With nearly a full roster — forward Alecko Eskandarian is still listed as doubtful but defender Bobby Boswell, midfielder Josh Gros and midfielder Christian Gomez are all expected back in the lineup — D.C. United’s match tonight against New England will be its first against an MLS Eastern Conference opponent in nearly a month.
D.C. maintains a nearly insurmountable 13-point lead in the conference with six games to go, but there is still plenty to achieve. Leading the Western Conference, F.C. Dallas (14-8-4) is just five points behind United, and the team with the best record at the end of the regular season wins the Supporters’ Shield.
The Supporters’ Shield was created by fans and first awarded following the 1998 season. It is still technically an unofficial honor, but this season is the first in which there is an actual reward for the achievement. In February, MLS announced that the Supporters’ Shield winner will earn a berth in next season’s CONCACAF Champions Cup — our hemisphere’s version of the UEFA Champions League.
D.C. United (14-3-9) at N.E. Revolution (8-8-10)
» When: Tonight, 7:30
» Where: Foxborough Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
» TV: None
» Radio: WMET-1160 AM, WACA-1540 AM
