D.C. once owned series vs. the Red Bulls
Both the old and the new are converging at RFK Stadium.
D.C. United forward Charlie Davies has promised a throwback celebration should he add to his league-leading total of five goals against New York on Thursday. But coach Ben Olsen has spent the short week making it clear that D.C. United (2-2-1) no longer has the upper hand in the lopsided rivalry with the deep-pocketed Red Bulls (2-1-2), who have the flashier stadium, pedigree and recent history, including an appearance in the 2008 MLS Cup.
| UP NEXT |
| Red Bulls at D.C. United |
| Where » RFK Stadium |
| When » Thursday, 8 p.m. |
| TV » ESPN2 |
“Now it’s turned a little bit, and they’re the ones the last couple of years that have been solid,” Olsen said. “Since they’ve become the Red Bulls, they’ve obviously invested a lot of money and brought in some big names. It’s added another element to this rivalry, which I love.”
Thursday will mark the first time Thierry Henry will play in Washington. The high-priced Frenchman moved from Barcelona to New York last summer. He has just three goals since joining the internationally minded Red Bulls, who started 11 players from 11 different countries in their 3-0 win over San Jose last weekend and were strengthened by the acquisition of Canadian tour de force Dwayne De Rosario two games into the year.
“De Rosario, he’s always a threat, but every guy — they’re humans,” said United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, coming off his first shutout of the year last weekend. “They’re not superheroes. They’re not going to fly by us at 200 miles per hour, so we’re going to handle them like we handle every other player in the league.”
D.C. United’s confidence has grown steadily both on and off the field after last year’s historically bad campaign. Two home games into the year, United is third in MLS in attendance (22,377) — it was 11th (14,531) in 2010 — and more than 13,000 tickets have already been sold for Thursday. United traditionally has had a much tougher time attracting midweek crowds.
“I think our fans want to support us,” United president Kevin Payne said. “They were waiting for good reasons to support us. I think that our fans have a connection with Ben Olsen, our coach, and I think that our Olsen’s Army campaign has resonated with them.”
Consistency remains the greatest challenge for a United team focused on a long-term rebuild, but United has embraced a newfound status as the underdog.
“I think they’re one of the most organized and one of the better teams in the league, and the rivalry speaks for itself,” United midfielder Santino Quaranta said. “We don’t like each other, and it’s always a fight, always a battle on the field, and it’s a fun game.”
