went undefeated and DeOrsey and Medd led the Knights to the Maryland State Championship in 1993. He was a seven-time member of the Maryland ODP team and also represented Maryland on the Region 1 ODP team. He played at Towson University in Baltimore leading the Tigers to the America East Conference regular season championship in 1998. Matt went on to play professionally in the USL for the Delaware Wizards. DeOrsey died suddenly at his home...By: Craig Stouffer
Big news. The three D.C. United/Washington Freedom doubleheaders that we expected to happen are actually happening. The only catch is that the Aug. 8 date, which seemed logical since the Freedom host Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY) and United hosts K.C. that day, isn't included. Instead, the Freedom's originally scheduled June 14 game against Chicago was moved a day earlier to create a Chi-town double bill on June 13. The other two dates: Saturday, May 23 -- Freedom vs. NJ/NY at 5 p.m., United vs. Real Salt Lake at 7:30; and Saturday, July 18 -- Freedom vs. Saint Louis Athletica at 5:30 p.m., United vs. Colorado at 8....By: Craig Stouffer
Here's my D.C. United story in today's print edition. Not sure how the Prince George's Council's thumbs down vote affects things... Two roster notes: Domenic Mediate has been told by the team to pursue other opportunities, and developmental roster member Ryan Miller is also being released this week. I'm headed out to the Washington Freedom media day this morning, where Mark Washo has been named new president and general manager. He said season tickets are at just about 1,000. Have you bought yours?...By: Craig Stouffer
Is it me, or is this Fairfield Inn advert at least somewhat reminiscent of the Dick's Sporting Goods piece featuring Ben Olsen that ran 400 times every MLS game last year? Here's the injury update from D.C. United training today: Fred (hamstring) trained, while Santino Quaranta (hamstring) and Greg Janicki (head) worked out on the side, as did goalkeeper Josh Wicks (groin). Devon McTavish (head) did not train. I asked head coach Tom Soehn about his thoughts on Jaime Moreno's performance against Chicago: "He's still finding his legs. There were some good moments but there were also things we need to improved upon. I think he can still work a little bit harder, but I can say about a couple other guys. He's still working his way in. He had a couple off-season surgeries, and it takes a little time. Sometimes the best way to get through that is to push him through some...By: Craig Stouffer
You could go to American University this afternoon for the Patriot League final (4:45, ESPN2/1500 AM). Winner gets a berth in the NCAA Tournament. I'll be there. You could try out for MLS, even here in D.C. (there's no way I can find the actual blog post, but I swear I mentioned this was a possibility late last season). Tryouts are March 21-22 at SoccerPlex in Germantown. Know anyone who's entry was accepted? By the way, the guy who won a simliar competition in Seattle earlier this winter lasted about three practices. You could attend the Tiffany Cup Tournament next month. Here's the schedule. Ooooh, Real Madrid, Blackburn youth teams! You could attend a USL2 (Real Maryland, Crystal Palace USA, Richmond Kickers) or WPS (Washington Freedom) match this season. Are you planning to? The Kickers just signed Kenny Cutler of Real Salt Lake fame. The Freedom host Sky Blue FC in a preseason match on Saturday at 2. You should go to the bone marrow donor drive on Sunday at RFK. Anything else? I should...By: Craig Stouffer
Did you see the four selections from the Sueño MLS tryouts last weekend at Maryland SoccerPlex? Here they are (from the official release): --Originally from Peru, forward Cesar Bazan from Derwood, Md., impressed scouts with his confidence and technical skills. Scout Raul Diaz Arce compared his style to French legend Zinedine Zidane. --Haitian Max Ferdinand is a flashy forward from Reading, Pa. Once a participant in Chicago Fire’s pre-season camp, his sensational goal in the second day of the tryouts helped solidify his place as a finalist --Defender Manfredis Hernandez, of Mount Rainier, Md., is part of the D.C. area’s large Salvadoran community. He showed not only skill, but heart and determination to impress the scouts. --At a height of 6 foot-5 inches, Moroccan-born goalkeeper Oussana Maukran from Alexandria, Va., definitely stood out from the crowd. But it was his skill and on-field leadership that impressed Maessner and his staff. He remained in top form throughout the weekend, earning a unanimous selection from the scouts. Nice work, boys. Here are a couple things to look out for today: WPS commission Tonya Antonucci and MLS commish Don Garber will both be on national conference calls this afternoon. Antonucci will discuss potential Tweet-ing during WPS games and Garber will bask in the glow of last week's Northwest MLS...By: Craig Stouffer
Last weekend's D.C. United home opener saw the second-lowest attendance (15,895) in franchise history, which led to some speculation that fans may have been siphoned off by both the U.S./El Salvador match and Elite Eight games in the NCAA Tournament. MLS teams individually control their own start times, and in theory the kickoff could've been moved up because the game was only available on Direct Kick anyway, which would've at least allowed folks to get home and catch most of U.S. match. So I poised the question to DCU spokesman Doug Hicks, did they ever consider moving the kickoff? He provided this response: "We didn't consider changing the start time. We feel that the rain and cold were the biggest deterrents to ticket sales Saturday night. Early-season matches before the break in the weather are often tough sells for us. Though Saturday nights crowd was as spirited as you'll find in the League, you can be sure larger crowds will come later in the...By: Craig Stouffer
I'm not promising anything, except that it isn't yet a done deal when it comes to D.C. United's 20 senior roster spots. I wondered last week about the status of Domenic Mediate, who seemed to be on the outside looking in, right? Let's revisit: 1.Burch 2.Crayton 3.Doe 4.Emilio 5.Fred 6.Gomez 7.Jacobson 8.Jakovic 9.Janicki 10.Khumalo 11.McTavish 12.Moreno 13.N'Silu 14.Namoff 15.Olsen 16.Peters 17.Pontius 18.Quaranta 19.Simms 20.Wicks Developmentals 21.Wallace 22.Barklage 23.Miller 24.Kocic But wait, United GM Dave Kasper just told me that Mediate remains in contention, which means if he's kept, than someone from that list of 20 would have to go. Candidates would be from the back line, I'd have to say. Peters? Janicki?...By: Craig Stouffer
D.C. United is doing its part to help find a bone marrow donor match for Real Salt Lake midfielder Andy Williams' wife, Marcia Williams, hosting a bone marrow drive Sunday, March 15, at RFK Stadium from 12 to 5 p.m. Former D.C. United and RSL defender Eddie Pope will be there from 12-1, and Ben Olsen is also slated to make an appearance. The rest of this post comes from the press release: Williams was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia last summer and only a bone marrow transplant will save her life. In the last few weeks, Marcia’s blood counts have severely deteriorated and she desperately needs to find a donor match. A marrow donor must be between the ages of 18 and 55 years and in general good health. The test to identify someone as a donor is non-invasive, and consists of swabbing the person’s cheeks. If the person is identified as a donor, the donation can be done one of two ways: through a blood sample (this is the most common donation), or through a bone marrow extraction from the hip. These donations can help one of the 16,000 people who are desperately waiting for a transplant, among them, Marcia Williams. DKMS has partnered with Soccer Unites Utah in Salt Lake City and now in Washington, D.C. to help find a life-saving donor match for Marcia’s rare bone marrow tissue type. U.S. Soccer Federation referee Steve Taylor, a veteran with...By: Craig Stouffer
D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper spoke with some of us writer hacks before the team's kickoff luncheon earlier today at National Harbor -- seriously, why didn't they just build a stadium in the parking lot there? I'm just sayin' -- and Kasper shared my sentiment that Sunday's draw wasn't exactly a disappointment. He was glowing when asked about the rookies and new guys: "We definitely gained confidence," said Kasper. "We know we deserved three points, and we felt good about the way we played. We’re going to build from there." So, to the injury and absence questions: First, Jaime Moreno: "Jaime had the two offseason surgeries, wasn’t really able to do an off-season conditioning program so his starting points weren’t great at the beginning of the season, and he’s still getting his fitness as we go. He was going to go in the game [before the collision between Devon McTavish and Greg Janicki]." Speaking of which, McTavish and Janicki are treading lightly through tomorrow but expect to return to full training on Thursday unless any complications from their head injuries arise. What about Ben Olsen? Should anyone be nervous that he won't make it through the week? "Benny’s going to be fine. His first-team minutes have increased from the start of preseason to this past weekend. The ankle’s getting...By: Craig Stouffer
It's a press release from D.C. United. Read it, know it. WHO: Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, Delegation Chairs Sen. Anthony Muse and Del. Melony Griffith, Members of the General Assembly, as well as D.C. United co-owner Victor B. MacFarlane and team president Kevin Payne. WHAT: Sen. Muse and Del. Griffith have introduced legislation that will enable D.C. United, the most successful professional soccer club in American history, to move to Maryland and work with the Maryland Stadium Authority to build a stadium. County Executive Johnson and other elected and community leaders will join the team and legislators to support this effort. WHEN: Monday, February 16, 2009 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Prince George's Community College Kent Hall, Room 262 301 Largo Road Largo, MD 20774 Media members may park in Lot H WHY: D.C. United’s mission is: “Win Championships and Serve the Community.” This effort would bring a great team and committed neighbor to Maryland. Real Economic Stimulus: According to an independent report commissioned by the Maryland Stadium Authority last fall, a new D.C. United stadium will generate $65 million to $80 million annually in economic impact - the equivalent of more than 1,000 jobs. Construction alone will create more than 250 additional jobs. A Stadium That Pays For Itself: The stadium is...By: Craig Stouffer
Maybe Nevin Subotic more than Guiseppe Rossi, for Aaron Maund, who has chosen the U.S,, and vice versa, for the upcoming U-20 CONCACAF Championship rather than Trinidad & Tobago, which he played for at the U-17 level. My understanding is he's an athletic centerback/wing defender with tons of upside. We'll have to see if FIFA gives its nod of approval....By: Craig Stouffer
More goalkeepers? Yes, add Nic Platter, who was with the Minnesota Thunder last season, to the list, which makes six, along with Louis Crayton, Milos Kocic, Mike Graczyk, James Thorpe and Bill Hamid. Not sure how long he'll be with D.C., the team leaves tomorrow for Puerto Rico. I can imagine they'll bring four keepers with them. Mamadou Danso was in practice, the team announced Zach Wells' retirement, and everybody trained fully except Andrew Jacobson, Marc Burch and Fred, who all worked very hard as they recover from their different injuries. Could be more after we talk to the...By: Craig Stouffer
Or, if you prefer, a scrimmage matching preseason-form D.C. United squad versus an out-of-season Maryland team. Either way, it's happening at Ludwig Field on Sunday....By: Craig Stouffer
Well, D.C. United picked up Mike Gracyzk in its trade with Colorado last week, and promptly left him at home for this week's trip to Puerto Rico. United general manager Dave Kasper tells me that the four traveling keepers are Louis Crayton, Milos Kocic, James Thorpe and Nic Platter. As I've mentioned, academy goalie Bill Hamid can't travel -- to my knowledge, it would affect his amateur status. Hmmm. Also, by my count, there are 27 of 28 players present and accounted for the Caribbean adventure. Not sure who 28 is, but i'm sure we'll find out soon...By: Craig Stouffer
The Freedom claims the all-important color red. Not quite as sure about the skort thing. Reaction?...By: Craig Stouffer
Actually, not much, if you're on my twitter feed -- twitter.com/craigstouffer -- because there you'll see that D.C. United's news was all there: that defender Mike Zaher was let go and that United president Kevin Payne said the list of stadium sites in Maryland is down to three. I bailed a little early on training in order to help get our new intern set up to write a story, and so I only just found out about United picking up 6-foot-4, 23-year-old Canadian defender Dejan Jakovic. Hmmm. Kyle Veris wasn't in practice today, and one wonders about the plans for Mamadou "Futty" Danso and Anthony Peters. Calls have been placed to find out. Perhaps we'll see on Sunday vs. Maryland. UPDATE: Just heard from DCU GM Dave Kasper, who said that first, Veris is done, United isn't pursuing him anymore. Second, the scrimmage vs. Maryland at College Park has been moved to Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions expected on Sunday....By: Craig Stouffer
Of course I watched the U.S. game last night, although I didn't start the DVR until nearly 11 p.m. after covering GW hoops. The soccer, thankfully, was riveting but so much so that I had trouble falling asleep well past the final whistle. Makes for a rough morning. Two quick links from ESPN Soccernet to help capture my thoughts: This one, because of this excerpt: "Once again, the U.S. conjured up a solid team performance that was greater than the sum of the individual parts," and this one, because of this excerpt: "[Michael] Bradley's masterful performance on Wednesday night should signal his arrival as one of the national team's most important players, a box-to-box midfielder who can score goals as well as neutralize an opposing attack." Yes, the offense still needs work -- Brian Ching may not be the answer in a World Cup group match against a European power, but he can get the job done in CONCACAF -- and the backline wasn't the best ever, but that was as dominant a midfield performance as I can remember for the U.S. Haven't we spent the last decade or more watching American teams simply withstand pressure and wait for the counter? There was none of that last night because Bradley, Sacha Kljestan, DaMarcus Beasley and Clint Dempsey not only got into tackles but one- or two-touched their way from defense to offense. That's a sign of quality. The...By: Craig Stouffer
Awaiting a check-in from D.C. United on any news outside of this match report from their 2-1 exhibition win over Puerto Rico on Saturday night. From the looks of it, head coach Tommy Soehn got a good portion of his veteran players on the field for significant minutes. However, trialist keeper Nic Platter was the only guy to see action in goal. Hmmmm. Also, the latest center back experiment, Anthony Peters, saw the majority of the action. Can't help but think there's pressure on Mamadou "Futty" Danso to get up to speed, and fast, if he wants to stick around....By: Craig Stouffer
New year, new Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup bracket (why, again, do MLS teams have their own qualifying games?). Anyway, D.C. United will open it's title defense April 22 at RFK Stadium against FC Dallas, and apparently meet New York or San Jose with a...By: Craig Stouffer
With a little over a month until the season starts, the Washington Freedom completed the signings of foreign picks Homare Sawa (Japan) and Sonia Bompastor... Here's the list of important dates, courtesy of WPS HQ: February 23 - Team deadlines to announce preseason schedules and exhibitions February 24 - WPS Team Uniform unveiling in Manhattan (Home & Away) March 2 - Training camps open; players report March 2 - Deadline for preseason rosters to be announced March 12 - U.S. Women’s National Team and other international players report to camp following Algarve & Cyprus Cups March 13 - Teams must announce roster cut-downs to 24 players March 19 - 10-day countdown to WPS Inaugural Match March 25 - Teams must announce final Opening Day rosters (18 players + optional 4 developmental players) March 29 - WPS Inaugural Match April 4-5 - WPS Kick-Off...By: Craig Stouffer
Well, ain't that a coincidence. I'd just learned that Mawete Ange N'Silu had agreed to terms with D.C. United when bang!, the team announces it. Cheeky. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace USA has inked three locals: Stephen Basso, Billy Chiles and Kevin Gnatiko. Basso, a Columbia, Md., native, played with Real Maryland last year. Chiles is a District native who played college ball at Towson. Gnatiko is from Gaithersburg, played in college at UMBC and last year in PDF for Cape...By: Craig Stouffer
So, we've got a nearly complete D.C. United roster (more on that below), a TV schedule replete with tons of HD games and no HDNet games that I wouldn't get, relief that MLS isn't stepping into the sports black hole that is South Florida, and a new wave of unsubstantiated momentum for the deserving Northwest (I seriously debated relocating to Seattle two years ago, should've done it). Bring on the MLS opener in front of 32,000+ that I'll be sure to watch -- because the opening day of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament really isn't that compelling. Isn't a relief that the MLS world hasn't been completely turned upside down? Since we're here, let's revisit United's roster for a moment. Yesterday the team added Anthony Peters -- seriously, it needs to be explained how a 6-5, 205 lb Baton Rouge native is not an NFL wide receiver or a NBA forward -- and Brandon Barklage (the next Devon McTavish?). We're all familiar with the ongoing goalkeeper stuff -- "waiting for guys to separate themselves," was how DCU assistant coach Mark Simpson put it to me yesterday -- so no need to rehash that. But it struck me, and I'm awaiting word back from team folks, what's the deal with Domenic Mediate? He was at practice yesterday, but there doesn't seem to be room left on the final roster. Help me with my count, please: Senior roster (20...By: Craig Stouffer
Just briefly caught up with D.C. United GM Dave Kasper, who's back from Puerto Rico, with my main interest in finding out what's the latest on the battle for goalkeeping spots. Basically, no decisions yet -- the roster has be cut down by Monday -- EXCEPT that GK Mike Gracyzk, who was part of the Christian Gomez deal with the Rapids, is done. Four guys left, three positions (two senior roster, one developmental): Louis Crayton, Milos Kocic, Nic Platter and James Thorpe. Kasper did say thet Mamadou "Futty" Danso has caught up and that Anthony Peters had a good camp. With Kyle Veris also in the mix, it'll be interesting to see who might be the odd man out come...By: Craig Stouffer
2008 national champion Maryland announced its spring slate of scrimmages this morning, and the highlight may not be this weekend's run-around versus D.C. United. Instead, the Terps are set to host Wake Forest at RFK on April 17 at 4 p.m., a few hours before D.C. United and New England go at each other on ESPN2... Here's the Terps' whole skeddy: v. D.C. United - Sun., March 1 - 1 p.m. - Ludwig Field (College Park) v. Rochester Rhinos - Wed., April 1 - 7:30 p.m. - Ludwig Field (College Park) v. Wake Forest - Fri., April 17 - 4 p.m. - RFK Stadium (Washington D.C.) at Creighton - Sun., April 26 - 1 p.m. - Morrison Stadium (Omaha, Neb.) at UMass - Fri., May 1 - 7:30 p.m. - Rudd Field (Amherst,...By: Craig Stouffer
I got that part down. However, I've had a couple things today that I "tweeted" and didn't subsequently blog, until now. Stupid brain. Oh, yeah. By the way, you can find me at www.twitter.com/craigstouffer Anyway, The Pitch gets a little love from a D.C. United fan group in Maryland that's psyched to have the team move to Maryland. Also, The Offside Rules handled this one nicely about Grant Wahl, who gave a nice window into his upcoming book on David Beckham in a piece in this week's Sports Illustrated. Juicy....By: Craig Stouffer
Former American forward Sal Caccavale and former Maryland midfielder Michael Marchiano, were among four signings announced by Real Maryland today. Caccavale was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in 2007 while Marchiano helped captain the Terps to their recent national championship. The rest of the Monarchs' signings can be seen here....By: Craig Stouffer
And it appears to have nine teams. It also reminds me, I should've posted news from Crystal Palace USA, which is psyched to have its core from last year back, including former American standout Larry Mark....By: Craig Stouffer
... or wishes it were, in my case, there still is some D.C. United stuff going on. First, I had chats with both D.C. United general manager Dave Kasper and newly signed midfielder Andrew Jacobson this afternoon. I have a little piece on Jacobson in tomorrow's print edition. The former Cal-Berkeley standout seemed genuinely excited to have a deal done, and even more excited to be in the U.S. He said he has no regrets about his experiences over the last year in Europe, but being home in the U.S. suits him much more. What did he learn in France?: "Tactically, it’s about as high a level as you get in the world. It was just a real crash course in learning the tactical part of the game. I think I really learned what it is to be a professional, and I learned everything that I didn’t in college. It was a really good experience, but I think I would’ve learned the same thing in D.C. as well." But wait, isn't Jacobson a defensive midfielder? That's the one spot where United doesn't need help -- Clyde Simms, Joe Vide, Ben Olsen, Devon McTavish -- but Jacobson's actually more of a two-way player. Versatility has been somewhat of a rare thing around D.C., the argument could be made. Kasper had some high praise for Jacobson, noting a couple one-two combinations that he had with Luciano Emilio during the games in Bradenton. Kasper also said that he continues...By: Craig Stouffer
Yeah, I bailed on this space over the weekend for some sunny weather and birthday activities -- guess my age, win a prize. No, not really. In any case, you've seen this already: GOALKEEPERS Brad Guzan (Aston Villa/ENG), Tim Howard (Everton/ENG) DEFENDERS Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes/FRA), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland/DEN), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard Liege/BEL), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock/GER), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC) MIDFIELDERS DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers/SCO), Michael Bradley (Borussia M"nchengladbach/GER), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Jose Francisco Torres (Pachuca/MEX) FORWARDS Jozy Altidore (Xerez/SPAIN), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF/SWE) Clint Dempsey (Fulham/ENG), Landon Donovan (Bayern Munich/GER). Name Caps/Goals Donovan, Landon 105/37 Beasley, DaMarcus 82/17 Hejduk, Frankie 81/6 Bocanegra, Carlos 62/10 Dempsey, Clint 46/13 Onyewu, Oguchi 38/5 Howard, Tim 35/0 Ching, Brian 32/9 Bradley, Michael 25/3 Califf, Danny 22/1 Pearce, Heath 21/0 Clark, Ricardo 16/1 Bornstein, Jonathan 14/1 Kljestan, Sacha 13/3 Guzan, Brad 11/0 Altidore, Jozy 6/2 Davies, Charlie 5/1 Torres, Jose Francisco 2/0 Wynne, Marvell 2/0 Rogers, Robbie 1/0 Now, who gets left off the final 18? My votes have to be Rogers and Torres. I...By: Craig Stouffer
Not like Michael Phelps...Because the weather here in D.C. was incredible Monday morning, D.C. United practiced for the first time this season on grass. Lots of fitness work with scrimmaging in the end. In the house: Puerto Rico Islanders forward Taiwo Atieno on trial. Most notable absence: Goalkeeper Zach Wells, who is off, essentially working on deciding whether he's going to continue and fight for a roster spot. Interestingly, DCU academy goalkeeper Bill Hamid has been helping provide numbers in the net. But his situation is complicated, as his NCAA eligibility is at risk if he travels with the team. In the media room: Fred sporting a mohawk, Luciano Emilio sporting hair extensions -- you read that correctly, Devon McTavish even getting love for his buzz cut, Milos Kocic talking about his brother, a former kickboxing champion and now a pilot in Serbia. Oh, and plenty of talk about players showing up on the Kiss Cam during the Capitals game at Verizon last weekend. We're not yet allowed to talk to Roger, who is still finalizing details of his contract, and Andrew Jacobson, who is finalizing his move back to MLS and an official release from Lorient FC in France (not quite sure about that one -- DCU did draft him, after all. Kocic hasn't signed yet, and he's already a media favorite.) The team leaves tomorrow for Bradenton, Fla.By: Craig Stouffer
D.C. United draft pick Lyle Adams, who was taken in the 2nd round out of Wake Forest, has struggled to impress in his recent European trials, according to one of his domestic advisers, and could very well be on the way back to the U.S. soon. However, Adams has had no contact with D.C. United, team general manager Dave Kasper said today. With Kyle Veris already trying to earn a spot, Roger passing his medical and showing up for practice on Friday, and other defenders already hoping to solidify their own places, Adams is behind the eight ball if he decides MLS is his best choice.By: Craig Stouffer
Have been a little MIA today, working on some hoops stuff for tomorrow. I haven't even had a chance to fully digest this one yet, but here's the Washington Freedom skeddy: Sunday, March 29 at Los Angeles Sol (FSC) Saturday, April 11 Chicago Red Stars (FSC) Saturday, April 18 Boston Breakers Sunday, April 26 at FC Gold Pride (FSC) Sunday, May 3 Saint Louis Athletica (FSC) Sunday, May 17 at Boston Breakers (FSC) Saturday, May 23 Sky Blue FC -- doubleheader possibility alert (RSL at DCU) Sunday, May 31 FC Gold Pride Sunday, June 7 at Los Angeles Sol (FSC) Sunday, June 14 Chicago Red Stars Saturday, June 20 at Saint Louis Athletica Wednesday, June 24 at Boston Breakers Wednesday, July 1 at Chicago Red Stars Sunday, July 5 Los Angeles Sol (FSC) Wednesday, July 15 at Sky Blue FC Saturday, July 18 Saint Louis Athletica -- doubleheader possibility alert (Colorado at DCU) Sunday, July 26 at Chicago Red Stars Wednesday, July 29 Boston Breakers Saturday, Aug. 1 at FC Gold Pride Saturday, Aug. 8 Sky Blue FC -- doubleheader possibility alert (KC at DCU) All the Fox Soccer Channel games are at 6 p.m., except for the home opener (5:30). The rest are TBD. Nothing like being on national TV for five of the first six games, eh? The USL schedule -- Richmond, Real Maryland, Crystal Palace USA, comes out...By: Craig Stouffer
Just caught up with George Mason head coach Greg Andrulis, who is once again searching for a new assistant coach, and found out that former Patriots midfielder and U.S. residency product Axel Levry has departed Fairfax after one college season to join the Vancouver Whitecaps development academy. Levry, who trained with 1860 Munich last summer, hails from Fort Washington, which makes two Patriots from Prince George's County going pro. Forward Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, a Bowie native, was a second-round pick for the Colorado Rapids in the recent MLS SuperDraft. Little known fact -- Adjeman-Pamboe impressed at the combine despite an MCL sprain.By: Craig Stouffer
Road trip to Charleston, anyone? Can't make it myself, college hoops conference tourneys are in full swing at that point. Anyway, here's what we know about D.C. United's preseason schedule: January 22 – February 2: Washington, DC February 3 – February 11: Bradenton, Fla. Tuesday, Feb. 10: Match vs. Columbus Crew February 12 – February 17: Washington, DC February 18 – February 25: TBD February 25 – March 4: Washington, DC March 5 – March 15: Charleston, SC Saturday, March 7: vs. Real Salt Lake (5 p.m.) Wednesday, March 11: vs. Toronto FC (5 p.m.) Saturday, March 14: vs. Charleston (7:15 p.m.) March 16-18: Washington, DC March 22: D.C. United at Los Angeles, season opener...By: Craig Stouffer
Unless there's a surprising development with Gonzalo Martinez, the 2008 D.C. United Latino infusion experiement is officially over, as general manager Dave Kasper confirmed this afternoon that Marcelo Gallardo's contract (worth $1.9 million last year, making him the highest paid player in DCU history) has been blown up, leaving the 34-year-old playmaker free to sign with a club back in his native Argentina, most likely River Plate. If you're keeping score at home, that makes five, assuming Martinez is also gone, just like Gonzalo Peralta, Jose Carvallo and Franco Niell (remember him?). Meanwhile, Marc Burch, Devon McTavish, Bryan Namoff and Santino Quaranta all have new contracts. Pretty interesting contrast. Housekeeping note: there's a three-story poster above the entrance to RFK Stadium that needs to come down... "We have reached an agreement with Marcelo to let him go back to Argentina and finish his career," said Kasper. "We’re basically releasing him from his obligations. He is now free to sign and finish his career down South. Here's the rest of Kasper's Q&A with the media: How do you feel? "It's disappointing. We were looking for him to come back and be healthy and spend a year here, but at the end of the day, he didn't settle in the way we thought and he made a final decision on his side that he wanted to finish playing down,...By: Craig Stouffer
If anybody can figure out what that is on Friday, April 17, when D.C. United makes its only home appearance on MLS Primetime, let me know. Kidding. United's got to like the schedule, for the most part. Plenty of home games early and late, lots of Saturdays. The midweek jaunt to Kansas City on May 6 with games on either weekend at home seems a bit silly, but MLS never plays favorites, right? Click here for DCU's full ride, and here for the MLS-wide version. Remember, games in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the qualifying round of the CONCACAF Champions League are still to be added. DCU is also discussing three doubleheaders with the Freedom over the...By: Craig Stouffer
I've been meaning to put down my thoughts on Major League Soccer and ESPN's "joint" decision to end MLS Primetime's exclusive Thursday night slot, but I wanted to make sure I had consulted with a couple of TV media friends to help get my thoughts in order. Here's the thing I keep coming back to: so what? Soccer isn't going away, especially not from ESPN, a network that knows its next area of growth is outside U.S. borders -- and that means the other football. Even if ratings aren't making an immediate lurch upward, bigger trends cannot be understated. First, the influence of new executives who are soccer people. Here's my guess if you polled every soccer reporter in this country to find out how many of them have worked for media outlets where editors either know nothing about the sport or constantly belittle it. I'd venture to say the answer is, oh, one hundred percent. But that is changing. Let's go back to 2006, and this story about ESPN exec John Skipper in The New York Times: "He found his passion — which extends to calling the United States team 'we' — first by coaching his two sons' teams but then through time spent in England in the mid-1990's when he was acquiring the soccernet.com Web site for ESPN... If not for his soccer education in England, Skipper said he might not have been in Zurich twice last year, just days into his becoming...By: Craig Stouffer
Mull this story, especially the chart, to start your day. *Yeah, I know it's already the preseason. Apparently, something was lost in translation between my typing and those putting my story on the page. Good times.By: Craig Stouffer
You may have seen this recent report on San Jose's interest in Reading and former D.C. United midfielder Bobby Convey. According to a source, Dallas and Los Angeles are also in the running.By: Craig Stouffer
The USL2 2009 schedule was supposed to be released last week, and I'm hearing it will finally happen on Wednesday. However, as one unnamed club official put it to me, "It may have eight teams, or it may have nine." You may remember two years ago, when the Virginia Beach Mariners promptly shut their doors just before the season started. I'm investigating at the moment, but according to my research, neither Real Maryland, Crystal Palace USA or Richmond is the troubled club in question. That leaves, in alphabetical order, Bermuda, Charlotte, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Western Mass., and Wilmington....By: Craig Stouffer
Here's the link to my Christian Gómez story in today's paper. As good a move as this may be for D.C. United, it is difficult to ignore the circumstances that led to his departure last year. United wasn't satisfied with simply winning consecutive Supporters' Shields. It wanted more, brought in Marcelo Gallardo et al. and let Gómez go after reaching an impasse in contract negotiations. The strategy backfired, and now it appears D.C. is attempting to rewind the clock, even though an aging Gómez is a year older, now 34, and guaranteed contract years had played a major role in why he didn't resign in the first place. I'm not suggesting he's washed up -- he may very well have the best season of his MLS career in 2009. But what does this mean for United's ambitions? Will a Supporters Shield, even if its followed by an early playoff exit, be enough?...By: Craig Stouffer
It looks we'll just have to keep watching Fox Soccer Channel after Sky kept its clutch on English Premier League rights. Or will we? This latest news probably means ESPN is a step closer to grabbing the broadband rights instead. That's right, ESPN360 (collective groan from Comcast subscribers like me. Can you guys just settle the ESPNU thing already?). The question is, do you watch games online? Do you think you will in the future?By: Craig Stouffer
Oh, those tricky guys over at D.C. United, keeping mum on two more players they were adding to the preseason roster until they got to...By: Craig Stouffer
This may come as news to you but Marcelo Gallardo has been linked with [insert any Argentinian first division club name here, with River Plate looking all but done] and appears to be on the verge of staying in Argentina. The phones apparently won't stop ringing at D.C. United, prompting release of the following statement: "We've spoken with Marcelo at length about his desire to continue his career in Argentina and expect resolution of the issue in the coming...By: Craig Stouffer
What did I see at D.C. United's first practice? I could tell you, but then head coach Tom Soehn would kill me. I'm going to hold off reciting the best overheard of the day -- seriously, i'd be banned from watching practice for the rest of the year -- but let's just put it this way, even amid the extra layers of clothing, which made it hard at times to distinguish between players, some rookies looked like rookies. Others did not. Rodney Wallace looked just fine. A number of other players looked surprisingly sharp. Soehn: "We pushed our guys to make sure that they did a good job in the offseason, and the first impression is that everybody’s done a good job. We have testing next week, but on the first day I can tell that everybody’s taken care of themselves this offseason." Absences: Marcelo Gallardo -- still in Argentina, back next week, finishing up some rehab and dealing with some personal issues. United general manager Dave Kasper: "His starting points won’t be great. He’s got to get healthy, get fit. Now it’s a matter of just finishing the final rehab and what he can bring in training....Initially he expressed that he may have had an interest in going back to Argentina. But it really never went anywhere. That was early in December." Fred -- still in Brazil, getting his visa renewed. Back next week. Zach Wells -- four...By: Craig Stouffer
But it's not. A couple things I noticed this morning. First, and this is a little old, but Bowie native Christine Nairn got her first call into U.S. national team camp. Also, George Mason head coach Greg Andrulis lost an assistant for the second straight season -- this time with former DCU-er Clint Peay taking over Richmond. Last year it was Kenny Arena moving to UCLA....By: Craig Stouffer
I'm working on a little story for tomorrow's print edition on the changing dynamics in D.C. United's locker room this season -- it's still very, very early, but I believe it does matter. In any case, I thought it would be appropriate to offer this teaser quote from Santino Quaranta, who is never afraid to say it like it is. "You had such a divided group, it felt like, last year, because it was guys here and guys [t]here," said Quaranta. "Now it’s more of a mix of younger Americans that are on a decent level of money now. That plays a part of it, no matter what anybody says, you know. We’re excited, it’s a good feeling in the locker room. Honestly, there weren’t a lot of problems in the locker room last year. But you could still sense that it wasn’t together. But now, it seems like from the coaching staff on down, that everyone’s on the same page." By the way, speaking of Quaranta, who do you think could/should play the No. 10 for DCU now that Marcelo Gallardo is gone? Quaranta, Fred, Jaime Moreno, Christian Gomez?By: Craig Stouffer
Despite Washington and Denver being 1,700 miles apart, Real Maryland and the Colorado Rapids announced an official partnership yesterday. What the heck? Certainly this will help the area's newest minor-league franchise, but at the same time, it's difficult to avoid wondering whether it will keep them from working closer with other MLS teams, including the one in its backyard. D.C. United maintains multiple relationships with minor-league clubs, notably Richmond and Crystal Palace USA, both of whom have already had informal discussions with DCU about strategies for working out loan deals and friendlies this season. Exclusivity is not in D.C.'s best interest, but stronger ties with USL clubs is the new reality thanks to MLS reducing its roster size to 24. "The challenging will be finding time for guys who are not getting playing time," said United general manager Dave Kasper. "We’ll look to have some reserve games where we set up friendlies against local USL teams and college teams, maybe look into the possibility of loaning some of our guys out to USL clubs for a week here, a couple weeks there, to get some playing time. It’s a balance." One other USL note -- it's come to my attention that Pachuca's interest in this country is most certainly leaning toward USL, not MLS as I linked to in this post. My bad. I suppose it's fair to say either the...By: Craig Stouffer
Regardless of the spelling, or misspelling, the Maryland senior defender's stock is on the rise after the MLS Combine. One can't help but wonder if it started too low in the first place. It always does. Why? At 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds, A.J. Delagarza does not pass the eye test, especially as a central defender. Fine. But that never stopped him before. "To win two national titles in four years is probably the greatest thing I’ve ever accomplished," said Delagarza two days after winning an NCAA championship. "I won two in youth soccer, but nothing compares to winning two at the college level because of all the high-caliber teams we play against." Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski, sitting two seats away, got a particular fire in his eyes when asked about Delagarza's prospects in the pro game. "There are very few defenders in today’s game that really fall in love with defending," said Cirovski. "Look, A.J. would be on any team I would coach at any level anywhere in the world. First of all, he’s a winner. He loves to defend. He plugs holes. He puts his body in harms way. He’s a lot more skillful than people give him credit for. He’s better in the air than people think he is. He’s won us a lot of games. When I was first looking at A.J., I had some of the same concerns until I saw him over a few games, and...By: Craig Stouffer
It's difficult to not be excited about next week's Major League Soccer SuperDraft, both because it is very deep and includes multiple players with local connections. Yes, I did cover Michael Lahoud when he was still in high school. That tends to make one into a sort-of homer. In any case, D.C. United owns picks six and seven in the first round -- you already know that -- and they're certainly not saying what they're going to do with those picks. I'm venturing a guess that a goalkeeper won't be taken, with a wink and a nod to our friend, Ives. As for current United players, I was told this morning that D.C. United will announce today that it's re-inked Marc Burch. Still in progress, however, both Devon McTavish and Bryan Namoff. Something's screwy, I must say -- Namoff's deal was one of those that was supposed to be done right after the season. He made $95,000 in base salary last year and was second on the team in league matches started (27) and minutes played (2,398). Ben Olsen, too, continues to progress or to make progress, depending on how optimistic you'd like to feel. The current plan is that he is going to go through preseason. We'll leave it at that.By: Craig Stouffer
MLS made this year's Generation Adidas class official yesterday, and with the combine starting tomorrow, I couldn't help but talk about the long list of local talent that will take part. Let's list them again: Generation Adidas Kevin Alston, Indiana, Silver Spring, Md. Rodney Wallace, Maryland, Rockville, Md. Jeremy Hall, Maryland Omar Gonzalez, Maryland Others: Michael Lahoud, Wake Forest, Fairfax, Va. Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, George Mason, Bowie, Md. Matt Poole, Virginia, Reston, Va. A.J. Delagarza, Maryland, Bryans Road, Md. Graham Zusi, Maryland Milos Kocic, Loyola So, we're excited. However, let's be honest, it's hard to imagine that every player is drafted next Thursday. With that in mind, I spoke with Virginia head coach George Gelnovatch yesterday about Poole, who could end up like one of two former teammates: Jeremy Barlow, who didn't have a good combine and never quite got himself into a team last year despite being drafted late by Houston and bouncing to both D.C. United and Los Angeles, or Adam Cristman, who was drafted late and has turned into a nice MLS forward in his first two seasons. "Matt’s got to do well at the combine," said Gelnovatch. "He’s not this guy right now who’s pegged to be drafted no matter how he does at the combine. He’s going to be one of these guys that by doing well at the combine, his stock will go...By: Craig Stouffer
This time of the Women's Pro Soccer variety. The Washington Freedom have rebuilt with -- count 'em -- six more members of their W-League team last season, along with one other former team member. And, oh, they picked up a goalkeeper you might know... Here's the rundown: Round 1, Allie Long (7th pick overall) -- North Carolina/Penn State, u-20 and u-21 U.S. WNT Round 2, Alex Singer* (8th) Round 4, Jill Gilbeau* (22nd) Round 4, Parrissa Eyorokon (23rd) -- Purdue Note: also picked up Joanna Lohman* (Penn State, a handful of U.S. caps, played for Freedom a couple years back, too) from St. Louis in exchange for their 3rd round pick Round 5, Briana Scurry (35th) Round 6, Rebecca Moros* (36th) Round 7, Sarah Senty* (49th) Round 8, Kati Jo Spisak* (50th) Round 9, Claire Zimmeck (63rd) -- William & Mary/W.T. Woodson High. How's that one? Woodson represents at two drafts in two days. First, Michael Lahoud, now Zimmeck. Round 10, Christen Karniski* (64th) *Member of last year's W-League team. That makes 10 from that team -- 11 if you include Lohman -- if you include Becky Sauerbrunn, Sarah Huffman, Lori Lindsey, and Emily Janss, who've already been drafted.By: Craig Stouffer
We need only to look at the recent explosion of rumors about where U.S. Soccer was considering staging it's World Cup qualifier next month against Mexico to get a sense of what is true and what isn't when it comes to Mexican news outlets. Guilty as charged, eh? But make no mistake, this story reeks of being legit. In running it up the flag pole to MLS headquarters, the response I got was essentially: Pachuca did not submit a bid for the latest round of MLS expansion. The league is considering two cities from its list of six bid: Atlanta, Miami, Ottawa, Portland, St. Louis and Vancouver. The accepted bids are expected to be announced before the start of the upcoming season. Not exactly a denial, at the very minimum of Jesús Martínez's quotes, if you get my drift.By: Craig Stouffer
Who's excited for MLS Combine 2009? I refuse to be pessimistic about what comes out of the next seven days for MLS as guys try to make their dreams come true. I clearly remember Chris Rolfe scoring his first career goal against D.C. United as an unheralded rookie in 2005 -- he still had long hair then, and looked about 12 years old. Anyway, some good news on the women's side of things, the Washington Freedom is first WPS team to have signed its domestic picks from the WPS general draft back in October: No. 3 overall selection Becky Sauerbrunn, No. 17 pick Lori Lindsey No. 17, and No. 28 pick Emily Janss have all completed contracts. Conspicuously, No. 1 overall pick Sarah Huffman's contract isn't complete yet, but it should be soon, along with deals for the team's international players. Speaking of WPS, their college draft is also next week in St. Louis. Ten rounds! Makes my head spin. At the minimum times, we're talking 5-6 hours. Ay...By: Craig Stouffer
What was my first impression of D.C. United's selections in the 2009 draft? Mission accomplished, it would be difficult not to think, considering the selection of two defenders (Rodney Wallace (Maryland/Bullis) and Lyle Adams (Wake Forest)), two rated attacking players (Chris Pontius (UCSB) and Brandon Barklage (St. Louis)) and a decent goalkeeper (Milos Kocic (Loyola)). (By the way, I can't go any further without commenting on Bruce Arena picking Maryland's two starting center backs, Omar Gonzalez and A.J. Delagarza. So what we're saying is, Maryland's starting back line in 2008 was better than the L.A. Galaxy's back line in 2008? Absolutely.) Wallace is a great pickup. I've had people say to me that he was the most pro-ready of Maryland's five players in the draft, including Gonzalez. Pontius we know less about simply because he spent his college career on the West Coast, but he will be measured against a bunch of guys that United declined to choose with that seventh pick. There certainly will be plenty of eyes on how Kevin Alston (Indiana/Silver Spring, Md.) and Jeremy Hall (Maryland) do this season, as both are players that are known in Washington. Also, the addition of Kocic made it clear that is clear that United preferred Pontius, and preferred Kocic over Cal's Stefan Frei, who was unquestionably the top goalkeeping prospect available. It also puts the pressure on...By: Craig Stouffer
A quick thought about what's going on up in New York. So you're telling me that the Red Bulls now have Dominic Oduro, Macoumba Kandji, Matthew Mbuta and Dane Richards? As one USL coach put it to me this afternoon: That's not an attacking front line. That's a 4x100 relay...By: Craig Stouffer
As I posted here last month, Ali Krieger expected to be called into this month's U.S. women's national team camp along with these guys, a group that includes the Washington Freedom's Abby Wambach. However, it the midst of her holiday rehab work from a previous injury that had kept her off the field for most of the fall, Krieger broke her foot. She told me she's having surgery this week and expects to be sidelined for two months, and that she's keeping U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage informed. Speaking of the Freedom, I'm working on finding out exactly why Cat Whitehill wasn't invited to camp. She has been living and rehabbing from her own injury in Durham, N.C. Via our friends at the Freedom, Whitehill has been cleared to play but in talking it over with Pia, they both decided it would be best for her not to rush back and jeopardize her WPS season or career...By: Craig Stouffer
Former D.C. United draft pick Andrew Jacobson, who chose France and Lorient instead of MLS last year, then played in the Futsal World Cup for the U.S., and is back in Europe, hopes to sort out his plan for the spring during the current transfer window. He currently remains under contract with Lorient. Jacobson said today that he's been in touch with teams in France, the rest of Europe as well as United. He hasn't ruled out anything but said that is he will "do what I think will most benefit my career, which could mean staying where I...By: Craig Stouffer
(only had a little space in the print edition so a long bonus story here...) One minute, it was a nice little comeback for the Washington Freedom that might or might not have still fallen short. The next, it was a classic match in the young history of WPS. The Freedom salvaged a 3-3 draw with St. Louis Athletica thanks to three header goals from their two shortest players on the field in the final 11 minutes of regulation on a rainy night at Maryland SoccerPlex. But the result was overshadowed by an unfortunate tackle that looked likely to have ended Athletica’s best player’s season. On the ensuing kickoff after Abby Wambach fed Lisa DeVanna for a far post header to cut the St. Louis lead to 3-2 in the 79th minute, Wambach charged into Brazilian midfielder Daniela, who had scored twice already in the match but saw her night come to an end as she was taken off the field on a stretcher with a serious right knee injury. According to game operations staff at Maryland SoccerPlex, Daniela lost consciousness at one point in the locker room due to the pain, leading to the appearance of a defibrillator, even though it apparently was not used. Daniela eventually was taken away from the facility in an ambulance for precautionary reasons. “I think at the end of the day,” said Wambach, who is coming off a broken leg herself. “I’m real sorry that...By: Craig Stouffer
I'm never good at doing one last post before I bolt from RFK, so I'll make this quick. First, here's my game story from the 2-1 D.C. United victory. Some things that will keep me from sleeping tonight: 1. DCU is tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. 2. Jaime Moreno stole the show, even in the first half. His passing was crisp, he was tough, composed, involved. Sharp. (That said, he was WIDE open on both his goals. How does a defense forget about him? Seriously?) 3. Christian Gómez was superb in his role as second-half sub. 4. Speaking of which, DCU gaffer Tom Soehn went for the win, putting in Gómez right after Moreno's goal. 5. Milos Kocic was punch-crazy in goal, but he said it was because he was getting fouled a ton, particularly by Kenny Cooper. I don't have the highlight, but at one point Kocic delivered an upper cut to a loose ball. I've never seen that before. 6. Should Schellas Hyndman's job be in jeopardy? 7. Attendance at RFK was under 15,000 again on a perfect night. Averaging 14,289 after four games, it's going to be darn hard for DCU to get anywhere near its average from the last two years (20,000+ in 2007, just under that last year). Just saying....By: Craig Stouffer
I thought D.C. United head coach Tom Soehn's statement in this story was quite telling. I'm not sure he had admitted before of the idea that he knew at times last year that the players at his disposal weren't good enough. Back to this season, United's upcoming stretch of three games in eight days is certainly a chance for him to get on the radar for coach of the year. While I'm here, United should learn today the results of the "coin flip" that will determine who hosts the U.S. Open Cup match between D.C. and New York. U.S. Soccer put out its first release regarding the tournament yesterday, a release that glaringly didn't include any mention of the winner earning a place in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. Part of the reason has to do with the fact that CONCACAF hasn't announced the format for its tournament. The expectation is if it stays the same, the U.S. Open Cup winner is likely to be included again....
To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.
Sports
Economy
India's Infosys says quarterly profit up 1.6 pct, but warns of steep revenue drop
Indian outsourcing bellwether Infosys Technologies Ltd. reported a slight rise in quarterly profit in dollar terms but warned of a steep drop in revenue as its global clients struggle to cope with the economic slowdown. Full story
Entertainment
Judge temporarily bans release of sex tape starring 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' woman
One of the stars of Bravo's television series "Real Housewives of New Jersey" went to court Wednesday to avoid getting a little more exposure than she wanted. Full story
